TITANIC Architecture for a New Age

“In the lives of cities, boldness and vision rarely follow catastrophe,” wrote architectural critic Paul Goldberger. The city of Belfast may be the exception that proves the rule. After a generation of Troubles, the citizens of the great port city have grown accustomed to peace and economic growth. Innovation is surging.

Belfast rises as one of Europe’s largest waterfront structures. TURLOUGH MC CONNELL examines the complex legacy of RMS Titanic and the impact of its compelling maritime heritage on a citizenry poised for economic and cultural success.

A Special Supplement to Irish America Magazine in cooperation with Titanic Foundation. Produced by Turlough McConnell and Kate Overbeck.

“ will be s recently as last December, Belfast will attract around 400,000 visitors annu- amid a faltering world econ- ally, of whom between 130,000 and 165,000 will a flagship destination. omy, supporters of Titanic be from outside .” Iconic in design and A Foundation wondered how the Titanic Foundation is a company limited by ambitious mixed-use water- guarantee with charitable objectives to educate home to a world-class front project centered on the signature structure people on Belfast’s social, historical, industrial and exhibition on the site of Titanic Belfast would be completed. Many ques- maritime heritage through the story of the Titanic. the Belfast shipyard tioned whether the ambitious visitor attraction The goal is to communicate through extensive would be ready in 2012 to mark the 100th outreach programs that the innovation, engineer- where the great ocean anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. ing and craftsmanship that flourished in Belfast liner was built. It will Plans for building Titanic Belfast, and for rede- one hundred years ago continues today. veloping the historic shipyards, have stayed afloat The Foundation plans to create a one-of-a- inform, inspire and thanks to the unflagging commitment of public kind, “must-see” visitor attraction. Jonathan entertain the thou- and private stakeholders. In late 2008 Tourism Hegan, Chairman of the Titanic Foundation, Minister Arlene Foster announced that the $140 points to the scale of the project and its capacity sands of visitors every million package needed to fund the building for delivering an inspirational learning experi- year who walk through would be shared equally by the Government, ence. “Titanic Belfast will be a flagship destina- through the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, 50% tion,” says Hegan. “Iconic in design and home to a its doors.” and 50% from their partners in the private sector, world-class exhibition on the site of the Belfast Ltd and Commis- shipyard where the great ocean liner was built. It sioners. Belfast City Council contributed the bal- will inform, inspire and entertain the thousands of ancing $15 million. Overall this unique funding visitors every year who walk through its doors.” partnership has but one single objective: to com- plete and open the main attraction to visitors in he aim of the Foundation is to time for the 2012 centennial. restore the pride associated with Today, the pace of construction is brisk. Activ- the building of the Titanic. The Cover page: A nighttime rendering of the ity around the site conjures the tumultuous project will honor the technolog- exterior of Titanic Belfast designed by T the American-born architect Eric Kuhne. images of 19th century Belfast, of workmen, vehi- ical capability that produced Left, top: Titanic Quarter, with Titanic cles and objects moving swiftly in all directions. Titanic a century ago as an inspiration for estab- Belfast at the center, is the most impor- Minister Foster recently confirmed that work lishing Belfast and Northern Ireland as a lead- tant regeneration opportunity in North- ing tourism destination, building on the global ern Ireland for a generation. is advancing well. “Good progress is being Left, below: Shipyard workers swarm made to create a world-class tourist attraction recognition of the Titanic brand. down Queen’s Road in May 1911. At this for Northern Ireland. We have a proud industrial Strategic Investment Board, Northern Ireland period about 14,000 men were employed and maritime heritage, and only Belfast can tell Ltd (SIB) is one of several groups supporting the by Harland & Wolff at Queen’s Island. Photograph by Peter Lavery. the complete story of the world famous RMS goals of the Foundation. Dr. Bryan Gregory, Top: RMS Titanic, made in Belfast, sets sail Titanic. This project will give potential tourists a SIB’s Strategic Advisor and Interim CEO of the to Southampton, England for her tragic compelling reason to visit.” Foundation, speaks of the need to maintain maiden voyage. (Heritage photographs supplied by The Ulster Folk and Transport “The social and economic benefits will also authenticity. “The overall design of the building Museum Photographic Archive.) be very significant. We estimate that Titanic has been influenced by the shipbuilding her- itage of Belfast. The building in its line and form Chairman of Belfast Harbour. “Creating a focal incorporates elements of the Titanic bow, the point for the only authentic Titanic heritage in insignia and the gantries used to the world, just miles from where passengers build the Titanic.” arrive today, will be a major attraction that will “Titanic Belfast will be over five stories enhance Belfast’s growing popularity as a high,” adds Hegan. “It will house a range of tourist destination.” themed exhibition galleries capable of han- Just how significant is a great building to the dling around 900,000 visitors annually. Visitors revival of a city? Rarely can a single building be will learn about the construction of RMS judged a transformational work. But one major “Titanic Belfast will Titanic and the wide and rich story of Northern precedent inspires all charged with that mis- be over five stories Ireland’s industrial and maritime heritage.” sion – Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao. high. It will house a As he sees it, “The mission of the Founda- The latest issue of Vanity Fair reports on a tion is to educate the public about Belfast’s survey of 90 of the world’s leading architects, range of themed exhi- maritime heritage through the story of RMS teachers, and critics, who were asked to name bition galleries capa- Titanic. This will be done mainly through the most significant structure built in recent Titanic Belfast and outreach programs that will memory. The majority of the 52 experts who ble of handling inspire a new generation to become truly ultimately participated in the poll – including 11 around 900,000 visi- ‘titanic’ thinkers.” Pritzker Prize winners and the deans of eight “As one of the cornerstones of Titanic Belfast major architecture schools – cited Gehry’s tors annually. Visi- and a symbol of the Northern Ireland’s vitality,” Guggenheim Bilbao. tors will learn about says Gregory, “we plan to promote an under- What Bilbao was in the 20th century for standing, appreciation, and enjoyment of mar- Spain, Titanic Belfast plans to be in the 21st cen- the construction of itime history and heritage and its values in this tury for Northern Ireland. The city of Bilbao – RMS Titanic and the authentic setting.” today one of Europe’s top tourist destinations – The Titanic Belfast concept began to emerge was such a backwater in the 1990s that, accord- wide and rich story of in 2005 as part of a revitalization plan for the city ing to Gehry, the 265,000-square-foot museum Northern Ireland’s docklands. Angus Waddinton, Project Manager went up almost unnoticed by the press. for Todd Architects, says with pride, “As soon as industrial and mar- Titanic Belfast opens its doors it will earn its n 2005 Eric Kuhne and Associates (also itime heritage.” place as Northern Ireland’s centerpiece of mod- known as Civic Arts) were appointed by ern architecture. We are all very proud to be Titanic Quarter Ltd as lead concept Jonathan Hegan working to make this happen.” architects and Master Planners for Chairman, Titanic Foundation I Howard Hastings, Chairman of the Northern Titanic Quarter. Civic Arts began creat- Ireland Tourist Board, says: “Titanic Belfast was ing the Development Framework, originally identified as one of five Signature Projects to designed by Turley Associates, into a Master showcase what is unique about Northern Ire- Plan for Titanic Quarter. The Master Plan created land. This project will bring the story of RMS a blueprint for the Titanic Quarter into a $5 bil- Titanic back home to Belfast, where she and her lion waterfront development expected to create sister ships were designed and built. It will also at least 25,000 new jobs over the next 15 years. act as a massive pull for visitors to the rest of As envisioned by Kuhne and his associates, Northern Ireland.” Titanic Belfast will be a spectacularly visible Mike Smith, CEO of Titanic Quarter Ltd, structure serving as a sculptural backdrop for added: “Progress on the main building will Island, the Port of Belfast, the Lagan enable us to develop related plans for hotels, River and the hills surrounding Belfast. Kuhne Right, top: Titanic Belfast holds the retail units and additional leisure space, includ- describes the rationale for the design. “Other record for the largest concrete pour in ing the development of Slipway Park – one of cities’ waterfronts have nowhere near the legacy the history of modern construction on the island of Ireland. (Photograph by the largest public spaces to be created in Belfast of this site. During the latter stages of the Indus- Chris Hill.) in the past 50 years.” trial Revolution, Belfast attracted some of the Right, bottom: In 1911 the twin slip- “Belfast Harbor already attracts 60,000 cruise world’s best engineers, designers and artisans. ways show actual side-by-side construction of White Star passenger passengers and crew every year and over 1.2 The city was the center of innovative naval ships, RMS Titanic and RMS Olympic. million ferry passengers,” says Len O’Hagan, architecture and single-handedly invented lux-

“Bringing Titanic ury ocean travel. We have already seen the suc- century ago Belfast was a hub cess of the Northern Ireland Science Park at the of the Industrial Revolution, Belfast to life isn’t docklands in attracting major investors like thriving on heavy engineering just about bricks and Microsoft and Citigroup. That is only the start of A and shipbuilding, and the Port mortar,” says Chair- the growth that will be achieved here.” of Belfast was one of the Historic precedents have driven the design world’s greatest docklands. When work began man Hegan. “It’s process. The final form of Titanic Belfast will on the RMS Titanic in1909, Belfast was at its about fostering a reflect the industrial legacy of Harland & Wolff peak, but by 2000 shipbuilding was down to a and the impact of shipbuilding and the sea on trickle and the Belfast docks lay almost idle. sense of community Belfast’s development. The prow of the build- Now, after more than a decade of peace and in and ensuring that ing’s glass-walled atrium plots a course down response to the demise of the great shipbuild- the centre of the listed Titanic and Olympic slip- ing days of yore, a new vision is taking hold on existing communi- ways towards the lapping waters of the River the docklands within walking distance of ties can benefit from Lagan. The project’s close proximity to the site Belfast’s city center. Titanic Quarter is one of where these two ships were forged lends excep- Europe’s largest urban waterfront develop- and be part of the tional authenticity and immediacy. ments – more than twice the size of London’s structure. The Foun- The building’s form evokes a host of maritime Canary Wharf. “This will become a major sym- metaphors; its four projecting segments suggest bol of the economic regeneration of Belfast and dation’s integrated ships’ prows ploughing through the North Northern Ireland,” says Hegan. approach recognizes Atlantic swell. Almost the entire façade will be “Bringing Titanic Belfast to life isn’t just clad in faceted, three-dimensional zinc plates in a about bricks and mortar,” he explains. “It’s the importance of the pattern resembling the construction of the great about fostering a sense of community and economic, social and ocean liners. The reflection pools that spread out ensuring that existing communities can benefit regional aspects of from its base multiply the nocturnal illuminations. from and be part of the structure. The Founda- The lower portions of the four wedges tell the tion’s integrated approach recognizes the regeneration. Our evolution of shipbuilding technology with a series importance of the economic, social and key responsibility is of materials, including lapped timber planking, regional aspects of regeneration.” Hegan con- riveted iron, welded steel, and finally, aluminum. tinues, “Our key responsibility is to the commu- to the community.” nity.” Although Titanic Quarter is creating a ithin, the project pro- new urban centre in the heart of Belfast, it is vides over 12,000 sqm also establishing a community that will be part of space on 5 floors of day-to-day life in the city. W whose combined height “We are committed to engaging with the is equivalent to that of a people of Belfast, particularly those from 10-storey building. Every element of the con- socially disadvantaged communities, and struction and design has been executed with encouraging them to avail of opportunities in close attention to detail. The generous ceiling Titanic Quarter.” says Hegan. “To this end, we heights allow for large-scale exhibits, while the work with the public, private, and community lower levels are controlled environments suit- sector organizations. We are working closely

