While locally grown berries are not quite in-season yet in most parts of the U.S., their wide availability makes them popular year-round. For a quick and delicious Easter dessert, you might want to serve this easy-to-assemble berries and cream dish known as Eton Mess. Despite its rather inelegant…

When Fr. Sylvester Malone died almost at the very end of the century on December 29, 1899 it signaled the end of an era not only for the Catholic community in Williamsburg, but also for the entire neighborhood. A beloved and respected figure amongst all Williamsburg’s residents, Fr. Malone had been an…

William Sampson is one of the most important Irish-Americans in the legal history of New York State, but sadly few remember his name or how this Protestant Irishman made an invaluable contribution both to the rights of Catholic New Yorkers and to the religious freedom of all New Yorkers. Sampson was born…

LUAIN -- On April 15, 1848, in Dublin, Thomas Francis Meagher presented the tricolor national flag of Ireland to the public for the first time at a meeting of the Young Ireland Party. Meagher had recently gone to Paris with an Irish delegation sent to congratulate the French republicans on…

Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame! -- W.B. Yeats.

Through the history of folklore worldwide; fairies, or some variant of…

Inside the roofless old Spanish chapel, the first rays of the early morning Texas sun were illuminating the room with a soft golden glow through the acrid air, clouded by black powder smoke. But what was being illuminated by that rising sun in the chapel of this mission called…

Ireland is known around the world as a place of fun, with pubs, singing and dancing, and of course, that's all true. But the Emerald Isle can also be a place for tranquility and quiet beauty. A visit to Brigit's Garden, just outside Galway City, will show that serenity and introspection are also part of the Irish experience.

Brigit's Garden is a perfect stop for those who…

Beltane (“Bealtaine” in Irish) is a festival with ancient origins traditionally celebrated on May 1st, a spring time festival of optimism.  Most commonly it is held on the first day of May, or about halfway…

As a historian, I attend many historical lectures, book readings and walking tours, but notice that sadly few young people seem to be interested in the past. That is why the success of Kilkenny’s Fin Dwyer’s podcasts with people of all ages is even more impressive.

I…

Among “Wild Bill “ Donovan’s many fascinating friends was Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, the fictional, globe trotting superspy. Donovan’s real-life feats, however, surpassed even Bond’s wildest exploits.

Perhaps no other Irish-American served his country more daringly, yet Donovan’s largely…