Did you know?
- That Mary Ann Harkin, who grew up in St. Dominic’s Parish, the daughter of Irish emigrants, was one of the first noted entertainers from the local Irish community who sang throughout New England?
- That Portland-born Bernard Devine, son of Irish emigrants, was a noted artist, art critic (for the New York Times) and successful art collector?
- That long before John Ford, Portland’s Irish produced many noted entertainers of their day, including Emily Flaherty, Leila Farrell, Bartley McCullum, Eddie J. Sullivan, Tommy Glynn, and James Garrity?
- That the second bishop of Portland, James Augustine Healy, the son of a Galway emigrant and a slave woman, is recognized now as the first American Catholic bishop of African heritage?
- That among the Portland Irish’s favorite sports was rowing (sculling) and that Michael F. Davis was the most famous of the rowers who also was an inventor, boat builder, and boating teacher at Yale University?
Learn more about the history of Portland’s Irish community at the launch of “The Irish of Portland, Maine: A History of Forest City Hibernians” by Matthew Jude Barker. Click here for more information. Hope to see you there!