Left, top: Far left, Wallace Lawson, able for installations evocative of heavy indus- with relevant organizations throughout Belfast, Interim COO of Titanic Foundation. (At try or the depths of a ship’s hull. Directly under especially those in neighboring East Belfast.” rear) Noel Molloy, Project Director, Har- the sweeping roof will lie a banquet hall to seat As Belfast’s Lord Mayor Pat Convery sees it, court Construction. Far right, Dr. Bryan 750, the largest in Belfast. Panoramic views can “Titanic Quarter, with the exhibition structure at Gregory, Interim CEO of Titanic Foun- dation with workmen William Bennett, be had from various entertaining areas. Strips of the center, will bring new life to a part of the city Aiden McGarry and John Duffin. under-lit glass will radiate from a compass rose that is rich in both history and potential. It will Left, bottom: The oldest section of the laid into the atrium floor to create a dramatic become a major social and business meeting former Harland & Wolff headquarters, located next to Titanic Belfast, will be “carpet” of light across the square. Like the lines place with galleries, theatres, parklands and refurbished. This includes the Draw- of antique nautical charts, these lines allow water sports all easily connected to Belfast's ing Offices where construction plans pedestrians to navigate to other local landmarks thriving city centre.” for Titanic were made. (Photograph by Peter Lavery, courtesy of Titanic through connections between the exhibition's “In the lives of cities, boldness and vision Quarter Ltd) displays and the topography of the site. rarely follow catastrophe,” wrote architectural Top: Titanic Belfast, at the center of Titanic Quarter, will be home to a world-class exhibition designed by renowned creative com- pany Event Communications. Middle: The new headquarters of the Public Records of Northern Ireland, recently completed by Todd Architects. Bottom: Rendering of Belfast Metropolitan College, one of the largest Further & Higher Education Colleges in the UK or Ireland. The new campus will have direct links with businesses located throughout Titanic Quarter.

critic Paul Goldberger. The city of Belfast may be the exception that proves the rule. Innova- tion is surging. Titanic Belfast rises as one of Europe’s largest waterfront developments. Architecture can play a major civic role in creat- ing symbols of local, regional or national pride. Buildings have regenerated and energized cities worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was expanded in 1967 by the architect Kevin Roche. Other examples include architect Jorn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House in Australia and I.M. Pei’s remarkable project at the Louvre in Paris. Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron redesigned the Tate Modern in the Bankside Power Station on the Thames River. The original Tate Modern was designed for 1.8 million visitors a year. Ten years later, 45 million have visited the galleries, more than twice the number predicted. Iconic structures do connect visitors with the culture and the history of cities worldwide. Titanic Foundation holds as its central mission to develop educational programs that will help inspire the next generation of leadership and innovation. With the best visionary leaders, urban planners, architects, builders, creative designers, educators and community activists at the helm of Titanic Foundation and Titanic Belfast, Northern Ireland is poised to show how the architecture of hope and the architecture of history are bound together as never before.

We’ll be ready for you in 2012 We’d love to be part of your next vacation For further information visit: www.titanic-foundation.org www.gotobelfast.com www.discovernorthernireland.com dunbrody_v09:Layout 2 11/12/08 11:05 AM Page 1 DUNBRODY

Experience History for Yourself

A special supplement to Irish America Magazine produced by Turlough McConnell in cooperation with the JFK Trust. dunbrody_v09:Layout 2 11/12/08 11:05 AM Page 2

The Dunbrody, he Dunbrody, a replica of a guano, the Dunbrody was adapted to Famine-era ship, is docked off carry passengers in response to the Ireland’s Historic the South Quay where Presi- worsening Irish Famine. Although thou- dent John F. Kennedy once sands of Irish did not survive their trans- Emigrant Ship at New Taddressed the people of New Ross. The Atlantic crossing, the Dunbrody President’s paternal great-grandparents, sustained an excellent success rate, Ross, Co.Wexford. Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy, both largely due to the leadership of their came from New Ross: in 1848, during the Captain John Williams. By Turlough McConnell Great Famine, they embarked at New Ross Despite the challenges of building on a ship bound for America. They shared a 19th-century three-masted ship, the that journey with millions of their country- Dunbrody replica was launched on men, women and children. February 11, 2001, by An Taoiseach Offering visitors a chance to Bertie Ahern and Jean Kennedy Smith, “experience history for themselves,” U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and sister the Dunbrody recreates the conditions of JFK. surrounding the 19th-century mass The Visitor Experience aboard the migration from Ireland. Over 60,000 Dunbrody begins with a 9-minute people visit Dunbrody annually to audiovisual presentation on the Great learn more about this chapter in Ire- Famine and its role as a driving force in land’s history. the emigration of millions of Irish citi- A 176-foot-long cargo vessel with zens. After the presentation, visitors will three masts, the original Dunbrody was be able to tour the Dunbrody and built in Quebec in 1845 by Thomas Top: To place a dedication to your ancestor on Hamilton Oliver, a Derry-born Irish- The Wall of Honor visit www.dunbrody.com man. Commissioned by a New Ross Top right. Actors in costume aboard The family to transport timber, cotton and Dunbrody. dunbrody_v09:Layout 2 11/12/08 11:05 AM Page 3

observe how such a vessel was fitted Kilkenny and Waterford, the Dunbrody out for a 19th-century voyage. The is positioned quayside; tickets may be experience comes alive as actors por- purchased from the nearby Visitor’s traying Irish emigrants recount their sto- Centre. The Dunbrody experience wel- ries and provide first-hand accounts of comes families and children, and offers the immigrant journey. A Dunbrody kids’ packs to all visiting young ones. crewmember will supplement these sto- Additionally, those who visit the ries with other accounts of trans-Atlantic Dunbrody will receive discount passes crossings and information about life on to the “Wonders of the Southeast,”other a sailing ship. The tour captures the popular tourist highlights of the area. essence of the historical moment; it lasts These attractions include Hook’s Light- approximately 50 minutes and full dis- house, the Irish National Heritage Park abled access is available. in Wexford, and Waterford Crystal. Also “It is very gratifying to find that the In addition to the presentation and located nearby are the Barrow, Nore, huge task of computerizing the the tour, visitors to the Dunbrody have and Suir River Valleys, once described passenger lists is bearing fruit, access to computerized emigration as the “Loire Valley of Ireland.” Several records dating back to 1845. Visitors can charming villages, such as Inistioge and and there is a palpable sense of engrave the name of an Irish ancestor St. Mullins, are situated nearby as well. excitement in finding specific on a dramatic and permanent Wall of The Dunbrody is an extraordinary information like that on Barack Honor which lines the boardwalk to the example of the rich historical tradition Obama’s ancestor.” Dunbrody Famine Ship. and welcoming nature of the New Ross Sean Reidy, CEO, JFK Trust The Dunbrody and New Ross can community. The Dunbrody experience Tel +(051) 425 239 be reached easily from many parts of allows visitors to learn more about the Fax + (051) 425 240 Ireland. Just three hours from Dublin, Irish people and to appreciate the beau- Email: [email protected] two hours from Cork and less than an ties of the surrounding countryside. It is www.dunbrody.com hour from neighboring counties a pleasure not to be missed. dunbrody_v09:Layout 2 11/12/08 11:05 AM Page 4

45th Anniversary Homecoming for JFK

For three days in June 1963 the spotlight of the world was focused on Ireland. It was as if the whole Irish nation was laying to rest the painful memory of the Great Irish Famine. “It took 115 years to make the trip and 6000 miles and three generations,” said John F. Kennedy. “And I’m glad to be here.”

n June of 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited his ancestral home of New Ross, County Wexford. The first Irish-Catholic President of the IUnited States of America, Kennedy deliv- ered an historic address to the people of New Ross as he stood on the Charles Street dock, just feet from where the Dunbrody Famine Ship replica sits today. Forty-five years later, President Kennedy’s sister Jean Kennedy Smith paid a very special visit to New Ross for the unveil- ing of a monument to her late brother. Cre- ated by artist Anne Meldon Hugh, the life-size bronze statue of JFK depicts the president in a gesture of amity: with his arm extended, as if to shake hands. Mrs. Kennedy Smith was guest of honor at the festivities commemorating President Kennedy’s 1963 visit. U.S. Ambas- sador to Ireland during the Clinton adminis- tration, and a great friend of Ireland, Mrs. Kennedy Smith said of the occasion, “This is a very special day for all of us and we are honored by this tribute.” Speaking to the crowd gathered for the statue’s unveiling, Mrs. Kennedy Smith recalled her experience of the 1963 visit. It was a special shared time for her and her brother: “It brings back wonderful memo- ries for me…It was a time I have cherished

(Top) Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith with Colm Caulfield, Chairman of the JFK Trust. (Middle) Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith with Ray Lawlor, chairman of New Ross Town Council at the unveil- ing of Anne Meldon Hugh’s bronze statue of JFK on the New Ross quay. (Bottom) At the Kennedy Fam- ily Homestead. Cousin Mary Ann Ryan pouring tea as she did 45 years earlier for President Kennedy.

