Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Johnson, Guy

(Encyclopedia)Johnson, Guy, c.1740–1788, Loyalist leader in colonial New York, b. Ireland. He emigrated to America as a boy and married (1763) a daughter of Sir William Johnson, whom he succeeded as superintenden...

Quill, Michael Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Quill, Michael Joseph, 1905–66, American labor leader, b. Co. Kerry, Ireland. Quill was active (1919–23) in the movement for Irish independence before emigrating (1926) to the United States. He wo...

shamrock

(Encyclopedia)shamrock, a plant with leaves composed of three leaflets. According to legend it was used by St. Patrick in explaining the doctrine of the Trinity; it is now used as the emblem of Ireland. An artifici...

Barry, John

(Encyclopedia)Barry, John, 1745–1803, U.S. naval officer in the American Revolution, b. Co. Wexford, Ireland. He went as a youth to Philadelphia, where he was a trader and a shipmaster. In the Revolution he comma...

Ormonde, James Butler, 2d duke of

(Encyclopedia)Ormonde, James Butler, 2d duke of, 1665–1745, Irish soldier. He was the son of Thomas Butler, earl of Ossory, and grandson of the Ist duke, whom he succeeded in 1688. A staunch Tory and popular mili...

Pearse, Patrick Henry

(Encyclopedia)Pearse, Patrick Henry pērs [key], 1879–1916, Irish educator and patriot. He was educated for the law but early in his career made himself part of the Gaelic movement in Ireland. Pearse was active i...

O

(Encyclopedia)O, 15th letter of the alphabet. It is a usual symbol for a mid-back, rounded vowel, rather like the first part of oi. Such a vowel was represented by omicron [Gr.,=little o], its formal and positional...

England, John

(Encyclopedia)England, John, 1786–1842, Irish Roman Catholic churchman in America, b. Cork. He studied, was ordained, and ministered to several parishes in Co. Cork. His parishes were poor ones, but he became wel...

filigree

(Encyclopedia)filigree fĭlˈĭgrē [key], ornamental work of fine gold or silver wire, often wrought into an openwork design and joined with matching solder and borax under the flame of the blowpipe. Filigree is u...

Farquhar, George

(Encyclopedia)Farquhar, George färˈkər, –kwər [key], 1678–1707, Irish dramatist, b. Londonderry (now Derry), Ireland. After his short career as an actor ended when he severely wounded a fellow actor in a st...
 

Browse by Subject