User talk:NeilArmstrong

'''"All great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage." Let me close with an Irish toast that often comes to mind at the end of a long day in Washington ? "May the devil chase you every day of your life and never catch you." As I always mentally add to that toast, if the devil isn't at least chasing you, you're probably not doing it right? and you're probably not Irish. Thank you and Erin Go Braugh! “

JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY'''  MORE PURPLE HEARTS AND SACRIFICE THAN ANY OTHER NATION.....and when the peace was won....the contributions continued and continue The vogue of commemorative reportage viz World War11 and to a lesser extent WW1 in the media have overlooked contributions from citizens of Ireland (where other nationalities are specifically mentioned). One of the greatest air aces serving with the RAF during WW2 was spitfire pilot Patrick(Paddy) Finnucane. Countless historical programmes never make reference to 'Irishness 'when the subject is of a heroic nature. It is invideous to make comparisons in matters of such gravitas but in the interest of balance and enlightenment; it ought to be noted that per capita of population, the Irish (North and South )have had more Victoria Cross honours than any other nationality and in numbers alone are second only to their English 'brothers'. English 614 qv list of recipients infra. Irish 190 awards. (North and South) Significantly, US Purple Hearts and Medals of Honour distinguised a sizeable proportion of the 100's of thousands Irish; and Irish- Americans who fought in battles throughout modern history with the USAF/Marines and Navy. ---. THE IRISH FRONTIERS Beyond fighting on fields and sea; the Irish diaspora made their mark in the ultimate FRONTIER(1956-0NGOING) ...space. Some if not all of the following relating to 'space'; I attribute to the NASA web-site Over the years, there have been a number of Irish American astronauts(as with all inclusions I mean Irish from all political and religious persuasions). The most famous of whom was John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth. Neil Armstrong ,another peerless pilot of many jets and the first man on the surface of the earth's moon. Other individuals among the astronaut corps with a Celtic heritage include: Edward A. White, the first American to E.V.A. (walk in space); James McDivitt, Commander of Gemini IV and of Apollo 9; David R. Scott, who was on Gemini VIII and Apollo 9; Richard Gordon; Michael Collins, the pilot of Apollo 11 that first brought man to the moon's surface; Gerald Carr, who retired to be Project Director for a 300 inch telescope for the McDonald Observatory. Another Celtic astronaut was Bruce McCandless, whose father won a Medal of Honor in 1942, Bruce McCandless made the first space walk untethered. Don McMonagle was one of the Flight Engineers of the shuttle Discovery in 1991. In 1994 he was the Shuttle Commander of Atlantis. Marine Corps Colonel Bryan O'Connor, was Mission Commander aboard Columbia in June 1991. On the same flight was medical doctor, Andrew "Drew" Gaffney. Two more Celtic Astronauts were: John McBride; and Mike McCulley, a former submariner and pilot. Astronaut Thomas Jones flew B-52s and worked for the CIA before becoming an astronaut. Shuttle pilot Brian flew the Atlantis in March, 1992. On board with him, among others, was veteran Kathy Sullivan. Kathryn Sullivan was the first U. S. woman to walk in space (October, 1984). Kathryn, later flew on the shuttle mission that deployed Hubble Telescope (1990). In 1991, she was Payload Commander on a shuttle mission to study the earth's atmosphere. In 1992, Ms. Sullivan left NASA to return to her original field of study, oceanography, when she accepted an appointment as Chief Scientist of the National Ocean and Atmosphere Administration. Eileen Collins was an Air Force Lieutenant Colonael and a test pilot before she became an astronaut. She has logged 4,100 hours in 30 different aircraft. She was the first woman to pilot a space shuttle. Endeavor pilot Brian Duffy was also with the Air Force and a test pilot before becoming an astronaut.Colonel Duffy has two, children, Shaun and Shannon. There are countless other Irish connections to the United States Space program. Cy Baker was Executive Officer of the Astronaut Office. He was also a veteran officer of the Dick Dowling Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Cy arranged for the Division's three foot Irish tricolor flag to be carried into space aboard the first shuttle, Columbia, in April, 1981. Other than the American flag, it was the largest flag carried into space aboard a U. S. flight.