Photographs by Patrick J. Brown dunbrody_v09:Layout 2 11/12/08 11:05 AM Page 5

ever since, and I know that my brother felt Government Support for Irish Emigration Center the same way.” She went on to reveal that, even after their return to the , President Kennedy made his family sit through three nights of films made during his trip to Ireland. The event was in many ways the ful- fillment of a promise the President had made to the people of New Ross in a taped message delivered on his inauguration day in 1961. In the message, a full 115 years after his ancestors left New Ross for a fresh start in America, JFK pledged to visit the seaside community. The president made good on his promise. The installation of the statue and the festivities this past June repaid the honor bestowed on New Ross by one of their own, the tragic young Irish- American president. The Irish Government recently announced the approval by the Failte “He enjoyed his trip to Ireland more Ireland Authority of a $2.5 million grant than any other of his presidency,” Mrs. under the National Development Pro- Kennedy Smith said at the unveiling. gram for the expansion of the Dun- “There was no doubt in our minds just how brody Visitor Center into a fully fledged much of an impact that trip had on him.” National Emigration History Center incorporating the Irish American Hall of Fame. Barack Obama and Fulmoth Carney “This development will bring a com- In addition to building the replica emigrant pletely new dimension to the visitor ship Dunbrody, the JFK Trust also has cre- experience and will attract even more people to the town,” says Sean Reidy, ated a database of all Irish immigration to CEO of JFK Trust. “The Center will be the US, from 1845 to 1890. The 3 million complemented in time by the ambitious records were computerized in New Ross Quayside Development plans of the from original ship’s manifests supplied by New Ross Town Council, and in the Dr. Ira Glazier of the Balch Institute in immediate future by the opening of the Philadelphia and the Battery Conservancy, Ros Tapestry at Priory Court next April.” New York. This database is available to visi- tors to the ship in New Ross and on www.dunbrody.com. Irish American Hall of Fame Recent interest in Barack Obama’s Irish roots led staff member Peter Reidy to search the records and find the detail of Senator Obama’s Irish ancestor Fulmoth Carney’s passage. Carney (sometimes spelled Kearney) traveled via Liverpool to New York on the Marmion, arriving on the 20th March 1850. He was aged 19 years and was bound for Ohio. “It is very gratifying that the huge task of computerizing the passenger lists is bear- ing fruit,” says Sean Reidy. “There is gen- The new Emigration History Center at the Dunbrody will include the Irish American uine excitement at the results so far, Hall of Fame, which will trace the progression of the Irish in America in many fields of particularly having located specific infor- endeavor, and will feature a number of exemplary figures whose ancestors emigrated mation like that on Barack Obama’s ances- through the port of New Ross, including President John F. Kennedy, Nobel laureate tor. The database also provides excellent Eugene O’Neill and business leader Donald Keough, former President of Coca-Cola. statistical data for academic researchers.” Ⅲ dunbrody_v09:Layout 2 11/12/08 11:06 AM Page 6

The Ros Tapestry: A tale told in thread

n exhibition in New Ross are fifteen embroidered panels depicting the his- tory of this County Wex- Oford port town. Chronicling such events as the Norman invasion in 1169 and the subsequent founding of the town by Lord William Marshal, the tapestries represent the skill and the devotion of more than a hundred vol- unteers. Teams of people from Wex- ford and neighboring County Kilkenny have donated their services to this noble endeavor. The tapestries tell the centuries- long story of New Ross through a narra- tive presentation of landmark events

(Top) Gothic Glory: The Building of the Parish Church of St. Mary’s in 1210. dunbrody_v09:Layout 2 11/12/08 11:06 AM Page 7

from the history of the area. Meticu- lously researched by historian and artist Ann Griffin Bernstorff, the tapestries were conceived as cartoons and are cur- rently being rendered in embroidery. Colorful and striking, the stylized illus- trations tell a story that begins with the invasion of Ireland by the Celts in 700 B.C.E. through the 13th and 14th cen- turies A.D. One panel of particular interest depicts the 1170 invasion of the Norse town of Wexford by Leinster king Der- mot McMurrough and his army of Irish, Norman, Welsh and Flemish soldiers. Viewed by many as a traitor for his part- nership with Richard Strongbow, Mac- Murrough joined forces with the British to take Dublin, Waterford and Wexford. Featuring the figures of MacMurrough and his friend Robert Fitzstephens as they discuss the Wexford siege from a hill, The Siege of Wexford portrays a turning point in Irish history. Conceived in 1998, the panels are a public project, often embroidered in places of historical significance to the given scene, such as the Irish National Heritage Center outside Wexford Town. The team of embroiderers refers to their style as “needle painting,” which includes stitching techniques similar to crewelwork. The team employs stem, long and short, chain and burden stitch, as well as bullion and French knot, couching, and seeding. These tech- niques enable the depictions to take on strong and distinctive shapes. The Ros Tapestry will go on perma- nent display in April 2009 at Priory Court in New Ross, a building in close proxim- ity to the Dunbrody. Providing a unique insight into the history of this commu- nity in Ireland, the tapestries are proof of the enduring commitment of the people of New Ross to the preservation of their town’s unique culture and history. Ⅲ

(Top) Ireland’s President Mary McAleese unveiling the “Thriving Port of Ros” completed tapestry with Countess Ann Griffin Bernstorff. (Bottom left) Evening: The Lighthouse at Hook Head.

Photographs by Patrick J. Brown, Paddy Delaney and David Hession. dunbrody_v09:Layout 2 11/12/08 11:06 AM Page 8

Dunbrody and the South East Explorer.

