On the morning of April 12, in the famous ‘Bremen’ German aircraft,  James Fitzmaurice - dead 51 years ago today - his German co-pilot Hermann Kohl and plane owner Ehrenfried Gunther FreiherrvonHunefeld took off from Dublin’s Baldonnel Aerodrome.

Through harsh weather conditions and a series of compass issues, the men landed on April 13 atop an iced-over reservoir on Canada’s Greenly Island. Just as the plane came to a stop, it broke through the ice and the tail projected 20 feet into the air. Everyone got wet, but everyone was safe. The telegraph message read: "German plane Bremen landed Greenly Island, noon, slightly damaged, crew well."

The crew then began a two-month tour of American and European cities to be welcomed as heroes. Watch this video of their warm welcome in Detroit:

Aviation pioneer Fitzmaurice was born in Dublin in 1898 and attended a Christian Brothers school in Portlaoise, Co Laois as a boy. In 1914 he joined the Irish National Volunteers, and at sixteen he enlisted in the seventh Battalion of the Royal Leinster Regiment (the Leinsters). He was quickly released for being underage.

Fitzmaurice enlisted in the British army again in 1915; throughout his service he held the titles of Corporal, Sergeant and Commander. He was posted to the School of Military Aeronautics and trained in Eastbourne in England. Shortly after the formation of the Irish Free State, Fitzmaurice joined the Irish Air Corps and was promoted to Captain a year later.

Days after landing the Bremen, Fitzmaurice and the two Germans the three men were presented with the United States Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight,” by former Preisdent Calvin Coolidge.

They were also granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin, and rewarded for contributions to the life of the city – 78 people have been given this award, including Mother Teresa, John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela.

For the 70th anniversary of the flight, a short film was made profiling the life of Fitzmaurice with dramatic reconstruction of the flight. The Fitzmaurice Flying School opened in Baldonnel, Co. Dublin in 1998.

There is also a granite strip on New York City’s Broadway commemorating Fitzmaurice with the names of the fliers.

Today, the Bremen aircraft belongs to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI but is currently on display in a hangar at the Bremen Airport Museum in Germany where it has been completely restored.

September 16 marked the anniversary of the death of famed Irish tenor John McCormack in 1945. 

In tribute to one of Ireland's greatest singers, we remember the story of McCormack's choirmaster, who immediately saw his talent and went out of his way to make the Westmeath man one of Ireland's stars. Without him, the talented tenor could have ended up as an excise officer: 

“Why are you trying to turn my son’s mind off studying for his excise examination?”, an irate father in the Irish midlands said to the local choirmaster.

The choirmaster was convinced he had unearthed an incredible talent, but his toughest job was convincing the boy’s family.

The boy in question was sixteen-year-old John McCormack, destined to be the greatest Irish tenor of all time.

“Do you not know, that if my son passes this civil service exam, he will commence work at £120 per annum?”, the skeptical father said.

This conversation took place in 1900 in Athlone, a town in the center of Ireland. The choirmaster replied that he had repeatedly heard artists sing who were paid as much per concert as John would receive in his first year as a civil servant.

“And most of these singers do not possess voices half as good or as pure as your young son,” the choirmaster informed Mr. McCormack. John McCormack‘s father laughed derisively at this and hurried back to work in The Woolen Mills – a large factory in Athlone. His son, a world renowned tenor? Ha! Some hope. A safe civil service career was a much better bet.

His son, John, born in 1884, was the fourth of eleven children.

The choirmaster was Mr. Kilkelly. He was organist and choirmaster at Saint Peter’s Church. My grandfather and young John McCormack were reared nearby. Both were in Saint Peter’s choir.

Read more: The old Irish ballads of emigration were our soundtrack in the Swinging Sixties

It was here that Michael Kilkelly first encountered the young John McCormack. He immediately recognized his enormous potential and set about encouraging him to have his voice properly trained.

Michael Kilkelly worked tirelessly behind the scenes to see that this might be achieved. He approached many people hoping to get advice and assistance. Below, is just one of the many disappointing replies he received:

1902. Re: John McCormack.

Dear Mr. Kilkelly, I received your letter referring to the possibility of doing something for your friend. I have made some inquires but have not got sufficient information. A gentleman of grand position in musical circles here has promised to think over the matter and let me know the results of his inquires and thoughts. There are now no free scholarships in The Academy so other means should be found to assist his studies.

JJ McNeill.

Mr. Kilkelly continued to tutor and encourage young John. His sister, Kitty Kilkelly, wrote, “He would come to our house and try out his solos and other songs. He was tall and thin then, his hair thick and wavy on top. He would listen to all my father had to say, especially about famous singers.”

In 1903, John McCormack finally came to the attention of a leading musical figure in Dublin, Dr. Vincent O’Brien. Under his tutelage John, aged 19, went on to win a gold medal at The Feis Ceoil, a national music festival.

This was the turning point in his career. Those who heard him sing also recognized his enormous potential and the absolute necessity of having his voice trained. Large and influential committees were formed in Dublin and Athlone to raise funds. Below is a copy of the letter sent to Athlone’s townsfolk from Mr. Kilkelly:

In order to offer J. F. McCormack the necessary means of having his voice trained at Milan, it is earnestly desired that his forthcoming Benefit Concert will be sufficiently patronised.

The committee hope that you will cooperate in making the coming concert successful beyond ones, as the expenses of Mr. McCormack’s training will be very considerable.

Your kind patronage is therefore requested, and should any pre-arrangements prevent your presence at the concert, perhaps you would kindly take some tickets. By doing so you will kindly assist in the object which the committee is assured will be a source of proud satisfaction to Mr.McCormack’s townspeople.

These fund-raising activities were very successful and enabled John McCormack to travel to Italy in 1905. The rest is history.

John McCormack went on to conquer the world, becoming one of the most popular singers of the first half of the 20th century. He sold out venues all over America. When he came to any large city, he was greeted by their most famous residents, such as Detroit’s Henry Ford. In 1929, he was paid $500,000, an incredible sum at the time, to appear in a stage-Irish film entitled “Song O’ My Heart.”

At various times McCormack had an apartment on Park Avenue, a farm in Connecticut, and a home in the Hollywood Hills. But despite his nearly global reach, John McCormack never forgot where he came from. Irish songs were always his favorite. As the first ‘mega star’ he became fabulously wealthy and hugely famous with a global audience.

McCormack was much honored and decorated. In 1928, he received the title of Papal Count from Pope Pius XI in recognition of his work for Catholic charities and henceforth became known as Count McCormack. He was an incredibly bright star for Ireland in grim times. He was, according to one account, “the best-paid concert singer in history.”

Read more: When one million Irish turned out for Mass at the 1932 Eucharistic Congress (VIDEOS)

Many years later, Mr. KilKelly wrote, “whilst John was making his second tour of America, a Mr. Cronin, who was a Railway Engineer, visited me. He expressed a wish to see Athlone Woollen Mills. Whilst going through the factory, we came to the department where Mr. McCormack was writing at his desk.

“As Mr. Cronin was an enthusiastic admirer of John, he asked to be introduced to his father. During the conversation I reminded Mr. McCormack of our former unpleasant conversation regarding John’s early prospects. Mr. McCormack frankly acknowledges that he was very wrong in the matter of John’s future career.”

Full credit is due to Mr. Michael Kilkelly – John’s first choirmaster. Had he not spotted the young boy’s potential, John McCormack may have become an excise officer instead of one of the most famous tenors of all time.

Nothing makes a hard road seem easier than a good friend to walk it with you and the Native Americans have certainly acted as a solid companion to the Irish when things were at their toughest.

Loretta Lynde is an Irish descendant living on the Crow Reservation in Montana. Her family lived on the reservation since the mid-1800s and she has maintained her Irish identity as well as being immersed daily in Crowe culture.

Speaking to Indian Country Today Media Network, Lynde felt that this put her in the perfect position to compare the two cultures and she noticed striking similarities in the experiences of the two peoples. We take a look at some of her observances and suggest a few of our own.

British Occupation

Both victims of British colonization and both suffered from hunger, genocide and diseases as a result. Both peoples also walked a Trail of Sorrow that resulted in many deaths of their people.

Native American tribes who were forced off their land by President Andrew Jackson (the son of Irish immigrants) and forced to complete a 500-mile trek to Oklahoma that would become known as the Trail of Tears. Despite the allegiance shown by the Choctaws to General Jackson during the War of 1812, the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek signed on September 27, 1830, resulted in the Choctaws signing away the remainder of their traditional homelands in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida and undertaking a forced march off the land. Over half the 21,000 Choctaws forced on this march perished on the trail due to malnutrition, disease and exposure. The winter the Choctaws spent on the Trail of Tears was one of the coldest on record and even those who survived the journey to Oklahoma faced further hardships in creating new communities for themselves, along with new homes, schools, and churches.

Sixteen years after this, in 1847 or Black ‘47, the worst year of the Irish famine, starving people in Louisbourough, Co. Mayo, were told to go to the Poor Relief in the hopes of getting food. When they discovered that Poor Relief officers were not there, they took a desperate 15 mile walk to the home of the landlord to beg for food. Having been turned away from the house for disturbing the landlord’s lunch, many died on the return journey, some with grass in their mouths from attempts to stave off hunger.

Generosity

When times are tough, we’ve got your back. The Irish and Native Americans are both very generous people and there’s no greater act of kindness between the two peoples than the money raised by Choctaw Indians in the 1840s to help the starving Irish during the famine. Despite the oppression faced by the Choctaws in the years preceding the famine, in 1847, on hearing of the plight and hunger of the Irish people, they raised $170 to send to Ireland and ease their suffering. This figure is equivalent to tens of thousands of dollars in today’s currency. A sculpture is due to be installed in Midleton, Co. Cork, to honor this spectacular display of kindness.

Not to be outdone, the Irish are famous for their charity work (thanks Bono!) and in 2014, we ranked fourth in the World Giving Index of most charitable countries.

Gift of the gab

Both communities were originally focused on an oral tradition. Even the Irish word for folklore “Béaloideas” (Bale-id-us) can be directly translated as education of the mouth. Irish music and stories were passed on through word of mouth and stories and tunes were learnt by ear by roaming harpists and the honorable scéalaí (storyteller). Native Americans share our passion for a story and used stories about the Great Spirit to explain the world around them. These too were never traditionally written down.

Old traditions die hard

Despite attempts to destroy our culture, traditions and language, both Irish and Native Americans share a passion and dedication to upholding our old traditions. Lynde even mentions that Crowe is seeing more pow wows in recent years.

Irish Mammies

Mothers rule the roost in an Irish household and the same could be said for Native Americans. Both have strong female representation throughout history and folklore and the importance of both women and men in society is understood.

Running late

It’s a well known fact that Irish punctuality does not exist. On the up side, you can never truly be late when a starting time is very much only a ball-park figure. According to Lynde, Native American culture is just as laid-back about being on time as we are.

Nature lovers

Two peoples in touch with the land on which they live, Ireland a county were historically most people lived straight off the land they farmed. Irish folklore is full of cures and treatments using plants and stories about the birds and animals that share our countryside. A common theme in Native American stories is also the link between the people and the land and many of their traditions hold reverence for the land, too.

Stereotyped

Irish and Native Americans both fall foul of the annoying human desire to tar groups of people with the same brush. Katie Kane is a professor of the Colonial Studies Program at the University of Montana and she also believes in the similarities between Irish and Native Americans. Both communities and their tribal, indigenous lifestyles threatened the British and the style of living they had established and so they were treated as savages. Kane comments “The Irish were assumed to be lower on the tree of racial hierarchy in the 19th century. They were considered to be racially other.”

Are their any other ways in which our two communities are similar? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

H/T: Indian Country Today Media Network.

In October 1850, Co. Wexford priest Father Thomas Hore set sail with his entire parish to escape the Great Hunger and settle in America. There he established Wexford, Iowa as the first Catholic community for miles around with his parish called Immaculate Conception.

After he was ordained in 1820, Father Hore spent six years as a missionary in America as part of a Virginia diocese, and after his return to Ireland he always kept America at the forefront of his mind. Upon his return to Ireland he became a parish priest in Co. Wicklow, and then established a loyal congregation in Wexford.

By October 1850, Fr. Hore wanted to escape Ireland’s Great Hunger and transport his parish to rural America, where he would establish a church and a strong Catholic presence. He and 450 loyal parishioners set sail on a voyage from Dublin that took them across to Liverpool to board an ocean-going vessel to transport them to New Orleans and from there they traveled on to Arkansas, where he had planned to settle.

Upon reaching Arkansas, they realized much of the land had already been occupied. Some of his parish remained, but the rest continued on to Iowa, where the land was abundant and the atmosphere reminiscent of home.

He purchased a thousand acres of land for $1.25 per acre – the settlers built their homes and a church out of logs three miles north of the Mississippi River. They also built a two-story building on Fr. Hore’s new farm, where he raised crops and cattle.

By 1854 this new farming community had a total of around 400 members and two more churches. Fr. Hore was the only priest in the Iowa's Allamakee County until 1855. He was known for having looked after the Catholic population in neighboring counties as well, even some in Minnesota. He would regularly visit their settlements on horseback.

