In pre-Christian Ireland, the spring celebration on May 1 was called Bealtaine. Household fires were extinguished several days before the feast and people were forbidden to rekindle them until Druid priests lit a ceremonial bonfire on the Hill of Tara, stronghold of the High King. When Christianity supplanted pagan customs a new spring celebration was introduced: Easter, … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Lent and Easter: The Fast and the Feast
1995
Irish Roots: The Kennedys
The name Kennedy or O'Kennedy is derived from the Gaelic O'Cinneide, which is itself derived from the original Gaelic form Cean Eidig meaning "rough head." This was the name by which the father of Brian Boru was known, and the name refers specifically to the line of Dunchad, who was one of the sons of Cean Eidig and a brother of Brian Boru. Brian Boru was perhaps the most … [Read more...] about Irish Roots: The Kennedys
George Mitchell’s Mandate
President Clinton's Economic Advisor to Ireland When Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell announced he would not seek re-election it came as a surprise to many, not least his Maine constituents who had given him 80 percent of the votes in the 1988 election. When the 61-year-old senator then turned down a Supreme Court nomination to the great disappointment of the President, … [Read more...] about George Mitchell’s Mandate
The New “Special Relationship”
President Clinton's Commitment to Ireland The White House economic conference on Ireland on May 24-26, 1995 will be the latest in a series of Irish initiatives by President Clinton. Niall O'Dowd reports on the making of a new "special relationship." On May 24 President Bill Clinton will become the first U.S. president ever to deliver a major speech on Irish issues when he … [Read more...] about The New “Special Relationship”
Pat Conroy: The Prince of Tales
By Patricia Harty Editor-In-Chief In the fall of 1995, Pat Conroy, author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, was back on the best-seller list with Beach Music. He talked to Patricia Harty about his work, his family, and his desire to find his Irish relatives. Pat Conroy was born on October 26, 1945, in Atlanta, Georgia, to a young career military officer from … [Read more...] about Pat Conroy: The Prince of Tales