Irish Seisiún Newsletter
Bob Murphy lost his fiddle
But that didn’t stop him!!!!!
click below
Are there NO ends to this guy’s talents?????
Really, I want to know……
Is there an end????
Even the Florida seagulls got into the Saint Patrick’s Day spirit last week
Click below to start…Click again to stop
This Week’s Session 1
Randy
Click on any image below to enlarge.
Special Treat
Daniel O’Donnell sings
Galway Bay
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When the video starts, click on the speaker icon to turn the sound on 
Finnegan's Calender
Find out what’s happening at Tim Finnegan’s this month.
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Finnegan’s supports us…Let’s support them!
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“That’s How I Spell Ireland”
Saturdays at 7 to 8 PM EST.
You can listen on 88.7FM or WRHU.org.
For a request please text me on 917 699-4768.Kevin and Joan Westley
Note: Show will be preempted whenever the NY Islanders have a Saturday game
Old Ireland
Dillon Street New Tipperary 1800s
Recent Mail
Great newsletter, Tommy! Enjoyable and informative!….Dan Russell
Thanks, Dan, glad you enjoyed it.
Travel in Ireland
Discovering Dublin’s artistic treasures: A tour of the best art museums
Dublin’s art museums are veritable treasure troves, showcasing the city’s commitment to preserving and celebrating artistic expression.
Dublin, a city steeped in culture and creativity, boasts a vibrant art scene that beckons both connoisseurs and casual admirers alike. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of Irish and international art with a visit to these outstanding museums, each offering a unique and enjoyable experience.
The National Gallery of Ireland
Merrion Square West, Dublin 2, Ireland
Nestled in the heart of Dublin, the National Gallery of Ireland stands as a beacon of artistic brilliance. Housing an extensive collection spanning European and Irish art, it showcases works from renowned masters such as Vermeer, Caravaggio, and J.M.W. Turner. The elegant surroundings of Merrion Square provide a serene backdrop, making a visit to this gallery a tranquil and enlightening experience.
Why it’s notable: The gallery’s emphasis on both Irish and international art, coupled with its commitment to accessibility, ensures a diverse and enriching experience for art enthusiasts of all tastes.
The Hugh Lane Gallery
Parnell Square N, Rotunda, Dublin, Ireland
For those seeking a more contemporary flavor, The Hugh Lane Gallery is a must-visit. This dynamic museum showcases modern and contemporary art, featuring works by Irish and international artists. One of its most notable attractions is the recreation of Francis Bacon’s studio, providing a fascinating glimpse into the mind of the iconic painter.
Why it’s notable: The Hugh Lane Gallery’s commitment to contemporary art, coupled with its innovative exhibits and the immersive experience of Bacon’s studio, makes it a hotspot for those eager to explore the cutting edge of artistic expression.
The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)
Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Military Rd, Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland
Housed in the historic setting of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) seamlessly blends the old and the new. IMMA is celebrated for its diverse collection of contemporary and modern art, often featuring thought-provoking exhibitions, installations, and performances. The picturesque grounds add an extra layer of charm to the overall experience.
Why it’s notable: IMMA’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of contemporary art, combined with its scenic location, creates an immersive and intellectually stimulating environment for visitors.
The Chester Beatty
Dublin Castle, Dublin 2
Tucked within the historic Dublin Castle, the Chester Beatty Library houses a remarkable collection of manuscripts, prints, and artifacts from around the world. The diverse range of exhibits spans centuries and cultures, making it a treasure trove for those fascinated by the intersection of art and history.
Why it’s notable: The Chester Beatty’s unique collection, spanning diverse cultures and time periods, provides a captivating and educational experience, showcasing the global nature of artistic expression.
The National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History
Collins Barracks, Benburb St, Dublin, Ireland
Explore the intersection of art and history at the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History, housed in the historic Collins Barracks. This museum presents a captivating collection of decorative arts, including furniture, ceramics, and fashion, offering a fascinating journey through Ireland’s material culture.
Why it’s notable: The museum’s focus on the decorative arts, combined with its unique setting in a former military barracks, creates a compelling narrative that appeals to art lovers with a penchant for history.
Whether you’re captivated by classical masterpieces or intrigued by the avant-garde, these museums offer a diverse range of experiences, ensuring that every art lover finds inspiration in Dublin’s vibrant cultural landscape.
* Originally published in 2024 and updated in March 2026.
Irish Language
Tír gan Teanga, Tír gan Anam:
A land without a language is a land without a soul.
Submitted by our own
Anita
Críost liom, Críost romham,
Críost i mo dhiaidh, Críost istigh ionam,
Críost fúm, Críost os mo chionn,
Críost ar mo lámh dheis, Críost ar mo lámh chlé,
Críost i mo luí dom, Críost i mo sheasamh dom,
Críost i gcroí gach duine atá ag cuimhneamh orm,
Críost i mbéal gach duine a labhraíonn liom,
Críost i ngach súil a fhéachann orm,
Críost i ngach cluas a éisteann liom.
and the translation –
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ below me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand,
Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my waking,
Christ in the heart of all who think of me,
Christ in the mouth of all who speak to me,
Christ in every eye that looks at me,
Christ in every ear that listens to me.
Free Irish Classes
The classes are over zoom and are held at 12:00 eastern time the 1 st Sunday of every month.
It is basic conversational Irish and open to learners of all ages, especially beginners.
All are invited.
Hope to see you there!
slan go foill. Le dea ghui,
Anita
click here to register
Travel Quiz
Can you identify this site
and its location in Ireland
Send your guess to Tommy Mac at [email protected]
Answer in Next Week’s Newsletter
Last week’s answer
Gaulstown Portal Tomb is located 8km south west of Waterford city,
at the foot of a steep north facing slope known locally as, Cnoc an Chaillighe, or The Hill of the Hag
This week’s Irish recipe
Tommy Mac’s suggestion for leftover potatoes from St. Patrick’s Day?
Or, try this instead.
The perfect Irish shepherd’s pie recipe
Actually, my wife Donna makes the BEST Shepherd’s pie, but she will not give me the recipe.
A very close second can be found at Tim Finnegan’s Irish Pub. And they also have the BEST pint.
The best Irish get-togethers always involve some great home-cooked Irish comfort foods, so why not try out this delicious shepherd’s pie?
Shepherd’s pie is the perfect simple dinner that’s sure to put a smile on the face of any Irish person in your life.
The best get-togethers always involve some great home-cooked Irish comfort foods, so why not try out this delicious shepherd’s pie? If you want to make Irish people grin with pleasure around a dinner table, this is the dish to try.
Shepherd’s pie, or cottage pie, as it’s known in Britain, is believed to have existed since around 1791, when potatoes became an available, affordable crop to the poor. This dish was a perfect way to stretch leftover roasted meat.
Originally, the pie was lined with mashed potatoes and had a mashed potato crust. The term Shepherd’s pie came into use, alongside cottage pie, from around 1870.
And just before you start to make a comment… we’re not sure why the Irish make their shepherd’s pie with beef mince. That’s just the way it is.
Irish shepherd’s pie recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons Irish butter
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 2 sliced carrots
- 4 tablespoons of cream flour
- 2.5 cups browning stock
- Chopped parsley and thyme
- 2 cups cooked minced beef or lamb
- 3 cups mashed potatoes
Method:
Melt the Irish butter in a saucepan and add the chopped onion. Cover and let it sweat for a few minutes.
Add the carrots.
Stir in the flour and cook until it is slightly browned, then add the stock and herbs.
