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IRISH AMERICA
October/November 2011 Canada $4.95 U.S. $3.95
TEN YEARS AFTER 9/11 IRISH AMERICA HALL OF FAME COMHALTAS AT 60 JOHN BANVILLE AS BENJAMIN BLACK
Honoring the Irish in Finance
DISPLAY UNTIL NOV. 30, 2011
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IRISH AMERICA
Supplement 55 Special DISCOVER IRELAND
October / November 2011 Vol. 26 No. 6
38 68
34
KIT DEFEVER
86 76
SEAN MCPHAIL
98 94
38 A View from One Wall Street Born in the U.S. and raised in Ireland, Brian Ruane represents new kind of Irish presence on Wall Street. He shares his perspective with Sheila Langan. 43 The Wall Street 50 A celebration of the best and the brightest Irish and Irish-American leaders in the financial industry. 68 9/11 Ten Years Later A look at the scholarships and foundations that have been established by the victims’ families, the rebuilding efforts at Ground Zero, and 9/11 memorials in Ireland.
76 Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann at 60 Long before Facebook, you had Comhaltas. Michael Quinlin profiles the organization that has been connecting traditional Irish musicians around the globe for sixty years. 82 Charting Celtic Music’s Way Forward Tara Dougherty talks to musicians Alison Brown and Garry West, the founders of Compass Records. 86 Knuckle A documentary highlighting the inner workings and family feuds of an Irish Traveller clan is the inspiration behind a new HBO series. By Daphne Wolf. 90 The Stones of Culdalee Poet Timothy Walsh pays homage to his ancestral home.
COVER PHOTO: KIT DE FEVER On our cover: Standing: Wall Street 50 honorees Dan Murphy, Brian Ruane and Michael Brewster. Seated: Sean Kilduff, Sharon Sager and Sean Lane.
92 Not Just Any Mystery Writer Acclaimed novelist John Banville talks to Sheila Langan about writing as Benjamin Black. 98 A Class Act Mary Pat Kelly catches up with Charlotte Moore and Ciaran O’Reilly, founders of the Irish Repertory Theater. 102 Sláinte! Edythe Preet writes about the Irish roots of Halloween, and adds recipes to boot.
DEPARTMENTS
34 A Voyage of Rediscovery The Irish America Hall of Fame finds a home at the new Emigration History Centre in New Ross. Patricia Harty was there.
6 8 10 12 16 84 94 104 106 110
First Word Readers Forum Contributors News Hibernia Music Reviews Book Reviews Crossword Those We Lost Photo Album
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{the first word} By Patricia Harty
America
As I write this the world outside my window is peaceful. It’s Sunday so the construction that happens on weekdays is stopped and though I actually enjoy watching the men at work, doing manly stuff, digging and endlessly moving things about, I’m glad of the quiet. (New York is always reinventing itself. “Our country is so new that we watched it being built,” I once heard someone say). The peace today is especially comforting because it’s 9/11 – the tenth anniversary. For weeks now the world has been remembering. Last night, I watched Commissioner Ray Kelly on TV hand out medals to the families of the police officers who lost their lives on that day; Patricia Smith, now a young tween of 12, picked up her mother’s medal. I watched a documentary on the rebuilding of the World Trade Center, and listened to Mike O’Reilly say that he decided to become an ironworker after 9/11. His father had worked on the World Trade Center and he wanted to be part of the rebuilding effort. I read an article in today’s New York Times about the Irish in Rockaway and how hard they were hit. And I watched Triumph and Tragedy, a stirring account of the resilience of people in the financial sector in the aftermath of 9/11. And I have my own memories. One is of firefighter Tom Foley, so young, so good-looking, accepting our Top 100 award. I remember the way he stepped up to the microphone and said, “When anyone asks me, I just tell them I’m Irish.” I remember looking through the lists of those who died and finding his name. We used to host our annual Wall Street 50 event at Windows on the World, on the top of Tower One. It was the ideal setting to toast the achievements of the Irish. Taking in the view of the sun setting over New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty, you couldn’t help but reflect on those early Irish immigrants who had come over in hard times and whose descendants now sat at the top of the city. I always felt a special relationship to the Twin Towers. It was where I took people when they came to New York. I was proud of the Irish laborers who helped build it. The complex was opened soon after I got here. The final building, 7 World Trade, was opened in 1985, the year we founded Irish America and began putting in
6 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Mortas Cine Pride In Our Heritage PHOTO: KIT DE FEVER
The Spirit of
IRISH AMERICA
print the story of the Irish in America. At our last event at Windows on the World on July 11, 2001, I have a clear memory of saying good night to Joe Berry, CEO Keefe Bruyette & Woods, and his wife, Evelyn. I watched them walk away, a middle-aged couple holding hands. “They are still in love,” I thought to myself. They met at a high school graduation party, I read in Joe’s obituary in the Times. Keefe Bruyette is one of three financial companies with strong Irish connections that Tragedy and Triumph focuses on. Sandler O’Neill, and Cantor Fitzgerald are the other two. All three companies suffered terrible losses, yet all have managed to regroup. The University of Pennsylvania, in a study noted in Tragedy and Triumph, concluded that these companies, and Wall Street in general, rose again because of “the resiliency rooted in its character, and the moral purpose it demonstrated in the midst of crisis.” John Duffy, who took over as CEO of KBW, put it more simply. “The families had already lost probably the primary breadwinner; we didn’t want to tell them that the company was lost too,” he said. Among the Wall Street 50 whom we honor in this issue are men and women who stepped up to cover the jobs of lost colleagues. They are by far the youngest group we have ever honored and they have a lot riding on their shoulders as the market confronts this troubled economic period. But they have history on their side. Brian Ruane (read Sheila Langan’s “A View from One Wall Street”) is on the upper rungs of the ladder at BNY Mellon, the world’s largest resource for American and global depository receipts. The company founders go back to Alexander Hamilton (Bank of New York, 1784) and Thomas Mellon who opened T. Mellon & Sons bank in 1870. He nearly lost his estate in the economic depression of 1873 but he prevailed. Mellon was born on a farm in County Tyrone and his story is a shining example of the story of the Irish in America as one of endurance and triumph against the odds. We wish all of our honorees, Irish-born, first, second, third and fourth generation, every success. Look to your history and “beir bua.” You will win out.
Founding Publisher: Niall O’Dowd Co-Founder/Editor-in-Chief: Patricia Harty Vice President of Marketing: Kate Overbeck Art Director: Marian Fairweather Assistant Editor: Sheila Langan Copy Editor: John Anderson Advertising & Events Coordinator: Tara Dougherty Ad Design & Production Genevieve McCarthy Director of Special Projects: Turlough McConnell Financial Controller: Kevin M. Mangan Editoral & Marketing Assistants: Laura Corrigan Molly Ferns Harrison Post
IRISH AMERICA 875 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 201 New York NY 10001 TEL: 212-725-2993 FAX: 212-244-3344
Subscriptions: 1-800-582-6642 E-MAIL: irishamag@aol.com http://www.irishamerica.com Irish America Magazine ISSN 08844240) © by Irish America Inc. Published bi-monthly. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1277, Bellmawr, NJ 08099-5277. Editorial office: 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10001. Telephone: 212-7252993. Fax: 212-244-3344 E-mail: Irishamag@aol.com. Subscription rate is $21.95 for one year. Subscription orders: 1-800-582-6642. Subscription queries: 1-800-5826642, (212) 725-2993, ext. 150. Periodicals postage paid at New York and additional mailing offices. Postmaster please send address changes to Irish America Magazine, P.O. Box 1277, Bellmawr, NJ 080995277. IRISH AMERICA IS PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
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OUTLAWS: BILLY THE KID AND WHITEY BULGER The article in your August/September 2011 issue by Tom Deignan about Whitey Bulger was interesting and informative. I have to take issue with one of the offenses he attributed to Whitey however. He says, “Bulger and his associates also knew how to stir up fears against outsiders, including African Americans, which culminated in the infamous 1970s school busing riots.” I have no idea about Whitey’s personal views about African Americans but I was an attorney with the U.S. Treasury Department all during the school busing controversy during the time of its unfortunate life and I followed the events closely. First of all, it was not marked by “riots” and the controversy surrounding it was not influenced by Whitey and his crowd to any significant degree. The controversy was initiated by the attempt of a U.S. Circuit Court Judge to impose racially based school integration on the schools of South Boston, which had a large Irish community but was not by any means entirely Irish. In fact at that time the Irish were probably not the largest ethnic group in the target area. The schools in the area were not racially mixed, not because of deliberate segregation but mostly because of neighborhood ethnicity. The judge, a well meaning liberal, thought that it would improve matters if the races were “mixed” by busing kids back and forth to create a “mixed” environment. Feelings ran high, mostly from the local white community led by a woman politician, Louise Day Hicks, not Whitey Bulger. An irony was that at that time I lived in an affluent suburb of Boston with excellent, but all-white schools. The parents of the town (many Harvard and MIT academics) decided to do their bit by “importing” a handful of African American kids from far-away “Southie” and Dorchester to our schools, which never really worked out because of the huge busing distances and the black kids not feeling at home. The parents in our town of course never consider busing any of their darlings to Southie to soothe their consciences! Albert Regan Doyle Sanibel, Florida
8 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Brendan Gleeson: The Good, the Bad and the Funny Good piece, Sheila. Gleeson sounds as down-to-earth as he is a fine actor.The comedy in this shoot-em up is what makes for a very entertaining movie. I’ll definitely see it when it comes to Chicago. Comment posted by JBRAFTREE
THE JIG IS UP! [Re: August/September story on the new Irish dance documentary Jig!] All I can say is, “wow!” I started Irish dancing late in life, I was 44, and coming back from knee surgery on my left knee, and I’m still going strong. I would really like to find another teacher in the Lubbock, Texas area. I wish all these dancers the best of luck and tell them to keep on dancing no matter what!! Comment posted by RBradshaw
THE IRISH ABOLITIONIST: DANIEL O’CONNELL [Re: Christine Kinealy’s article on Daniel O’Connell, The Irish Abolitionist] Good essay. David Adams, in his Irish Times article, “Obama’s Waffle Feeds Irish Taste for Fantasy,” states that Obama’s mention of Douglass and O’Connell “finding common cause in repression [sic]” led his listeners to “believe that their far-off cousins stood shoulder to shoulder with AfricanAmericans in their struggle for civil rights.” Adams’s comment shows he had no clue to what Obama was referring. O’Connell was not an Irish-American, and it was slavery, not 20th century civil rights, that the two men fought. Comment posted by joycean
WHAT ARE YOU LIKE? MALACHY MCCOURT Having read Angela’s Ashes I was surprised by the lighter tone of A Monk Swimming. I suppose being the younger sibling Malachy did not have the burden
of responsibility borne by the oldest child in a large Catholic family. I recently bought a copy of Singing My Him Song which has joined the queue of unread orphans on the bookcase. The title of A Monk Swimming made me laugh reminding me of a similar faux pas when teaching my brothers and sisters the ‘Our Father!’ Scarleh! Comment posted by themurphia
THE QUEEN’S VISIT First, thank you to Jane Enright of Woodside, NY [for her letter about Queen Elizabeth’s visit in the last issue]. Second, do the English remember what happened at Croke Park? After almost 800 years and the Irish are supposed to let bygones be bygones? No thanks and not likely. D.F. Chidster Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
BRINGING THEM ALL BACK HOME TO IRELAND Your August/September issue is one of the most enjoyable issues of any magazine I have read this year. I particularly enjoyed the “Bringing Them All Back Home” piece. However, be happy not all of us with Irish heritage insist on coming home, or Ireland could not hold us. I would love to visit, though, as I have never been there, but at 80 years young I probably won’t. My ancestor Denis Driscoll left there in 1690 and our Irish family has fought in the wars from the Revolutionary and Civil War right on down. Keep up the good work. Barbara Peppo Westfield, Illinois
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Gort locals meet visitors through the Ireland Reaching Out Program. From left:Ted Glynn from New Zealand, Sr. de Lourdes Fahy from Gort,Vin Glynn, Robert and Shirley Macklin-Murphy from Minnesota, Ed and Marge O'Connor from Massachusetts and Pat Monoghan from Gort.
While my wife Margaret and I were honored to be included in the “Bringing Them All Back Home” article about Ireland’s Reaching Out Program, we’d like to correct one thing. Marge and I both live in Hudson, Massachusetts and are originally from Holyoke, MA., (birthplace of Volleyball). We are not, nor ever have been in the state of Minnesota although we’re sure that the state is a terrific place to live. It’s a small thing but important to us as we are proud of our state just as we are proud of our Irish heritage. Marge and Ed O’Connor Hudson, Massachusetts
I think the Ireland Reaching Out Program is wonderful. My great-grandfather and five of his siblings came to New York/Pittsburgh areas from County Tyrone during the Irish Famine. I have made three coach tours all around Ireland, North/ South and in between. I plan to start going yearly and will stay in various cities and towns throughout the country. I would love to live in Ireland. I tried to get an Irish passport, but my ancestors are too far back. The Irish and Ireland are the greatest people and country in the world to me.
CORRECTION: We mis-printed the writer’s bio for the article “A Night for Saints and Sinners” in the last issue. The correct one follows: Kathleen Rockwell Lawrence is the author of two novels: Maud Gone and The Last Room in Manhattan. Her non-fiction collection, The Boys I Didn’t Kiss, contains essays which appeared in such publications as The New York Times HERS Column, Vogue, Ms, and Newsday. A second-generation Irish American, she is hard at work on her memoir, Becoming Irish. She lives in Manhattan and divides her days between The Writers Room and Baruch College’s English Department.
Visit us online at Irishamerica.com to leave your comments, or write to us: Send a fax (212-244-3344), e-mail (irishamag@aol.com) or write to Letters, Irish America Magazine, 875 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 201, New York, NY 10001. Letters should include the writer’s name, address and phone number and may be edited for clarity and length.
Comment posted by cathyann
{contributors}
TOM DEIGNAN For over a decade, Tom Deignan has written the weekly “Sidewalks” column for The Irish Voice newspaper. He also writes columns about movies and history for Irish America and is a regular book reviewer for the Newark Star-Ledger and America magazine.
MARY PAT KELLY writes on the Irish Repertory Theater in this issue. As an author and filmmaker, Mary Pat has written many stories connected to Ireland including her bestselling historical novel Galway Bay (2010).
10 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
SHEILA LANGAN Irish America’s Assistant Editor, Sheila Langan is a graduate of Bard College with an Irish passport and a love of Irish literature. In this issue she interviews Brian Ruane of BNY Mellon.
MICHAEL P. QUINLIN is founder and president of the Boston Irish Tourism Association, a membership group formed in 2000 to promote Irish-American culture, heritage and small businesses to the tourism industry. His company also publishes the MassJazz Travel Guide, which promotes the vibrant jazz scene in Massachusetts. He is author of Irish Boston (Globe Pequot Press) and editor of Classic Irish Stories (Lyons Press), and is a longstanding member of the Boston chapter of Comhaltas which he writes about in this issue. Mike lives in Milton, Massachusetts with his wife Colette and son Devin.
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PEOPLE
| HERITAGE | EVENTS | ARTS | ENTERTAINMENT
A Guide to the Irish Presidential Race – So Far
A
s Republicans and Democrats stateside gear up for fourteen months of heavy campaigning before the 2012 Presidential Election, the race to be the next Irish President – the first election in fourteen years – is already well under way, moving at a very different pace. Both the role of the President of Ireland and the way in which she or he is chosen differ vastly from the duties of the U.S. President and the American electoral process. Rather than holding an executive or policy-making role, the Irish President’s
David Norris
Gay Byrne
main purpose – to represent the people of Ireland – is largely ceremonial. When it comes to appointments and political matters, the President acts mainly on the advice of the government, though she does have the power to refer most bills to the Supreme Court for review. In order to run, candidates must be a citizen of Ireland, at least 35 years old, and receive nominations from at least 20 of the 166 members of the Oireachtas (Irish equivalent of Parliament) or four of the thirty-four county or city councils. Each member and council may nominate only one candidate. The key political parties generally choose to support one candidate, though some contenders also choose to run independently. If more than one candidate is successfully nominated, the President is then chosen in a public election, by proportional representation, to serve for one 12 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
seven-year term and may run for a second term, making fourteen years the longest time anyone may be President. The current President, Mary McAleese, has been in office for two terms, and as her time in the Aras comes to a close many contenders have been vying for nominations in a quickly changing field of candidates lacking a strong leader. The deadline to secure nominations is September 28, and the election – the first since 1997, as McAleese went unchallenged into her second term – will take place on October 27. The race thus far has been marked by
Michael Higgins
some speculation that Norris may seek to re-enter the race after polls indicate he still has strong support. Fine Gael has also lifted a ban on supporting Norris that it imposed on the county and city councils it controls, which could increase his chances. Following Norris’s dropout, some people who had not indicated any definite interest in running for President were urged to do so. Gay Byrne, the beloved former host of the Late Late Show, was particularly called upon. In early August, he won a radio poll in which his name wasn’t even one of the given options, get-
Martin Sheen
some exciting possibilities and dramatic withdrawals. One of the candidates to gain the most attention at the beginning of the race was David Norris, an independent senator since 1987, a renowned Joyce scholar and a fierce advocate for gay rights. He announced his plans to run in January 2011, officially launched his campaign in March, and by July had secured 15 of the 20 necessary nominations. Early polls showed him to have a very strong lead over his opponents, but his campaign fell apart when three of his supporters withdrew their endorsement following the discovery of a letter Norris had written to an Israeli court in 1992, asking for clemency for a former partner of his, Ezra Nawi, who had been convicted of statutory rape. After the news was released, Norris withdrew from the race on August 2. In recent days, however, there has been
Mary Davis
ting 46 percent of the votes. However, citing his age and his frustration with the current political scene, he ultimately decided not to run – though many believe that he would have been a shoo-in. Martin Sheen, who is eligible for citizenship through his Irish mother, was also urged to run, with a Facebook page with over 5,500 supporters. The Sunday Independent pointed to Cultural Ambassador Gabriel Byrne as a prime candidate. Both actors politely declined. Irish America’s publisher and cofounder Niall O’Dowd indicated interest early in the summer, after being encouraged to run by a cross-party group of Irish and Irish-Americans. The idea was met with enthusiasm from members of the diaspora, and O’Dowd traveled to Ireland to meet with Fianna Fail, Sinn Féin and independent senators. While there, he gave
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an RTE Radio interview in which he explained that his goal as President of Ireland would be to act as a “door opener” between American investors and Irish business and to further promote Ireland abroad. O’Dowd ultimately decided not to run, but his consideration and the reception he received point to the involvement and strength of the Irish from America. Two other independent candidates have entered the race with significant backing. Sean Gallagher, an entrepreneur, businessman and television panelist from Co. Monaghan, announced his intention to run on June 13. Mary Davis, an activist and social entrepreneur from Co. Mayo, is also running as an independent candidate. Davis is a strong advocate for adults and children with mental handicaps. She was CEO of the 2002 Special Olympics World Games, which were held in Dublin, and is on the Irish Council of State. She is also chairperson of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship. Michael Higgins, president of the Irish Labor Party, was selected for candidacy on June 19, ahead of his fellow Labor Party members former party advisor Fergus Finlay and former Senator Kathleen O’Meara. Higgins’s long and distinguished political career – he has been a senator, a TD, and was twice Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht – has won him favor, and the most recent Paddy Power/Red C poll shows him to be in the lead, with 36 percent of the vote. Second in that poll is Gay Mitchell, the Fine Gael candidate. A Member of the European Parliament, he was selected to represent Fine Gael during a special convention on July 9. A late addition to the field is deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and former IRA chief-of-staff Martin McGuinness. Sinn Féin announced on September 16 that it would back McGuinness in a bid for the presidency. He has scheduled a press conference for September 18, at which he will address his decision to run. With the days until the door closes on new nominees dwindling down, it will be interesting to watch for last-minute nominees. Will Fianna Fail select a candidate? Will Norris reinstate his candidacy? Anything is still possible in this highly changeable race. – S.L.
US DIVERS TO EXPLORE LUSITANIA WRECKAGE n American diving team explored the wreckage of the RMS Lusitania just off A of the coast of Kinsale, Co. Cork in late August, gathering precious artifacts and footage for a new documentary airing this fall. Entitled The Dark Secret, the film will explore the ocean liner’s wreckage and investigate its sinking in 1915, when the Cunard liner was destroyed by a torpedo fired by a German U-boat, killing 1,198 people, including 139 U.S. citizens and three German stowaways. The attack is credited with contributing to the U.S. decision to enter the war, and controversy remains as to whether the passenger liner carried Allied weapons and munitions, and why it sank so quickly after being hit. The American team partnered with a group of Irish divers and archaeologists, led by noted wreckage diver Eoin McGarry. The items they uncovered include four portholes and a telemotor and telegraph, which may help to determine the direction in which the ship was traveling at the time of its sinking. – H.P.
