Her trademark blue fiddle makes her stand out on stage, but it is when Eileen Ivers starts to draw her bow across those strings that she gets her biggest response. Her latest album draws from all her musical experiences, from Riverdance to a distinct South African influence. A huge cheer of recognition goes up from the large crowd gathered to hear Eileen Ivers and her band at … [Read more...] about Celtic Fire
1999
The Irish Education of Orson Welles
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
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
Roots: The O’Neill Family
There are several different septs of the O'Neills in County Clare (where the name is also spelled O'Nihill), in Waterford and in Carlow. The most famous of the O'Neills, however, are the O'Neills of Tyrone, in the province of Ulster. The name in Gaelic means descendant of Neil or Niall, which was, and still is, a popular personal name in Ireland. In the U.S. the name is … [Read more...] about Roots: The O’Neill Family
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