By chance I had drawn a friend of mine (he's my senior by maybe 15 years) into a discussion yesterday. Got him talking about his gravedigger father up in Chicago. I knew that his father had left Ireland abruptly in the mid-1920s - many of my relations had left in the same era. His uncle is the South Chicago Trad musician, Terry 'Cuz' Teahan.

Anyway, he talked at length about his father's gravedigger buddy - a kindly man by the name of Conn Dee.   He said there was a big fuss when Conn left Ireland as well.   I was surprised today to find this story

Conn Dee's Story

and I figured it fits this thread.