Irish America

Irish America

Slainte! Birds of Celtic Myths and Legend

Slainte! Birds of Celtic Myths and Legend

By Edythe Preet

Fall 2025

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In Irish Folklore the Raven was thought to be a messenger from the other world. Autumn is upon us. The leaves have gone gold and scarlet, night falls earlier, the air turns chill, and the season to plant crops won’t come again until Spring. For our ancestors, it was time to breathe a sigh of relief that summer had produced a bountiful harvest and rejoice in that good fortune … [Read more...] about Slainte! Birds of Celtic Myths and Legend

40 Years & Growing

By Niall O'Dowd

Fall 2025

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Publisher Niall O’Dowd reflects on the life of Irish America magazine over its four decades. March 14, 1996, was the most surreal and satisfying day of all my days in America. That evening, I stood in a small holding room at the back of the stage at the Plaza Hotel, located off Fifth Avenue in New York, waiting to walk on stage with the most powerful man on earth –  President … [Read more...] about 40 Years & Growing

40th Anniversary of the Princess Grace Irish Library

By Megan Smolenyak

Fall 2025

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I was thousands of miles from home, but the moment I stepped through the door, I was instantly at home. Shelf after shelf brimming with books – and better still, they were all about Ireland. No aspect is left unexplored with literature, history, politics, economics, folklore, and more all at your fingertips. Accompanying the thousands of books are striking paintings, intriguing … [Read more...] about 40th Anniversary of the Princess Grace Irish Library

Roots: The McCooey Clan

By Mary Egan

Fall 2025

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The McCooey surname has Armagh roots, deriving from the Gaelic name Mac Cumhaigh, meaning “son of Cú Mhaighe,” which translates to “hound of the plain.” This surname is an Anglicized form of a patronymic, where the “Mac” signifies “son of,” and the personal name Cú Mhaighe was common in the region of Armagh. Famous individuals with the surname McCooey include the Gaelic poet … [Read more...] about Roots: The McCooey Clan

Wild Irish Women | Nell McCafferty

By Rosemary Rogers

Fall 2025

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"You never knew what she would say next." Though she stood just under 4’11”, Nell McCafferty was larger than life. She was a fierce Derry Girl, activist, journalist, author, broadcaster, feminist, socialist, storyteller, lesbian, and much more. Nell was a force in the secularization and transformation of Ireland, fighting to make her country take its place in the modern … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women | Nell McCafferty