Irish America
Irish America
Edythe Preet writes about her father’s love of literature and storytelling. June always finds me thinking about my father more than usual. It’s Father’s Day month, his birthday was the third, and strawberries, his favorite fruit, are in season. Naturally, his birthday cake was always strawberry shortcake. Dad loved strawberries so much that when he once visited me in Los … [Read more...] about Sláinte! My Own Personal Seanchaí
Slainte columnist Edythe Preet explores the story behind Ireland’s national symbol. Telling anyone with even just one drop of Irish blood there’s no such thing as a shamrock would be akin to announcing at Mass that the Pope isn’t Catholic. But it’s true. Before you cry “Blasphemy!” let me explain. The word “shamrock” is an anglicized form of the Irish term seamir og, which … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Little Clover
The story behind the Georgian houses in Dublin City and why no two adjacent doors are alike. Mention the word “doors” to someone of the Boomer Generation (me, for instance) and the first free association response could easily be The Doors, that late 1960s music trio featuring Irish American lead singer Jim Morrison, whose iconic song “Light My Fire” earned the group a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Doors of Dublin
“I was elected by the women of Ireland who, instead of rocking the cradle, rocked the system.” – Mary Robinson, President of Ireland, 1990 – 1997 Several months ago, when 2016’s presidential campaign launched with more hoopla than has been seen in U.S. politics for more than a century, a Dublin-born friend told me he was placing his bet that, for the first time in American … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Women Rule
As St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world, Edythe Preet looks to March 17, 1776, and the role the Irish played in America’s bid for freedom. Pop quiz: what color ink is used to sign legislative bills into law? If you answered black, you’d be right with one exception. On March 12, 1941, Massachusetts Governor Leverett Saltonstall used green ink to sign a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Heroes of the Revolution
