One of the most powerful secret societies in 1880s Chicago was the mysterious Clan na Gael, run by Irish-American kingpin Alexander Sullivan. When Dr. Patrick Cronin questioned Sullivan’s management of the organization, embrace of the controversial “dynamite policy”, and disappearance of society funds, he was targeted and eventually murdered.
My guest is Gillian O’Brien, author of “Blood Runs Green: The Murder That Transfixed Gilded Age Chicago”. She talks about Clan na Gael’s once powerful influence, the deadly rivalry between Sullivan and Cronin, and the unintended consequences of their hatred towards each other – the crippling of a late 19th century movement towards Irish independence.
Gillian O’Brien’s blog: gillianmobrien.wordpress.com
More about the book: press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo19966410.html