INCREASE IN VISITORS TO IRELAND ourism rates are up in Ireland this summer. In a good quarter following T many quieter months,Tourism Ireland reported a 9 percent increase in overseas visitors to the Republic and a 4 percent increase in tourism in Northern Ireland. The most significant increase was in people traveling to Ireland from North America – 12 percent – followed closely by a 10 percent increase in tourists from Europe and a 7 percent increase in visitors from the U.K. Among the European tourists, the largest influx was reported from the Netherlands and Switzerland. Dublin airport and Irish hotels have been enjoying the benefits of these higher percentages, with hotel guests up by as much as 18.4 percent in May, and a 7 percent increase in traffic through Dublin airport, Ireland’s largest. However, this does not seem to have carried over to regional airports, which are still feeling the effects of the recession. As reported by the Irish Times, a full recovery to pre-recession tourism levels will only occur if the U.K. market also returns to those levels. – S.L. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 13
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Enda Kenny Speaks Out Against Vatican T
SNOWFALL TO BEGIN IN IRELAND AS EARLY AS OCTOBER ue to low solar activity, Ireland has been warned to brace itself for another harsh and early winter, with possible snowfalls as early as next month. Long-range weather forecaster James Madden of Exacta weather has made the prediction, as the country awaits a repeat of last winter’s hardships. In December of 2010, temperatures reached an all-time low of -18˚c, and heavy sleet and ice caused accidents, airport delays and burst pipes throughout the country. Madden’s comments follow warnings from Positive Weather Solutions, based in the U.K., that the winter months will be significantly colder than average between December and March. The forecasters are also predicting a 36 percent chance of a white Christmas in Ireland and the UK. The new forecasts come in the wake of the coolest summer in Ireland since 1986. Low solar activity and Gulf Stream changes are said to be the immediate cause behind the wintry winds already making their way to Ireland. – S.L.
D
IRISH SCIENTISTS MAKE BREAKTHROUGH DISCOVERY group of scientists based in Ireland have discovered a new breed of the microscopic animals known as water bears. Water bears, pictured at right, are remarkable organisms. Common on earth, they existed for over 600 million years. The research team is led by Dr. Davide Pisani, an evolutionary biologist at NUI Maynooth. Funded by the Science Foundation Ireland and NASA, the project analyzed hereditary data from 33 different species of water bears. The research team also found that the water bears are related to insects and crustaceans, not roundworms as was previously thought. Water bears are unique in their high adaptability to extreme conditions, and have been found everywhere from 6,000 meters above sea level to 4,000 meters under water. Because of this, they may be instrumental in leading to a better understanding of how organisms can survive in space. – S.L.
A
14 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
aoiseach Enda Kenny expressed his views on the Vatican’s lack of action in relation to the Catholic Church’s abuse of children in a speech on the floor of Ireland’s national parliament on July 20. The Cloyne Report, released on July 13, detailed the lack of action by clergy leaders following complaints against 19 priests from the Cloyne diocese from 1996 to 2009. The report also found two accusations against a priest reported to the police and also cited Bishop John Magee for not reacting to the abuse allegations. Kenny also addressed the outrage over the Vatican’s undermining of the Irish Bishops’ child protection guidelines, which required obligatory reporting of abuses to civil authorities. The report stated that the Vatican encouraged Biships to ignore the guidelines, calling them “merely study documents.” This is the fourth report on the scandal since 1994 but the first directly aimed at the Vatican and not at local church leaders. Enda Kenny criticized the Vatican stating, “For the first time in Ireland, a report into child sexual abuse exposes an attempt by the Holy See to frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign, democratic republic…as little as three years ago, not three decades ago. And in doing so, the Cloyne Report excavates the dysfunction, disconnection, elitism – the narcissism – that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day.” The Vatican’s recall of its ambassador, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza is said to be the Vatican’s demonstration of displeasure with the State and is an indicator of chilling ties. The Papal Nuncio departed to present the Cloyne Report to the Vatican. The government awaits the response of the Holy See and does not know how long Leanza will remain in Rome. – L.C.
REMAINS OF THE NOTORIOUS NED KELLY FOUND IN AUSTRALIA ne hundred and thirty-one years after he was hanged for murder, Ned Kelly has been found. The bones of the outlaw son of immigrants from Tipperary were identified from a group of remains found in a mass grave on the grounds of Pentridge Prison in Victoria. Scientists used DNA from Kelly’s great-great-nephew to make the identification. In his day, Kelly was an Irish-Australian real-life Robin Hood, though much more violent than the outlaw of English folklore. He was famous for his home-made body armor and his talent for evading arrest. When he was eventually caught in 1880, Kelly was sentenced to death for his gang’s murder of three policemen, and was hanged on November 11. A death mask was made, and his body was buried in the Melbourne Gaol mass grave, which was moved to Pentridge when Melbourne closed in 1929.That grave was initially exhumed in 2009. The identification proves that a skull on display at the Melbourne Gaol is not Kelly’s, as the jail had claimed. – S.L.
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McGinty’s Big Win
Queensland’s Tara Talbot is 53rd Rose of Tralee
T
ara Talbot, the 27-year-old who was crowned 53rd Rose of Tralee on August 23rd, is the epitome of what it means to be Irish in the global community. Born in Dublin to an Irish father, Ronnie, and Philippine mother, Carmencita, Tara lived there until the age of five, when the family moved to Australia. After graduating from the University of Queensland, she spent another three years in Ireland from 2006 until 2009, moving between Galway and Dublin. Along with 32 other Roses from around the world, Tara returned to Ireland in late August for a week of fun, pride in having Irish heritage, and good-natured competition for the Rose Crown. Talbot impressed presenter Dáithi Ó Sé, who returned for his second Rose of Tralee, by speaking to him in her mother’s native language and singing Mary Black’s “Katie.” Other impressive performances of the night included an energy-raising R&B dance by the Dublin Rose, Siobheal Nic Eodhaidh, and Germany Rose Saoirse Fitzgerald's choreographed rendition of the song “Das Fliegerleid.” Irish rockabilly sensation Imelda May also performed, giving the evening a dose of star power. At the end of the night, though, it was Talbot, wearing a red satin ball gown, who was presented with the Rose Crown by 2010 Rose of Tralee Clare Kamabettu. “I am so honored to have been chosen as the Rose of Tralee and to represent the 31 girls who were with me in Tralee for the next year,” Tara said. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet, but I’m looking forward to a new life experience.” Talbot is a secondary school teacher, also studying for a master’s in marketing in order to further her aim of working in marketing for non-profit organizations. As she explained to Ó Sé, her passions include Liverpool FC and human rights. She is involved with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and tutors a family of refugees from Burma in her spare time, helping them adjust to life in Australia. According to her Rose profile, she has traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and Europe, and plans to visit India next. With those credentials, Talbot seems well suited for the year of travel and charitable work ahead of her as the represents Ireland on her journeys. Perhaps the only people who are not thrilled are those at Paddy Power, the Irish bookmaker, which had to pay out over €50,000 following Talbot’s win, as the Queensland Rose was a definite favorite. – S.L.
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The final episode of summer’s hit reality TV show The Glee Project came with a surprise.To the applause of his fellow competitors, the judges (including Glee cocreator Ryan Murphy) and the cast of the original Glee series, Damian McGinty gave his last performance, a swoon-worthy rendition of “Somewhere Beyond The Sea.” The 18-year-old Derry native and former member of Celtic Thunder was by no means favored to win.Though he had consistently impressed the judges with his singing and made it to the final round, he had received criticism for his sometimes clumsy dancing. He had made it to the final two, but then Samuel Larsen, the 19-year-old indy singer from L.A., was announced as the winner. And then McGinty was declared a winner too. “This doesn’t happen to people from Ireland, especially from Derry, it just doesn’t happen,” a delighted McGinty told the Irish Voice. Along with Larsen, McGinty will appear in seven episodes of the coming third season of Glee. Little is known about his character other than that he will be an exchange student visiting from Ireland. With his baby face that belies his deep, crooning voice, McGinty will be a strong addition to an already stellar cast. – S.L
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{ irish eye on hollywood} By Tom Deignan September is all about the new Fall TV season and the Irish are prominently featured in the 2011-2012 network and cable television schedules. There are also several intriguing Irish-themed TV projects in the works. One of the more highly-anticipated crime dramas of the new TV season is NBC’s Prime Suspect starring Maria Bello (A History of Violence, Coyote Ugly). Also starring in Prime Suspect is Irish American actor Aidan Quinn (Michael Collins), seen recently in indy movies such as Sarah’s Key and Flipped, as well as Jonah Hex. Quinn plays Lt. Kevin Sweeney in Prime Suspect, which is a reimagining of the acclaimed British series of the same name, which starred Helen Mirren. The cast of Prime Suspect, including Maria Bello (center) and Aidan Quinn (far right)
Celebrated Irish actor Brían F. O’Byrne also stars in Prime Suspect as Detective Reg Duffy. O’Byrne was last seen on TV on the other side of the law, portraying a long-lost criminal cousin from Belfast on the brilliant Showtime drama Brotherhood. Bello herself plays an Irish American cop on Prime Suspect. Her character’s name is Jane Timoney, and her father, Desmond Timoney, also features prominently in the cast. Former New York City police officer Mike Sheehan (who has also worked extensively as a TV news reporter) is serving as a writer and consultant for Prime Suspect, which premieres Thursday, September 22 at 10 p.m. In another intriguing British/Irish/American TV project in the works, BBC America recently announced its first original scripted series. It is set in the rough-and-tumble world of New York’s Five Points during the Famine Era, and will follow an Irish immigrant cop. The show, which is not slated to air until next summer, is entitled Copper. Veteran TV writer/producer Tom Fontana (Oz, Homicide) is leading the writing-producing team behind Copper. No word on casting just yet. Moving away from cop shows, there is the new thriller series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar on the CW network. Entitled Ringer, the show features Gellar as two troubled twin sisters. The Irish element of this show is not evident until you hear the main characters’ names: Bridget Cafferty and Siobhan Martin. (Siobhan also has a pal in the show named Gemma Gallagher.) It seems the girls have been at odds all of their lives. Bridget is 18 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Sarah Michelle Gellar plays twins in Ringer.
a recovering alcoholic who has had run-ins with the mob. Siobhan, on the other hand, lives a life that seems downright boring. Just when Bridget gets herself into real trouble, her twin sister disappears in a boating mishap. So, Bridget goes ahead and assumes her sister’s identity. Only then does she discover that Siobhan’s life may not have been so boring after all. Ringer premieres September 13. Dominic West, best known for playing Irish American detective Jimmy McNulty on HBO’s The Wire, recently starred in the much-hyped BBC America show The Hour. The six-part series looked at the behind-the-scenes drama at a groundbreaking news show in 1956. The setting, not to mention the dashing costumes, inevitably brought comparisons to Mad Men. West’s parents were Irish Catholic immigrants to Yorkshire. He also attended Trinity College, Dublin and lives in Ireland with his wife, Catherine FitzGerald, whom he married in Limerick in 2010. Look for West in the upcoming Rowan Atkinson James Bond spoof Johnny English Reborn and in the 2012 superheroin-space flick John Carter, alongside Ciaran Hinds. West’s career may be thriving, but some Irish fans may still be displeased that he played British marauder Oliver Cromwell in a 2008 TV movie. “My mum still won’t speak to me,” West told the Guardian a few years back. “And my missus, she’s not Catholic, but she is Irish. We’re getting married in Ireland just after it comes out, which means she’ll be going through town with Oliver Cromwell. That’ll go down a treat.”
Finally, on NBC, Anjelica Huston (who spent much of her youth in Ireland, with legendary filmmaker father John), and American Idol runner-up Katherine McPhee are slated to star in Smash, a new show about the making of a Broadway musical. Jack Davenport, Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston in Smash.
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All of this new Irish TV enhances the already strong Hibernian presence on television. Fiona Shaw can currently be seen on the fourth season of HBO’s vampire show True Blood. The motorcycle gang show Sons of Anarchy has featured Ireland and Irish gangsters prominently. Denis Leary just wrapped up the acclaimed series Rescue Me. Then there’s CBS’s Blue Bloods, about a family of Irish cops in New York City, which returns for its second season on September 23. Among those involved in Blue Bloods is actress Bridget Moynihan as well as show producer Thomas Kelly, the bestselling Irish American author of books such as Payback and Empire Rising. Blue Bloods also features Donnie Wahlberg, brother of box office star Mark Wahlberg, who scored a knockout last year with his “Irish” Micky Ward biopic The Fighter. Now comes word that Mark is planning a sequel. Wahlberg has said he does not plan to go the Rocky route and do multiple sequels. It is true, however, that the movie made well over $100 million at the box office and did not even feature some of Ward’s best fights (including the epic bouts against Arturo Gatti).
Rea’s fellow Northern Irish character actor Ciaran Hinds is among the members of an impressive cast for the November spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, based on the famous book by John Le Carre. Gary Oldman, John Hurt and Colin Firth are also featured in the flick, which is about an intelligence officer who comes out of retirement when it seems that one of the top officers in the British Secret Intelligence Service is a Soviet spy. Though this flick seems very much an all-boys affair, it’s a screenplay by British-born Bridget O’Connor. But if you prefer films targeted mainly at women, see
Sligo-born actor Chris O’Dowd has gotten himself elected into one of the most prestigious (or at least lucrative) comedy troupes in the world: the Judd Apatow clan. O’Dowd (who also appeared in the raunchy comedies Dinner for Schmucks and Bridesmaids) will soon appear alongside Jason Segel and uber-babe Megan Fox in the film This is 40. Apatow, of course, is the comedic force behind recent comic gems such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Superbad. Early word is that This is 40 is a spinoff from one of Apatow’s other huge hits: Knocked Up starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen. This is 40 will catch up with several of that film’s characters further on down the road of married life with children. As for Chris O’Dowd, after the Apatow flick, he is slated to appear in Friends with Kids alongside Bridesmaids co-star Kristen Wiig and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm. Northern Irish thespian Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) has a sup-
Sarah Jessica Parker star alongside Pierce Brosnan in
I Don’t Know How She Does It, out in September. Also featuring Kelsey Grammer, Greg Kinnear and Jane Curtin, I Don’t Know How She Does It deals with the problems of a career woman with a crazy schedule and children to raise . And finally, from the “Want to feel old?” department, it has now been 20 years since U2 recorded its powerhouse album Achtung Baby. (Which means it’s been 25 years since the Dublin rockers released The Joshua Tree.) The creation of the 1991 album is the focus of the highly anticipated documentary From the Sky Down, which opened the Toronto International Film Festival in early September and was directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth). The film also might help the lads forget about a certain Broadway musical about a certain wall-crawling superhero about which certain critics have had a lot of negative things to say. IA
TOP: Sarah Jessica
porting role in an intriguing historiParker and Pierce cal drama due out in October called Brosnan in I Don’t Know How She Does It. Blackthorn. The film is a revisionist ABOVE: Chris look at Butch Cassidy and the O’Dowd, Megan Fox and Jason Segel Sundance Kid, who are believed to star in This is 40. have been killed in a gunfight with RIGHT: U2 in concert. Bolivian soldiers in 1908. In this film, Cassidy survived the battle and has been living in Bolivia. But he aches to see his family once more, so he heads home to the U.S. only to wind up in one more grand, possibly deadly, adventure. Blackthorn (which is the name Cassidy lives under in the film) also features Sam Shepherd (as Cassidy) and Eduardo Noriega. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 19
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Lowell Dig Travels to Northern Ireland S tudents and archeological experts from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and Queen’s University, Belfast recently completed phase two of a four year archeological dig in the Massachusetts town, and expanded the project to include a site in Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The collaborative excavation, known as the Irish-American Heritage Archeological Program, focuses on the buried settlement of the first Irish immigrants in Lowell, located within the grounds of St. Patrick’s Church. The current church building is a reconstruction of the nineteenth century original, built atop the plot of the initial 1831 Irish settlement known as “The Acre.” The first phase of the research study, led last year by archeological experts Dr. Colm Donnelly, Dr. Harry Welsh and Ronan McHugh of Queen’s University, Belfast, led to the recovery of 1350 artifacts from just two trenches in the churchyard. With the help of six UMass Lowell students, the five-day excavation recovered rosary beads, clay tobacco pipes, shards of window glass, iron nails, and oyster shells. The artifacts were displayed in a joint exhibition at the UMass campus in 2010, organized by Dr. Frank Talty, Co-Director of UMass Lowell’s Center for Irish Partnerships. Talty told The Irish Emigrant, “These early Irish people established a community that survived discrimination and socio-economic limitations to become an integral part of Lowell’s development in the 19th century.”
Led by Co. Tyrone native Hugh Cummiskey, Irish settlers first arrived in Lowell in 1822 and initially called the settlement “New Dublin,” according to an 1831 news article in the Portsmouth Journal. The immigrants were contracted to work on the expansion of canals that powered textile mills in the city. With work sites parallel to the Merrimack River, the labor was intensive and dangerous, and deaths from drownings and crushings were common. The early settlement consisted of about 100 cabins constructed from
ABOVE: The dig site on the grounds of St. Patrick’s Church in Lowell, MA. LEFT: Professor Frank Talty, Co-Director of UMass Lowell’s Center for Irish Partnerships and Colm Donnelly, archaeologist from Queen’s University Belfast.
sods, mud and boards, each standing between seven and ten feet high. During and following the Famine, the town’s population increased as large numbers of Irish peasants immigrated to the area that would become modern-day Lowell, and the settlement grew to include schools, craftsmen and trading posts. In the program’s second phase, the project expanded to include an archeological dig in Cossan, Co. Tyrone, Northern
Ireland, where the teams worked on the site known to be Cummiskey’s former homestead before his departure for the United States. Boston marriage records dating to 1821 helped experts locate the emigrant’s former home. Further archeological research will also take place at the church in Lowell, on a recently rediscovered burial ground and on an additional northern wall in the buried settlement. Dr. Donnelly notes “At [the] time you didn’t get ordinary people writing down their records; that was for the politicians. So, instead we try to let the artifacts speak for them.” All of the artifacts found at both sites will be analyzed extensively in the months to come. – Harrison Post FAR LEFT: Remains of Hugh Cummiskey’s homestead in Cossan, Co. Tyrone. MIDDLE: David McKean, historian of St. Patrick’s Church and UM Lowell student Dimitrios Booras in Cossan. LEFT: One of the artifacts found during the dig in Lowell.
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{hibernia} The Leamy’s School in Limerick houses the new Frank McCourt Museum. Bottom: Malachy McCourt with a bust of his brother’s head in Limerick.
Frank McCourt Museum T he animated story of Frank McCourt’s bestselling memoir, Angela’s Ashes came to life on July 14th when a museum in his honor was opened in Limerick. The new museum, located at the Leamy’s School, which Frank McCourt and brothers attended as children, is the brainchild of Una Heaton, a city artist who runs an art school and gallery at the old building. Malachy McCourt was guest of honor at the opening. Speaking to Irish America about the museum, which features a recreation of the classroom attended by the
young McCourts, and also depicts conditions in Limerick in the 1930s, Malachy said: “It’s not romantic Ireland of thatched cottages and whitewashed walls. It’s evocative of a time of death and desperation and disease. And although it is not exact in its reproductions, it is inspiring, and it evokes the atmosphere of the poverty, right down to the chamber pot.” – Laura Corrigan For additional information on the museum visit: www.frankmccourtmuseum.com
Enright in New York
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n early October, Irish author Anne Enright will come to New York as part of a U.S.-wide promotional tour for her latest novel, The Forgotten Waltz. One of her stops will be on October 5, at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater at Symphony Space, where Enright will answer questions about The Forgotten Waltz (see pg. 96 for a review), Enright’s first novel since The Gathering, which won the 2007 Man Booker Prize. A brilliant and devastatingly insightful meditation on Ireland during the Celtic Tiger and immediately after the economic collapse, The Forgotten Waltz tells the story of an affair and its waves of ramifications through the memories of protagonist Gina Moynihan. Enright will also travel throughout the North East and to California and Seattle. For more information, visit. www.symphonyspace.org
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Weightthrowers of the IrishAmerican Athletic Club, circa 1912.
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orthern Irish golfer and 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell has officially opened the G-Mac Foundation, a new charity devoted to raising funds for children’s medical research. Launched in New York City on August 23rd, G-Mac’s two principal aims will be to support children’s medical research in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the U.S., and to bring sick and recovering children from the island of Ireland on spirit-lifting vacations to Orlando, Florida. McDowell
made the sunny city his new home in 2010. The golf champion described the foundation as “my way of giving something back. I’ve got some short-term goals and some longer-term ones, but we’re in the early stages just now and I’m excited about it.” McDowell has long donated much time and support to medical charities, particularly those focused on Multiple Sclerosis. His mother has MS, and McDowell has described the cause as one “that’s understandably very close to my heart,” and confirms that he will continue to support it even as he embarks on the G-Mac Foundation. Further information can be found on McDowell’s website, www.graememcdowell.com – S.L.
