It's been a good year for Irish pop music. There hasn't been one big ticket album in 1999--the new U2 effort isn't expected until early 2000--but if you scratch the surface, you'll find some exciting music nonetheless. TOM DUNPHY recommends a few favorites you may want to investigate...VAN MORRISON, BACK ON TOP Van Morrison's Back on Top couldn't be more aptly named. Van the … [Read more...] about Musical Merry-Go-Round
An Irish Slant on the English Language
By Dan Casey
January 2000
Terence P. Dolan's Dictionary of Hiberno-English is not like any other dictionary or, for that matter, like any other reference volume. It's the first general dictionary of the Irish dialect of English ever published and, in spite of its heady title, a good read for Irish and Irish-American word-hoarders and word-mongers -- from the burly longshoremen on Pier 54 to the … [Read more...] about An Irish Slant on the English Language
Famine Commemorations Around the World
The drive to commemorate the Great Famine and the global legacy of Irish immigration is swelling to massive proportions. Along with the new Irish Immigration postage stamp launched both in Ireland and the U.S. this year, and the increasing number of Irish Famine Curriculum Bills appearing before state legislatures, monuments commemorating the Famine and the Irish Diaspora are … [Read more...] about Famine Commemorations Around the World
Hibernia: Famine Diary
Boston Irish Fight Today's FaminesAfter building a $1 million memorial park last year to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Irish Famine, Boston's Irish community is turning its attention toward people suffering from contemporary famines throughout the world.A proposed Irish Famine Institute that blends social activism and academic research is currently in the planning … [Read more...] about Hibernia: Famine Diary
A New Life for an Old Castle
Take a long look and it's easy to imagine yourself in the heart of some Irish Camelot. Overlooking the rolling green countryside between Gort and Galway city, Cloghan Castle is one of the finest examples of the restoration of Ireland's numerous castles and old houses. For centuries this 12th century Norman fortress stood in ruins -- like many other historic sites in Ireland. … [Read more...] about A New Life for an Old Castle