On a whistle stop tour of the West Coast in early December, which included stops in California, Oregon, and Arizona, President Mary McAleese met representatives of local Irish and Irish-American organizations to strengthen cultural, trade and business links between the two countries. On December 11, The University of San Francisco (USF) awarded President McAleese an honorary … [Read more...] about McAleese Honored on West Coast Trip
San Francisco
Gaelic Games’ New Future in San Francisco
Hard times are falling on communities across the country, and even in the affluent San Francisco area, belts are tightening and the economy is in decline. But on a recent December afternoon, on an island in the middle of the Bay, on a plot of land surrounded by cracked concrete and crumbling buildings, a lively celebration was gearing up, one that defied the growing gloom all … [Read more...] about Gaelic Games’ New Future in San Francisco
The Irish in California
in 2005, when it became clear that the Ronald Reagan Pub in Ballyporeen, Tipperary was no longer a viable novelty to locals or tourists, Irish-American businessman and Republican booster Frederick Ryan Jr. facilitated the bar’s relocation to Simi Valley, California, also the site of Reagan’s presidential library. This anecdote is humorous and poignant, and – for Irish critics … [Read more...] about The Irish in California
Photo Album: The Queen of the May
This photograph of my grandmother Ella Theresa Shea was taken in 1880 when she was 14 years old. She was crowned the Queen of the May at the traditional May Day Festival in newly-opened Golden Gate Park. Ella was born in San Francisco on May 18, 1866, the second of nine children, to James Shea (born James Sheahy), from Barlogue Lough Hyne, Co. Cork, and Anna Shipsey of Cape … [Read more...] about Photo Album: The Queen of the May
The Irishman
Who Would Be King
It may sound like a joke. But an Irishman could be the future King of England.
Hard to believe? Yes. Far-fetched? Maybe. But in theory, it is a possibility.
Admittedly, it would take quite a few deaths and a change in the law before it could happen.
But in that case, Aaron Long whose parents are from Crosshaven, Co. Cork, could be on the British throne.
Aaron is the … [Read more...] about The Irishman
Who Would Be King