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Irish Olympic Champions at the NYC Police Museum L
ower Manhattan’s New York City Police Museum is currently remembering a group of men who were once focal points of the New York Irish American athletic and social scene. The Irish Whales, as they were called (though it is uncertain whether the men appreciated the title), were a group of champion weight-throwers who won 15 Olympic medals for the U.S. between 1904 and 1924. The Whales, most of whom trained at the famous IrishAmerican Athletic Club in Celtic Park, Queens, included such legends as Matt McGrath from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary; Martin and Richard Sheridan of Bohola, County Mayo, and Patrick “Babe” McDonald from Doonbeg, Co. Clare. The exhibition, which runs through October 30th, features medals, trophies and original photographs – some never before seen by the public – from the collection of the American Irish Historical Society. – S.L. For hours and directions visit www.nycpolicemuseum.org
Gaelic Invasion Champion to be Remembered in Cork merican sports experienced a “Gaelic Invasion” in 1888, when hurlers and stars of track and field traveled across the Atlantic to promote Irish sports in the U.S., and give the American athletes a run for their money. Of the 48 Irish sportsmen representing the newly-fledged Gaelic Athletic Association, T.J. O’Mahoney, a runner from A drawing by Dublin Rosscarbery, Co. Cork, caused the greatest stir. artist Peter Queally, O’Mahoney, who had been declared Irish Champion in the based on media descripquarter-mile in 1885, 1887 and 1888, proved he was more than tions of T.J. O’Mahoney. a match for his American competitors. Newspapers called him “An Unconquerable Steam Engine” citing his impressive speed and his distinctly rhythmic way of running. Upon his return to Ireland, O’Mahoney, who was now being called the “Rosscaberry Steam Engine” was given a hero’s welcome with over 1,000 people joining in a parade through the small West Cork town. However, O’Mahoney moved to Dublin to work as a sportswriter, and by the time of his death, at just 50 years of age, his victories were largely forgotten. Now, over 110 years after O’Mahoney’s headline-grabbing victories, residents of Rosscarbery have set out to revive interest in the athlete. A plaque in his honor is soon to be dedicated in his birthplace by sports commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh. The Rosscarbery group also aims to have O’Mahoney’s crumbling tombstone in Dublin’s Glasnevin cemetery restored. Any readers who are aware of photographs from the Gaelic Invasion era that might feature T.J. O’Mahony, are asked to please contact Paul O’Mahoney at omahonypaul@hotmail.com
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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WINGED FIST ORGANIZATION.
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Women’s Golf Great Declares
‘Irish Toughness’
Helped Keegan Bradley Win PGA
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omen’s golfing great Pat Bradley declared it was ‘Irish toughness’ that helped her nephew Keegan Bradley claim victory in the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club on Sunday, August 14. Bradley, 25, became the first player to win a major championship in his first attempt since Ben Curtis won the Open Championship at the Royal St. George in 2003. Bradley won, in a three-hole playoff against Jason Dufner, with a birdie and two pars. Born in Vermont and raised in Vermont and Westford, Mass., Bradley’s Irish ancestry is as strong as his resolve. His grandparents were born in County Cork, and when he was just 8 years-old, he traveled with his parents, father Mark is also a PGA professional, to visit his Irish cousins. Keegan’s three uncles, John, Chris, and Tom Bradley are regular visitors to Ireland to play in the Three Brothers Tournament in Kerry, which they won in 2001. That year, Keegan’s aunt, LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley, who was the USA Solheim Cup Captain in 2000, accompanied her brothers to Kenmare and captained the family team. The now 60-year-old Pat Bradley, won six majors among her 36 pro career victories. In fact, many of her trophies are on display at Old Head after she was afforded life membership of both Old Head and Kenmare. “[Keegan] showed some Bradley toughness,” she said after he won the PGA. “We’re an Irish family and we have that Irish toughness and he showed that today and I am just so very proud of him the way he fought back and brought it home. “It’s a wonderful [way] to honor his father, who has been a PGA pro for many, many years and Keegan honored
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straight player to win using a nonconventional putter on the American tour after Australia’s Adam Scott used a long-handled putter to capture the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio on August 7. And Bradley revealed where his caddy, Steve ‘Pepsi’ Hale, got his nickname. When Bradley was competing on the secondary Nationwide Tour there was none of Hale’s favorite soft drink Pepsi on hand. So Hale would go out on the course well before tee off and hide cans of Pepsi about the course, and then he’d duck into bushes or walk behind outbuildings and come back to Bradley with cans of Pepsi. – Bernie McGuire From the blog Golf, by Tour Miss http://www.golfbytourmiss.com/
The Dream Goes On
his dad with this win.” But while Bradley delighted his family, friends and supporters with a first major success, there’s sure to be plenty of raised eyebrows in winning with a nonconventional putter. Indeed, Bradley became the first-ever player in the long history of the majors to win using either a belly or long-handled putter. And the American was proud do so. “I’m very proud to be the first player using a belly putter to win a major,” he said. “I remember people saying to me when I first switched, ‘But nobody has ever won a Major with it.’ And I remember looking at them and saying: ‘I’m going to be the first one to win a Major,’ joking pretty much. It’s a surreal thing, it’s true.” Bradley also becomes the second
Keegan Bradley is still enjoying the spotlight following his PGA win. The St. John’s University athlete has been inundated with appearance requests; highlights include throwing in the first pitch at Fenway Park, and joining his hero Tom Brady in midfield to toss the coin before the New England Patriots pre-season game against the New York Giants. “You know, just meeting the guys on the Red Sox and the Patriots, how nice they are, how they kind of look at me as one of their own. It’s really, really fun to be in that kind of inside group. As a little kid it was a dream of mine to just go the games, let alone meet the guys,” he told Larry Dorman of the New York Times. Meanwhile, the putter Keegan used in his PGA Championship will be enshrined in his aunt Pat Bradley’s exhibit at the Hall of Fame. She told the Times writer she tried to talk him out of donating it, without success. “I told him, ‘Keegs, in 20 years you’re going to have your own space anyway.’” IA
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NEW WEBSITE FOR KERRY RECORDS
A New Atlases Chart Local Population Changes
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he National Centre for Geocomputation (NCG) based out of the National University Ireland, Maynooth, has launched new online atlases with unprecedented localized details of the Famine years. While the first, The Population Change Atlas, tracks the Famine’s effects on local populations, The Atlas of Irish Famine Data details agricultural practices, population changes and density, and housing statistics. Mapping the country’s population according to the modern electoral districts, the atlases reveal information never before explored, beginning with the Great Famine and continuing through to the present. The online atlases represent a departure from the generalized data previously available, and allow for study of the Famine’s effects at a much more local level. Overseen by Maynooth Professor Stewart Fotheringham, the NCG hopes that the atlases will renew interest and debate surrounding the Famine, and lead to a more complete and accurate national history. “Previously we have only had broad brushstrokes, and commonly accepted perceptions, such as ‘the West has been hit harder than the East,’” says Fotheringham. “What this work tells us is that the impacts of population decline are much more complex.” Researchers hope that the new atlases will allow formerly unanswerable questions surrounding the Famine to be addressed, such as the influence of the landlord on a tenant’s fate, or the relationship between a prospective emigrant’s decision to leave, and his or her proximity to a port. For example, while Courtown, in the north of County Wexford, saw a 38 percent decline in population between 1841 and 1851, towns in the southern section of the county, or those closer to the county town of Wexford, saw a much smaller decline or even an increase, as Kilmore’s population rose by 15 percent during the same decade. The atlases also include current statistics, charting population changes based on the 16 censuses taken since 1841. Researchers particularly observed large-scale urbanization from the early 20th century to the present in Belfast, Cork, Limerick, and Dublin, which has more than tripled in size since the Famine. – Harrison Post
SELF-DIAGNOSIS POPULAR AMONG THE IRISH A new study by Quinn Healthcare in Ireland shows that close to half of the Irish population now uses the Internet to diagnose their ailments rather than seeing a doctor. Researchers found that out of a sample population of 1,000 Irish people ages 35 to 44, sixty percent of the women typically relied on the information found on Google and other search engines to answer their medical questions, as did fifty percent of the 26 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
male participants.Thirty-five percent indicated that they believe the information found online to be reliable. Indicating a desire for convenience and thrift over face-to-face appointments, forty-five percent of those surveyed also said they would use instant messaging or phone service to communicate with doctors if offered the chance.
new website recently launched by the Kerry County Council and its associated groups contains over 70,000 burial records, dating from the 1800s to the present.These newly-accessible records will be invaluable for anybody looking to trace their family history or locate their ancestral roots. In a massive endeavor, the two centuries-worth of handwritten burial records have been carefully scanned and indexed, and can be searched by first name, last name, address, date of death or graveyard. Kerry Mayor Tim Buckley believes that the site will prove particularly meaningful to the Irish diaspora: “Just think of the many hundreds of thousands of people who left from Kerry over the past centuries to travel to foreign shores in search of work,” he told The Kerryman, a local newspaper. He also expressed hope that the new site would be a boon for tourism.“This website will greatly increase their chances of tracing where their ancestors came from, and in doing so will, we hope, lead to greater visits to Kerry as people look to visit their ancestors’ birthplace and burial place.” To find your Kerry ancestors, visit www.kerrylaburials.ie
MOST IRISH HAPPY DESPITE RECESSION In spite of the recent difficulties – recession, emigration, unemployment, credit downgrading – the people of Ireland seem to be looking at the positive. The latest figures from the Irish government’s Central Statistics Office’s quarterly national survey reveal that four out of five adults in Ireland say they are happy all or most of the time. The survey, implemented in connection with a study of health status and health service utilization, also showed that 61 percent of all Irish adults felt “full of life all or most of the time.” IA
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Puck Fair: Ireland’s Oldest Festival E very August since 1613 (or possibly earlier) the Co. Kerry town of Killorglin has given itself over to the idiosyncratic joys and celebration of the Puck Fair Festival, and this year was no exception. From August 10 – 12, Killorglin residents and visitors were granted the “Freedom of the Town” by the young Queen of Puck Fair and her goat companion, King Puck, and reveled in three days of entertainment, music, pageantry and unusual traditions. The precise origins of the Puck Fair are unknown, but an August fair is said to have taken place in pre-Christian times to spur on a bountiful harvest. A favored version of the fair’s history claims that when Oliver Cromwell and his men were ravaging the area, a goat that had been separated from his herd found his way to Killorglin and his distressed presence alerted the townspeople that the Roundheads were close, giving them valuable time to prepare. In recognition, the festival always selects a wild male mountain goat from the surrounding Kerry mountains and crowns him King Puck. On the first day of the festival, Gathering Day, a traditional horse fair, is held in the early morning hours. Then King Puck is paraded through the town in a lively procession to the main square where he meets his queen. The Queen of Puck Fair is a local school girl, selected
for the role based on a short essay submitted about the fair. The 2011 Queen was Muireann Arthurs from Caragh Lake, Killorglin. On Gathering Day, she read the TOP: John Morrissey of Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick selling his Jack Russell pups at Puck Fair. LEFT: Muireann Arthurs, Queen of Puck Fair, coronates a wild mountain goat as King Puck with goatcatcher Frank Joy.
Puck Fair Proclamation in Irish, English, French and German, and the gathered crowd hailed its new king. For many years, the local pubs were open all day and night for the duration of the festival. Though that is no longer the case, they do remain open until 3:00 a.m., so no festival-goer misses the chance to toast The Puck, as the goat king is also called. The second day, Fair Day, is the heart of the festival. This year, as in other years, it drew vendors selling everything from jewelry to Jack Russell puppies. Other events included the annual Bonny Baby competition, an Irish storytelling work-
Biddy Early’s Cottage For Sale
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he two-bedroom cottage once inhabited by the nineteenthcentury healer and “Wise Woman of Clare” Biddy Early has been put up for sale, in the hope that it will be further refurbished and reopened as a tourist attraction. Built on an acre atop Dromore Hill in east Clare, the cottage overlooks Carter’s Lough, which has become widely known as Biddy Early’s Lake. Early moved into the cottage after
28 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
marrying her third husband,Tom Flannery, a local laborer, and remained a resident until her death in 1874.The cottage received constant visitors seeking Early’s herbal remedies, angering
shop, and a chance to meet King Puck himself. King Puck is relieved of his duties on the third day, Scattering Day. On the evening of August 12th, the crowd gathered once again in the main square to salute the Queen and King, who paraded back through the streets. As always, the goat who was king was released back into the mountains, but the celebrations continued late into the night. The fair attracts visitors and performers from all over Ireland and the world. This year, the acts included the Franzini Brothers, a pair of Irish-Italian brothers from Kerry who performed their daring Cannonball Circus; the Joshua Tree, a U2 tribute band; and Fanfare Piston, a brass marching band from France. In 2013, Puck Fair will celebrate its 400th anniversary, and the festivities are IA sure to be epic. – S.L.
the church and resulting in her trial for witchcraft in 1865. She was later released due to a lack of evidence and mass public support, and remains a popular icon in Irish folklore. The cottage currently receives moderate numbers of tourists each year, and Clare Mayor Pat Hayes has stated that the reopening of the historic cottage would be a “welcome development.” Owner Billy Loughnane inherited the property after his father purchased it in the 1960’s, and has set the asking price at €75,000. – H.P.
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A Diary for the Tweople, By the Tweople
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here’s no denying the wonderfully wide (and sometimes weird) reach of Twitter. From messages from Tahrir Square during the Arab Spring, to live tweets of the Republican presidential debates, to to-the-minute updates concerning Kim Kardashian’s whereabouts. Since the social networking phenomenon was founded in 2006, it has attracted well over 200 million users, who sign-in routinely to post their 140-character messages. It was precisely the scope and popularity of Twitter that so fascinated Gar Deady and Nigel Lane of Co. Kildare, Ireland, and led them to embark on a social media project called Diary of the Tweople. Who are the “tweople?” The two Irishmen coined the phrase to describe the Twitter people. And hundreds of them – from Ireland and the U.S. to Australia and Russia – turned out via their computers and assorted wi-fi devices to participate in Lane and Deady’s Diary Day on June 3, submitting summaries of their days. “We had several excellent entries,” Gar told Irish America, “ranging from funny, to bizarre, to very serious. One entry simply said “Shaving when drunk… dangerous game!” Another was from Justice for Magdalenes – a group of human rights activists and family members fighting for justice for the women who suffered abuse while living in Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries. Their entry centered around waiting on a decision from the UN Committee Against Torture. Deady and Lane eventually whittled the entries down to 70, which have now been compiled into an e-book, complete with illustrations by Irish designer Rob Gale that incorporate the iconic Twitter bird. Diary of the Tweople, which is available online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes and other e-book sellers, is more than an entertaining read, though. It’s a prime example of how social media is changing the way we record personal narratives. Each of the published entries contains a link to the author’s Twitter page, which allows readers to directly or indirectly follow-up with the writers. Thrilled with the results, Deady and Lane are already planning another Diary Day. – S.L.
30 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Irish Artist of the Light Shines in New York
F
or Irish artist Roisin Fitzpatrick, inspiration and light came from an experience most people would count among their darkest of days. In 2004, shortly after her 35th birthday, Fitzpatrick suffered from a brain hemorrhage – a sudden pain at the back of her head quickly became a near-death experience. As she lay very still in a hospital bed, fighting for her life, she turned to meditation in order Roisin Fitzpatrick and to get herself through the pain and fear, Christy O’Connor Jr. rather than panicking about all of the unknowns. It was through this concentration, this focus on the present and the incredible energy she connected with, that the traumatic experience became a transformational one. “I achieved total spiritual freedom,” Fitzpatrick recently told Irish America. “We run around in life, looking for joy and happiness, most often in places where it can never be found, as proven by the boom and bust of the Celtic Tiger. Paradoxically, it is all within us, all of the time.” After making her miraculous recovery, Fitzpatrick, a native of Co. Wicklow who had previously put her degrees in business and international relations to work at the European Commission, United Nations and European Bank, decided to devote her life to sharing this energy with others through art. As “Artist of the Light,” her aim is to “assist people to connect with their highest potential, to live lives with a greater sense of joy, well-being, purpose and meaning.” To communicate this energy, Fitzpatrick works with crystals, which beautifully reflect and refract light. She sews the crystals by hand onto sheets of white silk, creating intricate patterns based on nature, astronomy, pre-Celtic art forms such as Newgrange, and the Tautha de Dannan, the “people of the speckled light” from Celtic mythology. Fitzpatrick described the response to her work as “phenomenal.” “Doors have opened for this art in ways I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams.” A glance at her list of fans and supporters speaks to her wide appeal and profound affect: actress Roma Downey of Touched by an Angel and her husband, TV producer Mark Burnett were early supporters, as was mind-body expert, doctor and writer Deepak Chopra. Fitzpatrick’s art has also gained the attention of writer Marianne Williamson, philanthropist Loretta Brennan Glucksman, hotelier John Fitzpatrick, and Irish golfer Christy O’Connor Jr., who recently purchased one of her works. In addition, Roisin Fitzpatrick has enjoyed frequent exhibitions on both sides of the Atlantic, from the Royal Dublin Society to galleries in Chelsea and SoHo. Up next is a solo exhibition at the Consulate General of Ireland in New York, running from October 3 – November 16. – S.L.
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JACKIE’S Reflections on Camelot
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lose to fifty years after the start of the Kennedy presidency, the details and potential secrets of Camelot still have the power to hold us in thrall. Eight and a half hours of taped interviews between Jacqueline Kennedy and historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. have been released in both audio and book form, revealing the former First lady’s insights into her husband’s presidency, recorded only four months after his death. When word got out that her daughter, Caroline Kennedy, had decided to release the tapes far earlier than the fifty years after her death that her mother had specified, all sorts of rumors arose about what scandalous details the conversations between Schlesinger and Kennedy might reveal: affairs on both sides of the marriage? snide remarks about Lyndon B. Johnson? However, the most scandalous snippets seem to merely involve Jackie passing comment on figures in the White House as well as various diplomats and politicians. Indira Gandhi is, for example, “a real prune – bitter, kind of pushy, horrible woman.” What the interviews do reveal, though, is a woman very much devoted to her husband, someone who was hyper-aware of their public image, with a personality that shines through in her sometimes snobbish, sometimes keen observations and remarks. Kennedy recalls the tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis,
JFK’s Inaugural Ball, January 20, 1961
when she pleaded with JFK: “Please don’t send me away to Camp David. Please don’t send me anywhere. If anything happens, we’re all going to stay right here with you.” She says that she had “always been a liability to him until we got to the White House,” when the increased media attention and the power of her position changed all that: “Suddenly everything that had been a liability before – your hair, that you spoke French, that you didn’t just adore to campaign and you didn’t bake bread with flour up to your arms – everyone thought I was a snob and hated politics…” didn’t matter any more because “when we got to the White House, all the things that I had always done suddenly became wonderful. ’Cause anything the First Lady does that’s different, everyone seizes on.” She also recalls prioritizing French cuisine over Irish stew in the White House, and remarks that “There seems to be about all these Irish – they always seem to have a sort of persecution thing about them, don’t they?” The book, titled Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life With John F. Kennedy, was released on September 13 by Hyperion and includes an introduction by Caroline Kennedy. That night, ABC also aired a two-hour special on the interviews, which drew an audience of 8.4 million. – S.L.
Giffords and Kelly to Publish Memoir
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n a courageous and exciting new move, Representative Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Irish American NASA astronaut and Navy captain Mark Kelly, are collaborating on a memoir, to be released November 15. Published by Scribner and co-authored by Jeffrey Zaslow, Wall Street Journal columnist and co-author of The Last Lecture, the book will detail the personal stories and combined experiences of the couple, who met in China in 2003 and married in Arizona, Giffords’ home state, in 2007. Both Giffords and Kelly have led remarkable lives: the son of New Jersey police officers, Kelly, 47, spent nearly a
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decade in the Navy and flew combat missions during the Persian Gulf War, before joining NASA in 1996, along with his twin brother, Scott. Giffords, 41, is the third woman to represent Arizona in Congress as well as the state’s first Jewish Representative, and has been recognized as an effective leader and balanced Democrat in a largely Republican state and district. On January 8, she survived the assassination attempt outside of a supermarket in Tucson that killed six people and injured thirteen others. Giffords sustained a bullet wound to the head, and the nation has closely followed her miraculous survival and promising recovery. She was treated
in Tucson and then at Hermann Memorial Medical Center in Houston, where Kelly is based. Giffords traveled to Florida to attend Kelly’s last Space Shuttle mission, STS-143, which was also the last mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. She also appeared on Capitol Hill on August 1 to vote in favor of raising the debt ceiling. The book, titled Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, will be a “deeply personal account” of their lives before and after the events of January 8, according to a release from their publisher, Scribner. Kelly, who is to retire from NASA on October 1, is said to have taken the principal role in working with Zaslow as Giffords continues her recovery, though a spokesman for Scribner, Brian Belfiglio, stated that the Congresswoman “has been fully engaged with the collaborative writing process of the book at every step.” IA
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Quote Unquote “I golfed every moment I wasn’t on set and it was the wettest season in recorded history. I also became a Guinness fan. I knew enough that I had to drink Guinness while I was over there. So I tried it and, it was incredible. Guinness and golf everyday – yeah, Ireland was nice.” – Don Cheadle on filming The Guard in Ireland. The Daily News. July 31, 2011.
