A couple of weeks ago I began my holidays on beautiful Arranmore Island, off the coast of Co. Donegal. Aside from being a great place to visit, I was also there to meet local historians Seamus Bonner and Patrick Gallagher. We had been corresponding for a long time about a former resident of the island– Paddy Nojeen Gallagher– who had returned to his remote island home following service in the American Civil War. Paddy had fought with the 38th Illinois Infantry, seeing intensive action at Stones River and Chickamauga before experiencing the horrors of Andersonville. He was one of the few of his company to survive. On 30th August I gave a talk to locals on the island about Paddy Nojeen’s remarkable life, which I had reconstructed from primary sources such as his pension file. The talk was live broadcast on YouTube, and you can watch it by clicking here. I had the opportunity after the talk to visit the home where Paddy spent his final years and where he died in 1920, and also his grave in the local cemetery. It was a great event, and I hope you enjoy the video!

The house in Torries where Paddy Nojeen Gallagher lived in after he returned to Arranmore Island, and where he died in 1920 (Damian Shiels)
The grave of American Civil War veteran Paddy Nojeen Gallagher on Arranmore Island (Damian Shiels)