A selection of recently published books of Irish and Irish American interest. Click Here to purchase these books at Kenny's Books Recommended The Empty Family I did everything I could to not finish Colm Tóibín’s latest collection of short stories, The Empty Family. I stared out of a bus window and watched the monotonous Garden State Parkway go by; I purposely did not sit … [Read more...] about Review of Books
Issues
Music Reviews
Reviews of recent releases from Irish and Irish-American artists. Barleyjuice Skulduggery Street A band sure to come under their fair share of Pogue comparisons, Barleyjuice’s new album Skulduggery Street is a collection of energetic songs with a punk rock bite. The early tracks walk a dangerous line that could pigeonhole them into the same street-rock-meets-pub-seisiun that … [Read more...] about Music Reviews
Sláinte! Trees, Tea and ESP
Edythe Preet explores ancient traditions of fortune telling and explains how to see the future in a cup of tea. My Irish grandmother, Margaret McCaffrey, was a psychic. “Pooh! Not possible,” you say. Maybe, maybe not, but here’s the story. You be the judge. One fine May week when Dad was in first grade, his class was scheduled to have a picnic on an island in the middle of … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Trees, Tea and ESP
Roots: A Look at the Laheys and the Leahys
Have you always thought the surnames Lahey and Leahy were variations of the same name? Think again! Lahey and Leahy originate from two different Gaelic surnames. Lahey, Lahy, Lahiff, Lahiffe, Laffey, and Lahive all originate from the Gaelic surname O Laithimh, which itself is a variant of O Flaithimh. O Flaithimh derives from the Irish word flaitheamh, which means lord or … [Read more...] about Roots: A Look at the Laheys and the Leahys
Those We Lost: Recent Passings in the Irish-American community
A Tribute to Those who have Passed John Barry 1933-2011 Oscar-winning composer John Barry died on January 30 from a heart attack, at age 77. Barry’s compositions heightened the drama and complimented the moods of films such as Out of Africa, Dances With Wolves, Midnight Cowboy and Born Free. He was also the man behind the iconic music heard in all of the James Bond … [Read more...] about Those We Lost: Recent Passings in the Irish-American community