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”
Books
“The Good Sport”
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
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
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
Book Notes: Enright Honors McGahern
By Tom Deignan
Fall 2024
Next year will mark six decades since celebrated Irish novelist and short story writer John McGahern was censored and banned in his own country. Now, another celebrated writer – Anne Enright, Ireland’s first-ever “laureate” for fiction – is commemorating McGahern’s life and career with fond memories as well as new revelations. Back in 1965, McGahern wrote The Dark, which … [Read more...] about Book Notes: Enright Honors McGahern