![]() ![]() Memorabilia and artifacts adorn every surface of The MacSwiney Club and have, quite literally, become part of the furniture, holding as much prominence and weight as the people who pass through its corridors every day. "You can tell by the frame that it's very, very old." "It's been in the same position in this room for as long as I can remember, and I've never met anyone who's been able to tell me the history behind it. "I have no way of knowing where the portrait came from", he admits. In Philadelphia, 100,000 people packed out Center City, where Eamon de Valera, the first President of Ireland, gave a speech in the Metropolitan Opera House on Broad Street about how MacSwiney "gave up his life for his country".Īfter offering a pint of Guinness for the walk-round, Joe, whose family hails from Co Donegal, points out the portrait of MacSwiney staring off nobly into the distance that hangs on the wall - an image that has become a club staple. Over a million people, in Ireland and around the world, including American cities like New York, Boston, and San Francisco, gathered on streets, in churches, and in stadiums to mourn the Republican mayor. Tom Regan, from Co Mayo, passed away in 1991 (Image: The MacSwiney Club) ![]() He was a playwright, author, and politician, and was elected as Sinn Féin's Lord Mayor of Cork during the Irish War of Independence in the same year he passed. Terence MacSwiney, the Lord Mayor of Cork and the Commander of the Cork Brigade in 1916, died on 25 October 1920, the seventy-fourth day of his hunger strike in England's Brixton prison. "We don't advertise and there are no signs outside - we keep a low profile but our mission statement is to extend our legacy and Irish and Irish American heritage throughout the US. The first board was formed by Thomas Regan and a couple of his relatives and close friends. "The worldwide notoriety of his hunger strike affected everyone, certainly the members of the Clan. "Essentially, we've been around since the 1880s but the real starting date that we recognize is 1920 when the club was formally named The Terence MacSwiney Club. "In 1920, after Terence MacSwiney's passing, the club decided they would still be connected with the Clan but would dedicate a separate club solely to his memory," Joe McGettigan, the manager, told. The MacSwiney Club has been described as "Philadelphia's best-kept secret" (Image: The MacSwiney Club) Having evolved from Camp 100, Clan Na Gael, ("Children of the Irish"), and the Irish American Club of Philadelphia, the club stands as an anchor of Irish culture - where all things green are treasured, preserved, and cultivated.ĭescribed as "Philadelphia's best-kept secret" by An Scáthán and where "the traditions and passions of a united Ireland are kept alive" by the Philadelphia Inquirer, the club has also stayed committed to playing a positive role in Ireland's future, directly inspired by the hardships endured by figures like MacSwiney in the early 20th century. To get the best of Irish history, culture, and folklore sent straight to your inbox, sign up for our FREE newsletter. ![]() The MacSwiney Club is what inhabits the space on the charming, residential street, and whose 100-strong member group was founded in honor of Terence MacSwiney (1879-1920), an Irish patriot, statesman, and martyr in 1920. ![]()
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