The holiday season was a tense one, to say the least, for the McAllister family. Days before Thanksgiving, federal agents raided their New Jersey home in the dead of night. Before Christmas, it became a distinct possibility that all six Belfast natives would be deported. Now, the McAllisters are awaiting a crucial decision from an appeals court in Philadelphia. When that … [Read more...] about Irish Family in the U.S. Faces Deportation
Irish America
James Kenny Named New Ambassador to Ireland
The new ambassador to Ireland, James Kenny, traces his family's roots to County Mayo. But the red-haired partner in Chicago's Kenny Construction Co. is not one to spend time at Mayo Association dances or Irish-American events in general. Kenny's modern-day credentials as a dependable fundraiser for Republican politicians, including President Bush and his father, appear to have … [Read more...] about James Kenny Named New Ambassador to Ireland
IAUC 20th Anniversary Convention in New York
The Irish American Unity Conference will hold its annual convention in New York, October 17-19. The theme of this year's convention, which marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the organization, is "Good Friday Agreement -- Is Democracy Possible -- 5 Year Status Report." Texan James Delaney founded the IAUC in 1983 in Chicago as an effort to bring peace and justice to … [Read more...] about IAUC 20th Anniversary Convention in New York
Irish America On
Airlift To Baghdad
Three months after 9/11, New York Fire Department chief Larry Connors flew to Afghanistan with a humanitarian aid airlift sponsored by the Diageo beverage distributing company and the U.S. State Department. Another firefighter, two New York police officers, reporters, and aid workers were part of the group. This past June, the same contingent of 18 people went to Baghdad to … [Read more...] about Irish America On
Airlift To Baghdad
Byrne’s Turn in The Kitchen
Gabriel Opens Baltimore. Gabriel Byrne added himself to the list of Hollywood actors to open a restaurant in New York City in May. It's called Balitore, after a village in Co. Kidare "where the Shackleton brothers [explorers] grew up." Byrne's ex, Ellen Barkin, and her husband Ron Perlman were among those who attended the opening. Rumors that Byrne, who won a tony award for … [Read more...] about Byrne’s Turn in The Kitchen