In August 1933, James Gralton became the only Irish citizen to have been deported from Ireland. Despite having no evidence to substantiate their charge that he was a subversive communist, de Valera’s government, in collusion with the Catholic Church and complacent county politicians, forcibly removed Gralton from his country without trial. He never returned and died 12 years … [Read more...] about What Would Jimmy Do? “Jimmy’s Hall” at Tribeca
Film & Television
What Are You Like? Actor Barry Ward
Actor Barry Ward, 32, plays the lead role in Jimmy’s Hall, directed by Ken Loach with a screenplay by Paul Laverty, the movie is based on the life of Leitrim man James “Jimmy” Gralton, who returned from the U.S. in the early 1930s and set up the local hall as a place for young people to dance, learn music, and take part in political discussions. He soon comes under fire from … [Read more...] about What Are You Like? Actor Barry Ward
The Willis Family
The Willis Clan have carved out quite the reputation for their musical skills and now have a new reality TV show on TLC. There is a moment during a Willis Clan performance when the stage lights seem to go away and you’re swept into that ancient time and place where Irish music and dance were born as rituals that could bind a community together, banish fear and lift sorrow by … [Read more...] about The Willis Family
Irish Eye on Hollywood
A highly-anticipated award-winning film about a determined Irish woman will get a big U.S. release this May. Entitled Noble, the film stars Drogheda native Deirdre O’Kane, who once described the film’s title character as “Ireland’s smoking, swearing, and singing answer to Mother Teresa.” The film explores the hard life and charitable work of Christina Noble, who created a … [Read more...] about Irish Eye on Hollywood
Every Oscar Is an Irish Win
By Adam Farley
How an Irishman Introduced Oscar to Hollywood. Each year around this time the world awaits the presentation of the Hollywood awards in which the statue called “Oscar” is presented to those in the movie industry whom the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences considers to be the best in the business. Numerous Irish and Irish-born have been recipients of this prestigious … [Read more...] about Every Oscar Is an Irish Win