Those We Lost Emmett O’Connell (1936-2024) Emmett O’Connell died on September 14, 2024. Named for Irish freedom-fighter Robert Emmet, O’Connell was born to parents from Cork and Sligo, raised in the South Bronx, and lived most of his adult life in Wexford. Having been a champion ice and roller-skater as a teenager, Emmett went on to found several energy and mineral … [Read more...] about Hibernia: Those We Lost
Edna O'Brien
Country Girl: A Memoir by Edna O’Brien
In this excerpt from her memoir, Edna O'Brien returns to Ireland to build a house in which she hopes to avail of the "peace of that passeth understanding," only to find that even the best-laid plans can go awry. It was to Donegal, in the most northwestern tip of Ireland, that in the 1990s I headed, in order to build a house. The very place names so rough and musical, the … [Read more...] about Country Girl: A Memoir by Edna O’Brien
Fathers of Influence
In honor of Father's Day, a collection of remembrances from Irish and Irish-American daughters on their fathers, many of which come from Irish America interviews. “My dad was in WWII, and Korea. He wanted to go to Vietnam but did not. He felt that when the country needed you, you better stand up and go serve it, and he was heartbroken by what happened in WWII to people in … [Read more...] about Fathers of Influence
Presidential Distinguished Service Awards
President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins presented the 2018 Presidential Distinguished Service Awards for the Irish Abroad on Thursday, November 29. ℘℘℘ Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy and novelist Edna O’Brien (pictured above with the President), are this year’s award winners in the Arts, Culture, and Sport category. In the field of Business and Education, the … [Read more...] about Presidential Distinguished Service Awards
Book Notes:
Novelist Edna O’Brien to Become a Dame of the British Empire
It has been reported that renowned Irish novelist Edna O’Brien will be made an honorary Dame of the British Empire for her contributions to the field of literature. Because O’Brien is a native of County Clare, the title will be unofficial. O’Brien jump-started a career of over five decades with her acclaimed debut novel, 1962’s The Country Girls, establishing a worldwide … [Read more...] about Book Notes:
Novelist Edna O’Brien to Become a Dame of the British Empire