Over the last four decades, stamp-collecting, also known as “philately,” has been undergoing a slow but sure death. This has been mirrored by a decline in letter-writing and a similar wane in the use of cursive writing. Consequently, the hobby of stamp-collecting, so beloved by generations of schoolchildren, is mostly the preserve of people above the age of 60. Ireland’s Great … [Read more...] about You’ve Got Mail: Irish History From Stamps
Issues
What Are You Like? Kristen Shaughnessy
A NY1 television reporter since 1995, Kristen Shaughnessy says the best part of her job is meeting New Yorkers from all walks of life. Wherever in the five boroughs the story takes her, she feels privileged to share the stories of her fellow New Yorkers. Kristen graduated from Hofstra University with a B.A. in communications in 1990. She started out in radio and then went on … [Read more...] about What Are You Like? Kristen Shaughnessy
Running Rings Around the Empire: The 1908 Olympics
In 1908, as the world’s attention focused on the Olympic Games in London, Britain had decided again not to allow Ireland to field its own team, imperiously stating, “Ireland is not a nation.” All Irish athletes would have to compete as members of the British team. The policy had worked well for Britain in the 1906 Intercalated Olympics in Athens, where Irish athletes won … [Read more...] about Running Rings Around the Empire: The 1908 Olympics
Sláinte! The Irish & the Oval
In 2020 you can safely bet that the biggest topic of news and conversation is going to be the presidential election. And until midsummer, the hottest sub-topic will be “Who will the Democrats choose for their ticket?” I have a suggestion: select someone with Irish heritage. This is not a willy-nilly witticism. The numbers back me up. More than one-third of U.S. presidents … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Irish & the Oval
Review of Books
American Dirtby Jeanine Cummins When Stephen King describes something as “one hell of a novel,” you sit up and take notice. And when, barely a few weeks into 2020, many reviewers start adding the same novel to their “best of the year” lists, you definitely watch out for it. So many times, that sense of anticipation can be such a let-down, but happily, for this reviewer, … [Read more...] about Review of Books