Irish America

Irish America

By Ray CavanaghIA Newsletter, January 18, 2025

Music Man: Bill Flanagan

By Ray Cavanagh
IA Newsletter, January 18, 2025



by 1 Comment

The year 1955 was an active one for the nascent rock & roll genre: Little Richard emerged with his wild single “Tutti Frutti”; Chuck Berry had his first hit; an upstart Elvis Presley was physically attacked by female fans backstage; and Rhode Island saw the birth of Bill Flanagan. One of five children, Flanagan — who just turned 70 on Jan. 14 — grew up in Warwick, RI, where … [Read more...] about Music Man: Bill Flanagan

50 Years Later, Families of the Birmingham Pub Bombings Still Campaigning for the Truth

By Brian Dooley

Winter 2024

by 1 Comment

Families of the victims of the November 1974 IRA Birmingham pub bombings say that British authorities are deliberately obstructing their search for the truth about what happened that night, and denying their rights to accountability. Between March 1973 and November 1974,  the IRA exploded hundreds of bombs across Britain, including several attacks on Birmingham. In 1974, … [Read more...] about 50 Years Later, Families of the Birmingham Pub Bombings Still Campaigning for the Truth

The Irish Moment

By Thomas Cahill

by Leave a Comment

The Irish have long loomed in American imagination. From Mr. Dooley to Scarlett O'Hara to Randall Patrick McMurphy, they have appeared as powerful symbols in popular American fiction, standing for will power and unbowed determination (in the case of Ms. O'Hara, who would never go hungry again) or for deep-seated sanity and freedom of spirit (in the case of R.P. McMurphy, the … [Read more...] about The Irish Moment

Fostering Memorable Leadership, Relentless Drive, and Unity

by Leave a Comment

On November 6, Duke Orthopaedics was honored to host Gen. Martin E. Dempsey (Ret.), former Chairman of the 18th Joint Chiefs of Staff and best-selling author, as the Veterans Day Visiting Professor at its Grand Rounds. In a captivating session, Gen. Dempsey shared insights from his illustrious military career, his work with USA Basketball, and his approach to … [Read more...] about Fostering Memorable Leadership, Relentless Drive, and Unity

In Pursuit of Irish Culture

By Owen O'Toole and Emmet O'Sullivan

by 1 Comment

What is Irish culture, anyway? My name is Owen O'Toole. I'm 18, and while I proudly identify as Irish-American, I need to know more about my ancestral homeland.  As my high school, Regis, prepares a trip next year to Ireland ("a pilgrimage," as we members of Regis' Gaelic society affectionately call it), I want to understand what Irish culture is all about. Here's what I do … [Read more...] about In Pursuit of Irish Culture