Thomas Keneally's latest book The Great Shame should be in every Irish household, and it should be read, all 700 or so pages of it, by anyone with an interest in the history of Ireland. It is a great book, wonderfully written by the Irish Australian author of Schindler's List. Beginning with the tale of Hugh Larkin, a twenty-four-year old rebel transported for life in 1833, … [Read more...] about An End to Shame?
Roots: Phelan, Whelan, and Fallon
By James G. Ryan
April / May 1999
The origin of the names Phelan and Whelan is an excellent example of the vagaries of Anglicization of Irish names. Both of these names are derived from the same Gaelic name O'Fáolain. Although Whelan is more common, Phelan is common in areas of Kilkenny and Waterford. The O'Faoláins were Princes of the Decies, a kingdom in the area of the current County Waterford. The Fallons … [Read more...] about Roots: Phelan, Whelan, and Fallon
Sláinte! The Sweet Sting of Spring
By Edythe Preet
April / May 1999
Some foods simply beg to be eaten. Take peaches, for instance. The scent of a ripe peach is pure ambrosia. The pungent smell of tomatoes ripened on the vine and warm from the sun is irresistible. Chocolate's rich bouquet is almost sexy. And the aroma of a Sunday roast sparks appetites the whole time it's cooking. Certain other foods don't have a real come-hitherness about … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Sweet Sting of Spring
God Said, “Ha!”
By Joseph McBride
April / May 1999
First, a confession. I once urged Julia Sweeney not to become an actress. Luckily, Julia disregarded that advice and went on to become, as she calls herself, "a woman of many media." Most people know her best from her four years on TV's Saturday Night Live, where she created the endearingly goofy, mysteriously androgynous Pat, or from the 1994 movie version, It's Pat, which she … [Read more...] about God Said, “Ha!”
Sláinte! A Fine Cuppa Tay
When I was a child, I suspected my Da's sister Violet was a gypsy. Not that she was a real descendant of the wandering tribes of Egypt, but she looked like one. Her jet-black hair was always tied back in a tight bun, and she always wore blowsy flowered dresses, scandalous crimson lipstick and dangly earrings. Then while we were visiting one cold and blustery winter Sunday when … [Read more...] about Sláinte! A Fine Cuppa Tay