The @WhiteHouse was one of hundreds of landmarks across America to turn green for #StPatricksDay. As is well known, the building. was designed by Kilkenny architect James Hoban. But this is far from the only Irish imprint on the DC landscape. A short thread on a long history.
Walk into the @bankofireland in Parliament House & you might be reminded of the @uscapitol. The ceiling of what's now Statuary Hall resembles Parliament House because Sir Edward Lovett Pearce's plans were closely studied when designing the Capitol.
The oldest Catholic church in Washington DC, St Patrick's, was established in 1794 to serve the Irish-American stonemasons who were building the @WhiteHouse and @uscapitol. Like @POTUS@JoeBiden, the founding priest Fr Caffrey was a proud Mayo man!
Some think that the Statue of Freedom, atop the @uscapitol, faces east to greet immigrants coming from Europe throughout the 1800s. Fitting, then, that she was designed by Thomas Crawford, himself the son of Irish immigrants.
The 'Father of the American #Navy,' Commodore John Barry, grew up in #Rosslare. He was the first commissioned @USNavy officer, commissioned by none other than George Washington. Statues of him are in Washington DC, Philadelphia & in #Wexford (home to #JFK too)
Finally, at 1.3 miles from both the #USNavalObservatory & @WhiteHouse, our Embassy is equidistant from the homes of @VP Harris & @POTUS Biden. While our meetings yesterday were virtual, our doors are normally open if our neighbors & friends ever need a place to meet half-way!
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Pre-pandemic, I had the chance to travel widely across the US, visiting nearly forty of the fifty states. Alongside political, economic & community contacts, I always called into a College, many of which had fantastic Irish studies programs. A thread on US-Irish educational ties.
Having written several books on Irish history & literature, I've enjoyed the chance to speak with students at over 30 🇺🇸 universities, including @GUGlobalIrish & @GIHNYU, that have #IrishStudies programs. They're connected through @ACIrishStudies, a close partner of the Embassy.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, @IrelandAtlanta is small but mighty. Covering 7 states across the Southeast, CG Ciara O’Floinn & her dynamic team work to promote Ireland & serve our citizens, always appreciating the Southern hospitality they encounter along the way.
The Consulate works with our community & many friends across the south to promote our culture, values & interests. Aided by wonderful Honorary Consuls, they're kept busy providing consular support to the growing number of Irish citizens moving to the dynamic cities in the region.
Atlanta has a special place in the history of civil rights & this is a focus of the Consulate’s community outreach. This week, they partnered with Nettie Washington Douglass to support a school named after her great-great-grandfather, abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
It's a long, long way from Tipperary to San Francisco. But that's where Rose O'Halloran moved to & where, as a brilliant amateur astronomer, she became the first person to see a giant sunspot emerge on the sun’s limb. More here: bit.ly/3vKipFk
The 'Mother of American Modernism' & one of the most gifted painters of the 20th century, Georgia O'Keefe was born in Wisconsin, but spent much of her remarkable career in New Mexico, the inspiration for much of her work.
In 1892, 17 year old Cork woman Annie Moore became the first person to pass inspection at Ellis island in New York. For so many Irish, New York was then - as it remains today - the gateway to America. It's home to our largest Consulate, @IrelandinNY. 1/5
.@maddenciaran1, like Annie Moore a proud Cork native, is our Consul General there. He leads an exceptional team who, in addition to that most Irish of cities, serve Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, & West Virginia. 2/5
In a difficult year, the Irish community in New York showed indomitable spirit & solidarity - meitheal. The Consulate was proud to support the efforts of the #Slainté2020 partnership to provide assistance to those most in need through the first months of the pandemic. 3/5
This is the economic impact of bookshops, jobs in towns and villages all over the country. When you shop local that money stays in the local economy. Your euro is far more valuable when spent in an Irish bookshop
Harder to quantify is the social impact of bookshops. We have so many regulars who just come in for a chat about books and well, life. These people are cut off from a vital social outlet during lockdown.
Then there are the books themselves. Book sales were strong during lockdown, helping to make the richest man in the world richer. Sadly so many books that should have got attention did not. An algorithm won't tell you about a new author, a hidden gem from a small publisher.
This is a bloody difficult question! It has been such a strong year with so many really great books. I'm not pinning it down to so I will follow with a short thread. #IrishBookWeek
Starting with this. @mistereatgalway could have easily given us 2 books with this, his coddle has been added to our rotation and I will be making Gur Cake over this lockdown if I can. There are a couple of pheasant recipes I'm looking forward to trying this season #IrishBookWeek
I'm not fully through this collection of stories but I think that @Oeiny has done an incredible job capturing the oral tradition of the Irish Traveller community. Beautiful illustrations by @LMCDART. Follow @SkeinPress for groundbreaking Irish publications