FROM THE NASA WEBSITE The first word from the moon's surface radioed back to earth was `Houston'. The complete sentence was Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed. There was ample reason for the first word in space to have a Celtic origin and be tied to Texas. The first Irish Catholic President was John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Because of his political ties to Texas through Lyndon Johnson and Sam Rayburn, Kennedy came to Texas in 1962 to make an important announcement. At Rice University stadium in Houston, Texas, Kennedy announced the program to overcome the Soviet lead in space and to be the first to put a man on the moon. To accomplish this mission, Kennedy stated, there would be the need for a center to coordinate all the aspects of manned spaceflight. That center was the Manned Spacecraft Center, later the name was changed to honor Lyndon B. Johnson and called the Johnson Space Center. The facility is located in the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. In the speech at Rice University, Kennedy answered the question of why man should venture into space: We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new, terrifying theater of war. Texas became home to the astronauts who worked at the Johnson Space Center. end

Leaders; peacemakers and revolutionaries.

The American Revolution Irish-Americans who signed the Declaration of Independence: Matthew Thornton, George Taylor, James Smith, Edward Rutledge, Thomas Lynch, Thomas McKean, George Read, and Charles Carroll. Irish-Americans made up from 1/3 to 1/2 of the American troops. Including 1,492 officers and 26 Generals. --- The American Civil War Seven Union Generals were Irish-born. 150,000 Irish-Americans fought for the North in the Civil War. 39 regiments had an identifiable Irish component. Sixteen Colonels in the Union Army were Irish-born. An estimated 80,000 Irish-Americans fought for the South. Six Confederate Generals were born in Ireland. Eleven Colonels in the Confederate Army were born in Ireland. All of them were Americans! The first two casualties of the American Civil War were Irish. At Ft. Sumter during the surrender ceremonies on April 14, 1861, a cannon exploded killing Pvt. Daniel Hough instantly. Pvt. Edward Galway was severely wounded and died a short time later. They would not be the last to die in service to America. Seventy Irish-born Americans received the Medal of Honor during the Civil War. Through World War I, Two Hundred and two Irish-Born soldiers received the medal. The number goes way up if you include Americans of Irish ancestry. Eighteen of America's presidents were of Irish heritage: John Adams, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Rossevelt, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan and William Jefferson Clinton.

John Barry Father of the American Navy. Daniel Boone Along with the likes of McGrady, Harland, and McBride started Kentucky settlements. Davy Crockett Fought under Andrew Jackson (also of Irish descent), served in Congress and died when the Alamo fell in Texas. Bat Masterson: Son of Catherine McGurk from Northern Ireland. Gunfighter, buffalo hunter, Indian fighter, and frontier lawman who assisted Wyatt Earp in Dodge City. He went on to be a newspaperman inn his later years. Henry McCarty (changed his name to William Bonney known as "Billy The Kid." ) Made into a legend through the fiction of Hollywood, "The Kid" accepted a pardon, but is double-crossed in the process and escapes to be killed in the dark, unarmed at the age of twenty-one.. Jeremiah O'Brien Wild Bill" Donovan; Colonel of the "Fighting 69th" in World War I, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Congessional Medal of Honor, a Purple Heart with two oak leaf clusters and the Croix de Guerre. After the war he headed up the Office of Strategic Services (which evolved into the CIA.)

WW2/Korea/Vietnam

American pilots of Irish descent are legion. Many excelled to become 'aces' in many theatres of conflict. WW1;WW11;Korea; Nam; Gulf; Iraq. Many more Irish Americans served with distinction (and sacrifice) in the US Navy; Marines; SEALS; Special Forces. Political influence the Irish had on America.

