Ireland's Arts Council has announced that it will award the largest single grant in its history to the Abbey Theatre. The grant of 25.7 million euros (about $31.2 million) will be distributed over three years, and represents an increase of 43 percent in the theatre's funding. Fiach Mac Conghail, the Director of the Abbey, called the grant "a substantial endorsement of the … [Read more...] about Grant Aid for Abbey Theatre
Issues
Winter Ballet Ball
America's premier ballet academy, the School of American Ballet (SAB), held its second Winter Ballet Ball at Lincoln Center on February 15. Waterford Crystal was the generous sponsor of the Winter Ballet Ball and "The Encore" after party. The evening began with a cocktail reception followed by dinner and dancing in the glamorous Alien Room with its vistas of Columbus Circle … [Read more...] about Winter Ballet Ball
‘Lost’ and Found
Irish author Flann O'Brien (illustrated above) is enjoying, posthumously, a renewed and feverish interest in his work thanks to the hit ABC television show, Lost. O'Brien. whose real name was Brian O'Nolan. and who wrote under a variety of pseudonyms, produced wildly inventive humorous essays and novels. O'Brien's The Third Policeman sold 10,000 copies in two days after being … [Read more...] about ‘Lost’ and Found
ILIR on the Move
Since our last issue the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) has picked up enormous momentum. The ILIR was founded last December to raise the voice for the estimated 40,000 to 50,000 undocumented Irish people in the United States. Since the original meeting in Manhattan on December 9, a series of town-hall meetings have taken place in Yonkers, New York, Philadelphia, … [Read more...] about ILIR on the Move
Those We Lost
We lost many influential Irish Americans in the last year. Though impossible to mention them all, here is our tribute to some of those who touched our lives. ℘℘℘ Frank Conroy Frank Conroy, the author of the classic coming-of-age Stop Time, died of colon cancer in April 2005. He was 69 years old. Conroy had been a literary staple in the American cultural scene. Following an … [Read more...] about Those We Lost