Sawdust on the floor, two kinds of beer – light or dark – what’s not to love about this timeless New York landmark pub? ℘℘℘ It might not be New York’s oldest bar – the Ear Inn and Queen’s Neir’s claim to be older – but no bar in New York can match the historic ambianceRead more..
The best Irish whiskeys of 2019 have been revealed in news that’s sure to make essential reading for dram drinkers everywhere. Scotch may go down well with some, but over in Ireland, it’s got to be whiskey every time. But, away from the usual array of Jamesons and the like, the question remains: what constitutes the bestRead more..
Malachy McCourt writes about being an alcoholic and what it was that finally made him stop drinking. Was I born alcoholic? That’s not clear but I know that the disease does not discriminate against race, gender, age, position, or religion. It is an incurable disease that can be handled by taking certain precautions, foremost ofRead more..
The Irish are known for ‘the craic and the drink.’ Many well-known comedians have given up on one. People of Irish descent face a host of notions and expectations of how they should be – some based in reality, others plucked from the air and given weight over time. Chancers, charmers, affable but discerning, fieryRead more..
Remember the brouhaha last year when Mayor Bloomberg made his miscalculated joke about drunken Irish on St. Patrick’s Day? (Irishcentral.com broke what became an international story.) I was there, but I couldn’t find it in my heart to share in the outrage. Amid predictable tut-tutting about the stereotype, the underlying national trauma of addiction remainedRead more..
“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 embrace of the Almighty.” – John Waters ℘℘℘ We Irish are known for being courageous, compassionate, spiritual, creative, difficult, resourceful, witty,Read more..
Bread is called The Staff of Life. Many scholars believe our distant ancestors gave up hunting and gathering for an agricultural lifestyle once they learned how to bake it. There is evidence that barley was first methodically planted and harvested 10,000 years ago, but a key question remains unanswered. What prompted the sowing of theRead more..
When outspoken Irish President Mary McAleese criticized the “stupid, wasteful abuse of alcohol” in her country during the Re-Imagining Ireland conference in Virginia earlier this year, she sparked a firestorm that still smolders on the Emerald Isle. From the pubs to the polls to the pundits, McAleese was soundly thrashed for her opinions. Even thoseRead more..