Thomas Cahill, author of How the Irish Saved Civilization, talks to Patricia Harty. Thomas Cahill was born one of six children to a middle-class Irish family in the Bronx. He grew up in Queens, New York, attended a Jesuit high school on Long Island, and later became a Jesuit seminarian earning a pontifical and becoming proficient in Latin and Greek – language skills which were … [Read more...] about How the Irish Saved Civilization
Interviews
The Big Fella: An Interview with Liam Neeson
By Mary Pat Kelly
January/February 1996
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
Edna O’Brien
From the publication of her very first book, The Country Girls (1960) to her most recent books, Edna O'Brien's works have gained wide acclaim, particularly among American readers. One of Ireland's most influential writers, she is famous for her rich and sensuous prose, and her books often deal with disappointments in love. In 1986, she talked to Susan O'Grady Fox about growing … [Read more...] about Edna O’Brien
Bill Murray
Born in Wilmette, Illinois on September B21, 1950, Bill Murray grew up, one of nine children, in an Irish Catholic family (one sister is a Carmelite nun). He left home in the early '70s to join Chicago's Second City comedy group and found fame with Saturday Night Live, before conquering Hollywood and becoming one of the most highly regarded actors of the day. This interview … [Read more...] about Bill Murray
George Mitchell
There would not have been a peace agreement on Good Friday 1998 without George Mitchell. Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams reflects the views of most Irish nationalists when he says: "Senator Mitchell's role was indispensable to the success of the negotiation process and to the securing of the Good Friday Agreement. There can be no doubt that without his patience and stamina the … [Read more...] about George Mitchell