New York Irish History Roundtable - Journal Articles

In 1989 the Sligo Mens Association erected this new headstone at the grave of Michael Corcoran. His contemporary in the 69th Regiment, Michael Doheny, also has a new headstone in Calvary.

Barry Donovan begins to translate the Irish inscription on the Patriots Pbt marker: "This memorial is erected by the Clan na Gael to its leader William J. Melvin." Melvin died on 7 September 1883. I - • ••• . ' :- •' • a The founder of the famous nineteenth century Catholic publishing firm of D & J Sadlier is buried in Calvary. Denis... [Read Full Article]

On March 16,1826, two young men from Donabate in County Dublin, Patrick Martin and John McMahon, boarded the packet ship William Thompson at Liverpool docks.

Travelling with them, in the storage quarters, were "sixteen passengers men and women all upon the same intent as ours, viz. the bettering of themselves in work. Among whom were two fiddlers and a piper. We were all agreeable and happy together," they wrote, in a letter to their fathers dated April 14th, "keeping the time in dancing, howling and other... [Read Full Article]

The story of the County Tyrone Organization in New York City for the past 100 years is well documented from 1890- 1955 through James McElroy's Red Bricks and Green Bushes (1955) and from 1956 to 1990 in detailed minutes of the Society activities on a month to month basis. The organization can truly claim that "weather" was one of the factors in its formation, since the Blizzard of March 11, 1888 caused the economic life of New York to come to a halt. It brought together many Tyrone people who in the next two years drafted plans for a... [Read Full Article]

The study of the history of the family has come increasingly to occupy the attention of professional scholars and amateur researchers alike. Once the exclusive preserve of genealogists, the life of this most basic unit of society is now being studied by a greater number and a wider variety of people. The interest of these students of the family goes well beyond a simple inventory of the trees of individual relatives and seeks instead to see the forest of historical context and understanding. Without intending to give offense to genealogists... [Read Full Article]

A WEST SIDE STORY OF A SORT: The Teevan and Byrnes Families By Richard F. Teevan NYIHR member Richard F. Teevan is a graduate of Pace University, New York with experience in publishing and libraries.

His research in family history has resulted in the privately printed "Fragmented Spirals" which traces the Teevan family in America.

My forebears decision to emigrate destined them for urban living. These, as well as my associative families, entered the swirl of America in their desire to create a new life. As with the songs 1 ,... [Read Full Article]

THE NEW YORK IRISH Book Project Update Ruth-Ann Harris of Northeastern University and Angela Carter, NYIHR, recipients of the Irish American Cultural Institute's 1990 Irish Research Awards with Paul Gillespie, Kevin Morrissey. James Leahy, Daithi O Ceallaigh and John P. Walsh.

NYIHR Corresponding Secretary Angela M. Carter accepted the Irish Research Fund Award from Irish American Cultural Institute Chairman John P. Walsh in a presentation at the home of Irish Consul General Daithi O Ceallaigh on January 15, 1991. The $7,500 award is... [Read Full Article]

It has often been remarked that there is a sense in which Ireland has no history; as popularly received, all history has remained current affairs. This has been so particularly in matters of Anglo-Irish and Protestant-Catholic relations, where Cromwell, William of Orange, the Penal Laws, the Famine, Fenianism, and a host of other presons and events were all telescoped into one remembered yesterday. 1 Although the preceding was said in reference to Irish history, this rather shrewd observation is equally applicable to Irish American history.... [Read Full Article]

This report and other publications of that society describe in previously unknown detail the use of the Irish language in late 1840s New York and, in combination with some other rare references from the Irish-American press, combine to suggest deeper roots in the new world for Ireland's ancient language than previously believed.

BACKGROUND In many parts of Ireland at mid-nineteenth century the Irish language was still the true language of the people. The earliest national linguistic survey was published as part of the census report... [Read Full Article]

The majority of our popular emigrant songs were written in the latter part of the last century in the wake of the mass exodus which followed the famine years. Some of the more maudlin still retain their popularity at misty-eyed Irish American gatherings. But perhaps the most enduring were written by a Clare born comedian cum circus clown. His songs were gay and witty and retain their freshness a hundred years later. The songs were composed by Johnny Patterson, the self-styled rambler from Clare.

John Francis Patterson was born in the... [Read Full Article]

From March 9 to May 5th, the exhibit was seen at the Museum of the City of New York where the Roundtable had the opportunity to showcase the cultural richness of the Irish in New York using the theme of music and dance. Twelve events complimented the exhibit, including four outstanding concerts: Thomas Moore's melodies by tenor James W. Flannery end harpist Deirdre , Danaher; traditional music by sean-nos singer Seosaimhin Ni Bheaglaoich and four members of Cherish the Ladies in honor of Women's History Month; Tin Pan Alley songs by pianist... [Read Full Article]