Irish America

Irish America

By Colum McCannIA Newsletter, June 15, 2024

But Always Meeting Ourselves

By Colum McCann
IA Newsletter, June 15, 2024

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A LONDON nursing home. The shape of a figure beneath the sheets. My grandfather could just about whisper. He wanted a cigarette and a glass of whiskey. “Come up on the bed here, young fella,” he said, gruffly. It was 1975 and I was 10 years old and it would be the first — and probably last — time I’d ever see him. Gangrene was taking him away. He reached for the bottle and … [Read more...] about But Always Meeting Ourselves

French Town Honors Nun from Cork

By Eoin English
IA Newsletter, June 8, 2024

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Heroic Cork nun who saved hundreds of lives in two world wars honoured by Béthune, FranceA French town has honoured an Irish nun who “fought in the shadows” to save hundreds of lives during two world wars. The authorities in Béthune in northern France unveiled a lectern and photograph in a quiet corner of the city’s northern cemetery to recognise Cork-born Sr Marie Laurence’s … [Read more...] about French Town Honors Nun from Cork

St. Malachy, the Miracle Worker and Prophet

By Rosemary Rogers
IA Newsletter, June 8, 2024

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St. Malachy 1094-1148 | Patron of Armagh | Feast Day, November 3 St. Malachy O’More or Mael Maedoc u Morgair was born into a noble family in Armagh, Ireland, in 1095. He first trained under the famous recluse Imhar O’Hagan and, later St. Cellach who joined Malachy in replacing Celtic liturgy with that of the Roman church. In his lifetime, Malachy was a hermit, priest, … [Read more...] about St. Malachy, the Miracle Worker and Prophet

St. Fiacre of Breuil

By Rosemary Rogers
IA Newsletter, June 22, 2024

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St. Fiarce 600-670 AD | Feast Day, September 1 | Patron of cabdrivers and gardeners Because a hackney stand in Paris was located in front of a hotel named in honor of this Saint, French taxis are called “fiacres.” Thus, Fiacre is the Patron of cabbies. By a lucky coincidence, “fic” (meaning “fig”) is a French slang term for hemorrhoids—a common complaint of taxi drivers, … [Read more...] about St. Fiacre of Breuil

Mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr of Derry and Strabane Makes History

By Mary Pay Kelly
IA Newsletter, June 8, 2024

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“I am proud to be a Maasai woman and a Derry girl,“ Mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr, the first black person to be mayor anywhere in Northern Ireland, told a cheering crowd in the Guildhall on June 3. Colum Eastwood, MP, leader of her party, the SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party), stood with her on what he called “a fantastic night in the City of Civil Rights.” Born in Narok … [Read more...] about

Mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr of Derry and Strabane Makes History