Irish America

Irish America

February March 2014 Issue

The Quiet Man is A National Treasure

By June Parker Beck, Contributor
February / March 2014

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There was much rejoicing among Golden-Age film lovers on December 18, 2013, when they learned that the classic 1952 John Ford film The Quiet Man was officially added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry. Each year the organization selects 25 movies that have the largest number of supporters by way of campaigns and petitions. Devoted Quiet Man fans can now be … [Read more...] about The Quiet Man is A National Treasure

Irish Eye on Hollywood

By Tom Deignan, Contributor
February / March 2014

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Maybe they should call it the Father and Son Dance Film Festival! After all, it was an Irish family affair at this year’s Sundance Film Fest, which ran from January 16 - 26 in Park City, Utah. First up is Frank, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Michael Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film has been described as an offbeat comedy about a musician struggling to make it with a band … [Read more...] about Irish Eye on Hollywood

Those We Lost

By Adam Farley, Assistant Editorbr/>February / March 2014

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Peter O'Toole (1932-2013) Peter O’Toole, the actor who rose to international fame nearly overnight as T.E. Lawrence in the 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia, died December 14th in a London hospital. His daughter, the actress Kate O’Toole, said in a statement that he had been ill for some time. He was 81 years old. He was 6 foot 2 inches with sandy blonde hair, eyes like a hurricane, … [Read more...] about Those We Lost

Jimmy Fallon Family Tree

By Megan Smolenyak, Contributor
February / March 2014

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Megan Smolenyak, the roots detective, takes a look at Jimmy Fallon’s Irish side. Not yet forty, Jimmy Fallon already has an impressive history to look back on.  Between “Saturday Night Live” and hosting “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” he’s logged more than a decade on air, and is now primed for his take over of “The Tonight Show.” Not bad for a Brooklyn-born, Saugerties-raised … [Read more...] about Jimmy Fallon Family Tree

Portals to the Past

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
February / March 2014

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I love to drive around Ireland, especially if I have the luxury of time. I aim my car in the direction that I hope to end up, and then take the by roads, leaving the highway behind. Many of the old “main” roads are still in use and, though narrow by today’s standards, they are still wide enough for another car passing in the opposite direction. It is down these backroads, with … [Read more...] about Portals to the Past