He called his wife "Dingbat." He called his daughter a "weepy Nellie atheist." Puerto Ricans "spics"; Jews "yids." He was terrified of African Americans, homosexuals, feminists and evolutionists. But most of all Archie Bunker was afraid of change. He sat in his mangy armchair amidst peeling wallpaper and dingy windows and preached his sermon to whoever stopped by. And … [Read more...] about Carroll O’Connor
Archives for October 2001
The Pipes Aren’t Calling in RI
This July, the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island announced that no longer would the haunting tune of "Danny Boy" which so many have used to say goodbye to their loved ones, be permitted at funerals because it is a secular song, and therefore not suitable for Mass of the Christian Burial. Church officials felt it would lead to requests for other secular songs. Response to … [Read more...] about The Pipes Aren’t Calling in RI
Galileo: King of Kings
Can an Irish horse win the prestigious Breeders Cup? In 1907 the Epsom gallery was horrified to see an Irish owned, Irish trained (if Berkshire bred) horse, Orby, storm to victory at 100/6 in the most prestigious classic race for three-year-olds in the world, the Epsom Derby. The reaction of the top hat and tails aristocracy was to leave the parade ring for the … [Read more...] about Galileo: King of Kings
Just Judy
By the time Judy Garland made her first and only concert appearance in Dublin in July 1951, she had been an international star for more than a decade. She had starred in 27 feature length films, performed on more than 200 radio shows, appeared in hundreds of national and international magazines and newspapers, and recorded more than 70 records and albums. The diminutive … [Read more...] about Just Judy
Waking the Dead
I had never really been all that comfortable with my Irish heritage. I've always been scared that our American society views the Irish as a bunch of drinkers, big talkers who cannot be relied upon. It's not accurate or even generally true, but it's out there, lurking behind many a conversation. The image of the poor, pathetic, disheveled McCourt family of Angela's Ashes haunts … [Read more...] about Waking the Dead