Bring to a boil, then reduce slightly by boiling for about 5 minutes.
Add the meat and bring it back to the boil.
Place in a pie dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Put into a medium-hot oven (350°F/180°C) for about 30 minutes.
* Originally published in 2016, last updated in March 2026.
Poem of the Week
March
By Patrick Kavanagh
There’s a wind blowing
Cold through the corridors,
A ghost-wind,
The flapping of defeated wings,
A hell-fantasy
From meadows damned
To eternal April
.
And listening, listening
To the wind
I hear
The throat-rattle of dying men,
From whose ears oozes
Foamy blood,
Throttled in a brothel.
.
I see brightly
In the wind vacancies
Saint Thomas Aquinas
And
Poetry blossoms
Excitingly
As the first flower of truth.
Analysis (ai):
The poem merges natural imagery with spiritual and existential dread, using wind as a conduit for metaphysical unease.
Unlike much of the author’s rural-centered work, this piece diverges into abstraction and spiritual disquiet, aligning more with wartime disillusionment than pastoral reflection.
March – meaning Summary
Desolation Meets Renewal
Kavanagh’s “March” presents a bleak, cold landscape where a persistent wind carries images of decay, violence, and dying men. Amid this hellish vision the speaker also encounters vacancies and the surprising apparition of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and poetry itself appears as a sudden, bright blossom. The poem contrasts mortality and moral degradation with a redemptive moment of insight, suggesting that poetic truth can emerge even from bleak, personal struggle.
Stories and Tales
Why Did My Ancestors Leave Ireland BEFORE the Great Famine?
Hi Tom,
Each week we take a reader question and share suggested approaches, resources and a little historical context to help answer that question.
Today we answer the question: Why Did My Ancestors Leave Ireland BEFORE the Great Famine?
Let’s kick off with the following question from Marcy:
“I know about the Great Famine in Ireland during the mid-1800s, but I’ve learned there were other famines before and after it. My ancestors left Ireland for Canada in the 1830s — could food shortages have influenced their decision? How can I find out?”
Marcy, New Brunswick, Canada
Marcy, you’ve touched on an important truth. The Great Famine of 1845–1852 was the most devastating crisis Ireland ever experienced, but it did not appear out of nowhere. Ireland endured repeated subsistence crises, meaning periods of food shortage and distress, long before potato blight arrived. Understanding these earlier pressures can add valuable context to pre-Famine emigration stories like yours.
Ireland’s Vulnerability to Food Crises
By the early nineteenth century, many rural labourers and smallholders depended heavily on the potato because it produced a far higher calorie yield per acre than grain. As population grew – from perhaps 2.5–3 million in the mid-eighteenth century to over 8 million by 1841 – land subdivision meant that families often survived on very small plots.
This did not mean every household ate only potatoes. Milk, oats, and small livestock remained important. But for poorer families, the potato formed the backbone of survival. When crops failed or prices rose, even briefly, hardship arrived quickly.
Unlike later decades, families leaving Ireland in the early 1830s emigrated before the Poor Law system of 1838, when workhouses were introduced. Without that safety net, migration could seem like the only reliable way to secure a future.
Famine or Subsistence Crisis?
Historians today often distinguish between a full-scale famine and a subsistence crisis. The latter might involve poor harvests, rising prices, or regional distress without nationwide catastrophe.
Ireland experienced several such crises before the Great Famine:
1740–1741 — The “Forgotten Famine”
Extreme cold destroyed crops and livestock. Mortality may have reached 10–15% of the population, though estimates vary. This crisis was driven by severe weather rather than potato disease directly.
1780s and Early Nineteenth-Century Shortages
Periodic food shortages occurred in the 1780s and again around 1800–1801, causing distress in parts of the country, particularly among labouring families.
1816–1817 – A “Year Without a Summer”
Following the eruption of an Indonesian volcano in 1815, Ireland experienced poor harvests linked to global climate disruption. Conditions were difficult but not catastrophic on the scale of later events.
1821–1822
Often referred to at the time as a famine, this crisis affected Munster and Connacht in particular and provoked the first early organised relief efforts.
1830–1831
Localised potato failures caused distress in western and some southern counties, including parts of Clare and Cork. Relief committees were formed in several regions.
1835–1837
One of the most significant pre-Famine crises. A sequence of poor harvests and a harsh winter led to widespread hardship. For many families, this period reinforced the sense that life in Ireland was becoming increasingly precarious.
Regional Experience Matters
These crises were rarely uniform across the island. While the west and north-west were frequently hardest hit, upland or poorer districts in counties like Cork could also experience serious hardship.
Understanding where your ancestors lived, not just the county but the townland or parish, can help you gauge how directly they might have felt these pressures.
Many Irish family history searches reach the same point.
You have gathered a few records and clues, but then the trail seems to disappear and you are not sure what to try next.
Why the 1830s Matter for Emigration
For families leaving in the 1830s, food shortages were only part of the picture.
Ireland also experienced:
Falling agricultural prices and limited employment
Rising rents and pressure on small tenants
Expanding transatlantic shipping routes
Letters home from earlier emigrants describing opportunity abroad
Some landlords even encouraged or assisted emigration during difficult years as a way to reduce pressure on estates. Assisted passages appear in some records, particularly in areas facing repeated distress.
In places like New Brunswick, the timber trade drew Irish labourers across the Atlantic. Seasonal workers sometimes stayed permanently, creating early Irish communities before the Great Famine migration waves.
How Food Crises Appear in Records
Evidence of these earlier crises can be subtle but meaningful.
Newspapers
Local papers reported on relief efforts, distress meetings, and food prices. Searching for your county alongside terms like “distress,” “relief,” or “potato failure” can provide context.
Parliamentary Papers
Government enquiries gathered testimony from clergy, landlords, and magistrates describing local conditions.
Estate Papers
Landlord correspondence may discuss rent arrears, relief schemes, or decisions to assist emigration.
Church Registers
Rather than explicit references to starvation, look for patterns — increased burials, fever outbreaks, or unusual gaps in baptisms.
Relief Committees
Where records survive, they sometimes name families receiving aid or participating in local schemes.
The Emotional Context: Leaving Before Disaster
It’s tempting to assume that all emigrants left because they were starving. In reality, many departures were more strategic than desperate.
Some families left during moments of acute distress. Others emigrated after witnessing repeated crises and concluding that Ireland offered little long-term security for their children. In that sense, your ancestors may have been early movers, and leaving during a period of warning signs rather than waiting for catastrophe.
A Wider Perspective
So, while the Great Famine reshaped Ireland forever, earlier subsistence crises formed the backdrop against which many families made life-changing decisions. Understanding that longer pattern helps us see pre-Famine emigrants not simply as refugees, but as people responding thoughtfully and carefully to uncertainty.
Practical Next Steps
Marcy, for your New Brunswick ancestors:
Narrow down their exact year of departure.
Identify their origin parish in Ireland.
Search Irish newspaper archives for that place and time.
Look for others from the same area settling nearby in Canada.
Investigate whether their landlord encouraged emigration.
Watch for patterns rather than single pieces of proof.
You may never find a document stating “they left because of famine”. But by placing their journey within the wider pattern of subsistence crises and economic pressure, you can begin to understand the forces that shaped their decision.
And sometimes that broader understanding tells us as much about our ancestors as any single record ever could.
Slán for now,
Mike
Never Let The Truth Get In The Way Of A Good Story
“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,” is a saying I often heard when I was growing up in Ireland. I automatically assumed it to be an old Irish proverb, but since living in America I learned this quotation is widely attributed to none other than Mark Twain.
