Speaking in the Irish American Heritage Centre Chicago

Professor Ruan O’Donnell, School of History and Geography, spoke in Chicago’s Irish American Heritage Centre on 1 October 2026. The event marked the 150^th anniversary of the arrival in New York of six Fenian prisoners rescued from penal servitude in Western Australia. The dramatic story of the Catalpa mission has been marked in Ireland, Australia and the USA. The men numbered Martin Hogan of Barrington Street, Limerick, who is buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery, Chicago. The coup was recognized by Seanad Eireann on 14 April 2026.