The Cuban struggle for independence and the remarkable Irishman who helped. Johnny O'Brien was already famous among sailors for his extraordinary skill as a harbor pilot guiding ships through the treacherous waters of Hell Gate in New York harbor. But when he out-maneuvered Spanish gunboats and United States Revenue cutters to keep the Cuban rebels supplied with weapons and … [Read more...] about Dynamite Johnny
Hibernia
Argentine Irish Leader Passes
Dr. Mario Dolan, who founded the Irish Argentine Society in 1987, died on October 3, in New York City. The group's main goal as the promotion of relationships between the descendants of the Irish who emigrated all over South America with those in the U.S. and Ireland. Dolan also worked tirelessly to raise funds to support the Southern Cross, the Irish newspaper … [Read more...] about Argentine Irish Leader Passes
Those We Lost
Derek Bell 1935 -- 2002 Derek Bell, the much-loved musician best known for playing harp with The Chieftains, died suddenly in Phoenix on October 17th. Belfast-born Bell had been with the band for nearly 30 years and made 30 albums with the band as well as many on his own. Classically trained, he was a multi-instrumentalist and composer who played the piano, oboe, … [Read more...] about Those We Lost
NYC’s Famine Memorial
The haunting Irish Hunger Memorial, unveiled on July 16 in downtown Manhattan, offers visitors a stunning view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. This is fitting, given that these landmarks have greeted generations of Irish immigrants to New York City. Sadly, however, as visitors will learn, your eyes cannot avoid another site -- Ground Zero, just footsteps from the … [Read more...] about NYC’s Famine Memorial
Irish Eye on Hollywood
Liam Neeson played German businessman Oskar Schindler in the acclaimed film Schindler's List. And he was recently seen on Broadway as a tortured Puritan in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. So why should anyone be surprised that the Ballymena-born Hollywood star portrays a Russian in his latest film, K-19: The Widowmaker? Neeson's ethnic-bending role is just one of several … [Read more...] about Irish Eye on Hollywood