Never Let the Truth Get in the Way of a Good Story
Have you ever heard this saying before??
Do you believe it to be an old Irish proverb??
Or perhaps you accept these witty and wise words were first uttered by the wittiest of all Americans, Mark Twain.
Never Let The Truth Get In The Way Of A Good Story
“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,” is a saying I often heard when I was growing up in Ireland. I automatically assumed it to be an old Irish proverb, but since living in America I learned this quotation is widely attributed to none other than Mark Twain.
Have you ever heard this saying before??
Do you believe it to be an old Irish proverb??
Or perhaps you accept these witty and wise words were first uttered by the wittiest of all Americans, Mark Twain.
The Case To Support The Irish Origins Of This Phrase
Irish storyteller, Mattie Lennon has called his new CD of Irish stories, ‘Truth and Lies,’ since the notion of including an odd embellishment or two for the sake of a good story is entrenched in Irish tradition.
There’s another Irish or Gaelic expression that supports this idea and may even be the original expression from where this particular phrase found root. In the Irish oral storytelling tradition, the ‘seanachaí,’ or storyteller often says at the end of a tale:
Sin mo scéal díobh,
agus má tá bréag ann, fá é,
Mar ní mise a chum ná a cheap.”
For pronunciation notes – click here.
“That’s my story,
and if there’s a lie there, so be it,
For it wasn’t me that composed it.”
Gaelic Storm
Gaelic Storm, a Celtic rock band, performs a song bearing the name, “Don’t Let The Truth Get In The Way.” Here are the lines from the chorus ….
No harm, no foul, no crime.
Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story
It’ll get ’em everytime.”
Did the songwriter from Gaelic Storm quote Mark Twain in this song, or are these words borrowed from an old Irish proverb? I’m going to assume a Gaelic band is referring to an Irish saying.
Mark Twain
For anyone doing an internet search on this saying the inevitable answer found is that Mark Twain is the author of this quotation.
“Never Let The Truth Get In The Way Of A Good Story”
Were These Words Ever Uttered By Mark Twain?
Is this true???? Or have we reached a stage that the notion Twain said it is so utterly entrenched on the world wide web, that there is absolutely no point in arguing against the idea.
Has this internet ‘fact’ regarding Twain, come to be so totally accepted, that there is no changing the belief? True or false, has it become fact simply by repetition of this attribution on multiple websites.
This thought made me laugh, especially when I considered the context of the quote in question.
To complicate matters further, I found a website called the “Unquotable Mark Twain.” Here this saying is included amongst those that should not be attributed to Twain.
But a big question remains … Is uncyclopedia.wikia.com just as unreliable as wikipedia.com?
And so, we may never find the answers to our questions about the origins of this saying.
However, I do not doubt that Twain may have heard and even repeated this expression, especially during his time in Nevada territory when he worked as a miner on the Comstock Lode. Many of his fellow miners where probably Irish.
A Good Life Lesson
But let’s face it, does it really matter if the attribution of this quotation to Mark Twain is true or not? I think our Irish forefathers, who definitely had their own versions of this saying couldn’t have cared less if it was attributed to Twain, once we realize the saying itself can teach us a good life lesson.
A good life lesson???
How could lying be a good life lesson?
At its essence this saying tells us it’s alright to lie, omit the facts, or twist the plot for the sake of a good story.
Now, don’t worry! I won’t quote this expression to teach my kiddos how to tell a few fibs.
What I believe is this saying’s life lesson, is never to trust what you are being told. Many a story has been embellished or stripped down to its core, solely for the teller’s purpose.
How valuable is that little nugget of knowledge in our world today.
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad –Irish American Mom
Pronunciation – slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad – rhymes with parade
Kieran settles the score with our grandmother’s goat in Roscommon
IrishCentral Contributor Kevin O’Hara recounts his brother Kieran’s showdown with Queen Bess, their grandmother’s goat in Co Roscommon.
My youngest brother Kieran found nothing endearing about his first visit to Ireland.
He was a plump 10-year-old that summer of 1971, when he and his sister, Anne Marie, arrived with our parents to our grandmother’s thatched farmhouse tucked beneath Slieve Bawn in Co Roscommon.
First off, there was the matter of eating. Kieran couldn’t stomach the corn flakes that were doused in warm, yellowy milk squeezed from cows each morning, or the boiled potatoes with skins that scorched the roof of his mouth, or the lumpy gravy he disgustedly spooned off his plate.
Nor could he make heads or tails out of his three uncles with their diddily i’s and diddily o’s Worse still, he had brought along his baseball glove, but his uncles hadn’t a clue how to play catch, “Peg a wee ball, ya say?”
His bed was no better–an old feathery press bed he shared with Anne Marie– the pair sinking deeply into its middle where a flurry of elbows were exchanged throughout the night.
The outhouse, too, was out of the question, and Kieran’s task of laying his daily egg was a harrowing experience, squatting over prickly nettles while droves of tartan-clad girls skipped dangerously by.
“Why, our Queen Bess seems to be fond of your bum!” howled Uncle Bennie.
After three agonizing days in Ireland, Kieran prayed to be kidnapped by a host of trooping faeries.
Things brightened that second week, however, when a neighboring boy, Gerry Coyne, dashed into the house wearing a Yankee baseball cap.
“I lived in New York for a short while,” he spouted to Kieran, “but I haven’t played baseball in years. C’mon, I just gathered my school chums in Tiernan’s Field, so let’s teach ‘em baseball!”
Kieran grabbed his mitt and followed the animated lad to a large pasture where a dozen boys and girls, ranging in age from three to 17, had collected themselves.
“We can use these dried-up cow pies for bases,” said Gerry, “and my hurley stick and sliotar will do for a bat and ball.”
Despite Kieran’s initial enthusiasm, he found it difficult to teach this intricate game to kids who’d rather kick a ball than throw it, while stressing that “stealing home” wasn’t a sin, and that, cousin or not, no two players could occupy the same cow pie.
When Kieran took up the hurley for his first at-bat, he suddenly found himself airborne before landing on his already-bruised bottom. Dazed and bone-rattled, he looked up to see Queen Bess grinning down at him.
“Take first base, for ye’re a hit batsman!” shouted Gerry gleefully, as all the kids swarmed around Queen Bess as if she’d hit a game-winning home run.
In the final week of his Celtic captivity, Kieran sat safely on a high wall punching his fist into his mitt, while watching Uncle Mickey wrestle four large sheep into the back seat of his small Morris Minor. Abruptly, Mickey grabbed Kieran and threw him like a bag of spuds into the front seat.
“We’re off to the meat factory,” he announced, “so I hope you’re not squeamish.”
Uncle Mickey puttered down a maze of endless roads as the bleating sheep kicked up such a fuss in the back seat that Kieran’s face was soon squished up against the windshield and repeatedly pummeled by flying hooves. The meat factory itself, situated at the edge of town, resounded with the sickening din of bellowing cows and blast of shotguns.
“Ye’ll never make a slaughter boy,” laughed Mickey, seeing Kieran’s face grow green. He pulled a crumpled pound note from his pocket, “Go up the town, can’t you, and buy yerself some sweets.”
In the town’s main square, Kieran spotted a double-barreled cork gun in a toy shop and purchased it with one thought in mind. That evening, loaded for goat, Kieran hopped a gate, strode boldly across the field, and came face to face with Queen Bess. However, in his jittery preparation for the showdown, Kieran had pushed the corks too snugly into the gun. So when he fired at the nanny from point-blank range, only a soft hiss escaped the gun’s barrels. In turn, Queen Bess smirked beneath her wispy beard, bowed her regal head, and sent Kieran soaring into next week.