Having seen his colony firmly established, Fr. Hore returned to Ireland in 1857, leaving over 6,000 Catholics in the Iowa county. At home he became the parish priest of Cloughbawn, Co. Wexford, where he died in 1864 at age 69.

Known today as one of Iowa’s oldest Catholic Congregations, Immaculate Conception is perched pleasantly atop a valley and has a congregation of about 100 parishioners. This was the third church that Fr. Hore’s parishioners built. They built it out of Limestone and it was completed in 1870.

Today’s Immaculate Conception is a tight-knit congregation that is extremely proud of their roots: “We, the parishioners of Immaculate Conception, Wexford, take the deep-rooted faith of our ancestors that established our parish over 150 years ago,” their mission statement says.

“We will use that faith to bring praise and honor to God by using our gifts and talents to serve God and God’s people with the help of the Holy Spirit.”

Life in Wexford, Iowa is said to be ideal, especially for people in their older age looking for a serene atmosphere. The colony was responsible for the rapid growth of Catholicism in the surrounding area; after they had arrived, many more Catholic settlers followed, especially those from Ireland. The young Wexford, Iowans are especially proud of their Irish heritage.

* Originally published in February 2015. 

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, star of “True Detective” and “Dallas Buyers Club,” has told an Irish newspaper that he takes great pride in his Irish heritage and would love to immerse his children in the culture by sending them to the Gaeltacht for an immersion course in the Irish language and culture..

The Hollywood star is Irish on both sides. His mother, Kathleen McCabe, was born in New Jersey, but her family hails from the Cavan/Monaghan area. His father James Donald McConaughey also had Irish roots. He was from Louisiana and was a former professional football player.

McConaughey married Camila Alves, a Brazilian model and designer, in 2012. The couple have three children.

Speaking to the Irish Sun McConaughey said, “My kids are really privileged to call themselves Brazilian Irish. Irish Brazilian, how great is that? Connected to two of the most vibrant, colorful, exciting cultures on the planet. Both very different yet with so many similarities. It’s beautiful. It’s a gift."

He continued by saying that he wants his children to be immersed in the culture and craic of Ireland and that he hopes that he too can learn a cupla focail (a little Irish) along the way.

“I gotta keep up the Gaelic. I want them reading the literature. I want Riverdancing. I want them saying ‘grand’ and ‘lunatic” to the marvelous,” said McConaughey. “When they’re older, I want to send them to that Irish language summer camp you guys do. It’s like a rite of passage for you guys, isn’t it? When you’re teenagers. I want them fluent – which means I gotta do a crash course too.”

He told the newspaper that he immediately fell in love with the Irish and felt a connection to the people.

“I walked those streets, walked into tiny pubs with giant welcomes and warm hearts. That ‘f*** it, pull up a stool, tell me your story, I’ll tell you mine’, attitude, I loved it. That was paradise to me. I was coming home. I made friends fast. I sang. I danced – heard stories and tales and jokes and anecdotes I’ll remember for a lifetime.

“I was back with my people. Take me home to my people,” the Oscar winner said.

This isn’t the first time the star let loose his inner Irish. Recently, while being interviewed by RTE before the release of “Interstellar,” he tried out his Gaelige and his Irish brogue. What d’ya reckon?

The official court martial records of the Easter Rising leaders have been released online and are now available to the public.

The documents, which were acquired from the UK’s National Archives, are to be published on several websites, including that of the National Archives of Ireland, IrishNews.com reports.

Irish President Michael D. Higgins officially launched the records at Richmond Barracks in Inchicore, Dublin, on Thursday.

#1916 courtmartial files online launched by President Higgins #richmondbarracks@DubCityCouncil@dubcilibpic.twitter.com/JCfKmx6rop

— peter finnegan (@peterjfinnegan) September 22, 2016

The barracks was the site where many of those involved in the 1916 Rising spent their final days and also where the proceedings of the courts martial were recorded.

Read more 1916 centenary news here

President Higgins explained that for many years the documents were "kept secret and were inaccessible to the general public."

He added the documents "provide moving and valuable insights into the proceedings; imparting a human dimension that can so often be missed from conventional factual historical accounts.”

All set for the launch of #1916 court martial files by @PresidentIRL in Richmond Barracks in co-op with @UniIrelandpic.twitter.com/q9TQ5wXv7C

— @NARIreland (@NARIreland) September 22, 2016

"Thomas MacDonagh’s statement that he fully co-operated with British soldiers after the surrender, or the image of Seán McDiarmada unable to walk after surrender because of polio contracted five years before, indicate a dignified sadness that echoes across the years," he said.

"They, and the many other images captured in these records, remind us that the leaders of 1916 were human and wounded agents of our freedom, not abstract or mythical characters; and they enable us to have a profound appreciation of the real and human sacrifices that they and their families made in order that future generations might inhabit a free and independent state."

Read more:Easter Rising leader executed in 1916: Thomas MacDonagh

The documents can be viewed online at www.nationalarchives.ie

An Iron Age graveyard has been uncovered in France that experts believe will provide a fascinating insight into the life of the Celts.

French reports on the find, outline how a muddy field located between a motorway and a meander of the Seine southeast of Paris is home to the graveyard.

Archaeologists believe the Celtic Age find will shed light on the great yet enigmatic civilization of Gaul.

The report says the discovery will provide the key to many unanswered questions about how this Celtic civilisation actually lived, worked and played.

The site was earmarked for a warehouse project on the outskirts of Troyes.

It contains a stunning array of finds including five Celtic warriors whose weapons and adornments attest to membership of a powerful but long-lost elite.

Archaeologist Emilie Millet spoke to reporters at one of 14 burial sites that have been uncovered in recent weeks after a nine-year excavation of the 650-acre site.

Remains of a tall warrior, complete with a 28-inch iron sword still in its scabbard were placed at her side.

As Millet gazed at a metal-framed shield whose wood-and-leather core has long rotted away, she admitted: “I have never seen anything like it.”

Several women are buried next to the warriors. Their jewellery, including twisted-metal necklaces known as torcs, and large bronze brooches decorated with precious coral, also hint at their high status.

A woman was buried next to a man in one grave, separated by a layer of soil, which the report says speaks of a close but as-yet unfathomable bond.

A spokesman for the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research said: “This graveyard is exceptional in more ways than one.”

The report says the jewellery suggests that the dead were buried between 325 and 260 BC, in a period known as La Tene.

Analysis of the scabbards, whose decoration changed according to military fashion will provide more clues.

Designs in this period typically had two open-mouthed dragons facing each other, with their bodies curled.

The name La Tene comes from an archaeological site in Switzerland and ran from about the 5th century BC to the first century AD, which marked the glory years of the Celts.

It was in this time that the Celts expanded from their core territory in central Europe to as far afield as northern Scotland, Ireland and the Atlantic coast of Spain.

The report adds that during their expansion, they clashed with the emerging Roman empire, whose writers recorded the invaders as pale-skinned savages, dressed in breeches with bleached hair, who cut off their enemies’ heads, preserving those of high rank in cedar oil.

The report adds: “The barbarian image, though, has been dispelled by historical research in recent decades.

“It has laid bare a complex civilisation that had a mastery of metal and a trading system which spanned Europe and generated great wealth.

“The find at Bucheres raises several questions, for there has never been any trace of major Celtic settlement in this neighbourhood.

“The graves were uncovered at a depth of about 6.5 feet but if they had any external markers, none remains.”

Archaeologist Cecile Paresys said: “An earlier civilisation, from the Bronze Age, left a line of burial mounds nearby which would have been visible for miles around.

* Originally published in 2013.

While Michael, Liam and Aiden have all made the top spot for boys’ names in the United States. there is not one Irish girl’s name among the Social Security Administration's list of top names given to newborn babies in each state.

In 2012, the top female names chosen for babies all had a theme – an “a”. Sophia, Olivia, Isabella, Ava and Emma were all top ranked but not a Mary or Colleen in sight.

The boy’s names of choice in the United States are certainly more diverse. The top names for 2012 were William, Liam, Alexander, Jacob, Ethan, James, Elijah, Noah, Mason, Michael, Jayden and Benjamin. It’s believed that stars’ successes over the past year, such as Irish actor Liam Neeson and the singer Michael Bublé could have added to this popularity.

Similarly when it comes to the female names of choice it’s believed that “Harry Potter” star Emma Watson holds a lot of sway along with Emma Stone, Sophia Loren, Olivia Wilde, and the rest.

As for where the more Irish names are popular, the data shows that Liam is more dominant in the midlands and northwest, from Oregon to Iowa, and every state in between. Michael however is only popular in New York, which could very well have to do with the current mayor Michael Bloomberg, but who knows.

Source: Social Security Administrations.

* Originally published in 2013.

UPDATE: Congratulations to all the clever readers who called that this was an April Fools' Day story! There is no genealogical evidence that Donald Trump has ancestral ties to Oliver Cromwell, though people have in fact compared The Donald to Cromwell in the articles cited towards the end of the story. 

It appears that the love for ruling over a country in a despotic manner is written in Donald Trump’s genes.

Genealogists in Britain have discovered an ancestral link between Trump and Oliver Cromwell, the man Vladimir Putin once described as worse than Stalin. 

Cromwell (1599 – 1658) was an English Member of Parliament and military leader who led the fight to defeat the Royalist forces in the English Civil War, signed King Charles I’s death warrant, and, for the last five years of his life, ruled as Lord Protector of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

While there are some who claim he made England great, Cromwell is also perhaps the most hated figure in Irish history, having slaughtered tens of thousands of Irish men, women and children in the Siege of Drogheda in 1649 and mercilessly persecuting Catholics with the Penal Laws.

Trump, a 12th great-grandchild of Cromwell’s, is connected to his line through his Scottish mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. The connection has been confirmed as of today, April 1.

According to genealogists John Kerr and Philippa Hughes, Cromwell’s fourth great-granddaughter through his daughter Bridget’s line, issued six children. One of her daughters, Mary, gave birth to Duncan Smith, who was the father of Trump’s maternal fourth great-grandfather, Donald Smith.

Much has been made of Donald Trump’s ancestry in recent months, especially that his German family changed their surname from Drumpf to Trump. Because of the increased interest, Kerr and Hughes have been tracing the Scottish and British branches of his tree back farther and farther, but they say they were not expecting to find a link of this magnitude.

“We were utterly shocked when we made the connection,” Kerr told IrishCentral.

“But on another level, it makes sense,” Hughes said.

Historian Arthur O. Deal noted that a number of connections could be made between Cromwell’s rule and the traits Donald Trump has demonstrated so far in his quest to lead America.

“During his reign - and I do think that is the accurate word - Cromwell built all sorts of metaphorical walls around Britain,” Deal told IrishCentral, noting that Cromwell was “positively obsessed” with the idea of rebuilding the ancient Roman fortifications Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall and had plans to seek funding from Italy.

“As seen with his campaigns against Catholics, against the Irish, Cromwell was also immensely distrustful of anyone who could be classified as ‘other,’” he said. “Cromwell was no fool, but by all accounts he was very concerned with being taken seriously, as Trump appears to be.”

Trump and Cromwell also seem to fit the same bill as tyrants preoccupied with their own appearances.

Trump is known for his orange tanned skin and carefully constructed comb over the color of an Easter chick. What about Cromwell? In 2012, a chemical test by scientists at Exeter University of some small pots that belonged to him revealed that they once contained what, for the mid-17th century, would have been very high end cosmetic lotions made from olive oil and delicately fragranced. The discovery led to a number of articles re-thinking Cromwell as “obsessed with his appearance.”

Cromwell is also believed to have had smaller than average hands.

Kerr and Hughes declined to go into further detail when asked if they thought the connection to be fitting, though Kerr did acknowledge that Cromwell and Trump “would both be big personalities.”

Another surprise is that Trump is distant cousins with Hillary Clinton.

Their common ancestor, going 18 generations back, is John of Gaunt, the 14th century Duke of Lancaster. Clinton, however, is not related to Cromwell though she is related to Tom Jones the Welsh singer and apparently Justin Bieber and Rihanna.

Interestingly, a number of columnists have previously noted similarities in the philosophies and discursive styles of Trump and Cromwell.

Writing for Huffington Post Politics about the impact of Trump’s victories on a disbelieving media, Doug Ibendalh, former General Council for the Illinois Republican Party, said “Trump reminds one a bit of Oliver Cromwell admonishing England’s Rump Parliament in 1653 with these words:

‘You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go.’”

And in a column for the MetroWest Daily News, James Johnston, Jr. observed:

“Trump is something very different in American political life. “The Donald” is a very rich guy who owes nothing to anybody. Trump apologizes for nothing, and like Oliver Cromwell, who famously said to an artist, “Paint me as I am, warts and all,” Donald really does not care what mere mortals, like political pundits, think of him."

What, if anything, this discovery will mean for the Trump campaign is unclear.

Cromwell, who persecuted Catholics in England, Scotland and Ireland, and whose army murdered 30,000 in the Siege at Drogheda, is a reviled figure in Ireland. He even coined the phrase “To Hell or to Connacht.”

