Notre Dame and The Fighting Irish

Location:  Gettysburg, PA
Year:   1863

Father William Corby CSC (1833-1897) was the Chaplain of New York's Irish Brigade during the Civil War. He is most famous for blessing the troops as they went into battle. After the Civil War, Father Corby became the first President of Notre Dame University in Indiana, a position he held twice. Notre Dame gets its nickname, "The Fighting Irish" from its association with Father Corby and the New Yorkers he blessed.