A sampling of the latest Irish books. ℘℘℘ RECOMMENDED Nights of Rain and Stars Maeve Binchy There was a rumor a few years back that the best-selling Irish storyteller Maeve Binchy was going to pack it in and retire. Well, that rumor itself can be retired, because Binchy is back with a new novel entitled Nights of Rain and Stars. Fans of previous Binchy hits such as Circle … [Read more...] about Book Reviews
Sláinte!: A Peck of Pickled Peppers
When I set out this year's veggie garden, it never occurred to me that 6 eggplants, 5 peppers, 4 cucumbers, 6 string beans, 3 zucchini, and 8 tomato plants, plus a few 4-inch pots of herbs, would pose a problem. The seedlings looked so innocent sitting in the wide swaths of dirt recommended by my gardening manuals. Four months later, the puny plants had morphed to monsters and … [Read more...] about Sláinte!: A Peck of Pickled Peppers
Sláinte!: A Peck of Pickled Peppers
When I set out this year's veggie garden, it never occurred to me that 6 eggplants, 5 peppers, 4 cucumbers, 6 string beans, 3 zucchini, and 8 tomato plants, plus a few 4-inch pots of herbs, would pose a problem. The seedlings looked so innocent sitting in the wide swaths of dirt recommended by my gardening manuals. Four months later, the puny plants had morphed to monsters and … [Read more...] about Sláinte!: A Peck of Pickled Peppers
Last Word: The Passing of a Legend
"He was a unique individual, both a pioneer and a genius. He will be missed and can never be replaced." – John Walsh, CEO of the Irish American Cultural Institute ℘℘℘ To my mind they were the two greatest influences on Irish America in the past half-century or so. One was Paul O'Dwyer, the legendary New York human rights lawyer, and the other was Dr. Eoin McKiernan, a scholar, … [Read more...] about Last Word: The Passing of a Legend
Photo Album: Cummings Coalminers
1890: Jackson's Patch, Pennsylvania. ℘℘℘ In this picture, Patrick Cummings of Loan in Clogh parish near Castlecomer in County Kilkenny sits with his wife Margaret Crennan, also of Loan, on the front porch of their house in Jackson's Patch surrounded by their sons. Areas of settlement near the mining shafts were called 'patches' and Jackson's was near the Maple Hill Mine, not … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Cummings Coalminers