John Hume, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize, is interviewed by Kelly Candaele. John Hume is the rarest of political figures. For over thirty years he has doggedly pursued peace in Northern Ireland, initially as a civil rights activist in Derry, his hometown, and later as leader of the largest nominally Catholic political party in Northern Ireland, the Social Democratic and Labor … [Read more...] about Man of Peace
February / March 1999
Irish Friends on Capitol Hill
The Impact of the Election Results on Irish IssuesWith one or two notable exceptions, the November 1998 elections saw those politicians most influential on Irish affairs safely re-elected to their posts and preparing for action on Irish issues in the new Congress. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, Representatives Peter King and James Walsh of New York, Richard Neal of … [Read more...] about Irish Friends on Capitol Hill
Roots: The Brady Family
By James G. Ryan
February / March 1999
The Brady family name derives from the Gaelic McBradaigh which was originally anglicized as McBrady, but the "Mc" is very seldom used in modern times. The vast majority of this power clan of Breffny, now the County of Cavan, come from Ulster. A smaller group of Bradys (formally O'Brady) come from County Clare. The Bradys were a gentler sort and their prominent kinsmen have … [Read more...] about Roots: The Brady Family
Slainte! Celebrating The Feast of Epiphany
By Edythe Preet
February / March 1999
A word can mean many things. For millions, epiphany signifies a holy day on the church calendar, the Feast of Epiphany which commemorates the Magi's presentation of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the newborn Christ child. As the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Epiphany also marks the last festive occasion of the holiday season. Finally, the American Heritage Dictionary defines … [Read more...] about Slainte! Celebrating The Feast of Epiphany
Irish Rebels, Confederate Tigers
By James P. Gannon
February / March 1999
From Bull Run to Appomattox, the 6th Louisiana's Irish Confederates fought proudly On April 28, 1861, two weeks after Confederate guns had fired the first shots of the Civil War against Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, a notice appeared in the columns of The Daily Picayune, one of New Orleans' leading papers. It was a call to arms aimed at the thousands of Irish immigrants of … [Read more...] about Irish Rebels, Confederate Tigers