Irish President Mary McAleese and Britain's Queen Elizabeth held a low-key "private meeting" at Hillsborough Castle, Co. Down. It was the fourth occasion that the two public figures had met but the first time such an encounter took place on Irish soil. "We both found ourselves in Northern Ireland on the same day coming up to Christmas and it seemed an opportune time to meet … [Read more...] about Irish President Meets Queen Elizabeth
Mary McAleese
Re-Imagining Ireland Conference
Frank McCourt, Roddy Doyle, Mick Moloney and Irish America publisher Niall O'Dowd will be among the Irish writers, artists, and historians to converge in Charlottesville, Virginia in May for a three-day gathering entitled "Re-Imagining Ireland". Described as a "town meeting" on the state of Ireland, organizers say the conference will explore Ireland as a modern, prosperous, … [Read more...] about Re-Imagining Ireland Conference
McAleese Injured
in Skiing Accident
President of Ireland Mary McAleese has been restricted to limited official engagements following a skiing accident in Austria on Christmas Eve. During a short vacation with her husband Martin and their three children, she fell when trying to board a ski lift on the resort slopes of Bad Hofgastein, near Salzburg. Her ankle bone shattered on impact and she received emergency … [Read more...] about McAleese Injured
in Skiing Accident
Ireland’s “White House”
The hottest ticket in Dublin is no longer to the Abbey Theatre. It's a ticket to tour Áras an Uachtaráin, the sprawling white-pillared residence of the President of Ireland in Phoenix Park. Best of all, tickets are free, but available only on Saturdays on a first-come basis at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. Hearing the news as I arrived in Ireland last month, I decided it … [Read more...] about Ireland’s “White House”
The IACI’s 40th
The Irish American Cultural Institute celebrated it's 40th anniversary at Dublin Castle, Ireland on October 29. Over 140 guests attended the dinner, including President McAleese. The organization was founded by Dr. Eoin McKiernan, then a professor of English at the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1962, to promote Irish and Irish American cultures. Several … [Read more...] about The IACI’s 40th