Irish America
Irish America
Charleston, South Carolina: At first I saw what I anticipated-streets of beautiful eighteenth-and nineteenth-century homes and public buildings lovingly restored. True, Hurricane Hugo had struck. But the people had fought back. Injured buildings were shedding their scaffolding to stand proud again. Memories of both the Revolutionary and Civil wars abounded. We saw Saint … [Read more...] about Charleston’s Hibernian Hall
On December 3, 1990 Mary Robinson was inaugurated as the first woman ever to be elected President of Ireland. That in itself, was a history-making event in a country where politics have been almost exclusively confined to the "Boys' Club." The world took note. A major British newspaper named her Woman of the Year and there were no fewer than 2,000 media requests for interviews. … [Read more...] about Mary Robinson: President for All the People
1916 Commemoration Moves Ahead This spring marks the 75th Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, and the battles are still going on in Ireland. The politicians have been ducking the call to organize commemorative celebrations, and it seems as if the slack may have been picked up by private citizens who are embarrassed by the government's unwillingness to honor Ireland's … [Read more...] about Blazes Boylan
The modern Carroll family is derived from one of two Gaelic roots, McCarroll or O'Carroll, but very predominantly from the latter. The name O'Carroll, in turn, derives from the Gaelic form O'Cearbhaill and there were several separate septs of this name, the most prominent being the O'Carrolls of Ely, who were chiefs of North Tipperary and Offaly. The other prominent sept was … [Read more...] about Roots: The O’Carrolls
For those who still believe that good, rich, dry wine remains the exclusive domain of the French, Italians, and Spanish, it's about time they wake up and smell the bouquet. Today, Irish Americans are producing fine wine up and down the Napa and Sonoma valleys, and if things continue, the wine books will need to be rewritten to include a chapter on Irishmen in the … [Read more...] about California’s ‘Irish’ Wine Makers
