Celebrating Irish Heritage and History
Join us in exploring the rich tapestry of Irish-American contributions through our annual gala and ongoing initiatives.
Seamus O’Brien: An Overlooked Irish Literary Revivalist?
By (Evelyn) Cora Burkholder Editor’s Note: This article is a shortened version of a longer paper that can be found in our journal of undergraduate research, An Cartlann Gael-Mheiriceánach. This paper was created by an AIHS intern during a semester-long research…
Global Valour: The Irish in World War II
Not infrequently do we discuss the role of Irish immigrants in the American military, starting in the early days of the Revolutionary War and spanning across numerous civil and global conflicts. Throughout this history are many examples of Irish political ties…
Eight Shiny Buttons: The Weeks Following a Failed Revolution
Eight Shiny Buttons (copied by I.V. Prisoner, June 1916) Though the poet ascribed this piece in the right-hand side to Lieut. John MacDonagh, we understand this to mean Irish poet Thomas MacDonagh (1 February 1878 – 3 May 1916). MacDonagh was one of the seven leaders…
The Father of American Chemistry and Irish Republican Rebel: William James MacNeven
By Ellen Mooney Galway man, William James MacNeven was a physician, scientist, and political figure in the late 1700s. A friend of fellow United Irishman Thomas Addis Emmet, MacNeven was largely involved in the fight against Great Britain for Catholic rights and Irish…
Máiréad Ní Ghráda: Bringing Irish to the Masses
This week, we take a dip into our Irish language section by focusing on playwright, educator, and folklorist Máiréad Ní Ghráda. As noted in our present exhibit, Irish language study has long been a part of the Irish diaspora. In our early 20th century acquisitions, we…
Financing Fenian Freedom: John W. Goff and the Catalpa Rescue
150 years ago, from the 17th to the 19th of April in 1876, six Fenian rebels escaped an Australian penal colony and made their way to New York. Though many are familiar with the work of Irish-American journalist John Devoy (a staple of AIHS’ collections) to organize…
The Younger: Nathaniel Hone, Living in Legacy AIHS New York
Perhaps one of the most striking pieces on permanent exhibition in the American Irish Historical Society is at the same time one of the least familiar to Irish historians. Hanging at the center of our grand dining hall is a stunning, yet unintimidating, seascape…
Ella Young: The Eyes of a Seer
Photograph of Irish folklorist Ella Young circa 1 January 1942, unknown photographer This week, we return to the mystical world of the Celtic Revival, looking now at the works of Ella Young. Young (1867-1956) was a poet, mythologist, and author of children’s…
Anna Frances Levins: 150th Anniversary
Continuing on in our archives series, we focus this week on a crucial figure to Irish-American history, who finds her origins her at AIHS. Anna Frances Levins (March 21, 1876 – July 15, 1941) was the society’s first female executive officer and our historic…