Irish comedy has successfully crossed the pond, judging by the feedback from the New York Irish Comedy Festival. No less a celebrity than Moby turned up for the BBC America screening of Father Ted at Manhattan's Tribeca Bar & Grill to open the festival, and he then quizzed co-writer Graham Linehan during the Q&A which followed. Father Ted, a big hit in Britain and … [Read more...] about An Irish Laugh-In
Hibernia
Jordan to Film Ned Kelly
Irish director Neil Jordan, currently filming The Gambler with Nick Nolte, in France, recently beat off stiff competition for the film rights to Peter Carey's best-seller The True Story of the Kelly Gang. In the novel, Carey, an Australian who won the Booker Prize for Oscar and Lucinda, gives a first person account of his country'y most powerful legend, Ned Kelly, the son of … [Read more...] about Jordan to Film Ned Kelly
Friel Donates His Works
Brian Friel, the Irish playwright who has had a string of successes on Broadway, starting with Tony-winning Dancing at Lughasa (later made into a film starring Meryl Streep), has presented his archived works to the National Library in Ireland. The collection includes manuscripts and early drafts of his 26 plays and correspondence with literary figures such as Seamus Heaney, … [Read more...] about Friel Donates His Works
The Irish Arrive
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern was in New York last December to present of a sculpture to the United Nations. Entitled Arrival, the bronze piece was created by John Behan, Ireland's foremost sculptor, and was installed on the north lawn of the UN headquarters. Situated only yards from the East River, and standing 23 feet high, it depicts a nineteenth-century emigrant ship … [Read more...] about The Irish Arrive
Steve Allen (1921 – 2000)
If the stars are twinkling a bit more lately, it's because one of Earth's brightest has taken his place in their midst. On November 1, Steve Allen passed away in his sleep and into the realm of legend. His wife, actress Jayne Meadows, once described him as "a good Irish Catholic boy. One of the true, clean wits around." He was that, and much more -- a comic genius, musician, … [Read more...] about Steve Allen (1921 – 2000)