In the UK, there is more controversy around his legacy, with some lauding him for setting Britain on the road towards becoming a parliamentary democracy, albeit through violent means, but many others viewing him as, essentially, a dictator.

By this morning, April 1, the Trump campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment.

This is a developing story, please check back later for updates. 

Can you believe this? Will Trump’s connection to Cromwell have an impact on your perception of him? Share your thoughts in the comment section, below.

The untold story of 50,000 Famine Irish who were deported back to Ireland by New England authorities has been revealed.

Writing in The Irish Times in March, Hidetaka Hirota, a Mellon Research Fellow who is writing a book “Expelling the Poor” (Oxford University 2017) on the subject, revealed a little known hardship many Famine emigrants faced.

The Know Nothings, the KKK-like Protestant group, was behind the persecution of Catholics who had fled to Boston during the famine.

The State of Massachusetts, heavily influenced by the Know Nothings, “systematically deported destitute Irish men and women as a matter of public policy. As anti-immigrant sentiment grows today in Europe and America, this story of hardship is worth remembering,” Hidetaka Hirota wrote.

Massachusetts law allowed the deportation of beggars and many indigent Irish were targeted.

Read more:Why the real story of the Ireland's Great Hunger is not taught in U.S. schools

Foreign paupers, up to 50,000 in number, were deported between 1840 and 1870, the vast majority of whom were Irish. It was a sweeping policy. Irish Americans born in the USA, that is citizens, were among the swept up. Some immigrants had spent up to 40 years in America but were not spared. American-born children were also shipped off

As Hirota wrote, 'In 1855, the Boston Pilot, an Irish Catholic newspaper, fiercely condemned these manners of removal: “How much more will [the deportation law] be abused under this vile tyranny which decrees that poverty, Irishism and Catholicity are crimes, and to be punished as such?”'

Deportation was supported by the Know Nothings. Calling Irish paupers “leeches upon our tax payers” they described “an ignorant and vicious Irish Catholic population.” One leading nativist in Boston said in 1858 that an Irishman “will not work while he can exist by begging.”

Most were shipped to Liverpool and many were shipped on to Ireland because of their condition, in effect being deported twice. Even in Ireland they were not welcome. Hirota wrote that 'a group of four deportees entered the workhouse in Cork in 1868, one local official asserted that they “ought not to come at all.” Another Cork official complained, “This city is the receptacle for every poor person who comes from America or England.” Some were even re-deported back to America.

Read more:Little known tale of generous Turkish aid to the Irish during the Great Hunger

After 149 years, an Irish immigrant is finally found not guilty of murder.

August 30 marked the 149th anniversary of an unfortunate day for justice in New Jersey.

Bridget Deignan (sometimes misspelled Durgan) was hanged in New Brunswick in 1867.

Bridget was a twenty-two-year-old illiterate, indigent immigrant from Sligo who was essentially exported from Ireland by wealthy, British landowners who saw the poor and uneducated as an economic burden.

She was shipped to Liverpool in 1866, then to New York harbor only a few months before she was hanged for a crime she did not commit and by citizens who despised the Irish, the impoverished, and feared and distrusted Catholics.

I fell upon the story of Bridget’s short, tragic life while reading about women who were executed in the United States.

My research indicated that she had been railroaded by a judicial system driven by a sense of superiority, a loathing of the indigent, a hatred of “Romanism” (Catholicism), and negligence of constitutional law.

Further, after researching Bridget’s case, I believe I’ve uncovered the identity of the real murderer of the viictom in the case, Mrs. Coriell.

In 1867, most people in New Jersey and the surrounding states believed that Bridget was a brute, little more than an animal, who had willfully and violently murdered her employer for financial and personal gain.

People believed this because that’s what the newspapers printed - newspapers that sold more copies when the printed stories were more salacious, more agitating, more extraordinary.

And Bridget’s particular saga had all the makings of good crime drama: a lovely, sympathetic victim, Mrs. Mary Ellen Coriell, a genteel doctor’s wife and the mother of a beautiful daughter named Mamey; a wicked, ignorant, immigrant housemaid and former prostitute, who from jealousy and evil intent committed premeditated murder for bloodlust and self-gratification; and an arson fire that scorched the baby-fine hair of the murdered woman’s daughter, set by the villainous, Irish immigrant to destroy murderous evidence.

A good story to be sure.

But there is another version of this tragedy in the subtext of the many newspaper articles and the multiple confessions that were marketed within hours of Bridget’s death on the gallows.

Was Bridget Deignan a murderer, or a victim of economic and cultural prejudice?

Any close reading of the documents and newspaper articles related to Bridget’s case demonstrates that conclusive evidence was lacking, testimony was confused at best, perjury is certain in more than one case, and the motives of so many individuals involved were dubious, or worse.

Further, the men who crafted the confessions published after Bridget’s death, those who sold these confessions as books or pamphlets for what was a considerable amount of money in 1867, presented manuscripts in which Bridget admitted killing Mrs. Coriell in hopes of marrying Dr. Coriell, a fact that all the legitimate sources involved in the case dispute.

The false confessions contain factual errors that prove their speciousness, the first of which is Bridget’s own name: Durgan.

Her name was in fact Bridget Deignan. She insisted on this to the New York Times reporter who spoke with her after her conviction.

It was, she stressed, her north Irish brogue that confused her last name to the residents of New Jersey and the reporters from New York and Philadelphia.

The “confessions” also describe Bridget as a young woman who grew up in a relatively well-to-do family in Ireland, and as a former prostitute and grifter whose purpose was to obtain money and status by any means possible, even murder.

Research has proven that this is not the case.

Although Bridget was born in Sligo in 1844, as was written in newspaper articles, and in the sham confessions marketed throughout the United States, she was not born to a well-to-do family.

In fact, she had spent the earliest years of her life in dire poverty, living near starvation on farmland infected by the potato fungus.

By the age of ten, she was helping her father unload barges along Killala Bay, living as a gypsy, eating cabbage, and sleeping in barns or warehouses.

Finally, after her father’s lungs began to fail, the family sought refuge at Union Poor Law workhouses in Sligo and Boyle, County Roscommon.

Ultimately, they were admitted to the workhouse at Carrick-on-Shannon in County Leitrim where she watched her family waste away from lung, bone, and joint tuberculosis.

Bridget’s mother, sister, and two brothers died of tuberculosis in 1865 in Carrick-on-Shannon.

They were buried in unmarked graves in the long furrows of loose earth behind the workhouse infirmary.

Bridget had been well enough to watch as her brother, James, was buried with two other children.

After her brother Luke, sixteen and living in the men’s section of the workhouse with his father, died and was buried, Patrick Deignan told his only surviving child, Bridget, that it was time for them to leave.

He wanted to go back to Sligo before he died.

There was a Union Poor Law workhouse in Sligo that had been too crowded to admit Patrick and his family a few years earlier, but he was convinced that he should die in Sligo, perhaps in that workhouse.

Bridget and her father left Carrick-on-Shannon in late March of 1866 on foot.

Although assisted emigration - that is, an organized program wherein the poor and illiterate of Ireland had their transportation/emigration fees paid by the government, absentee landlords, philanthropists and/or Union Poor Law workhouses - had lost approval, the Poor Law Unions continued to provide funds for destitute individuals who wanted to emigrate through 1890, especially to females.

Because workhouses were refuges for widows and children, there was no place for Bridget in the Sligo workhouse, as their women’s accommodations were over maximum capacity.

Sligo had some “poor rate” emigration funds available, and her father convinced the guardians to pay Bridget’s fare to Liverpool, and from there to America.

Bridget didn’t want to leave her father, but he convinced her that America would be like the Isle of the Blest from childhood stories of Irish mythology, a perfect place where it was always summer and life was forever easy; where enchanted animals lived idyllic lives, handfed by the noble girls and boys who found their way to such a piece of heaven.

For someone like Bridget Deignan, who was leaving a country that not only failed her economically and medically, but also spiritually, the “Isle of the Blest” magical thinking that prompted her to board a ship to New York City also promised her that she would not be hanged in August of 1867.

Within hours of her employer’s murder, multiple newspapers published Bridget’s “confession” and described her as an immigrant “fiend” and a “wild beast,” portrayals that increased newspaper sales and interest in the case.

According to the New York Times, the recorder of the city of New Brunswick, Mr. David T. Jeffries, “proposed to sell some time ago the confession of Bridget Durgan, and his modest price was $1,000 in gold.

Another man named Randolph, who, we believe, is a gaoler under Sheriff Clarkson, had a confession, and we understand his price was $250 gold or currency, we don’t know which. One of the evening papers is reported to have paid $50 for another confession not worth the paper it’s written on” (31 August 1867).

The New York Times correspondent was quick to point out that all of the confessions offered for sale were wildly different.

And all of this occurred while the real murderer escaped justice and left the state.

I was moved to write Bridget’s story for several reasons: first, my own ancestors came from Ireland and faced the same kind of prejudice that Bridget and others like her faced.

Poverty and the illnesses associated with coffin ships are still ghosts in my own family’s story.

Issues of literacy, even today, separate the successful from the poorest of the poor.

Religious prejudice remains an issue that separates Americans; in fact, even as late as 1960, John F. Kennedy was feeling the pushback from the anti-Catholic factions in the United States.

Assimilation into American culture was difficult for my ancestors who came here with family. I can only imagine the fear and loneliness of a young woman who came to this country alone and with nothing: no funds, no skills, no family, and without the ability to read or write.

As I researched her story, I had to ask myself, what could she possibly have done to save herself?

Bridget was guilty of being a poor, illiterate, Catholic, and an Irish immigrant.

She was, however, not guilty of murder.

Her death on the gallows in New Jersey in 1867 was a gruesome miscarriage of justice.

I hope that telling her story will accord her a little justice, and enable her to rest in peace.

---

Sheila Duane has been teaching research writing at the college level for more than twenty years. She has also worked as a researcher, a journalist and an advertising copywriter.

She has been publishing her poetry for many years, most recently with the Journal of New Jersey Poets. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico, a master’s in teaching from Monmouth University, and a master’s in English literature from Rutgers University.

Duane resides in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, with her husband, Dean, and her son, Jude. “Bridget’s Hanging” is available from amazon and Barnes & noble.com.

---

This article first appeared in the Irish Echo. For more great stories, visit their website here. 

Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty may be one of the greatest Irish men who ever lived, yet his story is hardly known.

Growing up in Ireland I never heard his tale, but I suspect I know why. He was the heroic Monsignor, based in the Vatican, who saved thousands of Allied soldiers from the Nazis and also saved hundreds of Jews from the death camps.

Perhaps because he was helping the British in the war effort his story drew a veil of silence in Ireland but it should not have. World War II was a time for people of all backgrounds to choose sides between a monstrous evil and a force to battle that evil.

A book I have just finished reading outlines in great detail the heroic and extraordinary efforts of a great humanitarian and Irish history.

The book is entitled “'Hide and Seek' - The Irish priest in the Vatican who defied the Nazi command" by BBC journalist, Stephen Walker.

Though an intensely proud Irishman and deeply nationalist after seeing the Black and Tans in operation during his years in the seminary, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty realized early on that he needed to be on the side of the good guys.

That contrasted sharply with the position taken by Pope Pius XII who dithered while the Nazis over ran Europe.

Flaherty organized the escape route for allied troops who had escaped POW camps or had been shot down but survived.

Through an incredibly close network of friends and confidantes he set up safe houses all over Rome and in the Vatican itself where his work soon drew grave suspicion from the Nazis.

The book is a fascinating account of the stand off between Flaherty and the head SS man in Rome, Herbert Kappler.

Kappler suspected O’Flaherty and had him under surveillance at all times. O’Flaherty comes across as a Michael Collins, however, hiding in plain sight, appearing each morning on the steps of Saint Peter's and meeting with those who were organizing the freedom runs.

He helped everyone who sought refuge, including many Jews, which infuriated Kappler. The SS commander tried to have O’Flaherty kidnapped with a view to summary execution but somehow O’Flaherty always managed to survive, earning him the nickname of the “Scarlet Pimpernel”.

Once, having left the neutral confines of the Vatican for a freedom route meeting, the Nazis raided the house and O’Flaherty, who was hiding in the cellar, was saved by sheer luck when two coal-men came to drop their supplies and he “borrowed” one of their outfits and strolled past the SS wearing the outfit and carrying a sack.

After the war he was celebrated all over the world but refused most of the honors. Kappler was tried and found guilty of war crimes. Amazingly, O’Flaherty visited him frequently in prison and Kappler converted to Catholicism. O’Flaherty retired to his native Kerry for his final days and passed away there in 1963.

In a poem to celebrate his life, poet and fellow Kerry man Brendan Kennelly wrote of O'Flaherty:

"There is a tree called freedom and it grows
Somewhere in the hearts of men
Rain falls, ice freezes, wind blows
The tree shivers, steadies itself again."

The Israeli government planted a tree in his honor in 1973.

Was there ever a more courageous Irishman?

A clip from "Scarlet and the Black". The true story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty:

* Originally published in 2011.

