On February 2, Molloy College’s Irish Studies Institute held its first St. Brigid’s Day Celebration – a fun afternoon of songs and stories that held the promise of exciting things to come for this fledgling Irish Studies program. St. Brigid’s Day, a Christian feast day, has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc, which signaled the start of spring. On Imbolc, Druid … [Read more...] about Molloy College Celebrates St. Brigid’s Day
Irish Folk Furniture – An Interview With Tony Donoghue
At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, one Irish short made big waves. Filmmaker Tony Donoghue spoke with Sheila Langan about his utterly charming stop-motion animated film Irish Folk Furniture. The Sundance Film Festival, which takes place each January in Park City, Utah, is a staging ground for the independent films to watch out for in the months ahead. At this year’s … [Read more...] about Irish Folk Furniture – An Interview With Tony Donoghue
Sláinte! Mother Earth
Edythe Preet writes of the many reasons why Ireland is called the Motherland. Civilization began when hunter-gatherers learned to cultivate grain and evolved into permanent agricultural communities. Since males were the hunters and females the gatherers, anthropologists theorize it was most likely women who realized that grain grew from gathered seeds that could be … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Mother Earth
Country Girl – Edna O’Brien’s New Memoir
Edna O’Brien has published the memoir she swore she’d never write. Readers will be very glad she did. "You can write and I will never forgive you,” said Ernest Gébler, Edna O’Brien’s then husband, after reading her manuscript for The Country Girls. Published in 1960, O’Brien’s honest and intimate portrayal of two young women in the Ireland she had left behind was a … [Read more...] about Country Girl – Edna O’Brien’s New Memoir
Nuala – A New Documentary
Nuala O’Faolain shook Ireland and captivated the world with her forthright memoir Are You Somebody? A new documentary seeks to present a full picture of the woman behind the writing. For the millions who were astonished by Nuala O’Faolain’s Are You Somebody? The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman (1996), filmmakers Patrick Farrelly and Kate O’Callaghan have put together an … [Read more...] about Nuala – A New Documentary