The U. S. Census will list Scotch-Irish as an ancestry category for the first time. There will be Irish, Scotch-Irish and Irish-Scotch, but it is not clear what the difference is.
U.S. Census Counts Scotch-Irish
Mar 5th, 2012 by admin
Great Hunger Commemoration Announced
Mar 1st, 2012 by admin
The official Famine (Great Hunger 1845-50) Commemoration will take place in Boston in May. It will coincide with the commemoration in Drogheda, Co. Louth, which was the second largest port of departure for those leaving Ireland during the famine, with Boston receiving hundered of thousands of immigrants, arriving in coffin ships.
Richard Donovan Runs Seven Marathons
Feb 28th, 2012 by admin
An Irish marathon runner Richard Donovan on February 6 became the first person to run seven marathons in seven countries in less than five days. The 45 year old man ran the marathon for the organization ‘GOAL’ to help alleviate hunger in the Horn of Africa.
Actor George Clooney’s Irish Roots
Feb 24th, 2012 by admin
The Belfast Telegraph reports that a documentary is in the works featuring George Clooney’s father and the family’s Irish roots. A baptismal certificate has been located that verifies that George’s great-great grandfather was born in Kilkenny.
Derry City of Culture Countdown
Feb 22nd, 2012 by admin
A digital calendar counting down the number of days to Derry’s year as the City of Culture has been launched on a big screen in Waterloo Place in the heart of the City of Derry. Derry’s big year of celebration will take place in 2013.
Archaelogical Find in Galway
Feb 20th, 2012 by admin
The Irish Independent has written that workers on a water project in Galway have unearthed skeletal remains of a dozen bodies. Archaeologists believe they were victims of the Great Hunger 1845-1850 who lived and died in a workhouse which was located in Tuam. Although there is a Victorian graveyard across the road, it is speculated these people died from starvation and were dumped in the mass grave. The workhouse was demolished in 1970.
Irish Currency Fact of 1923
Feb 16th, 2012 by admin
Sir John Lavery was commissioned by the Irish Government in 1923 to design new paper currency for the Irish Free State. His portrait of his wife, Lady Lavery, as Cathleen Ni Houlihan subsequently appeared on all Irish banknotes.
Valentine’s Day Blessing
Feb 14th, 2012 by admin
Here’s to the wings of love,
May they never molt a feather,
Till your little shoes and my big boots
Are under the bed together.
Valentine’s Day Trivia
Feb 14th, 2012 by admin
Valentine cards became popular in the 1800′s when commercial cards were first produced. Early cards were very expensive and decorated with satin and lace.
Cupid is commonly seen on Valentine cards. This is a winged Roman version of the Greek god of love.
St. Valentine was beheaded in 270 A.D. for performing marriage ceremonies for soldiers. The Emperor had decreed that no soldier should marry because he thought unmarried men made better fighters.
The Church found a substitute in St. Valentine for a pagan ritual. This ritual involved placing names of girls in an urn and young men would pick one out. This girl was then assigned to the man for the following year.
Lola Montez’ Irish Roots
Feb 13th, 2012 by admin
Did you know that Lola Montez was born Eliza Gilbert in Limerick? As a dancer she caught the eye of the aging King Ludwig and virtually became the ruler of Bavaria. After the insurrection of 1861 she moved to America. In later years she cared for the inmates of the Magdalen Asylum in New York.
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