The surname Quinn is derived from the Irish word O'Cuinn meaning "descending from Conn." Conn comes from the Irish word ceann, meaning "head," and denotes a person of high intelligence. Since Conn was a common name, there are five separate septs of this family. They came from different parts of counties Tyrone, Longford, Clare, and Antrim. Niall O'Cuinn was one of those killed … [Read more...] about Roots: The Quinn Clan – Descendants of Conn
A Postcard from Prince Edward Island
The unique Irish / Scottish heritage of PEI, off the coast of Nova Scotia, is preserved in music and dance and in the faces of the people. ℘℘℘ "An always but never known place" is how Australian writer Thomas Keneally described his first visit to Ireland. That about describes how I felt a few hours after landing on Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada's smallest province (about … [Read more...] about A Postcard from Prince Edward Island
The Last of His Kind
Christopher Connell writes on his Uncle Jimmy McSweeney, the very model of the Irish bachelor farmer. ℘℘℘ My uncle Jimmy McSweeney was laid to rest recently beside his mother and sister in the yard of Saint Patrick's Church in Dunmanway. The last of his generation, he was the very model of the Irish bachelor farmer, yet he left a family that extends across Ireland, across the … [Read more...] about The Last of His Kind
Music Roundup
Selections of recently released music by Irish artists. ℘℘℘ Critic's Pick: James Galway Wings of Song Perhaps the greatest living flutist, 64-year-old Sir James Galway, has recorded a collection of popular arias and classical songs on his latest release Wings of Song. Highlights of the album include "The Lord of the Rings Suite", Schubert's "Ave Maria", the Irish-American … [Read more...] about Music Roundup
MacGowan’s Road to Paradise
Long written off by the music industry, Shane MacGowan's new single "Road to Paradise" has the critics buzzing. Richard Purden reports. ℘℘℘ The behemoth of Irish music has repeatedly proven that, despite years of rock-'n'-roll debauchery, he can still stand up and be counted among every new generation of artists. So it should come as no surprise that when Shane MacGowan … [Read more...] about MacGowan’s Road to Paradise