One area I am keen to improve is readership of the site in Ireland itself- the American Civil War remains pitifully understudied and unrecognised in this country and it is to be hoped that this changes over the coming years. In Ireland we still fail to see the connection between victims forced to emigrate during the Famine and many of those Irish caught up in the Civil War, who were often enduring the second unprecedented national catastrophe of their lives. We in Ireland still do not understand the sheer level of Irish involvement in the American Civil War, in which c.180,000 Irish served with hundreds of thousands more caught up in war zones and affected on the home front. Indeed the only comparable conflict in terms of a manpower contribution by the Irish is World War One, a topic which has seen the production of dozens of books and ceremonies over the past decade. It is to be hoped that the rightful recognition Irish service in World War One now receives is a sign of things to come for those Irish in the American Civil War. I believe that one of the reasons for the neglect of further study and recognition of the 1861-65 conflict in Ireland is a result of the fact that the vast majority of these men and women never came home, instead staying and integrating into U.S. society. That said, much good work has been carried out to date in Ireland and we can seek to emulate some of the humbling efforts being undertaken in the United States. I hope this blog can contribute in some small way towards that.

Regular readers will note a slight fall off in posts over May and June, as I have been asked to work on a potential book project covering some of the topics that have appeared on the site since it began. This is an exciting (albeit time-consuming) prospect, but I hope to keep the site ticking over with the occasional post. Thanks again to all of you for reading the site, whether you are based in the U.S., Ireland or elsewhere- it is the interaction with readers and researchers that makes it all worthwhile!

Cobh (formerly Queenstown), Co. Cork. Major emigration port, location of Confederate spies, and anchorage where the USS Kearsarge was accused of illegally recruiting British citizens (Photo by Ralph Rawlinson)

There is perhaps only one other conflict in history in which similar numbers of Irish were involved- World War One. Although recent years have seen a welcome increase in the study and remembrance of Irish participation in the Great War, the American Civil War has yet to achieve similar recognition. The principal reason for this can be attributed to one simple fact; the vast majority of those Irish soldiers and civilians caught up in the maelstrom of 1861-5 never returned to Ireland. Instead they went on to form part of what became the vibrant Irish-American community, and many of their stories did not make it back to the island of their birth.

Bride Park Cottage, Killumney, Co. Cork where Major-General Patrick Cleburne C.S.A., 'Stonewall of the West', was born

The 150th anniversary of the American Civil War provides and opportunity for Ireland to recognise the effect this war had on Irish people. With that in mind a number of like-minded individuals who share an interest in Irish involvement in the Civil War have decided to see what might be achieved to this end over the course of the next four years. Robert Doyle, James Doherty, Ian Kenneally and I have started to work towards the realisation of two outcomes; the creation of a national memorial to the Irish soldiers and civilians, North and South, who were affected by the American Civil War, and the establishment of a Civil War Trail in Ireland highlighting locations with a connection to the conflict.

Sir Peter Tait Clothing Factory, Limerick. Confederate uniforms were made here in 1864 and shipped through the Union Blockade

Thanks to the efforts of James Doherty, The Irish Times ran a piece about our aims in their newspaper on 11th November, which has already provoked a strong response. You can read Frank McNally’s article here. Although work is at an early stage it is hoped that momentum can be built for the project over time. An email has been established at americancivilwarandireland@gmail.com for anyone interested in helping achieve these goals, or indeed for anyone who has any advice. Hopefully at the very least the initiative will lead to a renewed understanding in Ireland of the experience of this ‘lost generation’ of Irish in mind-nineteenth century America.

Derrynane House, 19 The Mall, Waterford. Thomas Francis Meagher, later commander of the Irish Brigade, grew up here

I thought the occasion would be a chance to have a look at what have been the most popular and least popular posts in terms of hits on the site, for anyone who might be interested. Out in front is a post from last December about President John F. Kennedy presenting a color of the 69th New York to the Irish Parliament, A Civil War Flag for the Irish People. Bringing up the rear is A Long-Lived Confederate Irishman which I think lags behind purely by virtue of the fact that it was an early post. It includes an extract from the Confederate Veteran about Irishman Tommy Campbell, who was still going strong at the age of 102 in 1909- he had been discharged from the 5th Confederate Infantry in 1862 (as overage!) but went on to serve with the cavalry.

I hope to be able to bring you the best and worst performers again in a year’s time, and I’m looking forward to the next 12 months blogging. Thanks to everyone for reading!