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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 2005- » 2005 (March-April) » Archive through April 19, 2005 » Reifreann « Previous Next »

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Daithí
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Posted From:
Posted on Thursday, April 07, 2005 - 03:41 pm:   Edit Post Print Post


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Dancas1
Member
Username: Dancas1

Post Number: 51
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Friday, April 08, 2005 - 04:23 am:   Edit Post Print Post

A Chara

Re: Your review of Scorcese's cracked-eopic Gangs of NY.


There were no Irish gangs called the Dead Rabbits or Plug Uglies in NYC's Five Points. Those munikas (names) were a figment of the fervid nativist imagination of the Hibernophobe anti-Catholic NY Times and other Orange tinted newspapers in the mid-19th century
"Big" Áth Béil.

There were Irish-American gangs with Irish names (covered over by English phonetic overcoats) go leor (or galore if you prefer) though, like Patsy Conroys, Shirtails, Buckaroos, Mackerels, Why-Os, and in early 20th century the Gorilla Gang, Parlor Mob, Marginals, and Gophers.

But no Dead Rabbits or Plug Uglies. Those are phoney munikas (or monikers, if you prefer.)

The Plug Ugly Gang were the Baill Óglaigh of the Roach Guard and other Volunteer companies.

In 1855-1857 during the great war between the nativist paramilitaries and the Baill Óglaigh, the Irish American Volunteers came out on top (temporarily.) In 1858 Clann na Gael was founded in the Five Points by some of those same Baill Óglaigh. Just goes to show one persons plug ugly gang in Be/arla is another persons volunteer militia in Gaeilge.

The names of those gangs in English are as phoney as the word phoney, which even the Anglo-Saxonist phoneys of the OED know is from the Irish word for a "ring."

Sadly, so much of what is written about the Five Points is bunkum or perpetual invention as in buan-chumadh. See TJ English's new book Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish Amercian Gangster for the real sce/al.

Interesting site...but no Dead Rabbits, mo chara.

Beannacht

DC

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Daithí
Unregistered guest
Posted From:
Posted on Friday, April 08, 2005 - 08:20 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Ní raibh Dead Rabbits sa stair.
Ach, sgríobh mé faoin scannan agus bhí siad sa scannan alright! ;-)

Mar a duirt me, bhi an stair casta ag an scannan.

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Dancas1
Member
Username: Dancas1

Post Number: 52
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Sunday, April 10, 2005 - 02:37 am:   Edit Post Print Post

'S cam an scannan foirfe

DC



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