“Power, to me, is something that you earn over time. You aren’t [just] in the company that you’re working for, the community that you’re involved with, in the organization that you’re affiliated with – you earn it over many, many hours, days, years of hard work so that when you get to a position, you are able to influence future decisions with much more respect for the people around you than you might otherwise have been able to.” – Mary Callahan Erdoes, CEO of J.P. Morgan Asset Management and a 2011 Irish America Wall Street 50 honoree. From a Forbes.com Video Network feature “Women Defining Power.” August 24, 2011
“It was probably a very un-Irish thing that we did four years ago. We had a relatively good Six Nations, just got pipped (for the title by France) in literally the last minute of the final game, and yeah, I think we probably fell into the trap of doing something that is innately not an Irish attribute: talking ourselves up.” – Brian O’Driscoll on the Irish rugby team’s disappointing loss against France in 2007, as the team prepares for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The Irish Independent. August 9 2011.
“One time I played four shows in a row in Dublin. I’m very proud to say that the crew and the band and I drank the Four Seasons in Dublin out of Jack Daniels. They said of all the people that have come through, they’ve never had someone drink them out of all their cases of whiskey.” – Justin Timberlake, People magazine July 22, 2011
“My dear mother, an old Irish lady, used to say in the most difficult moments – including when I lost my wife and daughter – she said, ‘Joey, out of everything terrible, something good will come if you look hard enough for it. It’s hard to look for it. It’s hard to accept that. But it’s true.’ And the DNA of the Japanese people is riddled with the notion that it’s true.” – Vice President Joe Biden, from his speech at the August 23 re-opening of Japan’s Sendai Airport, which had been closed since the earthquake in July.
“When William Ford left here in 1847, nobody had any idea that his son Henry would change the world. I couldn’t be more proud of him... A few years ago, Ford was in trouble, but we came through it and our future looks great.” – Bill Ford Jr. Speaking in Ballinascarthy, Co Cork, August 3, 2011. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 33
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Voyage of
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PATRICIA HARTY
By Patricia Harty 34 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
MARY BROWNE
Irish America Hall of Fame finds a home in New Ross, and brings the story of the Irish in America back to a place that served as a port of departure for many who braved the journey to North America during Famine times.
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“The real members of the Hall of Fame are the parents and grandparents and great-grandparents who had the courage to come here.” – Donald Keough
O
n a blustery July day, I descend the narrow ladder into the depths of the Dunbrody, an exact replica of a three-masted sailing ship that ferried thousands of Irish people across the Atlantic to New York and Quebec during the Famine years. I have often wondered what it would have been like to make
MARY BROWNE
fine if it was for just one person. It wasn’t. An adult was allotted 18 inches of sleeping space, a child half of that. Whole families and their belongings were crowded into these bunks. There was no separation of men from women, single from married, and no privacy. A rudimentary toilet served the two first class cabins; the steerage passengers made do with a bucket. If the weather was good you were allowed on deck once a day for 30 minutes, if it was stormy, you were locked in below. Rations were meager; dry, hard bread was a staple. I would have had to be pretty desperate to get on such a ship. Most of the passengers on the Dunbrody were. They were escaping starvation and evictions – they had little choice but to leave. The Dunbrody, moored now in New Ross, Co. Wexford, the port from which she sailed, was designed to carry 187 passengers, but we know from records that when she arrived at the quarantine station on Grosse Ile, in July 1847, she had 317 passengers on board. Four had already died – two old people, a young girl, and an infant. Three people were detained in quarantine. We don’t know if they recovered or are buried with the other 4,000-5,000 Irish who lie in mass graves on the island. The rest of the passengers continued on their way.
The Emigration History Centre MARY BROWNE
What the journey was like for these passengers, the scene on the quayside before they left, and their experiences on landing in the New World, are all stories explored in the new Emigration History Centre that has been built up around the Dunbrody. The archive of Graves & Sons, the shipping firm that built the original ship, is at the heart of the exhibition. Every passenger you hear or read about is based on a real person who made the journey. Actors in period costume bring you their stories, and audio and visuals help enhance the experience. Photographs from the 1800s – of logging camps in Canada and tenements of New York (the two ports of call for the Dunbrody were Quebec and New York) help us understand what life was like for the new immigrant. Clockwise: The Dunbrody Famine Ship; Michael St. James Flatley with his The Irish America Hall of Fame, which was estabparents Michael and Niamh; a young Irish dancer performs; Maureen lished by Irish America in 2010, occupies its own O’Hara who was inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame on July 29; section and honors those immigrants and their descena view of the Hall of Fame exhibit; Editor Patricia Hartyspeakingat the dants who made significant contributions to America. opening ceremony. On July 8, Michael Flatley, himself a member of the that journey. Would I have had what it takes to survive the fiveHall of Fame, was guest of honor at the opening ceremony. to-six-week passage? I know for sure that I wouldn’t have been “To be here is a very humbling experience,” he said, addressmuch fun to travel with. I suffer acutely from motion sickness, ing the 400 or so gathered. “Standing in this magnificent strucso God help anyone who was sharing my berth. ture, I’m reminded of all the tears that were shed right on this I’m also a borderline claustrophobe. What strikes me as I very spot. How many mothers cried right here?” he wondered. stand at the bottom of the ladder surveying the lower deck, is His own mother who emigrated from this area looked on. how small the hold of the ship is. When you take away the “When people said goodbye here and landed in the New World, crew’s quarters, the captain’s cabin, the cargo area, and the they weren’t always welcomed with open arms. It was a hostile space for cabin passengers, you are left with the middle “steernew world and many were greeted with signs that read ‘No Irish age” section and it’s not that big. Stacked bunks set up on both need apply.’ They didn’t sit around crying, they didn’t go on the sides of this section measure six feet by six feet, which would be dole – they fought, they worked and many of them came back as PADDY DELANEY
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MARY BROWNE
Right: Donald Keough, JFK Trust chairman Sean Connick, IA publisher Niall O’Dowd, and Sean Reidy CEO The Dunbrody and the JFK Trust. Below: Mary Higgins Clark and Dr. James Watson Hall of Fame presentations. Center: Noel Harty, Michael Flatley and Carmel Cunningham.
heroes. And this is something this center allows us to celebrate and acknowledge. It’s very important that we recognize not only the difficult times but also celebrate our achievements as a race,” he said. I spoke to Michael after he toured the ship with his wife, Niamh, and their son, Michael St. James. He was visibly moved. “This place is not just important now. It will be important a hundred years from now that this history is recorded,” he said. Sean Reidy, the man behind the Dunbrody and the Emigration Centre, is also the CEO of the JFK Trust, which promotes development in this area of the southeast. Back in 1991, the Trust was looking to build a heritage center in New Ross, and Sean had the idea of building a sailing ship that would reflect the maritime heritage and the emigration history of the port. Implementing this idea was another matter. This was way before the other Famine ship, the Jeannie Johnson, was built, so there was no model on which to base his plan. But luck was on his side. A marine artist named Gary Fallon came forward with information about a ship called the Dunbrody. And David McBride, who had worked for the Graves Company, contributed boxes of the ship’s artifacts, including passenger lists, letters from the ship’s captain, and most important, the original bill of sale, which included the precise dimensions of the vessel. Thus, Naval architect Colin Mudie was able to build an exact replica. Fáilte Ireland (the tourism development body) came through with a grant, and the ship was built and ready to launch in 36 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
February, 2001. Jean Kennedy Smith (Ambassador to Ireland, 1993-98), who has family connections to New Ross, and then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern officiated at the christening ceremony. Once the Dunbrody was open and attracting a good number of visitors, the Trust returned to the idea of expanding into a fully fledged emigration center. “We were able to tell part of the story but we wanted to do more,” Sean explains. “We wanted to honor Irish Americans who had succeeded in the U.S., and the connection with Irish America magazine came at a time when we were developing the project, and we were delighted to implement it,” he continued. At this time too, Fáilte Ireland was looking at existing projects that were successful but needed funding for upgrading. Sean received the news that additional funding was available late in 2010. He now faced the challenge of getting the center built and ready for the high tourist season. “On November 6, 2010, the ship was moved to dry dock and construction began. We managed to get it finished and have our opening on July 8,” he explained. The new Centre was an immediate success. The opening received wide media attention, and the following weeks brought many visitors, including two Hall of Fame honorees. On July 29, Maureen O’Hara, who now lives in Glengarriff, Co. Cork, arrived at the Centre in style – in an open-topped car. Fans lined the quayside to greet her. She stopped to sign autographs and copies of her memoir Tis Herself and once inside, guests were treated to a lively repartee between herself and broadcaster George Hook. The star’s early days in Hollywood, her late husband pilot Charlie Blair (the love of her life), the Maureen
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PADDY DELANEY
MARY BROWNE
Clockwise: Map showing Irish population in the U.S. Michael Flatley with young Irish dancers; IA marketing director Kate Overbeck with Patrick Grennan, the Kennedy cousin who runs the Kennedy Homestead; Patricia Harty, Michael Flatley, Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar and Michael St. James Flatley at the opening of the IA Hall of Fame; Mary Cleary who was on her honeymoon in Cong, and became an extra in The Quiet Man; Maureen O’Hara, Patricia Harty, Sean Reidy, New Ross Town Council chairperson Annette Larkin and JFK Trust chairman Sean Connick. MARY BROWNE
Exiles and emigrants from this part of Ireland left an indelible mark on America, including John Barry who became the founder of the American Navy; James O’Neill, the actor and father of playwright Eugene O’Neill; and Patrick Kennedy who followed his sweetheart Bridget Murphy to Boston in 1849 and became the great-grandfather of President John F. Kennedy, who visited New Ross in June, 1963. Another young man who left Wexford during Famine times was Michael Keough. The 20-year-old emigrated to America in the 1840s and settled in the prairies of northwest Iowa. It was on Michael’s farm that Donald Keough was born in 1926. On September 15, Donald, whose career culminated in his being named president of Coca-Cola, made a private visit to the Dunbrody and the Irish America Hall of Fame. Fittingly, he was in Wexford to attend the opening of a new Coca-Cola bottling plant, which will bring much needed employment to the area.
PADDY DELANEY
O’Hara Foundation, the Maureen O’Hara classic film festival, and the annual Maureen O’Hara Legacy and Excellence Awards dinner, which will take place in Bantry on October 1, and honor John Wayne’s son Patrick, were all discussed. “He was a family man, a good Catholic,” Maureen said of her Quiet Man co-star. Director John Ford was difficult to work for, but “he was brilliant.” It was Ford who had chosen the classic song of exile, “The Lake Isle of Inisfree,” as the theme music for the movie, and in honor of Maureen, Gerard Farrelly, the son of late composer Dick Farrelly, was on hand to accompany Sinéad Stone in a haunting rendition, which moved the audience to tears.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Donald Keough to our visitor centre today as we dedicate the departure area of our exhibition to the memory and vision of Donald’s great-grandfather Michael Keough,” said Sean Reidy. At his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York at the end of 2010, Donald paid homage to all those Irish who took their first brave steps into the unknown. “The real members of the Hall of Fame are the parents and grandparents and great-grandparents who had the courage to come here,” he said. His visit to the Dunbrody brought the family story full circle IA – from shore to shore. For more information on the Dunbrody/Emigration Centre visit: www.dunbrody.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 37
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WALL STREET KEYNOTE SPEAKER
In my opinion, the trend toward third party hedge fund administration is essential to raising institutional capital. 38 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
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A View from
OneWall Street
Born in the U.S. and raised in Ireland, BNY Mellon’s Brian Ruane represents a new kind of Irish presence on Wall Street. His success is built on a sound understanding of financial practices on both sides of the Atlantic. By Sheila Langan
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s Ireland emerges from its post Celtic Tiger hangover it is men like Brian Ruane who will be important to building new confidence in the structures there. His opinion is sought at the highest levels of government and academia. In part, this is because he moves so easily between Ireland and America and has insight into both countries. Low-key but exuding a quiet confidence, Ruane has strong opinions on the need to be positive about Ireland, especially in difficult times. Ruane and his wife, Dublin-born Anna Lynch, and their four kids, Sarah, Emma, Jack and Ellie, were about to embark on a family summer vacation to Ireland soon after we spoke. It is a country he is very familiar with. Ruane was born in the U.S. and spent the early years of his life in Chicago before returning to Ireland with his father, who was born in Crossmolina, Co. Mayo, and mother, from Drumhaldry, Co. Longford. He graduated from Coláiste Éanna, Rathfarnham, Dublin in 1982 and from The Chartered Association of Certified Accountants in the U.K. and Ireland in 1989 and the Zarb School of Business, New York in 1995. That year, he returned to America and began working in financial services on Wall Street. Unlike many of the Irish who came to America a few decades before him, when Ruane returned to the U.S. he Photo left by: Kit DeFever
was already highly educated, prepared and poised to enter the world of international financial services. At only 45 years of age, Ruane has already achieved so much. He served as BNY Mellon’s executive vice president of Client Management, where he had responsibility for financial institution clients during the financial crisis, and was named CEO of BNY Mellon’s Alternative Investment Services in 2009. Earlier this year, he assumed his current role as CEO of BNY Mellon Alternative and BrokerDealer Services. In his new position he oversees BNY Mellon’s successful hedge fund services business – much of it based in Ireland – but also elsewhere in Europe, Asia and North America, including New York, Luxembourg, Poland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Wilmington, Delaware. Today, it is estimated that over 40% of the world’s hedge funds are serviced in Ireland, and BNY Mellon has a lion’s share. Its 1,800 staff members make it one of Ireland’s largest employers. Despite the difficult economy, the hedge funds industry is experiencing strong growth there, and BNY Mellon is at the forefront. As reported by the Irish Funds Industry Association (which, significantly, is in the process of opening offices in the U.S. and London), in 2010 the Irish funds industry experienced a record-breaking year, reaching an all-time high of €1.9 trillion – up €0.5 trillion from 2009 – and this after a noticeable retreat during the financial crisis in 2008.
Ireland, together with Luxembourg, is now one of the preferred locations for setting up and housing hedge funds, due to its respected regulatory environment. It is home to 63% of all European hedge funds and administers 43% of global hedge funds. This growth, as many industry analysts and executives have pointed out, is significantly greater than that experienced by other parts of the world. Though Ireland is enjoying particularly abundant growth in the funds industry, Ruane points out that this is the global trend within the alternative investment services industry. Alternative investments (hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, private equity funds – essentially most investments other than stocks, bonds and cash) are on the rise again, with confidence instilled by new, post-credit-crisis regulations. As a whole, the industry now has more than $2.5 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon is a leader in alternative investments services both globally and in Ireland, along with State Street, JP Morgan and Citi. The company, which was formed four years ago in a merger between The Bank of New York and Mellon Bank, has strong ties to Ireland – Thomas Mellon, the founder of Mellon Bank, was originally from Omagh, Co. Tyrone – and is equally rooted in American history: Bank of New York, the oldest bank in the United States, was founded in 1784 by Alexander Hamilton. Both Mellon and Hamilton went on to be U.S. Secretary of the Treasury in their respective times. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 39
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What are your views on the current state of the Irish economy? My personal view is that many of the right building blocks are in place for economic recovery. The question is one of time. There are three big issues the economy is facing. One, unemployment levels are too high. Two, there is a need to re-capitalize the banking system. And three, the budget deficit. All three of these issues are being addressed by the Irish government and its business leaders. In the funds services industry Ireland is experiencing a period of growth in employment levels and increased market share in the hedge fund industry. The Irish funds industry benefits from a highly regarded regulatory environment and a reputation for high quality staff and service levels. These days, when most people think of Ireland, strength in the financial industry isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind. Do you believe that is changing? I think that in the fund services industry it is generally acknowledged that Ireland is quite strong. BNY Mellon has been in Ireland for 15 years. We started off initially with a handful of staff and it has grown in line with our international business. So from our perspective we see it as a strong location to do business in Europe, an excellent place to recruit talented employees, supported by a 40 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
PHOTO BY: KIT DEFEVER
Over the past fifteen years, the company has had an increasingly strong presence in Ireland. Today it has more than 1,800 employees in Ireland, working in corporate trust, clearing, investment servicing, and alternative investment services. Through its clearing arm, Pershing LLC, BNY Mellon is also a member of the Irish Stock Exchange and is an Irish regulated bank. In BNY Mellon’s alternative investments branch, 550 of 1,600 global staff members are based in Ireland. Ruane describes the work done in Ireland as “a vital and growing part of our global footprint.” Ireland is not, he emphasizes, “a back office operation. It is an important business location in delivering the whole company to institutional clients. We have a strong country executive and management team, and extremely skilled employees. This is a big part of the success.” Sitting in his office in the iconic One Wall Street building, Ruane explains his role and where he thinks the future lies for Ireland and his industry.
ABOVE: Members of the BNY Mellon AIS team: Ron Caskran, Chief Technology Officer; Marina Lewin, Global Head of Sales; Joseph Melillo, Chief Administrative Officer. LEFT: The AIS team presented a paper titled “Private Equity Faces the Future: Candid Views from the Market,” at a Bloomberg panel discussion. Pictured: Alan Flanagan, Global Head of Product Management and Tim Jenkinson, Professor of Finance, Saïd Business School.
good regulatory framework, and an equitable tax environment.
What are your responsibilities as CEO of BNY Mellon Alternative and Broker-Dealer Services? I am fortunate to have responsibility for leading two businesses: alternative investment services, which was a start-up group seven years ago and is now one of our fastest growing investment servicing businesses, with $450 billion in assets under administration, and broker dealer services, one of our most well-established and wellregarded businesses. With broker dealer services, we provide government securities clearance and tri-party collateral management services to financial institutions and investors, facilitating financing transactions between investors and investment banks. This group manages $1.8 trillion in collateral daily. With alternative investment services, we provide hedge fund administration, custody and banking services to hedge funds, private equity firms and their investors. Both businesses place us at the center of the world’s capital markets, both in terms of how capital is being invested and how it gets accounted for. What sort of growth has your industry, the alternative investment industry, experienced recently?
It is an industry that is continually evolving and growing. Alternative investment services initially began servicing hedge funds about seven years ago and has grown steadily, first in the U.S., then in Europe and more recently in Asia and Latin America, in particular Brazil…The core of our offering is accounting and independent verification of private equity and hedge funds, and it is this independent administration which, in my view, has helped make investors comfortable with investing in the alternative asset class. The alternative investment industry currently has in excess of $2.5 trillion assets under management and has been in existence for more than 30 years. The last few years post-credit-crisis have been characterized by the institutionalization of the industry, with some of the larger investment inflows coming from insurance companies, endowments, foundations and pension funds around the world, searching for investment return in a lower interest rate environment.
How has that growth been seen in Ireland? With the growth of the alternatives industry, Ireland as a fund servicing center, together with Luxembourg, has become a major servicer of alternative asset managers based in Europe. BNY Mellon and other financial institutions have a significant presence in Ireland and Luxembourg. The Irish funds services industry, together with Ireland’s many fine universities and business schools, has done a great job of
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training people to accommodate this growth. Today, it is estimated that in excess of 40% of the world’s hedge funds are serviced in Ireland by close to 4,000 professionals.
How would you describe the way the funds industry has changed in Ireland in the years since the credit crisis? Where do we go from here? There are a few things to consider. First, it’s important to remember that within the financial services industry and the area of funds services, Ireland is wellrespected for its regulatory environment, and the financial crisis reinforced this view. For example, in 2008 many of the fund structures that got into difficulty were serviced in Ireland. They were resolved appropriately through the regulatory and legal framework, and investors found that reassuring and positive. Since that time there has been greater demand from investors for someone to independently verify the books and records and custody the underlying securities and cash. It has actually become central to how investment takes place. In my opinion, the trend toward third party hedge fund administration is essential to raising institutional capital. And are you that third party? Yes we are. The core business of our administration service is to provide thirdparty verification and reporting of the net asset value to investors and the manager. At the end of the financial year a fund’s audit firm does an audit. That combination – the services we provide the fund throughout the year plus the audit at the end of the year – have become central to how the industry is growing. It is a much more transparent environment than before the financial crisis. You had a particularly good year in 2010; your percentages were way up. Do you see that as a sort of barometer for the future? Can you maintain that level of growth? Firstly, BNY Mellon benefited postcredit-crisis from our strong financial standing. The ideal relationship for an institutional investor is to be able to hire an asset manager that can meet their return objectives, and to have their assets held and accounted for at a strong institution. That is what we do as an alternative investment services provider. We are that financial partner holding and accounting for assets through our custodial and administrative services capabilities.
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In addition, last year the company acquired PNC’s well-regarded global investment services business, which added to our service offering. I think the combination of that acquisition with the business that we had been building over the last six years really catapulted us. Particularly in Europe. There is also the macro trend that the alternative investment business is growing globally and I do think this trend is set to continue. I would attribute our specific growth to strong client service, product innovation and the quality of our staff.
is that I have always been interested in history and geography. I think some of that is just coming from an island – you tend to be interested in what is going on in the world. And I am obviously very accustomed to both cultures, which makes it easy. I think the American and the Irish cultural experience, particularly if you have family in both places, is very comfortable.
What brought you back to America in 1989? My thought when I finished up school and qualified [as an accountant] was that I would work in London or New York in international services. It was always in the back of my mind and because I was from the U.S., it was natural to return. At the time I didn’t think that I would stay in New York as long as I did, but then I wouldn’t be the first that would say that. What’s interesting is, there used to be a macroeconomic research journal called “The View From One Wall,” and as a young person I used to get that from a family friend. It is a coincidence that I ended up working in One Wall [Street].
