7:00 PM
EVENT DETAILS: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 7 p.m. ET On Zoom Free and open to the public. Registration required.
The Blue and the Green: The Irish of Portland, Maine During the Civil War is the compelling second volume in Matthew Jude Barker’s series on the Irish experience in Maine. Following his acclaimed book Becoming American, this installment turns to the 1860s, exploring how Portland’s Irish community navigated one of the most turbulent periods in American history. As the Civil War erupted, Irish immigrants and their American-born children were faced with a difficult choice: remain on the fringes of society or fight for a country that had not yet fully accepted them. Many enlisted in the Union Army, joining Irish regiments and the famed Irish Brigade, seeking both patriotic purpose and social acceptance. Others contributed from the home front, working in the shipyards, organizing in churches, or sending sons and brothers off to war.
About the presenter: Matthew Jude Barker has been a genealogical and historical researcher since 1981 and is a resident historian at the Maine Irish Heritage Center (MIHC). Since 1996, Matt has written Maine history articles for periodicals, including Portland Magazine, Galway Roots, Discover Maine, and The Bollard. He has contributed to four books, including They Change Their Sky: The Irish in Maine (2004), and John Ford in Focus (2008), and is the author of The Irish of Portland, Maine, A History of Forest City Hibernians (2014), Becoming American (2025), and The Blue and the Green (2025).