Now it happened that my brother Dermot and I, fresh from adventures in England, arrived at Grannie Kelly’s to see our family off on the eve of their departure. That night, Kieran asked if we’d help him escape the field after he’d gotten even with Grannie’s marble-eyed goat.
On the dawn of execution, we hiked up to Queen Bess’s meadow and were surprised to find Gerry Coyne and his gang already there. Undaunted by the fanfare, Kieran fearlessly hopped the gate and entered the goat’s kingdom. The monarch, meanwhile, stealthily watched his approach, anticipating another cushiony contact with the cheeky American lad wearing his striped Sears Toughskin Huskies, “for children of generous proportions.”
Kieran quickly fired his gun from the hip. Pop! Pop! The first cork bounced off the queen’s forehead, and the second hit her square in the snout. That done, Kieran hightailed it for the gate with the regent hot on his heels, whereupon Dermot and I managed to haul him over the gate in the nick of time.
“How do you feel now, you stupid good-for-nothing old goat!” yelled Kieran from the safety of our arms. Queen Bess, paying little heed to his spitting bawl, went back to cropping grass.
Throughout the whole drama, the village children remained both confused and astounded by Kieran’s antics. Why, they had never seen the likes of him; a tubby Yankee lad mad for catching a wee ball and now strutting away like a big game hunter after bouncing two harmless corks off a pet goat’s head.
Dermot and I followed our brother’s swagger down the rutted cart path toward our ancestral homestead. Yes, Kieran had finally settled the score with his chief nemesis and was now ready for home. He shortly turned to thank us before slinging his toy rifle over his shoulder–the popgun’s two corks still dangling from the strings of its smoking barrels.
*Kevin O’Hara is the author of “Last of the Donkey Pilgrims,” which chronicles his eight-month, 1,720-mile journey around the coast of Ireland with a donkey and cart in 1979. You can visit his website at TheDonkeyman.com.
The Irishman who discovered South Pass and the Oregon Trail
Thomas Fitzpatrick helped to find South Pass, which was instrumental in crossing the Continental Divide.
Did you know that a 19th-century Irish trapper and mountain man helped emigrants reach the west coast of America in the 1800s by discovering South Pass in Wyoming?
Thomas Fitzpatrick, who was born in Cavan in 1799, moved to the United States as a teenager and joined the Rocky Mountain Fur Company shortly afterward.
Fitzpatrick made his way to St. Louis, Missouri, the headquarters of the company and the starting point for most expeditions in the Rocky Mountains.
In 1823, Fitzpatrick and Jebediah Smith helped lead a trapper band across the Continental Divide in search of a colony of beavers in Green River County, Wyoming. The group made its way west and traversed a long, flat region that enabled travelers to easily pass through the Rocky Mountains toward the west coast.
The group had inadvertently discovered South Pass and crossed the Continental Divide, unveiling a crossing that would allow hundreds of thousands of emigrants to reach the Pacific Ocean during the 19th century on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails.
Fitzpatrick was not just known for his discovery of South Pass; the Irish-American trapper and trailblazer lived a storied and danger-filled life in the Rocky Mountains.
In 1832, Fitzpatrick was scouting for a group traveling to the Green River rendezvous, where trappers, travelers, and Native Americans all gathered to barter goods, exchange stories, and renew acquaintances over drinks.
Fitzpatrick had stopped for water en route to the rendezvous when he was attacked by a large grizzly bear. Fitzpatrick managed to shoot the charging grizzly, but his troubles were far from over.
The following morning, he was cornered by a group of Blackfoot Native American warriors and was forced to flee up a steep and rocky slope. The unforgiving terrain was not suitable for horses, so Fitzpatrick was forced to continue on foot with the Blackfoot in hot pursuit.
Fitzpatrick took shelter in a narrow crevasse and covered it with leaves and branches to hide from the Native American scalp-hunters. He hid there for two days and, under cover of darkness, fled from his hiding spot and made for a nearby river. His only option was to cross the treacherous river and he almost died in the process when his makeshift raft smashed into a rock.
He survived on a diet of roots and berries and had been given up for dead by the group he was traveling with, but he was discovered clinging to life close to the Rendevouz in Pierre’s Hole Idaho.
Fitzpatrick was emaciated and his hair had turned white from the ordeal, granting him the nickname “white hair”.
Four years later, Fitzpatrick gained another nickname following a second near-death escape from the Blackfoot Native Americans.
The Blackfoot chased Fitzpatrick down a steep bank toward the Yellowstone River, fatally wounding his horse.
He crossed the river and drew his musket to fend off his attackers, but the gun exploded in his hand blowing off two fingers on his left hand. Fitzpatrick, who fought off the Native Americans, became known as “broken hand” for the rest of his life.
Fitzpatrick spent his latter years as a guide across the Oregon Trail, guiding the first two emigrant wagon trails in Oregon in 1841.
He also helped negotiate the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 at the largest council ever assembled of Native Americans of the plains. Among other conditions, the treaty granted the territory of the Black Hills (present-day South Dakota) to the Lakota Sioux.
Fitzpatrick died in 1854 on official Government business in Washington DC after he contracted pneumonia.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
* Originally published in 2021, updated February 2026.
How the heroic Irish won the American Revolution
“When it reeled in the fight, who more bravely sustained it than Erin’s generous sons?”
The romance and myths of the American Revolution have long obscured the disproportionate contributions of the Irish, who numbered as high as half a million of America’s two million population.
George Washington Parke Custis, Washington’s adopted son and a careful student of history, placed the significant Irish contribution to the American Revolution in a proper historical perspective:
“When our friendless standard was first unfurled for resistance, who were strangers [foreigners] that first mustered ‘round its staff when it reeled in the fight, who more bravely sustained it than Erin’s generous sons? Who led the assault on Quebec [General Montgomery] and shed early luster on our arms, in the dawn of our revolution? Who led the right wing of Liberty’s forlorn hope [General Sullivan] at the passage of the Delaware [just before the attack on Trenton]? Who felt the privations of the camp, the fate of battle, or the horrors of the prison ship more keenly than the Irish? Washington loved them, for they were the companions of his toil, his perils, his glories, in the deliverance of his country.”
The long-accepted proper image of the typical American patriot was that of an Anglo-Saxon who descended from early English settlers. This popular perception became a permanent part of the national mythology regarding the people seen as most responsible for sustaining and winning the revolutionary struggle.
As expected, the seemingly endless romantic myths about America’s founding were created as part of the usual process by which countries construct self-serving myths for national self-gratification.
Americans today believe that the upper-class elite, especially the Founding Fathers, and the traditional New England model (the popular romantic New England stereotype of the middle-class yeoman soldier of Anglo-Saxon descent) were most responsible for America’s success in the revolutionary struggle.
But this romanticized focus of America’s creation story from the top has overlooked what was actually more significant in determining a winner from a loser during the American Revolution: the historical, republican, and cultural legacies brought to America by hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants before the war’s beginning and the disproportionate contributions of the Irish from 1775 to 1783.
Without sufficient resources to purchase land, lower-class Irish settlers had pushed toward the setting sun in search of land and the promise of a fresh start.
Here, on the western frontier, they created distinctive ethnic communities, such as “Little Ireland” and “Little Dublin,” before the American Revolution, laying America’s most sturdy foundation for resistance to the so-called Mother Country. After all, England was the ancient enemy of the Irish people, and she was definitely no Mother Country to them.
