Review
Extraordinarily interesting and meticulously researched, says Cathal Coyle
- The Most Famous Irish People You’ve Never Heard Of
- The O’Brien Press
Wherever green is worn…
It’s long been acknowledged that Irish people have left their mark on virtually every corner of the globe.
This fascinating book tells the stories of the Irish who are justly celebrated in their adopted homelands, but who remain virtually unknown in Ireland. The author has brought together an eclectic mix of cross-dressing military figures in Civil War America to a Kerryman who became the first head of the British secret service MI5.
Murphy acknowledges that it wasn’t until he went on holiday to Australia many years ago, that he became aware of the genius of Charles Yelerton-O’Connor, a legendary Australian civil engineer and the Prospector Paddy Hannan – the man who discovered the Kalgoorlie goldfields - which effectively started the largest gold rush in history.
After further research Murphy discovered the two men were both born in Ireland in the early 1840s; Hannan from a poor background in County Clare, while Yelerton-O’Connor came from a privileged upbringing in County Meath. Despite the vast contrast in living circumstances, both arrived in Australia at an early age and between them laid the foundations for developing what is the largest state in the world: Western Australia.
This remarkable discovery by Murphy provided the genesis for a book idea – and the resulting publication The Most Famous Irish People You’ve Never Heard Of celebrates ten other lesser-known Irish people who became famous in their new lands. The final 12th chapter chronicles the achievements of nine Irish-born Olympians, who between them won 15 Olympic gold medals. Ireland didn’t enter an Olympic team during this era, and as Murphy reflects, had Ireland been able to enter a team for the 1908 Olympic Games in London, given the list of medal winners, it would have ranked Ireland fourth in the world - a quite remarkable achievement.
The book also pays homage to notable famous females, such as Cork-born Mary Harris Jones, otherwise known as ‘Mother Jones’, who became a prominent American labour and community organiser – and who founded the Industrial Workers of the World movement.
The book is truly interesting – the facts are meticulously researched by Murphy, with a comprehensive listing of sources: books, websites, periodicals and other resources he used – and listed approximately in the order in which their information appears in each chapter.
Cathal Coyle