Irish America
Irish America
Brian Friel himself cast Catherine Byrne as Chrissy in Dancing at Lughnasa after watching an Abbey Theatre dress rehearsal of his Aristocrats in which Byrne played clare. She talked of that moment during a pause in rehearsal for Molly Sweeney in which she plays the title role. "He didn't know me," Catherine Byrne recalls, "and when I heard he was coming I thought, what's he … [Read more...] about A Touch of Friel
Colin Lacey talks to Michael D. Higgins (recently dubbed by British Vogue as the world's grooviest arts minister) about the renaissance of the Irish film industry. The Crying Game: My Left Foot; Braveheart; The Playboys; The Commitments; The Snapper; Circle of Friends; Window's Peak; The Run of the Country; Into the West; Frankie Starlight - if you haven't been closely watching … [Read more...] about Ireland’s Groovy Arts Minister
In 1997, Irish people around the world will remember the 150th anniversary of the Famine that resulted in one million deaths and forced one million and a half to emigrate to Canada and the United States. The deplorable conditions these immigrants endured aboard ship resulted in a typhus epidemic that decimated many en route to a new a life in North America. The island of … [Read more...] about Montreal’s Black Stone Monument
Liam Neeson's name is synonymous with success. The big, handsome actor from Ballymena, Co. Antrim, has become one of the leading international stars of our time. Nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, the veteran of some 35 movies has taken on the role of Ireland's revolutionary leader Michael "The Big Fella" Collins, in a Neil … [Read more...] about The Big Fella: An Interview with Liam Neeson
The death of Justice William Brennan in July, after a long illness, was mourned by President Clinton, other dignitaries, family and friends who packed St. Matthew's Cathedral -- the same church where the funeral mass was celebrated for slain U.S. President John F. Kennedy in November 1963 -- in Washington, D.C. for his funeral mass. "We thank God for his life," said Clinton, … [Read more...] about A Tribute to Justice: The William Brennan Legacy
