In his 2002 memoir Merv: Making the Good Life Last, show business legend Merv Griffin recalled the moment when it seemed he’d finally made it in the entertainment world. People started looking at him differently, in good ways and bad. His father’s reaction, however, was what fascinated Griffin. “You did good, buddy, keep it up,” Griffin recalled his dad saying. “In the manner … [Read more...] about A Legend Who Loved Ireland
Hibernia
Genius and a Gent: Bill Walsh Remembered
When Bill Walsh took over the head coaching job of the San Francisco 49ers in the late 1970s, the team was among the worst in the National Football League. In just a few years, Walsh transformed them into the dominant franchise of the 1980s and early 1990s. No wonder Walsh – who died at the age of 75 in late July – came to be called “the genius.” The Irish-American coach, … [Read more...] about Genius and a Gent: Bill Walsh Remembered
Chicago’s Irish Spire
By Abdon PallaschAugust / September 2007
Irishman to build tallest building in Western Hemisphere. Dublin native Garrett Kelleher, 46, aspires to erect the biggest, most expensive skyscraper ever built on the shores of Lake Michigan. The beautiful, curving “Spire” is the creation of Zurich-based Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Kelleher, a father of six – number 7 is on the way – says he doesn’t need to sell … [Read more...] about Chicago’s Irish Spire
A Statue of John B. is Unveiled in Listowel
By Laura Jean Zito
August / September 2007
August / September 2007
On Saturday, this past June 2nd, the day of the unveiling in Listowel’s Small Square of John B. Keane’s statue created by father-and-son sculptor team Seamus and James Connolly, famous for their 2006 Kilkee sculpture of Richard Harris, the entire town and half of Dublin’s literary elite stood in tribute, listening to the words of, among others, Listowel’s mayor Anthony Curtin, … [Read more...] about A Statue of John B. is Unveiled in Listowel
Irish Eye on Hollywood
With the summer upon us, TV is a vast wasteland of reruns – except, of course, for Denis Leary’s brilliant Rescue Me on FT, which some critics believe will take over the title of Best Drama on TV now that The Sopranos is over. But what else is Leary working on, aside from his post-9/11 Irish-American firefighter drama? Though he’s appeared in over 30 movies (including The Ref, … [Read more...] about Irish Eye on Hollywood