As many readers will be aware, I do not believe that the Irish State is currently doing enough to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, particularly given the huge impact it had on the Irish community in the United States. I rarely launch ‘appeals’ through the site, but colleague and accomplished historian Ian Kenneally has alerted me to a programme currently being run by An Post, the Irish Postal Service. They are now in the process of seeking suggestions for topics/subjects that might be covered in their 2015 series of postage stamps. As that will be the final year of the 150th, it would be appropriate that the Irish involvement in the American Civil War is one of the topics covered. To my knowledge the closest An Post have previously come to commemorating the war was a 1995 issue of military stamps covering the Irish Wild Geese which included a 69th New York soldier.

It would be an appropriate gesture if Ireland now produced a full set of stamps to commemorate the Irish experience of the conflict. An Post have an online form where you can put forward a suggestion for themes, with a brief outline of the reasons behind your choice. I would hope if enough of us suggest the Irish in the American Civil War as a topic, it might come to fruition. If you are interested in filling out the online form it can be accessed through the An Post Stamp Programme page here. The ‘Stamp Programme 2015’ section is towards the bottom of the page, with a link to the online form. The closing date for submissions is 29th March. Heres hoping for a positive outcome!

Captain Robert Halpin from Co. Wicklow was commemorated in a series of famous mariner stamps by An Post in 2003. Although most famous for laying telegraphic cables, he was also a blockade runner in the American Civil War