A study of the DNA of ancient brown bear bones in Ireland proved that the maternal ancestors of modern polar bears were Irish.

By studying 17 sets of brown bear teeth and skeletons, found in eight caves across Ireland, in 2011 scientists found conclusive evidence of the connection.

The findings from these scientists located in Ireland, Britain and the US were published in the journal Current Biology.

Up this discovery it was thought that polar bears were most closely related to the brown bears living in the islands of Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof in Alaska's Alexander Archipelago. However the analysis of the DNA passed from mother to child (mitochondrial DNA) shows that the Irish brown bear is unmistakably linked.

This proves that the two species mated opportunistically during the past 100,000 years. This means that the bears split from a common ancestor to become a new species somewhere between two million and 400,000 years ago. This means before or during the last Ice Age the two species came together and polar bears mated with the Irish brown bear.

The study was the work of Prof Daniel Bradley, of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and Dr Ceiridwen Edwards, formerly of TCD and now at Oxford University who collaborated with Prof Beth Shapiro, of Pennsylvania State University.

Dr Edwards said "It's amazing to think that Irish brown bears are the ancestors of the modern maternal polar bear lineage.

"As the hybridization between the two species occurred at a time when their home ranges overlapped, most likely during environmental stress, this has implications for polar bears in today's climate."

According to the BBC reports, Prof Shapiro said "While brown bears and polar bears are hybridizing today, our results suggest that a recent hybridization led to the capture of a mitochondrial DNA sequence that was present in the population of brown bears that were living in Ireland before the peak of the last ice age.

"That mitochondrial sequence replaced the previous sequence across the entire polar bear population."

Evidence of the Irish brown bear has been found across the island of Ireland. The best examples can be found in the Poll na mBear (Cave of the Bears) in County Leitrim. They were discovered by Eoghan Lynch and Barry Keenan in May 1997.

* Originally published in 2011.

A letter of surrender written by Patrick Pearse on April 30, 1916, three days before his execution, will be on display in the GPO Witness History visitor center in Dublin between September 27 and November 28.

The 1916 Rising leader’s last official letter, written from Arbour Hill Prison three days before his execution, urged rebels who were held up in the Four Courts to surrender to the British. After reading the letter, the commander of the rebels laid down his arms and surrendered.

The letter reads: “‘In order to prevent further slaughter of the civil population and in the hope of saving the lives of our followers, the members of the Provisional Government present at headquarters have decided on an unconditional surrender, and commandants or officers commanding districts will order their commands to lay down arms. P.H.Pearse, Dublin, 30th April 1916.”

Read more 1916 centenary news here

At GPO Witness History, located in the heart of the historic GPO on Dublin’s O’Connell Street, visitors will be able to view the original letter and learn more about the circumstances surrounding it.

Aline FitzGerald, the General Manager of GPO Witness History, is pleased with the acquisition. “It is our privilege and an honor to have the opportunity to display this document, never previously accessible to the public, and of such historic significance,” FitzGerald.

Stuart Cole, Director of Adams Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers said, “This is a unique part of Irish history and we are delighted that it will be on display at the GPO Witness History Visitor Centre prior to it being auctioned. It is expected to achieve in the region of €1 million to €1.5 million [ $1.1m to $1.68m] at the end of November.”

Read more:“Supported by her exiled children in America”: John Devoy and Irish America in 1916

The letter forms just one part of the visitor experience. GPO Witness History is an immersive, interactive visitor attraction bringing history to life though technology, video, sound and authentic artefacts. For more information on the museum visit www.gpowitnesshistory.ie.

A documentary, “Name Your Poison,” was launched in Christmas, 2015, in Ireland, on the Irish language TV channel, TG4. The movie deals with "The man they could not kill," Michael Malloy (1873 – February 22, 1933), aka Mike the Durable and Iron Mike, aka Rasputin of The Bronx. Malloy was a homeless Irishman from County Donegal who lived in New York City during the 1920s and 30s.

A former firefighter, he is most famous for surviving a number of attempts – as many as 20 by some accounts – on his life by five acquaintances who were attempting to commit life insurance fraud.

The events that led to Malloy's death began in January 1933. He was, at the time, alcoholic and homeless after falling on hard times.

Five men who were acquainted with Malloy – Tony Marino, Joseph "Red" Murphy, Francis Pasqua, Hershey Green, and Daniel Kriesberg (later dubbed "the Murder Trust" by the headlines) – plotted to take out three life insurance policies on Malloy and then get him to drink himself to death.

Mike looked an easy mark. He was, wrote the Daily Mirror, after the case, just part of the “flotsam and jetsam in the swift current of underworld speakeasy life, those no-longer-responsible derelicts who stumble through the last days of their lives in a continual haze of ‘Bowery Smoke.’”

“Why don’t you take out insurance on Malloy?”, Pasqua asked Marino one day, according to another contemporary newspaper report. “I can take care of the rest.”

Marino paused. Pasqua knew he’d pulled off such a scheme once before

The prior year, Marino, 27, had befriended a homeless woman named Mabelle Carson and convinced her to take out a $2,000 life insurance policy, naming him as the beneficiary.

One frigid night he force-fed her alcohol, stripped off her clothing, doused the sheets and mattress with ice water, and pushed the bed beneath an open window. The medical examiner listed the cause of death as bronchial pneumonia, and Marino collected the money without incident.

Marino figured Mike Malloy, who looked about 60, though he was a decade younger and in terrible shape, would go easy. He nodded and motioned to Malloy. “He looks all in. He ain’t got much longer to go anyhow. The stuff is gettin’ him.”

They agreed to go ahead. They began backslapping Malloy and gave him free drinks. Malloy, accustomed to getting the bum's rush because of his lack of funds, was so thrilled that he eagerly signed a petition that would help elect Marino for local office.

What he actually signed was an insurance policy from Metropolitan Life, and two from Prudential. The gang even provided Malloy with a crash pad in the back of the bar to sleep off his hangovers.

Little did they know just how tough Mike was. When it came to survival he could match Rasputin, the Russian monk whose enemies needed many attempts before they finally succeeded in killing him. The first part of the Mike Malloy plot was successful (probably achieved with the aid of a corrupt insurance agent), and they stood to gain over $3,500 (more than $65,000 by 2015’s standards by the CPI) if Malloy died an accidental death.

Marino owned a speakeasy and gave Malloy unlimited credit, thinking Malloy would abuse it and drink himself to death. Although Malloy drank for a majority of his waking day, it did not kill him. To remedy this, antifreeze was substituted for liquor, but still, Malloy would drink until he passed out, wake up, and come back for more. Antifreeze was substituted with turpentine, followed by horse liniment, and finally mixed in rat poison. Still, Malloy lived.

The group then tried raw oysters soaked in wood alcohol. This idea apparently came from Pasqua, who saw a man die after eating oysters with whiskey.] Then came a sandwich of spoiled sardines mixed with poison and carpet tacks.

When that failed, they decided that it was unlikely that anything Malloy ingested was going to kill him, so the Murder Trust decided to freeze him to death. On a night when the temperature reached −14 °F (−26 °C), Malloy drank until he passed out, was carried to a park, dumped in the snow, and had five gallons of water poured on his bare chest. Nevertheless, Malloy reappeared the following day for his drink. The next attempt on his life came when they hit him with a car, They bribed a taxi driver Harry Green $150 to hit him. The murder syndicate got him drunk and propped him up as Harry Green revved his taxi up. At the last second they were to jump aside and the car was supposed to knock him over.

Molloy, though drunk, avoided the first two efforts to run him down. On the third attempt, according to Smithsonian Magazine, “Green raced toward Malloy at 50 miles per hour. With every second Malloy loomed larger through the windshield. Two thuds, one loud and one soft, the body against the hood and then dropping to the ground. For good measure, Green backed up over him. The gang was confident Malloy was dead, but a passing car scared them from the scene before they could confirm.”

Five days later, with no reports or death notices for Molloy the gang began to fear the worst. Sure enough the door to Marino’s speakeasy swung open and in limped a battered, bandaged Michael Malloy, looking only slightly worse for wear

The gang finally had enough. On February 22, after he passed out for the night, they took him to Murphy's room, put a hose in his mouth that was connected to the gas jet, and turned it on. This finally killed Malloy, death occurring within an hour.

He was pronounced dead of lobar pneumonia by a bribed doctor and quickly buried. Despite this, the Murder Trust failed to divide the collected loot evenly and fought over it .Eventually police heard rumors of Rasputin Mike in speakeasies all over town, and upon learning that a Michael Malloy had died that night, they had the body exhumed and forensically examined.

The five men were put on trial. Green went to prison, and the other four members were executed in the electric chair at Sing Sing. Unlike Mike none survived.

Malloy's death made history. It was featured in "The Poisoner's Handbook" as one of the first cases investigated by the then newly established New York City Medical Examiner's Office under the pioneering Dr. Charles Norris.

For information please contact Paddy Hayes, director on +1353 87 2896718 or magamedia@gmail.com.

* Originally published in 2015.

Ever wondered about the history behind your Irish last name? Where did your earliest ancestors come from? What was their profession? How did their name change overt the centuries? 

The following is a comprehensive list of the 300 most common Irish surnames. 

For Part II, H - M, click here

For Part III, N - W, click here

Ahern, O’Ahern, Hearne– This surname was first found in Co. Clare, where they held a family seat as a Dalcassian sept from before the year 1000. With the disruptions of the Strongbow invasion of 1172, they migrated southward to Cork and Waterford. In Waterford, the name is predominantly Hearn/Hearne.

(Mac)Auliffe – The name MacAuliffe is particular to Co. Cork and is scarcely found outside Munster. The MacAuliffes are a branch of the MacCarthys.

MacAleese - MacGiolla (son of the devotee of Jesus). The name of a prominent Derry sept. There are many variants of the name such as MacIliese, MacLeese, MacLice, MacLise, etc. The best known by this spelling, the painter Daniel MacLise, was from a family of the Scottish highlands, known as MacLeish, which settled in Cork.

Allen - This is usually of Scottish or English origin but sometimes in Offaly and TipperaryÓ hAillín has been anglicized Allen as well as Hallion. Allen is found as a synonym of Hallinan. As Alleyn it occurs frequently in medieval Anglo Irish records. The English name Allen is derived from that of a Welsh saint.

Barrett – The surname Barrett came to Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invaders at the end of the twelfth century. To this day, the surname is most frequently found in Co. Cork.

Barry - de Barra - The majority of these names are of Norman origin, i.e. de Barr (a place in Wales); they became completely hibernicized. Though still more numerous in Munster than elsewhere the name is widespread throughout Ireland. Barry is also the anglicized form of Ó Báire and Ó Beargha (meaning spear-like according to Woulfe), a small sept of Co. Limerick.

O’Beirne– Although the pronunciation of this name is very similar to O’Byrne, there is no connection between the septs. O’Beirne belongs almost exclusively to the Connacht.

Bodkin – This non-Irish sounding name is intimately connected with Galway, with the Bodkins being one of the fourteen “tribes” of the city. The name was originally spelled Boudakyn, then Bodekin, before eventually finalizing at Bodkin.

O’Boland– The old form of this name, Bolan or O’Bolan, is almost obsolete, though occasionally found around Ireland. There are two distinct septs of the name, both of which come from County Sligo.

O’Boylan – The O’Boylan sept of Oriel, which sprang originally from the same stock as the O’Flanagans of Fermanagh, were, in medieval times, located in a widespread territory stretching from Fermanagh to Louth.

O’Boyle – Boyle is O Baoighill in modern Irish, the derivation of which is possibly from the Old Irish word baigell, i.e. having profitable pledges. Modern scholars reject the derivation baoith-geall. It is thus, of course, a true Irish surname.

(Mac)Brady – In Irish, the name is Mac Bradaigh, so it should correctly be MacBrady in the anglicized form. The prefix Mac, however, is seldom used in modern times; the modern use of the prefix O instead of Mac with this name is erroneous. The MacBradys were once a powerful sept belonging to Breffny.

O’Brallaghan – Few Irish surnames have been more barbarously maltreated by the introduction of the English language into Ireland than O Brollachain. For some extraordinary reason, it was generally given as its anglicized form, the common English name Bradley. Though in a few places, notably County Derry, it is quite rationally still O’ Brallghan.

O'Breen, MacBreen – Presently the Breens are widely distributed around Ireland. They are usually called simply Breen, though originally there were both MacBreens and O’Breens. The Mac Braoins (Irish form of the name) were an Ossory sept seated near Knock-topher in County Kilkenny; after the Anglo-Norman invasion they were dispersed by the Walshes and sank in importance.

Brennan - Ó Braonáin - (The word braon has several meanings, possibly sorrow in this case). The name of four unrelated septs, located in Ossory, east Galway, Kerry and Westmeath. The county Fermanagh sept of Ó Branáin was also anglicized Brennan as well as Brannan.

O'Brien– The Old Gaelic name used by the O’Brien family in Ireland was O Briain, which means descendant of Brian. It was first found in Thomond, a territory comprised mostly of Co. Clare with adjacent parts of Limerick and Tipperary. Before the 10th Century, the sept was a Dalcassian Clan known was the Ui Toirdealbhaigh, which achieved prominence with the rise of their ancestor Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland.

