Maureen Murphy explores the seldom-told story of the third-class Irish passengers on board the doomed RMS Titanic – some were survivors, others were heroes and victims. There has been no disaster in the twentieth century quite like the sinking of the Titanic. It was peacetime; the weather conditions were perfect; the ship was the measure of man’s mastery of technology. The … [Read more...] about The Irish on the Titanic
April May 2012 Issue
The Day the Irish Invaded Canada
In the sleepy town of Ridgeway, Ontario – just a stone’s throw from Crystal Beach, the “Southern Shore of Canada” and former home to the Niagara region’s most beloved amusement park – there stands a stone memorial cairn, an unobtrusive roadside monument most travelers overlook as they pass north toward Niagara Falls or east toward Buffalo. Barricaded behind a black wrought … [Read more...] about The Day the Irish Invaded Canada
The Power of the Past: Joseph O’Connor
Joseph O’Connor, author of Star of the Sea and Redemption Falls, talks about his new novel, Ghost Light, the Irish diaspora, and why he doesn’t write historical fiction. The Aran Islands appeared recently on the cover of the New York Times magazine – green, quaintly barren, and lined with stone walls. The accompanying feature was by an Irish-American writer, John Jeremiah … [Read more...] about The Power of the Past: Joseph O’Connor
The Chieftains At 50
The Chieftains, Ireland’s top traditional group, celebrate their 50th anniversary with a compilation album featuring many young recording artists. In traditional Irish music, the road to success is often a long way from home. Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains have traveled that road for half a century, and it has taken them everywhere – from the world’s great concert halls to … [Read more...] about The Chieftains At 50
What Are You Like? Kevin Barry
Writer Kevin Barry on fancy chocolates, Cuchullain’s heroic diet, and naked seething ambition. Kevin Barry’s novel, City of Bohane, has just been published in the U.S. It was shortlisted for both the Irish Novel of the Year and the Costa First Novel Award in 2011. His debut story collection, There Are Little Kingdoms, was awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 2007. … [Read more...] about What Are You Like? Kevin Barry