Michael Davitt museum proposed for Scranton Pennsylvania

A leading Democrat politician in the US city of Scranton, Pennsylvania wants to open a museum dedicated to the work of Michael Davitt in his home city.

Bill Gaughan who is the Democratic nominee to run for Commissioner for Lackawanna County in Pennsylvania in November's General Election is on a visit to Co Mayo this week to visit the ancestral homes of his great-grandparents, who came from Lisaniska in Knockmore and Attymass.

A 36-year-old teacher, Gaughan topped the poll in the Democratic primary in May and is seen as one of the leading lights of the party in Scranton, which is also the hometown of US President Joe Biden.

Gaughan visited the Michael Davitt Museum in Straide on Thursday in recognition of Davitt's connection with Scranton. Michael Davitt's father Martin is buried in Scranton and Gaughan said he wants the Davitt story to be told in his home city.

“I did not know a lot about Michael Davitt but I found out he had a very connection with the city of Scranton as it is where his father and some of his family is buried. I have done my own research on Michael Davitt and he used to come over to the city of Scranton and stay in his brother-in-law's hotel. I found an article in the Scranton Tribune where there is a beautiful article where Michael Davitt stood for four and a half hours by himself at the grave [of his father].

“I stumbled upon another article where there were Land League groups formed because of Michael Davitt in the city of Scranton. In one meeting there were around 1,500 people in Nay Aug Park in Scranton who met because of Michael Davitt. The history is rich, the tradition is rich and we want to keep the story going and keep the faith.

“One of the things I want to do if I win in November is to open up a museum in the city of Scranton that honours the story of Michael Davitt and the contribution Michael Davitt played not only to north Mayo but also to the city of Scranton. Hopefully we will get funding for that and tell the story because a lot of people in Scranton and Lackawanna County do not know that story but they should,” he said.

Mr Gaughan, who was elected to Scranton City Council at the age of 26 was welcomed to Straide by Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Michael Loftus and by Yvonne Corcoran Loftus, the curator of the Michael Davitt Museum in Straide.

This was Mr Gaughan's first visit to Ireland and he admitted it was his first time on a plane. He joked he had the rosary beads out as he experienced turbulence for the first time crossing the Atlantic. He said he was overjoyed by the welcome he and his parents have received as they visit family members in the Knockmore and Attymass areas.

North Mayo has a rich connection with Scranton dating back to the mid 1800s and Mr Gaughan said that he hopes to strengthen the ties between Scranton and north Mayo if he is elected Commissioner.

“The connection between the city of Scranton and north Mayo is an unbelievable story. One of our first Mayors was a guy called John Loftus who was from Foxford. He was the man who laid out most of the streets in the city of Scranton. That was the story of the Irish immigrants who came to Scranton,” he said.