'Geantraí' Ep. 1 is superb
Happy New Year, folks! I hope your holidays were fulfilling and relaxing. The world of traditional music promises a bunch of exciting things to com...
January 05, 2024
by Daniel Neely
Favorites in IAC program
Jean Butler, Lisa Hannigan and Panti Bliss. together with "Agreement," "Reclaiming a Space" and "Distillation" top the bill in the Irish Arts Cente...
January 03, 2024
by Irish Echo Staff
'Probing, timely new work'
Irish Arts Center programming for Spring 2024, just announced, includes the “probing, timely new work of political theater ‘Agreement,’ a beautiful...
January 03, 2024
by Irish Echo Staff
Celebrating Nollaig na mBan
The twelfth day of Christmas, January 6, officially marks the end of the Christmas season. In Ireland, it’s also one of the most important days on ...
January 02, 2024
by Margaret M. Johnson
2023 has been quite a year
Greetings everyone! I hope your holiday season has been filled with happiness and good cheer! With the year drawing to its close, I’ve been taking ...
December 28, 2023
by Daniel Neely
Ring out the old, ring in the new
"Ghosts in Greasepaint" returns to its Twin Cities birthplace with five performances at the Celtic Junction Arts Center in St. Paul. Under the dire...
December 27, 2023
by Irish Echo Staff
'Tis the season, and the moment, for that very special Irish ballad
I was in a public house last week — more of a rarity these days than in years past. It was filled with the boisterous, pre-Christmas, after-work bo...
December 20, 2023
by Kevin Holohan
Happy Holiday Hosting
Crackers, cheese, and fresh or dried fruits are perfect pairs when it comes to serving small bites at holiday gatherings, but successful hosts rare...
December 20, 2023
by Margaret M. Johnson
MacColl was 'Fairytale' partner
This Christmas, like every Christmas, Irish people will be listening to Shane McGowan’s immortal 1987 Pogues’ ballad “Fairytale of New York.” Liste...
December 19, 2023
by Geoffrey Cobb
Raucous, tender, exciting tracks
As we creep toward the full bloom of the holiday season, I continue to keep my ears open for albums that this column’s readers will find interestin...
December 18, 2023
by Daniel Neely
Culture
Christmas: A Gift Wrapped in an Irish Winter
Christmas in Ireland has always carried in it something of a contradiction. There is feasting and celebration aplenty but often the revelry is foll...
December 15, 2023
by Ray O'Hanlon
Countdown to Christmas
A few years ago, I gave a book talk/cooking demonstration on Irish holiday foods at a local library. One of my personal favorites is mincemeat, an ...
December 14, 2023
by Margaret M. Johnson