Irish America
Irish America
"If there is any single thing that explains either of us," John Ford once said to Eugene O'Neill, "it's that we're Irish." Their worlds intersected in 1940, when Ford directed his film version of O'Neill's sea trilogy, The Long Voyage Home. That dark and moody film about men on a tramp steamer perfectly captured O'Neill's Irish fatalism, and it was the playwright's favorite … [Read more...] about John Ford: The Quiet Man
From the time of St. Brendan, the Irish were drawn to America. Maybe it came from gazing out on the vast Atlantic Ocean and wondering what was on the other side. Brendan made his legendary trip in an ox-hide currach. Later the Irish reached "Inishfail" -- that "island of destiny" envisioned by the poets -- as migratory fishermen making their way to Newfoundland in the holds of … [Read more...] about The First Word: In the Beginning . . .
Nellie Bly Newshound "Energy rightly applied can accomplish anything." Nellie Bly's biographer, Brooke Kroeger, captured the essence of his admirable subject when he wrote: "In the 1880s, she pioneered the development of 'detective' or 'stunt' journalism, the acknowledged forerunner to full-scale investigative reporting." Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 to … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Writers and Media
Henry Ford King of the Road "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." He changed the future of this country, and indeed the world, with his revolutionary line of stylish, affordable motor cars. Today the name Ford is synonymous with quality, safety and value for money. He wouldn't have had it any other way. Born July 30, 1863, Henry Ford … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Builders
Dorothy Day Heroine "Don't call me a saint. I don't want to be dismissed so easily." From time to time there comes an individual whose life exposes the limitations of the written word. Dorothy Day was such a person. Her strength, singularity and ability to nudge humankind a little further up the ladder of emotional and spiritual evolution goes beyond language. As a … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Community
