Irish America

Irish America

Roots

Connecting After a Half-Century

By Enda Cullen
IA Newsletter January 13, 2023

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‘God bless Facebook’ That was the phrase that kept going through my head in Glasgow Crematorium. As I listened to the minister conducting the funeral service I was wondering if what I was thinking was blasphemy. This was the funeral of my first cousin John Cullen who I had just physically linked up with, after 58 years, a few weeks earlier in Turkey. I had often read of … [Read more...] about Connecting After a Half-Century

Island Man

By Marilyn Cole Lownes
February/March 1999

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Q. What do Bob Marley and U2 have in Common? A. Chris Blackwell The founder of Island Records talks to Marilyn Cole Lownes about his Irish Jamaican heritage, U2, and his life in the music business. It's no coincidence that the man who made Jamaican singer Bob Marley a cultural icon also made U2, the rock band from Dublin, an international phenomenon. Chris Blackwell, the … [Read more...] about Island Man

How Name Changing Hid a Heritage

By Megan Smolenyak

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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. - Megan Smolenyak Name Changing Though he wouldn’t have known it, when Barry changed surnames, he was the third generation … [Read more...] about How Name Changing Hid a Heritage

Meg Ryan’s Irish Heritage

By Megan Smolenyak
IA Newsletter, October 28, 2023

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She’s going back to her acting roots, so I took a dive into her ancestral ones. It’s been a while, but Meg Ryan, America’s rom-com queen, anointed through her memorable roles in When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail, is re-emerging with What Happens Later, a movie she co-wrote, directed, and stars in. I’m among the many looking forward to getting … [Read more...] about Meg Ryan’s Irish Heritage

Manx, Music, Military, Moxie, and a Bit Irish

By Megan Smolenyak
IA Newsletter May 27, 2023

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Roots detective Megan Smolenyak researches Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham's roots What can’t Hannah Waddingham do? I’m late to the party discovering her talents in her portrayal of team owner, Rebecca Welton, in Ted Lasso, but oh, how I wish I had seen her in Spamalot, Into the Woods, or Wizard of Oz. And if I weren’t enchanted enough already, her turn as one of … [Read more...] about Manx, Music, Military, Moxie, and a Bit Irish