1921

The IFC suspends all activities for three months, in deference to the delicate Treaty Talks taking place between the British government and delegates from Ireland, including 31-year-old Michael Collins, who would go on to wage a guerilla war against British troops in Ireland and whose brother, Patrick, was a member of the IFC.

1928

William T. Cosgrave, the first President of the Irish Free State, visits Chicago and is the guest of honor at an IFC dinner. The President’s visit is a cause for celebration among the city’s Irish population. As his entourage drives north on Michigan Avenue toward a scheduled luncheon at the Drake Hotel, thousands line the street and cheer. There is only one recorded boo.