James T. Farrell (1904-1979), born in Chicago to a struggling Irish Catholic family, became a celebrated writer by drawing on his own experiences in his well-known Studs Lonigan trilogy. As we celebrate the centenary of Farrell’s birth, Pete Hamill, himself the son of Irish immigrants, explores the character of Studs and writes about how Farrell influenced his decision to … [Read more...] about Young Lonigan
August September 2004 Issue
The Not So Great Escape
Ten years after robbers emptied an armored security van of $7.4 million at gunpoint, a former I.R.A. member has admitted in a memoir that he masterminded the heist. ℘℘℘ Sam Millar rues the fact that he is unlikely to set foot in New York ever again. He spent 16 years in the city, saw his four children born there, set up a successful comic book business in Queens and blew it all … [Read more...] about The Not So Great Escape
Finian’s Rainbow Redux
The Irish Repertory Theatre's revival of Finian's Rainbow brightens New York's theatrical scene. ℘℘℘ A musical comedy that involves an Irishman and his daughter arriving in the mythical Southern state of Missitucky, followed in hot pursuit by a leprechaun whose crock of gold the father has "borrowed," not to mention black sharecroppers and a racist senator and his henchman. … [Read more...] about Finian’s Rainbow Redux
Chef Doherty’s Unconventional Fare
An Irish American chef will be responsible for feeding some 30,000 Democrats. ℘℘℘ It's a big year for Boston. For the first time in U.S. history, the city will be hosting a presidential convention. From July 26-29 at Boston's state-of-the-art FleetCenter sports stadium, the Democratic National Convention will welcome some 5,000 delegates from 56 state and territorial … [Read more...] about Chef Doherty’s Unconventional Fare
Solo Tenor
Following on the coattails of the great John McCormack, Ronan Tynan seems destined to be the most popular Irish tenor ever. ℘℘℘ "Let's listen to Ronan Tynan." The CNN commentators on President Ronald Reagan's funeral broadcast are silent as the Irish tenor's voice rises effortlessly in Schubert's "Ave Maria" filling the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. Tynan's face is the … [Read more...] about Solo Tenor