Most of all, it was the lowest-class colonists who made the most important contributions to America’s ultimate victory over an extended period. They were the ones who fought and died in disproportionate numbers (as in leading the way west—literally an Irish vanguard—and settling the western frontier) to make America an independent nation. And no social class in America was lower (after African slaves, of course) than the Irish, who served in the ranks in large numbers from every colony (later states) during the revolutionary struggle.
Unfortunately, the romance and myths of the American Revolution have long obscured the disproportionate contributions of the Irish, who numbered as high as one half million of America’s two million population.
But these extensive contributions by the so-called lower-class “mob,” from the perspective of the wealthy, aristocratic revolutionary elite, including the Founding Fathers, were overlooked for political, economic, and social reasons (not to mention prejudices) that became deeply ingrained in American life.
But what cannot be denied was the notable fact that the Irish responded to the call of liberty en masse.
However, because so many of these diehard patriots were recent immigrants from Ireland and members of the lowest class, they were considered outsiders and foreigners, especially Irish Catholics, who were not deemed worthy of mention by generations of America’s leading historians and scholars.
Mostly from the northeast, these influential Anglo-Saxon historians possessed ample good reason to obscure the truth about America’s creation story. Quite simply, without the disproportionate and significant contributions of the Irish on all levels (political, military, and economic), America would not have won its struggle for independence. In consequence, the Irish Odyssey during the American Revolution is one of the best untold stories of American history.
Indeed, the Irish played disproportionate roles in every phase of America’s struggle for liberty because the Irish already fully understood (unlike the majority of colonists of British descent) what would become America’s tragic fate if Great Britain was allowed to turn this land of plenty into another Ireland.
The commonalities between the longtime struggle of the Irish people of liberty on the Emerald Isle and America’s fight for independence were remarkable. No one more than General George Washington realized as much.
In a stirring tribute, he later emphasized to the Irish people how “your cause is like unto mine.” Against the odds, the Irish had long fought in vain to establish their own people’s republic, but they were unable to overcome the might of a vast empire’s superior resources and manpower.
Therefore, with Ireland’s searing historical lessons in mind, the Irish served in the ranks with distinction, including more than 20 generals. In a desperate bid to make Canada the 14th Colony at the end of December 1775, General Richard Montgomery was killed in a swirling snowstorm during the desperate attack through the streets of Quebec, Canada, to become America’s first national martyr.
General John Sullivan, who was the son of Irish immigrants, served as one of Washington’s trusted top commanders. Generals Montgomery, who had attended Trinity College, Dublin, and Sullivan, who led one of the two assault columns in Washington’s victory at Trenton, New Jersey, on December 26, 1776, that saved the day for America, were two of Washington’s best fighting generals. Sullivan was only one of five brothers who fought for America’s liberty: a good representative example of the totality of the Irish commitment to liberty.
Other hard-hitting Irish generals served Washington exceptionally well. Hailing from Dungiven, County Londonderry, John Haslet was another one of Washington’s gifted Irish generals, who was as dependable as he was capable. He was killed in leading the attack at Princeton, New Jersey, on January 3, 1777. The lowly son of Ulster Province immigrants and a hero of the battle of October 1777 at Saratoga, New York, that secured the all-important French Alliance, General Daniel Morgan was a truly gifted leader on every level. He then won the most tactically brilliant victory of the American Revolution at the Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina, in mid-January 1781, helping to pave the way for the dramatic final victory of Washington and the French allies during the decisive showdown at Yorktown, Virginia.
General “Mad” (a name bestowed for his sheer combativeness not his mental state) Anthony Wayne was proud of the fact that his Irish grandfather fought with distinction at the decisive battle of the Boyne. Washington’s right-hand man and innovative leader of the Continental Army’s artillery arm, General Henry Knox, was the son of humble Irish immigrants from County Derry. General John Stark was an old Indian fighter, the son of Northern Ireland immigrants, and a tactically innovative commander. Stark’s many key battlefield accomplishments, especially at Trenton and Bennington, became legendary. Stark fought and won vital victories by the fiery motto: “Live free or die—death is not the worst of evils.”
Most importantly, new evidence in the form of primary documentation has now revealed that Washington’s Continental Army consisted of a far larger percentage of Irish soldiers than previously thought by historians, between 40% to 50% during the most crucial periods of the revolutionary struggle.
However, this recent revelation has coincided with James Galloway’s view, a former high-ranking Pennsylvania political leader who was in the know. He testified before an investigative committee of Parliament how “the majority of the men who fought against England in America were of Irish extraction.”
In turn and significantly, Galloway’s views corresponded with the contemporary words of the soldiers, both officers and enlisted men (British and Hessian), who fought against the Irishmen of liberty. In a revealing July 18, 1775 letter, Lieutenant William Fielding wrote how “above half [of the American Army consisted of] Irish and Scotch” [Scotch-Irish from Northern Ireland] soldiers. As if knowing that America would eventually win its independence because of the overwhelming Irish participation in the struggle, one British official lamented how: “the Irish [Gaelic] language was as commonly spoken in the American ranks as English.”
So many Irish served in the ranks of the Pennsylvania Continental Line, the backbone of Washington’s Continental Army and one its largest units, that this hard-fighting unit was correctly known as the “Line of Ireland.” Not surprisingly, therefore, St. Patrick’s Day was widely celebrated in Washington’s Army with considerable enthusiasm.
Clearly, the courageous Irishmen who fought for America were no ordinary players. John Barry, an Irish Catholic born in Ballysampson, County Wexford, earned well-deserved renown as the “Father of the American Navy.” A disproportionate number of Irish from the Williamsburg District, South Carolina, served as daring partisans under the famous “Swamp Fox” of the American Revolution, Francis Marion. Marion and his band of never-say-die partisans kept the fires of resistance alive and helped to turn the tide in South Carolina, when American fortunes in the South were at their lowest.
Such impressive examples of significant Irish contributions to America’s independence are almost without end. Quite simply, the Irish were the very heart and soul of America’s resistance effort from beginning to end.
In the end, the greatest dream of the Founding Fathers, including Washington, came true because of what the most forgotten players of the American Revolution accomplished both on and off the battlefield. But the Irish made far more than just disproportionate battlefield contributions. Eight signers of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, were foreign-born, more from Ireland than any other country. Charles Carroll was the only Catholic signer. He traced a proud lineage back to the O’Carroll family of County Kings. Moreover, Carroll never lost faith in Washington’s generalship, supporting him even as he faced heavy criticism. Irish merchants of Philadelphia and other communities, including on the western frontier, across America, provided invaluable economic support for the resistance effort.
Famed Irish revolutionary Thomas Francis Meagher, who fought on American soil and led the Irish Brigade with distinction during the Civil War, emphasized a truism that applied directly to the American Revolution: “Whether in the camp or the field, or in the loud thunders of the battle, with death or victory staring him in the face, [the typical Irish fighting man on American soil] sees not death, he sees only his beloved Ireland [because] Ireland inspires him to deeds of valor, which beckons him to heroism in the cause of liberty.”
But perhaps a high-ranking French volunteer, the Marquis de Chastellux, said it best: “Congress owed its existence, and America possibly her preservation to the firmness and fidelity of the Irish.” No one was more thankful than Washington for how the Irish literally saved the revolution by their commitment, faith, and sacrifice year after year. Consequently, the “Father” of the United States of America never forgot how “Ireland, thou friend of my country in my county’s most friendless days.”
