My friend Michael says he has a charming mother. He hastens to add: “I know you think we all do, but my mother has charms other than the ones on her gold bracelet. She has the ability to stop bleeding and cure burns and headaches and sprains and styes in the eyes just by laying on her gentle hands and reciting words handed down through the centuries.” The concept doesn’t … [Read more...] about Sláinte!: A Charmed Life
The Reluctant Star: Ciaran Hinds
Ciarán Hinds is lovely. Now, perhaps I shouldn’t admit that because part of Hinds’ attraction is that he remains somewhat of an unknown. In fact, one fan found it so hard to find information on Hinds that she started a website www.Ciaranitis.com, for those “smitten with Ciarán Hinds.” Hinds has appeared in a wealth of movies and plays over the years, yet he remains on the … [Read more...] about The Reluctant Star: Ciaran Hinds
The First Word: The Diaspora
Does the diaspora matter? That was the key issue of discussion at the U.S.-Ireland Forum. The first ever conference on the Irish diaspora was held in New York City in November. It drew upwards of 1,000 people over two days, and was hailed as a great success. Growing up in Ireland I don’t think that we ever really understood the concept of Irish America, or indeed, … [Read more...] about The First Word: The Diaspora
Irish Eye on Hollywood
Many TV critics have argued that since The Sopranos went off the air, HBO has been a bit adrift. Well, now the cable channel is turning to Irish stage and screen veteran Gabriel Byrne for what can only be described as a bold experiment. Having had some success with shows revolving around psychiatrists and their patients (remember Tony Soprano and Dr. Melfi?), Byrne will star in … [Read more...] about Irish Eye on Hollywood
An Evening with Joe O’Connor and Colum McCann
Irish novelists Joseph O’Connor and Colum McCann enthralled an audience at the New York Public Library on November 14. As part of the fall program at the Dorothy and Lewis Cullman Center, O’Connor and McCann, both former Cullman Fellows, were there to discuss Redemption Falls, O’Connor’s novel about the American Civil War, an epic tale he wrote and researched during his … [Read more...] about An Evening with Joe O’Connor and Colum McCann