Kentucky Irish American., 1913-08-30
President Clarke Putting New
Life Into This Growing
Organization.
Now Numbers i'm Its Membership
Men Prominent i'm Pub
lie Life.
NON-RELIGIOUS, NON.POLITICAL

The American Irish Historical So
ciety has a new President, who is
quitting life into the organization.
This President is Joseph 1. G. Clarke,
scholar, poet and journalist. Mr..
Clarke, who is the author of many
beautiful poems and also of various
volumes of prose and poetry, has con-
Ceived the idea that the American
irish Historical Society should have
G chapter in each State, and with this
end in view has inaugurated a move
ment to form a chapter in Kentucky.
Kentucky has fund of historic in
terest for the Irish, but little of it has
been brought out. The American
Irish Historical Society was organ
lied for the purpose of drawing the
attention of the American people TO
the part played by Irishmen in found
ing this republic. Historians have
either neglected this or when they did
write of the early history gave credit
to others. The American Irish His
torical Society is non-religious and
non-poHtical, Leading Catholics as
we'll as Protestants are included in it's
membership. 1t publishes from year
to year an account of the early Irish
activities in this country, the volume
being neatly printed. Distinguished
scholars contribute to this valuable
work.
Kentucky was populated in its
carly days by Irishmen. 1t matters
not whether they We're Catholic or
u nfn fnS Tvte
fed from Ireland in order to be free
t. secure life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness. Historic papers
ore prepared by members of the So
eiety, and all are accurate. The so
ciety controverts the Scotch-Irish
myth and contends that there are
none such" and If there is to be any
appellation attached to Irishmen it
should be Irish-Scotch. Rather the
society contends that plain Irish is
good enough. A man should be proud
that he is Irish-more so than If he
ere Scotch
About fifteen years ago the Ameri-
can Irish Historical Society was
organized in the East and Thomas
Hamilton Murray was the Secretary
AS labor of love he prepared many
papers, which are published in the
archives and in neatly-bound vol
umes. The first Vice President of |
the organization in Kentucky was
Edward Fitzpatrick, but afterward |
John Slattery was made Vice Presi- |
dent for Kentucky, Mr.. Fitzpatrick |
having severed his connection with |
Kentucky journalism to go to New
Albany for the Courier-Journal and |
Times. The Very Rev. Andrew
Morrissy, Vice President of Notre |
Dame University, is the present Vice |
President for Indiana, and James
Thompson, the Main street distiller,
is the Vice President for Kentucky. |
Mr.. Thompson is so Irish that he has
his firm name printed in Irish over
his door step. Judge Matt O'Doherty
and Lieut.. Gov. Edward j. McDer-
mott are also members of the So
ciety.
1t is hoped by Mr.. Clarke that
Grishmen of ability and capable of
writing history will now join the
society. The dues are but IS a year,
and with this is given the privilege
Of securing the volume of historical
papers. Distinguished men from all
parts of the country are joining, and
Mr.. Clarke, in letter to the editor
Of the Kentucky Irish American, ex-
presses the hope that a chapter be
organized in Kentucky. 1t is a patri-
)tic movement in which every Irish
nan should be interested. 1t is not
Intended to make dollars by the or
but rather to draw at
.ention to the achievements OF the
irish in early days.