unbrody and New Ross are such as Sir Walter Raleigh, Richard Boyle While in New Ross stay at the Brandon situated at an important axis and the many Dukes of Devonshire who House Hotel (on right) or the nearby Dundrody Country House Hotel (left). point in the South East of Ire- have influenced the unique architecture land, close to the nearby of the town and its many historical build- Dtowns of Waterford and Wexford. ings through the centuries. A trip to this Hook Lighthouse Visitor Center When you visit Dunbrody you will magical place would not be complete Lighthouses have a magic and mysticism get special discount passes to a number without a guided tour, where the unique of their own, none more so than the 13th- of other attractions in the area, branded charm of the town’s streetscape, Lismore century Hook Lighthouse, the oldest as the Wonders of the South East. Cathedral and St. Carthage’s Church can working lighthouse in Northern Europe. These visitor attractions include be enjoyed. Discover medieval wonders here. Relax Hook Lighthouse, at the mouth of the and enjoy a meal in the Lighthouse cafe Waterford Estuary, the Irish National Her- Waterford Crystal Visitor Center & or have a leisurely browse in the craft itage Park in Wexford, Waterford Crystal Facto r y To ur shop. The former keeper’s Victorian- and the Waterford Museum of Treasures, A visit to Waterford Crystal Visitor Center facade houses now host visitor facilities the town of Lismore Heritage Centre in provides a truly great day out. From fac- fully accessible to the disabled. west Waterford, and the Midleton Distill- tory tour to restaurant and retail stores, ery tour in east Cork. you can experience the magic and spirit Irish National Heritage Park that lies behind Waterford and its leg- A visit to the Irish National Heritage Park Li s m o r e He r i ta ge To w n a n d endary crystal. Tour guides will take you is like no other you can imagine. Stroll Visitor Cen ter on a fascinating journey through all the through the Park with its homesteads, The exhibition galleries at Lismore Her- manufacturing departments on the fac- places of ritual and burial modes. Your itage Center are a must. Here you can tory tour. Discover why generations of senses will come alive with sights and come face to face with historic figures craftsmanship from the 1700s are still sounds stretching back almost 9000 important today. years. Surprises await around every turn as you explore 35 acres of this remark- Waterford Museum of Treasures able heritage trail. Ⅲ Visit the Waterford Museum of Treasures at the Granary and experience an exten- sive range of rare and beautiful artifacts that are brought to life by the latest tech- nological innovations. The treasure trail and personal sound guides allow you to encounter the past at your own pace. One thousand years of Ireland’s oldest The Dunbrody and South East feature city is encountered during your visit. is supported by Tourism Ireland. Irish America museum_v17:Layout 1 3/5/10 5:57 PM Page 1 s Henry Sullivan • BUSINESS & PHILANTHROPY • Brian P. Burns • Chuck Feeney • Thomas Flatley • y O’Reilly • Jack Welch • COMMUNITY • Dorothy Day • Loretta Brennan Glucksman • EDUCATORS • Mike Quill • Mother Jones • LAW • Sandra Day O’Connor • Judge John Roberts • MEDICINE • William arack Obama • The Kennedys (JFK, RFK, EMK, JKS) • Ronald Reagan • Hugh Carey • Daniel Patrick Cohan • Michael Flatley • Gene Kelly • Ed Sullivan • STAGE & SCREEN • James Cagney • Walt Disney encer TracyThe • John Irish Wayne • AmericanTHE SERVICE • James Museum Brady • Fr. Duffy • Fr. Colby • Steve McDonald • The Dowd • F. Scott Fitzgerald • William Faulkner • Pete Hamill • Frank McCourt • Flannery O’Connor • hn McEnroeof •Washington, Mark O’Meara • Gene Tunney D.C. • ART • William Michael Harnett • Georgia O’Keeffe • Sean n P. Burns • Chuck Feeney • Thomas Flatley • William J. Flynn • Denis Kelleher • Donald R. Keough • retta Brennan Glucksman • EDUCATORS • Annie Sullivan • John Lahey • EXPLORERS • Eileen Collins udge John Roberts • MEDICINE • William and Kathy Magee • NATIONALISTS • Eamon deValera • John eagan • Hugh Carey • Daniel Patrick Moynihan • Tip O‘Neill • Al Smith • SONG AND DANCE • Stephen EEN • JamesBUILDING Cagney • Walt Disney • John Ford • Jackie OUR Gleason • Anjelica Huston • Grace Kelly • Mau- fy • Fr. Colby • Steve McDonald • The Sullivan Brothers • WRITERS & MEDIA • Nelly Bly • Jimmy Bres- k McCourt • Flannery O’Connor • Eugene O’Neill • Ed Sullivan • William Kennedy • SPORT • Maureen Harnett •PLACE Georgia O’Keeffe • Sean Scully IN • BUILDERS HISTORY • Henry Ford • Louis Henry Sullivan… • BUSINESS elleher • Donald R. Keough • Andrew Mellon • Thomas J. Moran • Tony O’Reilly • Jack Welch • COMMU- EXPLORERS • Eileen Collins • LABOR LEADERS • John Sweeney • Mike Quill • Mother Jones • LAW • ISTS • Eamon deValera • John Devoy • POLITICS • Bill Clinton • Barack Obama • The Kennedys (JFK, • SONG AND DANCE • Stephen Foster • Clancy Bros • George M. Cohan • Michael Flatley • Gene Kelly lica Huston • Grace Kelly • Maureen O’Hara • Gregory Peck • Spencer Tracy • John Wayne • THE SERV- & MEDIA • Nelly Bly • Jimmy Breslin • Thomas Cahill • Maureen Dowd • F. Scott Fitzgerald • William am Kennedy • SPORT • Maureen Connolly • Jack Dempsey • John McEnroe • Mark O’Meara • Gene Tun- Louis Henry Sullivan • BUSINESS & PHILANTHROPY • Brian P. Burns • Chuck Feeney • Thomas Flat- ony O’Reilly • Jack Welch • COMMUNITY • Dorothy Day • Loretta Brennan Glucksman • EDUCATORS • Mike Quill • Mother Jones • LAW • Sandra Day O’Connor • Judge John Roberts • MEDICINE • William arack Obama • The Kennedys (JFK, RFK, EMK, JKS) • Ronald Reagan • Hugh Carey • Daniel Patrick Cohan • Michael Flatley • Gene Kelly • Ed Sullivan • STAGE & SCREEN • James Cagney • Walt Disney encer Tracy • John Wayne • THE SERVICE • James Brady • Fr. Duffy • Fr. Colby • Steve McDonald • The Dowd • F. Scott Fitzgerald • William Faulkner • Pete Hamill • Frank McCourt • Flannery O’Connor • onnolly • Jack Dempsey • John McEnroe • Mark O’Meara • Gene Tunney • s Henry Sullivan • BUSINESS & PHILANTHROPY • Brian P. Burns • Chuck Feeney • Thomas Flatley • y O’Reilly • Jack Welch • COMMUNITY • Dorothy Day • Loretta Brennan Glucksman • EDUCATORS • Mike QuillTOGETHER • Mother Jones • LAW • Sandra Day O’Connor • Judge John Roberts • MEDICINE • William arack Obama • The Kennedys (JFK, RFK, EMK, JKS) • Ronald Reagan • Hugh Carey • Daniel Patrick Cohan • Michael Flatley • Gene Kelly • Ed Sullivan • STAGE & SCREEN • James Cagney • Walt Disney encer Tracy • John Wayne • THE SERVICE • James Brady • Fr. Duffy • Fr. Colby • Steve McDonald • The Dowd • F. Scott Fitzgerald • William Faulkner • Pete Hamill • Frank McCourt • Flannery O’Connor • hn McEnroe • Mark O’Meara • Gene Tunney • ART • William Michael Harnett • Georgia O’Keeffe • Sean n P. Burns • Chuck Feeney • Thomas Flatley • William J. Flynn • Denis Kelleher • Donald R. Keough • retta Brennan Glucksman • EDUCATORS • Annie Sullivan • John Lahey • EXPLORERS • Eileen Collins udge John Roberts • MEDICINE • William and Kathy Magee • NATIONALISTS • Eamon deValera • John eagan • Hugh Carey • Daniel Patrick Moynihan • Tip O‘Neill • Al Smith • SONG AND DANCE • Stephen EEN • James Cagney • Walt Disney • John Ford • Jackie Gleason • Anjelica Huston • Grace Kelly • Mau- fy • Fr. Colby • Steve McDonald • The Sullivan Brothers • WRITERS & MEDIA • Nelly Bly • Jimmy Bres- k McCourt • Flannery O’Connor • Eugene O’Neill • Ed Sullivan • William Kennedy • SPORT • Maureen Harnett • Georgia O’Keeffe • Sean Scully • BUILDERS • Henry Ford • Louis Henry Sullivan • BUSINESS elleher • ADonald SPECIAL R. Keough SUPPLEMENT • Andrew Mellon TO IRISH • Thomas AMERICA J. Moran MAGAZINE• Tony O’Reilly • Jack Welch • COMMU- EXPLORERSProduced • Eileen by CollinsTurlough • LABOR McConnell LEADERS • Written • John Sweeneyby Patricia • Mike Harty Quill • Mother Jones • LAW • ISTS • Eamon deValera • John Devoy • POLITICS • Bill Clinton • Barack Obama • The Kennedys (JFK, • SONG AND DANCE • Stephen Foster • Clancy Bros • George M. Cohan • Michael Flatley • Gene Kelly Irish America museum_v17:Layout 1 3/5/10 5:58 PM Page 2

or the past two years, a group of led by Connecticut businessman Carl Shanahan has been working to create a national museum in Washington, D.C., to honor Ireland’s legacy in America. “The history of the United States is the history of Irish Amer- Fica,” says Shanahan. “That history deserves its rightful place in our nation’s capital.” The 71-year-old Shanahan is no stranger to the preservation of history: he co-founded The Wild Geese, a Connecticut organization that promotes Irish culture and Ireland’s contributions to Western civilization. The goal of the Irish American Museum of Washington, D.C., is to become a major cultural institution Dave Rosenblum/Images by David that will bring Irish-American history to life for visitors of all ages, from all ethnic, racial, and cultural back- grounds. The museum will initially be housed in temporary gallery space; ultimately, the plan is for a pres- tigious establishment that will provide future generations of Irish-Americans a sense of their history. “We believe that the museum belongs in Washington to reflect the national character of our story, “The history of the United the Irish legacy is evident all across North America.” This will be a “museum of identity,” whose goal, States is the history of says Shanahan, “is to explore the experience of a people’s immigration and the evolution of its commu- Irish America. That history nity, as well as to acknowledge their struggles and triumphs.” The group intends that the Irish American deserves its rightful place Museum of Washington, D.C., joins the roster of similar museums of identity honoring African Ameri- in our nation’s capital.” cans, Native Americans, Jewish Americans and Chinese Americans among others. “Education is at the heart of the Irish American Museum’s mission,” says board member Jim Carl Shanahan Dougherty, whose ancestors came to America during Ireland’s Great Famine. “The museum will begin to Chairman Irish American Museum of build its collection online.” While museums have been experimenting with the Web for years, only Washington, D.C. recently have Web users had the technology to play a more active role in shaping a museum’s collection. “We want to tell the story from the beginning,” says creative executive Patrick Sean Flaherty, a founding member. “The museum will be a home for all of those of Irish and Scots-Irish descent, and will promote dialogue and understanding among people of all cultural backgrounds. It will illuminate 250 years of Irish-American history through innovative exhibitions, education and cultural programs.” Since promoting the idea, Shanahan, Dougherty and Flaherty have gained the support of numerous Irish-American associations, Irish Studies groups and cultural centers. Commenting on the possibility of an Irish American Museum, Ireland’s Ambassador in Washington, Michael Collins, said: “Ireland and America enjoy an enduring friendship. Irish immigrants and their descendants have made a huge contri- bution to the birth and growth of America. Theirs is a fascinating story, which will not be forgotten.” The Museum is now soliciting financial support for its website, temporary gallery and public programs. — Turlough McConnell

U.S. PRESIDENTS OF IRISH ANCESTRY 1. Andrew Jackson (both parents born in Ireland) 2. James Buchanan (both parents) 3. Chester Arthur (father) 4. Woodrow Wilson (paternal grandparents) 5. Grover Cleveland (maternal grandfather, maternal great-great-grandmother) 6. Andrew Johnson (paternal grandfather) 7. John F. Kennedy (all eight paternal and maternal great-grandparents) 8. Benjamin Harrison (two maternal great-grandfathers) 9. Ronald Reagan (two paternal great-grandparents) 10. Ulysses Grant (maternal great-grandmother) John F. Kennedy 11. William McKinley (two paternal great-great-grandfathers) 12. James Polk (paternal great-great-great-grandfather) 13. Barack Obama (maternal great-great-great-grandfather) 14. Richard Nixon (paternal and maternal great-great-great-great-grandparents) 15. Theodore Roosevelt (maternal great-great-great-great-grandparent) 16. George H. Bush (at least one Irish ancestor at great-great-great-great-grandparent level and above) 17. Lyndon Johnson (Irish-born great-great-great-great-grandparent unconfirmed) 18. Jimmy Carter (Irish ancestry unconfirmed) 19. Gerald Ford (father’s name King: Irish ancestry unconfirmed) 20. William J. Clinton Blythe (father’s name Blythe: Irish ancestry unconfirmed) 21. George W. Bush (at least one Irish ancestor at great-great-great-great-grandparent Barack Obama level and above)

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Inishfail: Island of Destiny By Patricia Harty “It must have been the Irish The Irish have been drawn to America since the York (1919-1929) and the Democratic nominee time of St. Brendan, who made his legendary trip for President in 1928. George M. Cohan was who built the pyramids, in a skin boat. Later the Irish reached “Inishfail”— reaching the pinnacle of his career with songs like ‘cause no one else would that “island of destiny” of the poets—as migratory “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” showing Irish- carry all them bricks.” fishermen making their way to Newfoundland in American patriotism, and James Cagney was start- the holds of brigs that would return to Britain ing his career in films. —from an Irish-American song laden with timber. Still, an anti-Irish, anti-Catholic bias lingered. They came as indentured servants and as pris- In the early 1950s the Speaker of the House “Tip” oners transported for crimes against the Crown. O’Neill led a boycott on a Boston bank that had Some made their way up from the West Indies no Catholic employees. By the century’s end, where Cromwell had sent them as slaves. What however, the Irish were the most successful immi- began as a trickle in the 17th and 18th centuries grant group. JFK helped banish the “No Irish need became a deluge in the 19th. Fleeing starvation apply” signs forever and touched the lives of mil- with few or no possessions, they spread out lions of Americans. across America. Many others made unique and lasting contribu- From pre-Revolutionary days they gave their tions to American life and culture. Another famous names to towns and streets, and left their traces son of Cork, Henry Ford, changed the landscape of in ghost towns, mining museums, and grave- America forever with his automobile. The history yards. They fought against the British in Amer- of the labor movement is replete with Irish names, ica’s struggle for Independence. Three Irish from Mother Jones, the angel of the mining camps, Americans signed the Declaration of Independ- to John Sweeney, the former head of the most

