When I was a child, I suspected my Da's sister Violet was a gypsy. Not that she was a real descendant of the wandering tribes of Egypt, but she looked like one. Her jet-black hair was always tied back in a tight bun, and she always wore blowsy flowered dresses, scandalous crimson lipstick and dangly earrings. Then while we were visiting one cold and blustery winter Sunday when … [Read more...] about Sláinte! A Fine Cuppa Tay
Issues
The Last Word: Forget Me Not
By Charles E. Orser Jr., the curator of Historical Archaeology, New York State Museum, Albany and Adjunct Professor, National University of Ireland, Galway.
June / July 2010
June / July 2010
Archaeology sites expose hidden history of the Famine The Famine rests within Irish memory on many levels and is told with diverse voices. With each passing year, as the stories of those terrible years recede further into history, the Famine becomes slightly more intangible, less real to our modern minds. The archaeology of the Famine challenges our views on that awful … [Read more...] about The Last Word: Forget Me Not
Jack Moran on Tar Beach
Text and photos submitted by Margaret "Peggy" Phelan of Willingboro, New Jersey. Originally published in
June / July 2010 , republished in Fall 2024
June / July 2010 , republished in Fall 2024
My father Jack Moran arrived in New York on April 5th, 1923. He was from Athea, a small village in County of Limerick. He loved New York. And Brooklyn. My mother was born in Kerry but raised in Limerick but she didn’t meet my father until she came to the States in 1927. The Irish in New York would all get together for parties and they met at one of those parties. My mother … [Read more...] about Jack Moran on Tar Beach
Sláinte! Spring’s Precious Sting
Nettles - the edible weed that is also known as the devil's leaf. Some foods don’t have a real come-hitherness about them. Who was the bold soul to first slurp a raw oyster? Artichokes have thorns and stickers growing on every surface. Rhubarb is notorious for its super sour pucker power, and, if carelessly ingested, its leaves are quite capable of killing a foolhardy … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Spring’s Precious Sting
New York Rock Band: Black 47
Irish America speaks to Larry Kirwan about the Irish Famine's Musical Legacy. Think of any major event in Irish history and a song or two will spring to mind that describes the emotions of a people. Except, that is, for the Great Famine, which left its sufferers at a loss for words to describe their anguish and devastation. With the exception of “Skibbereen,” the musical … [Read more...] about New York Rock Band: Black 47