James and John Concannon uphold tradition at a winery founded by their Irish immigrant ancestor. The Concannon family has spent more than 128 years growing grapes and making wine in California, 42 miles east of San Francisco, debunking the notion that the Irish know their whiskey but not their wine. “I never knew my grandfather James, the founder of Concannon Vineyard,” said … [Read more...] about An Irish Vintage: The Concannon Vineyard
Patricia Harty
The Way of Martin
The Way is a movie about a father and son, written and directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his real-life father, Martin Sheen. The Way, a modern-day road film rooted in the past, is a heartwarming story of redemption and renewal with a message that it’s never too late to change. Tom (Martin Sheen), an American doctor, travels to St. Jean Pied de Port to collect the body of … [Read more...] about The Way of Martin
The First Word: The Spirit of America
A letter from our Editor: As I write this the world outside my window is peaceful. It’s Sunday so the construction that happens on weekdays is stopped and though I actually enjoy watching the men at work, doing manly stuff, digging and endlessly moving things about, I’m glad of the quiet. (New York is always reinventing itself. “Our country is so new that we watched it being … [Read more...] about The First Word: The Spirit of America
A Voyage of Rediscovery at the Dunbrody Famine Ship
The Irish America Hall of Fame finds a home in New Ross, and brings the story of the Irish in America back to a place that served as a port of departure for many who braved the journey to North America during Famine times. On a blustery July day, I descend the narrow ladder into the depths of the 'Dunbrody,' an exact replica of a three-masted sailing ship that ferried … [Read more...] about A Voyage of Rediscovery at the Dunbrody Famine Ship
The First Word: Imagining America
A letter from our Editor: My image of the South and the Civil War was formed in part by the movie Gone With the Wind. RTÉ, our one channel when I was growing up in Ireland, ran movie classics on Sunday afternoons. It was one of the features I enjoyed watching with my mother. My desire to come to America was fueled by those movies, by the glamour of Fred Astaire … [Read more...] about The First Word: Imagining America