Irish America

Irish America

By Joe Farrell November/December 1998

MacGahan: Liberator of Bulgaria

By Joe Farrell

November/December 1998

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How journalist Januarius Aloysius MacGahan, the son of Irish immigrants, helped cause a shift in the European balance of power that made the liberation of Bulgaria possible. "Since my letter of yesterday, I have supped full of horrors. Nothing has yet been said of the Turks that I do not now believe; nothing could be said of them that I should not think probable or likely...But … [Read more...] about MacGahan: Liberator of Bulgaria

Irish Memories

By Thomas Fleming

November/December 1998

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From poor immigrant acceptance – the struggles and triumphs of an Irish American family My County Mayo-born grandfather, David Fleming, could not read or write. He had a brogue so thick I couldn't understand a word he said. But I knew one thing. He was Irish and proud of it. He had a favorite poem that he made me memorize and recite when I was six. It was called "Why I Named … [Read more...] about Irish Memories

Mark McGwire – In a League of His Own

By John Kernaghan

November/December 1998

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Tom Carroll's voice cracks and he admits tears are forming when he talks about Mark McGwire, the young giant whom he coached at Damien High School in LaVerne, California, and watched cast a huge shadow over baseball this summer. "Sorry, I get all hyped up and the passion flows. But I hope in time that Mark is remembered more for the human being he is than the home runs he hit." … [Read more...] about Mark McGwire – In a League of His Own

The First Word: Field of Dreams

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
November / December 1998

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Looking back over the year there are few images that stand out more in my mind than that of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hugging after McGwire's record-tying home run. In a year beset with political scandals it was such a relief to watch McGwire and Sosa. You couldn't ask for two guys with more class - one an Irish American, the other an immigrant from the Dominican … [Read more...] about The First Word: Field of Dreams

Dancing at Lughnasa

By Colin Lacey

November/December 1998

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"You work hard at your job. You try to keep your home together. You perform your duties as best you can because you believe in responsibilities and good order. And then suddenly you realize there are cracks appearing everywhere, the control is slipping away, and that the whole thing is so fragile it can't be held together much longer." The scene is Ballybeg, Co. Donegal in … [Read more...] about Dancing at Lughnasa