Kilkenny-born architect James ence, including Charles Carroll of Maryland, the powerful labor union in America. Hoban and his winning design only Catholic. Irish born Commodore John The Irish built grand educational institutions, for the White House, 1792 Barry (born 1745) is credited as “The Father of and joined the military and were awarded more the American Navy.” Medals of Honor than any other ethnic group. A huge Celtic cross on Grosse Ile in Canada They produced great sporting heroes such as Jack marks the spot where thousands of Famine Irish Dempsey and Connie Mack, and became politi- are buried. In San Francisco’s Mission Dolores a cians and captains of industry who helped “the The American Revolution stone commemorates an Irishman killed by vigi- cause” in Ireland—from the early days of John lantes. They died in riots precipitated by the anti- Devoy and Eamon de Valera to the peace process “It was the Scots-Irish who Irish, anti-Catholic Native American Party in and George Mitchell and Bill Clinton. would bring the fire of the Philadelphia in 1844, and they started others, They became patriotic Americans who revolution to the pulpits of notably the 1863 New York Draft Riots. They remained proud, as George M. Cohan said, “of all fought in the Civil War on both sides and died at the Irish blood that’s in me.” As Americans, they almost every frontier Bull Run and Gettysburg, Fredericksburg and maintain interest in their Irish heritage, and even a church and also provide a The Wilderness. poignant emotional connection to Ireland. At first They built the great transcontinental railroad this connection took the form of care packages; disproportionate share of and mined for gold, and prevailed past the “No now Irish Americans bring peace initiatives and guns and soldiers to the dogs or Irishmen allowed” signs. From the business investment. battlefield once the war wretchedness of those Famine Irish came the Today the Irish are celebrated in every aspect greatest mobilization of a people in the history of of American life. Their journey, and the Ameri- broke out.” the United States. The schools, hospitals, political can dream is being kept alive in corners of Ire- James Webb clubs, and labor unions born of their struggle land across America. It’s a dream that must be Author would leave their mark on America forever. kept alive and The Irish American Museum of Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish By the 1920s, the Irish in America had estab- Washington, D.C. plans to do just that and Shaped America lished a foothold. Al Smith was governor of New deserves our full support.

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The Irish legacy is O’Neill, Nebraska bought by California Senator James Duval Phelan Dubbed “the Irish capital of Nebraska,” O’Neill and unveiled by Eamon de Valera on July 20, evident all across the got off to a slow start among Irish settlers. Though 1919. Emmet’s speech from the dock is read on established on the desolate plains in 1874, O’Neill September 20th of every year, the anniversary of United States and was not settled until the gold strike in the Black Emmet’s execution. Hills of South Dakota some years later, when John O’Neill, a Co. Monaghan native, came to the town Bunker Hill, Massachusetts Canada. Patricia with the hope of luring Irish immigrants from First- and second-generation Irishmen played a Philadelphia to start farming communities. Many crucial role at the Battle of Bunker Hill. On June Harty selects corners of the inhabitants today are descendants of the 17, 1775. Commanded by Irish-American John original settlers. Stark, who later became a colonel in Washington’s of Ireland that army, the group smashed a column of light Mission Dolores Street Graveyard, infantry sent by the British to quell the rebellion, preserve the memory San Francisco forcing the small British unit into a bloody frontal Consecrated in 1776, the Mission Dolores Ceme- assault. The battle demonstrated that the inexperi- of those who came tery is the oldest graveyard in San Francisco. The enced Colonial forces were able to stand up to church was the city’s preeminent Catholic parish government troops. and the burial place of many Irish settlers, includ- before, and where ing James P. Casey, a convict who became Tipperary Hill, Syracuse involved in local politics and in the shootings of A hub between Albany and Buffalo during the current generations political rivals. He was hanged for murder in construction of the Erie Canal, Syracuse became a 1856. The cemetery contains a monument to popular place for Irish laborers and their families honor their Irish- Casey as well as many headstones with Irish to settle. Many Irish Americans still live in the Tip- names and places of birth. perary Hill district of Syracuse. A signature of the American heritage. neighborhood is its inverted traffic signals, with The Alamo, San Antonio, the green light on top to elevate the Irish “green” The pivotal point of the Texas Revolution took over the British “red.” place at The Alamo in 1836, when a relatively small number of Texan soldiers then occupied Annie Moore, Ellis Island, New York the compound. General Sam believed When Ellis Island officially opened on January 1, the Texans could not hold the fort and ordered 1892, the first passenger registered through the Colonel James Bowie to destroy it. Bowie and fel- now world-famous immigration station was a low Irish-American frontiersman Davy Crockett young Irish girl named Annie Moore. Just 14 U.S. Census Record chose to disregard those orders and instead years old, Annie departed from Queenstown worked with Colonel James C. Neill to fortify the (County Cork) on December 20, 1891 aboard the 36.5 million Americans mission. Today you can visit a museum to their S.S. Nevada, one of 148 steerage passengers. claim Irish heritage, patriotic sacrifice. They were processed through Ellis Island the fol- according to U.S. census lowing morning, New Year's Day and also Robert Emmet Statue, Golden Gate Park Annie's 15th birthday. records. That number Though it stands proudly in San Francisco’s accounts for 12 percent of Golden Gate Park, the Robert Emmet Statue was Molly Maguires, Jim Thorpe, PA the U.S. population and originally meant for the town square in Emmets- The Irish comprised the largest ethnic group to burg, Iowa. The project was commissioned dur- work the coal mines of Pennsylvania, where they exceeds the population of ing World War I, but was abandoned when endured a dangerous work environment and Ireland by 10 times. materials became scarce. The statue was then long, grueling hours. In response to these

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extreme conditions, the Irish miners of Pennsyl- The Corby Monument , Gettysburg, PA vania formed the Molly Maguires, a secretive The numerous war memorials and statues at union that was charged with inciting terror and the battlefield are testament to the participation crime among the coal community. Two major tri- of Irish and Irish Americans at every military als were held to prosecute supposed members rank. The 100th anniversary of the dedication and 20 men were hanged. Carbon County Jail, the of the statue of Rev. William Corby on the bat- site of the original trial, is closed to the public, but tlefield will take place on October 29, 2010. On the Jim Thorpe visitor center contains information July 2, 1863, just before the Irish Brigade went on the history of the Molly Maguires. into battle, Father Corby gave the men absolu- tion. Corby was born on October 2, 1833, in Kennedy Library, Boston Detroit, Michigan. He died on December 28, The JFK Presidential Library and Museum is 1897, and is buried in the cemetery of Notre located on a ten-acre park in Boston, Massachu- Dame University. setts. The museum includes three theaters and twenty-five multimedia exhibits that chronicle the Margaret Mitchell House, Atlanta, GA lives of John and Robert F. Kennedy and trace the The Margaret Mitchell House offers guided Irish ancestry of the Kennedy family. tours of the apartment where Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind as well as exhibits celebrat- Donner Pass, Nevada ing the life and work of this cherished Ameri- The Donner Pass, now traversed by Lincoln High- can author. The house also includes a Literary way, is the route taken by the Donner Party across Center where visitors can attend lectures and the Sierra Nevada. Members of the party, which workshops. became snowbound in 1846, resorted to canni- balism in order to survive. The Breen and Reed Louis Sullivan’s Birthplace, Boston families, both from Ireland, were among the few Louis Sullivan, mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, is to survive the horrible ordeal. regarded by many as the “father of modernism” in architecture. He was born in 1856 to an Irish John J. Burns Library, Boston College father and a Swiss mother who had emigrated 1. Grace Kelly in “To Catch A For a rare collection of Irish books and original lit- in the 1840s. After studying at MIT, Sullivan Thief” erary manuscripts, visit the Burns Library at became known for his designs of theaters and, 2. Annie Moore, first immigrant Boston College. The collection includes paintings eventually, the steel skyscrapers. The Boston on Ellis Island (courtesy The and publications from the mid-19th to mid-20th Society of Architects has placed a plaque on Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island century that reflect the history, culture and iden- Sullivan’s childhood home on Bennet Street in Foundation, Inc.) tity of the Irish in America. Boston. 3. American Irish Historical Society, NYC Butte, Montana Glucksman Ireland House, New York 4. Frank McCourt, author of Located in the heart of New York's Greenwich “Angela’s Ashes” Montana’s significant Irish population is largely due to Marcus Daly, the Irish “Copper Village, Glucksman Ireland House is the center 5. Maureen O’Hara, Dublin born movie star King” who turned Butte into a copper mining for Irish Studies at New York University. For the New York community, there is a weekly public 6. William Hartnett, 1848-1892. center and employed thousands of Irish immi- Metropolitan Museum grants at above-average wages. When the min- events series during the academic year, as well 7. Glucksman Ireland House at ing boom ended, many Irish stayed in as a monthly traditional Irish music series. For NYU Montana. Each summer Butte is home to the the non-credit adult learner, there are evening 8. George Clooney, Hollywood’s An Ri Ra festival run by the Montana Gaelic Irish language classes. leading man Cultural Society.

