Denis Bergin reports on an upsurge of Irish cultural activity in Charleston, where the relics of old Southern decency are still much in evidence. Charleston, South Carolina is everyone’s idea of the captivating U.S. South. The city draws more than four million visitors a year to sample its atmospheric evocations of everything from slave-based plantation lifestyles to stirrings … [Read more...] about Echoes of Ireland in the Deep South
Salsa Verde: The Irish in Chile
I have been visiting Chile since 1991 and had learned quite a bit about Bernardo O’Higgins, who had a most significant impact on the politics and culture of Latin America and on Chile in particular. Bernado O’Higgins’ father, Ambrose O’Higgins, born in Ballynary, County Sligo, served the Spanish Imperial Service as an engineer. He went on to serve as Governor of Chile and … [Read more...] about Salsa Verde: The Irish in Chile
Poets & Pubs in Dublin: A Literary Tour
Dublin’s fair city has changed in recent years. Cranes have come to dominate its skyline and people of all hues – Polish, Chinese and African as well as Irish – now throng its streets. Yet one essential aspect remains the same. Dublin still has its literary heritage, a heritage that revolves around poets, pints and pubs. If Parisian writers were inspired by café life, their … [Read more...] about Poets & Pubs in Dublin: A Literary Tour
The March of the Forgotten: Paddy Moloney’s San Patricio
Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains talks to Tara Dougherty about the group's newest project, San Patricio. In a moment that history books would rate as a minuscule act of defiance, famed Irish band the Chieftains found a measure of bravery and dedication they deemed worthy of a solemn memorial etched into song. Thus was born the idea for the group’s latest album, San … [Read more...] about The March of the Forgotten: Paddy Moloney’s San Patricio
Those We Lost
Recent passings in the Irish and Irish American community. Brendan Burke 1988-2010 Brendan Burke, the youngest son of Brian Burke, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the U.S. Olympic ice hockey team, died in a car crash in Indiana February 5. He was 21. He was driving along with 18-year-old Mark Reedy when heavy snow caused their Jeep Cherokee to slide into the … [Read more...] about Those We Lost