Tom Deignan reflects on a time when many of the Boys of Summer had a touch of the Irish brogue. A recent New York Times article about the consistent success of the Minnesota Twins baseball organization made numerous important points about how teams in smaller cities can compete with financial giants such as the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. But two … [Read more...] about The “Emerald” Pastime
August September 2007 Issue
P.J. O’Rourke
“The funniest writer in America” talks to Chuck Leddy about some serious issues. P.J. O’Rourke, one of America’s most popular political satirists, has built his career skewering the absurdities and hypocrisies of political life. Time magazine has called him “the funniest writer in America,” and he’s the bestselling author of a dozen books that blend his laugh-out-loud humor … [Read more...] about P.J. O’Rourke
Roots: The O’Malley Clan
August / September 2007
The ancient O’Maille or O’Malley name is said to be derived from the Gaelic words “maille” meaning gentle or smooth, and “maglios” meaning chieftain, which is fitting as the O’Malleys were once the chieftains of the baronies of Murrisk and Burrishoole in County Mayo. On today’s political scene, Martin O’Malley (D.), subject of our cover story, served as the hugely popular Mayor … [Read more...] about Roots: The O’Malley Clan
Music to Fall For
August / September 2007
A few months ago I wrote a column for Irish America called “Songbirds,” a review of my favorite female singers of the Celtic idiom. There were many to include, so many that my editor described it as a bit breathless, but even so, I received a letter from a reader pointing out a serious omission, Áine Minogue, a spellbinding Irish harper/singer now settled in New England. It … [Read more...] about Music to Fall For
Review of Books
The earlier decades of the 20th century provide the settings for two new works of Irish-American fiction.Dream When You’re Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg explores life on the homefront during World War II, as seen through the eyes of the three Irish-American Heaney sisters from Chicago.Kitty, Louise, and Tish each have differing conflicts, and Berg masterfully divides time … [Read more...] about Review of Books