Irish History and Culture

Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears

Pictures set to music of Ellis island.

Recently, I've been aware of how much more connected I am to everyday people than to the elite, famous, rich, powerful, learned and wise. My grandmother was fond of saying: "Show me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are" or "You are judged by the company you keep" and "Never forget where you come from". One of my grandfather's gems: "There is no end to what you can accomplish as long as you don't have to take credit for it". Their grandparents came to the USA from Ireland passing through Ellis Island. My grandparents were humble and of modest means. My grandmother finished 8th grade and my grandfather might have completed HS---not sure. They passed along to us a sense we were 'less than' the educated and well to do...... coupled with a fierce loyalty to their roots and their friends. They were 'nobody's from nowhere' in the eyes of the world. To me, they remain the embodiment of all that is good in the world. They were common people yet so extraordinary to me. So, some music and video to celebrate their lives..............................

Kevin Keough

Red Crow says goodbye And sends a greeting to his Irish friends

Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman bids farewell to this world and sends a special greeting to his Irish friends. American Indian Movement "Minister of Culture" passes into the spirit world.

Irish in America Video

A quick glance at Early Irish Americans.

The Irish Americans: A History

MP3 File

Length-1 hour, 18 minutes, 38 seconds

Dr. Kevin Keough, host of the Warrior Traditions and North Star Guardians podcast, interviews Dr. Jay P. Dolan, author of The Irish Americans: A History published by Bloomsbury Press.


Jay P. Dolan, PhD., is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Notre Dame. He has written or edited numerous books related to the history of American Catholicism. His book, The American Catholic Experience: A History from Colonial Times to the Present, is recognized as the standard history of Catholicism in the United States. Other titles include In Search of an American Catholicism, a study of how American culture has shaped Catholicism over the course of the past 200 years.  He has lectured widely across the United States and also in the British Isles. Most recently he was a visiting professor at the University of Chicago. Professor Dolan was also a visiting professor at Boston College and University College in Cork, Ireland. He served as the President of the American Society of Church History and also the American Catholic Historical association. He is only one of four individuals who have served as president of both these scholarly societies during the course of their history. He has also served on numerous editorial boards for scholarly journals and publication series. Professor Dolan founded the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism in 1975 and served as its director until 1993. Visit his webpage.