In the following three-part series, Sixteen Films' screenwriter Paul Laverty writes about the genesis of "Jimmy's Hall." His observations were first published in Sixteen Films' Production Notes, and are reproduced here with permission. Production Photos see here are by …

From the Team That Brought the World “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” ...

‘Jimmy’s Hall’: Where Anything Goes and Everyone Belongs

Directed by Ken Loach, Screenplay by Paul Laverty, Produced by Rebecca…

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Saint Patrick was born into a well-to-do British family, perhaps in what now is the North-Western English county of Cubmria. His father was a local government official and the family language was probably a version of Latin. As a youth he was captured by Irish pirates and taken into…

By Dr. Laura Kelley

“No work was too menial, no venture too unprofitable, for her.”

Without question, among the Irish…

(First published 2012) Last year's BBC documentary on Ireland's "Limbo Babies" brought to light an emotionally charged issue that affected almost all of our Irish ancestors.  Ever since the Roman Catholic Church declared that the non-baptized were forbidden burial in…

Part 2 of 3: Belfast's Milltown Cemetery: Atmosphere ‘tense,’ ‘emotions … just below the surface’

(Images courtesy of Toni Maguire)

(First published 2012) Last year’s BBC documentary on Ireland's "Limbo Babies" [featured on our Family History YouTube…

The following is a transcript taken from the LIVE Community Chat chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Friday, December 20, 2013.  The focus for the discussion was the tradition of the mummers in Ireland.  We were joined by…

The following is a transcript taken from the LIVE Community Chat chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Monday, December 9, 2013.  The focus for the discussion was the fascinating discovery of Newtown Jerpoint in County Kilkenny, where St. Nicholas' remains (as in Santa Claus) are purported to be buried.  The owner of…

The following is a transcript taken from the LIVE Community Chat chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Thursday, December 5, 2013.  The focus for the discussion was bygone Christmas traditions in Ireland with Sligo-based author / historian,…

The following is a transcript taken from the LIVE Community Chat chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Monday, November 15, 2013 with three of the "leading lights" in contemporary Celtic Art and fellow Wild…

We had a great LIVE community chat with film producer / director, Valerie Lapin Ganley on August 5, 2013.  Valerie was kind enough to offer…

The following is a transcript of the LIVE members' chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Monday with Producer and Director Valerie Lapin Ganley.  Some editing has been applied for clarity.…

The following is a transcript taken from the LIVE members' chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Monday, June 17th with County Tyrone native (and fellow Wild Geese member),…

From 1702 to 1714, western Europe was engaged in a war involving, on the one side Spain and France, on the other a coalition of states headed by the Holy Roman Empire, and including Portugal, the Dutch Republic, England,…

By Gerry Regan / The (New) Wild Geese

New York -- Nuns from the Irish Benedictines, who count themselves as cloistered nuns who "are focused on staying  at home and living in our community rather than focused on things outside,"…

* Part 1 of 3: A Call to Arms

In 1860, 1,400 Irishmen travelled to Italy, responding to Pope Pius IX's call for help thwarting Italian efforts to seize Papal lands. Robert Doyle relates the saga in this 3-part series.

By Robert Doyle…

In 1860, 1,400 Irishmen traveled to Italy, responding to Pope Pius IX's call for help thwarting Italian efforts to seize Papal lands. Robert Doyle relates the saga in this 3-part series.

By Robert Doyle

Up to the mid-19th century, Italy was a patchwork of small independent states, each influenced to a…