Breaking the Code of Silence:
The Irish and Drink
“Drinking in Ireland is not simply a convivial pastime, it is a ritualistic alternative to real life, a spiritual placebo,...
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In This Issue
Martin Hayes:
Rhythm and Strings
Whether playing solo or with the newly formed The Gloaming, Martin Hayes, the marvelously gifted fiddler, finds his mesmeric rhythm in the Irish tunes he learned from his father – the leader of the...
MoreThe First Word:
Something to Shout About
When we first published the magazine back in 1985, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with our slogan “Mórtas Cine,” which translates from the Irish as “Pride in one’s heritage.” As children...
MoreIrish Army Archives to go Public
The Irish Armed Forces is about to make a huge volume of historical documents available to the public by putting them online for general access. Lieutenant General Sean McCann, Defense Forces’...
MoreRory McIlroy Named Sports Star of the Year
Rory McIlroy was named RTE’s Irish Sports Person of the Year at a televised ceremony in Dublin. The 22-year-old golfer from Holywood, Co. Down capped a memorable year by winning the U.S. Open just...
MoreChuck Schumer’s Irish Bill
New York Senator Charles Schumer has gained a great deal of support from the Irish in America since mid-December, when he introduced an Irish visa bill to the Senate. The bill, co-sponsored by...
MoreChuck Feeney’s Latest Donation
Irish America’s most beloved billionaire philanthropist has done it again. Irish America Hall of Famer and founder of Atlantic Philanthropies, Charles F. Feeney is the man behind a massive project...
MoreIrish Eye on Hollywood:
Upcoming Film Releases
1. Michael Fassbender, who was raised in Kerry by his Irish mother and German father, is Hollywood’s current “it” guy. After shocking audiences in 2008 in the harrowing film Hunger, in which...
MoreMichael Flatley Tries his Feet at Painting
Not one to limit himself to a single medium, Irish dancer and flute player Michael Flatley can now add “painter” to his artistic resume. He sold his very first painting at an auction this past...
MoreIrish Awards for Michelle Williams & Melissa McCarthy
Michelle Williams, who has already received SAG, Golden Globe and Academy Award best actress nominations for her role as Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn will be recognized as the US-Ireland...
MoreThe Reality of Irish Dance
It is hard to overstate the way Irish step dancing has exploded onto the scene in mainstream media. The once-niche sport will be the topic of a new show to air on TLC called Irish Dancing...
MoreMove to Restore Quiet Man Cottage
Locals and fans from around the world are rallying on the Facebook social network to renew the dream of seeing “The Quiet Man Cottage” restored to its former cinematic glory as it appeared in the...
MoreMalcolm O’Hagan, Founder of the American Writers Museum
“It has to be spectacular or not at all,” said Malcolm O’Hagan, about the American Writers Museum he is founding to “help people understand the power of the word, how much it influences our...
MoreSeamus Heaney Donates Papers to Library of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland has become the new home to Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney’s collection of literary papers. “I’m overwhelmed at the number of people that the library has brought in...
MoreBill Ford, Jr: Heritage, Family and Moving Forward
The 26th annual Business 100 luncheon, which took place on December 15th at the Metropolitan Club in New York City, drew many of America’s top corporate leaders. Highlights included the...
MoreBoston College IRA Tapes Get a Full Hearing
In recent weeks, the case between Boston College and the U.S. government (working on behalf of the British government and a body rumored to be Police Service of Northern Ireland) has taken a few...
MoreJames Quinn:
The Soul of an Irishman
The 26th annual Business 100 luncheon, which took place on December 15th at the Metropolitan Club in New York City, drew many of America’s top corporate leaders. Highlights included the...
MoreFinding Roots in Ireland,
Land of Enchantment
Heidi Boyd on her trip to Ireland. “Do you have Irish ancestors?” This is normally the first thing people ask me upon finding out I went on holiday in Ireland. In most cases, the person...
MoreJohn Ford: The Man, the Icon
As Clint Eastwood receives the first John Ford Award, IA takes a brief look at the Ford’s legacy. John Ford garnered many superlatives to describe his lifetime of works. In a career that...
MoreThe Directors: Clint Eastwood Receives First John Ford Award
“I’d love to make a movie in Ireland sometime,” Clint Eastwood said when I caught up with him at a recent Hollywood Irish event. “The best part of me is the Irish part – Egans on my...
MoreJack Foley and the Art of Sound
Jack Donovan Foley, the American grandson of Irish immigrants, invented “foley art,” a sound-effects technique still used in films today – so subtle and perfect that viewers don’t notice...
MoreBreaking the Code of Silence:
The Irish and Drink
“Drinking in Ireland is not simply a convivial pastime, it is a ritualistic alternative to real life, a spiritual placebo, a fumble for eternity, a longing for heaven, a thirst for return to the...
MoreGlenn Close’s Irish Odyssey:
Albert Nobbs
Glenn Close tells Patricia Danaher about her Irish dream project Albert Nobbs – the film that just earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. When Glenn Close puts her mind to something,...
MoreSláinte!
Wine: Another Irish Triumph
The legacy of the Celts in Ireland and how, in the absence of grapes, they used their wine making skills to create a honey-wine. Odds are, you’re familiar with the fact that beer, stout and whiskey...
MoreWhat Are You Like?
Roisin Fitzpatrick
Roisin Fitzpatrick, Artist of the Light, is a leading contemporary Irish artist. She grew up in Howth, Co. Dublin, the youngest of four daughters. Her father was a director of Fitzpatrick Shoes and...
MoreReview of Books
Recently published Books of Irish and Irish-American interest… Recommended: City of Bohane Kevin Barry’s eagerly anticipated debut novel, City of Bohane, confirms his status as one of the...
MoreMusic Reviews
A look at recently released music of Irish and Irish-American interest… Traditional Irish Music on the Button Accordion Dan Gurney Among the most exciting releases to come from an Irish...
MoreRoots:
The Foley Family
The surname Foley is found in greatest concentration in counties Cork, Kerry, and Waterford. It is generally understood to be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó Foghladha, which translates loosely...
MoreThose We Lost: Passings in the Irish-American Community
Margaret Corbett Daley 1943-2011 Maggie Daley, the wife of former Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley, passed away at home in Chicago on November 24th. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in...
MorePoem:
An Irishman in Coventry
An Irishman in Coventry A full year since, I took this eager city, the tolerance that laced its blatant roar, its famous steeples and its web of girders, as image of the state hope argued for, and...
MorePhoto Album:
Mother Moriarty
Photo Album: Family Pictures Mary O’Connell and her six siblings were born in Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick, Ireland. They were orphaned at an early age. Under the guardianship of their aunt Mary...
MoreHibernia
Irish Awards for Michelle Williams & Melissa McCarthy
Michelle Williams, who has already received SAG, Golden Globe and Academy Award best actress...
Chuck Schumer’s Irish Bill
New York Senator Charles Schumer has gained a great deal of support from the Irish in America since...
Move to Restore Quiet Man Cottage
Locals and fans from around the world are rallying on the Facebook social network to renew the...
Malcolm O’Hagan, Founder of the American Writers Museum
“It has to be spectacular or not at all,” said Malcolm O’Hagan, about the American Writers...
Seamus Heaney Donates Papers to Library of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland has become the new home to Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney’s...
Chuck Feeney’s Latest Donation
Irish America’s most beloved billionaire philanthropist has done it again. Irish America Hall of...
Michael Flatley Tries his Feet at Painting
Not one to limit himself to a single medium, Irish dancer and flute player Michael Flatley can now...