Pop quiz: what’s the most popular Irish boy’s name? Odds are, the first one that came to mind was Patrick. Wrong. While Saint Patrick is Ireland’s patron, his name comes in at #18. Go ahead, try again. Did you say Sean? If so, you picked #2, and you get extra credit because Sean is also spelled Shane, Shawn, Shuan, Eoin, Ion, and Ian, all of which rank in the top twenty and … [Read more...] about Sláinte!: Feasting with the Angels
2010
Music Reviews
Susan McKeown and Lorin Sklamberg Saints & Tzadiks In this self-titled album, Saints & Tzadiks, Susan McKeown and Lorin Sklamberg come together on a musical endeavor which takes traditional Irish language songs and Yiddish folk songs and bridges the gap between the two rather similar genres. The pair have worked together before, memorably with the Klezmatics, which … [Read more...] about Music Reviews
Review of Books
Recommended Deirdre Madden’s new novel Molly Fox’s Birthday is the story of a complicated friendship between three unique individuals: lauded Irish actor Molly Fox, who is away working in New York and London; Belfast-born art critic and television personality Andrew; and the unnamed narrator, a well-established female playwright who is struggling with a new work while staying … [Read more...] about Review of Books
June/July 2010
John Fitzpatrick: Irish American of the Year
John Fitzpatrick is remembering back to the crystallizing day in his life as a hotelier – the day his hotel in Manhattan became more than just a place where the Taoiseach stayed and Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne could be spotted at the bar, and Irish shoppers fell over themselves and their suitcases taking the Fitzpatrick limousine to the airport, bags stuffed with Christmas … [Read more...] about John Fitzpatrick: Irish American of the Year