Irish America

Irish America

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Review of Books | recently published books

By Darina Molloy

Winter 2024

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Where They Lie By Claire Coughlan This atmospheric thriller is slightly reminiscent of John Banville’s Quirke series, but with a junior reporter at the center of events rather than a pathologist. Nicoletta Sarto might be young, but she’s fiercely ambitious. When she happens to be on duty around Christmas 1968, just as the discovery of bones in a Dublin garden is … [Read more...] about Review of Books | recently published books

“The Enchanted Bay”

Winter 2024

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It is a little-known fact that Ernie O’Malley, renowned for his role in Ireland’s revolutionary struggle, was also a passionate collector of Irish folklore. “The Enchanted Bay: Tales and Legends from Ernie O’Malley’s Irish Folklore Collection,” by Cormac K. H. O’Malley and Patrick J. Mahoney, is a testament to O’Malley’s multifaceted legacy.  Ernie O'Malley (1897-1957) is … [Read more...] about “The Enchanted Bay”

“The Good Sport”

Winter 2024

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In this excerpt from his memoir The Good Sport, Kevin White takes us on his journey as an Irish Catholic kid growing up in “blue-collar” Amityville on Long Island while scrambling to help his parents make ends meet, to the position of “the best of the best” among intercollegiate athletic directors of his generation. Navigating the winding roads, with endless rotaries, up to … [Read more...] about “The Good Sport”

Review of Books | Recently Published Books

By Darina Molloy

Fall 2024

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Somebody Knows By Michelle McDonagh This is only Michelle McDonagh’s second novel, but the Galway native (transplanted to Cork) already has the knack of making it look easy. Journalist Cara Joyce is grieving the imminent loss of her adoptive mother, when she overhears something about her origins that leads her to an old case she thinks about from time to time – the … [Read more...] about Review of Books | Recently Published Books

Country Girl: A Memoir by Edna O’Brien

By Edna O'Brien

Fall 2024

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In this excerpt from her memoir, Edna O'Brien returns to Ireland to build a house in which she hopes to avail of the "peace of that passeth understanding," only to find that even the best-laid plans can go awry. It was to Donegal, in the most northwestern tip of Ireland, that in the 1990s I headed, in order to build a house. The very place names so rough and musical, the … [Read more...] about Country Girl: A Memoir by Edna O’Brien