Half of the population born in Ireland since 1820 have emigrated, some to win great fame and success around the globe. Their descendants— Irish Americans, Irish Australians, Irish in Britain, Irish in Patagonia or wherever - form part of the 70 million people worldwide who claim Irish ancestry. Imagine the 70 million as a shamrock chain, starting in Ireland, linked to New … [Read more...] about The First Word: The Shamrock Chain
1993
Master European Paintings
By Kathryn Hixson
January February 1993
In 1744, Joseph Leeson, a member of a prosperous Dublin family and soon to become the First Earl of Milltown, embarked on his first tour of the European continent to further his education and collect objects of art for his stately new country mansion in County Wicklow. A compelling portrait depicting Leeson in a sumptuous fur-lined robe was painted in Rome during this trip by … [Read more...] about Master European Paintings
Geraldine Fitzgerald: A Woman for All Seasons
By Janet Noble
January February 1993
Geraldine Fitzgerald left her home in Graystones outside Dublin as a young girl and moved into the city to pursue her career in the theater, a career that would eventually take her to the stage in New York and to the Hollywood screen. Along the way she would come in contact with a host of characters, including the great Orson Welles, and Laurence Olivier with whom she would … [Read more...] about Geraldine Fitzgerald: A Woman for All Seasons
Roots: Gilhooly, Gilmartin, Gillespie, and Gilfoyle
By James G. Ryan
January February 1993
A significant number of Irish names have the prefix "Gil" or "Guil," including Gilchrist, Gildea, Gilhooly, Gilmartin, Gillespie, Gilfoyle, Gilleece, (Mac) Gillicuddy, Gilpatrick, Gilroy (now McElroy), Gilsenan and Gilvarry. These names were all originally prefixed by Mc and are all based on the Gaelic word Giolla which means a youth, attendant, servant or follower. The usual … [Read more...] about Roots: Gilhooly, Gilmartin, Gillespie, and Gilfoyle
Philadelphia’s Feisty Irishman
By Marybeth C. Phillips and Michael P. Toner
January February 1993
Most grandparents take their grandchildren to the playground. Dennis Clark takes his to picket the homes of politicians. Though the kids may never acquire the perspective he has from growing up in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood during the Great Depression, Clark wants them to avoid the "cocoon of American consumerism" and to have compassion for the have-nots. Clark, a … [Read more...] about Philadelphia’s Feisty Irishman