45th Anniversary of 1981 Hunger Strike and the 150th Anniversary of the Voyage of the Catalpa Rescue
Join us at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave, Chicago on October 3rd as we both honor the memory of the 10 Men who sacrificed their lives on hunger strike in the H Blocks of the Maze prison in 1981 and the 150th anniversary of the ‘Catalpa Rescue’ of 1876.
Evening begins at 6pm sharp at the main entrance of the Center as we honor the Hunger strikers and then move inside from 7pm till close for a talk and presentation on the Catalpa Rescue and a few “Pints” with music by Kieran Byrne.
We are delighted to have as our special guest speaker Dr. Ruán O’Donnell.
Dr. O’Donnell is an Irish Historian and associate professor in the school of History and Geography at the University of Limerick. He specializes in modern Irish Republicanism and the revolutionary period. He is also a published author.
He will give a talk on the “Catalpa Rescue,” an amazing but little known episode when a group of six Fenians were rescued/escaped from an Australian penal colony by a “Yankee” Whaling vessel called the Catalpa.
The historically documented facts of the whole adventure would seem far fetched in a Hollywood Script.
Attend this free event for an entertaining and educational evening. For info contact Vincent Casey 708-790-8900, Seamus Murin, 312-593-2129 or Jerry Kealy, 773-719-2847
For an enthralling read, check out The Voyage of the Catalpa, written by Peter Stevens
