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Is “The Star Spangled Banner” a Traditional Irish Melody?

By Geoff Cobb
June 30, 2017

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At first glance the claim seems like pure pub blarney: an Irishman wrote the melody for “The Star Spangled Banner.” There is, however, a strong basis to assert that the melody of our national anthem, in fact, is an adaptation of an Irish tune written by Erin’s greatest composer. If you half paid attention in school you know the Anthem’s story. On September 14, 1814, during the … [Read more...] about Is “The Star Spangled Banner” a Traditional Irish Melody?

Irish America Fest in New Ross

By Olivia O'Mahony, Editorial Assistant
June 29, 2017

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For the fifth year running, the County Wexford town of New Ross will mark American Independence Day with Irish America Fest, a three-day celebration of transatlantic friendship and legacy beginning this weekend on Friday, June 30. The festival, held in association with the Wexford Co. Council, Failte Ireland, and Irish America magazine, will provide entertainment of activities … [Read more...] about Irish America Fest in New Ross

Weekly Comment:
Watch This Archive Footage of Maureen O’Hara’s Academy Awards Surprise

By Irish America Staff
June 23, 2017

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Maureen O’Hara has heard a banshee, played camogie, and more from a 1957 episode of “This Is Your Life.” ℘℘℘ At the 1957 Academy Awards TV host Ralph Edwards surprised Maureen O’Hara mid-way through an interview about her upcoming film The Wings of Eagles. But it turns out that the interview itself was staged and the whole thing was a gambit to get O’Hara back to his studio for … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment:
Watch This Archive Footage of Maureen O’Hara’s Academy Awards Surprise

Paddy & Aedín Moloney’s “Reflections of Molly Bloom”

By Irish America Staff
June 15, 2016

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Just in time for Bloomsday, June 16th, actress/producer Aedin Moloney and her father, Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains, are releasing Reflections of Molly Bloom, a two-volume collaborative recording featuring Aedin Moloney’s renowned interpretation and performance of “Molly Bloom’s Soliloquy” from James Joyce’s Ulysses, complimented with music by Paddy. A record release party … [Read more...] about Paddy & Aedín Moloney’s “Reflections of Molly Bloom”

Weekly Comment:
It’s Bloomsday, Would You Buy a $45,000 Signed Edition of Ulysses?

By Adam Farley, Deputy Editor
June 15, 2017

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Each year on June 16, bibliophiles celebrate Bloomsday in tribute to the day of wandering undertaken by the protagonist of James Joyce’s famously dense Ulysses, Leopold Bloom. Though it may be one of the most famous days in literature, a running joke about Ulysses is that it’s the most famous book most people haven’t read. But a well-known rare edition of the book with … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment:
It’s Bloomsday, Would You Buy a $45,000 Signed Edition of Ulysses?