Irish America

Irish America

By Megan SmolenyakIA Newsletter October 16, 2021

Barry Manilow is a Limerick Man

By Megan Smolenyak
IA Newsletter October 16, 2021

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How Name Changing Hid a Heritage Barry Manilow. Yes, I know, most think of him as a Jewish fellow from Brooklyn – and he is. But he’s also a quarter Irish, and due to certain circumstances in his family, that Irish share has had a disproportionate influence on his family tree. Name Changing Though he wouldn’t have known it, when Barry changed surnames, he was the … [Read more...] about Barry Manilow is a Limerick Man

Mrs. O’Leary Exonerated

Abdon Moriarty Pallasch
March/April 1998

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The truth would have made a great story: Catherine O'Leary, successful Irish immigrant businesswoman. She had five cows in her dairy and her husband Patrick was gainfully employed as a lathe-worker. As Catherine and Patrick slept on that dry October night in 1871, someone started a fire in their barn. The blaze grew into the Great Chicago Fire, killing 300 people, leaving … [Read more...] about Mrs. O’Leary Exonerated

Rebel With A Cause

October 2, 2021 Newsletter

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In a rare television interview from 1983, Michael Flannery speaks with Niall O'Dowd for a PBS show based in San Francisco called Irish Magazine. Michael Flannery fought in the Irish War of Independence. He joined the volunteers when he was 14 years of age. “I was as tall then as I am now, and no one asked,” Flannery says in this interview with Niall O’Dowd taped in … [Read more...] about Rebel With A Cause

Masters of Tradition Festival Mixes Music and Poetry

IA Staff
October 23, 2021 Newsletter

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One of Ireland’s most respected poets Doireann Ní Ghríofa makes her first appearance at Masters of Tradition alongside guitarist Steve Cooney and accordion player Derek Hickey. This  unmissable performance takes place in the elegant library of Bantry House, overlooking Bantry Bay. Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 8:00 PM. “Doireann Ní Ghríofa is a well-known poet in … [Read more...] about Masters of Tradition Festival Mixes Music and Poetry

Neil Ó Lochlainn Group: Immram

IA Staff
November 6, 2021 Newsletter

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Masters of Tradition’s next streamed concert returns to the Blue Room of Bantry House. Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 8:00 PM. Immram –  a setting of the suite of poems written by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill – will be performed in the beautiful dining room of this stately home which overlooks famous Bantry Bay. The music combines influences from the sean nós tradition, jazz, … [Read more...] about Neil Ó Lochlainn Group: Immram