Although Ireland itself remained neutral during World War II, Irish Americans provided some of that war's most celebrated heroes. There were aviators Colin Kelly, Thomas B. McGuire, and Edward H. O'Hare, as well as infantryman Audie Murphy, the baby-faced Texan who went from being the most highly decorated American serviceman of the war to a career recreating his own exploits … [Read more...] about Saving Private Ryan
Issues
Diary of an Irish Farmer
"Imagine co-authoring a book with someone who's been dead for 130 years," laughs Ipswich, Massachusetts native Marjorie Harshaw Robie. "Well, that's exactly what I'm doing and I'm enjoying every minute of it." Robie's co-author, whose work she is revising and collating in the hope of finding a publisher, is County Down farmer James Harshaw, who died in 1867. Long before Anne … [Read more...] about Diary of an Irish Farmer
Hanna Sheehy Skeffington and America
Her experience of Irish America was an important one. A supportive community listened to her, appreciated her courage, and enabled her to return home with renewed determination to play her part in winning freedom for her country. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, founder of the Irish Women's Franchise League, was a leading figure in Irish feminist circles. By 1914 she had twice been … [Read more...] about Hanna Sheehy Skeffington and America
The Irish in Outer Space
A look at Irish and Irish American actors who portray space travelers in some of the most provocative and interesting shows on television. The crowd milling around the snack table near the entrance to Stage 16 at Paramount Studios is eye-catching, even for Hollywood. A tall, uniformed fellow with grey, bulbous head sips a cappuccino through green-tinged lips; nearby a hooded … [Read more...] about The Irish in Outer Space
The Prisoner
Six years have passed since Joe Doherty was deported from the U.S. in 1992 back to prison in Northern Ireland. Brian Rohan talks to Doherty about life behind bars and his thoughts on the Good Friday Agreement. In a place like Her Majesty's Prison, The Maze, even the tiniest of details can hold you up. By ten o'clock on the morning of May 21, I had navigated a series of iron … [Read more...] about The Prisoner