(VIDEO) “The Irish Soldiers of Mexico” [] Rotary Club Program

Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende
– Rotario Midday, A.C. –

“The Irish Soldiers of Mexico”

Recorded: Tuesday March 16, 2021

YouTube Link:  https://youtu.be/Ivs9qODMuZA

There is a curious adornment in many of the Catholic Churches throughout Mexico.  In fact, our own Parroquia in San Miguel de Allende features a statue of St. Patrick, prominently located near the front and to the side of the shrine of Guadalupe.  But what is a statue of St. Patrick doing in a Mexican Church?

The Midday Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende was pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Hogan, author of the book The Irish Soldiers of Mexico.  This is the story of a group of men, mostly Irish, who fought on the Mexican side during US invasion of 1846-48. They were members of an artillery unit called Los San Patricios, or Soldiers of St. Patrick, and saw action in almost every battle of the Mexican War. They were captured in August 1847, and forty of them were executed in what was “the largest hanging affair in the history of North America.”  Hogan’s book was the inspiration for two major documentaries and a feature film starring Tom Berenger.

In this presentation, Hogan will discuss why they joined the Mexicans, why the punishments imposed were so harsh, and why they have become a legend in Mexico. He will also share some of his discoveries as he investigated the history, including a buried cache of US rifles under a Mexico City convent.

Michael Hogan is an historian and the author of 26 books including the Irish Soldiers of Mexico, Abraham Lincoln and Mexico, and Guns, Grit and Glory: How the US and Mexico Came Together to Defeat the Last Empire in the Americas. He is a former professor of International Relations at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, and Emeritus Humanities Chair of the American School Foundation of Guadalajara. He lives with the artist, Lucinda Mayo, and their Dutch Shepherd, Lola.

Rotary is where neighbors, friends and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders and take action to create lasting change. For more information contact President Skip Essick at skipessickmedia@gmail.com