New book on Irish Diaspora features Callan man James Hoban Reporter: '); '); One of Kilkenny’s most famous emigrants is featured in a new book about Ireland’s Diaspora. Historian and story-teller Turtle Bunbury has brought together the stories of 40 men and women from Ireland “whose pioneering journeys beyond the Irish shore played a profound role in world history.” One of those featured in the book is Callan native James Hoban. Hoban designed the White House in what is now Washington DC, the home of American Presidents. His chapter in the book sets out his journey from south Kilkenny to America, telling the tale of how the son of tenant farmers rose to design some of the most important and historic buildings in the USA.