The actress, producer and humanitarian, Roma Downey. ℘℘℘ Roma Downey received the first ever Irish Diaspora Award from the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) and the government of Ireland in Dublin on April 9 for her “extraordinary achievements and vision as a producer and an actress alongside her charity and humanitarian work worldwide.” Born in Derry, Northern … [Read more...] about The Derry Girl Makes History
Mary Pat Kelly
Irish Honors
Music & Literary Honors Musician Joanie Madden, founder of Cherish the Ladies, received the 2015 Turlough O’Carolan Award for Musical Achievement. And longtime Irish America contributor Mary Pat Kelly, the author of Galway Bay and Of Irish Blood, who received the 2015 William Butler Yeats Award for Literary Achievement from the Council of Irish Associations of Greater … [Read more...] about Irish Honors
Joanie Madden: The Christmas Letter
A forgotten Irish song of emigration tells of a mother’s longing for her children who have gone so far away, is a big hit for Cherish the Ladies. Irish music was the soundtrack to life for Joanie Madden growing up in the Bronx, N.Y. back in the 1970s. Her father, Joe Madden, from Portumna in East Galway, was an All-Ireland accordion champion, who headed a popular … [Read more...] about Joanie Madden: The Christmas Letter
100th Salon Celebration
Irish American Writers and Artists, Inc. (IAW&A) celebrated its 100th Manhattan Salon at the Cell Theatre on September 15 with a curated evening of readings and performances and a retrospective of IAW&A Salon photographs by Cathleen Dwyer. The brainchild of actor and writer Malachy McCourt, the Salons provide a forum for IAW&A members to present their work in any … [Read more...] about 100th Salon Celebration
Remembering Eugene O’Neill and Celebrating Irish American Writers and Artists
Founded in 2008, and operated as a non-profit organization, Irish American Writers & Artists, Inc. (IAW&A) welcomes Irish-American writers, actors, filmmakers, musicians and artists of every (and no) religion. As well as celebrating the achievements of Irish-American writers and artists, past and present, IAW&A’s purpose is to highlight, energize and encourage Irish … [Read more...] about Remembering Eugene O’Neill and Celebrating Irish American Writers and Artists