Newark History Society Sponsors Panel on the Irish in Newark at The Newark Public Library

A panel of experts will discuss the social and political role of the Irish in Newark at a special roundtable forum sponsored by the Newark History Society and hosted by The Newark Public Library at 6 p.m.,Tuesday, May 8. The discussion will be followed by a tour of the Library's current exhibit, The Irish in Newark and New Jersey, which has been extended through May 19.

Kean University history professor and the author of The Irish in
America Terry J. Golway, of Maplewood, will join state Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin of Montclair and Thomas McCabe of St. Benedict's Prep and Rutgers University in exploring the rich history of the Irish in Newark.

Topics of discussion will include the Catholic Church, ward-level politics, and the social life of the Irish with a focus on the city's taverns and their role in Irish culture and customs.

The panel will respond to opening remarks by Professor Dermot Quinn,author of The Irish in New Jersey, and an associate professor of history and Catholic thought at Seton Hall University.

"We are pleased to host what promises to be a lively discussion among our panelists; one that is sure to expand our knowledge and understanding of the Irish influence on our great city," said Library Director Wilma J. Grey. "The continued interest in the Irish communities in Newark and New Jersey has prompted the Library to extend our current exhibit through mid-May."

The panel discussion will be followed by a gallery tour of the
two-floor display of photographs, memorabilia and ephemera pertaining to the Irish.

"The Irish have been an important part of Newark for the past 150 years," said Timothy Crist, a library trustee and founding member of the Newark History Society. "We are fortunate that this distinguished group of historians and Irish-Americans will help us explore key aspects of the urban experience of Irish immigrants, illustrated so well in the Library's current exhibition."

While the program is open to all free of charge, reservations are recommended by May 3. Anyone interested in more information or in making a reservation is urged to call 973-733-7793.

This exhibition was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey
Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

The Newark Public Library

5 Washington Street

Newark, NJ 07102

973-733-7784

www.NPL.org

My wife, her aunt and cousin visited this display two weeks ago and saw a wonderful display, especially the one on the Spohn Family. Nice addition to the event Jule!

I intend to get up there soon, as it is really a must for me, as both a partial Irishman and a Newarker and a historian.

While on the topic, we will have a new display at the NG Museum in Sea Girt which should be up by May 1 -- a retrospective of the National Guard post from 1885, when the state bought it, through 1945. We have a lot of neat pictures, including large format aerial photos, pictures of Newark Guardsmen marching down Broad Street on their way to the train to Sea Girt, photos from the Newark Sunday Call "Rotogravure" section of Governor A. Harry Moore hobnobbing with Frank hague and other luminaries and political operatives on "Hudson County Day" in Sea Girt in 1926. Moore and Hague had rallies for Al Smith and FDR with over 100,000 Jerseyans, most from Hudson and Essex Counties, on the state land at Sea Girt.

[edited to include name]