Irish America

Irish America

Travel Archives

The Dunbrody & the Irish America Hall of Fame  

By Aideen ní Riada Wolpe • Photos By Mary Browne

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The story of how JFK’s roots helped to revive an Irish town, and how the Dunbrody Famine Ship and Irish Emigrant ­Experience became the home of the Irish America Hall of Fame.  In the late 1980s, New Ross was an unemployment blackspot. Its salvation came from a volunteer group of local business people who banded together to revive their struggling town. As the ancestral home of … [Read more...] about The Dunbrody & the Irish America Hall of Fame  

Armagh: The Orchard County

By Edna Cullen

Fall 2025

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From ancient kings to Bramley apples and modern-day resilience, this quiet corner of Northern Ireland offers rich rewards for travelers tracing roots and chasing meaning. County Armagh doesn’t scream for attention – and that’s precisely its charm. Tucked away in Northern Ireland’s lush heartland, it’s not the most obvious stop on a tourist trail. But for Irish Americans … [Read more...] about Armagh: The Orchard County

Why Irish Eyes Are Smiling

IA Newsletter March 22, 2025

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IRELAND moves to 15th happiest country in the world in the rankings published by the World Happiness Report. The position marks an increase on last year's 17th place in the World Happiness Report. Finland took the top spot for the eighth year running, while the United States dropped to 24th, its lowest position since the report was first published in 2012. The United … [Read more...] about Why Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Beyond the Veil

By Therese Lanigan-Schmidt

May/June 1997

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A descendant of Famine immigrants recounts her trip home. It was our first trip to Ireland. And it was a trip my mother, Mary Lanigan Schmidt, always yearned to make, but never did. Now dead these 12 years, she left behind so much, including her First Communion veil from 1926, now yellow with age. I took two snippets of the delicate lace and brought them with me, a part of … [Read more...] about Beyond the Veil

Winterval in Waterford: European City of Christmas

By Irish America Staff

Winter 2024

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Waterford, once called the hidden gem of Ireland, is now a tourist destination known for its extravagant festivities. Its annual harvest festival in September attracted upwards of 40,000 visitors. The Samhain festival in October saw the City’s streets awash with a fusion of spooky, spectral, and fascinating events under the watchful eye of An Dearg Dua, a 2,000-year-old … [Read more...] about Winterval in Waterford: European City of Christmas