The NEW New York: 19th Century Irish Immigration and the Revolution

This talk will look at archbishops, saints-in-waiting, gangsters, rogues, jesters and other colorful characters. There will be a special emphasis on “Fenian New York,” a refuge for Irish revolutionaries since the failed Rising of 1867. In Fenian New York you’ll meet the likes of John Devoy, Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, 1916 martyr Thomas Clarke (the only American citizen executed by the British in 1916), and Sir Roger Casement, who since his death has not only become a patriot but a gay icon. It should also be remembered that Eamon de Valera, President of Ireland, was born in New York in 1882 and spent several crucial years in New York between 1919-20.

Dermot McEvoy is the author of six books including the novels, The 13th Apostle: a Novel of Michael Collins and the Irish Uprising, Our Lady of Greenwich Village, and the forthcoming True Tales of Irish New York. He is a frequent contributor to IrishCentral.com where he writes on history, politics, and culture.

Presented in partnership with the Merchant’s House Museum.