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In every state but New Monte Cristo Cottage, New London, CT these Americans were Irish nationals, who were In 1884, actor James O’Neill and his wife Ella pur- finally honored in 2006 with a memorial in Mexico and Hawaii, chased the Monte Cristo Cottage in New London as Green-Wood Cemetery. The memorial bears the a summer home. This was also the childhood home names of the 28 Irish GIs, who were granted U.S. Irish is among the top of Eugene O’Neill, perhaps America’s greatest play- citizenship in 2003, as well as a Celtic cross and wright. Named after The Count of Monte Cristo, a epigraph. The memorial lies 60 feet from the play James O’Neill starred in several times, the cot- grave of Matilda Tone, widow of republican five ancestries, with tage is also the setting for Ah, Wilderness! and A patriot Theobald Wolfe Tone. Long Day’s Journey into Night, two of O’Neill’s most Massachusetts, New famous plays. The house is now owned by the Georgia O’Keeffe’s Ghost Ranch, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and is a historic Abiquiu, NM Hampshire and museum containing memorabilia and artifacts from Already an established New York artist, Georgia O’Neill’s life. In addition, it is furnished to replicate O’Keeffe was looking for a change to energize Delaware the highest. the setting of A Long Day’s Journey into Night. her work when she visited New Mexico in 1917. She had led a privileged life as the granddaughter Mother Jones’ Gravesite, Mt. Olive, IL of well-off Irish immigrants who owned a woolen Mary Harris “Mother” Jones was born in Co. Cork business. O’Keeffe was so inspired by the rural in 1837 and immigrated to the U.S. while still a landscapes of New Mexico that she visited often child. After marrying George Jones, a member of before moving to Ghost Ranch permanently in the Iron Worker’s Union, she became involved in 1949. O’Keeffe’s paintings from this time depict labor and community organizing. Her passion for her desert surroundings, and she remained at workers’ rights and her flair for public speaking Ghost Ranch until her death in 1986. Ghost Ranch carried her to prominence in the labor movement, is now a retreat and educational center owned by and she remained a voice for workers into her the Presbyterian Church, which runs an O’Keeffe nineties. Present at the Haymarket riot in 1886 and landscape tour from March to November. the American Railway Union Strike in 1894, Jones made it her life’s work to fight child labor. Mother Father Duffy Statue, Duffy Square, Jones is buried at the Miners’ Union Cemetery in Photo by Kit DeFever Mt. Olive, Illinois, just off Old Route 66. In the northern end of Times Square is Duffy Square, named after Irish Catholic priest and Amer- Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago ican soldier Francis P. Duffy. Ordained in 1896, The Irish American Heritage Center on the city's Father Duffy rose to fame as the military chaplain northwest side is the focal point for Irish culture for the 69th New York regiment in the Spanish- and heritage in Chicago. The center includes a American War and for the Rainbow Division in library, museum, art gallery, theater, pub, and World War I. Visitors can see his monument, posi- dance practice studios. Proudly a non-profit tioned in front of a Celtic cross, in Duffy Square. Irish Americans in the 9/11 organization, the IAHC offers live music, films, Rescue effort: Firefighter Danny lectures, Irish language classes, and countless Hibernian Hall, Charleston, SC Foley; Fr. Brian Jordan, St. Francis Assisi Church; Joe other events celebrating the Irish-American expe- Designed by Thomas Walter, who also worked on Mooney, Ironworkers Local 580; rience. All events are open to the public. the U.S Capitol building, Hibernian Hall has KerryMcGinnis, Kennel Man- housed the Hibernian Society of Charleston since ager, Manhattan Humane Irish GI Memorial, Brooklyn 1840. The Hibernian Society is an Irish benevo- Society and her dog Stormy; Though often considered the “Forgotten War,” the NYPD Captain Paul McCormack; lent organization founded in 1801 to assist new Lieutenant Matt Galvin, NYPD Korean War resulted in 2 million casualties, immigrants, regardless of religion. The society Pipe and Drum Band. including 50,000 American dead. Twenty-eight of continues to hold regular elections, and alternates

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To make a donation or annually between a Roman Catholic and a Protes- Home Rule and for the rights of oppressed tant president. The society has hosted St. Patrick’s groups in the U.S. O’Reilly’s memorial, by Daniel for more information Day dinners for President Harry Truman and Ger- Chester French, stands in the Boston Fenway. ald Ford and has a years-long waiting list for about the Irish membership, which is limited to 550. Closed to American Irish Historical Society, NY the public, the building is one of the few exam- The American Irish Historical Society headquarters ples of Greek-style architecture in Charleston. in Manhattan reopened March 16, 2008 after a two- American Museum year restoration and renovation. The Society, Tenement Museum, New York City founded in 1897 to inform the world of the of Washington, D.C. Located at 97 Orchard Street on the Lower East achievements of the Irish in America, is today a Side, the Tenement Museum provides a glimpse national center of scholarship and culture. From its see details next page. of the immigrant experience at the turn of the home on New York's Fifth Avenue, across from the twentieth century. The tenement was home to Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Society makes its 7,000 immigrants over the years, many of them library and select events open to the public. Irish. The Moores, Irish immigrants who lived at 97 Orchard in 1869, are the subject of a new tour Black Rock, Montreal, Canada in their restored apartment on the fourth floor. When thousands of Irish immigrants arriving in Grosse Ile were diagnosed with typhus, many Phoenix Irish Cultural Center, Arizona were transferred to “fever sheds” in Windmill Since its inception in 2001, the Arizona Irish Festi- Point, Montreal. About 6,000 immigrants, most of val has presented the best of regional Celtic bands them Irish, died as a result of the epidemic fever. and dance troupes every October. The authentic When Victoria Bridge was being built in the stone and slate Irish Cultural Center is an out- 1850s, workers found human remains of Irish standing tribute to the Irish in the Southwest. immigrants who had died from typhus. The Black Rock memorial was erected at the bridge in 1859 Patrick Cleburne Memorial, Franklin, TN to honor the victims. Major General Patrick Cleburne, County Cork, was a popular commander nicknamed “Stonewall of Grosse Ile, Quebec, Canada the West” for his service to the Confederacy during Commemorating Irish immigration via Quebec the Civil War. He was killed in a Union assault at starting in the 19th century, Grosse Ile is home to the Battle of Franklin in 1864. His memorial now the Irish Memorial National Historic Site of 9. John J. Burns Library at stands in Franklin, Tennessee. Canada. Thousands of Irish fled to Grosse Ile in Boston College Quebec during the Great Famine. One hundred 10. Vintage baseball card John Boyle O’Reilly Memorial, Boston thousand immigrants, most of them Irish, arrived 11. Phoenix Irish Cultural John Boyle O’Reilly was an outspoken nationalist in a single season of 1847. Because they traveled Center, Arizona both in his home country of Ireland and later in on unsanitary boats, many came infected with 12. John Wayne, movie star and cowboy icon Boston. Sentenced to 20 years of penal servitude typhus, which reached epidemic levels in Que- in 1866 for his membership in the radical Fenian bec. Despite its large quarantine station, Grosse 13. Georgia O’Keeffe, American artist, 1887-1986 Society, O’Reilly arrived at a penal colony in Aus- Ile was ill-equipped to deal with the epidemic, 14. Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, tralia after two years of solitary confinement. He and thousands died in transit and on land. Over NYC quickly began plotting his escape and finally 5,000 Irish are now buried in the Grosse Ile 15. Tenement Museum, arrived in Philadelphia in 1869. From there, cemetery, the largest Irish burial ground associ- Orchard Street, NYC O’Reilly became famous among the Irish-Ameri- ated with the famine outside of Ireland. Visitors 16. Eileen Collins, space can community as a journalist for the Boston Pilot, can tour the buildings and quarantine station shuttle commander which he used as a platform to push for Irish used by immigrants as well as the Irish Memorial.

