Irish America
Irish America
The Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky wrote of how strange it was to see trams running and everyday life proceeding normally although the Bolsheviks had taken over the government and begun a fundamental transformation of society. The Northern Ireland referendum on the Belfast Agreement had that "Mayakovsky vibe" too. We were in the King's Hall, on the fringe of Belfast, which … [Read more...] about Ulster Says Yes
Aimee Mullins has already packed more into her 22 years than many people twice or even three times her age have achieved. Olympic athlete, model, dean's list student, public speaker...she'll try anything at least once, and the fact that she is a double below-the-knee amputee is almost incidental. Born without fibulas, the long bones connecting the knees to the ankles, Mullins … [Read more...] about Chasing Aimee
Ice hockey is not traditionally regarded as a sport in which the Irish have had much input, but history records a large number of Malones, Clancys and Sullivans as having been hockey heroes. Today, their legend lives on through the likes of Brendan Shanahan and Colleen Coyne. John Kernaghan looks at past and present Irish ice personalities. In repose, leaning on his hockey … [Read more...] about The Irish on Ice
After almost 18 months on the New York Times bestseller list, Angela's Ashes is still up there in the top five, dancing around form number one down to two or three, maybe hitting on four for a spot, but then working its way back up to the first or second spot. Across the Atlantic in Ireland, the hardcover and the paperback versions are both selling like hot cakes, consistently … [Read more...] about McCourt’s Magic Touch
It's the Irish thing again. You're not allowed to go careering around God's globe boasting about your own or your family's great accomplishments and doughty doings. In a dead moment in a pub or saloon, indulgence might be extended to a short bit on what the mother said, or the da did, or what the sister was a terror for, but that would be the extent of it. And, as noted all … [Read more...] about The Brother