MacBride, Kilbride– MacBride is Mac Giolla Brighde in Irish, i.e. son of the follower or devotee of St. Brigid. The name is found most frequently in Ulster, particularly in Co. Donegal and Co. Down.

O’Broder, Broderick, Brothers– Broderick is a fairly common indigenous surname in England. However, very few Irish Brodericks are of English extraction, with the surname also deriving from the Gaelic "O' Bruadair." Broderick affords a good example of how names evolved and were Anglicized over the course of two centuries of English domination in Ireland.

Butler: Anglo Norman name later Earl of Ormond. Lord FitzWalter later Butler accompanied British forces to Ireland in 1169 to secure Anglo Norman lands. Family recieved Irish titles for their  service. Later connected to Ormond line in the Kilkenny, Tipperary area

O'Byrne– This name in Irish is O Broin, i.e. descendant of Bran (earlier form Broen), King of Leinster, who died in 1052. With the O’Tooles, the O’Byrnes were driven from their original territory in modern Co. Kildare at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion, and settled in the wilder country of South Wicklow in roughly 1200.

MacCabe - Mac Cába - An anglicized form of the Gaelic MacCába, which comes from cába, meaning cape or hat. In the Middle Ages the Irish O'Reilly and O'Rourke families of Leitrim and Cavan brought fighters from Scotland to build their forces. Many of these gallowglass men were MacCabes rom Inis Gall in the Hebrides. They are believed to have worn distinctive hats. Having regards to their origin it is more likely to be from a non-Gaelic personal name.

(Mac)Caffrey– The MacCaffreys are a branch of the MacGuires of Fermanagh. The townland of Ballymacaffrey near Fivemiletown on the Tyrone border marks their homeland. The great majority of people with this name today belong to families in Fermanagh and Tyrone.

O'Cahill– In early medieval times the most important sept of O’Cahill was that located in County Galway near the Clare border. The head of which was Chief of Kinelea, but by the middle of the thirteenth century their former position as the leading family in Kilmacdaugh had been taken by the O’Shaughnessys.

Callaghan - Ó Ceallacháin - The eponymous ancestor in this case was Ceallacháin, King of Munster (d. 952). The sept was important in the present Co. Cork until the seventeenth century and the name is still very numerous there. The chief family was transplanted under the Cromwellian regime to east Clare, where the village of O’Callghan’s Mills is called after them.

MacCann, Canny– In Irish Mac Anna (son of Annadh) it has become, by the attraction of the C of Mac, Mac Canna in Irish and MacCann in English. The MacCanns occupied a district of Co. Armagh which was originally ran by the O’Graveys.

O’Cannon– Cannon is a common English surname derived from the ecclesiastical word canon. It is also the anglicized form of the name of two quite distinct Irish septs, one stemming from Galway and the other from Donegal. The original Gaelic form of the name is O Canain, from the word 'cano,' which means wolf cub.

Carey– The O’Kearys (Irish: O Ciardha), later used the anglicized form Carey. They belonged to the southern Ui Niell and were lords of Carbury (Co. Kildare) until dispersed by the invasion of the Anglo-Normans.

O’Carolan– The Irish name O’Carolan claims descent from the O’Connors, Kings of Connaught, in Donegal, where Carlan (from the Irish ‘carla’ and ‘an,’ meaning ‘one who combs wool’). The name O'Caloran was first found in Co. Limerick.

Carroll– The name Carroll was first found in counties Tipperary, Offaly, Monaghan and Louth. It has undergone many variations since its genesis. In Gaelic it appeared as Cearbhaill, derived from the name of Cearbhal, the lord of Ely who helped Brian Boru lead the Irish to victory in the Battle of Clontarf.

MacCartan (Carton)– The Irish surname MacArtain became, in English, MacCartan, or sometimes Carton. This is an example of the error often found with Mac names beginning with a vowel, where the letter C of Mac was carried forward to form the start of the name proper (i.e. – MacCann, MacCoy etc.). The name is derived from the common Christian name Art, of which Artan is a diminutive.

MacCarthy– No Irish Mac name comes near MacCarthy in numerical strength. The abbreviated form Carthy is also very common, but MacCArthy is a name which has generally retained the prefix. It is among the dozen most common names in Ireland as a whole, due to the very large number of MacCarthys from Co. Cork, which accounts for some 60% of them. From the earliest times, the name has been associated with South Munster or Desmond.

O'Casey (MacCasey)– There were originally at least 6 six distinct and unrelated septs of O Cathasaigh, the most important of these in early times were found in Co. Dublin. However, O'Caseys were also found in Fermanagh, Limerick, Cork and Roscommon. In its ancient Gaelic form, the name is O Cathasaigh, from the word 'cathasach' which means 'watchful.'

(Mac)Clancy– Clancy is a Mac name: the initial C of Clancy, is in fact the last letter of the prefix Mac, so it would have been MacLancy. Clancy also happens to be an alternative form of the name 'Glanchy,' which was common in the seventieth century and is still occasionally found.

O'Coffey– This name is O Cobhthaigh in Irish, pronounced O'Coffey in English: it is likely derived from the word cobhthach, meaning victorious. Coffey is one of those surnames that has not often retained the "O" prefix. Coffey has several distinct septs that date back to the medieval times, two of which are still well represented in their original homeland. These are the Coffeys in Co. Cork and Co. Roscommon.

(Mac)Coghlan, O'Coughlan– There are two quite distinct septs of Coughlan, one being MacCoughlan of Offaly and the other O'Coughlan of Co. Cork. In Gaelic it has appeared as Mac Cochlain or O Cochlain.

O'Connor - Associated with the areas of Derry, Connacht, and Munster. An anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Conchobhair. Many claim descent from a 10th century king of Connacht of this name. In Irish legend, Conchobhar was a king of Ulster who lived at around the time of Christ and who adopted the youthful Cú Chulainn.

MacColgan– In early medieval times, Colgan had the prefixes O and Mac. There are two distinct septs of this name – one originating in Co. Derry and the other stemming from Offaly. Those in Derry claim descent from the O'Connors.

Collins, Colin - In Ireland, often the anglicized form of Coileain, prefixed by Mac or O, and found mainly in the western part of the country. In this case the name translates as "the young hound." Also derived from the Greco-Roman name Nicholas.

O'Colman– Though families called Coleman are known to have settled in Ireland in as early as the thirteenth century, having come from England, where the name is common, Coleman in Ireland almost always denotes a Gaelic origin. The main sept of Coleman, O Colmain, originated in Co. Sligo.

O'Concannon– The name Concannon is rarely found outside the territory of its origin, which is Galway. All 21 recorded births registered for this name in the last available statistical return took place in Co. Galway or in contiguous areas of adjacent counties.

Condon– The northeastern division of Co. Cork, close to the adjoining counties of Limerick and Tipperary, is called the barony of Condons. This was named after the family of Condon that was in control of most of the area, with their principal stronghold being the Castle of Clogleagh near Kilworth. They may indeed be described as a sept rather than a family.

MacCormack - Cormick, Mac Cormaic - Formed from the forename Cormac. This name is numerous throughout all the provinces, the spelling MacCormick being more usual in Ulster. For the most part it originated as a simple patronymic; the only recognized sept of the name was of the Fermanagh-Longford area. Many of the MacCormac(k) families of Ulster are of Scottish origin, being a branch of the clan Buchanan-MacCormick of MacLaine.

Dalton– Though this name is not Irish in origin, it is on record in Dublin and Meath as early as the beginning of the thirteenth century, the family having been established in Ireland following the Anglo-Norman invasion. Its Norman origin is more apparent in the alternative spelling, still sometimes used – D’Alton, or, of Alton, a place in England.

O’Daly– O’Daly is said to be the greatest name in Gaelic literature. Other septs may have produced one or two more famous individuals, but the O’Dalys have a continuous record of literary achievement from the twelfth to the seventeenth century and, indeed, even to the nineteenth. There have been no less than thirty O’Dalys distinguished as writers between 1139 and 1680.

Darcy, O'Dorcey, MacDarcy– This name is often spelled D'Arcy. This is historically correct in the case of the families who descend from Sir John D'Arcy, Chief Justice of Ireland in the fourteenth century. There are the Darcys of Hyde Park, Co. Westmeath and it is reasonable to assume that the D'Arcys of the east midlands of Ireland are of that stock.

O'Dargan, Dorgan– The Gaelic name Ó Deargáin, the root of which is dearg (red), has taken the anglicized form Dargan in Leinster, and Dorgan in Munster. The latter is almost confined to Co. Cork (Ballydorgan) while respectable families of Durgan have long been living in the midland counties. As a Gaelic sept they were of little importance so they seldom appear in the Annals, the "Book of Rights," the Fiants, the "Topographical Poems," "An Leabhar Muimhneach," or any of the usual sources of genealogical information.

O'Davoren– Formerly a flourishing Thomond sept, the O'Davorens have dwindled to small numbers but are still found in Clare and the adjoining county of Tipperary. They are described as the formerly learned Breton family seated at Lisdoonvarna, where they had a literary and legal school, among the pupils of which was Dald MacFirbis, the most distinguished of the celebrated family of Irish antiquaries.

O'Dea– O'Dea is a name associated (in the past and present alike) almost exclusively with County Clare and areas like Limerick City and North Tipperary, which immediately adjoin it. It is not a common name elsewhere – even in County Clare it appears infrequently outside the part of the county where it originated.

O'Delany, Delaney– Delany is a surname rarely seen today with the prefix O, with which it belongs. It is Ó Dubhshláinte in Irish, Delany being a phonetic rendering of this – the A of Delany was formerly pronounced broad. An earlier anglicized form was O'Delany, as in Felix O'Delany, Bishop of Ossory from 1178 to 1202, who built St. Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny.

O'Dempsey, Dempsey– The O'Dempseys are of the same stock as the O'Connors of Offaly and were a powerful sept in the territory on the borders of Leix and Offaly known as Clanmalier, which lays on both sides of the River Barrow. They were Clanmalier's traditional chiefs. The name O’Dempsey originally appeared in Gaelic as O Diomasaigh, from the word ‘diomasach,’ which means 'proud.'

McDermott– the McDermots are one of the few septs whose head is recognized by the Irish Genealogical Office as an authentic chieftain, that is to say he is entitled in popular parlance to be called The McDermott; and in this case this is enhanced by the further title of Prince of Coolavin, though of course titles are not recognized under the Irish Constitution the designation is only used by courtesy.

O'Devine, Davin, Devane– The name Devine is chiefly found today in the counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh. Up to the fifteenth century, the chief of this sept was Lord of Tirkennedy in Co. Fermanagh. Though the etymology of the name has been questioned, we may accept the view of so eminent a scholar as O'Donovan that it is in Irish Ó Daimhín.

O'Devlin– There was once a not unimportant sept of Ó Doibhilin, anglice O'Devlin, in what is now the barony of Corran, Co. Sligo. As late as 1316 one of these, Gillananaev O'Devlin, who was standard bearer to O'Connor, was slain in battle. Their descendants have either died out or have been dispersed. The principal sept of the name belongs to Co. Tyrone.

Dillon– Although not native Gaelic in origin, the name Dillon may now be regarded as hundred percent Irish: when met outside Ireland it will most always be found belonging to a person of Irish origin. The Dillons came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion. Dillon has been an important name in Irish history and modern politics.

O'Dineen, Dinan, Downing– Today, the great majority of Dineens, who rarely if ever have the prefix O in English, belong to Co. Cork families, especially to the southwestern part once known as Corca Laoidhe. It was there that the sept originated.

Disney - Derived from a French place-name and originally written D’Isigny etc., the name Disney occurs quite frequently in the records of several Irish counties in the south and midlands since the first half of the seventeenth century.

O'Doherty– Doherty is an example of a surname in which the resumption of its prefix O during the recent century has been very marked. Comparing the statistics of 1890 with 1955, we find that in the former year in Ireland out of 465 births registered, fewer than two percent were O'Doherty. Alternative spellings such as Dogherty and Dougherty are rarely met with nowadays as well.

O'Dolan, Doolan– The name Dolan is fairly common today in Ulster, in the Catholic areas of Counties Cavan and Fermanagh, and in the Counties of Roscommon and Galway in Connacht. The latter is the place of origin of this sept which is a branch of the Ui Máine (Hy Many). In the census of 1659 the name appears principally in Counties Roscommon and Fermanagh (the portion dealing with Co. Galway is missing).

MacDonlevy, Dunleavy, Leavy– Dunleavy, to give its most usual modern form, may be regarded as a Mac surname (Mac Duinnshléibhe in Irish) though in some early manuscripts, e.g. the "Topographical Poems" of O'Dugan and O'Heerin, the prefix O is used. In the "Annals of Loch Cé" the O prefix appears in the sixteenth century, but all of those mentioned before that are Mac.

McDonnell– Today the McDonnells are found widely distributed all over Ireland, and without, including the cognate McDonald in the count, the McDonnells in Ireland amount to nearly 10,000 persons with three separate, distinct origins. The Dalriadan clans of ancient Scotland spawned the ancestors of the McDonnell family.

