Fiction He may not have been nominated for this year's Booker Prize, much to the surprise of many observers, but with A Star Called Henry, Roddy Doyle has written a book that, for my money, far surpasses Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, the work that won him the prestigious literary award in 1993. Henry Smart is the larger-than-life hero of Doyle's latest work, but it's his infamous … [Read more...] about The Book SHELF: A sampling of the latest Irish books on offer
Archive
Quiet Optimism Over NI Talks – Mitchell Report Anxiously Awaited
The pendulum continued to swing between optimism and pessimism in Northern Ireland at the time of going to press, with the main political parties still in talks and Senator George Mitchell poised to release his long-awaited report on the state of the peace process. Mitchell, hailed by commentators of all the persuasions for his role in securing the Good Friday Agreement, flew … [Read more...] about Quiet Optimism Over NI Talks – Mitchell Report Anxiously Awaited
Irish America Archives
THE BRIDGET H. MURRAY LIBRARY The Irish America Library stands as a loving tribute to Bridget "Bridie" Murray: An Ordinary Woman Who Lived an Extraordinary Life. In 1938, at the tender age of 13, Bridie née Collier embarked on a solo journey from Corofin, County Galway, to New York. Throughout her lifetime, Bridie achieved numerous feats, yet her most remarkable … [Read more...] about Irish America Archives
Musical Merry-Go-Round
It's been a good year for Irish pop music. There hasn't been one big ticket album in 1999--the new U2 effort isn't expected until early 2000--but if you scratch the surface, you'll find some exciting music nonetheless. TOM DUNPHY recommends a few favorites you may want to investigate... VAN MORRISON, BACK ON TOP Van Morrison's Back on Top couldn't be more aptly named. Van … [Read more...] about Musical Merry-Go-Round
An Irish Slant on the English Language
By Dan Casey
January 2000
Terence P. Dolan's Dictionary of Hiberno-English is not like any other dictionary or, for that matter, like any other reference volume. It's the first general dictionary of the Irish dialect of English ever published and, in spite of its heady title, a good read for Irish and Irish-American word-hoarders and word-mongers -- from the burly longshoremen on Pier 54 to the … [Read more...] about An Irish Slant on the English Language