Irish America

Irish America

By Janet Noble January February 1993

Geraldine Fitzgerald: A Woman for All Seasons

By Janet Noble

January February 1993

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Geraldine Fitzgerald left her home in Graystones outside Dublin as a young girl and moved into the city to pursue her career in the theater, a career that would eventually take her to the stage in New York and to the Hollywood screen. Along the way she would come in contact with a host of characters, including the great Orson Welles, and Laurence Olivier with whom she would … [Read more...] about Geraldine Fitzgerald: A Woman for All Seasons

Roots: Gilhooly, Gilmartin, Gillespie, and Gilfoyle

By James G. Ryan

January February 1993

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A significant number of Irish names have the prefix "Gil" or "Guil," including Gilchrist, Gildea, Gilhooly, Gilmartin, Gillespie, Gilfoyle, Gilleece, (Mac) Gillicuddy, Gilpatrick, Gilroy (now McElroy), Gilsenan and Gilvarry. These names were all originally prefixed by Mc and are all based on the Gaelic word Giolla which means a youth, attendant, servant or follower. The usual … [Read more...] about Roots: Gilhooly, Gilmartin, Gillespie, and Gilfoyle

Philadelphia’s Feisty Irishman

By Marybeth C. Phillips and Michael P. Toner

January February 1993

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Most grandparents take their grandchildren to the playground. Dennis Clark takes his to picket the homes of politicians. Though the kids may never acquire the perspective he has from growing up in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood during the Great Depression, Clark wants them to avoid the "cocoon of American consumerism" and to have compassion for the have-nots. Clark, a … [Read more...] about Philadelphia’s Feisty Irishman

Election Reveals a New Ireland

By Brian Rohan

January February 1993

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First there was the election two years ago of a woman as the President of Ireland. And not only was Mary Robinson a woman, but she could also be labelled something of a liberal, perhaps even a feminist, from a relatively minor political party, Labour. To top it off, her main contender was a highly-popular member of Ireland's largest party, Fianna Fail, which had never in the … [Read more...] about Election Reveals a New Ireland

Daniel O’Connell and the Young Irelanders

By Eamon O'Kelly

January February 1993

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 In the early 1800's Daniel O'Connell was a young lawyer in Dublin, a member of the tiny Catholic middle class. In those days, although the worst excesses of the Penal Laws had passed, Roman Catholics still were deprived of full civil rights, and many opportunities remained closed to them. O'Connell became active in the Catholic Committee, the group working to win full rights … [Read more...] about Daniel O’Connell and the Young Irelanders