O'Donnell– The O'Donnells have always been numerous and eminent in Irish life. They are of course chiefly associated with Tirconnaill (Donegal), the home of the largest and best known O'Donnell sept. But as the present distribution of persons of the name implies, there were quite distinct O'Donnell septs in other parts of the country, two of which require special mention: Corcabaskin in West Clare, and another, a branch of the Ui Main (Hy Many, in Co. Galway).

O'Donnellan, Donlon– the O'Donnellans were a sept of the Ui Máine. They belong, therefore, by origin, to the southeastern part of Co. Galway where the place name Ballydonnellan perpetuates their connection with the district between Ballinasloe and Loughrea. They claim descent from Domhallán, lord of Clan Breasail.

O'Donnelly– According to the latest statistics there are just short of 10,000 persons of the name Donnelly in Ireland today, which places this name among the sixty-five most popular in the country. Practically all of these may be regarded as belonging to the Ulster Donnelly sept – Ó Donnghaile of Cinel Eoghan.

MacDonogh, Dinghy– Like so many well known Irish surnames, especially MacDonagh (Irish Mac Donnchadha, i.e. son of Donnchadh, or Donagh) the MacDonoghs are formed from a common Christian or personal name. MacDonagh is one that came to usage in two widely separated parts of the country.

O'Donoghue, Donohoe, Dunphy– Donoghue or Donohoe, more properly O'Donoghue, is one of the most important as well as the most common names in Ireland. In Irish, Ó Donnchadha denotes descendant of Donnchadh, anglice Donogh, a personal name. Several distinct septs of the name existed in early times.The original Gaelic form of the name Dunphy is O Donnchaidh as well.

O'Donovan– There are few families about which we have more information than the O'Donovans. The Genealogical Office has a verified pedigree of the eldest branch from Gaelic times, when they held a semi-royal position, up to the present day, and also the notes of Dr. John O'Donovan, one of Ireland's most distinguished antiquarians and a member of a junior branch of the same sept. All of these are available to the general public.

O'Dooley– The modern form of this name in Irish is Ó Dubhlaoich. The Four Masters write it Ó Dughlaich when describing their chiefs in the eleventh and twelfth centuries as Lords of Fertullagh, the southeastern end of Co. Westmeath. They were driven thence by the O'Melaghlins and the Tyrrells and migrated to the Ely O'Carroll country where they acquired a footing on the western slopes of Slieve Bloom.

O'Doral, Dorrian– The O'Dorians have been justly described as "the great Breton family of Leinster," but they are probably better known as traditional antiquarians who kept in their possession from generation to generation the three manuscript copies of the "Tripartite Life of St. Patrick."

O'Dowd, Dowda, Doody, Duddy– This is one of the O names with which the prefix has been widely retained, O'Dowd being more usual than Dowd. Other modern variants are O'Dowdy and Dowds, with Doody, another synonym, found around Killarney. O'Dowd, which comes from O Dubhda, which means black or dark complexioned, was first found in county Mayo.

O'Dowling– The Dowlings are one of the "Seven Septs of Leix," the leading members of which were transplanted to Tarbet on the border of north Kerry and west Limerick in 1609. This transplantation did not affect the rank and file of the sept, who multiplied in their original territory.

O'Downey, MachEldowney, Doheny, Muldowney– The O'Downeys were of some importance in early medieval times, when there were two distinct septs of Ó Dúnadhaigh. That of Sil Anmchadha, of the same stock as the O'Maddens, several of whom are described in the "Annals of Innisfallen" and "Four Masters" as lords of Sil Anmchadha, who became submerged as early as the twelfth century. Their descendants are still found in quite considerable numbers in that county.

Doyle, MacDowell– Doyle, rarely found as O'Doyle in modern times, stands high on the list of Irish surnames arranged in order of numerical strength, holding twelfth place with approximately 21,000 people out of a population of something less than 4 million. Though now widely distributed, it was once most closely associated with the counties of southeast Leinster (Wicklow, Wexford and Carlow) in which it is chiefly found today, and in the records of fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

O'Driscoll– Few families have been so continuously and exclusively associated with the territory of their origin as the Driscolls or O'Driscolls. They belong to Co. Cork. At first they were concentrated in south Kerry, but pressure from the O'Sullivans drove them eastwards and they then settled around Baltimore in southwest Cork.

O'Duff, Duhig, Dowey– The name Duffy or O'Duffy is widespread in Ireland: it is among the fifty most common surnames, standing first in the list for Co. Monaghan. it is also very common in north Connacht. It is found in Munster to some extent, but there it often takes the form Duhig, while in parts of Donegal it has become Doohey and Dowey.

O'Duggan, O'Dugan– Dugan, in Irish Ó Dubhagain, is in some places given in English speech the Irish pronunciation of Doogan. The prefix O, dropped in the seventeenth century, has not been continued. Outside of Dublin, the name is almost entirely confined to Munster, especially Counties Cork and Tipperary, and Wexford. In the seventeenth century it was very common in Co. Tipperary.

O'Dunn, Dunn– In Irish Ó Duinn or Ó Doinn – doin is the genitive case of the adjective donn, which means brown. It is more often written Dunne than Dunn in English. The form O'Doyne, common in the seventeenth century, is now almost obsolete.

O'Dwyer– The O'Dwyers (in Irish Ó Duibhir, descendant of Duibhir) were an important sept in Co. Tipperary, though incomparable in power or extent of territory to the neighboring great septs. Their lands were Kilnamanagh, the mountainous area lying between the town of Thurles, and the county of Limerick. 

Egan, Keegan– In Irish Egan is MacAodhagáin (from the Christian name Aodh, anglice Hugh), and the surname is really MacEgan, though the prefix Mac is rarely used in modern times except by the family who claims to be head of the sept.

McElroy, (Mac)Gilroy, Kilroy– This name is Mac Giolla Rua in Irish, i.e. son of the red (haired) youth. The sept originated in Co. Fermanagh where the place name Ballymackilroy was found: their territory was on the east side of Lough Erne.

MacEnchroe, Crowe – The very English-seeming name Crowe disguised the genuinely Irish surname MacEnchroe, which in its original form is Mac Conchradha. The form MacEnchroe is still in use but all of the members of this sept who live in its original territory, Thomond, are certainly called simply Crowe.

McEvoy, MacElwee, MacGilloway, MacVeagh– The MacEvoys were on of the "Seven Septs of Leix," the leading members of which were transplanted to Co. Kerry in 1609. The lesser clansmen remained in their own territory and Leix is one of the areas in which the name is found fairly frequently today.

Fagan– In spite of its very Irish appearance (-gan is one of the most common terminations of Irish surnames) Fagan must be regarded as a family name of Norman origin. At the same time it must be pointed out that it is not an English name. It is derived from the Latin word Paguns. For many centuries it has been associated with Counties Dublin and Meath.

O'Fahy– Fahy (also spelt Fahey) is almost exclusively a Co. Galway name, though of course it is also found in the bordering areas, such as north Tipperary, and in Dublin. A sept of the Ui Máine, the center of their patrimony, which they held as proprietors up to the time of the Cromwellian upheaval (and where most of them still dwell) is Loughrea. Their territory was known as Pobal Mhuintir ui Fhathlaigh, i.e. the country inhabited by the Fahys.

O'Fallon, Falloone– The name Fallon or, as it is also written O'Fallon, has been closely associated with the counties of Galway and Roscommon. They held a family seat in Galway in very ancient times. The Gaelic form is O Fallamhain.

O'Farrell, O'Ferrell – Farrell, with and without the prefix O, is a well known name in many parts of the country and it stands thirty-fifth in the statistical returns showing the hundred most common names in Ireland. It is estimated that there are over 13,000 pepole with the name in Ireland; the great majority of these were born in Leinster, mainly in Co. Longford and the surrounding areas.

O'Farrelly, Farley– O'Farrelly – Ó Faircheallaigh in Irish – is the name of a Breffny sept associated in both early and modern times principally with Counties Cavan and Meath. The Gaelic poet Feardorcha O'Farrelly (d. 1746) was born in Co. Cavan.

O'Feeny– Apart from the quite definite fact that it is essentially a Connacht name, it is difficult to be precise in dealing with the surname Feeney. The reason for this is that in Connacht there are two different septs – Ó Fiannaidhe in Sligo and Mayo and Ó Fidhne in Galway and Roscommon.

O'Finn, Magian– The name Finn – it seldom has the prefix O in modern times – is chiefly found in Co. Cork today and this was equally true in the seventeenth century, as Petty's census shows. This is curious because it is usually a fact that names are still most numerous in the part of Ireland in which they originated.

O'Finnegan– There are two distinct septs of Finnegan or Finegan whose name is Ó Fionnagáin in Irish, which means the descendants of Fionnagán, an old Irish personal name derived from the word fionn, i.e. fairheaded. One of these septs was located on the border of Galway and Roscommon, where there are two places called Ballyfinnegan – one in the barony of Ballymore and the second in the barony of Castlereagh.

Fitzgerald– The Ftizgeralds of Ireland, who are now very numerous, are said to all have descended from the famous Maurice, son of Gerald, who accompanied Strongbow in the Anglo-Norman invasion. Gerald was constable of Pembroke in Wales and was married to Nesta, Princess of Wales.

Fitzgibbon, Gibbons– In treating of the surname Gibbons in Ireland it must first be mentioned that this is a very common indigenous name in England and in the course of the several plantations of English settlers in this country from 1600 onwards, as well as a result of business infiltration, it is inevitable that at least a small proportion of our Gibbonses must be of English stock.

Fitzpatrick, Kilpatrick– This is the only surname with the prefix Fitz which is of native Irish origin, the others being Norman. The Fitzpatricks are Macgilpatricks – Mac Giolla Phádraig in Irish, meaning son of the servant or devotee of St. Patrick. First found in Kilkenny (which was then called Ossory).

O'Flaherty, Laverty– The O'Flahertys possessed the territory on the east side of Lough Corrib until the thirteenth century when, under pressure from the Anglo-Norman invasion into Connacht, they moved westwards to the other side of the lake and became established there. The head of the sept was known as Lord of Moycullen and as Lord of Iar-Connacht, which, at its largest, extended from Killary Harbour to the Bay of Galway and included the Aran Islands.

O'Flanagan– This surname is practically the same in both its Irish and anglicized forms, being in the former Ó Flannagáin, which is probably derived from the adjective flann meaning reddish or ruddy. It belongs to Connacht both by origin and location (i.e. present distribution of population).

O'Flannery– The name O'Flannery – or rather Flannery for the prefix O has been almost entirely discarded – is identified with two different areas. One sept of Ó Flannabrah was of the Ui Fiachrach, located at Killala, Co. Mayo; the other of the Ui Fidhgheinte was one of the main families of the barony of Connelloe, Co. Limerick.

Fleming– Fleming, as the word implies, denotes an inhabitant of Flanders, and this surname originated about the year 1200 when many Flemings emigrated to Britain, settling chiefly on the Scottish border and in Wales. Since then it has mostly been associated with Scotland. Nevertheless it is fairly common in Ireland.

O'Flynn, O'Lynn– The surname O'Flynn is derived from the Gaelic personal name Flann; the adjective flann denotes a dull red color and means ruddy when applied to persons. Ó Floinn is the form of the surname in Irish.

O'Fogarty– The sept O'Fogarty was of sufficient importance to give its name to a large territory – Eliogarty, i.e. the southern part of Eile or Ely, the northern being Ely O'Carroll. Eloigarty is now the name of the barony of Co. Tipperary in which the town of Thurles is situated.

O'Foley, MacSharry– Foley is an old Irish surname about which some confusion has arisen because there is an important family of Worcestershire called Foley, which is usually regarded as English, though some think it was originally Irish. For example it is the arms of this English family which are often ascribed to Gaelic Foleys.

Forde– It is impossible for any Irishman called Forde or Ford to know the origin of his people unless there can be a firm family tradition to aid him, or alternatively he knows that they have long been located in a certain part of the country. The reason for this is that at least three Irish septs with entirely different surnames in Irish became known in English as Forde or Ford.

Fox– In this note we may disregard English settlers of the name Fox, one family of whom became extensive landowners in Co. Limerick and are perpetuated there in the place name Mountfox, near Kilmallock.

French, de Freyne– Originally Norman, the name was de Freeness, from Latin fracinus – an ash tree. When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established. The Anglo-Normans had an affinity for local surnames (like French) which were formed from the names of the place where the person lived or was born.

O'Friel– O'Friel is a Donegal name. In Irish it is Ó Firghil (from Feargal); it is pronounced, and often written, Ó Fright, i.e. in English, phonetics O'Freel. This sept has a distinguished origins, descended from Eoghan, brother of St. Columcille.

Gaffney (Caulfield, O’Growney, Keveney, MacCarron, Carew)– Gaffney is one of those quite common Irish surnames about which much confusion arises. Not only is it used as the anglicized form of four distinct Gaelic names, but Gaffney itself has for some obscure reason become Caulfield in many places. It never appears today with either Mac or O as prefix: of the four patronymics referred to above two are O names and two are Mac.