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ART • William Michael Harnett • Georgia O’Keeffe • Sean Scully • BUILDERS • Henry Ford • Louis He William J. Flynn • Denis Kelleher • Donald R. Keough • Andrew Mellon • Thomas J. Moran • Tony O’R Annie Sullivan • John Lahey • EXPLORERS • Eileen Collins • LABOR LEADERS • John Sweeney • Mik and Kathy Magee • NATIONALISTS • Eamon deValera • John Devoy • POLITICS • Bill Clinton • Barac Moynihan • Tip O‘Neill • Al Smith • SONG AND DANCE • Stephen Foster • Clancy Bros • George M. Coh • John Ford • Jackie Gleason • Anjelica Huston • Grace Kelly • Maureen O’Hara • Gregory Peck • Spenc Sullivan Brothers • WRITERS & MEDIA • Nelly Bly • Jimmy Breslin • Thomas Cahill • Maureen Dow Eugene O’Neill • Ed Sullivan • William Kennedy • SPORT • Maureen Connolly • Jack Dempsey • John M Scully • BUILDERS • Henry Ford • Louis Henry Sullivan • BUSINESS & PHILANTHROPY • Brian P. Andrew Mellon • ThomasWhy J. Moran we must • Tony build O’Reilly the Irish• Jack American Welch • COMMUNITY Museum • Dorothy Day • Loretta • LABOR LEADERS • Johnof SweeneyWashington, • Mike D.C. Quill • Mother Jones • LAW • Sandra Day O’Connor • Judge Devoy • POLITICS • Bill Clinton • Barack Obama • The Kennedys (JFK, RFK, EMK, JKS) • Ronald Reag Foster • Clancy Bros • GeorgeThere M. is no Cohan better • way Michael to enhance Flatley the future • Gene than Kelly to honor • Ed the Sullivan • STAGE & SCREEN reen O’Hara • Gregory Peckpast. • NowSpencer is the Tracy time for • aJohn national Wayne museum • THE that SERVICEtells the story • James Brady • Fr. Duffy • lin • Thomas Cahill • Maureenof America Dowd through • F. Scott the experience Fitzgerald of Irish • William Americans Faulkner from • Pete Hamill • Frank Mc Connolly • Jack Dempseythe • John earliest McEnroe days to the • Markpresent. O’Meara • Gene Tunney • ART • William Michael Harn & PHILANTHROPY • Brian P. Burns • Chuck Feeney • Thomas Flatley • William J. Flynn • Denis Kelleh NITY • Dorothy Day • LorettaA new Brennan museum in Glucksman the nation’s capital • EDUCATORS will celebrate • theAnnie Sullivan • John Lahey • EXP Sandra Day O’Connor • Judgepersonal John journeys Roberts of those • MEDICINE who shared in • building William this and country. Kathy Magee • NATIONALIST RFK, EMK, JKS) • Ronald Reagan • Hugh Carey • Daniel Patrick Moynihan • Tip O‘Neill • Al Smith • S • Ed Sullivan • STAGE & SCREENIt’s time to • build James our Cagneynew museum • Walt together. Disney • John Ford • Jackie Gleason • Anjelica ICE • James Brady • Fr. Duffy • Fr. Colby • Steve McDonald • The Sullivan Brothers • WRITERS & ME Faulkner • Pete Hamill • FrankAll contributions McCourt • are Flannery fully tax O’Connor deductible. • Eugene O’Neill • Ed Sullivan • William K ney • ART • William Michael Harnett • Georgia O’Keeffe • Sean Scully • BUILDERS • Henry Ford • Lou ley • William J. Flynn • DenisTo make Kelleher a donation • Donald or for R. more Keough information • Andrew visit Mellon our • Thomas J. Moran • Tony • Annie Sullivan • John Laheywebsite: • EXPLORERS www.irishamericanmuseumdc.org • Eileen Collins • LABOR LEADERS • John Sweeney • Mi and Kathy Magee • NATIONALISTS • Eamon deValera • John Devoy • POLITICS • Bill Clinton • Barac Moynihan • Tip O‘Neill • Alor contact:Smith • SONG AND DANCE • Stephen Foster • Clancy Bros • George M. Coh • John Ford • Jackie Gleason • Anjelica Huston • Grace Kelly • Maureen O’Hara • Gregory Peck • Spenc Sullivan Brothers • WRITERSJames B. & Dougherty MEDIA • Nelly Bly • Jimmy Breslin • Thomas Cahill • Maureen Dow Eugene O’Neill • EdBoard Sullivan of Directors • William Kennedy • SPORT • Maureen Conn ART • William Michael HarnettIrish American • Georgia Museum O’Keeffe of Washington, • Sean Scully D.C. • BUILDERS • Henry Ford • Louis He William J. Flynn • Denis 28Kelleher Sound View • Donald Drive R. Keough • Andrew Mellon • Thomas J. Moran • Tony O’R Annie Sullivan • John LaheyGreenwich, • EXPLORERS CT 06830 • Eileen Collins • LABOR LEADERS • John Sweeney • Mik and Kathy Magee • NATIONALISTS • Eamon deValera • John Devoy • POLITICS • Bill Clinton • Barac [email protected] Moynihan • Tip O‘Neill • Al Smith • SONG AND DANCE • Stephen Foster • Clancy Bros • George M. Coh • John Ford • Jackie Gleason • Anjelica Huston • Grace Kelly • Maureen O’Hara • Gregory Peck • Spenc Sullivan Brothers • WRITERS & MEDIA • Nelly Bly • Jimmy Breslin • Thomas Cahill • Maureen Dow Eugene O’Neill • Ed Sullivan • William Kennedy • SPORT • Maureen Connolly • Jack Dempsey • John M Scully • BUILDERS • Henry Ford • Louis Henry Sullivan • BUSINESS & PHILANTHROPY • Brian P. Andrew Mellon • Thomas J. Moran • Tony O’Reilly • Jack Welch • COMMUNITY • Dorothy Day • Loretta • LABOR LEADERS • John Sweeney • Mike Quill • Mother Jones • LAW • Sandra Day O’Connor • Judge Devoy • POLITICS • Bill Clinton • Barack Obama • The Kennedys (JFK, RFK, EMK, JKS) • Ronald Reag Foster • Clancy Bros • George M. Cohan • Michael Flatley • Gene Kelly • Ed Sullivan • STAGE & SCREEN reen O’Hara • Gregory Peck • Spencer Tracy • John Wayne • THE SERVICE • James Brady • Fr. Duffy • lin • Thomas Cahill • Maureen Dowd • F. Scott Fitzgerald • William Faulkner • Pete Hamill • Frank Mc Connolly • Jack Dempsey • John McEnroe • Mark O’Meara • Gene Tunney • ART • William Michael Harn & PHILANTHROPY • Brian P. Burns • Chuck Feeney • Thomas Flatley • William J. Flynn • Denis Kelleh NITY • Dorothy Day • Loretta Brennan Glucksman • EDUCATORS • Annie Sullivan • John Lahey • EXP Sandra Day O’Connor • Judge John Roberts • MEDICINE • William and Kathy Magee • NATIONALIST RFK, EMK, JKS) • Ronald Reagan • Hugh Carey • Daniel Patrick Moynihan • Tip O‘Neill • Al Smith • S BOSTON COLLEGE Guardian of Irish Culture

While Boston College values and celebrates its growing diversity, it remains ever mindful of its Irish roots.

by Turlough McConnell Clearly, the time is Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, Massa- any of Ireland’s great universities. The Center chusetts, has long been a leading center of Irish for Irish Programs regularly sponsors prominent right for a flourishing studies. Since its founding on the South End of Irish speakers, including Nobel laureates Sea- of Irish studies at Boston in 1863, Boston College has been recog- mus Heaney and John Hume. It also sponsors a nized for its original mission to educate the local concert series, the Gaelic Roots Music, Song, Boston College. children of Irish immigrants. Indeed, the Irish Dance, Workshop and Lecture Series. The Irish connection has always been a hallmark of Institute, headed by Dr. Niamh Lynch, hosts offi- Boston College—represented in the number of cials and policymakers from Ireland and North- present and former students of Irish ancestry, as ern Ireland for professional development well as in the treasures of Ireland’s culture in its programs in areas such as government, non- libraries and archives. Today, the University profit, business, and education. The John J. stands in the limelight of national attention for Burns Library houses the largest, most compre- its interdisciplinary programs in Irish studies. Its hensive collection of Irish research materials in Center for Irish Programs, under the direction of the Western Hemisphere, and annually hosts a University Professor Thomas Hachey, brings distinguished visiting scholar in the field of Irish together all of Boston College’s Irish initiatives, studies to make use of its rich resources and to with oversight responsibility for the Irish Studies offer a course in Irish Studies in the Burns Programs, the Irish Institute, the Burns Library Library. In addition to the resources at Burns, Irish Collections and the Centre for Irish Pro- the O’Neill Library, the University’s main library, grams-Dublin. The Irish Studies program at also boasts a major collection of Irish materials, Boston College is ranked among the nation’s including extensive microfilm sets and database finest, and there is great excitement to be found offerings. The McMullen Museum of Art at Overleaf: The Honorable John J. Burns Library, Boston College, home of the in its classrooms. In addition to being able to Boston College has hosted several major exhibi- largest, most comprehensive collection select from among a wide range of Irish-related tions of Irish paintings, including “America’s of Irish research materials in the Western Hemisphere. All photography courses on the Chestnut Hill campus, BC stu- Eye: Irish Painting from the Collection of Brian by Gary Gilbert, Boston College. dents have the opportunity to study abroad at P. Burns,” and “Eire|Land.”

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More recently, the Center for Irish Pro- grams opened a Dublin branch on St. Stephen’s Green. Led by Academic Director Mike Cronin, D. Phil, the Centre for Irish Programmes-Dublin further establishes Boston College as the preem- inent American university in Ireland and under- scores the relationship between the University and the land of its founding fathers. The Dublin Centre serves as a focal point for the University’s work in Ireland, the UK and throughout Europe. It operates on a multi-disciplinary basis and is open to all BC departments, faculty, students 2. and alumni who work, study or travel in Ireland. 3. Thomas E. Hachey, University Professor of His- tory and Executive Director of the Centers in Boston and Dublin, is Chairman of the Board of Boston College Ireland, Ltd. Boston College’s rise to national renown in the field of Irish studies is, in a sense, the reward for the college’s assuming the role of guardian of the Irish way. An immigrant from 1. Samuel Beckett Centennial Exhibi- County Fermanagh in Ulster, John McElroy, tion, Burns Library, 2006 2. Mick Moloney, Burns Visiting S.J. is credited with the school’s establishment Scholar, performing in Burns by purchasing the land and contracting for the Library 3. 9/11 Memorial Labyrinth at the buildings that housed the original Boston Col- entrance to the Burns Library lege. Though the school’s development was

IRISH AMERICA MAGAZINE supported by prominent people of all nation- alities, Boston College has maintained a spe- cial intellectual and social connection with Ireland. Over the years, academic interest in the University’s Irish tradition has been moti- vated by individuals, often pursued by dedi- cated efforts of lone scholars or groups serving the local Irish community. A 1969 report by the Eire Society of Boston identified the school’s many links to Boston’s Irish, noting the “twenty to twenty-four of its presidents who have borne Irish names.” The current president, William Patrick Leahy, S.J., now in 4. his eleventh year at the helm, has reaffirmed the University’s commitment to its Irish her- itage, while guiding Boston College to a posi- tion of national and international prominence. Some 29,000 students have applied to Boston College for just 2,250 openings in the class of 2011. With a faculty of eminent scholars noted for their multiple contributions to the arts and sciences, to law, business, education, public service, nursing and social work, Boston Col- lege now ranks among the elite institutions in the country, recently listed by Newsweek mag- azine among the “New Ivies.” As one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United 5. 6. States, Boston College is now the fourth- largest private university in New England and ranked among the top 40 American universi- ties by U.S. News and World Report. The ren- aissance in Irish studies builds on this reputation for academic distinction, which is fostered by a supportive infrastructure. Efforts by Boston College to support the school’s Irish connection have always been ambitious, if sometimes short of funds. The present program, which is now flourishing, has precedents in Irish studies courses and programs that were offered at Boston College in years past. Martin Harney, S.J., who taught 7. 8. European civilization for 46 years, also taught 4. Presentation of Yeats Manuscripts to Boston a course in Irish history from 1961 until 1975. College. (from left,) Fr. J. Donald Monan, S.J., former President, now Chancellor, Boston In 1939, John Murphy, S.J. established a College; Anne Yeats, daughter of William Department of Gaelic Studies that lasted until Butler Yeats; Robert K. O’Neill, Burns Librar- ian; Grainne Yeats, wife of Michael Yeats, 1951, when administrative responsibilities the son of William Butler Yeats. forced him to step down. Francis Sweeney, 5. (from left,) Thomas Hachey, University Pro- fessor and Executive Director, Center for S.J., in his role as Director of the University’s Irish Programs, Garret FitzGerald, former prestigious Humanities Series for five decades, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, brought to Boston College many of Ireland’s Steven Tolman, Massachusetts State Senator, Robert K. O’Neill, Burns Librarian greatest contemporary writers, including 6. The late Congressman Joseph Moakley and Padraic Colum, Sean O’Faolain, Richard Mur- Rev. William P. Leahy, S. J., President. 7. Dr. Margaret MacCurtain, Burns Visiting phy and Seamus Heaney. Scholar, 1992-93. Since its creation in 1978, the University’s 8. Burns Visiting Scholar, poet Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill Irish Studies Program has become increasingly

