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
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
Movie Magic in the City of Tribes
The eighth annual Galway Film Fleadh was a roaring success. With Ireland in the grip of film-making fever, and the notion of a thriving indigenous Irish film industry transformed from distant goal to distinct possibility, it's natural that the three major international film festivals in Dublin, Cork and Galway should reflect the recent boom. There's a good deal of friendly … [Read more...] about Movie Magic in the City of Tribes
A Man Called Beckett
He was a Nobel Prize winner, an Irishman who lived most of his life in a foreign country. A man who wrote in both English and French, he was one of this century's towering literary figures, turning out a total of 19 plays and several books. He was also a major influence on most contemporary playwrights, yet remained an enigma, a thoroughly private person, until his death in … [Read more...] about A Man Called Beckett
Michael Flatley, the Irish-Chicagoan creator of Riverdance who was fired by producers two days before the London premiere, is alive and kicking and is ready to rock `n' roll with a brand new show. It started modestly in 1994, a seven-minute distraction during the intermission of the glaringly unfashionable Eurovision Song Contest. Two years, 1.2 million audience members, and … [Read more...] about