"From the Halls of Montezuma, To the Shores of Tripoli" The US Marine Corps anthem dedicated to the Irish American Presley O'Bannon. Fittingly, both Commodore Barry and Lieutenant O'Bannon; but two of thousands of Irish-Americans who have served heroically in the Navy and Marine Corps?have given their name to Destroyers serving today in the U.S. Navy?Commodore Barry is honored by the second Aegis Destroyer, the Barry; and Lieutenant O'Bannon by the 25th Spruance Destroyer, O'Bannon. Indeed, from the opening salvo of the American Revolution through the present, the battle reports of the Navy and Marine Corps sparkle with Irish names. Some, like Admiral William Leahy, may be familiar because he was the first Irish-American five star Admiral -- one of only four in the history of the republic. My father is a retired Naval Officer, and I wish he could be here tonight, for he is yet another link in the long blue and green lines that pass from Commodore Barry and Lieutenant O'Bannon to our Navy and Marine Corps today. And, indeed, the exploration and adventuring spirit of those early Irish-American naval officers are the lineage of the modern exploration conquests in space as well. The descendants of the Apollo legacy are present with us today in the space program. Our leader of the space flight program is Bill Readdy, veteran astronaut commander of space shuttle flights, and retired Captain, United States Navy. Veteran astronaut and Marine Corps Colonel, Bryan O'Connor bears the enormous challenge of leading our safety and mission assurance effort. Jim Reilly, descended from County Cork lineage, and presently Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy is an active member of the astronaut corps, a veteran of prior missions and slated to serve of a future mission upon our return to flight; as are the Kelly twins, Mark and Scott, both Navy test pilots and veteran astronauts, and Douglas Hurley, a Navy test pilot, and a member of the most recently selected astronaut class. But, of course, the pantheon of great space exploration veterans of Irish American descent is not exclusively restricted to naval service roots..Michael Collins, the command module pilot on Apollo 11, the first mission to land on the moon, served with great distinction in the Gemini and Apollo programs and clearly overcame his Air Force pedigree. Namesake Eileen Collins was the first Commander in the Space shuttle programme. The list of men and women with proud Irish allegiance are as long as the roster of test flight pilots and air aces. Names that are more instantly recognisable being Glenn and Armstrong. And that list of prominent Irish American went on…. Brian O'Leary was but one of only two astronaut scientists in the Apollo program; Kathryn Sullivan is the first woman astronaut to conduct a space walk, and included in the annals of the "Greatest Irish Americans of the 20th Century" Paul Haney joined NASA when the agency was formed in 1958 and through the Apollo era was known by Walter Cronkite as the "Voice of Mission Control" Catherine "Cady" Coleman, a veteran astronaut, will be Marshall of the Holyoke, Massachusetts St Patrick's parade in two weeks time and recipient of the John F. Kennedy National Award -- and her prime contribution, she's played the flute with the Chieftains along with Canadian astronaut Kris Hatfield. And of course, our hopes and dreams for the future of the space exploration venture will ride on the next space shuttle flight STS-114 with the mission Commander, Eileen Collins whose Irish ancestors came to the United States two generations ago and who would never have imagined that a future family member would be among the 100 most influential Irish Americans of 2003. I hope that the qualities of the Irish -- good humor, spirit, stubbornness in the right cause, and the ability to keep your head up when the going gets hard -- will continue to stand us in good stead in the space exploration community. We will need them in the days ahead as NASA goes through critically important These challenges call for bold innovation, and, in some cases, sweeping changes. Our goal is to reshape NASA into a tightly knit, highly efficient, focused community capable of regularly repeating the amazing achievements we see evident in the present Mars expedition. A goal worth struggling for as the desire to explore is written in the human heart. I am here tonight as an Irish American proud to be part of the journey, and with the right determination, I firmly believe we will succeed”. Forty-one years ago in his last public speech President John F. Kennedy, another Irish-American of naval service lineage, spoke about his passion for the space program, at the dedication of San Antonio's Aerospace Medical Health Center. The date of this speech was November 21, 1963, the day before he was felled by an assassins' bullet. Addressing the subject of our infant space program, the President who opened the door to our first great adventure beyond Earth, relayed a story told by the Irish writer Frank O'Connor. This story defines what NASA is all about. "O'Connor wrote how as a boy he and his friends would make their way across the countryside," said Kennedy. "When they came to an orchard wall that seemed to high and too doubtful to try and too difficult to permit their voyage to continue, they took off their hats and tossed them over the wall so as they had no choice but to follow them." The President concluded, "This Nation has tossed its cap over the wall of space, and we have no choice but to follow it. Whatever the difficulties, they will be overcome. Whatever the hazards, they must be guarded against. With the help of all those who labor in the space endeavor, with the help and support of all Americans, we will climb this wall with safety and with speed:and we shall then explore the wonders on the other side." There's nothing particularly easy, I've come to find, about the challenges of exploration other than its wide appeal as a human instinctive desire. The "how-to" is debatable and after controversial. It is with that in mind that I see such profound linkages to our early naval traditions of tenacity and the ability to overcome adversity. Indeed President Kennedy expressed a quintessential Irish philosophy that "All great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage." Let me close with an Irish toast that often comes to mind at the end of a long day in Washington ? "May the devil chase you every day of your life and never catch you." As I always mentally add to that toast, if the devil isn't at least chasing you, you're probably not doing it right? and you're probably not Irish. Thank you and Erin Go Braugh! “

JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

--- The Irish have always been a catalyst for progress in America. For instance, it is estimated that during the American Revolution between one-third and one-half of General Washington's forces, including 1492 officers, were of Irish descent. Once the struggle was won; many Irish Americans diverted their energy and courage to subduing the "Wild Frontier." . Such names as Daniel Boone, first to explore Kentucy, was originally Daniel Buhun; Davy Crockett, John C. Calhoun; Kit Carson;Bat Masterson; Pat Garrett; and Sam Houston (the first president of Texas)were the first of an Irish litany of names to make their contibution to the Great American 'experiment'. Eight of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were of Irish descent. The document itself was handwritten by Irish-born Charles Thomson and printed by another Irishman, John Dunlap. These facts have been generally overlooked or conveniently forgotten; as the 'power base' were of a WASPish disposition.

There have been and still are many other famous Irish-Americans working in many different occupations from actor/directors/performers to senators, surgeons; doctors; architects, industrialists, journalists, sports figures, writers, boxers, and a Supreme Court justice Other notable Irish Americans are automaker Henry Ford, architect Louis Sullivan, astronauts John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, actors Marion Morrison (John Wayne); writers Edgar Allen Poe and F. Scott Fitzgerald, U.S. presidents Andrew Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant, just to name a few and to mention more......

Some of many Irishmen(South and North;past and present) with a scientific and empirical nature

Astronomer Edgeworth –before Kuiper he made reference to Jupitor’s rings. First female astronomer Irishwoman Dill Russell Everitt Thomas Grubb for Telescopes and optical instruments William Rowan Hamilton –Mathematician extraordinaire. Francis Beaufort for work on windspeed. Similaly, Thomas Robinson. Edmund Davy -discovery of actylene torch. James Martin-ejection seat. Harry Ferguson--anti-skid and 4 wheel drive/flew planes /invented airfix…and still had time to build up a tractor manufacture empire. James Drum-battery powered trains. Peter Rice-engineer who inspired architects throughout the world. He pioneered use of materials including cast steel and glass. Maxwell Simpson-chemistry. Francis Chesney-military surveyor.(Father of Suez canal) One of the greatest Mining Tycoons’ was one Marcus Daly from Cavan, who developed the worlds’ largest coppermine in Montana USA. William Hunter McCrea John Gregg-shorthand script.

