Welcome to the 1916 Centenary issue of Irish America. This special issue of Irish America is dedicated to the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Its aim is two-fold: to highlight and investigate the key individuals and movements, both American and Irish, who had a hand in the planning, execution, and aftermath of the Rising, and to showcase underrepresented aspects of the … [Read more...] about 1916 – 2016: The Centenary
Michael Collins
Michael Collins: From the GPO to Béal na mBláth
By Dermot McEvoy, Contributor
Michael Collins was born into a farming family near Clonakilty in County Cork in 1890. In 1906 he passed a civil service exam and went to London to work in the British postal system, which included the banking and communications sections – an invaluable learning experience for the future Minister for Finance in the first Dáil. While in London, Collins joined the usual Irish … [Read more...] about Michael Collins: From the GPO to Béal na mBláth
The Collins Clan
Collins, also sometimes found as Cullane or O’Cullane, is one of the most common surnames in Munster. It originates from the sept of Ó Coileáin, which extended from County Cork to south Limerick. The name itself is thought to come from the Irish coileán, meaning a whelp or a young dog. In the 13th century, the Ó Coileáins were chased southward into Cork after losing a war with … [Read more...] about The Collins Clan
Important Items from Ireland's Past at Auction
Only fifty original copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic remain in existence. The proclamation, which famously called for a provisional government of the Irish Republic and proclaimed the country’s independence from the United Kingdom, was distributed and read aloud by Patrick Pearse outside the General Post Office, marking the beginning of the Easter … [Read more...] about Important Items from Ireland's Past at Auction
Liam’s Collins Connection
Though an event in Clonakilty, Co. Cork on Thursday, August 22 was a salute to the tamed Irish patriot Michael Collins, Liam Neeson was the star of the show as hundreds of fans turned out to meet and greet the Co. Antrim-born star. Neeson traveled from New York to attend the ceremony in which a seven-foot high statue of Collins, in full military regalia, was unveiled in the … [Read more...] about Liam’s Collins Connection