IAW&A members Larry Kirwan and Charles R. Hale have collaborated on a video, “San Patricio Brigade,” the story of nineteenth-century Irish immigrants who arrived in NYC, joined the army, and were sent off to fight in the Mexican American War.
Led by John Reilly, a number of the Irish, disgusted with their treatment at the hand of anti-Catholic officers, deserted and joined the Mexican cause. Many of the soldiers were captured, convicted and hanged for treason; Ireland and Mexico, however, commemorate the lives of these men.
Larry wrote the song, which Black 47 performs, and Charles added photos, artwork and video clips to create this short film.
A special thanks to Stephanie Silber and Vic Zimet for uncovering a number of Black 47’s video clips.