LITERATURE and the ARTS Samuel Beckett(genius and playwright) James Joyce,(novelist) Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, novelist and satirist Oscar Wilde, novelist, poet, satirist George Bernard Shaw, (individualist; unigue human;novelist, playwright, Bram Stoker (author of Dracula, and more) Brendan Behan, playwright, novelist; bon viveur or drinker) Oliver Goldsmith - novelist and dramatist Sean O'Casey, playwright Seamus Heaney, William Butler Yeats, poet John Millington Synge - dramatist Patrick Kavanagh,poet Francis Ledwidge, poet Thomas Moore - poet Richard Brinsley Sheridan, playwright John Fitzgerald Kennedy's speech to the Irish Parliament Laurence Sterne - novelist George Barrington John Banville, novelist Brian Friel, playwright

Irish- American contribution to Literature include… Eugene O’Neill America's most respected playwright who wrote "Long Day's Journey Into Night" and "The Iceman Cometh. F Scott Fitzgerald. Mickey Spillane Tom Kenneally (nom de plume Tom Wolf) Actually the list is endless. Did you know that John Steinbeck's mother was Irish? Read the book list author names for the last 200 years. We shall move on to save space

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Irish American; American-Irish; who made significant contribution to cinema In my personal order of greatness JAMES CAGNEY SPENCER TRACY JOHN FORD (born Sean Aloysius O'Feeney) Ford directed "Stagecoach," "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon," Cheyenne Autumn," "The Informer," and many other great films that have become classics.. JOHN HUSTON (ancestry) Director of classics such as "The Maltese Falcon," "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," "The Red Badge of Courage," "The Aftican Queen,", "Moby Dick," "The Man Who Would Be King," and many others. BURT LANCASTER, JACK LEMMON, GREGORY PECK, TYRONE POWER, JACK NICHOLSON WALTER BRENNAN. AUDIE MURPHY( because he was the most decorated American hero in real life.) ROBERT RYAN ROBERT REDFORD(yes! remarkably you might think!; but he is) PAT O'BRIEN EDMOND O'BRIEN JOHN WAYNE (Marion Morrison.) BUSTER KEATON MICKEY ROONEY BING CROSBY ART CARNEY, CARROLL O'CONNOR, JACKIE GLEASON, ERROL FLYNN, WARREN BEATTY(he is here because any higher would make his head explode) ANTHONY QUINN(Irish-Mexican) GEORGE KENNEDY SEAN PENN JOHN CUSACK(nephew of Joan) EDWARD NORTON ED HARRIS GEORGE CLOONEY MARTIN SHEEN( of Irish and Spanish extraction)) MEL GIBSON AIDAN QUINNKEVIN KLINE DENNIS LEARY (award-winning comic actor) BILL MURRAY PATRICIA NEAL MEG RYAN SHIRLEY MC LEAN ANGELICA HUSTON MAUREEN O'SULLIVAN ( actress, mother of Mia Farrow) MIA FARROW, GRACE KELLEY, JOAN CUSACKAunt of John) MAUREEN O'HARA MARGARET O'BRIEN, SHIRLEY MACLAINE(despite her quirkyness) MARY TYLER MOORE(surprised me too!) and many lesser talents Jennifer Connolly; Megan Murphy Shannon O'Doherty On Television

Johnny Carson (Here's Johnny seminal influence on 'chat show' genre for 40 years) Phil Donoghue (equally influenced the 'studio question format' for 35 years) Conan O'Brien. Writer/Producer of Sex and the City….Michael Patrick King. Writer Producer of Nip Tuck….Ryan Murphy

Bill Maher. Rosie O' Donnell John F. Sullivan who changed his name to "Fred Allen (Anyone familiar with early 20th Century radio knows Allen's brand of comedy.) and Writers /Directors and performers for most hit shows of the last 50 years. Look!…as one in six Americans have Irish ancestry and the remainder wish they had …I feel adding anything here would be tedious to the reader…as it is proving wearisome to me. God invented Guinness to stop the IRISH from taking over the role. Miscellany of inspirational Irish

James Hoban from Kilkenny; designed and supervised the executive mansion between 1792 and 1800. When the British burned it in 1814, he oversaw the reconstruction after which it was known as "The White House.".

