Kentucky Irish American
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Publisher | William M. Higgins |
| Founded | July 4, 1898 |
| Language | English |
| Ceased publication | November 30, 1968 |
| Headquarters | Louisville, Kentucky |
The Kentucky Irish American was an ethnic weekly newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky, which catered to Louisville's Irish community.
It was first published on July 4, 1898, founded by William M. Higgins. It was a four-page weekly. Higgins would run the paper until his death on June 9, 1925. He based it in the heavy-Irish neighborhood of Limerick at 319 Green Street, even after the Irish residents began moving away from Limerick to other parts of Louisville.[1][2]
The Kentucky Irish American was distinctly Irish, and would de facto serve the Catholic community of Louisville. After
After Higgins' death, the Kentucky Irish American became a Barry family publication. John J. Berry was Higgins' first associate, working with him to begin the paper, and continuing it after Higgins' 1925 death. Berry's son, John Michael (Mike) Berry, ran it after John J.'s death in 1950 until the end of the paper's run. Mike's brothers and wife helped to publish it, and it was distributed by Mike's brother Joseph's children. It was during Barry's time that the annual Saint Patrick's Day edition would be printed with green ink. In 1934 Mike began a back-page sports section, which remained in the paper, save during the hiatus caused by World War II.[2][4]
The 1930s saw the Kentucky Irish American regularly defend
The newspaper's offices were moved from Limerick to Breckenridge Street in 1966, but interest in the paper still waned. The final issue was published on November 30, 1968. Mike Barry became a sports writer for The Louisville Times and commentated on sports for both WAVE television and radio. Following his death in 1992, he was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame on April 10, 2000.[4][5]
The University of Louisville has copies of almost all issues of the Kentucky Irish American, held on sixteen reels of microfilm due to the paper's fragility.[6]
Notes
- ^ Kleber, John E. Encyclopedia of Louisville. (University Press of Kentucky). pg.474.
- ^ a b c "UofL – Kentucky Irish American". Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ^ a b Kleber 475
- ^ a b Kleber 474, 475
- ^ Six Are Inducted Into Kentucky Journalism Hall Of Fame
- ^ University of Louisville Libraries – University Archives & Records Center
See also The Irish in Louisville, M.A. Thesis University of Louisville, 1974 by Stan Ousley Jr.
References
- Mike Barry and the Kentucky Irish American: An Anthology on Google Books.