For ample good reason and most importantly, Luke Gardiner (the future Lord Mountjoy) emphasized the most forgotten reason that explained how and why America won its independence. In no uncertain terms and in presenting the most forgotten truth about the American Revolution, he declared to the House of Commons in Parliament, “You have lost America by the Irish.”
—————————-
The ground-breaking new book by Phillip Thomas Tucker, Ph.D., “How the Irish Won the American Revolution, A New Look at the Forgotten Heroes of America’s War of Independence” (New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2015) was published in October 2015.
*Originally published in 2015, updated in February 2026.
Born in the small coastal town of Cobh on Great Island in Cork on this day in 1865, Patsy had one heck of a life in baseball. He could hit and he could run, as most great players can, but he also convinced the Red Sox to sign Babe Ruth AND he coached a future U.S. President!☘️ ⚾
Patrick Donovan was born in Cork. At the age of three, he and his family set sail for America, eventually settling in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Patsy made his Major League debut in 1890 for the Boston Beaneaters.
Over the course of a 17-year playing career, he batted .301 with 2,256 base hits and 518 stolen bases. He served as a player-manager in Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Washington, and Brooklyn. Wherever he went, Donovan was universally respected for his quiet leadership in the dugout and on the field.
After hanging up his spikes, Donovan spent the next four decades working in baseball, beginning in 1909 as a scout for the Boston Red Sox. He took over as Red Sox manager in 1910 and 1911 before returning to the front office. It was as a Red Sox scout that Donovan and fellow Irish Baseball Legend Bill Carrigan convinced ownership to sign a young pitcher named Babe Ruth.
Donovan spent 64 years in professional baseball, retiring in 1950. His last big league job was as a scout for the New York Yankees.
During his career, Donovan also coached high school baseball at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
In 2001, a former player of Donovan’s at Phillips Academy wrote a letter to the Baseball Hall of Fame in support of his induction into the Hall. That letter was written by the 41st President of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush!
Special treat….A second “Letter from Ireland” this week.
Céad Míle Fáilte, and welcome to this week’s Letter from Ireland. The mornings continue to brighten here in County Cork, though there’s still a bite to the air as I settle down with my cup of Barry’s tea and write to you. Spring is making slow, cautious progress – the kind of spring our ancestors would have known intimately, full of hope and anxiety in equal measure.
This week I want to try something a little different. Instead of writing to you about Irish history and heritage, I want to see if I can let Irish history speak for itself. So, what follows is a letter that is fictional in its words, but faithful in every detail to the world it describes. I imagine it to be written by my great-great-grandfather, Michael Collins, who was a tenant farmer in the townland of Arduramore, near Ballydehob in West Cork.
In the letter, he is writing to his son Jeremiah, who emigrated to join his brothers in Chicago the year before.
Michael could not read or write which was not unusual for a man of his time and place. So he did what many in his position did: he asked someone he trusted to hold the pen. In this case, it was his daughter-in-law Brigid.
The date is the 22nd of March 1876, almost exactly 150 years ago this week.
Let’s now meet my great-grandfather as he dictates a letter to his son Jeremiah in Chicago:
Written at the request of my father-in-law, Michael Collins of Arduramore, this 22nd day of March 1876, by his daughter-in-law Brigid Collins.
Dear Jeremiah,
It is late in the evening as I write this, or rather, as Brigid writes it for me, God bless her patience. Your mother has already gone to her prayers. The house candle is near spent, and I have more on my mind than there is light to say it by, but I will try.
Gale Day is in three days, son. I won’t say the thought sits easy. The rent is owed to Mr. Swanton’s agent and I have most of it, but the winter was long and the butter prices were poor at Skibbereen market. The amount that yourself and your brothers have sent home is much welcome, but I have had to ask your uncle Timothy to lend me the shortfall until the lambs are sold. It is not a thing I like. Your grandfather never owed a penny to any man in his life, and I feel the shame of it , though Timothy is a good soul and made little of it.
The land on the farm is waking slowly. I have been out on the lower field since first light these past few days, turning the drills with the spade. My back tells me I am not as young as I was. Denis Leary from up the road came down on Tuesday with his boy, and we made good progress together doing two rows by dinnertime. There is nothing like the meitheal for easing the work. Your mother had the stirabout ready for us and we sat in the yard a while eating in the thin sun. Denis was asking for you, as they all do.
We had the seed potatoes spread on the floor of the barn last week, cutting the eyes. I kept the finest for planting, a few of the old Lumpers still, and some of the Champion that Dwyer on the hill road has been trying these past years. He swears by it. After what our people went through in the Black Years, I leave nothing to chance with the seed.
The bay was calm this morning when I walked down to check the lower fence. You know the view , the way the water takes the early light like hammered pewter. I stood there a while and thought of you and your brothers, as I often do when I look at the water. Somewhere beyond it all is Chicago, but tis a hard thing for me to picture.
Your mother asks me to tell you that Fr. Crowley said a mass for you last Sunday. She is well, though she misses ye all something fierce.
I am glad the work is steady. The building trade is good, honest work. Your grandfather built this cottage with his own hands, and there is no shame in a man who makes things that stand. Send my regards to your brothers, I am proud of the lot of ye, though tis easier to write than to say.
Take care of yourself, boy. Stay away from bad company and go to mass on Sundays. Don’t forget where you come from. Arduramore will always be here, even when we who tend the fields are long gone.
Your father,
Michael Collins
(His mark, witnessed by Brigid Collins)
I will add one line of my own, Jeremiah, which your father did not ask me to write, but I don’t think he would object. The candle has gone out now and I am finishing this by the light of the fire. Your father sat quietly for a long while after he was done, looking at nothing in particular and letting the feelings settle.
I like to think he was looking towards Chicago.
Hold us all in your thoughts from time to time, for ye are always in ours.
Brigid.
That last line from Brigid says more than Michael ever could. And what strikes me most about this imagined scene is how ordinary it must have been. Across rural Ireland in March 1876, there would have been thousands of cottages just like this one having a farmer with too much on his mind and too little light to say it by, a woman holding the pen, a son or daughter somewhere across an ocean, and a Gale Day looming. A small note on that word: Gale Day was the day in Spring when rent fell due.
Slán for now,
Mike.
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Women In Ireland
In the 1940s, the Aran Islands were a remote, Irish-speaking community off Galway defined by subsistence farming, fishing, and intense self-sufficiency.
Life revolved around traditional, rugged practices, including the use of curragh boats, the creation of dry-stone walls to build soil, and the production of distinctive, hand-knitted Aran sweaters.
Click below to watch and click the speaker for sound
News From Ireland
IRA bombing survivors discontinue civil claim against Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams has welcomed the discontinuation of the civil claim in which he was accused of being complicit in three Troubles-era IRA bombings in England.
Gerry Adams, the former President of Sinn Féin, has welcomed the discontinuation of a claim brought against him in the UK’s High Court in London.
Adams, 77, was being sued for a symbolic £1, accused of being directly responsible and complicit for decisions by the Provisional IRA to detonate bombs in England in 1973 and 1996.
He was being sued by John Clark, who was injured in the 1973 Old Bailey bombing in London, Jonathan Ganesh, who was injured in the 1996 London Docklands bombing, and Barry Laycock, who was injured in the 1996 Manchester bombing.
The trio, who crowdfunded more than £120k for their case, alleged that Adams held a command-and-control role in the Provisional IRA (PIRA), which they described as “an organization responsible for the deaths and lifelong suffering of thousands.”
