Irish America

Irish America

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Montreal’s Black Stone Monument

By Don Pidgeon

January/February 1996

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In 1997, Irish people around the world will remember the 150th anniversary of the Famine that resulted in one million deaths and forced one million and a half to emigrate to Canada and the United States. The deplorable conditions these immigrants endured aboard ship resulted in a typhus epidemic that decimated many en route to a new a life in North America.  The island of … [Read more...] about Montreal’s Black Stone Monument

Roots: The O’Briens

By James G. Ryan

January/February 1996

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The O'Briens are one of the great Gaelic families of Ireland, and were the rulers of the ancient kingdom of Thomond, which takes in much of the modern county Clare and also the adjacent parts of counties Limerick and Tipperary. The family name is derived from Brian Boru (925-1014 A.D.) who was King of Thomond and rose to become High King of Ireland. Brian Boru is best … [Read more...] about Roots: The O’Briens

The Big Fella: An Interview with Liam Neeson

By Mary Pat Kelly

January/February 1996

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Liam Neeson's name is synonymous with success. The big, handsome actor from Ballymena, Co. Antrim, has become one of the leading international stars of our time. Nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, the veteran of some 35 movies has taken on the role of Ireland's revolutionary leader Michael "The Big Fella" Collins, in a Neil … [Read more...] about The Big Fella: An Interview with Liam Neeson

The First Word: When Hope and History Rhyme

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
January / February 1996

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History says, don't hope on this side of the grave. But then, once in a lifetime the longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up and hope and history rhyme. So hope for a great sea-change on the far side of revenge. Believe that a further shore is reachable from here. Believe in miracles and cures and healing wells. - Seamus Heaney (The Cure at Troy). The Americans, having … [Read more...] about The First Word: When Hope and History Rhyme

Sláinte! The Pleasures of an Irish Pub

By Edythe Preet

September / October 1997

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We Irish are a garrulous folk, given to long-winded debates at the drop of a hat on just about any subject from politics to how one should brew a pot of tea. There's one thing however, on which just about every Irish man and woman will concur. One of the best places to meet and swap a tale or two is the neighborhood local. Pub that is.  According to Bushmill's Irish Pub Guide … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Pleasures of an Irish Pub