Celebrating Irish Heritage and History

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…

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…

As the big day rapidly approaches, we are dedicating our blog to Saint Patrick and his celebrations for the next two weeks. Saint Patrick’s Day (17 March) is known for many things in and outside of Irish America. Those who are not Irish may only see it as a day for…

March is known in Irish American circles for the event of Saint Patrick’s Day, and a month-long celebration of heritage surrounding the holy day. But, since 1980, it has also been Women’s History Month. This annual observance showcases the lesser known stories of…

The Winter Olympics have taken over the news this past week, featuring four Irish athletes competing in freestyle, alpine, and cross-country skiing. Of course, Irish athletes are not uncommon in global sporting events, particularly when they are descendants of Irish…

Today on President’s Day, we look back at the Irish contributions to the American Federal Government. When people think of Ireland and American presidents, it’s often through Irish-American President John F. Kennedy. However, as those who have been following our…

Perhaps one of the most famous Irish artists featured in our collections is George Russell (1867-1935), a mystical painter who went by the pseudonym of “Æ”. Russell is remembered for his fantastical artwork, political work, philosophical writing, and connections to…

Welcome back, dear reader, to the American Irish Historical Society’s archival blog. After a month focused on the production of our new exhibit, we return this week to share a little news…about news. These days, we read most of our news on the web. Circulating printed…

For our final blog post of the year, we turn to a very special section of our archives, and bring to light a Christmas story brought to us directly from Ireland. Our archives feature many different newspapers, some published in the states and others brought over…