Irish America

Irish America

History Archives

Elizabeth O’Farrell – A Fearless Woman

By Rosemary Rogers, Contributor

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An Irish nurse and member of Cumann na mBan, Elizabeth O’Farrell performed nursing and courier duties, delivering dispatches and ammunition to rebels over the days of the Easter Rising. She further risked her life to deliver Pádraig Pearse’s terms of surrender to the British forces on Friday, April 28 and stood with him when he surrendered to General Lowe later that day.It may … [Read more...] about Elizabeth O’Farrell – A Fearless Woman

150 Years: The Fenians and Canada

By John Kernaghan, Contributor
February / March 2017

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One hundred and fifty years ago, members of the Fenian Brotherhood sought to force Britain’s hand by creating disturbances along the Canadian border. The raids failed, but they led to an unexpected outcome in 1867. OTTAWA, Ontario – It was civil warfare, with some almost comic sidelights, and it might have been lost in the mists of time but for a discovery in the attic of … [Read more...] about 150 Years: The Fenians and Canada

Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Shaw

By Olivia O’Mahony, Editorial Assistant
December 2, 2016

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The Japanese surprised the United States by attacking Pearl Harbor in the early hours of December 7, 1941. One of the most iconic photographs from that day is of the U.S.S. Shaw, a ship named after an Irishman and early officer in the U.S. Navy. Following the attack, the Shaw, which was nearly destroyed, returned to battle and went on to become one of the most highly-decorated … [Read more...] about Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Shaw

The Fabulous Murphys

By Michael Burke, Contributor
December / January 2017

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Gerald Murphy and his wife, Sara, were the golden couple at the center of glamorous expatriate life in Paris and the Riviera in the 1920s, with a social circle that included many of the great artists and writers of the day. Michael Burke goes behind the scenes to look at the dynamic Murphy family’s early beginnings.Patrick: The Salesman Patrick Francis Murphy, one of 13 … [Read more...] about The Fabulous Murphys

“Sure Shot Mary”

By Rosemary Rogers
December / January 2017

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New York City police officer and detective Mary Agnes Shanley (1896-1989) was the first policewoman to use a gun in an arrest. She made over 1,000 collars in her career and, at just 160 pounds, had the strength to subdue an adult male.Born in 1896, Mary Shanley and family left the poverty of Ireland for the mean streets of Manhattan. Growing up it seemed to her that it was the … [Read more...] about “Sure Shot Mary”