Author Mark Twain once famously quipped about the great exaggerations fueling rumors of his death. But the legendary Malachi McCourt topped even Twain, by noting that - exaggerated or not - death “need not be fatal.” That was the title of one of McCourt's many books. And, in some ways, it was the guiding principle of his extraordinary life - acting on stage and screen, telling … [Read more...] about Malachy McCourt, “Death Need Not Be Fatal”
Tom Deignan
A Historic Irish Win at the Oscars
By Tom Deignan
IA Newsletter
March 16, 2024
IA Newsletter
March 16, 2024
“I'm a very, very proud Irish man standing here tonight." The Irish didn’t have a lot of nominations at this year’s Academy Awards - but they walked away with one of their biggest wins ever. And this time next year, Cillian Murphy may well be up for another Best Actor statue, for an upcoming film based on an Irish novel, by an Irish writer, about some of the darkest shadows … [Read more...] about A Historic Irish Win at the Oscars
“I Never Did Like Politics”
By Tom Deignan
IA Newsletter
March 16, 2024
IA Newsletter
March 16, 2024
"I Never Did Like Politics": How Fiorello La Guardia Became America's Mayor, and Why He Still Matters Terry Golway literally wrote the book on Tammany Hall, the Irish-dominated political machine that changed American politics - for better and worse. His 2014 study Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of American Politics is the acknowledged authoritative history of the … [Read more...] about “I Never Did Like Politics”
American Mother
By Tom Deignan
IA Newsletter
March 9, 2024
IA Newsletter
March 9, 2024
The crowd on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at Manhattan's Swift Hibernian Lounge, off The Bowery, was energetic. In the back room, Dublin-born author Colum McCann smiled and shook many hands, while also introducing Diane Foley to many of those who’d come out to launch the co-authors’ powerful new book American Mother. In a new interview with Irish America magazine, McCann confronts … [Read more...] about American Mother
Caring for Veterans
By Tom Deignan
IA Newsletter, November 11, 2023
IA Newsletter, November 11, 2023
Vets Focus on Healing We honor all who have served this Veterans Day, including these military personnel and experts working to ensure that the men and women are getting the help they need. “Our veterans are warriors, and those warriors are trained to look out for their unit, to look out for their battle buddies. But as much as they support everybody else, too often they're … [Read more...] about Caring for Veterans