One of the many positive effects of the ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland has been a deepening complexity in recent films about the Irish. With former adversaries talking peace, it's no longer possible for Hollywood simply to sentimentalize or demonize Irish characters, as it did just a few years ago in such films as Far and Away and Patriot Games. Some of the movies' … [Read more...] about Filming Ireland’s Pagan Underbelly
Feature
Mike’s Back in Town
Bronx boy, bard and beef baron J.P. Donleavy converses with John Froude. James Patrick Donleavy, known to his friends as Mike, is standing in the lobby of the New York Athletic Club. He observes. He notes with approval the liveried attendant silently holding up a placard before a new barbarian. On which is written PORTABLE PHONES ARE NOT PERMITTED. Mike is dapper, be-tweeded … [Read more...] about Mike’s Back in Town
Baltimore’s Pied Piper
Gerard Shields profiles Mayor Martin O'Malley New Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley is renewing this harbor city's long Irish ties not only by his stunning election in a predominantly African-American city but also as leader of the area's most popular Celtic rock band, O'Malley's March. Brimming with knowledge of Irish history and rebel song, the 37-year-old former lawyer and … [Read more...] about Baltimore’s Pied Piper
Meet the Best
Tim Russert was one of the most influential political journalists in America. As the former host of the top-rated Meet the Press, he could make and break careers, but his own success story is a highly unusual one. Niall O'Dowd interviewed him in Washington D.C. in 2000. "He is absolutely the best, he does the most homework. In an era where everyone in the media is … [Read more...] about Meet the Best
The Ice Dancer
Sarah Hughes watches herself without a trace of embarrassment. It's hard to reconcile the bubbly 14-year-old sitting in front of the television with the heart-stopping vision of grace and style who glides effortlessly across the ice in the video clip we're watching. The footage was captured at the recent Keri Lotion USA vs. The World Figure Skating Challenge, and the … [Read more...] about The Ice Dancer