What is the best career advice you were ever given? Do what you love or what you enjoy. But if you can't do what you love, then do what you can and create your own opportunity. Particularly for young Ruane and his wife, Anna Lynch, with their four graduates today, it is not that children: Ellie, Sarah, Jack and Emma. easy to get exactly what you How much time are you spending want starting out. in Ireland? I am there fairly often – at least once a What advice would you give to young people just starting out? quarter – as part of my need to travel to the The number one thing is to be posikey locations around the world where we tive. It is difficult to be a new graduate, have clients or staff, or both. I am in Europe but there are places in the world where every five to six weeks. Today I am probathere are opportunities. I am always bly spending more time in France, in struck by the people who will open their Germany, in London, and Asia with clients mind to starting their careers in places and other key partners. such as Brazil or China. There is enough Do you think that growing up in information about where industry is both the U.S.and Ireland provided booming. There is also recognition that you with any special insight? every student is in the same boat, so in Yes. If I look at what I am most interestmany ways it is really understandable ed in, I do think it comes back to the culthat people are finding it hard to get ture. I am very interested in current affairs. positions. I think I would probably go In most families there is just a lot of discuswhere the opportunity is. sion around news…So I was always interThank you, Brian Ruane. IA ested in current affairs. And the other thing OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 41
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WALL STREET 2011
with
Keynote Speaker
Brian Ruane
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IRISH AMERICA’S ANNUAL
WALL STREET
50 TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN
Celebrating the Irish in the Financial Industry
F
or fourteen years, Irish America has sought out and recognized the best and the brightest Irish and Irish-American leaders in finance.This year is no exception. The fifty honorees featured here represent an exceptional and diverse group of rising stars and Wall Street veterans, new faces and longtime friends of Irish America, from as many different sectors of the industry as the various counties in Ireland from which their ancestors came. The 2011 Wall Street 50 honorees share a commitment to building-up the American economy. Some do this by handling investments and capital, some by developing and implementing the strategies and technology that make it all happen. Others are hard at work ensuring that the regulations laid down in the wake of the credit-crisis are followed and adhered to, a practice our keynote speaker, Brian Ruane, CEO of BNY Mellon Alternative and Broker-Dealer Services, describes as “central to how the industry is growing.” Like Ruane, some have taken on a similar role in Ireland, where, seemingly against all odds, the financial services industry is booming. Others are charged with the task of representing Ireland here, of conveying the message that the island is, to borrow a phrase from honoree Daniel Forbes of Dillon Eustace,“very much open for business.” In all of these endeavors, our honorees can depend on their Irish heritage for the qualities that U.S.Trust, Bank of America’s Joe Quinlan says he is grateful for: “undeterred optimism and determination, underwritten by hard work, resiliency and yes, a little luck.”
~ Mortas Cine ~
Ancestral Links: 1ST GENERATION
IRISH BORN
4TH GENERATION
34% 16% 18%
12% 20%
2ND GENERATION 3RD GENERATION 44 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Top Counties of Origin: Cork Dublin Kerry Mayo Galway Roscommon
Education: MOST MENTIONED COLLEGES:
University College Dublin Trinity College Dublin University of Notre Dame Fordham University Boston College
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“My Irish heritage is something I am immensely proud of. It helps inform my sense of identity, personal integrity and an acute awareness of a rich and enduring cultural and historic legacy to uphold.” – Paul Clifford, Standard Chartered Bank
Shelaghmichael Brown BBVA Compass
Charles Carey CME Group
In 2009 and 2010, Shelaghmichael Brown was recognized by U.S. Banker as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking. She serves on the Board of Directors for BBVA Compass and is the bank’s former head of retail banking. Before joining BBVA Compass in 2007, Shelaghmichael was president of Rediclinic, Inc. Prior to that she was CEO of Telecheck International. She began her financial services career at Morgan Guaranty, a predecessor of J.P. Morgan Chase and went on to spend 25 years at J.P. Morgan Chase. Shelaghmichael is also a board member of the Consumer Bankers Association, a board member of CanCare and a graduate of the American Leadership Forum. She earned her BA from Wheaton College and her MBA from the University of Chicago. A second-generation Irish American, Shelaghmichael has roots in Tipperary on her father’s side and Kilorglin, Co. Kerry on her mother’s side. She is married and has five children.
Charles P. Carey served as vice chairman of CME Group from July 2007 to May 2010 and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors. Previously, he served as chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). In addition to playing a leading role in the CME/CBOT merger to form CME Group, Charles spearheaded the transformation of CBOT, a member run institution for more than 155 years, into a forprofit, NYSE-listed public company in 2005. Charles has received a number of civic, industry and community service awards including the Western Illinois University Distinguished Alumni Award, the Rerum Novarum Award from St. Joseph College Seminary, an Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the Gold Medallion Award from the International Visitors Center of Chicago. A lifelong resident of Chicago whose great-grandfather was born in Ireland, Charles received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western Illinois University. He is President of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
Don Callahan
John Cannon
Citigroup
Credit Suisse
Don Callahan is the chief administrative officer and chief operations & technology officer for Citi. He also oversees corporate branding and shared services. He joined Citi in October 2007. Prior to joining Citi, Don was a managing director and head of marketing strategy for the investment banking division at Credit Suisse. He was a member of the investment banking management committee, the investment banking management council, and the chairman's board. From 1993 to 2006, Don worked at Morgan Stanley, where he initially served in numerous roles in strategy, business development, and client technology in the Equities Division. He became head of business management for the Institutional Clients Group. He serves on the boards of Manhattanville College, the Salisbury School, the American Red Cross of Greater New York and the New York Hall of Science. Don received a B.A. in history from Manhattanville College and, as a post-graduate, attended Oxford University, where he read history.
John Cannon is a managing director in the Equity Sales Trading Group at Credit Suisse in New York. He covers and is responsible for teams of sales traders covering top institutional mutual funds and hedge funds across multiple product groups. John has spent 22 years as a sales trader on Wall Street (two years at DLJ’s Pershing division, 8 years at DLJ’s Autranet division and 12 years at Credit Suisse). A first generation Irish American born in New York to Carmel Kelly from Crinkle, Co. Offaly, and John Cannon from Roscommon and Mayo, John earned a BS in Economics from St. Peters College in 1989. He is married to Dublin-born Barbara Reeves and is the proud father of three children, Lorcan, Saoirse and Blathnat.
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Michael Brewster Credit Suisse Michael Brewster joined Credit Suisse Private Banking USA as a managing director in 2008 and has spent the past 18 years managing investments for high net worth and institutional clients. Prior to joining Credit Suisse, Michael worked at Lehman Brothers for 16 years. His career began in ledger accounting at Bally’s Park Place and Casino Credit at Trump Castle Hotel Casino. Born in Ireland, Michael graduated from Athlone Institute of Technology with a higher diploma in Management Finance and earned his BS from Thomas Edison State College. He is a member of Enterprise Ireland’s Advisory Council; serves on the board of the Irish International Business Network, and is chairman of “HAVEN” (USA), a charity set up in Ireland by Leslie and Carmel Buckley, focused on house building in Haiti. He is also a U.S. board member of National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). Michael, who was recognized in 2010 and 2011 as one of Barron's Top 1,000 Advisors, lives in New York with his wife, Margaret. His father’s family comes from Co. Fermanagh; his mother’s family, the Hegartys, is from Co. Longford.
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“My Irishness is my defining characteristic. I am grateful for it and proud of it. It also guarantees me a warm welcome wherever I do business.” – Paul Geaney, Avolon Aerospace
Paul Clifford Standard Chartered Bank
50
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John, chairman and co-founding partner of Casey, Quirk & Associates, has over 40 years of experience in the investment industry. Prior to the formation of Casey Quirk, a consulting firm focused on advising investment management organizations, John was chairman and co-founder of RogersCasey and Barra Strategic Consulting Groups. Before co-founding RogersCasey in 1976, he and Stephen Rogers worked together at Dreher, Rogers & Associates. Prior to that, John was a founder of investment manager research at Paine, Webber, Jackson & Curtis (1969), predecessor to Evaluation Associates, and served as a director and head of manager research at Callan Associates (1972). John received, along with Ed Callan, the first McArthur award from the Investment Management Consultants Association in 2000 in recognition of his leadership and innovation in the investment consulting profession. He is a graduate of Milton College in Wisconsin. John is a fourth-generation Irish American with ties to Cork on his father’s side and Roscommon and Clare on his mother’s. He and his wife, Bridget Sullivan Casey, have three daughters, Maura, Meghan and Colleen.
Paul Clifford is SCB’s regional head for project & export finance in the Americas, responsible for originating and executing large infrastructure financings. Under Paul’s leadership Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) was named Global Project Finance Bank of Year in 2010 by leading industry publication Project Finance International. Paul joined SCB in January 2005 following SCB’s acquisition of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited’s (ANZ) project finance business in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Paul oversaw and led the negotiations with SCB in connection with the acquisition of ANZ's Americas project finance practice and team. Prior to joining ANZ bank in 1991, he worked with Allied Irish Bank in New York. A Cork native, Paul has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree with honors in economics and mathematics from University College, Cork and a MBA from Columbia University. His father hails from Dalkey, Co. Dublin; his mother is from Shankill, Co. Wicklow.
Tony Dalton Bank of America Merrill Lynch
John Daly Goldman Sachs & Co.
Tony Dalton is managing director and global head of FX Prime Brokerage at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York, a position he has held since 2010. The global FX Prime Brokerage business is dedicated to providing customized FX structures to institutional investors. Tony joined Bank of America in 2000 and has played a major role in successfully building FX Prime Brokerage businesses from the ground up since the inception of the product, first at Barclays Bank in the mid 1990s, and subsequently at ABN AMRO in 1998. He began his career in financial services at MBIA. He was a senior advisor to the Foreign Exchange and Investments Markets Group of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as it developed Best Practice Recommendations for FX Prime Brokerage in 2005. Born in Dublin, Dalton is a former member of the Irish Junior Olympic Basketball team. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Finance from Manhattanville College, and lives with his wife, Jeanette, and their four children.
John Daly is co-head of the Industrial and Natural Resources Financing Group sector and head of the INR sector in Equity Capital Markets New York. He joined Goldman Sachs’ global finance team in 1989 and became a managing director in 1998 and a partner in 2000. After a three-year period in Hong Kong as co-head of Capital Markets, Asia ex-Japan, he took up his current role in early 2004. Before moving to Hong Kong, he had responsibility for Energy and Power transactions in the Equity Capital Markets Group in New York John is a member of the Trinity College Dublin Foundation Board, the Trinity School of Business Advisory Board and the Financial Services Advisory Board of Enterprise Ireland. He earned an MBA from Wharton, a BAI in engineering, and a BA in mathematics from the Trinity College, Dublin. A Dublin (Clontarf) native, he lives in New York City with his wife, Norah, and their four children.
John Casey Casey Quirk
General Atlantic Partners Ronan Cunningham is a senior vice president at General Atlantic focused on the firm's Capital Partnering activities, with responsibility for capital raising and investor relations. Prior to joining General Atlantic, Ronan served as head of Private Equity at Ireland’s National Pensions Reserve Fund. Previously, he was a partner with Adams Street Partners, and worked at HSBC Investment Bank. He is a member of the CFA Society of the UK and has served on the Board of the Institutional Limited Partners Association. Ronan holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Dublin and an MBA from INSEAD. A Dublin native, he lives in Greenwich, Connecticut with his wife and daughter.
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“The Irish are known for their extraordinary work ethic. Hard work leads to success. I am very proud of all the hard work the Irish have done to reinvent themselves.” – Barbara Koster, Prudential Financial
Craig Donohue CME Group Inc.
Michael K. Farrell MetLife
Craig S. Donohue has served as CEO of CME Group and its predecessor company, CME Holdings Inc. since 2004. In 2010, Craig was selected as one of the 50 best-performing CEOs in the world by the Harvard Business Review. In 2009, Craig was named to Institutional Investor's Power 50 list of the World’s Most Influential People in Finance. He is a member of the Wall Street Journal’s CEO council and serves on the steering committee for its Future of Finance Initiative. He is chairman of the board of directors of the Council for Economic Education and chairman of the Executives’ Club of Chicago. A third-generation Irish American with roots in County Cork, he earned an MBA degree from Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, a JD degree from John Marshall Law School, an ML degree in financial services regulation from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and a BA degree in political science and history from Drake University. He lives in Northbrook, IL, with his wife and their three children.
Executive vice president for U.S. distribution at MetLife, Michael K. Farrell has over 36 years of experience in the financial services industry. Michael is responsible for leading MetLife's U.S. sales organization that provides products and services to millions of individuals and over 60,000 employers across the U.S., including over 90 of the top one hundred FORTUNE 500 companies. Michael joined MetLife in 2001 and has held a number of senior-level positions. Prior to becoming head of U.S. Business Distribution in 2009, Michael was in charge of all aspects of MetLife's market-leading annuity business. He also played an integral role in the integration of Travelers Life & Annuity and CitiStreet Associates into MetLife in 2005. Before joining MetLife, Michael was president of Michael K. Farrell Associates, Inc. In 2009, Michael received the Annie Moore award from the Irish American Cultural Institute. A graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, he is a board member of the Boys and Girls Club Life Camp and was named New Jersey’s Irishman of the Year in 2005.
Terrence Duffy
Anne Finucane
CME Group Inc.
Bank of America
Terrence A. Duffy has been executive chairman of CME Group since 2007. Previously, he was chairman of the board of CME and CME Holdings since 2002 and executive chairman since 2006. He is chairman of the NYMEX Foundation and vice chairman of the CME Group Foundation, serves on the board of directors of World Business Chicago, the board of trustees of Saint Xavier University, and the regional advisory board of The American Ireland Fund. He is also co-chair of the Mayo Clinic Greater Chicago Leadership Council. In 2002, Duffy was appointed by President Bush to serve on a National Saver Summit on Retirement Savings and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2003 to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. A third-generation Irish American, Duffy attended the University of WisconsinWhitewater. In 2007, he received a Doctor of Humane Letters from DePaul University.
Anne M. Finucane is global strategy and marketing officer at Bank of America, and is also a member of the company’s executive management team. Finucane oversees the largest community development and investment goal ever established by a U.S. financial institution ($1.5 trillion over ten years). In addition, she oversees a 10-year, $2 billion philanthropic giving goal through the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Anne was listed on the U.S. Banker’s 2011 list of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking, and was named “New Englander of the Year” by the New England Council in 2006. She serves on the boards of Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, The American Ireland Fund and the Special Olympics International Board of Trustees. A secondgeneration Irish American, Anne has roots in County Cork on both sides of her family, most notably through her grandfather, Michael Finucane, who came to the United States as a young boy.
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Mary Callahan Erdoes J.P. Morgan Asset Management Mary Callahan Erdoes is CEO of J.P. Morgan’s Asset Management division, a global leader in investment management and private banking with more than $1.9 trillion in assets under supervision. Prior to being named CEO in 2009, she held a number of senior management positions, including CEO of the Private Bank, and Chairman and CEO of Global Wealth Management. She joined J.P. Morgan in 1996 from Meredith, Martin & Kaye. A graduate of Georgetown University (B.S.) and Harvard Business School (M.B.A.), Mary was recognized by Forbes and Fortune magazines for their “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” and “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” lists, respectively. An Illinois native, she is a fourth-generation Irish American. Her great-grandparents emigrated from Co. Cork on her father’s side and Co. Tipperary on her mother’s. She lives in New York City with her husband and three daughters.
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“Being 100% of Irish heritage has instilled in me the values of God, family and hard work.” – Kevin Madden, Aon Risk Services
Daniel Forbes Dillon Eustace
Mike Haverty Kansas City Southern
A Dublin native, Daniel Forbes is the U.S. Representative for the Dublin-based law firm Dillon Eustace, which is particularly active in financial services and commercial matters. He is involved in the firm’s business development front, designing and implementing strategies to further attract U.S. clients to use the Irish international financial services industry as a global platform for conducting business. He also works closely with the Dublin office (where he worked for six years) in his capacity as an Irish qualified Asset Management and Investment Funds lawyer to assist U.S. clients on matters relating to structuring of traditional and alternative investment funds in Ireland. A graduate of University College Dublin, Daniel is a member of the Law Society of Ireland. In 2007, he represented Ireland on the team that reached the semi-final of the Lawyers Rugby World Cup. Since coming to New York, where he lives with his wife, Lucy, he has joined Irish Network NYC, the IBO, the IIBN and the New York chapter of the Irish American Bar Association. Daniel calls himself “extremely privileged to be in a position to play my part in further strengthening the unique economic and cultural ties between the U.S. and Ireland.”
Mike Haverty, chairman of Kansas City Southern, is a symbol of Irish American determination and success. He began working as a brakeman while in college at the University of Louisiana, and completed the Missouri Pacific Railroad's management-training program after graduating. In 1995, Haverty was named as a director and executive vice president of Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc. (KCSI) and a director, president and chief executive officer of The Kansas City Southern Railway Company. During his time with KCS, he has transformed the railroad into one of the most successful in the country, by purchasing a railroad in Mexico and creating an international rail network between Mexico and the U.S. Steadfast in an ever-changing market, Kansas City Southern (ticker KSU) has been the number two performing stock over 20 years, due in large part to Mike, who took KSU from a market cap of $350 million to a recent valuation of $6.5 billion. A third-generation Irish American with roots in Galway on both sides of his family, Haverty is actively involved with the Irish Museum and Cultural Center of Kansas City, MO. Mike and his wife, Marlys, have three children, Shannon Sullivan, Michael Erin and Ryan Matthew.
Bob Garrett
Paul Geaney
KPMG
Avolon Aerospace
Bob Garrett serves as the New York office managing partner for KPMG. He is responsible for overseeing the delivery of highquality client service, driving cross-functional quality growth efforts, attracting and retaining key resources, and representing the firm and the New York office in the marketplace and community. He has over 25 years of client service experience within the financial services industry and has served many of KPMG’s largest financial services. Bob is a member of several organizations including the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Cardinal’s Committee for Charity, The American Ireland Fund and the KPMG NY foundation. Bob is a second-generation Irish American with roots in County Mayo on his father’s side. Of his Irish ancestry he says, “My Irish heritage provides me with a solid foundation on how I choose to live my life. A foundation built on family, hard work, community, faith, and laughter.” Bob lives in New Jersey with his wife, Trina, and their two children, Robert and Alexandra.
Paul Geaney is head of Americas for Avolon Aerospace, a commercial aircraft leasing company headquartered in Ireland, which was founded in 2010 and has raised $3.7 billion to date. Before joining Avolon, Paul was a partner in the private investment firm Claret Capital and head of its operation in the Americas. From 2002 to 2004, he was a business analyst with RBS Aviation Capital and from 2004 to 2006 he led the bank’s corporate jet financing activities. He began his professional career with Merrill Lynch, working in both New York and London. Paul holds a BA in Economics and Politics from Trinity College Dublin. Born in Dublin with roots in counties Wexford, Cork, Kerry and Down, he calls his Irishness his “defining characteristic,” stating that it “guarantees a warm welcome wherever I do business.” He ranked in the top 20 at the World Debating Championships in 2000 and represented Ireland in Squash as a youth player. Paul lives in New York with his wife, Lynne, and their four children.
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Adrian Jones Goldman Sachs & Co. Adrian Jones is a managing director in the Merchant Banking division of Goldman, Sachs & Co. in New York, where he is a member of the Global Investment Committee and is responsible for the firm’s healthcare and consumer-related investing in the United States. Adrian grew up in Roscommon and served in the Irish Army from 1981 to 1989. He earned a BA from University College Galway, an MA from University College Dublin and an MBA from Harvard before joining Goldman Sachs in 1994. In addition to representing Goldman Sachs on a number of corporate boards, Adrian serves on the boards of Autism Speaks, The American Ireland Fund and the Galway University Foundation.
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“My grandparents instilled in me a sense of pride for my Irish roots, a thirst for knowledge, hard work and loyalty to family!” – Eileen McDonnell, Penn Mutual
Denis Kelleher
Shaun Kelly
Wall Street Access
KPMG
Denis Kelleher is founder and CEO of Wall Street Access, which combines an independent, entrepreneurial culture with a powerful platform to build and operate a diverse set of successful financial services businesses. He began his career in 1958 as a messenger with Merrill Lynch, where he rose through the company ranks until 1969 when he founded Ruane Cunniff and its Sequoia Fund. In 1981 he founded Wall Street Access. A native of County Kerry, Ireland, he is a graduate of St. John’s University, where he serves on the board of trustees. He is director of The New Ireland Fund, member of the board of trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a member of the Staten Island Foundation. In 2005, Denis was Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City. He received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and was inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame. He lives on Staten Island with his wife, Carol. They have three children and eight grandchildren.
Shaun Kelly is vice chair operations for KPMG LLP, responsible for the execution of the firm’s financial plan. In October 2010 he was appointed chief operating officer, Americas. In this position, he works with the leaders of the KPMG International member firms to align their respective strategies, structure and plans. A native of Belfast, Shaun joined KPMG International’s Irish member firm in Dublin in 1980 and transferred to the U.S. San Francisco office in 1984. He was admitted to the U.S. partnership in 1999. He earned a bachelor of commerce, first class honors from University College, Dublin and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and a certified public accountant. He is treasurer and member of the executive committee of Students in Free Enterprise, co-chair of KPMG’s Disabilities Network, and a member of KPMG’s Diversity Advisory Board. Shaun lives in Connecticut with his wife Mary, who is from Donegal, and their four children.
