The Irish are travel birds. There’s probably not a spot on the globe where they haven’t touched down and built a nest or two. And finding corners of Ireland even in the most obscure places is always a fun travel thing to do. On a trip to London late last year, I stayed at the Cadogan Hotel, which proved the perfect spot for an Irish-tinged weekend (I was in London to attend … [Read more...] about A Wilde Hotel in London
Patricia Harty
Irish American of the Year: Thomas Moran
By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
April / May 2008
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
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
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
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