I was recently interviewed by David Cummins, who operates The Irish at War podcast (along with The Irish at War twitter and instagram pages) to discuss the Irish in the American Civil War. My chat with David is the most extensive and wide-ranging discussion I have had on the topic in this format. We touched......
During my research I have repeatedly encountered the consequences of the 1866 Cholera epidemic that swept through the U.S. Army. By the time it was over, the military had suffered almost as many deaths as were experienced in the entire city of New York. Unsurprisingly, this event impacted large numbers of Irish emigrants, and as......
After a decade of writing, I have finally bitten the bullet and taken the time to create a global one-page index for everything that has been published on the site. On the new Index Page you will find in excess of 700 referenced articles and resources listed. To go directly to any given post, just......
The event which led to the recording of the lives of the three Mary Driscolls occurred along the Gulf Coast of Texas in September 1863. On the 8th of that month, a small contingent of largely Irish American Confederates under the command of Dick Dowling from Co. Galway turned back a vastly superior Federal force......
I hope all readers of Irish in the American Civil War are staying safe during the current pandemic. I am very concious that many people are now spending an increased amount of time at home, often in isolation. With that in mind I am intending to produce a number of posts and resources that might......
In a new guest post on the site, I am delighted to share a contribution from historian Stephen Callaghan. Stephen and I worked together many years ago at the National Museum of Ireland. Since then he has done fantastic work on a range of topics, ranging from investigations of First World War training trenches to......
A special podcast that features a talk I gave to the Lough Gur Historical Society in December 2019. It describes why I believe the American pension files are such a major resource for uncovering the ordinary lives of the 19th century Irish, and delves into the personal stories of emigrants from East Limerick who were......
I am delighted to be in a position to share another piece of innovative work undertaken by Brendan Hamilton, long-time contributor to the site. It serves as a preview of some of the intriguing original research he has been conducting into a heretofore overlooked topic: the enlistment of inmates from America’s juvenile justice system into......
I have given numerous talks at historic sites over the years, particularly locations associated with conflict. Where I can, I always try to take opportunities to look beyond the military moment, explore the impact of these events on individuals and communities, and place them into the context of a wider family experience. On 11 May......
The men who entered the Union military as substitutes from 1863 onwards are among the most neglected and maligned groups associated with the American Civil War. History–and many historians–have overwhelmingly focused on the negative aspects of their service, highlighting their lesser ideological commitment, disciplinary issues, and propensity to desert. This was undoubtedly true of many......