Hearing Stephen Rea read the Cyclops chapter from Ulysses makes you realize that Joyce wanted us to enjoy his masterpiece, and to laugh. I was lucky to catch one of Rea’s performances in Ireland last year, and witnessed the delight of the audience. “This is fun,” the man sitting next to me said, showing his appreciation as Rea gave voice to Joyce’s characters – their accents … [Read more...] about Rea Does Joyce at Fairfield
Issues
Lady of Sligo Finds New Home in Quinnipiac
Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT recently acquired the historically significant collection of Hester Catherine de Burgh, Lady Sligo (1800-1878). The letters and other related artifacts will be on display at the institute’s inaugural exhibition, titled “Lady Sligo Letters,” which opens to the public April 29. The collection of more than 200 … [Read more...] about Lady of Sligo Finds New Home in Quinnipiac
The Light of Munster
If I could be dropped anywhere in Ireland with my camera and lenses, I’d choose the region of Munster nearly every time. The spectacular cliffs on the coast of Clare, the wild headlands of the Kingdom of Kerry – the landscape is rugged and the coastline endless. But photography is so much about light, and isn’t the weather still … well, Irish? And yet, if photography were … [Read more...] about The Light of Munster
Brían Boru’s Last Battle
A thousand years ago, on April 23, 1014, the Battle of Clontarf, and Brían Boru’s last costly victory, changed Irish political life forever. The following, from The Story of the Irish Race by Seumas MacManus, sets the scene in Ireland prior to the battle. The SettingIrish literature of a thousand years ago is obsessed with the occupation of Ireland by the Norse (also … [Read more...] about Brían Boru’s Last Battle
The Battle of Clontarf: Millennium Celebrations
Vikings, mercenary warriors, and competing clans made up the terrifying cast in one of Ireland’s oldest and best-known battles. All of these different elements will once again play their part in the many events taking place to commemorate the 1000-year anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf and the death of Ireland’s last great High King, Brían Boru. There are events taking … [Read more...] about The Battle of Clontarf: Millennium Celebrations