For many Irish Americans traveling to the Emerald Isle, the chance to track down family histories and conduct genealogical research is one of the largest draws. Failte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, offers information on how best to prepare for genealogical research in Ireland. They recommend first gathering as much information as possible on known … [Read more...] about Finding Our Roots
Roots
How I Found My Elusive John Murphy
By Megan Smolenyak
IA Newsletter
April 6, 2024
IA Newsletter
April 6, 2024
The Deadly Trail that Finally Revealed a Phantom Branch of My Family Tree My earliest American-born ancestor was my great-great-grandfather, Edward Murphy. It took a while to figure this out as the skimpy traces he left claimed both New York and Ireland as his birthplace, but then I stumbled across his baptism. To my delight, he was christened in the historic St. James church … [Read more...] about How I Found My Elusive John Murphy
Irish Roots and Rituals
By Jim McCann
IA Newsletter
March 16, 2024
IA Newsletter
March 16, 2024
Growing up in New York City, I lived in the heart of the American melting pot. There seemed to be a festival or parade celebrating the city’s nationalities and ethnicities nearly every weekend. It was a great way to meet new people and experience the cultures of my hometown. Every year on March 17, it was my family’s turn, and this kid from Queens was always amazed at how many … [Read more...] about Irish Roots and Rituals
Connecting After a Half-Century
By Enda Cullen
IA Newsletter January 13, 2023
IA Newsletter January 13, 2023
‘God bless Facebook’That was the phrase that kept going through my head in Glasgow Crematorium. As I listened to the minister conducting the funeral service I was wondering if what I was thinking was blasphemy. This was the funeral of my first cousin John Cullen who I had just physically linked up with, after 58 years, a few weeks earlier in Turkey. I had often read of families … [Read more...] about Connecting After a Half-Century
Island Man
Q. What do Bob Marley and U2 have in Common?A. Chris Blackwell The founder of Island Records talks to Marilyn Cole Lownes about his Irish Jamaican heritage, U2, and his life in the music business. It's no coincidence that the man who made Jamaican singer Bob Marley a cultural icon also made U2, the rock band from Dublin, an international phenomenon. Chris Blackwell, the founder … [Read more...] about Island Man