With the advent of every spring and the approach of St. Patrickâs Day merchandise dealing in Irish Stereotypes and tropes bloom before the first crocus. Despite the fact that in our initiation oath, we pledge to â⊠not countenance by my presence or support any performance that may reasonably be interpreted as caricaturing or debasing the Irish people,â too many of us pass off … [Read more...] about The Sad History of âFunnyâ Irish Stereotypes
History
John Mackay, the Forgotten âBonanza Kingâ
William Shakespeare observed, âThe evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.â It speaks to the ironic tendency for society to notarize, even glorify, the darkest aspects of humanity while ignoring the noble. Nowhere is this clearer than in the case of Irish American John Mackay, the âBonanza King.â John Mackay (pronounced … [Read more...] about John Mackay, the Forgotten âBonanza Kingâ
The Real âSaving Private Ryanâ and the Parachuting Priest
Many consider the film âSaving Private Ryanâ to be one of, if not the most, significant films on the violence and sacrifice of war ever made. Sadly, the story is not the product of a writerâs imagination, but an adaptation of an all too real story of unflinching duty and unfathomable loss. It is an Irish American story of the four Niland brothers and Fr. Francis Sampson. … [Read more...] about The Real âSaving Private Ryanâ and the Parachuting Priest
The Act of Union: “No blacker or fouler transaction in the history of man.”
Amidst the current debate on the United Kingdomâs departure from the European Union, Brexit, there has been much talk about the âUnion.â Measures that would prevent the return of a hard border in Ireland have been decried by loyalists as âundemocraticâ and a threat to the âUnion.â However, there was very little of democracy in the formation of the âUnionâ and from its inception … [Read more...] about The Act of Union: “No blacker or fouler transaction in the history of man.”
Michael Cusack, Creator of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Since its earliest history, sport has held a central role in Irish culture. The game of Hurling is one of the oldest in the world and can trace its roots back 4,000 years. Athletic prowess was a hallmark of all of Irelandâs great mythic heroes; the legend of CĂș Chulainn begins with him as a boy killing a gigantic hound attacking him by hitting him with the sliotar (hurling … [Read more...] about Michael Cusack, Creator of the Gaelic Athletic Association