Irish Authors To Speak

Inspired by the Irish patriot John Devoy, the Catalpa Affair is one of the most audacious tales in Irish and Irish-American history. Born in New York City, carried out on the high seas and in Australia, the Catalpa Affair was the rescue from an Australian prison of Fenian prisoners. This stranger than fiction story is the subject of the talk at the March 13 meeting of the Irish Cultural Society at 8 p.m. in the Garden City Library, 60 Seventh Street, across the street from the Garden City Hotel. This meeting is open to the public.

Phillip Fennell and Marie King have edited two books on the Catalpa Affair, The Catalpa being the whaling vessel used in the venture. Their first book was Voyage of the Hougoumont and Life at Fremantle: The Life of an Irish Rebel. The material in that book was the subject of their talk to the Society in September 2003. Their second collaboration is John Devoy's Catalpa Expedition. The material in this book is the primary source of what we know about the planning for and execution of the daring rescue. Mr. Fennell and Ms. King will tell their audience about the saints and sinners who carried out this unimaginably bold adventure.

At this meeting Martin Kelly, the president of the Society, will provide details of the Easter Monday Memorial Service to be held on April 9 behind the Supreme Court Building in Mineola.