A Star who Shone for 95 Years

Once upon a time, August 17th, 1920 to be precise, a baby girl was born in Ranelagh, Dublin to a respected singer and a businessman who was part owner of the Shamrock Rovers football team.  The girl inherited her mother’s singing ability and her father’s passion for sports.  She excelled at both, and at one […]

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Frank McCourt: the Voice of the Future is in the Past

It might come as a shock to expecting mothers, when searching the web for baby names, to come across the voice of the well-known writer, Frank McCourt. The website Baby Names of Ireland features McCourt’s voice pronuncing and defining hundreds of Irish names–each in his musical accent. McCourt’s first memoir, Angela’s Ashes reflects on the harsh conditions of his childhood in Limerick, […]

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The Itinerant Irish–Macweeney’s story of the Irish at Large

Irish travelers, also referred to as tinkers or gypsies, are said to have broken off from the “settled” Irish about a thousand years ago. They have a long history as craftsmen and tradespeople. As one source notes, “the sound of a hammer hitting an anvil,” warranted them the nickname of “tinkers” (Rock, Lauren).   The […]

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The Best Women for the Job, Emain Macha and the Debility of the Ulstermen

Cú Chulainn is one of the fiercest, most infamous warriors of Irish mythology. He is an Ulstermen and a hero, who fought fearlessly defending his land and himself against the threat of invasion, the threat of change. That being said, he was said to transform wildly during battle, so that his face would distort into what is known […]

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Famous Irishmen – William Butler Yeats

One of the Emerald Isle’s most glorious poets, the late William Butler Yeats (b. 1865) began his life in Sandymount, Ireland. This County Dublin native grew up in a time dominated by religious and political change, and his character was shaped by the events that swirled around him as a child. Yeats parents were prominent […]

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Famous Irish-Americans

Since Ellis Island was first used as a checkpoint for Irish immigrants to America, Irish people from all walks of life have arrived to make a new life in the United States. Through hardships and challenges, these men, women and children learned the ways of a new country and adapted… sometimes with amazing success. As […]

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Famous Irishmen – Frank McCourt

For many people, the experience of reading Frank McCourt’s poignant biography, Angela’s Ashes, is an unforgettable one. This Irish author’s unique voice earned him a (well-deserved) Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1997. Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1930, McCourt was the son of immigrants from Ireland. In Angela’s Ashes, his family suffers through terrible poverty […]

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Famous Irishwomen – Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson was Ireland’s first female president. From 1990 to 1997, she held this esteemed office, and then she went on to become a United Nations High Commissioner. The achievements and ideals of Ms. Robinson have secured her place as one of Ireland’s most famous women… The daughter of two physicians, Mary Robinson was born […]

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Famous Irishmen – Bono

From humble beginnings, Paul David Hewson, born in May of 1960, has risen to dizzying heights…the passion, poetry and faith of U2’s peerless frontman have become the stuff of legend… Although this singer/songwriter has earned countless accolades (and untold millions) from his recordings and tours, he has also become a lightning rod for controversy, and […]

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Famous Irishmen: Van Morrison

Hailing from Northern Ireland, Van Morrison, born George Ivan Morrison in late August of 1945, is an acclaimed singer-songwriter with a reputation for incredible live performances and an R & B-infused style… The Early Years… Born in Bloomfield, Belfast, Morrison was the son of an electrician who also boasted one of the most comprehensive record […]

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