My 2025 reading list leans hard into the big, difficult stuff - atomic fire over Japan, mass graves in Rwanda and Bosnia, the Molly Maguires, Irish soldiers in blue, and one unforgettable novel about a single patch of New England ground. These are the books that shaped his thinking this year about memory, violence, grief, and how we tell stories. Read the full story.
In 1859 at Tuckerville Colliery in Schuylkill County, 32-year-old Irish mineworker John Hinch was pulled headfirst into the breaker rollers - an unthinkable death reported in chilling detail by the Miners’ Journal. His story lays bare the daily peril of Coal Region work before safety laws existed. Read the full story.
Step inside Eckley’s 1861 Church of the Immaculate Conception - built for Irish Catholic mineworkers and later deconsecrated, then immortalized in the film, The Molly Maguires. Today, it stands restored as part of Eckley Miners’ Village, a testament to faith and community in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region. Read the full story.
On Election Night 1864, politics turned deadly in Tremont, PA. After Schuylkill County voters re-elected Congressman Myer Strouse, a band of Irish mineworkers—calling themselves the “Bloody 69th”—paraded through town. Hours later, 25-year-old George W. Thompson was beaten to death. No one was ever tried. This is the Coal Region’s volatile Civil War era—press bias, ethnic tension, and justice denied—told through one forgotten murder. Read the full story.
In January 1865, an Irish emigrant in Scranton wrote home with urgency and affection: he’s prepaid a passage, warns that “gold is so high,” and begs his brother-in-law to come—packing pipes, oatmeal, and “Paddy’s eye water.” Amid war, paper money, and longing, the letter captures the costs, logistics, and hope of Coal Region migration. Read the full story.
In June 1877, Schuylkill County Prison in Pottsville prepared for the largest mass execution in Pennsylvania history, hanging six men accused of being Molly Maguires. Controversial trials, largely based on Pinkerton detective James McParlan’s testimony, left lingering doubts about whether the executions were justice or a crackdown on Irish labor activism. Read the story.
In June 1862, weigh boss Frank Langdon was fatally beaten in Audenried, possibly over Civil War loyalties and wage disputes. Future “Molly Maguire” John Kehoe was later convicted, a controversial verdict that still defines this grim, yet little remembered chapter of Coal Region history. Read the full story.
Join me, Fin Dwyer, and Damian Shiels on the “Transatlantic” podcast for a deep dive into how 19th-century Irish newcomers shaped coal mining communities in eastern Pennsylvania. From labor battles to cultural legacies, discover their enduring impact on the region’s history. Listen to the full story.
A haunting interview from 1861 reveals Private John Lanahan’s remorse after fatally shooting Major Arnold Lewis in a whiskey-fueled rage. Discover how an Irish immigrant’s fleeting moment of violence led to a shocking public execution – and a cautionary tale for other Civil War soldiers. Read the full story.
Alexander Campbell, born in County Donegal, Ireland, settled in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region after the American Civil War. Accused of involvement with the Molly Maguires, he was executed in 1877, leaving behind a haunting legacy. Follow his journey from Donegal’s rugged coastline to the gallows at Jim Thorpe. Read the full story.