Settled in 1848 by brothers John and Daniel Murphy from County Wexford, Murphys, California, once a mining town, is today a major tourist destination. ℘℘℘ Hidden in the Sierra foothills of California, in the vast and quiet Calaveras County, northwest of Yosemite, lies Murphys, a small town with a big personality. Made up of about 2,300 residents spread out over 10 square … [Read more...] about Corner of Ireland: Murphys, CA – “Queen of the Sierras”
April May 2016 Issue
An American Tribute to Ireland’s Poet-Patriots
Richard B. Evans, an American-born composer and musician, has been immersed in Irish music and culture for decades, and his exploration of the events leading to 1916 is about to come to American audiences in a live, full-length musical production commemorating the Centennial. Ireland’s Poet-Patriots is a full evening’s concert marking the centennial of the Easter Rising and … [Read more...] about An American Tribute to Ireland’s Poet-Patriots
Sláinte! Heroes of the Revolution
As St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world, Edythe Preet looks to March 17, 1776, and the role the Irish played in America’s bid for freedom. Pop quiz: what color ink is used to sign legislative bills into law? If you answered black, you’d be right with one exception. On March 12, 1941, Massachusetts Governor Leverett Saltonstall used green ink to sign a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Heroes of the Revolution
Famous Irish of the American Revolution
Irish nationals were instrumental in helping secure American independence from England during the Revolutionary War. Edythe Preet explores the key figures. John Barry County Wexford Driven from their ancestral home by the British, the Barry family relocated to the American colonies, where John Barry became a prosperous transatlantic trading captain. In December 1775, he was … [Read more...] about Famous Irish of the American Revolution
Long and Winding Road: An Interview with Kevin Barry
Kevin Barry talks to Julia Brodsky about his prize- winning novel Beatlebone, set in “the haunted, sea-obsessed world” of Ireland’s Atlantic coast, and the “terrifying” prospect of writing a book about one of the 20th century’s greatest pop culture icons. The University of London established the Goldsmiths Prize in 2013 to acknowledge fiction that pushed the boundaries of the … [Read more...] about Long and Winding Road: An Interview with Kevin Barry