Joseph Jordan MetLife Joe Jordan is senior vice president of MetLife, responsible for Behavioral Finance Strategies. He is a financial services industry veteran, well known for his speeches and advocacy programs that inspire financial professionals. The American College recently published his book, Living a Life of Significance, which chronicles his life experiences and his passion for helping others achieve financial security. Joe is a graduate of Fordham University where he is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame for his achievements in football. The Jordan family motto is “Percussus Resurgo” which means “When stricken I will rise again” and Joe, whose roots are in Court Town Harbor, Co. Wexford on his father’s side, says, “I have always felt that this was a great motto to live by and to apply to my personal challenges. It is also a symbol of the Irish persona as the people have endured so much persecution and adversity over time. I was very proud of the Celtic Tiger and have complete faith that it will roar again.” Joe, his wife, Geraldine, and their two children live in New York City. 54 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Barbara Koster Prudential Financial, Inc. Barbara G. Koster is senior vice president and chief information officer for Prudential Financial, Inc,. head of Global Business and Technology Solutions and a member of Prudential’s Senior Management Committee. In addition, Barbara is chairman of the boards of Pramerica Systems Ireland, Ltd. and Prudential Systems Japan, Ltd., both technology subsidiaries of Prudential Financial, Inc.. Prior to joining Prudential in 1995, Koster held several positions with Chase Manhattan Bank, including president of Chase Access Services. In 2011, NJ Biz newspaper named Koster one of the “Fifty Best Women in Business.” She was named CIO of the Year in 2008 by the Executive Council and listed among the top Executive Women of New Jersey. Koster received the 1999 Women in Science and Technology award from the Smithsonian Institute. She is a member and past chair of ACORD (a standards body for the life insurance industry) and serves on the boards of trustees of Liberty Science Center in New Jersey and St. Francis College. She also is a member of Executive Women in NJ and Research Board, an international think tank. A third-generation Irish American with roots in Cork and Tipperary, Koster has a BS in business administration and an Associate of Science degree in computer technology from St. Francis College. Barbara and her husband, Robert, have two daughters, Kathryn and Diana.
Sean Kilduff UBS Private Wealth Management As senior vice president of Investments at UBS Private Wealth Management, Sean T. Kilduff focuses on delivering customized solutions to high net worth individuals and families. He also serves as senior portfolio manager in the Portfolio Management Program concentrated on developing customized investment strategies that utilize strategic and tactical asset allocation models. Born and raised in New York City, Kilduff is a graduate of St. John's University with a B.S. in Finance. He began his career at Shearson Lehman Brothers and spent nine years at Morgan Stanley Global Wealth Management before moving his team and practice to UBS Private Wealth Management. A first-generation Irish-American, Kilduff's mother was born and raised in Dublin and his father is from Westmeath. He notes, “Having visited my grandmother in Dublin often, Ireland became a big part of my life from an early age. As a result, I gained a true appreciation for the world famous warmth and incredible wit of the Irish people.” Kilduff lives in Rockville Centre, New York with his wife, Jean, and their four children.
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Ireland
The weathered wonders of an ancient land, the cultural sophistication of Europe and the adventure-inspiring landscape make Ireland the one place in the world that really has it all. Visitors are met with the welcoming faces of Ireland’s most charming attribute: its people. Locals are always ready to expose the Emerald Isle’s hidden gems, share a pint and point all of its visitors in the direction of the craic – Ireland’s favorite word for fun and good times!
A Special Supplement to Irish America magazine in cooperation with Tourism Ireland • Written by Tara Dougherty
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Anytime is the right time to visit Ireland. There is never an off-season nor a dull moment. Ireland’s shores are lined with invitations to explore, experience and celebrate all that its people and land have to offer.
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TO THE WEST. County Mayo is the picturesque home of some of Ireland’s quaintest and most delightful towns. In Westport, traditional music is always bursting from doors of Matt Molloy’s pub, while visits to the Foxford Woolen Mills and the Museum of Country Life provide a taste of rural days in the idyllic west of Ireland. Then, of course, for another perspective on the old world of Ireland: a stay at the Ashford Castle, the perfect spot to bask in the warmth of the famous Irish hospitality with a most royal backdrop.
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DUBLIN CONTEMPORARY 2011. Dublin has for many years been regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting cities. Exploring its modern influence and a century of the city’s development and identity is Dublin Contemporary 2011—a cannot-miss art exhibition titled “Terrible Beauty: Art, Crisis, Change & The Office of Non-Compliance.” The series, to run from September 3-October 31, 2011 at several galleries throughout the bustling city, narrates through art all that Dublin was and has become since Easter 1916. THE BELFAST FESTIVAL AT QUEEN’S. As summer fades and the cool air •breezes in, Belfast warms up with a three-week-long festival in October, which features some of the best live music acts, theater, dance, film and family activities from around the world. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, the Belfast Festival at Queen’s encompasses everything visitors to Belfast rave about: the seasoned history of an ancient city met with the vibrant energy of a modern atmosphere. Next year’s 50th Anniversary Queen’s is one of Northern Ireland 2012 events. The festival, dreamed up by Queen’s University student Michael Emerson, boasts the most refined opera and visual arts as well as the most heartpumping rock acts and engaging films. Queen’s has welcomed the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Laurence Olivier to its stages, and in 2012, the festival promises to top itself once again.
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THE TITANIC QUARTER IN BELFAST. For those gripped by the stories of our ancestors, this LONDONDERRY CELEBRATES. As 2012 winds down, Londonderry will spring, Belfast will launch an unparalleled look just be awakening to its title of UK City of Culture 2013. Londonderry will be into the history, the tales and the life of the HMS filled to brim with activities and art and a newfound excitement to show the Titanic. In April 2012, the Titanic Belfast will world just what lies within the historic walled city of the North. The commercial open inside a six-floor architectural masterpiece, center of the North West, the city has been decorated for centuries by ornate artfit for the wonders it houses. Nine galwork, narrated by the best Irish poets and is now being reshaped leries will lead visitors through the hisby a youthful population. After a stroll around the famed walls, a 1. Center of town at tory of the Titanic, from its construcvisit to the Tower Museum and “The Story of Derry” is a must! Westport, County tion in Industrial Era Belfast to the Mayo 2. Titanic Quarter complex, 1985 discovery of its final resting photo by David place on the ocean floor. Visitors to the McCann 3. The famed Titanic Quarter will find themselves in walled city of the largest modern urban development Londonderry in Northern Ireland, while still feeling an enduring connection to the Titanic and its passengers.
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Cover Photo: The spectacular Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary All photographs courtesy of Tourism Ireland unless otherwise noted. Design by Marian Fairweather
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GOLF IN IRELAND
Home of Champions
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With courses that cut through the mountains, dangle by the edges of the sea and nestle between stone-walled valleys, the landscape of Ireland is a golfer’s paradise. Don’t believe us? Collectively, the fruit of these spectacular courses – Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell – have six major titles claimed for Ireland in the past five years. What is it about Irish golf that sets it apart? The compact size of the country makes it ideal for a golf tour, with both minimal travel time between courses and a varied terrain for a diverse experience. Visit some of the golf courses where these Irish golf champions honed their skills! in County Kerry, the Ballybunion Golf Club is largely regarded • Located as one of the best in the world, and it doesn’t take long to see why. A favorite
The Championships and the 19th Hole A tour of these spectacular courses will no doubt demonstrate why Ireland was chosen to hold the Ryder Cup in 2006 at the K Club in County Kildare and why the upcoming Solheim Cup will be claimed on the Killeen Castle Golf Resort in County Meath.While walking the footsteps of these champions across Ireland’s hills and valleys, there is one stop that absolutely no golfer should forget: the 19th Hole! No visit to an Irish golf course is complete without a tale at the pub after. Share your best, worst or even imagined stories of luck on the fairways and greens of Ireland over an authentic pint with the locals! It’s time to play!
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of President Bill Clinton, Ballybunion consists of two courses which provide spectacular views through the rolling hills of County Kerry. With the sounds of the sea crashing just beside the Old Course, it is a wonder to see and a delightful challenge to play. up the country to the Ardglass Golf Club in Northern Ireland, • Venture where the panoramic views are unrivaled.The first six holes of this gargantuan course are fitted on cliffs above the Irish Sea. It is the perfect backdrop but also an unparalleled natural water hazard! The nearby fabled natural wonder, the Giant’s Causeway, only adds to the mystical challenge of this course. With a clubhouse fit for a king in Ardglass Old Castle, it is the quintessential Irish course.
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gem of the North, situated on the North Antrim Causeway coast, is • Another the Royal Portrush Golf Club. If it’s a challenge you want, then look no further than the valleys and sandhills of Royal Portrush. Above the 36 holes this club claims as its own are the ruins of the 13th-century Dunluce Castle. at the foot of the breathtaking Mourne Mountains, The Royal • Nestled County Down showcases even more of the exceptional natural wonders that make the island of Ireland so memorable.The mountain ranges tower in the distance of this course, which winds from the greenest hills down to the coast of the sea. Just thirty miles from the thrills of Belfast, the Royal County Down is the perfect stop for any business traveler or adventure seeker.
1. Ballybunion Golf Course in County Kerry 2. Killeen Castle in County Meath, host of the upcoming Solheim Cup 3. Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim. 4. The 10th hole at The Faldo Championship course at Lough Erne Golf Club, photo by David Cannon courtesy of Lough Erne.
For information on visiting Ireland and great value vacation offers visit discoverireland.com
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“I am proud to be part of a heritage that celebrates the beauty and specialness of its people and the joy and importance of laughter.” – Francis McGrail, Deutsche Bank
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Sean Lane U.S.Trust, Bank of America
Desmond Mac Intyre Standish Mellon
Sean M. Lane is a senior vice president and private bank team leader at U.S. Trust, Bank of America. In this role, he is responsible for growing and managing client relationships and identifying, formulating and delivering wealth management solutions to high-net-worth individuals, families, and non-profit clients. Prior to joining U.S. Trust, he held a number of senior positions at major financial institutions including head of U.S. Private Banking at Bank Hapoalim, director of Wealth Management at HSBC, and director of Philanthropic Business at Deutsche Private Bank. Sean holds an honors post-graduate diploma in business and a B.A. in French and English literature from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and is a board member of the University’s foundation. He holds both the Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Planner designations. A firstgeneration Irish American born in New York, Sean is a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the AOH, and the American Ireland Fund. His mother hailed from Co. Mayo; his father from Galway. Sean lives in Garden City with his wife, Cielo, and their two children, Sarah and Ryan.
Des Mac Intyre is Standish’s president and CEO and heads Standish’s Active Fixed Income business. He also sits on the Board of Managers of Standish, the Fiduciary Risk Committee of BNY Mellon and on the Operating Committee of BNY Mellon Asset Management. Des joined Standish in 2005 as COO. He became president in 2007 and president and CEO in 2009. Prior to joining Standish, he was COO at Pareto Partners. Des is a member of The American Ireland Fund Boston Dinner Committee, and was a 2011 Dinner Honoree of the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. He holds a MPhil in management studies from the University of Exeter, where he also served as an Honorary Research Fellow, and a BA from University College Dublin. Born in Dublin, with roots in counties Cork and Cavan, Des describes his Irish heritage as “outward looking but always with a view of home.” He and his wife, Linda, have three children and live in Boston, MA.
Eamonn Maguire
Kevin Madden
KPMG
Aon Risk Services
Eamonn is a managing director in KPMG's Advisory Services Practice in Performance and Technology. An expert in the capital markets area with a history of leading major transformations in response to regulatory, cost and quality objectives, Eamonn has more than 25 years combined industry and consulting experience in financial services from the front office to the back office. He has worked with significant U.S. players such as Morgan Stanley, both as a consultant and as a strategy lead in the Fixed Income Division, Merrill Lynch – Bank of America, and American Express. He has also led notable global projects in the U.S., France and China. Born in Co. Wicklow, with family in Kilkenny and Louth, Eamonn attended University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, and received a Ph.D in Analysis from New York University. He says that being Irish gives him a “spirit of independence combined with a sense of community.”
In his role as managing director, Kevin Madden is directly responsible for the oversight and direction of all Aon real estate clients. Kevin is considered an expert on insurance for the real estate industry and is a regular speaker on insurance issues for many associations, including the National Multi Housing Council and the Urban Land Institute. Kevin is the only person to be recognized by Risk and Insurance Magazine as “Power Broker” in both 2006 and 2007 for the real estate industry, and was a finalist in 2009. He is also a frequent winner of Aon Excellence Roundtable. He holds a BS in Accounting and Finance from Boston College. With ancestral history in Counties Galway and Clare, Kevin is a fourth-generation Irish American, and says that his heritage has instilled in him “the values of God, family and hard work.” He is a member of The Society of the Friendly Sons, and lives with his wife, Ellen, and their three children.
Bob McCann UBS Wealth Management Bob McCann is the chief executive officer of UBS Wealth Management Americas (WMA) and a member of the Group Executive Board of UBS AG. Prior to joining UBS, Bob had a 26-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he served in a variety of leadership positions including vice chairman of Merrill Lynch & Co. and president of Global Wealth Management, head of Global Securities Research and Economics, and chief operating officer of Global Markets and Investment Banking. Bob has been a leader in several charitable organizations. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of The American Ireland Fund, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of Bethany College and chair of the College's Investment Committee. He is also a member of the President's Circle of No Greater Sacrifice. A third-generation Irish American with roots in County Armagh, Bob received his B.A. in Economics from Bethany College and a M.B.A. from Texas Christian University. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland, he is married to Cynthia with two daughters, Meredith who lives in Dublin, and Madeline, a sophomore at Bucknell University. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 59
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“[My Irish heritage] forms the foundation of much of who I am. It binds me to a history and people with a deep devotion to family, God and country.”– Dan Murphy, Scotia Capital
David McCormick Bridgewater Assoc.
Liam McGee
David McCormick joined Bridgewater Associates, a leading investment management firm, in August 2009 as Co-CEO and a member of the Management Committee. David has served in senior leadership positions in both business and government for most of the last decade, most recently as U.S. Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs in the Bush Administration under Hank Paulson, and prior to that in the White House as Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Policy. From 1999-2005, David was CEO and President of two publicly traded software companies (Freemarkets, Inc. and Ariba, Inc.). Earlier in his career he was a consultant at McKinsey & Company. David is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and has a Ph.D. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He is a former Army officer and a veteran of the first Gulf War. David is a fourthgeneration Irish-American. He and his wife, Amy, have four daughters.
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
Francis McGrail
Thomas Meagher
Deutsche Bank
Grosvenor Capital
Francis A. McGrail is managing director and regional executive for Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management. He is responsible for the oversight and development of the Bank’s business with high-net-worth individuals and families in Boston and the New England region. Prior to that, he was managing director at UBS Financial Services where he spent 27 years both in the Private Wealth Group and the Investment Bank. Francis is also an active industry arbitrator with FINRA. Born in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Francis is a thirdgeneration Irish-American who traces his roots on his father's side to County Leitrim. He is a graduate of St. Peter's College, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science. Married with three children, McGrail is a member of the board of trustees at Saint Peter's College; on the Board of Overseers at the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston; and on the Board of HomeStart, a Boston-based organization working to end homelessness.
As managing director and partner of Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., which he joined in 2001, Thomas Meagher, Jr. shares responsibility for business development. From 1998 to 2001, Thomas served as director with First Union National Bank. From 1995 through 1998, he was a director with The ServiceMaster Company. He was assistant to the Governor on economic affairs in the office of Governor Thompson and deputy director for the Illinois Housing Development Authority from 1982 to 1990. Thomas, who earned a BBA in marketing/management from Texas Christian University, is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the International Board of Visitors of Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business and The American Ireland Fund board of directors and governing board. A fourth-generation Irish American, Thomas resides in Chicago with his wife, Diane, and son. In addition, he has two adult sons living in Chicago and Florida.
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Liam E. McGee, a native of County Donegal, Ireland, is chairman, president and CEO of The Hartford, a leading provider of insurance and wealth management services for millions of consumers and businesses. Since his arrival in October 2009, Liam has led The Hartford’s return to profitability and launched a strategy to maximize shareholder value, intensify focus on customers and brand, and drive superior execution. Liam came to The Hartford from Bank of America, where he was president of the Consumer and Small Business Bank, which serves 50 million consumer households and small businesses. He is a member of the Business Roundtable and The Geneva Association, and on the boards of Catalyst, the American Insurance Association, The Financial Services Roundtable, the University of San Diego, and the Andreas H. Bechtler Arts Foundation. Liam received his BA from the University of San Diego, an MBA from Pepperdine University, and a JD from Loyola Law School.
Eileen McDonnell Penn Mutual Life Eileen McDonnell was named president and CEO in February 2011. Penn Mutual is the parent company of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC. She serves on the Penn Mutual Board of Trustees, and Janney’s Board of Managers. Eileen earned her MBA in finance and investments from Adelphi University. She served on the faculty in the Master of Science in Management program at The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She was named one of the “Forty Under Forty” executives on the rise in 2002 by Crain’s New York Business magazine. With all four of grandparents hailing from Ireland – Sligo, Mayo, Clare and Leitrim – Eileen is proud of her Irish heritage. She says, “My grandparents instilled in me a sense of pride for my Irish roots, a thirst for knowledge, hard work and loyalty to my family!” Eileen and her daughter, Claire, live in the Philadelphia area.
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“I am proud of my Irish heritage. It gives me a profound connection to a wonderful people and a dynamic culture, and it is something I cherish sharing with my children and family.” – Declan O’Beirne, John Hancock
Kevin Meenan Mitsubishi Securities
Brian Moynihan Bank of America Corp.
Since July 2010, Kevin P. Meenan has served as co-head of Credit Markets for Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, an affiliate of Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi. From 2002 - 2007, he was co-head, Fixed Income Division at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, where he worked to help the company rebuild after September 11th. Kevin was born in New York City and received both his bachelor's degree and MBA from Fordham University. He is on the advisory board of Fordham's Gabelli School of Business and is president of the Cardinal & Gold Fund, which supports Cardinal Hayes High School, his alma mater. All four of his grandparents emigrated from Ireland in the 1920s – from Attagh, Co. Tyrone on his paternal side of the family, and Sligo and Roscommon on his mother's. Kevin is a member of the American Irish Historical Society and of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. He and Marianne, his wife of 30 years, have three sons: Kevin Peter, Daniel Francis and Brian William.
Brian T. Moynihan is the chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of Bank of America, one of the world’s largest financial institutions. Bank of America serves consumers, businesses and institutional investors with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial products and services. Brian joined Bank of America in 2004 following the company’s merger with FleetBoston Financial, and became CEO on January 1, 2010. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Notre Dame Law School. Moynihan lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Susan, and their three children. A fourth-generation Irish American whose ancestors emigrated from Ireland to upstate New York in the 1850s, he said in a 2009 interview with Irish America, “There’s no sense of entitlement, no sense of placement – you’ve got to go out and work hard to get there…I think that’s deeply embedded in the culture of the Irish, including the Irish who went around the world.”
Harry Moseley
Conor Murphy
Blackstone Group
MetLife
Harry D. Moseley, a senior managing director, is chief information officer of the Blackstone Group, a leading alternative asset management and financial services company. Prior to joining Blackstone in 2005, Harry led Technology for Mantas (an enterprise software company providing compliance and antimoney laundering solutions). He had been a managing director with Credit Suisse First Boston for five years and a managing director/chief technology officer-America with The Union Bank of Switzerland for 14 years. Harry earned a degree in engineering, mathematics and computer science from Trinity College Dublin. He is a member of the CIO Group and the Thomson Reuters Customer Advisory Board. Harry also serves on the board of the NYC chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the board of iLevel Solutions. Born in Dublin, with family links to Co. Cork, Harry lives in New York with his wife, Rachel, and their three children, Michelle, Samuel and Benjamin.
In 2011, Conor Murphy was named senior vice president and CFO of MetLife’s European operations, and was subsequently named head of International Strategy and M&A. He was named to Institutional Investor’s All America Executive Team in 2010 and 2011. Conor joined MetLife in 2000, after seven years with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he served in the New York Financial Services Industry Practice. Prior to PwC, he spent five years with Grant Thornton LLP in Dublin, Ireland. Conor is a founding trustee of Cristo Rey New York High School and a past president of the Association of Chartered Accountants in the U.S. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. Conor is a native of Donegal, where the third generation of Murphys still runs the family store, Murphy of Ireland. He got engaged and married in Ireland, and returns frequently with his wife, Ani, and sons, Jack and Aidan.
