Irish literature and lore shows Mulligan little respect. The very opening sentence of James Joyce's acclaimed Ulysses introduces Buck Mulligan, a ribald braggart who, before many pages, is borrowing a quid to "get gloriously drunk so as to astonish the druidy druids," making an utter fool of himself in a "jester's dress of puce and yellow and a clown's cap" and identifying … [Read more...] about Roots: The Unimportance of Being Mulligan
Issues
The Last Word: The Far Side of Revenge
There was a terrible silence in Omagh in the days after the bombing. It seemed that not even birdsong could be heard in a town that was full of life and joy and laughter when the world turned upside down on 15 August 1998. To those who know nothing of Northern Ireland it may seem distasteful to engage in the arithmetic of tragedy, but the difference with Omagh was that the … [Read more...] about The Last Word: The Far Side of Revenge
Photo Album: On the Town
Cigarette in mouth and mates by his side, Corporal James L. O'Brien stands on a street in Paris in 1918. O'Brien and his friend, Pat Donovan (far left) joined "because we felt it was the right thing to do. Quite a few of our friends had been drafted." Assigned to recruitment duty in Washington D.C., O'Brien and Donovan would put up their friends who came down to enlist. "At … [Read more...] about Photo Album: On the Town
The Hottest Thing in Hats
It's a hot night in Boston, hotter still in the narrow space of Studio Soto where barefoot models weave trance-like through the melting crowd. Exhibiting the kind of creative flair she's known for, Ballina-born designer and hat maker Marie Galvin had forsaken the predictable run down the catwalk during Boston Spring Fashion Weekend in favor of an art gallery show that … [Read more...] about The Hottest Thing in Hats
The First Word: “Dear Sir or Madam”
When Northern Ireland comes to lunch, it can be uncomfortable. It nags at complacency and the notion that everything will be okay and peace will hold, even though there are signs that say otherwise. On June 19 – a beautiful New York morning – I make my way to the Mutual of America building on Park Avenue for a National Committee on American Foreign Policy lunch to hear … [Read more...] about The First Word: “Dear Sir or Madam”