The Forgotten Irish: Irish Emigrant Experiences in America

by Damian Shiels

Overview

On the eve of the American Civil War, 1.6 million Irish-born people were living in the United States. The majority had emigrated to the major industrialised cities of the North; New York alone was home to more than 200,000 Irish, one in four of the total population. As a result, thousands of Irish emigrants fought for the Union between 1861 and 1865. The research for this book has its origins in the widows and dependent pension records of that conflict, which often included not only letters and private correspondence between family members, but unparalleled accounts of their lives in both Ireland and America. The treasure trove of material made available comes, however, at a cost. In every instance, the file only exists due to the death of a soldier or sailor. From that as its starting point, coloured by sadness, the author has crafted the stories of thirty-five Irish families whose lives were emblematic of the nature of the Irish nineteenth-century emigrant experience.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781845883331
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	10/06/2016
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Damian Shiels is an author and historian who has published and lectured internationally on topics such as conflict archaeology, the post-excavation process and archaeology and social media. His previous published books include The Irish in the American Civil War.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

Preface 9

A Note on Conventions 15

1 Wives and Patents 17

The Garvins: Limerick and New York 18

The Murphys: Monaghan and Illinois 30

The Donohoes: Galway and Massachusetts 36

The Coyles: Donegal and Pennsylvania 39

The Kennedys: Offaly and Ohio 43

The Ridgways: Dublin and Washington DC 47

The Duricks: Tipperary and Vermont 53

The Galvins and Horans: Roscommon, Kerry and Massachusetts 56

2 Community and Society 63

The O'Donnells: Donegal and Pennsylvania 64

The Keegans: Wicklow and Pennsylvania 68

The Delaneys: Laois and Pennsylvania 73

The Bowlers: Cork and New York 79

The Madigans: Kerry and New York 83

The Conways: Offaly and New York 88

The Dalys: Kiidare and New York 93

The Nugents: Dublin and Illinois 98

The Murrays: Dublin, Down and New York 104

The Martins: Deny and New York 108

3 A Life in Letters 115

The Kellys: Galway and Massachusetts 116

The Finans: Sligo and New York 125

The Welchs: Ireland and Maine 139

The McIntyres: Ireland and Pennsylvania 144

The Sharkeys: Ireland and New York 150

The Tiernans: Roscommon and New York 160

The Cans: Derry, New York and Illinois 166

The Devlins: Tyrone and Indiana 174

The Mangans: Dublin and Illinois 186

4 A Death in Letters 197

The Cochrans: Londonderry and Pennsylvania 198

The Finnertys: Galway, Merseyside and Illinois 203

The Hands: Louth and Pennsylvania 209

The McNamaras: Ireland and New York 212

The Cairns: Dublin and New Hampshire 216

The Carrolls: Ireland and New York 219

The Welshs: Ireland and Pennsylvania 226

The Scanlans: Ireland and New York 231

Epilogue - The Forgotten Irish 239

Bibliography 241

Notes 253

Index 275