The region’s tough but triumphant Irish roots are celebrated every year at Canada’s Irish Festival. It’s no secret why folks along the mighty Miramichi River celebrate their Irish heritage so fiercely. When your roots and a good part of the history that followed are steeped in sorrow and loss, rejoicing in what is good about life and your culture is that much more … [Read more...] about The Irish of the Miramichi
Issues
Donegal: The Forgotten County
An appreciation by Enda Cullen. Apologies to readers from other counties but my mother used to say that Donegal and Clare people were the friendliest people in Ireland. She has passed on to a better place now and I never found out why she thought that, but like most of her beliefs I have found them to be true. As a family we always went to Donegal on holiday. It could be … [Read more...] about Donegal: The Forgotten County
The American Cousin: Memories of JFK’s Trip to Ireland
In June 1963, President John F. Kennedy made a series of state visits throughout Europe. To Germany, where he made his famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech; to Italy; to England; and to Ireland, the country his great-grandfather Patrick Kennedy had left in 1848. Dave Powers, assistant and close friend to the president, described JFK’s four days in Ireland as “the happiest of his … [Read more...] about The American Cousin: Memories of JFK’s Trip to Ireland
Country Girl
In this excerpt from her memoir, Edna O’Brien returns to Ireland to build a house in which she hopes to avail of the “peace that passeth understanding,” only to find that even the best laid plans can go awry. Donegal It was to Donegal, in the most northwestern tip of Ireland, that in the 1990s I headed, in order to build a house. The very place names so rough and musical, the … [Read more...] about Country Girl
Colum McCann: Write What You Want to Know
Colum McCann on journeys of inspiration, his intensive research process, and his new novel. The annoying writerly adage says to write what you know. Great – if you possess a particular passion for accessing the extraordinary in the humdrum. Terrific – if your past is rich with enough adventure or incident to provide a lifetime of inspiration. But what if it isn’t? This is … [Read more...] about Colum McCann: Write What You Want to Know