IRISH AMERICA MAGAZINE popular and dynamic, and represents a serious commitment on the part of Boston College lead- ership to the academic exploration of Irish cul- ture and society. It is the first and today one of the leading Irish studies programs in the nation. Students who wish to pursue Irish studies at Boston College can avail themselves of rich interdisciplinary course offerings in art history, history, literature, music, dance, political sci- ence and the Irish language. The enthusiasm for Irish studies at Boston College is due in large part to its two founders, the late Adele Dalsimer, and Kevin O’Neill, pro- fessor of English and history respectively. Their work is being ably carried on by Professors Mar- jorie Howes and Robert Savage, current co- directors of Irish Studies, and their colleagues Professors Thomas Hachey, Kevin O’Neill, Philip O’Leary, Seamus Connolly, Joseph Nugent, Kevin Kenny, Ann Morrison Spinney, Nancy Netzer, James Smith, Vera Kreilkamp, Ruth-Ann Harris, Daniel Sweeney, S.J., Robert O’Neill, Thomas Garvin, Jimmy Noonan, Meaghan Allen and Laurel Martin. The course offerings in Irish studies have uncommon depth; this spring, 17 courses are being offered, in subjects as varied as the modern Irish lan- guage, gender trouble in Irish culture, Irish 9. women emigrants, Irish dance, the tin whistle and the politics of Northern Ireland. More than fifty years ago Special Collec- tions was founded at Boston College by Univer- sity Librarian Father Terence Connolly, whose aim was to give Boston College’s libraries a firm foundation in scholarship. He enlisted and received the aid of alumnus Judge John J. Burns who became one of the two distinguished first patrons. In memory of his father, Brian P. Burns founded the Honorable John J. Burns Library of Rare Books and Special Collections at Boston College in 1986 and endowed the University’s Irish collection—the largest archive of its kind 10. in the Western Hemisphere. With his brother, 9. 17th century Flemish tapestry at entrance to Burns Library donated John J. Burns, Jr., he also established major by Hearst Foundation in honor of endowed books funds that provide for signifi- Judge John J. Burns and in memory of William Randolph Hearst. cant additions to the Burns Library’s holdings. 10. Irish Studies co-founders Professor In addition, Brian P. Burns personally made a Adele Dalsimer (left) and Professor Kevin O’Neill (right) with Dr. Nancy special challenge grant available that enabled Netzer, Director of the McMullen the library to acquire the most comprehensive Museum of Art. group of W.B. Yeats manuscripts outside of Ire- land. Michael Yeats, the poet’s son, commented that “…the Burns Library is an ideal repository for these manuscripts, in view of the long tradi- tion of excellence in Boston College in the field of Irish studies.”

IRISH AMERICA MAGAZINE 11. The Irish Collection at the Burns Library has Archives of the John J. Burns Library seeks to gone a long way toward earning Irish studies its preserve and promote Irish traditional music in reputation. Under the direction of Dr. Robert K. America. The Irish Music Center works closely O’Neill, the library houses 200,000 books, with Séamus Connolly, Sullivan Artist in Resi- 15,000,000 manuscripts, and impressive hold- dence in Irish Music, and the Center for Irish ings of artifacts, maps, paintings and photo- Programs to document the cultural contribu- graphs. The Burns Library has achieved tions of Irish and Scottish traditional musicians international recognition in several areas of in America. The Center’s archives include com- research, most notably: Irish studies; British mercial and field recordings, videorecordings, Catholic Authors; Jesuitana; Caribbeana; and sheet music, manuscripts, photographs, memo- Congressional Archives. In recent years, the rabilia, and books about music. Among its hold- Burns Library has arranged for a number of ings is one of the world’s largest collections major acquisitions, including several important pertaining to Irish tenor John McCormack. collections relating to Nobel laureate Samuel The close ties between the Irish Studies Beckett; the papers of Irish poets Nuala Ni Program and the Burns Library Irish Collection Dhomhnaill, Gerald Dawe and John Deane; the came to full expression with the establishment Samuel Freedman Collection of G.B. Shaw; the of the Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish papers of Thomas Clarke, the first signer of the Studies, a visiting faculty position endowed by a 12. 1916 Proclamation, and of his wife Kathleen, the gift of the Burns Foundation. Each academic first woman Lord Mayor of Dublin; the 5,000- year, the Burns Library welcomes a distin- volume library of Trinity College Professor T.W. guished scholar, writer or artist who has made Moody; the Bobbie Hanvey Photographic significant contributions to Irish cultural and

11. Presentation of Joseph Coolidge Archive of Northern Ireland; the Frederick M. intellectual life. Since its inauguration in Acade- Shaw Medal to Brian P. Burns. Manning Collection of John McCormack; the mic Year 1991-92, eighteen distinguished Irish (from left,) Dr. Robert K. O’Neill, Graham Greene Library and Archive; and the and British scholars have held the Burns Chair, Burns Librarian; Eileen Burns; Brian P. Burns; Dr. Cutberto Garza, papers of British writers Anthony Rhodes and including two former directors of the National Provost; Jerome Yavarkovsky, Uni- Alfred Noyes, to name but a few. Library of Ireland, Alf MacLochlainn and Patricia versity Librarian. 12. Co-directors of Irish Studies, Profes- In addition to documenting the history and Donlon; historians Margaret MacCurtain, Kevin sors Robert Savage (History) and literature of Ireland, the Burns Library has devel- Whelan, T. Alvin Jackson, Peter Gray and Maria Marjorie Howes (English). oped one of the foremost Irish music archives in Luddy; political scientists Paul Bew and Thomas an American university setting. The archive was Garvin; medievalists Timothy O’Neill and founded in 1990 by the Music Department, the Bernard Meehan; literary critics and editors Irish Studies Program, and the John J. Burns Maurice Harmon and Margaret Kelleher; Irish Library, in collaboration with visiting ethnomu- language specialists and poets Sean O'Tuama, sicology professor Dr. Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin. Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, Brendán Ó Buachalla, Inspired by the work of the Irish Traditional and Gerald Dawe; and musician and musicolo- Music Archive in Dublin, the Irish Music gist Mick Moloney.

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15. 16.

14. 17. In March-April 2007, the Burns Library will lend an impressive array of its Irish treasures to the Phoenix Art Museum in support of an exhi- From the Irish Art Collection bition of Irish paintings from the Brian P. Burns of Brian P.Burns Collection. This exhibit marks the third time 13. Paul Henry In the Kingingdom of Kerry (Irish, that the Burns Library has lent treasures to insti- c. 1936-1937) tutions outside Boston to complement the 1 3 oil on panel/ H: 19 /2 in. W: 21 /4 in. exhibit of Irish paintings from the private collec- 14. F.J. Davis The State Ballroom, St. Patrick’s Hall, tion of the Library’s founder. Previous collabora- Dublin Castle (Irish, c. 1845) tive exhibits were organized in 1997 at the Yale 1 1 oil on wood/ H: 37 /2 in. W: 51 /2 in. 15. Walter Frederick Osborne Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecti- Study from Nature (Irish, 1859-1903) cut, and in 2000 at the Kennedy Center for the 3 oil on canvas/ H: 15 in. W: 9 /4 in. 16. Jack Butler Yeats Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. These out- Misty Morning (Irish, 1871-1957) reach efforts underscore the Library’s and the oil on canvas/ H: 9 in. W: 14 in. University’s efforts to heighten awareness 17. Roderic O’Conor Romeo and Juliet (Irish, c. 1898-1900) across America of Ireland’s rich cultural heritage 1 1 oil on canvas/ H:25 /2 in. W: 21 /4 in. and the role that Boston College plays as “guardian of Irish culture.”

IRISH AMERICA MAGAZINE An Exhibition of Treasures from the John J. Burns Library, Boston College And Irish Paintings From the Collection of Brian P. Burns At The Phoenix Art Museum March-April 2007

John J. Burns Library of Rare Books and Special Collections

selection of rare Irish books and original literary manuscripts from the Burns Library’s renowned Irish Collection will be exhibited at the Phoenix Art Museum in spring 2007 in connection with the exhibition of Irish paintings from the private collection of philanthropist BArian P. Burns. The exhibit will include selected books, letters and manuscripts by W.B. Yeats, Jack Yeats, Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, Seamus Heaney, Flann O’Brien and Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill. The Burns Library’s Irish Collection is part of the Center for Irish Programs at Boston College, which also includes the University’s acclaimed Irish Studies Program and Irish Institute. The Burns Library is especially pleased to cooperate with the Phoenix Irish Cultural Center in its efforts to celebrate and promote Ireland’s cultural heritage and to build a library in Phoenix dedicated to this purpose. The Brian P. Burns Irish Art Collection includes well over 100 paintings from the mid-19th to mid- 20th century, reflecting the history, culture and identity of the Irish and their art. The Collection was shown first in 1996 at the McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, then to great acclaim at Dublin’s Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art and at the Yale Center for British Art in 1997 before inaugurating a new gallery at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. to mark the Kennedy Center’s “Island: Arts from Ireland Festival” in May 2000.

“Brian Burns came to appreciate the wonderful talents of Ireland’s visual artists long before they were rec- ognized by the international art community. He began collecting these works more than 30 years ago; his enthusiasm and love for each painting has continued unabated.” – Jean Kennedy Smith, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland

IRISH AMERICA MAGAZINE