Irish American of the Year, 1996 It was an evening that dreams were made of, a crystal clear Belfast night, the winter air crackling with anticipation. On the sound stage adjacent to City Hall, Van Morrison was blasting out his There'll Be Days Like This, the unofficial anthem of the peace. A huge and enthusiastic crowd, later numbered at 100,000 was rocking along to the … [Read more...] about The Man from Hope
The First Word: A Whisper of Hope in Northern Ireland
There is an absence of joy so far this St. Patrick's Day season but not of hope. The end of the IRA cease-fire on February 9 and the subsequent bombings in London have cast a shadow over the celebrations of our Irish heritage, but all is not lost. Moves afoot as we went to press could certainly help change this gloomy scenario. By all accounts President Clinton is playing a … [Read more...] about The First Word: A Whisper of Hope in Northern Ireland
Classically Irish
By Liz Ireland
January/February 1996
Liz Ireland profiles Ireland's classical composer Patrick Cassidy. Mention Irish classical music to the average American academic, and you will probably be greeted with the arch query: "Is there any such thing?" There is now. Enter Patrick Cassidy, the Co. Mayo native whose debut oratorio The Children of Lir, released in the U.S. on Celtic Heartbeat Records, not only charmed … [Read more...] about Classically Irish
A Touch of Friel
By Mary Pat Kelly
January/February 1996
Brian Friel himself cast Catherine Byrne as Chrissy in Dancing at Lughnasa after watching an Abbey Theatre dress rehearsal of his Aristocrats in which Byrne played clare. She talked of that moment during a pause in rehearsal for Molly Sweeney in which she plays the title role. "He didn't know me," Catherine Byrne recalls, "and when I heard he was coming I thought, what's he … [Read more...] about A Touch of Friel
Ireland’s Groovy Arts Minister
By Colin Lacey
January/February 1996
Colin Lacey talks to Michael D. Higgins (recently dubbed by British Vogue as the world's grooviest arts minister) about the renaissance of the Irish film industry. The Crying Game: My Left Foot; Braveheart; The Playboys; The Commitments; The Snapper; Circle of Friends; Window's Peak; The Run of the Country; Into the West; Frankie Starlight - if you haven't been closely watching … [Read more...] about Ireland’s Groovy Arts Minister