In 1967 when she was 80, I tossed a birthday party for Mother. There were over 70 people present: my generation and hers, friends and cousins, our children, cronies from way-back years. The party started at three in the afternoon because I was sure that Mother and the other old girls would get tired early. I should have known better. Twelve hours later, I and my contemporaries … [Read more...] about My Wild Irish Mother
Archive
Sean Minihane
Immigrant Defender
In the late '80s and early '90s the Irish Immigration Reform Movement (I.I.R.M.) was a powerful lobbying group for Irish immigrants, working to change U.S. immigration law to provide equal access to all immigrants and to legalize the thousands of illegal Irish immigrants who were in the country already. The following excerpt is from an interview with Sean Minihane, then … [Read more...] about Sean MinihaneImmigrant Defender
Founding Father
A shy priest from Cavan who helped tame a frontier town. Imagine him, pale Irish skin against a black robe. On that bright spring morning in 1845 when he first arrived in the little town that was fast-filling a mud shelf overlooking the Missouri River, the Indians – the Shawnee in their calico flocks and turbans, the Sac and Fox with their shaved heads and painted faces – … [Read more...] about Founding Father
Donald Keough
The Philanthropist
Donald Keough, former president of Coca-Cola, is chairman of Allen & Company. A leading Irish-American philanthropist, he has played a leading role in strengthening the tie between the U.S. and Ireland.
℘℘℘
Peace is taking that cloud of anxiety off the whole island. I think that you are going to see its benefits written large for future generations. It is just … [Read more...] about Donald KeoughThe Philanthropist
Sláinte! Irish Eats Down Under
Regular readers have probably deduced I'm a boomer – a member of that generation born after WWII when the troops came home. Along with more than one hundred thousand other Americans, my Da spent the war years in Australia. In 1942 with Australian forces off fighting for England and Pearl Harbor a fresh victory, Japan advanced on Australia, intending to use it as a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Irish Eats Down Under