Thomas MacCurtain

January 30, 1920 was a happy day for Tomas MacCurtain. He had been elected Lord Mayor of Cork. Born as Thomas Curtin in Ballinknockin, Co. Cork, on 20th March 1884, he began using the Gaelic version of his name, Tomas MacCurtain, when he joined the Gaelic League in Blackpool, Cork City in 1901. By 1902 [...]

Michael Collins

One of the most controversial figures in Irish history is Michael Collins. To those who loved him, he was The Big Fellow, Ireland’s greatest hero. Yet some believe that in settling for the Irish Free State, he betrayed the Republican cause. You be the judge. Born at Sam’s Cross, Co Cork, on Oct 16, 1890 [...]

Michael Collins

I’m absolutely delighted to be here today at the 2010 Biennial National Conference of the AOH and the LAOH.  I want to thank your National President and our good friend Seamus Boyle for inviting me here.  Our Consul General in Chicago will also be with you during these days.  I would like also to salute [...]

Building the Irish American Museum

In life it is said that the best ideas are the most obvious.  In the case of a small group of Irish Americans from Connecticut, their vision of building a national Irish American museum in our Nation’s Capital has been staring them in the face for years and now they are taking steps to make [...]

It’s Your Heritage – Defend It!!

Have you seen the advertisement in an Italian newspaper for a Racketeering Convention where the price of admission is four stolen hubcaps? No? Per-haps you’ve seen the ad in Ebony magazine for a Martin Luther King Memorial Water-melon Eating competition? No? How about the open invitation to our Jewish brethren to attend a Nazi Barbeque? [...]