From Coleraine to Broadway: The Irish Spy Who Saved George Washington

You’ve heard his name shouted on Broadway:
“Hercules Mulligan! I need no introduction!”

But what many fans of Hamilton might not realise is that this bold, cloak-and-dagger revolutionary wasn’t born in New York—but in Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

Yes, one of George Washington’s most trusted spies hailed from the Causeway Coast.

From Linen to Liberty

Born in Coleraine in 1740, Hercules Mulligan emigrated with his family to New York as a child. He eventually opened a tailoring business in Manhattan, where he made suits for high-ranking British officers. But behind the measuring tape and fine cloth, Mulligan was working for the American cause—risking his life to spy on his own customers.

Charming, clever, and completely underestimated, Mulligan had exactly what the revolution needed: access. British soldiers confided in him, unaware that he was passing on their plans to the rebels—often through his enslaved assistant, Cato, who acted as a courier. The pair were an unlikely but critical link in Washington’s intelligence network.

The Spy Who Stitched Up the British

Mulligan is credited with saving George Washington’s life not once, but twice. He intercepted information about planned ambushes and relayed it in time for the general to change his movements. Washington never forgot it. When the war ended, one of his first acts in New York was to publicly visit Mulligan’s home—sending a clear signal that this Irish tailor had been a hero all along.

Ireland’s Unsung Revolutionary

Thanks to Hamilton: The Musical, Mulligan’s story has found a new generation of fans—bursting onto stage in a blaze of defiance and swagger. But long before Broadway, his real-life tale stretched from Coleraine’s cobbled streets to the very heart of America’s fight for freedom.

At The Harrison Chambers of Distinction, we celebrate Irish figures who shaped the wider world—from poets to painters, rebels to revolutionaries. Mulligan's legacy is just one thread in the rich tapestry of Irish history—and a perfect reminder that sometimes the most powerful weapon isn’t a musket, but a sharp ear and a sharper mind. Book into The Hercules Mulligan Suite for a stay never to be forgotten