We should be attendant to any story that involves love, even when it’s the strange and wonderful bond between a cat and human. Earlier this summer my cat died. I know it’s not important in the scheme of things, but it left me reeling. For days I was buffeted by my grief in the most unexpected places: in the supermarket checkout line (no longer any need to buy pet food or … [Read more...] about Living in Each Other’s Shadow
Roots: The Rebel O’Deas
In the past and at present alike, the name O’Dea is almost exclusively associated with the County Clare and adjacent areas such as Limerick City and north Tipperary. Though it is not a common name elsewhere, and even within County Clare is uncommon outside of the part of the county where it originated, it is an ancient and noble name with associations ranging from battle … [Read more...] about Roots: The Rebel O’Deas
Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry’s Irish Great-Great-Grandmother
She came from a gold-obsessed family, so perhaps it wasn’t so surprising when the treasure bag was found in Hannah’s water closet. But what was this Galway girl even doing in San Francisco? ℘℘℘ Anyone who’s ever dabbled in genealogy knows that certain forebears call louder than others – even when they’re not your own. While researching Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson – better known … [Read more...] about Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry’s Irish Great-Great-Grandmother
Sláinte! All Hail the Humble Spud
Edythe Preet writes about Ireland’s relationship with its signature crop. Back in first grade, my “see Spot run” primer told how Dick and Jane grew potatoes in their backyard and roasted them in an autumn leaf bonfire. If those kids can do that, I thought, so can I. Mom supplied a few spuds that had begun to sprout “eyes,” and we buried them in a skimpy strip of dirt edging … [Read more...] about Sláinte! All Hail the Humble Spud
Andrew Taylor’s Year of Nothing but Potatoes
Between January 1, 2016 and January 1 of this year, Andrew Taylor lost over 100 pounds, going from 335 to 212 lbs., on a diet of nothing but potatoes. “I haven’t weighed myself since January, but my clothes all fit the same,” he told me over the phone this past June. Irish America covered Taylor’s story earlier this year (February / March), but we thought we’d check back in … [Read more...] about Andrew Taylor’s Year of Nothing but Potatoes