Irish America

Irish America

Newsletter

Paddy Moloney Leaves a Legacy of Irish Music

Mary Gallagher
IA Newsletter October 16, 2021

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Founding member of The Chieftains Patrick “Paddy” Moloney died October 11, at the age of 83. As the leader of the groundbreaking Irish band, Moloney played several different musical instruments with legendary skill, though he was lauded most and longest for his abilities with the uilleann pipes and tin whistle. Under his stewardship, The Chieftains made traditional Irish music … [Read more...] about Paddy Moloney Leaves a Legacy of Irish Music

Jimmy Neary: A Fond Farewell to New York’s Favorite Restaurateur

By Róisín Chapman
IA Newsletter October 16, 2021

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Sligoman and famous restaurateur James ``Jimmy” Neary passed away on October 1st at the age of 91. Neary made a name for himself among Manhattan’s elite soon after immigrating in 1954. He opened his namesake “Neary’s” on 57th Street near First Avenue after having earned his stripes as a Manhattan bartender in PJ Moriarty’s – where he met his late wife, Eileen. Neary’s … [Read more...] about Jimmy Neary: A Fond Farewell to New York’s Favorite Restaurateur

Barry Manilow is a Limerick Man

By Megan Smolenyak
IA Newsletter October 16, 2021

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How Name Changing Hid a Heritage Barry Manilow. Yes, I know, most think of him as a Jewish fellow from Brooklyn – and he is. But he’s also a quarter Irish, and due to certain circumstances in his family, that Irish share has had a disproportionate influence on his family tree. Name Changing Though he wouldn’t have known it, when Barry changed surnames, he was the … [Read more...] about Barry Manilow is a Limerick Man

Rebel With A Cause

October 2, 2021 Newsletter

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In a rare television interview from 1983, Michael Flannery speaks with Niall O'Dowd for a PBS show based in San Francisco called Irish Magazine. Michael Flannery fought in the Irish War of Independence. He joined the volunteers when he was 14 years of age. “I was as tall then as I am now, and no one asked,” Flannery says in this interview with Niall O’Dowd taped in … [Read more...] about Rebel With A Cause

Rockaway 1953: The Irish Riviera

Rosemary Rogers
October 2, 2021 Newsletter

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The image above was taken at Rockaway Beach on 115th Street, what was then the heart of the Irish Riviera. Irish immigrants flocked to Rockaway for a day at the beach, followed by Playland and an evening on the boardwalk. Lucky Irish families came here to spend their summer vacations, staying in boarding houses, usually in one room sharing a communal kitchen, bathroom and … [Read more...] about Rockaway 1953: The Irish Riviera