MÁIRT -- On March 11, 1858, Irish revolutionary Thomas James Clarke was born of Irish parents on the Isle of Wight but the family moved to Dungannon, County Tyrone, shortly after that. His father, James Clarke, was a sergeant in the British Army. Thomas spent part of his…

To our readers and fellow members of TheWildGeese.irish community:

We are as a community startled, enraged and greatly saddened by the death May 25 of African-American George Floyd at the hands of a Minnesota police officer. As we reexamine race…

By Charlie Laverty

Just a few minutes drive from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., lies the modest village of Salisbury Mills. But its remembrance of the deeds of its men at war is far from modest: At the junction of two roads that course through the village stands a handsome…

TheWildGeese.irish published the following interview with beleaguered and much-respected Irish immigrant Malachy McAllister in 2006, and we are astounded at how relevant -- and urgent -- the concerns the Irish-American community expressed about his plight then remain today. The account we reprise here dramatically underscores how precarious Malachy's hold on the American dream has remained for the past…

Memorial Day, originally titled Decoration Day, has a somewhat murky origin. But what is clear is that on May 30, 1868, 146 years ago today, 5,000 gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate the 20,000 fallen warriors buried there, with the help of remarks by General and future President James…

By Dr. Laura Kelley

Usually, when we speak about the Irish Diaspora in the USA, New Orleans is not among the cities that first come to mind as centers of Irish population and…

Ultonia Regiment of the Spanish army, toy soldiers by "The Warrior Irish."

LUAIN -- On August 11, 1744, during the…

By Robert Doyle

He is one of the most iconic figures of the American Civil War and, as the commander of the Union Army’s Irish Brigade, Thomas Francis Meagher (right, from from Arthur Griffith's "Meagher of the Sword," Dublin, 1916) is probably the most famous of…

Linen Hall Library A 17th century portrait of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone.

MÁIRT -- On December 24, 1601,…

Our thoughts go out to the Navy families and personnel who have lost loved ones at the Washington Navy Yard today. The Irish have long had a rich heritage with the Navy. The situation is still unfolding, but if you are close to or interested in the Navy, below are some articles we have researched and curated over the years, while you await more details. …

The story of…

The Battle of Stones River (February 14, 1863 Harper's Weekly)

By Brian D. Henry

The…

The Curragh, County Kildare - It’s who you are. Your blood, your genes and, some would say, your personality, can be influenced by your ancestors, the family members that came before you. It should be essential knowledge for anyone to have and yet there is hesitancy by many to undertake what seems an onerous…

Thomas Ashe

DOMHNAIGH -- On April 28, 1916, as the rebels in Dublin were being squeezed harder and harder by the British and nearing the end of…

The (New) Wild Geese Debuts Sat., Mar. 9…

By Kevin O'Beirne

Michael Corcoran was the commander of the 69th New York State Militia regiment, which fought at the battle of 1st Bull Run in July of 1861. Corcoran was captured by the rebels at that battle and was held prisoner for 13 months, until his exchange in August '62. One hundred and thirty-five years ago this November he formed an…

• Part 1: From Bane to Toast of the Nation
• Part 2: Making a Stand
• Part 3: 'Winning the death…

By David Kincaid

In the spring of 1862, a call was made by the Federal government for more troops. The Civil War had been in progress for more than a year, and the 116th Pennsylvania, recruited principally from Philadelphia, was one of the regiments then authorized. Tipperary-born Dennis Heenan, …

• Part 1: A Powerful Tug
• Part 3: St. Patrick's Day in 1864 and 1865…

• Part 2: St. Patrick's Day in 1863
• Part 3: St. Patrick's Day in 1864 and 1865…