Michael Dougherty, a young Irish soldier in the American Civil War, kept a diary of his experiences, including the horrendous conditions endured in Confederate prison camps. Michael Dougherty, born in Falcarragh, County Donegal, on May 10, 1844, immigrated to America with his family at the age of 15 and went to work as a “Boots” in a Philadelphia hotel. On April 12, 1861, the … [Read more...] about An Irishman’s Civil War Diary
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The Silent Master: Rex Ingram
Rex Ingram: The clergyman’s son who became one of the biggest directors in Hollywood and discovered Rudolph Valentino. There would have been no shortage of Irishmen who came ashore in New York that June day from the RMS Baltic – the Belfast-built liner that carried up to 3,000 passengers on the regular route from Liverpool to Cobh to New York. Just one page of the passenger … [Read more...] about The Silent Master: Rex Ingram
George Clooney Has Nothing to Prove
The perennial leading man talks about his Irish roots, getting older, and his passion for activism. George Clooney has nothing to prove as an actor and he knows it. It’s part of what makes him such a pleasant and relaxed interview – quick with the self-effacing jokes, interested in the wider world beyond where he now sits, at home in his own skin. At 51, he is aging … [Read more...] about George Clooney Has Nothing to Prove
The President’s Visit: Michael D. Higgins in the U.S.
After his first official U.S. visit, Ireland’s new President reflects on the importance of the diaspora and the unique creativity of the Irish. Michael D. Higgins, the 9th President of Ireland, arrived in New York on the evening of April 30 for his first official visit to the U. S. The president and his wife, Sabina, went straight to a welcoming reception at the Consulate … [Read more...] about The President’s Visit: Michael D. Higgins in the U.S.
Landscapes of the Heart
Photographer Eoghan Kavanagh on the Irish landscape. I began to work as a freelance photographic assistant in New York City twenty years ago. It was a wonderful opportunity but I could not settle, and eventually I returned to Ireland. What I did not know then, but I know now, is just how powerful a draw the Irish countryside has for me. A short while after I returned, I … [Read more...] about Landscapes of the Heart