For years we have been waiting. Director John Ford, way back when, was interested. In the early '80s Robert Redford talked about doing it. At different times Kevin Costner and Tom Cruise were said to be scouting locations in Ireland. Even Mickey Rourke was talked about. Well, at last, almost 75 years after his death, we have our movie Michael Collins made by an Irish director … [Read more...] about Neil Jordan: The Man Who Made Michael Collins
The First Word: Capture the Moment
Thomas Cahill's prescient piece in this issue entitled "The Irish Moment" captures much of the extraordinary success that Irish and Irish American ventures are enjoying at present. Even The New York Times tipped its august cap recently in a piece entitled "The Irish Are Ascendant Again" by Dinita Smith, which noted among other facts that "there are now some 100 Irish names on … [Read more...] about The First Word: Capture the Moment
Memoir of an Irish Childhood
By Pete Hamill
September October 1996
Author and raconteur Frank McCourt, in his autobiography, has "examined his ferocious childhood, walked around it, relived it, and with skill and care and generosity of heart, transformed it into a triumphant work of art," writes Pete Hamill. Frank McCourt has written a triumphant book. His memoir of an Irish childhood is in turns hilarious, heart-scalding, bitterly angry. … [Read more...] about Memoir of an Irish Childhood
Bottled Wild Geese
By Norman Mongan
September October 1996
Norman Monagan explores the contribution the Irish have made to the French wine-growing industry. Some may find it surprising that Irishmen were involved with wine-making well before Arthur Guinness invented his famous brew. Early 18th century Dublin imbibed vast quantities of fine claret, greater than the combined total of England and Scotland. The Irish "Wild Geese" who … [Read more...] about Bottled Wild Geese
Sláinte!: The Taste of Autumn
By Edythe Preet
September October 1996
Ireland's autumn provides many wonderful taste delights. Chief among them are goose, pork, potatoes and apples, all of which figure prominently as traditional foods during the season's three principal feast times, Michaelmas, Samhain and Martinmas. In old Irish tradition, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel (September 29) was known as Fomhar na nGeanna - the Goose … [Read more...] about Sláinte!: The Taste of Autumn