Brian Rohan visits Croke Park and finds it utterly changed, except for the heartbreak. ℘℘℘ Twenty years ago, it seemed only politicians and priests had plastic molded seats. Twenty years ago, under-12s were thrown over the turnstiles, no tickets necessary. And 20 years ago the concession stands definitely did not sell "Chicken Tikka on Pita Bread." From my seat behind the … [Read more...] about Croke Park Today
Galway
Chapter & Hearse
"For twelve long years I've suffered this damned cat.../ though more than once I've threatened violence/ the brick and burlap in the river recompense/ for mounds of furballs littering the house." – "Grimalkin" "Grimalkin," Tom Lynch informs me, "is dead." I couldn't help it, I had to know. The cat lasted almost eight years after the poem was written. "I had told … [Read more...] about Chapter & Hearse
Roots: The Lynch Family
The Lynch family derives from several independent clans. One of these is the Norman family De Lench who came to Ireland in the 12th century and were the most prominent of the "Tribes of Galway." These were the 14 Norman families who controlled this important medieval trading city and made it one of the few outposts in the West of Ireland that was loyal to the British crown. An … [Read more...] about Roots: The Lynch Family
Get Your Irish Up! At Galway’s Oyster Festival
It's early evening and a vast room at Galway's Corrib Southern Hotel is lined with long rows of tables, laid for a banquet for over 600 people. Men in dinner jackets and bow ties make small talk with women in elegant ball gowns as their starters are served with military precision by a team of waitresses. Suddenly, a brass band marches into the room, strikes up a tune, and, in a … [Read more...] about Get Your Irish Up! At Galway’s Oyster Festival