O’Gallagher– The name of this sept, Ó Gallchobhair in Irish, signifies descendant of Gallchobhar or Gallagher, who was himself descended from the King of Ireland who reigned from 642-654. The O’Gallaghers claim to be the senior and most loyal family of the Cineal Connaill. Their territory extended over a wide area in the modern baronies of Raphoe and Tirhugh, Co. Donegal, and their chiefs were notable as marshals of O’Donnell’s military forces from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries.

O’Galvin– The O’Galvins are a sept of Thomond and are mentioned among the Co. Clare septs which took part in the Battle of Loughraska, otherwise called the Battle of Corcomroe Abbey, in 1317. They haven't appeared prominently in any branch of Irish public life since that time, but representatives of the sept have remained continuously in their original homeland and are still found in Co. Clare, and in greater numbers today, in Co. Kerry.

MacGannon– The name of the old Erris (Co. Mayo) family of Mag Fhionnáub is usually anglicized Gannon, without the Mac: in the spoken language in Irish it is often called Ó Geanáin but the equivalent O’Gannon is not used in English. Gannons are still more numerous in their original homeland in Co. Mayo than elsewhere.

O’Gara, Geary– The sept of O’Gara, Ó Gadhra in Irish, is closely associated with that of O’Hara. They have a common descendant down to the tenth century, Gadhra, the eponymous ancestor of the O’Garas, being nephew of Eadhra (a quo the O’haras). From then on they established separate chieftainries, O’Gara taking the territory to the south of the barony now known as Leyney, Co. Sligo, with the O’Haras being to the north of them.

MacGarry, Garrihy, O’Hehir, Hare– MacGarry is one of those names which in the anglicized form takes its initial letter from the end of the prefix – in this case Mag (a variant of Mac often used with the names beginning with a vowel or fh). In Irish MacGarry is Mag Fhearadhaigh.

O’Garvey, MacGarvey, Garvin– Garvey is one of those surnames which in Irish have both the Gaelic prefixes, Mac and O. Mac Gairbhith belongs to Co. Donegal where it is common: it is Mac Garvey in English, the prefix being retained. The O, on the other hand, has been almost entirely discarded.

MacGee– MacGee is an Ulster name which is more usually written Magee (cf. MacGuire, Maguire, MacGuinness, Magennis, etc.). In Irish it is Mag Aodha, i.e. son of Aodh or Hugh, the Mac, as is often the case when the prefix is followed by a vowel, becoming Mag. It has been stated that our Ulster MacGees are of Scottish descent, having come to Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster in the early seventeenth century.

MacGenis, Guinness, Magennis– The modern spelling of this name is usually MacGuinness or MacGenis but in the historical records in English they are called as a rule Magennis, a form still to be found in some places today. In Irish the name is MagAonghusa,which means 'son of Angus.' The name was first found on Co. Down in the province of Ulster – they held a family seat there from ancient times. 

MacGeoghagan– Geoghegan, usually nowadays without the prefix Mac, is a name which no non-Irish person will attempt to pronounce at sight; it has many synonyms, and one of these, Gehegan, is a phonetic approximation of the longer and common form. In Irish it is Mag Eochagáin, from Eochaidh, from the now almost obsolete, but once common Christian name, Oghy. It will be observed that the initial “G” of Geoghegan comes from the prefix Mag, a variant of Mac – the anglicized form of Mageoghegan was formerly commonly used.

MacGeraghty, Gerty– Geraghty is a Mac name, being Mag Oireachtaigh in Irish. Mac usually becomes Mag before a vowel so the initial G of Geraghty is really the last letter of the prefix Mac or Mag. There are no less than seventeen different synonyms of Geraghty in English, including MacGerity, Gearty and even Jerety. The Gaelic form derives from the word 'oireachtach,' which refers to a member of an assembly.

MacGilfoyle, Powell– Guilfoyle is Mac Giolla Phóil in Irish, which means son of the follower or devotee of St. Paul. It is sometimes disguised under the form Powell, an English surname adopted in its stead during the period of Gaelic depression. The prefix Mac, which properly belongs to it, is very seldom used here in modern times.

MacGillycuddy, Archdeacon, Cody– This name is well known to everyone who has made a visit to Killarney or even studied a map with the idea of doing so, because the picturesque MacGillycuddy’s Reeks are the highest mountains in Ireland and are named from the Kerry sept who dwelled at their western base.

O’Glissane, Gleeson– In spite of its English appearance in its anglicized form, the name Gleeson, never found with the prefix O in English, is that of a genuine Gaelic Irish family. In modern Irish it is Ó Gliasáin, earlier Ó Glasáin and originally Ó Glesáin. They belong to the Aradh and their original habitat was mac Ui Bhriain Aradh’s country, that is the area in Co. Tipperary between Nenagh and Lough Derg. But it should be emphasized that the Gleesons are not Dalcassians – they are of the same stock as the O’Donegans, of the barony of Ara, Co. Tipperary, who were originally of Muskerry, Co. Cork.

MacGorman, O’Gorman– This name is of particular interest philologically because although it is (with rare exceptions) really a Mac name it is almost always found today – when not plain Gorman – as O’Gorman. This can be accounted for by the fact that in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, when the native Irish were in complete subjection, the Gaelic prefixes Mac and O were universally allowed to fall into disuse, particularly in the case of some names like Gorman. Derived from Gaelic word 'gorm,' which means blue.

O’Gormley, Grehan, Grimes– Like many of the similar independent septs of northwest Ulster, the O’Gormleys sank into obscurity after the Plantation of Ulster around 1609. In the fourteenth century they were driven by the O’Donnells from their original territory, known as Cinel Moen (their tribe name), which was in the modern barony of Raphoe, Co. Donegal; but their survival in their new country on the other side of the Foyle, between Derry and Strabane, from whence they continued to fight the O’Donnells, is evidenced by the frequent mention of their chiefs in the “Annals of the Four Masters” up top the end of the sixteenth century.

MacGovern, Magauran– The MacGoverns are better known in history as Magauran. Both forms are phonetic approximations of the Irish mag Shamhradhain, since MH is pronounced V in some places and W in others. The G of Govern thus comes from the last letter of the prefix Mag, which is used before vowels and aspirates instead of the usual Mac. The Gaelic form derives from the word 'samhra,' which means summer.

MacGowan, O’Gowan, Smith, MacGuane– The Irish surname MacGowan (not to be confused with the Scottish MacGoun) is more often than not hidden under the synonym Smith. In Irish it is Mac and Ghabhain, which means son of the smith, and its translation to Smith (most common of all surnames in England) was very widespread, particularly in Co. Cavan where the MacGowan sept originated.

O’Grady– The O’Grady sept originated in Co. Clare and may be classed as Dalcassian, though the seat and territory of the Chief of the name has for several centuries been at Killballyowen, Co. Limerick, as well as Galway. The name in Irish is Ó Grádaigh or more shortly Ó Gráda, so that the anglicized form approximates closely to the original. They were descendants of Olioll Olum, King of Munster.

MacGrath– Like several other names beginning with McG, Macgrath is often written Magrath (cf. MacGee, Magee, MacGennis, Magennis, etc.). In Irish it is Mac Craith, the earlier form of which is Mac Raith or Mag Raith. Other synonyms still in use, especially in Ulster, are MacGraw, Magraw, MacGra etc. while the same Gaelic surname is found in Scotland as MacCrea, MacRae and Rae. First found in County Clare, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

O’Griffy, Griffin, Griffith– Ó Gríobhta (pronounced O Greefa) is one of the many Gaelic surnames which have assumed in their anglicized forms those of British families of somewhat similar sound: in this case the earlier O'Griffy has been almost entirely superseded by Griffin. Here some confusion arises because a Welsh family of Griffin did actually settle in Ireland soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion. There is no doubt, however, that the great majority of Irish Griffins are really O’Griffys of Gaelic stock and not descendants of the Welsh settlers.

MacGuire, Maguire– These are spelling variants of Irish Maguidhir. Uidhir is the genitive case of odhar meaning dun-colored; mag is a form of mac used before vowels. This is one of those names definitely associated with one county. The Maguires belong to Co. Fermanagh.

Don't see your surname listed in Part I of the top 300 Irish surnames?

For Part II, H - M, click here

For Part III, N - W, click here

At nearly one billion liters of Guinness sold per year, it has become one of the world’s most recognizable Irish brands. And though it is brewed in over 60 countries and available in more than 120, there is only one which owes its very survival as a sovereign state to the Black Stuff.

Seventy two years ago – February 1944 – and it is at last clear that the Allies are going to win the Second World War (1939-45). In Eastern Europe, the Red Army’s march west is gathering pace. In Italy, the Allied offensive at Monte Cassino is underway. And in Northern Ireland, in anticipation of D-Day, the number of British and American servicemen has swelled to 120,000. With this teeming garrison of Allied troops now making up one tenth of the entire population of the six counties, some fear a cross-border invasion. But for policy makers in Dublin, the build-up of troops north of the border is the surest sign yet that Éire will emerge from the war with her neutrality and independence intact.

The reason for this rather contented attitude south of the border lay in the title of a play that Irish author Flann O’Brien was writing at the time: "Thirst."

Back in 1938 and 1939, with European conflict on the horizon, Ireland was exporting around 800,000 barrels of beer annually. By 1940 and 1941, with war under way, this figure leapt closer to the million mark. These healthy export figures were thanks to the thirst for Guinness from the rapidly expanding number of men enlisted in the British military and wartime industries.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill knew it was integral to the preservation of morale on the UK home front. By the end of 1941, however, wheat was becoming seriously scarce in Ireland. In fact, on all fronts, it looked as if Éire could not survive the war for much longer as a neutral country. This was because Churchill resented Irish neutrality. With one eye trained on control of the Irish ports and the other on the British-shipped supplies that neutral Ireland was eating up, he wrought revenge by subjecting the Irish people to an agonizing and unrelenting supply squeeze.

In an attempt to coerce Ireland onto the Allied side, Churchill oversaw the throttling of the Irish economy throughout 1941. Éamon de Valera’s Ireland, still without its own merchant navy and perilously reliant on British supplies, was now subjected to the full force of British economic warfare.

Attempting to deliver a death blow to the Irish agricultural economy, the British cut the vital annual supply of agricultural fertilizers to Ireland from 100,000 tons to zero. Likewise, the British supply of feeding stuffs was slashed from six million tons to zero. Petrol, too, was cut. At Christmas 1940, pumps across the state suddenly ran dry. Trains soon stopped running as the supply of British coal stalled. With bellies rumbling and the centenary of Ireland’s Great Hunger approaching, there were reports of the Phoenix Park deer and even Dublin zoo animals going missing. Dublin prostitutes asked for payment not in cash but in sought-after commodities like soap or tea. As wheat production waned and the state desperately introduced the 100 percent black loaf, which used ground bone or lime lime powder to supplement the flour, and in turn inhibited calcium absorption, leading to a massive increase in childhood rickets. It was claimed in the Dáil that “the poor are like hunted rats looking for bread.” To top it all, German bombs rained down, Dublin Castle was ravaged by fire and, most ominously, Ireland suffered a serious Hoof and Mouth outbreak causing thousands of animals to have to be slaughtered. 1941 truly was Ireland’s wartime 'annus horribilis.'

With the Irish economic situation aggravated by a booming black market and the belated introduction of full rationing, the situation darkened. Famine soon became a realistic fear. Twenty million people died of starvation globally during the Second World War. It was the increased incidence of hunger and mention of the dreaded ‘F-word’ which prompted the Irish government to take decisive action to preserve its very existence.

But how could tiny Éire – possessing scant natural resources, rapidly regressing to a medieval horse-and-cart economy, and described by another titan of Irish literature, George Bernard Shaw, as “a powerless little cabbage garden” – hope to sustain itself against Churchillian pressure? A clue lay in the communiqués back to London from the Dublin-based British press attaché and future British poet laureate John Betjeman. In these letters, Betjeman regularly spelt out the Irish supply situation. A typical report ran “No coal. No petrol. No gas. No electric. No paraffin” but conceded “Guinness good.” Guinness, therefore, was the one economic weapon which the Irish possessed.

In March 1942, in an effort to preserve wheat supplies for bread for the poor, the Irish government imposed restrictions on the malting of barley and banned the export of beer altogether. The British attitude, hitherto devil-may-care, shifted dramatically. After the British army complained to Whitehall of unrest caused by a sudden and “acute” beer shortage in Belfast, a hasty agreement was drawn up between senior British and Irish civil servants. Britain would exchange badly needed stocks of wheat in exchange for Guinness.

A short time later, though, Guinness complained that they did not have sufficient coal to produce enough beer for both the home and export markets. The Irish government promptly re-imposed the export ban. This time, in a further attempt to slake the thirst of Allied troops north of the border, British officials agreed to release more coal to Ireland.

