Irish America

Irish America

Books

The President’s Beloved Irish housekeeper
and Washington’s Kindness

By Niall O'Dowd

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Elizabeth Thompson is one of the most intriguing Irish characters who traveled alongside George Washington during and after the Revolutionary War. She was the elderly head of his household and oversaw about two dozen staff for five years during the war, constantly moving with the commander-in-chief as he frequently changed residences to keep the British off his trail. Little is … [Read more...] about The President’s Beloved Irish housekeeper
and Washington’s Kindness

Irish Women Writers Celebrated in New York

By Mary Pat Kelly
Photos by Nuala Purcell
IA Newsletter December 4, 2021

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I’m not going to tell you too much about, Look! It’s A Woman Writer!: Irish Literary Feminisms 1970 – 2020 edited by Éilís Ní Dhuibhne. Because, as Frank McCourt once said, “You can buy the damn book and read it yourself.” And you should. I read it in one cover-to-cover session, fascinated by these women writers. Each has her own individual characteristics and unique … [Read more...] about Irish Women Writers Celebrated in New York

The 10th Annual Tom Quinlan Poetry Lecture Featuring Paul Muldoon

IA Newsletter November 13, 2021

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Poet Paul Muldoon is even busier than usual. Earlier this month he was in London to help launch Paul McCartney’s memoir, “The Lyrics”… an instant bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic. Muldoon interviewed The Beatle for five years then edited the beautiful two volume boxed set. Muldoon, a Pulitzer prize-winning poet and Princeton professor once again organized the Princeton … [Read more...] about The 10th Annual Tom Quinlan Poetry Lecture Featuring Paul Muldoon

Peter Quinn’s Novel Redux

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"Quinn has a way of making ordinary things, the ordinary or wise or inadequate thoughts of many persons in many circumstances not only convincing but merely actual: an ability that can remind a reader of James Joyce in stories like The Dead and in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." – John Crowley (from a new addendum to his original review in the New York Times 27 … [Read more...] about Peter Quinn’s Novel Redux

Timothy Egan: A Modern Day Pilgrim

By Tom Deignan

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In late October, media outlets around the world reported that Pope Francis had expressed support for civil unions, “a significant break from his predecessors that staked out new ground for the church in its recognition of gay people,” as the New York Times put it. It was the latest historic moment for a pope who has excited reformers within the church, while at the same time … [Read more...] about Timothy Egan: A Modern Day Pilgrim