When considering changing the title of my book The Life and Times of Liam O'Donnell to The O'Donnells of Philadelphia, an Irish-American Saga, 1918-1946, I became inspired:

The Irish-American Story

James Francis Smith

We dug the coal mines and canals

Courted your daughters

Built the railroads

Fought the wars

Patrick Carr died in Boston’s Massacre

Sullivan, Moylan, and Scot-Irish filled Washington’s ranks

John Barry commanded the Continental Navy

Luke Ryan surpassed John Paul Jones

Irish by the thousands fell at Fredericksburg

O’Rorke and O’Kane saved the Union on Cemetery Ridge

Patrick Cleburne led his final charge at Franklin, Tennessee

Phil Sheridan dogged Lee ’till Appomattox

Irish-Americans formed the unions

Constructed the cities

Laid the highways

And educated the masses

Too-many-to-count died in Flanders and France

Then came Guadalcanal, Normandy, and Iwo Jima

Irish music and laughter lightens the mood for we are the proud Irish-Americans. And this is our story.