Slowly but surely, this pattern of barter repeated itself. Faced with a ballooning and dry-tongued garrison of American and British troops in Northern Ireland in the long run-up to D-Day in June 1944, the British periodically agreed to release stocks of wheat, coal, fertilisers and agricultural machinery in exchange for Guinness. These supplies were to keep neutral Ireland afloat during the Second World War and enable the continuance of Irish neutrality.

So, with Guinness consumption today heavily associated with Saint Patrick’s Day, perhaps it’s time to pause and reflect that even in wartime (in the words of Flann O’Brien):

"When things go wrong and will not come right,

Though you do the best you can,

When life looks black as the hour of night,

A pint of plain is your only man."

* Bryce Evans’s book "Ireland during the Second World War: Farewell to Plato’s Cave" (Manchester University Press) is out now.

For more visit www.irishamerica.com.

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* Originally published in 2014.

Halloween is fast approaching, and seeing as it was the Irish who brought this frightening festival to the world, IrishCentral is starting a month long series of dark and dastardly tales. From the origins of the Celtic festival Samhain, the ghouls and monsters the Irish have made famous, to our own special pick of Sinister Samhain Scoundrels our Halloween section will have you fully prepped for October 31.

You can follow all our horrid horror stories of Halloween here

Halloween or Samhain falls between Oíche Shamhna (October 31) and Lá na Marbh (November 2). Oíche Shamhna is Halloween and Lá na Marbh, is the Day of the Dead, or All Souls Day, when those who have passed away are remembered. It marks the beginning of the “darker half” of the year as the winter approaches. It was the Irish who brought the jack-o-lantern and dressing up in costumes to the world and this month will be exploring the history and mythology behind the ancient Celtic holiday.

This October we’ll also be taking a look at dark figures of the spooky season from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, to banshees and a famous Irish ghost stories to the dark criminals and ne'er do wells such as Billy the Kid, Chicago May, and a mass serial killer Jane Toppan. By the end of the month we’ll have you inspired to dress up as a figure from Irish history or at least quaking in your boots.

Of course Halloween as well as being a time for ghost and scares is also a time for parties, fun and games. Throughout the month we’ll be filling you in on strange traditions from Halloweens of yesteryear as well as some traditional recipes for the season and some fun finger food for your celebrations.

This October if you’re looks for scares, history, recipes and of course dark and haunting tales we’ve got you covered!

From all of us at IrishCentral…..BOO!

The wall between science and superstition has never been particularly strong in Ireland, where locals put their trust in God but often like to improve their odds with a little bit of paganism.

That’s how belief in folk cures, spells and rituals has persisted from the old times through all the times that followed. Here’s a list of ten cures that have never been known to fail.

Cure for a cold or flu

The moment you start to feel the first gatherings of a powerful cold or flu, make an Irish hot whiskey and – if it doesn’t cure you, you’ll start to feel a great deal better immediately – so maybe that’s it’s secret, if you don’t mind it won’t matter. Many an Irish home swears on this recipe, which works especially well on devastating man flu’s.

1 measure of Jameson’s whiskey

1 scant tablespoon of sugar (honey can be substituted)

1 lemon

6 whole cloves

Method: Cut a slice of lemon and place six whole cloves into the circle. Place in a glass with a scant tablespoon of sugar. Add a good measure of Jameson’s whiskey, then add the hot water and gently stir. Serve this to a poor unfortunate and watch them claw their way back toward life.

Cure for hiccups

The Irish swear that the best cure for hiccups is to the afflicted person a terrific shock. Jumping out from behind a doorway or stealing up behind them and shouting loudly in their ear is sworn by, particularly in the north of the country, where it’s said if the remedy doesn’t always work it will still greatly improve the mood of the person who administers it.

Cure for an upset stomach (and much more)

If you work in an Irish hospital you’ll notice that Lucozade bottles come second only to gaudy flower arrangements in terms of gifts to present to the convalescing. Though not exactly folk cures the Irish turn to these sugary drinks cures with the confidence usually reserved for holy relics.

A glucose based soft drink, Lucozade is a bit like drinking crack cocaine in it’s liquid form. Your brain's neurotransmitters will light up like the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller center with the first sip, suggesting the Irish strongly believe in the power of placebos. Ginger milk (hot milk with a little powdered ginger) is also taken as a cure all drink to settle an upset stomach. But flat 7UP is authoritively sworn by from Malin to Mizen as a particularly powerful tummy settler.

Cure for freckles

I can hear you laughing. Yes, the Irish are fair skinned people but yes they have a remedy for freckles that is also said to work on age spots. Pick a handful of honeysuckle leaves in high summer (they are plentiful in Ireland) and soak the flowers and stems in water overnight. The next morning gently splash on the resulting mixture and just watch what happens.

Cure for a broken heart

The Irish know that not all ailments are physical. Sometimes they’re emotional or spiritual or a bit of all three. When that happens you have to break out the big guns. Some swear by tubs of chocolate ice cream or other indulgences, but why get fat when you can get over him or her?

First of all, acknowledge the power of it. A broken heart is a kind of spell in itself, with the power to literally kill you, if it’s experienced unchecked. It’s in your own interest to fight back, even if you think you’ve no fight left.

To cure a broken heart write down a short prayer of intention, in it describe where you are and where you’d like to be (no looking for rebounds, mind you). After the sun goes down, sit in a quiet place and wait for silence. Ask your guardian angel (we all have them) to come and protect you. Light two simple votive candles. One represents your heartbreak and one represents your heart healing. Let them both burn side by side until they burn out. As they burn quietly say your prayer of intention. Just once is fine; it’s your own prayer. When the candles eventually burn out, thank your guardian angel for protecting you then get up and get on with your life. You don’t need to worry if the spell will work or not, since you have sent it out into the universe where it will be answered. Let the universe do its own work. Trust that it will.

Cure for nightmares

Bluebells, that most common and magical of Irish flowers, are believed to call the fairies when they’re rung. That meant they were sometimes regarded as an unlucky thing to bring into the house. But others turn to them as a first line defense against nightmares – place them in a vase in your bedroom.

Cure for hay fever

The Irish swear that honey that’s produced close to the place where you live – say within a 25-mile radius - has the power to cure your hay fever. Eat a spoonful a day to guard against the sniffles.

Cure for a grave injustice

Though not strictly a cure, the desire for revenge on someone who has unjustly wronged you is a healthy emotion if it does not go on for too long. If you cannot receive justice then you may seek to settle accounts in a more traditional way, by putting an irreversible curse on the one who wronged you. But be warned, when we say irreversible we mean it, so reflect carefully on whether this is the path you really want to take, these spells have no known cure.

Say these spells to the person you want to curse and say these words. Each sentence will deliver a different curse.

- May the snails devour your corpse and the rains rot it. Worse, may the Devil sweep you away, you hairy creature.

- May the seven terriers of hell sit on your breast and bark at your soul.

- May the Devil swallow you sideways.

- May six horse-loads of graveyard clay fall on top of you.

- May the cats eat you.

Cure for swarms of flies

If your kitchen is a magnet for small insects in the summer months the Irish cure is to go outside and find a small wooden block, which you should saw exactly in half. Call one block, Block A and other block, Block B. When a fly lands on Block A come smartly off it with Block B.

Cure for arthritis

The Irish believe that nettle juice – yes, from the stinging plant – that’s harvested on May Day will keep arthritis away. Nettles also make a terrific soup for people who are judged to be too pale or suffering from iron deficiencies. 

If you can’t find fresh nettles, have no fear: you can simply wear a ring that’s made of iron on your ring finger and achieve the same result. Remember to wear rubber kitchen gloves when harvesting nettles; otherwise you’ll have another folk cure to go in search of.

The story of the Catalpa rescue, one of the most daring prison break stories of the 19th century, will be featured in a new exhibition at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts.

“Famine, Friends, & Fenians,” opening October 21, will explore New Bedford’s role in Irish history from the 18th century through the 1916 Easter Rising.

According to a museum press release, the exhibition will look at New Bedford’s charitable role during the Irish famine, and how the Quaker community supported efforts to relieve the plight of starving peasants in Ireland, and will go on to examine the role of Irishmen in the US Civil War.

The exhibit will also describe in detail the daring Catalpa rescue voyage, in which a group of 19th century Irish patriots were rescued from an Australian prison by the whaling ship Catalpa and Captain George Anthony, a New Bedford Quaker.

This relatively little known but profoundly important Irish rescue story would actually changed world history.

It began with a letter. In 1873 John Devoy, the famed Irish rebel leader and exile, received a smuggled communication in his New York office from the former Fenian James Wilson, who was imprisoned with other Irish political prisoners half a word away, in the dreaded Fremantle penal colony in Western Australia.

"What a death is staring us in the face," wrote Wilson, "the death of a felon in a British dungeon, and a grave amongst Britain's ruffians. I am not ashamed to speak the truth, that it is a disgrace to have us in prison today.

"A little money judiciously expended would release every man that is now in West Australia. Think that we have been nearly nine years in this living tomb since our first arrest, and that it is impossible for mind or body to withstand the continual strain that is upon us. One or the other must give way."

To underline this message Wilson added, "Remember this is a voice from the tomb. For is this not a living tomb? In the tomb it is only a man's body that is good for worms, but in this living tomb the canker worm of care enters the very soul."

Wilson's powerful words moved Devoy, and he immediately resolved to help him. As a journalist for The New York Herald and an active member in Clan na Gael, Devoy was singularly well placed to take action on Wilson's behalf.

At the very time Devoy received the secret letter the fight for Irish independence had reached a low point. But in reading Wilson's entreaty, Devoy realized that here was an unfettered cry from the heart, a cry that had the power to move all who heard it.

It was also, Devoy realized, a bracingly political speech which had the power to boost morale and to bring the fight for Irish independence back into focus.

In Ireland in the early 1860s James Wilson had joined the 5th Dragoon (British Army) Guards. But in secret he also became a Fenian, taking an oath to be obedient to his leaders, and to do his utmost to secure a democratic independent Irish Republic.

To that end he deserted with conspirator Martin Hogan in November 1865 after they had secretly enrolled many other Irish soldiers in the organization. But then, as so often in Irish history, local informers gave away the details of renewed Fenian activities to the British forces and Wilson was quickly arrested.

He was court-martialed in Dublin on February 10, 1866, where he was found guilty of mutinous conduct and received a sentence of death, which was later commuted to life imprisonment in Fremantle prison.

Joe Lee, professor of Irish Studies at New York University, puts it succinctly: "At that time to be sent to an Australian penal colony was the equivalent of being sent to the Moon. You were being banished to the other side of the planet, a world away from the life you had led and the people you had known."

It was, in a real sense, a kind of death in life. Wilson was placed on board the Hougomont bound for Fremantle with the other Fenian prisoners. When they arrived in Australia, on the advice of the Catholic chaplain, civilian Fenians were allowed to work together away from the other convicts, but a special contempt for British military deserters like Wilson was expressed by dispersing them among convicts, much to their disgust.

Years passed and by 1869 more than half the Fenian convicts were granted royal pardons, but not a single ex-British soldier was among them. The Duke of Cambridge, it was rumored, had prevented Prime Minister Gladstone from showing them a shred of clemency.

It soon became obvious to Wilson and the others who remained that they would never receive a pardon. The only choice was to serve out their terms, or escape.

For Wilson the choice was clear. He wrote his secret letter requesting help immediately.

Although it would take a year coming, help arrived in the shape of the Catalpa, an American whaling ship hired by Devoy from secret donations made by Irish independence organizations across the United States. Amazingly, informers did not foil the daring rescue plan and the ship reached Australia without mishap.

Fremantle was - and still is - an imposing prison. Situated in a hostile terrain, there was very little opportunity for escape because on one side there was hundreds of miles of inhospitable (and deadly) desert, and a shark-infested ocean on the other. The British guards weren't worried about people running away, assuming escape would be an impossibility.

The rescuers rowed to shore to collect the six waiting Irish convicts who had left their posts while working outside the secured area. Their Irish rescuers were waiting with wagons and weapons. But like all good rescue dramas, complications cloud their flight. When the freed prisoners began to row back to the Catalpa a sudden unexpected storm meant they could not reach the ship for another day, by which time the alarm had been raised and British police ships launched.

The British commandeered a gunboat called the Georgette, which they pulled alongside the Catalpa requesting that the prisoners be handed over. Captain Anthony, the ship's celebrated American captain, defiantly refused this request and raised the American flag, warning his pursuers that the Catalpa was in international waters and could not be boarded.

If they fired on the Catalpa they would be firing on the U.S. This parry enraged the Georgette's British captain, who conceded reluctantly.

Eventually the Georgette was forced to give up the chase, although all on board were convinced they had seen the missing men. Shortly after, as John Devoy predicted, the Catalpa rescue bolstered Irish morale across the globe and spurred the fight for Irish independence, which was finally won in 1922.

Devoy lived long enough to see that lifelong ambition realized and, half a century after being exiled himself, he returned to the country he had fought so hard to free.

"Famine, Friends and Fenians” opens on Oct. 21 and runs through September 2017.. The museum will host an opening reception on Oct. 21 at 6 pm. A symposium on Irish and Irish-American history will be held at the museum on Oct. 22, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the New Bedford Whaling Musuem website.