With the recent upsurge of interest in Irish cinema, such Irish-born directors as Jim Sheridan and Neil Jordan have become leading forces in international filmmaking. But the influence of the Irish Diaspora and the rich literary and dramatic culture of Ireland itself have left their mark on many filmmakers not born there. The Irish-American directors John Ford and John Huston … [Read more...] about The Irish Education of Orson Welles
Feature
A Voice of Reason
David Ervine, leader of the Northern Ireland Progressive Unionist Party, spoke to the National Committee on American Foreign Policy on April 20 in New York. The focus of his remarks was the peace process now in jeopardy, ironically because the British and Irish governments have pandered to David Trimble, Ulster Unionist leader and First Minister elect of the new Northern … [Read more...] about A Voice of Reason
Death of an Activist
Two hours passed before she was officially named but most of those who heard the initial news flash knew immediately who had been killed when a bomb exploded on March 15 under the car of an unidentified woman solicitor in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. It had to be Rosemary Nelson. Women have rarely been targeted deliberately. The IRA had never done so. Loyalists had picked off … [Read more...] about Death of an Activist
All About Aidan
If Aidan Quinn were any more laid back he'd be horizontal. He's just lolled his way through a two-hour photo shoot, and is now sprawled on the other side of a tiny table in a charming old bar on Manhattan's lower west side. Clearly savoring the large cigar he's sucking on contentedly, he's turned sideways in his chair, lazily surveying the Friday afternoon stragglers indulging … [Read more...] about All About Aidan
The World Irish Dance Championships
Rory Keohane looks at the success of American female dance champions and the influence of Riverdance. A light Easter Sunday rain fell on the parishioners as they flowed from Sunday mass into the quiet streets of Ennis, a sprawling town in the western county of Clare. On this day, the local congregation played host to a score of ringlet-haired guests and their parents who … [Read more...] about The World Irish Dance Championships