Irish America
Irish America
The Day I Saw JFK One of my earliest and most vivid memories is of the summer day in 1963 when I saw the President. He was arriving at Idlewild Aiprort, which would shortly be renamed in memory of himself, and his route into Manhattan would take him within a short distance from the house where I grew up. My father walked with me and five of my brothers the two blocks from … [Read more...] about Happy Birthday John F. Kennedy
"Pray for the dead. But fight like hell for the living." These are the words of Mother Jones, the gutsy labor leader, but they could easily apply to another Irish American, Mary Rose McGeady, the Sisters of Charity nun in charge of Covenant House, Runaways, and troubled teens. Kids whose worlds have crumbled around them. For many, Covenant House is their only sanctuary from … [Read more...] about Cherish the Children
When Shivaun O'Casey first met Irish-born Nobel Literature Prize winner Samuel Beckett, she was a shy young girl of 16 studying acting in London. In the 32 years that have followed that meeting, she has kept in close contact with Beckett, now recognized as one of the leading 20th century playwrights, whose dark visions of life inspired a revolutionary stage movement called … [Read more...] about “Happy Days” For O’Casey and Beckett
Ex-hostage Brian Keenan speaks to Jane Campbell about his book, his experiences, and his life post-imprisonment. In 1985 Brian Keenan, feeling that his life was stagnant, left his native Belfast for a teaching job in Beirut. That he both sought and found change and a challenge is an irony not lost on him, but the change — capture and imprisonment by fundamentalist Shi'ite … [Read more...] about To Hell and Back
The king of Hollywood talks to Frances Haines about his controversial role in Patriot Games Son of an Irish Catholic emigrant, Harrison Ford has weathered the storm of Irish-American protest over Patriot Games. From his father, Chris, who found that his religion and ethnic origins prevented his getting work in the New York of the 20s, Harrison has always fiercely defended his … [Read more...] about Harrison Ford
