September, 1930. Age 16, my mother, Kathleen Sloyan, the second of eight children, leaves her home in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo. She will marry, raise three children, and die in Brooklyn, New York, at age 53, without ever returning home. We have no photos of her as a child. With my first wage as a paper boy, I bought her a 78rpm record that had “Mayo” in the title. Her hug was … [Read more...] about Finding Home
2008
The House That Hoban Built
James Hoban, Architect of the White House. In 1785, a newspaper in Philadelphia carried this advertisement: “ Any gentleman who wishes to build in an elegant style, may hear of a person properly calculated for that purpose who can execute the Joining and Carpenter’s business in the modern taste James Hoban. Hoban was an Irishman, born in Kilkenny. George Washington … [Read more...] about The House That Hoban Built
Trad Music is a Family Affair
By Ian Warpole, Contributor
June / July 2008
June / July 2008
A couple of years ago I went along to my regular Sunday session in Rhinecliff, New York to hear The McCarthy Brothers, and I have never been quite the same since. The three brothers and a few friends tore through reels, jigs and songs with a virtuosity and joy I’ve yet to hear again, except when I have the luck to catch them playing in New York City. I got to know the … [Read more...] about Trad Music is a Family Affair
U2 Has Gone 3D
By Veronica Blake
June / July 2008
June / July 2008
U23D, the new movie of the world’s favorite Irish band shot using the latest 3D technology, wouldn’t have happened without the American connection. The crowd gathering outside Cineworld on a freezing cold night in February is eagerly awaiting the arrival of U2 who chose their home town of Dublin to premiere their new film U23D. As they stroll up the red carpet, sporting 3D … [Read more...] about U2 Has Gone 3D
The Higgins Clark Ladies
They did it! On Sunday, April 27, 2008, Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark became the first mother and daughter authors to place two separate books on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list at the same time. Mary Higgins Clark retains her “Queen of Suspense” crown as her novel Where Are You Now?, the story of a sister’s search for her Columbia University student … [Read more...] about The Higgins Clark Ladies