“No New York. No America. No Easter Rising. It’s simple as that.” – Director of Glucksman Ireland House, NYU, J.J. Lee While editing the articles in this issue, I was struck by two related observations: without the Irish in America the 1916 Rising would not have happened; and Britain sealed its fate by implementing its terror policies, and allowing a famine that forced … [Read more...] about First Word: “Two Hearts Beat as One”
Patricia Harty
First Word: The French Connection
As we struggle with the magnitude of the recent terror attacks in Paris and live with the renewed fear of attacks here at home, we all find personal ways of coping. Mine is to reflect on the past and the great tragedies that we have overcome; to remind myself that life goes on. Jim Clerkin, the subject of our cover story, responded to the devastating news by flying to Paris to … [Read more...] about First Word: The French Connection
The Eugene O’Neill Award
Patricia Harty, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Irish America, received the prestigious Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award from Irish American Writers and Artists, Inc., on October 19, on the 30th anniversary of the founding of the magazine. Luminaries who were in attendance included journalist and writer Pete Hamill and playwright John Patrick Shanley. Hamill … [Read more...] about The Eugene O’Neill Award
Michael Flatley: The Last Dance
Michael Flatley, 57, who has turned traditional Irish dancing into an international phenomenon, is retiring. It’s been his dream since he was a little boy to be on Broadway and that’s where he will be through the end of this year with his new dance show, Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, which opened at the Lyric Theatre on November 10th to wide acclaim. The son of Irish … [Read more...] about Michael Flatley: The Last Dance
First Word:
Our 30th Anniversary!
There is something about anniversaries that appeals to people. And it’s our 30th. If it were a wedding anniversary, pearls would be an appropriate gift.
There is something about the pearl that speaks to the story of the Irish in America.
Born out of grit, a grain of sand, an outsider makes its way into a shell and sets off a chain reaction that in time results in a precious … [Read more...] about First Word:
Our 30th Anniversary!