Irish America
Irish America
"If there is any single thing that explains either of us," John Ford once said to Eugene O'Neill, "it's that we're Irish." Their worlds intersected in 1940, when Ford directed his film version of O'Neill's sea trilogy, The Long Voyage Home. That dark and moody film about men on a tramp steamer perfectly captured O'Neill's Irish fatalism, and it was the playwright's favorite … [Read more...] about John Ford: The Quiet Man
Nellie Bly Newshound "Energy rightly applied can accomplish anything." Nellie Bly's biographer, Brooke Kroeger, captured the essence of his admirable subject when he wrote: "In the 1880s, she pioneered the development of 'detective' or 'stunt' journalism, the acknowledged forerunner to full-scale investigative reporting." Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 to … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Writers and Media
Dorothy Day Heroine "Don't call me a saint. I don't want to be dismissed so easily." From time to time there comes an individual whose life exposes the limitations of the written word. Dorothy Day was such a person. Her strength, singularity and ability to nudge humankind a little further up the ladder of emotional and spiritual evolution goes beyond language. As a … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Community
Brian P. Burns Art Collector He's a man of many talents -- business executive, attorney and philanthropist -- but it is perhaps for his extensive and unequaled art collection that Brian Burns is best known. Through his efforts, the work of dozens of Irish artists is exhibited regularly at various locations throughout the U.S. In 1996, an exhibition titled "America's Eye: … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Business
William J. Brennan, Jr. Lion of the Court "The law is not an end in itself, nor does it provide ends. It is preeminently a means to serve what we think is right. " Considered one of the most influential shapers of public policy in the nation, the late Justice William Joseph Brennan, Jr., was best known for his support of civil rights, and particularly freedom of speech. … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Law
