Irish America

Irish America

Patricia Harty

Irish American of the Year: Thomas Moran

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief April / May 2008

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The name Moran is a derivative of the Irish word mór meaning big. Tom Moran, our somewhat reluctant Irish American of the Year (I suspect he agreed to accept the honor in the hopes that it would draw attention to Concern Worldwide), is big by name and big by nature. He looks like a linebacker – the kind of guy you would want in your first line of defense. And for many people, … [Read more...] about Irish American of the Year: Thomas Moran

The Reluctant Star: Ciaran Hinds

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
February / March 2008

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Ciarán Hinds is lovely.  Now, perhaps I shouldn’t admit that because part of Hinds’ attraction is that  he remains somewhat of an unknown. In fact, one fan found it so hard to find information on Hinds that she started a website www.Ciaranitis.com, for those “smitten with Ciarán Hinds.” Hinds has appeared in a wealth of movies and plays over the years, yet he remains on the … [Read more...] about The Reluctant Star: Ciaran Hinds

The First Word: The Diaspora

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
February / March 2008

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Does the diaspora matter? That was the key issue of discussion at the U.S.-Ireland Forum. The first ever conference on the Irish diaspora was held in New York City in November. It drew upwards of 1,000 people over two days, and was hailed as a great success. Growing up in Ireland I don’t think that we ever really understood the concept of Irish America, or indeed, … [Read more...] about The First Word: The Diaspora

The First Word: Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
December / January 2008

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My god, what they went through to get here.  Whenever I forget the lot of early Irish immigrants to America, something pulls me back. As I write this, I have open in front of me a book called Forgotten Ellis Island: The Extraordinary Story of America’s Immigrant Hospital by Lorie Conway. (Smithsonian Books). Lorie’s book is dedicated to her son Max “whose great-grandfather … [Read more...] about The First Word: Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears

Sive and the Ghosts of Ireland’s Past

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
December / January 2008

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It was Frank McCourt who first brought Sive to New York. A friend at the Irish Players, a 1950s New York theater group, now defunct, that showcased Irish classics, requested that he carry her over. And so the playwright John B. Keane traveled up to Limerick from Listowel to hand Sive over to Frank, who dutifully carried her across the water. The National players decided not … [Read more...] about Sive and the Ghosts of Ireland’s Past