Sons of Irishmen have stood in the front rank of American statesmen and diplomats who represented their country abroad.  To mention but a few:  Richard O’Brien, appointed by Jefferson American representative at Algiers; James Kavanagh, Minister to Portugal; and Louis McLane, Minister to England in 1829 and afterwards Secretary of State in 1832.  In recent years, an O’Brien has represented American interests in Italy and Japan; a Kerens in Austria; an Egan in Chili and another of the same name in Denmark; an O’Shaughnessy in Mexico; a Sullivan in Santo Domingo; and an O’Rear in Bolivia.

Among historians were John Gilmary Shea, author of numerous historical works; Dr. Robert Walsh, a learned historian and journalist of the last century, whose literary labors were extensive; McMahon and McSherry, historians of Maryland; Burk, of Virginia; O’Callaghan, Hastings, and Murphy of New York; Ramsay of South Carolina; and Williamson of North Carolina, all native Irishmen or sons of Irish immigrants.

In the field of American journalism have been many able and forcible writers of Irish birth or descent.  Hugh Gaine, a Belfast man, founded the New York Mercury in 1775.  John Dunlap founded the first daily paper in Philadelphia, John Daly Burk published the first daily paper in Boston, and William Duane edited the Aurora of Philadelphia in 1795.  All these were born in Ireland.  William Coleman, founder of the New York Evening Post in 1801, was the son of an Irish rebel of 1798; Thomas Fitzgerald founded the Philadelphia Item; Thomas Gill, the New York Evening Star; Patrick Walsh, the Augusta Chronicle; Joseph Medill, the Chicago Tribune.  Henry W. Grady edited the Atlanta Constitution; Michael Dee edited the Detroit Evening News for nearly fifty years; Richard Smith, the Cincinnati Gazette; Edward L. Godkin, the New York Evening Post; William Laffan, the New York Sun; and Horace Greeley, the New York Tribune.  All of these were either natives of Ireland or sprung from immigrant Irishmen, as were Oliver of the Pittsburgh Gazette, O’Neill of the Pittsburgh Despatch, John Keating of Memphis, William D. O’Connor, and many other shining lights of American journalism during the last century.  Fitz James O’Brien was “a bright, particular star” in the journalistic firmament; John MacGahan achieved fame as a war correspondent; Patrick Barry of Rochester, an extensive writer on horticultural and kindred subjects, was the recognized leader of his craft in the United States; and William Darby, son of Patrick and Mary Darby, and Michael Twomey were the ablest American geographers and writers on abstruse scientific subjects.

In the field of poetry, we have had Theodore O’Hara, the author of that immortal poem, “The Bivouac of the Dead”; John Boyle O’Reilly; Thomas Dunn English, author of “Ben Bolt”; Father Abram Ryan, “the poet priest of the South”; James Whitcomb Riley; Eleanor Donnelly; M.F.  Egan; T.A.  Daly; and Joseph I.C.  Clarke, president of the American Irish Historical Society.