Irish America

Irish America

By Mary Pat Kelly IA Newsletter, February 8, 2025

Brigid Day Celebrations Rekindle the Flame

By Mary Pat Kelly
IA Newsletter, February 8, 2025

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Brigid’s Day – February 1 couldn’t come soon enough to Ireland after an especially tough winter. The Red Warning storm EOWYN landed a final blow, sending force 12 hurricane winds ripping across the island on January 24, leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Although Derry, where I was, had avoided the worst effects of this weather, I still was greatly relieved to see the … [Read more...] about Brigid Day Celebrations Rekindle the Flame

“The Enchanted Bay”

Winter 2024

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It is a little-known fact that Ernie O’Malley, renowned for his role in Ireland’s revolutionary struggle, was also a passionate collector of Irish folklore. “The Enchanted Bay: Tales and Legends from Ernie O’Malley’s Irish Folklore Collection,” by Cormac K. H. O’Malley and Patrick J. Mahoney, is a testament to O’Malley’s multifaceted legacy.  Ernie O'Malley (1897-1957) is … [Read more...] about “The Enchanted Bay”

“The Good Sport”

Winter 2024

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In this excerpt from his memoir The Good Sport, Kevin White takes us on his journey as an Irish Catholic kid growing up in “blue-collar” Amityville on Long Island while scrambling to help his parents make ends meet, to the position of “the best of the best” among intercollegiate athletic directors of his generation. Navigating the winding roads, with endless rotaries, up to … [Read more...] about “The Good Sport”

Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan

By Richard Purden

Winter 2024

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Duff McKagan reflects on his childhood, songwriting, why he’s called “Duff,” and his recent solo albums. At one point, Guns N’ Roses was known as “the most dangerous band in the world.” They were mostly a danger to themselves, with drug and alcohol problems being well publicized. The band’s image and attitude lived up to “Reckless Life,” the opening track on their 1986 … [Read more...] about Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan

Solider to Stand Trial for Bloody Sunday Killings

By Brian Dooley
IA Newsletter, February 1, 2025

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We’re supposed to call him Soldier F, for legal reasons. His real name is widely known among those familiar with the history of Bloody Sunday, the massacre of 13 unarmed protestors in Derry on January 30, 1972 – another died shortly after. In all, 27 unarmed civilians were killed or injured by British soldiers that day – many of them while attending to the wounded or fleeing … [Read more...] about Solider to Stand Trial for Bloody Sunday Killings