Ahead of the trial, the trio said: “For the first time, he [Adams] will be cross-examined in an English court on these allegations. This moment is historic. It may be the last real chance to have Mr. Adams answer in court.”
Giving evidence, Adams said he “categorically” denied the claims and “had no involvement in or advance knowledge of” the bombings.
Adams, who served as President of Sinn Féin from 1983 to 2018, has consistently denied having ever been a member of the Provisional IRA. He was charged with IRA membership in 1978, but the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence.
In court on Friday, Studd said that the claim against Adams would be discontinued after “proceedings developed overnight,” which she said were related to an argument around “abuse of process.” She added that there is “no order as to costs.”
Adams, who gave evidence earlier in the two-week trial, was not in court on Friday.
The day before the claim was discontinued, Adams said on his podcast Léargas that the case was based on “hearsay and alleged intelligence claims made by witnesses who could provide no documentary supporting evidence.”
“So far, it has provided a platform for some highly offensive, insulting, and untruthful commentary,” he added.
Adams said on Thursday that while he was defending himself and challenging the allegations against him, he was also participating out of respect for the claimants who “suffered grievously.”
He continued: “But the only thing I’m guilty of is being an Irish republican, committed to ending British rule in our country and seeking to unite the people of Ireland on the basis of freedom and equality, peace, and solidarity.”
In a statement issued via Sinn Féin on Friday after the claim was discontinued, Adams welcomed the claimants’ decision, adding that he had attended the civil case “out of respect for them.”
He said: “This decision brings to an emphatic end a case that should never have been brought.
“I contested this case and defended myself against the smears and false accusations being levelled against me.
“I asserted the legitimacy of the Republican cause and the right of the people of Ireland to freedom and self-determination. I do so again.
“During my two days of evidence, I categorically rejected all of the claims being made.
“I am glad to have been one of those who helped bring an end to the conflict.
“We now have, through the Good Friday Agreement, a peaceful and democratic route to a new Ireland.
“That needs a renewed focus, especially by the Irish government.
“An Ireland that is respectful of all of its people and that is based on equality, tolerance and respect.
“I want to thank all of those who have expressed their solidarity with me and the Sinn Féin team which worked closely with me.
“I especially want to thank Colette [his wife] and our family.
“Buiochas mór to my legal team for their exemplary work.”
Gerry Adams comments on claimants’ decision to end London case
“This decision brings to an emphatic end a case that should never have been brought.
“I am glad to have been one of those who helped bring an end to the conflict.”https://t.co/ejiVDHXsjE @GerryAdamsSF
— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) March 20, 2026
The discontinuation of the claim against Adams on Friday comes less than a year after he was awarded €100k in his libel case against the BBC.
Adams had sought damages after a BBC “Spotlight” programme, citing an anonymous source, claimed Adams ordered the March 2006 killing of Denis Donaldson, a former senior member of Sinn Féin who later confessed to being a British spy.
The day after the “Spotlight” programme aired in September 2016, an article with the headline “Gerry Adams sanctioned Denis Donaldson killing” was published on the BBC website.
Adams denies sanctioning the killing of Donaldson; the dissident Republican group the Real IRA later claimed responsibility.
11 jurors in Dublin ultimately decided in Adams’ favor, awarding him €100k in damages, which Adams said he would be donating to “good causes.”
Irish stars takeover Tinseltown bringing home TWO Oscars
This year’s Oscars ceremony had a great Irish ensemble watching on as one of our own took home a grand prize.
Jessie Buckley made history as the first Irish woman to land the Academy Award for Best Actress, with her family flying to Los Angeles for the major event.
The Kerry woman triumphed over a strong field of nominees, including Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”, Kate Hudson for “Song Sung Blue”, and Renate Reinsve for “Sentimental Value”.
Jessie revealed during her acceptance speech that Aer Lingus flew her family out to the ceremony, before thanking her father for “teaching us to dream and to never be defined by expectation, but to carry from your own passion”.
She also gave an emotional shout-out to her partner Fred, calling him “the most incredible dad” and “my best friend”, joking that she wanted to have “20,000 more babies” with him.
Aside from Jessie and her loved ones, there were many other Irish stars attending the event.
Paul Mescal stepped out onto the red carpet with his girlfriend, Gracie Abrams, as they both opted for sleek, slightly unconventional black ensembles.
Mescal wore a Celine suit featuring a shrunken lapel and a ribbon tie, putting a modern twist on classic formalwear.
Abrams complemented him in a striking Chanel two-piece that showcased her toned midriff, with an embellished sleeveless top paired with a matching column skirt.
A trailing black scarf replaced the need for a necklace, while a pair of 18K white gold Diamant earrings and a Marthe ring from Chanel Fine Jewelry completed the ensemble.
Paul, who starred alongside Jessie in “Hamnet“, co-presented the first-ever award for Best Casting during the ceremony.
“Hamnet” writer Maggie O’Farrell was in attendance, also receiving a shout-out from Jessie in her acceptance speech.
The Derry native fell short of the Best Adapted Screenplay award but was full of praise for the Best Actress winner.
However, there was another Irish award winner in the house – Richard Baneham.
The Dubliner took home an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for his work on “Avatar: Fire and Ash”.
While not nominated, Kerry Condon was part of the “F1” film that took home the Oscar for Best Sound.
The Thurles-born star attended the ceremony in a long, black dress and posed with her co-stars Javier Bardem and Damson Idris on the red carpet.
Finally, Domhnall Gleeson also stepped out on the red carpet for the evening’s festivities.
Fresh from his standout cameo in “Opalite” by Taylor Swift, Domhnall Gleeson turned heads on the red carpet in a luxurious brown velvet blazer.
He paired it with a coordinating shirt and bow tie, finishing the look with dark tailored trousers for a sharp, old-Hollywood-inspired ensemble.
The Dublin actor was among those honoured at the US-Ireland Alliance’s annual pre-Oscars gathering on Thursday night.
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
The five main takeaways from Micheál Martin’s White House trip
The annual pilgrimage to the White House to hand over a bowl of shamrocks for St Patrick’s Day is a unique opportunity to take the pulse of the relationship between the US and Ireland.
Like many countries, Ireland has been caught in the crosshairs of Donald Trump’s ire over our hosting of several US corporation giants as well as our sizeable pharmaceutical industry.
Nine out of ten of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies are based in Ireland.
Trump did note Ireland can address a “tremendous” trade imbalance with the US by buying American liquified natural gas (LNG), but his tone was diplomatic.
This year’s trip to the White House revealed some other fascinating insights into our special relationship with America.
Trump is planning on coming to Ireland
Trump heaped praise on his “very dear friend”, Micheál Martin, as he insisted: ‘The relationship between the United States and Ireland is deep and enduring.
“It will always be special. We are in each other’s DNA. In the founding ideals of our states and the values which secured our sovereignty.”
He later joked: “It is hard to imagine the United States without the contribution of the Irish and Ireland without the friendship of the United States.
“It’s been a special time. I feel like I have Irish blood. I’m not too far [with] Scottish blood,” Donald Trump told those in attendance.
“We find Irish Americans embody the best of our country and point us toward excellence and great success. And nobody has had, I would say, as a group, more success than people from Ireland,” he said.
Trump also said he is “going to try” to attend the Irish Open golf tournament when it is hosted at his golf course later this year.
The Irish Open will be held at Trump International Golf Links Ireland in Doonbeg, Co Clare, in September.
