In November 1991, shortly after making an abortive effort to replace Charles Haughey as head of Fianna Fail, the chances of Albert Reynolds ever becoming Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland looked bleak indeed. From being Minister for Finance, arguably the most important position in the cabinet, he had been dispatched by Haughey to the backbenches where he seemed likely to … [Read more...] about Taking It To The Top: An Interview with An Taoiseach Albert Reynolds
Interview
The Irish Experience in Australia
Thomas Keneally is widely-recognized for a wide body of work of a historical and political nature, including The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, which explores differences between the white and Aboriginal cultures. Confederates examined the consequences of the American Civil War on a group of individuals; Schindler's List looks at the Holocaust. And in To Asmara he focused on the … [Read more...] about The Irish Experience in Australia
California’s ‘Irish’ Wine Makers
By J. Joseph Finora February 1991
For those who still believe that good, rich, dry wine remains the exclusive domain of the French, Italians, and Spanish, it's about time they wake up and smell the bouquet. Today, Irish Americans are producing fine wine up and down the Napa and Sonoma valleys, and if things continue, the wine books will need to be rewritten to include a chapter on Irishmen in the … [Read more...] about California’s ‘Irish’ Wine Makers
The Outsider
By Kate O'Callaghan February 1991
William Trevor is one of the most respected fiction writers of our time. Best known as a short-story writer, he is also the author of ten novels and numerous plays for radio, stage and television. Trevor, who began writing only in his 30's, is now 61 years of age. He first achieved prominence with the publication of a novel, The Old Boys, in 1964. He has long been considered a … [Read more...] about The Outsider
Richard Harris: Outstanding in the Field
By Stephen Talty February 1991
At 60 and after a career of 40-odd films, Richard Harris had spent most of the last decade out of sight and out of mind in the Bahamas. What has brought him back from a life of beachcombing is the lead role in The Field, the latest movie from the Jim Sheridan/Noel Pearson duo of Oscar-winning My Left Foot fame. He also had an acclaimed stint as Henry IV in London's West End and … [Read more...] about Richard Harris: Outstanding in the Field