John Philip Holland-A submarine designer who finally convinced the U.S. Navy to use submarines in 1900.

Henry Ford: Son of an Irish immigrant who married during the American Civil War. Started the Ford Motor Company and the rest is history. Willis O'Brien advanced the technique of "stop motion" photography for the film "The Dinosaur" in 1913. He went on to use the technique for "King Kong" in 1933.

Stephen Foster: America's finest nineteenth century popular song composer. Mathew Brady -- Born to Irish immigrants, Brady is the best known 19th Centiry photographer..

George M. Cohan: Grandson of Michael Keohane from County Cork. Give My Regards To Broadway, Yankee Doodle Boy, and You're a Grand Old Flag are tunes that George M. Cohan left as part of the American Musical tradition.

Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Son of William Brennan of County Roscommon. With the exception of William O. Douglas, has written more opinions than any other Supreme Court justice in U.S. history. Dr. Thaddeus Cahill developed an electric typewriter in 1901. John and Lionel Barrymore In the 1920's the American stage belonged to the Barrymore's. It was said that when Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet," he had John Barrymore in mind for the part. " Nellie Bly (born Elizabeth Cochrane).First made America conscious of the woman reporter by making a trip around the world in 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes. (To name a few)

IRISH on this side of the pond……

Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris Liam Neeson Daniel Day-Lewis Pierce Brosnan Colin Farrell Neil Jordan, author, film director Michael Gambon Milo O'Shea Barry Fitzgerald Stephen Rea Gabriel Byrne Patrick Bergin Colm Meaney women-actors Fiona Shaw(Shakepearian classicist and film ;tv) Sinead Cusack(ditto) Niamh Cusack (ditto) Sorcha Cusack(ditto) etc etcetc

Music

The Beatles ...Yes afraid so..(check the ancestry) viz Mc Cartney/ Harrison/ Lennon. (incidently the latest to say he had Irish roots was in fact Ringo) Eddie Cochrane Bill Haley Elvis(had Irish/scots roots) Van Morrison Jim Morrisson of the Doors(Irish ancestry) Declan A Mc Mahon aka Elvis Costello has Irish ancestry. Morrissey of the Smiths. Spike Milligan Michael Palin (he has mentioned Kilkenny roots) and even the late Kenny Everett. More locally U2 The late and sadly ignored genius of Rory Gallagher(had he being British...Eric Clapton would be just another session player. Thin Lizzy The Undertones. Clannad Enya Hot House Flowers. The Chieftains, traditional music group The Dubliners.

A FEW IGNORED FACTS

The listing for sport I will try to address soon, but lest it’s ignored forever, the greatest icon of the 20th century Mohammed Ali(Cassius Clay)had Irish ancestry. Is it all that surprising given his alacrity with wit ;charm and physicality. Odessa Grady Clay, Cassius Clay's mother, was the great-granddaughter of the freed slave Tom Morehead and of John Grady of Ennis, whose son Abe had emigrated from Ireland to the United States. She named her son Cassius in honor of a famous Kentucky abolitionist of that time. It is not to be overlooked that the appellation 'Clay' was regarded as a slave name by the great one. One of many South American Irish Diametrically opposite in the political dialectic to Irish American politcians seemingly,but nevertheless the outstanding ‘socialist’ figure of courage and intelligence was one -Ernesto Guevara. Che had an Irish heritage of which he was proud of. He was born in Buenos Aires in 1928, the first child of Ernesto Guevara Lynch and Celia de la Serna. Ernesto Guevara Lynch's mother, Ana Isabel Lynch, with whom Che's family lived for years and to whom Che grew especially close, was the daughter of immigrants who had sailed to Argentina from County Galway, Ireland, at around the time of the Irish Famine.

And finally....

For the purpose of brevity you will be overjoyed to hear I by-passed several pages of Irish contributions in medicine and science in South America; the Far East and Australia; and Africa.