Irish America
By Pete Hamill, Contributor
January / February 2019
The Greyhound roared up the Jersey Turnpike in the rain, its fierce power leaving the cars behind, the thick wheels ripping through the gathering pools of water with the driving stateliness of a cruiser. The bus that was carrying us home for that 1952 Christmas smelled of stale smoke and damp wool; on that detail, memory does not fail. Sailors stood in the aisles, soldiers … [Read more...] about The 17th Christmas
By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
December / January 2018
Christmas, 1959 One Christmas was so much like another in those years, to borrow a line from Dylan Thomas. My mother began the preparations in autumn. The plum pudding was stirred for good luck, then tied in gauze and seamed in a bowl on top of the our wood-burning Stanley stove. The big square Christmas cake, heavy with fruit, raisins sultanas, glace cherries, was baked until … [Read more...] about Photo Album: A Visit to Santa
By Jim Murphy, Contributor
December / January 2016
In the Brooklyn world of my childhood, Ireland seemed especially close at Christmas. While we kids looked forward to Santa, Mom and Dad were looking back to Ireland. Cards would arrive and Mom would cherish each and everyone, especially those from her sisters, my Aunts Una and Joan, who would include letters for her to linger over, her eyes growing all teary. My parents left … [Read more...] about A Child's Christmas In Brooklyn
By Edythe Preet, Columnist
December / January 2003
Not so long ago, when my daughter was a child, life was very different. The world moved at a slower pace and I had time on my hands. It was the era before cable TV and the internet. The phrases "fast lane" and "couch potato" and "net surfer" had yet to be coined. Time stretched like soft taffy, begging to be filled and I industriously did so – especially in the weeks preceding … [Read more...] about Sláinte: Let Them Eat
Irish Christmas Cake
By Edythe Preet, Columnist
December / January 2002
Christmas is one of those words that immediately brings thoughts to mind. First, and foremost in these troubled times, is the hope for peace on earth. Hard on the heels of our heartfelt sentiments come the tumbling images of gifts and feasting. Deluged by jolly Santa Clauses, decorated evergreen trees, and twinkling light displays during the holiday season, it's easy to forget … [Read more...] about Sláinte: Christmas Is Coming & The Goose Is Getting Fat
