Because of Great Britain’s stranglehold on Ireland which was compounded by the devastating pota-to famine of 1845-1849, hundreds of thousands of Irish Catholics emigrated to the United States. Most of them landed in New York City. Once in New York, those who could typically moved on, but “the destitute, the disabled, the broken down, the very young, and the very old, having reached New York, stay. Those who stay are predominantly the scattered debris of the Irish nation.” Those were the words of the Irish Catholics’ New York archbishop, “Dagger” John Hughes. In this lecture, discover how “Dagger” John was a point of light (and to learn how he got his nickname).

For those who would prefer an audio version of this lecture, an mp3 file is available HERE. Interested in catching up on the whole series? A playlist of all the lectures can be found HERE.