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Daniel Murphy Scotia Capital Dan Murphy, managing director, Scotia Capital USA, has a Wall Street career spanning over 29 years. He is a member of Scotia Capital USA’s board of directors and is responsible for strategy and business execution for the Global Equity business. Prior to joining Scotia Capital, he was the chief operating officer at Wachovia Global Securities Lending. From 1985 to 1999, Dan worked for the Merrill Lynch group of companies and held various senior management positions. Dan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Manhattan College and his MBA from Pace University. A second-generation Irishman, Dan lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey with his wife, Deirdre, and their three children, Ryan, Kellyann and Mackenzie. On his Irish heritage, Dan says: “It forms the foundation of much of who I am. It binds me to a history and people with a deep devotion to family, God and country.” Both he and Deirdre are active supporters of Table to Table, a community based organization dedicated to connecting excess food supplies with people in need. Dan and his family are also involved with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.
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“My Irish heritage has instilled in me an undeterred optimism and determination, underwritten by hard work, resiliency and yes, a little luck.” – Joe Quinlan, U.S. Trust, Bank of America
Kathleen Murphy Fidelity Investments
Tony O’Callaghan Credit Suisse
Kathleen Murphy is president of Personal Investing, a unit of Fidelity Investments, which is the largest mutual fund company in the United States, one of the largest retail brokerage companies and the number one provider of workplace retirement savings plans. Kathy assumed her current position in January 2009. Her business serves nearly 13 million accounts and she is responsible for over one trillion dollars in assets. Prior to joining Fidelity, Kathy was CEO of ING U.S. Wealth Management. She received her BA summa cum laude from Fairfield University in 1984, and earned her JD with highest honors from the University of Connecticut. She is recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the top 50 women in American business. Kathy serves on several boards, including America’s Promise, the Smurfit School of Business at the University of Dublin, and the Securities, Investment and Financial Markets Association. Kathy’s father’s family is from Cork and her mother’s is from Kerry. A third-generation Irish American, she is married with one son.
Anthony “Tony” O’Callaghan is a director and relationship manager for Credit Suisse Private Banking USA, based in New York. Tony has over 28 years of experience as an investment professional. Prior to joining Credit Suisse (DLJ) in 1994, he was with Kidder, Peabody & Co. for 12 years. Tony’s focus is on providing wealth management solutions for corporations, foundations and pension plans as well as senior corporate officers, family offices and ultra high net worth and high net worth individuals. He is among the most senior advisors in Credit Suisse's Private Banking USA, with particular expertise in asset allocation and fixed income. He earned his BA in economics from Michigan State University. A fourth-generation Irish American whose great-grandfather came to the United States in the late 19th century, Tony notes that his branch of the O'Callaghans traces back to County Cork, where you can still see the ruins of the once great O’Callaghan castle just outside the town of Mallow. Tony and his wife, Patti, have three children: Anthony Ryan, Julia Britten and Bonnie Diane. They have all visited Ireland regularly.
Declan O’Beirne
Joseph Quinlan
John Hancock
U.S.Trust, Bank of America
Declan O’Beirne is vice president and CFO of John Hancock’s broker/dealers in the U.S., including Signator Investors, Inc., John Hancock Funds LLC, and John Hancock Distributors LLC. In addition, he serves as the CFO of two of John Hancock’s distribution companies: Signator Insurance Agency, Inc. and John Hancock Financial Network. Prior to joining John Hancock, Declan was CFO of GunnAllen Holdings, Inc. and also held the posts of executive vice president and CFO of GunnAllen Financial, Inc. A graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Declan holds a BS degree in Accounting and has a FINRA Series 27 license. Born in Ireland, he now resides in Tampa, Florida with his wife, Leighanne, and two children, Colin and Ciara. Declan notes, “I am proud of my Irish heritage. It gives me a profound connection to a wonderful people and dynamic culture, and it is something I cherish sharing with my children and family.”
Joseph P. Quinlan has served as chief market strategist and managing director at Bank of America, U.S. Trust since 2003. He is also responsible for the firm’s global thematic research. He holds a B.A. in political science from Niagara University, and an M.A. in International Political Economics and Development from Fordham University. He lectures on global finance at Fordham and is on faculty at New York University. In 1998, he was nominated as an Eisenhower Fellow and is presently a Senior Fellow at the German Marshal Fund in Brussels and a fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations. He is the author of several books, including The Last Economic Superpower, which was voted as one of the best business books on globalization in 2011. Joe and his wife, Karen, have three children. He has roots in Co. Meath on his father’s side and says, “My Irish heritage has instilled in me undeterred optimism and determination, underwritten by hard work, resiliency, and yes, a little luck.”
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Timothy Ryan PricewaterhouseCoopers Tim Ryan is vice chairman and the leader of PwC’s Assurance Practice. He has over 20 years of experience serving clients in the financial services industry in the U.S. and internationally. Prior to his current position, Tim led PwC’s U.S. Financial Services practice. He has served on the U.S. Board of Partners and Principals and its Admissions Committee, the Management Evaluation and Compensation Committee, the Clients Committee and on the firm’s Global Board of Directors. He has also served several of the firm’s major financial services clients, has been published or quoted in numerous publications and is a frequent contributor to industry events. A certified public accountant, Tim is a graduate of Babson College, where he received degrees in accounting and communications. A second-generation Irish American and a Boston native, he joined the firm after graduation and currently resides in the area with his family.
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“Being Irish, you are associated with a global network of people with whom you share a rich cultural identity, which is something that I am incredibly proud of.” – Anita Sands, UBS
Sharon Sager UBS Financial Services Inc. Sharon T. Sager is a senior vice president and private wealth advisor at UBS Private Wealth Management. A CIMA, she began her career in financial services in 1983 with Kidder Peabody & Co., which was acquired by Paine Webber Inc and then by UBS. Barron’s has named her to its Top 100 Women Financial Advisors each year since its inception in 2006. She has appeared on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street and Closing Bell. A native New Yorker, Sharon began her career in textiles and fashion upon receiving a BA from The College of Mount Saint Vincent. She is the secretary of the board of directors of Careers Through Culinary Arts, on the Board of Overseers for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation and the Chairman’s Circle of the James Beard Foundation, and an active member of The Economic Club of New York, the Financial Women's Association, and 85 Broads. A second-generation Irish American, Sharon is a member of the New York Irish History Roundtable. Her father’s family, the O’Tooles, are from Co. Galway, while her mother’s, the Carrolls, hail from Co. Cork. She lives with her husband, Loring Swasey, in Manhattan and in Remsenburg, Long Island.
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George Sullivan
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George E. Sullivan is executive VP and global head of State Street Corporation’s Alternative Investment Solutions group. He is responsible for the strategic direction, global sales, product structuring and operations of State Street's hedge, private equity, offshore and real estate fund administration businesses worldwide. George joined State Street in 2007 as part of the acquisition of Investors Financial (IBT) and, after leading its successful integration into State Street, he assumed the role of COO of Alternative Investment Solutions. During his tenure in this position, the company acquired Mourant International Finance Administration. A Boston native and third-generation Irish American with ancestors from Cork on both sides of the family, George says, “I am grateful for the qualities that were instilled in me as a result of the Irish traditions and learnings that were such a dominant part of my upbringing.” He holds a degree in economics from Boston College.
Vince Walsh, director of operational risk management practice within KPMG’s Financial Services Advisory Services, has a Wall Street career spanning 30 years. He has spent the past 12 years with KPMG’s Financial Services Advisory Practice. He is also KPMG’s operations leader for banks and brokers responding to the new IRS cost basis reporting requirements effective next year. Vince is a member of the American Irish Historical Society and the Notre Dame Alumni Association, Northern NJ Chapter. He is a third-generation Irish American on his father’s side. His great-grandfather left Killala, Co. Mayo and came to the U.S. around 1858. According to Vincent, the Walsh family motto “Transfixus sed non mortuus” – “pierced but not dead” – grounds him with “a sense of determination, shared history, shared commitment and values and a shared sense of humor!” Vince lives with his wife, Susan, and two daughters, Samantha and Jacquelyn, in Chatham, New Jersey.
Anita Sands UBS Financial Services, Inc.
George Scanlon Fidelity National Financial
Anita M. Sands is group managing director and COO of UBS Wealth Management Americas, and is responsible for technology, operations and corporate shared services, along with designing and executing the organization’s transformational strategy. Previously, she was managing director, head of Transformational Management for Global Operations and Technology at Citigroup. Before moving to the U.S., Anita was at the Royal Bank of Canada, where in 2007, she was appointed as the youngest ever senior vice president in the history of the company. Anita was recently named one of “The TEN to Watch” by Registered Rep for 2012. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in atomic and molecular physics and a first class honors degree in physics and applied mathematics from Queen’s University of Belfast. She attended Carnegie Mellon University where, as a Fulbright Scholar, she graduated with a master’s in public policy and management. Anita has been involved in numerous nonprofit boards and is a graduate of the London School of Music, and a former all-Ireland public speaking champion.
George Scanlon is CEO at Fidelity National Financial and brings nearly three decades of management expertise from diverse industries to this role. He joined Fidelity as COO in June 2010 from Fidelity Information Services, where he served as EVP - Finance. Prior to the FIS acquisition of Metavante in October 2009, he served as the CFO for FIS. George received his B.A. in accounting from the University of Notre Dame, and his M.B.A. from the University of Miami. He is a member of the Gator Bowl Chairman's Club, the Jacksonville Civic Council and the board of Leadership Jacksonville. Born in Chicago, George is a first-generation Irish American with Irish ancestry on both sides: his father has roots in counties Roscommon and Sligo, and his mother’s family originally lived in Ennistymon, County Clare. He says of his Irish heritage: “I learned the principles of life from ancestors who were simple, honest, hard working people with fortitude, strong faith and a focus on love of family.” George and his wife, Dianne, have two children. IA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 65
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Ten Years After 9/11 An estimated 1,000 of the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11 were of Irish descent or of Irish birth. On the 10th anniversary of the attacks we look at the “living” memorials such as the scholarships and charities that have been established by the victims’ families. PHOTO: PETER FOLEY
Jack Lynch, center, with rescue workers and other fathers who searched Ground Zero for the remains of their sons. Firefighter Michael Lynch is pictured below.
MICHAEL LYNCH Laying the foundation for peace n the months following the 9/11 attacks, the Lynch family from the Bronx, New York, made the decision that they were going to help people. They had lost Michael Francis Lynch: son, brother, uncle and fiancé, one of the 343 firefighters who died during the rescue efforts. “We wanted to respond to evil by doing good for others,” said Michael’s father, Jack Lynch in an interview with Sheila Langan for Irish America. “We thought that was the best way to honor our son and brother. It’s what he would have wanted.” In 2002, the family founded the
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Michael Lynch Memorial Foundation as a means “to help change the world, one person at a time by helping students of today become tomorrow’s stewards of peace and freedom.” Since 2002, the foundation has granted 75 scholarships totaling over $1.6 million dollars to young adults who are children of firefighters or who lost a parent on 9/11 or in another national disaster. The foundation is largely family-run. Jack serves as the president; Michael’s sister-in-law, Lou Ann Eckert-Lynch, is in charge of the scholarship selection committee; and other family members oversee the foundation’s events and financial and legal concerns. The family
works on a volunteer basis, and as Jack emphasized, they will “make sure it remains that way.” He added, “We plan to always take the higher road.” More information on the foundation and its upcoming events can be found at www.mlynch.org
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LYNN TIERNEY A pillar of strength n September 11, 2001, Lynn Tierney was one of the four Deputy Commissioners at the New York Fire Department. Upon hearing about the attacks she went to the World Trade Center to assist in rescue operations. She helped at the Command Post in the lobby of Tower One, and narrowly escaped injury by diving into a loading dock when the second tower went down. Lynn was always a pillar of strength for the firefighters, as well as a welcome feminine touch to the mostly male crew. She lost many who were near and dear to her on 9/11 and wrote many obituaries and eulogies for her colleagues. Lynn moved on from her job at the Fire Department because it became too painful, but she continued to be involved. She collaborated with friend and former firefighter Lee Ielpi, and others, to create the September 11th Families Association. The Association connected those who lost family members and friends, and enabled them to go through the healing process together. Out of the September 11th Association came the Tribute
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Center. Lynn served as president of the center, which opened in September 2006 and now serves 500,000 visitors a year. The Center strives to connect those who want to understand the impact of 9/11 with people who experienced it. “At the very worst time in our history, I saw the very best in the people who responded,” Lynn said. “That whole day whether you lived or died was a matter of happenstance and a few feet. I have grasped how short life is and how precious and how you should live it purposefully every day.” Today, Lynn is associate vice president of communications at the University of California Office. She remains close to her colleagues in New York Fire Department.
“. . .to help change the world, one person at a time by helping students of today become tomorrow’s stewards of peace and freedom.” TOM FOLEY “I just tell them ‘I’m Irish” t 32, Tom Foley was already a ten-year veteran of the FDNY, when he died with Rescue 3 Company on 9/11. It was the job he dreamed of since childhood, when he would visit the Harlem firehouse of a family friend, Firefighter Bob Conroy. “Tommy boy – that’s what I call him, ever since he’s a kid,” Conroy said, speaking to Brian Rohan for Irish America just days after 9/11. “I can still see Tommy boy running around the firehouse in Harlem, running around and getting filthy dirty. It’s all he ever wanted to do.” As a firefighter, Foley had made many daring rescues. In
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1999, he and Police Officer Romano Amleto went over the side of a high-rise building to rescue two construction workers whose scaffolding had collapsed. Descending by ropes, Foley and Amleto grabbed the men, safely bringing them to the ground. In addition to being a firefighter, Tom made a name for himself as a rodeo rider (his interest in the cowboy lifestyle came from working on his grandfather’s farm in upstate New York. He was also a competitive power lifter, and found time to skydive. In 2000, People magazine featured Tom, who was born in the Bronx and grew up in West Nyack, as one of the sexiest men at work. He was also honored by Irish America in 2000 and he probably gave the shortest acceptance speech in the history of the awards. He shrugged, smiled, looked at the audience and said, “When anyone asks me, I just tell them ‘I’m Irish.’ ” In the wake of 9/11Tom’s brother Danny Foley, who had followed his brother into the FDNY, made a promise to his family to retrieve his brother’s body and he did. “It took ten days, but a promise I made to my family was kept, when I brought Tommy home,” Danny said, addressing mourners at Tommy’s funeral at St. Anthony’s in Nanuet, New York. The Firefighter Thomas J. Foley Foundation and the Firefighter Thomas J. Foley Memorial Scholarship Fund were established in 2001 to provide scholarships to dependent children of either an active or retired FDNY firefighters or officers. A documentary celebrating Tom’s life premiered this September. For information on the documentary and the foundation go to www.firefighterthomasjfoley.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 69
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COLLIER WIMMER A child who wanted to help n September 4, 2001, Collier Wimmer of Winston-Salem, North Carolina turned nine. On September 11 she was in Disneyworld to celebrate her and her little brother’s birthdays. At 8:42 a.m., 2000 miles away, American Airlines flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Collier’s mother, Ashley wished her children hadn’t seen the horrible images. “We had the TV on and since we were traveling, we couldn’t screen them from it. They saw a lot.” And what Collier saw affected her. Like many school children across the country, she wanted to help in some way. She decided she would perform Irish step dancing in her front yard to raise money for the rescuers. A neighbor called the local newspaper and the ensuing photo caused quite a stir. It featured as picture of the week on MSNBC’s website and in Newsweek, and the response was “amazing and unbelievable,” according to Collier’s mother. “And not only locally. We’ve received checks from Washington State, Vermont, and Flordia. And just the sweetest notes.” Ten years on, Collier is 19 and starting college at High Point University. When asked if in retrospect 9/11 made her more fearful or did it help galvanize her as she moved through her life, she said: “There is
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always going to be scary things in the world; things we will always be afraid of. From the smallest spider to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but you should never let them stop you from moving forward. So in an odd, somewhat twisted way, the 9/11 attacks really galvanized me to move forward with my life; after all, this is the only life we’ve got, why waste it?” Asked if Irish dance continues to be a positive influence in her life, Collier said: “Very much so! Irish dancing has taught me a lot of very important life lessons! I love Irish dancing! I know I will continue to dance throughout my life. Or at least I will try to.”
WALL STREET Rising from the ashes antor Fitzgerald brokerage on the 101st-105th floors of One World Trade Center lost 658 employees, about two-thirds of its workforce. Marsh & McLennan, which occupied the North Tower of the World Trade Center, between floors 93 and 100, lost 295 workers including an employee who was a passenger on one of the high-jacked planes. Sixty contractors hired by the company also died in the attack including 21-year old Thomas Ashton, an electrician who had been on the job two days. Aon Corporation, an insurance brokerage firm located in the 92nd and 98th–105th floors of the South Tower, lost 176 of its 1,100 employees who
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were present on the day of the attacks. One who didn’t make it out was Tom Cosgrove a Vice President of Claims, and father of three, who called his
wife Wendy to say he was leaving the building but never made it. Of the 67 employees lost from Keefe Bruyette & Woods, two were former honorees among Irish America’s Wall Street 50 – Chairman
& CEO Joe Berry (below left) and Executive Vice-President Joseph Lenihan (center). Another victim from the same firm, Chris Duffy (right), was the son of former Wall Street 50 honoree John Duffy. Berry, Lenihan and the two Duffys were among those who attended Irish America’s Wall Street 50 reception on July 11, 2001, the event that was held annually at Windows of the World restaurant top of One World Trade Center. (The restaurant itself lost 75 workers and 93 guests, talking business over bagels and coffee).
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MOIRA SMITH She loved a crowd and a good time oira Smith was the only NYPD policewoman of 23 officers from the NYPD who perished on 9/11. She was last seen leading an injured Edward Nicholls, a broker at Aon Corporation to safety from the burning World Trade Center just before the collapse of the first tower. Moira, whose maiden name was Reddy, grew up in Brooklyn. She was a cop at the 13th precinct in Manhattan. “She loved a crowd and a good time,” Keith Kelly wrote in Irish America following the attack: “I learned of her as a mom, a wife, a woman Police officer Moira Smith leads injured Edward Nicholls, who loved the water and a rabblerouser, a chancer who had run a broker at Aon corporation, to safety. She was killed with the bulls in Spain, rode elephants in North Africa and skied the minutes after this photograph was taken. Above, right: Jim Smith and his daughter Patricia christen the Moira Smith. mountains in Jackson Hole,Wyoming.” Moira’s memorial service was held on February 14, 2002, Valentine’s Day. It would have been her 39th birthday. It also marked the10-year anniversary of Moira’s first date with her future husband, fellow officer James Smith. On its trading markets back online within National September 11 Memorial & February 13, 2002, the day before the a week following the attacks. For five Museum at the World Trade Center. memorial service, Officer Smith and the years following the attacks the comcouple’s 2-year old daughter, Patricia, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, pany distributed 25 percent of the helped christen the Moira Smith, a NY formed the Family Fund to support firm’s profits, an amount totaling Waterway high-speed ferry named in the families of employees lost in $150 million, to families of employMoira’s honor. Speaking to those gaththe attacks. ees who were killed in the attacks. ered for the occassion, Jim said, “On the The family of Chris Duffy side of the Moira Smith is a Clagdagh, Marsh & McLennan responded in created The Chris Duffy Memorial an Irish symbol meaning Friendship, the wake of 9/11 by contributing $20 Scholarship Fund Fordham Loyalty, and Love. This design embodmillion to establish the MMC Relief Preparatory School, Bronx, New ies what Moira means to us: a good Fund for families of lost colleagues. York. The family of Joseph Friend, a Loyal police officer and Employees and clients of the compaLenihan established the Joseph American, and the Love of our lives.” ny contributed a further $5 million. A. Lenihan Foundation for students In 2002, The Moira Smith Fund was at St. Thomas the Apostle and created as a way to help college age Aon established The Aon Memorial Hall High School, West women receive an education and better Education Fund to provide post-secHartford, Connecticut. their lives. Thus far, The Moira Smith ondary education financial assistance In September 2001, the Joseph J. Fund has provided college scholarships to the dependent children of the Aon Berry Scholarship Fund was created to several exceptional young women, employees who were killed in the to serve the student of Bishop who might not have been able to attend World Trade Center attacks. In addiMolloy High School in Briarwood, college otherwise. tion, Aon committed $1 million to the New York. For more information and details on the annual Moira Smith Boat Cruise go to http://moirasmithfund.com
PHOTO: CAREY SIPKIN
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Remembering from 9/11 Memorials in Ireland
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n the ten years since the attacks on September 11, 2001, memorials both big and small have been built throughout the United States and across the globe. The most immediate ones were impromptu – garlands draped on a parked car it became clear no one would claim, notes and photographs taped to fences and walls around New York City, candles placed outside of Ladder Company fire houses. Others came in time. With the realization that so many people would not be coming home, names were added to lists that grew longer and longer. Names of firefighters, of executives and their staff members, of police officers, of building workers, of air-
plane passengers, of Pentagon officials – 2,973 in total. Their names are now engraved and commemorated in hundreds of permanent memorials in the most directly devastated areas – New York, New Jersey, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania – and in some less expected places, providing a lasting reminder of the global effect of the September 11th attacks. Five such memorials have been built in Ireland. At least 18 Irish citizens – 7 born on the island of Ireland – died that day, as did scores of other people of Irish descent – from many of the 72 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
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Clockwise from above: Ireland’s National Memorial to the Fighting 69th and the victims of September 11th, in Ballymote, Co. Sligo. A bench in the Fr. Mychal Judge Garden of Remembrance, Keshkarrigan, Co. Leitrim. Twin Tower sculptures in the Glendalough Hermitage Center’s meditation garden.
financial workers in the upper floors of the Twin Towers to a significant number of the brave FDNY and NYPD members who tried to rescue them. Ireland’s national monument to the most Irish of the U.S. Army’s Infantry Regiments, the Fighting 69th, also serves as a tribute to the civilians who perished on 9/11 and to the soldiers of the 69th who were among the first military units to respond following the attacks, and who have served in the war in Iraq. Located in Ballymote, Co. Sligo, the memorial was dedicated in August, 2006 by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and family members of Irish-American victims of 9/11, including Jack Lynch, the father of IrishAmerican firefighter Michael Lynch, who was killed during the collapse of Tower 2. The monument consists of a copper cylinder, which is intertwined with steel donated from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. Etched images of Sligo
native and Civil War Brigadier General Michael Corcoran, one of the commanders of the Fighting 69th, adorn the structure. In Dondea Forest Park, Co. Kildare, a pair of scaled down limestone replicas of the Twin Towers stand in a clearing surrounded by oak tree saplings. Officially presented on September 21, 2003, the memorial towers are engraved with the names of
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Afar the 402 public officials who died during the attacks. The inspiration for the memorial was Sean Tallon, a young fireman whose family had emigrated from Dondea to New York, who had frequently visited his grandparents in Dondea. At the ceremony, Kildare Mayor Michael Fitzpatrick said “We wanted to do something to remember Sean and his colleagues and all the other public officials who died that day. This wonderful memorial is the result.”
