Telling the story of the Irish Echo over a century - and using that inspirational journey as a springboard for new generations of Irish Americans — was in focus this morning at the inaugural meeting of the Irish Irish 100, a committee set up to mark the paper's centenary in 2028.
Topping the agenda was the pulling together of an authoritative list of all archive copies of the paper from its founding by Charlie 'Smash the Border' Connolly, a native of Monaghan Town in October 1928.
It's known that there is no extant copy of the first edition available but various university and public libraries across the U.S. (and in Ireland) do hold limited archives of back copies of the Irish Echo.
These include editions from the 1930s available on the online resource, irishnewsarchive.com and in the New York Public Library holdings. NYU Glucksman also has copies on microfiche. There are also physical copies of the paper in the American Irish Historical Society library and, reportedly, at Villanova University.
Dr. Christine Kinealy, who will chair an archive sub-committee of Irish Echo 100, is keen to draw together a database of all sources for back copies which can be accessed by researchers and organisations interested in exploring specific themes as a part of the centenary celebrations.
"The first step in telling this story is identifying the source material - back copies of the Irish Echo - so we would be delighted to hear from anyone who has access to back copies whether in their personal collection, or in institutions."
Christine can be contacted via the Irish Echo. THE PAST IS PROLOGUE: Nicholas Malito, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Amy Dickinson and David O'Brien Suetholz, International Brotherhood of Teamsters at Irish Echo 100 kick-off
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Irish Echo publisher, thanked attendees, both in-person and virtually, at the kick-off meeting for the centenary celebrations.
"It's crucial to shine a light on the past and to pay due homage to those who laid the path for Irish America but equally we want this 2028 celebration to be about the vibrancy and vigour of a new generation of Irish American activists and advocates."
Attending the Irish Echo 100 Committee first gathering were Nicholas Malito, former President Irish Business Organisation of New York, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Connla McCann and Amy Dickinson of Irish Echo, David O'Brien Suetholz of Kentucky who is Chief Legal Counsel with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Irish Meitheal founder Det (rtd.) Brian McCabe, Brian Sharkey of Grand Council of United Irish Societies, Jack Butler of Philadelphia, Jack O'Donnell of Albany, NY, Marilyn Madigan from Ohio, representing LAOH, Mike Breen of New Jersey, Sean Moynihan and John Foley of Boston, Dr Christine Kinealy, and playwright John Kearns.
