“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
– William Faulkner, from Requiem for a Nun (1950)
Irish America’s impact on the history of America is well established, as the articles in this issue will attest. From titans of industry such as the silver king John Mackay, to the boxer John Morrissey, who was behind the fabled racecourse at Saratoga Springs, and on to today’s “Wall Street 50” honorees, who are at the top of their game in the financial industry.
Suffice to say, America wouldn’t be America without the Irish. From Notre Dame football to the White House; from Hollywood to Wall Street, the Irish American experience is all-encompassing. But there are stories that still need to be told of ordinary men and women on whose brave shoulders we stand. And often times serendipity plays a part in bringing these stories to light.
As the anniversary of the American Civil War is upon us, we turn our attention once more to the feats of young men, brave in battle, who carved out a place for the Irish in America.
While the broader story of the Irish Brigade, and the Fighting 69th, is well-known, many of the individual stories have gotten lost in time.
And so it was that this particular period in American history was on my mind when I stopped into Paddy Reilly’s bar to catch a session on a recent Thursday evening. There I had an encounter that convinced me that the stories of our ancestors reveal themselves at just the right moment.
Though the musicians were first-class, my mind kept wandering back to a piece I was editing on the Fighting 69th, whose famous battle cry was “Faugh a Ballagh” (Clear the Way). A Google search had turned up 55 Irish-born Civil War soldiers who were recipients of the Medal of Honor, but there was scant information, just name and rank, and no mention of their birthplace in Ireland.
Had Col. James Tierney introduced himself on any other evening at Paddy Reilly’s, I might not have been paying attention. But the colonel, as it turned out, was a member of the 69th and had for many years been the regiment’s historian. The fact that his father was from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, my home town, seemed an uncanny coincidence, but when he went on to tell me that Private Timothy Donoghue, 69th Infantry, the first Irish-born Civil War soldier to receive the Medal of Honor, was also from Nenagh, I was speechless.
I was still processing this serendipitous encounter, when the colonel introduced his son Dennis, also with the 69th, who was just back from Afghanistan.
Meeting Dennis and his father, brought the story of the 69th regiment full circle – past to present – and served as a reminder that our place in this nation’s history was hard won, and is still being earned.
It is through stories that we come to know the ingredients that make us who we are. It’s important too, that these stories get passed down to the children, so that they know they have in their DNA the ability to be brave should troubles come their way.
Those Civil War soldiers “cleared the way” not just on the battlefield; they laid foundations on which later generations would build. Yet, they could not have imagined the heights to which our Wall Street 50 honorees would scale. These men and women, who we honor as much for their community activism as for their financial acumen, are an inspiration. None more so than Sheila Langan’s cover story subject Citi bank’s Jim O’Donnell.
When it comes to Wall Street, Jim says: “The world needs people to write checks and make donations, people to get involved, and that’s part of why I respect my colleagues on Wall Street so much – for all the good work that they do.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
And so the story of the Irish in America continues with a new generation picking up the banner and “clearing the way” as they shape the culture, history and destinies of the two countries that share our allegiance.
I salute you all.
Patricia,
I found this a very interesting article. I had one of these moments a few years ago. I found a book in Barnes & Noble with very good WW1 maps but did not purchase that day. Something told me to go back and get it. When I returned it took me hours to find it in a different section. I flew back to Ireland that night and next day at lunch scanned the book. I set it facedown and almost fainted, on the back cover was a photograph of Ptv William Tally Mallon NYC 69th taken in France a few days before his death alongside Joyce Kilmer in late July 1918.
I had been researching him for seven years and he turns up on my dinner table. He is the only US born Soldier killed in WW1 who is buried in Ireland.. Irish America kindly covered this story in the August/Sept edition last year although I was unable to obtain a hard copy. FYI you should google the story of Daniel Buckley, Co Cork who survived the sinking of the Titanic, and/or Quinlan Ourcq which details the 62 men who were returned to Ireland for burial in 1922. I have now managed to id some of those who came back in 1921 including (at last) one Protestant.
Back to your story. One of the really sad facts about the battlecry is that it was colonised (and altered) by an number of British Army regiments including the one with the highest ever record of criminal convictions, the despised “Ulster” Defence Regiment. No matter, it will always rightly be associated with those Irish diaspora who had a true understanding of freedom.
Best regards,
Plunkett (Nugent)
Plunkett,
Enjoyed your addendum to this great story of Irish in America. I’m currently researching Irish American Army casualties in WWI & would appreciate if you could contact me through the Ormond Historical Society – ormondhistory@gmail.com.
John Flannery
Lots of info on William Tally Mallon, including a photo, here: http://www.69thpa.co.uk/page42.html
Really enjoyed this article about Fighting 69th & Timothy Donoghue being the first Irish born Civil War recipient of the Medal of Honour. The timing of this is indeed serendipitous as here in Nenagh the Ormond Historical Society is preparing to honour the Tipperary born participants in the American Civil War, through our December lecture which will be delivered by Damian Sheils author of The Irish in The American Civil War.
I saw your books earlier, however this one I consider the very best.
I am a the several times granddaughter of Timothy Donoghue- I was wondering if anyone has ever identified him in a photo?
When I was first introduced to the American Civil War reenacting hobby in 1993, joined the 22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry group portraying the 2nd Andrew’s Sharpshooters. These men had two companies. The 1st had a Dubliner named Jim Morrison, Laborer, 42, who served until 27 November 1864. I later found reference to his death in Wyman White’s Diary of a Vermont member of Berdan’s U. S. Sharpshooters. My fictional soldier was 80% John Morrison, 20% every other Irish sharpshooter I could find. I had been the “adopted token Yank” by Waterford, Ireland’s Red Kettle Theater members in 1988, and visited them for a fortnight in 1989. And ever since 1993, am proud to be known in some East & West Coast reenacting communities as The Irish Sharpshooter.