A trip to the West Cork Literary Festival turns into an unexpected and inspiring look at Bantry Bay and the people who call it home. In the words of Man Booker Prize-winner Anne Enright, “Ireland is a series of stories that have been told to us.” For me, Enright’s words couldn’t have rung truer. My father’s stories of growing up in Country Cork, told to me as a child, had the … [Read more...] about Reading West Cork
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The Celtic Curse
Coming to terms with hemochromatosis. When I began researching hemochromatosis for this story, I knew only the basic facts: that hemochromatosis is a genetic condition that causes the body to store high levels of iron; that the body has no way of getting rid of that excess iron; and that, if left untreated, it can accumulate in the liver, heart, pancreas, and other organs, … [Read more...] about The Celtic Curse
“Molly, you have Alzheimer’s”
A grandmother’s legacy lives on in the work of Muireann Irish, whose research has shown that people with dementia don’t just lose the ability to remember the past, they also lose the ability to envisage the future. ℘℘℘ One of my favorite memories of my grandmother, Molly Lowney, is calling in to her house every day after school to chat about the day over a cup of tea. On … [Read more...] about “Molly, you have Alzheimer’s”
Living in Each Other’s Shadow
We should be attendant to any story that involves love, even when it’s the strange and wonderful bond between a cat and human. Earlier this summer my cat died. I know it’s not important in the scheme of things, but it left me reeling. For days I was buffeted by my grief in the most unexpected places: in the supermarket checkout line (no longer any need to buy pet food or … [Read more...] about Living in Each Other’s Shadow
Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry’s Irish Great-Great-Grandmother
She came from a gold-obsessed family, so perhaps it wasn’t so surprising when the treasure bag was found in Hannah’s water closet. But what was this Galway girl even doing in San Francisco? ℘℘℘ Anyone who’s ever dabbled in genealogy knows that certain forebears call louder than others – even when they’re not your own. While researching Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson – better known … [Read more...] about Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry’s Irish Great-Great-Grandmother