Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States on Tuesday, November 4, after he defeated Republican candidate John McCain. On a night of high emotion across the country and around the world, Obama became the first African-American to attain to the office of President. He also joins a long list of commanders-in-chief who claim Irish heritage. So where … [Read more...] about A New Dawn in America
Archives for January 2009
Irish Eye on Hollywood
The end-of-year holiday season is, in the minds of many, the best time to be a movie fan. Theaters are flooded with crowd-pleasing blockbusters as well as critically-acclaimed dramas. Several movies based on the writings of Irish-Americans will be released during the 2008 Christmas movie season. First up, with a December 12 release date, is the highly anticipated Doubt, … [Read more...] about Irish Eye on Hollywood
Beautiful Kerry
Who was the first European to discover the Americas? Contrary to popular opinion, it may not have been Christopher Columbus. In fact, it may well have been St. Brendan – an Irishman who hailed from County Kerry. Kerry is one of the loveliest of Ireland’s counties and if you have not yet paid it a visit, it might now be time for you to undertake St. Brendan’s journey in reverse. … [Read more...] about Beautiful Kerry
The Original Irish Tenor: John McCormack
The year was 1906. The setting was a stage in Savona, Italy, a northwestern port town south of Milan. The opera to be performed that particular evening was L’Amico Fritz by Pietro Mascagni, with a fresh-faced 21-year-old named Giovanni Foli included among the cast members. Though he had only a supporting role, Foli earned quite a bit of attention for his performance. This … [Read more...] about The Original Irish Tenor: John McCormack
Stalking Irish Madness: Patrick Tracey
Patrick Tracey’s first book, Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for the Roots of My Family’s Schizophrenia, is a memoir, a research document, a medical ethnography, and certainly a page-turner. As Tracey says, “There’s many, many ways to write a book about schizophrenia. But I had my story to tell and to tell it this certain way.” The story Tracey has to tell is one that begins … [Read more...] about Stalking Irish Madness: Patrick Tracey