Trump insists energy prices will “drop like a rock”
When asked what his message was to Irish people who are paying high energy prices because of the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
“I think the people in Ireland are very happy that I’m getting rid of – I have a lot of friends from Ireland, they’re very happy that I’m getting rid of – a nuclear power, a nuclear terrorist.
“And as soon as that war is over, which will be soon, your prices are going to drop like a rock. You watch.”
Martin defends Keir Starmer
Mr Martin defended Sir Keir by telling Mr Trump he “had the capacity” to engage with the British leader and other European leaders.
Trump had said he was disappointed with him over his failure to support the war in Iran.
He once again repeated his dig that “unfortunately, Keir is no Winston Churchill.”
However, the Taoiseach used his deft political skills to try and smooth things over.
He said the relationship between Europe and the US is “very, very important”, and previous issues between the EU and the US last year, where the threat of a tariff war loomed for months, had been resolved.
“I think we can get landing zone again,” Mr Martin said.
“Keir Starmer has done a lot to reset the Irish-British relationship, I just want to put that on the record.
“But I do believe that he’s a very earnest, sound person (which) you have a capacity to get on with, you’ve got on with him before.
“You’ve got on with other European leaders as well, and I think you have that capacity again.”
The Taoiseach made a point of defending the EU on immigration
There was some gentle pushback from Martin during a discussion on immigration.
He said Europe has been characterised “wrongly” as being “overrun” by immigration – something Trump has often repeated.
He also managed to drop in an Irish talking point on developing a legal pathway for migration between the US and Ireland.
Micheal signed off by insisting that Europe was still a good place to live.
Donald Trump has no idea who Catherine Connolly is
When asked to respond to comments by President Catherine Connolly – who criticised “deliberate assaults on international law” in the Middle East and “the normalisation of war” – Mr Trump said: “He’s lucky I exist, that’s all I can say.
“Because if you’re going to allow countries that are sick and demented – and they are demented – to have nuclear weapons, everybody in the whole world should be very thankful.”
It was notable that the Taoiseach did not correct Trump when he referred to the Irish President as “he”.
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
Fusion Fighters release cinematic “Danger Zone”
dance film shot on USS Midway flight deck
This “high-impact” dance video, choreographed by Chris Naish,
was filmed across iconic locations in San Diego, California.
The Fusion Fighters are back and have released a high-impact cinematic dance film inspired by the energy of “Danger Zone,” filmed across iconic locations in San Diego, California — including the flight deck of the historic USS Midway Museum.
The 2-minute-30-second production features seven dancers styled as fighter pilots, delivering powerful choreography against the backdrop of real military aircraft. The film was shot at several recognisable landmarks including the Top Gun House, Oceanside Pier, and the well-known Unconditional Surrender Statue.
Blending modern Irish dance with a cinematic feel, the project was choreographed by Chris Naish and coordinated in the US by Jill Giles. The piece channels adrenaline and empowerment through the raw rhythm and precision of Irish dance, blending Irish tradition with a bold, cinematic energy.
The cast includes Belle Hilton, Kaya Fernandez, Brenna O’Brien, Ella Zabrosky, Alaina Hawkins, Kiley King and Layla Giles.
“This project was about scale and energy,” said Naish. “We wanted it to feel like a movie moment — strong visuals, powerful movement and that sense of stepping confidently into the danger zone.”
The film has been released across social platforms and is generating strong engagement for its cinematic style and striking location choices.
As the Fusion Fighter’s YouTube video description reads: “This isn’t just choreography. It’s a tribute to aviation, adrenaline, and fearless energy.”
You can check out the Fusion Fighters’ new dance film in the video below:
Fusion Fighters is a performance company and online community that is anchored by Irish dance but features a fusion of styles and influences. FF was launched on St Patrick’s Day 2013 at the Mayor of London Festival in Trafalgar Square. For the past 8 years they have branched away from what has become the typical Irish dance experience in order to evolve for a modern audience while still preserving their traditions .
4,000-year-old gold necklace recovered from dumpster
A 4,000-year-old lunala that was dug from a bog in County Roscommon was stolen from a local shop and miraculously traced to a dumpster in Dublin before entering the collections of the National Museum of Ireland.
The delicate gold lunala and two accompanying discs date from around 2300 to 1800 BC and were kept for decades in a chemist’s safe after their mid-20th-century discovery. After a 2009 burglary, detectives and museum curators recovered the pieces from the rubbish just hours before collection.
This gold lunala, housed at The National Museum of Ireland, has a fascinating more recent history as well as its ancient past. Among the many rare and precious items at The National Museum of Ireland sits a lunala, as worn by the early kings of Ireland.
Among the many rare and precious items at The National Museum of Ireland sits a 4,000-year-old necklace and two discs, which were found in a dumpster. The necklace, called a lunala, was worn by the early kings of Ireland. It is thought to date from between 2,300 and 1,800 BC. It was first discovered in March 1945 in Coggalbeg, County Roscommon, by farmer Hubert Lannon. He found it in a bog while cutting turf and kept it at home.
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Two years later, he passed the necklace on to a local chemist, Patrick Sheehan, in Strokestown, who kept the priceless piece of history in his shop’s safe. There it remained until February 2009, when two thieves grabbed the safe during a burglary.
In March 2010, two men pleaded guilty to the burglary and were given three-year suspended sentences. Working with the police, curators from the National Museum’s Irish Antiquities Division found out that the jewelry, along with other documents and papers from the Sheehans’ safe, had been left in a dumpster in Dublin.
By the time the police had received this information, they literally had hours to locate the dumpster before the trash would be collected. The detectives who waded through the dumpster of trash to find the delicate jewelry, which weighs just 78 grams, were rewarded on the retrieval of the treasures.
The three pieces, the necklace, and two discs are thought to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries for many years. As the Museum director Pat Wallace said, “There is a whole lot of conjoined freaks of good luck to make it possible.”
Jokes
The Golden Telephone
Sent in by our good friend Ellen Kane
While on vacation in Rome, I noticed a marble column in St. Peter’s with a golden telephone on it. As a young priest passed by, I asked who the telephone was for.
The priest told me it was a direct line to heaven, and if I’d like to call, it would be a thousand dollars. I was amazed, but declined the offer.
Throughout Italy, I kept seeing the same golden telephone on a marble column. At each, I asked about it and the answer was always the same:
It was a direct line to heaven and I could call for a thousand dollars.
Then – I went to Ireland.
When I finished my tour in Ireland, I decided to attend Mass at a local village church. When I walked in the door I noticed the golden telephone.
Underneath it there was a sign stating: “DIRECT LINE TO HEAVEN: 25 cents.”
“Father,” I said, “I have been all over Italy and in all the cathedrals I visited, I’ve seen telephones exactly like this one.
But the price is always a thousand dollars.
Why is it that this one is only 25 cents?” The priest smiled and said,
“Darlin’, you’re in Ireland now.
Tis a local call.”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day . . .
Funnies From My Wife
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How much of our tax money went into this study!!!!!
Times when you might be excused for using foul language
What could possibly go wrong????
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No thanks….I quit.
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Good night to you all….Tommy Mac
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Tír na mBláth
Tír na mBláth is one of hundreds of branches throughout the world of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) pronounced “kol-tus kyol-tori air-in“, the largest group involved in the preservation of Irish music, dance and song.
Our board and membership is made up of Irish, Irish descendants, and all those who support, celebrate and take pride in the preservation of Irish culture.
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Our meetings and several events are held at Tim Finnegan’s Irish Pub in Delray Beach Florida.
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