Uncovering history close to home
“My grandfather, Francie, was just 14 when the Irish War of Independence broke out and played his part as a scout and messenger for his brother and...
April 10, 2024
by Peter McDermott
Healy was a 'pioneer' artist
Stained glass artist Michael Healy had “three transformative strokes of good fortune in his life,” according to his biographer David Caron. But bef...
April 02, 2024
by Peter McDermott
Friendship inspires a musical
Imagine you go into the attic to look for something in a box. Then you find a picture of somebody, which in turns reminds you of somebody else or s...
March 27, 2024
by Peter McDermott
1st Irish moves to springtime
“Why not?” That’s Mick Mellamphy’s go-to reply when asked about the decision to move a theatre festival from the new year to springtime? “Why not c...
March 20, 2024
by Peter McDermott
Officer of the law
A cop eating a pizza. It may be a commonplace sight, but in the context a vivid one that has stayed long in the memory. It’s a Bronx scene that Dep...
March 13, 2024
by Peter McDermott
A home to be proud of
Mary Kate Gliedt is impressed with Kansas City, Mo. Specifically, she’s impressed with the Irish there. She grew up just three hours down the road ...
March 07, 2024
by Peter McDermott
Browne's, est. 1887, is the place to be in Kansas City
“It’s like going over to your aunt’s house.” That’s the effect the owners and staff at Browne’s Irish Marketplace at 3300 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas...
February 28, 2024
by Peter McDermott
Storyteller at top of his game
“I thought he was a gangster when I first met him. It was back in the ’80s one night at Lino’s on Ontario Street after a long night of drinking. To...
February 20, 2024
by Peter McDermott
Therapeutic flavors of home
Show your love – and read the label. And not just for St. Valentine’s Day, as that special someone and all of your loved ones deserve the best. Tha...
February 13, 2024
by Peter McDermott
Getting riled up about hell
We are divided as rarely seen before, the pundits say. It’s true at a basic level in terms of the division between blue states and red, or at least...
February 07, 2024
by Peter McDermott
Phase 2: Securing the future
“We’re seeking to offer a full night-out experience,” said Aidan Connolly, the executive director of Irish Arts Center “There’s something pulling y...
February 01, 2024
by Peter McDermott
Lives of Brigid a 'great window'
Saint Brigid was working in Ireland at a time “when Christianity was a relatively new and foreign religion.” That’s one of the few things, writes a...
January 30, 2024
by Peter McDermott