To the Mexicans they were heroes. To the Americans they were traitors. They were recent Irish immigrants fleeing poverty and famine in Ireland who, motivated by discrimination in their own ranks, a shared religion, and sympathy for the cause, fought on the side of Mexico in the U.S.-Mexican war of 1846-1848. The war between the United States and Mexico had two causes: … [Read more...] about The Legacy of the San Patricios
Issues
Among Other Things: An Interview with Aoibheann Sweeney
Aoibheann Sweeney’s debut novel, Among Other Things, I’ve Taken Up Smoking, is quite simply the story of a girl’s journey from one island to another. Miranda Donnal is a young woman caught between her father’s world as he doggedly translates Ovid in the mythic fog of Crab Island, Maine, where she has grown up motherless, well-educated and utterly lonely, and the draw of New … [Read more...] about Among Other Things: An Interview with Aoibheann Sweeney
Review of Books
Recommended The Likeness by Tana French Tana French made a surprise splash with critics and readers when her debut novel In the Woods was released last year. Aside from spending weeks on numerous best-seller lists, In the Woods also won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. In the Woods explored the murder of a girl in Dublin, which is where French grew up. (She also spent … [Read more...] about Review of Books
Still Fiddlin’ Away
From his days with The Bothy Band, some thirty years ago now, to the present, Kevin Burke, who was born in London to Irish parents, has been one of the most widely admired fiddlers on the Irish traditional and contemporary music scene. As an individual performer and as a member of acclaimed bands such as Patrick Street and Celtic Fiddle Festival, Burke, who now makes his home … [Read more...] about Still Fiddlin’ Away
Roots: The Mighty Mahers
The Irish surname Maher, appearing also as O’Meagher, Meagher, O’Maher and Mahir, originated in County Tipperary. The name stems from the surname O’Meachair, a derivation of the word “meachar” meaning hospitable. Over fifty percent of Mahers can trace their family history back to County Tipperary, where the ancient clan held control of the territory near Roscrea at the foot of … [Read more...] about Roots: The Mighty Mahers