Irish America

Irish America

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Roots: The O’Sullivans Past & Present

By James G. Ryan

May/June 1996

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The O'Sullivan Clan of Munster has produced fine military leaders, sporting heroes, politicians, movie stars, songwriters, and even a space walker, as the following history of one of the most popular Irish names illustrates. The O'Sullivans or Sullivans are one of the most populous of the Munster families. In Irish O'Sullivan is O'Súileabháin. And there is no doubt that … [Read more...] about Roots: The O’Sullivans Past & Present

Renewing the Spirit

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
May/June 1996

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The sound of bagpipes in the distance drifts in through the open window of the yellow cab as I head down Broadway to New York University. It's the first real spring day after a long winter and the bagpipes seem to herald the return of warmer weather, and the renewal of the spirit that spring brings.  How does one express the effect that that ancient sound has when it reaches … [Read more...] about Renewing the Spirit

Eugene O’Neill’s Tao House

By Joe Zentner

March/April 1996

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Nestled in the foothills of the San Ramon Valley near San Francisco, a concrete block residence sits prominently amidst the landscape. At one time the site provided this country's only Nobel Prize-winning playwright a sanctuary in which to create masterpieces of American drama.Built in 1937, the home today serves as a memorial to Eugene O'Neill's contribution to this country's … [Read more...] about Eugene O’Neill’s Tao House

Chicken Today, Feathers Tomorrow

By Victoria Stewart

August/September 2010

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Chicken today, feathers tomorrow. That’s how my mother described life with my father, James McQuilan Stewart, a Belfast-born charmer whose love of literature led to my career as an advertising writer. In this 1923 photo, he looks every inch the winner. He arrived in New York in the early 1920s, bringing with him an excellent head for figures, a great sense of humor and the … [Read more...] about Chicken Today, Feathers Tomorrow

Lent and Easter: The Fast and the Feast

By Edythe Preet


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In pre-Christian Ireland, the spring celebration on May 1 was called Bealtaine. Household fires were extinguished several days before the feast and people were forbidden to rekindle them until Druid priests lit a ceremonial bonfire on the Hill of Tara, stronghold of the High King. When Christianity supplanted pagan customs a new spring celebration was introduced: Easter, … [Read more...] about Lent and Easter: The Fast and the Feast