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Home The Saga Archives Wild Geese Shops Bookstore Classifieds Heritage Key Dates Events WGT Forum Gallery Lands of Exile Living History Resources Bibliography Guest Book Contact WGT About Us PROUD SPONSORS OF WGT: David Kincaid presents "The Irish-American's Song: Songs of the Union and Confederate Irish Soldiers, 1861-1865," his long-awaited sequel to "The Irish Volunteer". With 36-page full-color booklet with lyrics, photos, and illustrations. Can anyone ignore the situation of Ciarán Ferry? If forced to return to Belfast, Ferry, his wife and 2-year-old daughter (both U.S. citizens) will be in grave danger. Please help. "NO IRISH NEED APPLY": New CD offering the history of an Irish Brigade regiment through 14 Civil War-era songs—most not heard for a century. Includes 40 pages of history and lyrics. From The Gallant Sons of Erin. For questions or a purchase, e-mail us. To learn more, visit our site. Now in paperback: Commanding Boston's Irish Ninth, edited by Christian G. Samito "These letters reveal the very soul of a very special Irish immigrant." —The Irish Edition $20 fordhampress.com, 1-800-247-6553. Only available at the Newshound Bookstore: FREMANTLE MISSION by Séan Ó Lúing. Published in 1965, it remains the best account of this tremendous Irish-American success story from 1876. NEWSHOUND: Links to Daily Newspaper Articles About Northern Ireland. VISIT THESE OTHER FINE IRISH SITES: Tara Hall, Headquarters for 'Fighting 69th' and Irish Brigade Memorabilia, online at Fighting69th.com. Get an "Irish Brigade" t-shirt or sweat shirt with the graphic shown above from the Wild Geese Today's Irish Brigade Shop The Irish have fought in every corner of the globe and in nearly every uniform. Read their stories in A Military History of Ireland. Get an "Irish America: The Fenian Tradition" shirt, or other WGT item at the Wild Geese Today Store

Register for The Wild Geese Today e-mail updates. More reviews from WGT: Kincaid's 'The Irish-American's Song' Well Worth Waiting For 28th Massachusetts' 'No Irish Need Apply' a Standout Review: 'Rock of Erin' Album A Noble Cause, A Mixed Result From the fields of America's reenacted Civil War comes a music CD that provides you with the feel of soldiers around the campfire and an opportunity to help maintain and preserve our Civil War heritage. By Kevin P. Gorman and Thomas M. Kehoe Special to The Wild Geese Today The cover of "Rock of Erin," featuring the artwork of Don Troiani. "Rock of Erin" is not a collection of Irish rock songs as the name might suggest, neither is it a Civil War-only assortment of period tunes as the cover art might imply. It is, rather, an eclectic mix of original, traditional and Civil War period-specific tracks produced and performed by members of the 69th Pennsylvania Irish Volunteer Band, a Philadelphia-area reenactment unit. "We are not your typical Irish band," Dr. Robert A. Levine told WGT. Levine is a Philadelphia-area periodontist by day and a charter member of the band. "We are not professionals, but a bunch of reenactors who enjoy doing good things. None (of us) gets paid." All funds, generated by the band's performances and sales of the album, are channeled to Civil War and history-related causes. These include efforts to ensure that Civil War battle sites are preserved, that graves of veterans are properly marked and maintained, educational grants are available to encourage young people to study American history, and to support causes of Irish historical significance. The 69th Pennsylvania reenactors at Gettysburg's famed "Copse of Trees." The group, dedicated to the memory of the men of the original 69th , has raised more than $23,000 during the last four years. Their most creative fund-raising effort has been production of "Rock of Erin," which is dedicated "to the members of the 69th (Pennyslvania) who gave their last full measure for the preservation of the Union at Gettysburg," as the album cover conveys. The original 69th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, nearly 90 percent Irish, was recruited principally at Philadelphia and served in nearly all of the major battles fought by the Army of the Potomac. The regiment is legendary for its fortitude in repulsing Pickett's Charge at the heart of the Union defense of Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg, known as "The Angle." (The nearby copse of trees, one of Gettysburg's most famous landmarks, was the Southerners' target.) The 69th Pennsylvania band performs at Philadelphia's City Hall. At first glance, one would expect the album to consist of tunes to which our great-great grandfathers may have marched, but the 19-track collection here includes several pieces that postdate the American Civil War and others which are original to the band, including the light-hearted, unusual, and frankly somewhat self-aggrandizing opening song Welcome, along with the title track. The band fares well on traditional Irish tunes such as "The Minstrel Boy," "County Down," and "Foggy Dew," as well as the inspiring Civil War standard "Battle Cry of Freedom." It is evident that these songs would naturally be staples in the band's repertoire—they are the most-tightly and energetically played on the album. These are the tunes one would most enjoy hearing the band perform in a tavern or around a campfire. AT A GLANCE "Rock of Erin" 69th Pennsylvania Irish Volunteers, 2003 19 Songs To order: "69 PA Irish Volunteers" PO Box 14598 Philadelphia PA 19115 $15.00 plus $3.95 S&H. For information, call the 69th's Tami at (215) 677-8686. Make checks payable to "69th PA Irish Volunteers" Website: here. As Levine reminds us, though, the group is, after all, a collection of well-meaning amateurs. So, not surprisingly, we found the album lacking, in both the quality of the original pieces performed and, particularly, the group's vocal skills, both solo and harmony. Better production would have helped, as clearly little embellishment or enrichment was done to enhance the sound quality of the album. As well, the band's choral singing could have been tighter. Many songs are sung as loud whispers and the solo singers do not even attempt to hold onto many notes. Nevertheless, it is an admirable first effort for the singular reason that the band's hearts are in the right place. "Rock of Erin" is their way of saying "thank you" for your financial contribution to their nonprofit cause. For a modest donation ($18.95, shipping and handling included), the 69th presents you with their "labor of love," a musical journey that took 18 months to complete. Not bad! If you're strictly looking for something polished focusing on the Irish experience in the American Civil War, you might be better served by the albums of David Kincaid or Derek Warfield. However, for music you can feel good about, if only for the satisfaction of knowing your purchase helps advance historic causes, give "Rock of Erin" a try. Editor's Note: The band's second album, "Soldier Boy," goes into production this autumn. WGT Contributing Editor Kevin P. Gorman (kpgorman@thewildgeese.com) is a senior marketing and strategic programs manager with a global telecommunications provider and an occasional American Civil War living historian. He graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo with major in history and political science. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Gorman is a fifth-generation Irish-American, residing in Fairport, N.Y. Thomas M. Kehoe, a musician with a broad interest in musical genres enjoys music history and its migration to America, especially Traditional Irish music. A passionate genealogist who has lived and worked in a variety of cities in the United States, he has come back home to Rochester NY where he is a Support Manager for a global telecommunications firm. Related Resources: DerekWarfield.com WGT's Archives: The Irish in America's Civil War Buy a hat, shirt, mug or other great "WGT" item at Show the world you are one of "The Wild Geese" Search WWW Search TheWildGeese.com E-mail us for more information about The Wild Geese Today Click to return to The Wild Geese Today's Home Page Copyright © 2003, GAR Media. All rights reserved.