The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade this year added two first-time marchers to the roster: The Lavender and Green Alliance, a group of LGBT Irish, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who had boycotted the parade since he first took office until it became inclusive for gay and lesbian groups. Brendan Fay, who founded this Irish LGBT organization in 1994, made … [Read more...] about A Lavender and Green Parade for NYC
Surprising Irish Links in NYC’s Mayoral Mansion
Built between 1799 and 1809 by Ezra Weeks, Gracie Mansion is the mayoral residence in New York, and it’s likely that Irish builders, artisans, and tradespeople were numerous among the construction team, and the ballroom’s chandelier is Irish crystal, donated to the house by the descendants of William Russell Grace, the city’s first Catholic mayor, who was born in 1832 in County … [Read more...] about Surprising Irish Links in NYC’s Mayoral Mansion
O’Reilly’s Tattoo Machine:
Fine Art for the Masses
More than 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo. The vast lot of them got inked by way of an electric tattoo machine. And chances are they have no idea who invented the electric tattoo machine: Samuel O’Reilly.
His rambunctious, enigmatic life began in May 1854 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Both his parents were Irish immigrants, and he was the oldest of five children. At … [Read more...] about O’Reilly’s Tattoo Machine:
Fine Art for the Masses
Quinnipiac Donates $400K to North Haven
Quinnipiac University, home to Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum (Músaem An Ghorta Mhóir) which houses of one of the world’s largest collections of art concerning the Great Irish Famine, has donated $400,000 to the town of North Haven. “This voluntary payment represents an affirmation of the Uni- versity’s ongoing support and appreciation for all that North Haven does for … [Read more...] about Quinnipiac Donates $400K to North Haven
Potato Photo Sells for Over $1M
Celebrity photographer Kevin Abosch scooped an impressive $1 million from his portrait of an organic Irish potato, “Potato #345 (2010)” (below), making it the 15th most expensive photo ever sold. A European businessman who saw it on display in Abosch’s residence purchased the portrait. It was sold at the non-negotiable price of $1 million, as potatoes have a special meaning to … [Read more...] about Potato Photo Sells for Over $1M