LEFT: The Ringfinnan Garden of Remembrance in Kinsale, Co. Cork. ABOVE: Dondea Forest Park September 11th memorial to firefighter Sean Tallon and all the other public servants who lost their lives in the Twin Towers.
Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, one of Ireland’s most well-known places of Christian pilgrimage, offers visitors a quiet space to contemplate the events and aftermath of 9/11. Part of the larger spiritual journey of the Glendalough Hermitage Centre’s meditation garden, Br. Joseph McNally’s sculpture of the towers “marks the tragedy and challenge to peace posed by this event and is located in the context of a path reflecting on the defining choices we make.” Those words could just as easily be applied to FDNY Chaplain Fr. Mychal Judge, whose defining choice to help those in need and to offer comfort in times of trouble ultimately lead to his death on the morning of September 11th. Two memorials in Ireland recognize his incredible journey and testify to his lasting influence. The son of immigrants from Co. Leitrim, Fr. Judge began his seminary training at age 15, and was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest thirteen years later, in 1961. A dedicated Franciscan, he was also one of the Order of the Friars Minor, and served at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi on West 31st Street, right across from the Engine Company 1/Ladder Company 4 firehouse. In September 2001, Fr. Judge had been Chaplain of the FDNY for 9 years – always there for victims, firefighters and their
families. He was in the lobby of the North Tower, delivering prayers and aid, when he was crushed by debris from the collapse of the South Tower at 9:59 am. His body was recovered and was among the first to be carried out of Ground Zero, which made Fr. Judge, on the official record, victim 0001. The people of Keshkerrigan, Co. Lietrim, the town Fr. Judge’s father left in 1926, and which he had visited the year before, built a memorial in his honor and in remembrance of all those whose lives were lost. The Fr. Mychal Judge Peace Garden sits on land that belonged to the Judge family, on the shores of Kesh Lake, just outside the main village. Fr. Judge’s twin sister, Dymphna Jessich, traveled from New York for the inaugural commemoration ceremony on September 11, 2005, and donated the flag that covered Fr. Judge’s casket to the town of their father’s ancestors. The memorial was hailed by Michael Daly of the New York Daily News as “An Irish Tribute that Gets it Right.” Across the island, in Kinsale, Co. Cork, a second Irish memorial honors Fr. Judge and the firefighters he both worked with and befriended. The Ringfinnan Garden of Remembrance contains 343 trees – one for each of the firefighters and first responders lost. It was initiated by Kathleen Murphy, a nurse in New York City who was born in Kinsale and whose family continues to live there. The first tree was planted just two months after 9/11, in November, 2001, and the garden was officially IA dedicated on March 10, 2002. – Sheila Langan OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 73
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The heroism and sacrifices of Irish Americans on September 11, 2001 have been well documented. What has not been discussed nearly as much are the contributions Irish Americans are currently making to the long rebuilding process at the World Trade Center site.
HONORING THE PAST There’s Irish-born Tony Kearney, who supervises some 500 construction workers. There are ironworkers Tommy Hickey and Mike O’Reilly, both of whose fathers were also ironworkers, and who trust each other with their lives hundreds of feet above the bustling streets of Manhattan. And another superintendent named Georgie Fitzgerald, whose uncle worked on the original Twin Towers. And there’s plumber Jimmy Walsh, whose own mother was killed in the 9/11 attacks, and who is now working on the memorial to those who perished in the attacks 10 years ago. These Irish Americans were among the Photo: Mike O’Reilly, a second generation ironworker whose father worked on 7 World Trade Center, is one of the many Irish Americans working on the Freedom Tower. 74 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Skyline By Tom Deignan
laborers, planners, supervisors and architects recently profiled in a fascinating Discovery Channel documentary called Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero. The sixpart series chronicled the planning, problems and pride which have gone into building the Freedom Tower, which reached 1,000 feet tall on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. A constant theme throughout the documentary – one echoed by the Irish American ironworkers and supervisors, as well as former New York Governor George Pataki and master planner Daniel Liebskind – is that the work currently being done at the former Ground Zero honors the past but also looks forward to the future. “We’re going to show what this nation is all about,” says supervisor Tony Kearney, who came to the U.S. from Ireland in 1985. “This nation is a nation of immigrants … a nation of people who want to succeed and persevere.” As the documentary makes clear, the workers at the Trade Center ran into
many problems over the past decade, as the memorial was planned and skyscrapers finally began to rise into the skyline. Often, the project simply seemed too daunting. But, as plumber Jimmy Walsh, put it: “Failure was not an option here.”
“HE’S LIKE MY BROTHER” In some ways, the heart and soul of the Rising documentary are ironworkers Tommy Hickey and Mike O’Reilly. They combine pride in their work with a sense of humor, not to mention an appropriate sense of awe at the fact that they are literally building history from the ground up. “Tommy, he’s like my brother. Every thing I do affects him and everything he does affects me,” says O’Reilly. Hickey adds: “We’ll probably see each other 20 years from now and talk about this job.” The Irish American duo come from a long line of ironworkers, which is no surprise. Ironworkers unions such as Local 40
IMAGE LICENSED BY JOSH WEINBERS, OF DCL
Rebuilding the
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and Local 361 in New York City have long had a strong Irish presence, not to mention family bonds. “It was in my blood, it was in my family,” Tommy Hickey says about ironwork, at one point during the Discovery Channel special. Hickey’s partner Mike O’Reilly had not initially planned to follow his father into the trade. O’Reilly’s father was working as a connector on 7 World Trade Center when young Mike was just 11. One day, Mike’s dad slid down a column of steel – “like we do every day,” O’Reilly notes. But O’Reilly’s father sustained a serious injury, one that left him paralyzed from the waist down. It did not, however, rob him of his sense of humor. “The first thing he said after he fell was: ‘Can I have a cigarette?’ And ‘Let’s get back to work.’”
ANSWERING A “CALL” Then, on 9/11, Mike O’Reilly saw the collapse of the north and south towers and later that afternoon, the collapse of 7 World Trade Center. To go along with all the other pain and suffering brought on by the events of that day, Mike saw the tower that his father worked on crumble to the ground. Soon, Mike quit his bartending job and discussed becoming an ironworker with his father. “It’s been like a calling to me,” says O’Reilly. “Ever since 9/11 all I ever wanted to do was help rebuild. What else are you thinking about other than rebuilding your nation, your city?” He now understands the passion his father, who passed away in 2007, felt for the job. He feels it too. Ironworkers such as Hickey and O’Reilly set the pace of the World Trade Center project. They lead the charge into the sky, constructing the iron column at the center of the building – the core – as well as the floors. This is the building’s skeleton, and makes all of the other necessary work possible. As the tenth anniversary of the attack approached, Trade Center workers were building a new floor every week, something that had never been done on a skyscraper this large and complex. “Ironworkers, in short, set the pace. If not, a domino effect takes place. The project can only go as fast as the ironworkers go,” the Discovery Channel narrator notes.
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“AN HONOR” A times, the pace and scale of the Trade Center construction worried even experienced supervisors, such as concrete superintendent Georgie Fitzgerald, whose uncle worked on the original towers. “It made you nervous about how you were going to put that together,” said Fitzgerald. But, he added: “Being given the chance to put [the Trade Center] back up is an honor.” Fitzgerald is just one of several Irish Americans in this special with a family connection to the fallen towers. None is more poignant than that of plumber Jimmy Walsh, whose mother lived on Staten Island and was an administrative assistant for Marsh & McClennan. “We never found anything, never had a funeral or burial,” Jimmy notes. He later adds: “My family’s never been the same since.” Walsh is now among the plumbers working on the Trade Center memorial, the centerpiece of which are two reflecting pools which occupy the footprints where the original towers stood. These pools are the largest man-made waterfalls in North America. The names of every victim of the 9/11 attacks (as well as those killed in the first attack in February 1993) will be listed on the memorial. The pools will be surrounded by an eight-acre park of trees, as well as two large steel tridents from the original towers.
BALANCING TRAGEDY AND HOPE It is easy to forget that right after the attacks, Ground Zero had a crater seven stories deep and roughly a quarter mile wide. Imagining the site as a completed memorial, or even a bustling construction site, seemed inconceivable. “People said don’t build anything there,” noted former New York Governor George Pataki. “They said the whole thing should be a memorial.” Master architectural planner Daniel Liebskind said he strove to create “something that would heal,” and “balance between tragedy and hope.” Aside from the memorial, there will also be a new transportation hub at the site. The Freedom Tower, meanwhile, will ultimately rise to 105 stories tall – and a total height of 1,776 feet, once a 400-foot antenna is placed atop the building, when the project is completed in 2013.
For all of the talk about healing and hope, the designers of the new Trade Center have also taken unprecedented security measures as well. The Freedom Tower, for example, has been built on a 200-foot pedestal, 20 stories high, which makes it virtually immune to ground attacks, such as the one that took place on February 26, 1993. Stairways will also be 50 percent wider than the old towers, are designed to keep smoke out, and will remain illuminated even if the building’s power goes out. All of these improvements are designed to facilitate escape in the case of another catastrophic incident.
BATTLING WIND AND SNOW While there are some things you can prevent, other obstacles have inevitably arisen during the building process. Scheduling problems forced supervisors such as Tony Kearney and Georgie Fitzgerald to push their workers to speed things up. There was also the postChristmas blizzard of 2010. In fact, the winter of 2010-2011 was particularly harsh, with five major snow storms hitting the New York area. “You can’t work with two feet of snow up there. It’s a nightmare,” ironworker Tommy Hickey said. Kevin Murphy, another supervisor, noted that as the building climbed higher and higher into the sky, the wind became increasingly hard to deal with. “You just can’t control the crane as well with the high winds,” said Murphy. Then again, adversity is something many of the builders on the Trade Center site have always had to put up with. Consider Irish immigrant superintendent Tony Kearney. “I came from a broken home so I had to make my own way in life,” he notes. He calls himself “a pit bull” when it comes to his determination. But his softer side comes out when he reflects on what all of the workers are trying to accomplish. “When I look up and I see those guys, the pride they take in their work…it’s amazing, it really is,” said Kearney. Ultimately, Kearney sees the Freedom Tower as a “temple of perseverance, a symbol of hope that whatever happens, we can overcome it.” The Freedom Tower is scheduled to IA open in late 2013. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 75
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Making Music for Sixty Years It was a social network phenomenon long before Facebook, blogging and Twitter came along, and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is still going strong. Story by Michael Quinlin • Photographs by Sean McPhail
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or sixty years, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann – Irish Musicians Association – has been spreading the gospel of traditional Irish music all over the world, setting up over 400 community-based branches, including 44 in North America. Today many consider Comhaltas to be one of Ireland’s most successful cultural groups, having trained generations of Irish to study, perform, promote and preserve traditional Irish culture. Tens of thousands of youngsters have learned to play music on traditional instruments, while over two
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million people attend the sessions, concerts, festivals and workshops sponsored by Comhaltas annually. “Without hesitation, I can say that traditional Irish music song and dance would not be vibrant or visible on either side of the Atlantic without Comhaltas,” says Helen Gannon, Chairperson of CCE North America and founder of the Comhaltas branch in St. Louis. “Comhaltas saved Irish music from near extinction,” says Seamus Connolly, tentime All Ireland fiddle champion, who was a young boy in County Clare when Comhaltas first formed. “When Comhaltas
first began teaching, Irish music quickly became more popular.” Families are at the heart of the Comhaltas movement, since it is family stewardship which keeps cultural traditions alive. Grandparents, parents and children play music together, and then pass it along, making folk traditions last for generations and centuries. You need only look at the great traditional Irish musicians playing today, to note how many of their parents and children are musicians as well. Even non-musical family members contribute to the Comhaltas cause by rais-
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ing funds, baking bread, making costumes and taking long car trips to the competitions. “There is a richness about our heritage that feeds our need for the past, both for ourselves and for our children and their children,” says Gannon. As with all families, there are the occasional squabbles from within, but overall Comhaltas has nurtured a tight-knit camaraderie and allegiance to its original vision
nomic stagnation on the island, and from the emergence of an American-dominated cultural ethos after World War II. “Our founders realized that with modernization in Ireland the traditions were quickly disappearing,” Gannon said. “People were concentrating on getting their lives together after the war,” Connolly remembers. Comhaltas organizers “felt that something needed to be done to preserve the music…they showed great vision and foresight.” The first Fleadh Cheoil (festival of music) organized by Comhaltas in May 1951 was poorly attended, but it helped set in motion a renewed
OPENING PAGE: Teenagers from Pearl River, New York compete in the ceili band competition at the MidAtlantic Fleadh Cheoil in Parsippany, New Jersey earlier this year, and garnered a first place trophy. THIS PAGE (clockwise): Vickie Pendergast holding trophy named in honor of her late husband Jack, alongside Pearl River teachers Patty Furlong (left) and Margie Mulvihill. Helen Gannon, chairperson CCE North America. Bram Pomplas and his sister Jane at the 2010 Parsippany Convention.
that has benefited Irish music and culture immensely.
The Early Years CCE was formed in 1951 in Mullingar, County Westmeath by traditional musicians from the Pipers Club in Dublin and other Gaelic culture advocates from around Ireland. They sought to improve the standing of traditional Irish music, dance and language in Ireland, which had suffered due to a general cultural and eco-
radio appearances. Paddy Moloney and others from Chualann went on to form the world-renowned Chieftains. Moloney in turn admired MacMathuna. “I have a great respect for Ciaran’s contributions to the revival of Irish music,” Moloney once told an interviewer: “He traveled around Ireland and persuaded the people to come out and play. (He) got rid of their shyness…about their music.” Also in the 1950s, political leaders like Sean Lemass and Sean MacBride unveiled a new vision of Ireland that would value its cultural and family traditions even while promoting global trade, tourism and economic growth. Comhaltas, grounded as it was in community centers, local pubs, and parish halls, became the perfect vehicle for restoring Irish music to the forefront of Irish life, as it had been in earlier centuries. Before long, every county in Ireland had a Comhaltas branch, while in Britain and Scotland chapters formed in Liverpool, London and Glasgow, and other places with large Irish communities. Eventually that enthusiasm spread around the globe, and today branches of Comhaltas flourish in Japan, Australia, and Argentina and in several European countries.
Comhaltas Comes to America
interest in Irish music. Today the Fleadh is one of Ireland’s most popular events: the one in Cavan last August drew 300,000 people. In the early years, the Comhaltas movement was complemented by men like Ciaran MacMathuna of Radio Éireann, who recorded unknown musicians in rural areas, and Sean O Riada, a talented Irish musician, composer and arranger. O Riada’s ensemble, Ceoltoiri Chualann, gave Irish music a special distinction during the 1950s through concerts and
The Comhaltas wave didn’t reach American shores until 1972, but then it caught on rapidly. Paul Keating, public relations officer for Comhaltas North America, says that in the early years, “Comhaltas was a lifeline for immigrants who came out to America… it provided a direct connection to the old country.” Keating credits Bill McEvoy, who founded the Comhaltas branch in Mineola, Long Island, for organizing the first Comhaltas concert tour in North America in 1972. “Comhaltas was a pioneer in putting together high quality Irish music productions around the United States,” Keating says. “The concerts were successful and OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 77
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LEFT: Nine-year old Haley Richardon from Southern New Jersey shares a tune with Tom Dunne (Wexford) at the Fleadh in Parsippany while Michael Fee looks on. ABOVE: Seamus Connolly arrives at Philadelphia airport in 1972 for the first Comhaltas tour of the North America, and is met by Ed Reavy, one of the founders of the Irish Musicians Foundation.
eye-opening, with great traditional musicians, none of whom were household names in America.” Among the musicians on the first tour were Paddy Glackin, Joe Burke, Tommy McCarthy Sr., John Joe Gardner, and Seamus Connolly. “It was my first time in America, and I was 28 years old,” Connolly recalls. “We visited cities like Washington, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit and New York. “The biggest thrill for me was that I got to meet some of my musical heroes: Johnny McGreevy in Chicago, Andy McGann, Paddy Reynolds, Jerry Lynch and Martin Mulhaire in New York, and Ed Reevy in Philadelphia. “And for me, that remains one of the great things about Comhaltas – the competitions and concerts gave you the chance to meet the old masters and to learn from them.” Comhaltas branches quickly formed around cities with large Irish populations. CCE organizer Bill McEvoy enlisted Armagh fiddler Louis Quinn, a founding father of the USA-based Irish Musicians Association in the 1950s, helped to incorporate IMA’s chapters into Comhaltas branches, thereby shaping a formidable Irish music movement in America. In Boston, fiddler Larry Reynolds, who emigrated from Ballinasloe, Galway in the 1950s, remembers Comhaltas as a welcome addition to Boston’s flagging Irish scene. “The Dudley Street dance hall scene had closed, followed by the State Ballroom on Mass Ave, and after that, the music went into pubs and small halls around the city, in Dorchester, 78 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Somerville…it was all spread out,” he says. In 1975 Reynolds, along with Pat and Mary Barry, Billy Caples and John Curran, formed the Boston branch, starting at the VFW Hall in Allston, then moving to the Canadian American Club in Watertown, where it meets today. The group’s weekly sessions and set dancing classes quickly attracted Irish and Americans, college students, and Cape Breton and American folk musicians. Today the Boston branch has 500 members, making it one of the largest chapters in the world. Due largely to Irish-American demographics, Comhaltas initially built a strong presence in the New England, midAtlantic and Midwest regions. Then later, CCE expanded across the United States, and today there are Southern branches in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas, and western chapters in California and Arizona. Canada also boasts ten chapters, from New Brunswick to Alberta. In fact, 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of Comhaltas North American, and Keating says plans are underway to celebrate in New York and other cities.
Learning to Play While festivals, concerts and sessions mark the outward popularity of Comhaltas, many say the enduring legacy of CCE is its educational programs. In Ireland, CCE educational initiatives include a Teacher Training Diploma Course, a Performance Certificate, and since 1999, an exam system in association with the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Comhaltas has encouraged the use of
technology, urging branches to develop websites, post YouTube videos, and create Facebook sites to promote their activities. And Comhaltas headquarters in Dublin has an extensive archive of tapes and videos that is available online. But the old-fashioned method of classroom instruction remains the bread and butter of CCE’s educational program. “In New York, you just have to look at the caliber of people who began teaching and getting involved in competitions,” says Paul Keating. He’s referring to musicians from the New York metro area – like Rose Conway Flanagan, Margie Mulvihill and Patty Furlong of Pearl River, Michelle Bergin McLoughlin of Woodlawn and Annmarie Acosta of Rockaway – who have taught and inspired dozens of All-Ireland caliber musicians in recent years. In addition, many premier musicians like Brian Conway, Joanie Madden, Eileen Ivers and Jerry O’Sullivan give workshops and music instruction at festivals and college campuses while they’re touring as performers. In Boston, the Comhaltas branch created a Music School in 1997 as a focal point for the many teachers and students in the region, says Comhaltas official Frank Kennedy, who was North American Provincial Chairman from 1999-2004. Working with Seamus Connolly, Sullivan Artist in Residence at Boston College, and Comhaltas member Phil Haughey, the Comhaltas School set up musical classes at Boston College and Harvard University, where up to 150 children a year take lessons every Saturday. In 2001, Boston College also became
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the home of the CCE North America Collection of Irish Music Materials, says Elizabeth Sweeney, Irish music archivist at the John J. Burns Library. The collection offers future scholars a chance to study Irish music and Comhaltas activities in America.
All in the Family The massive attendance at this summer’s Cavan Fleadh is a reminder that Comhaltas is a high profile public organization that thrives on social interaction and cultural engagement. “The structure of Comhaltas around playing in communal style makes for a highly social activity that is attractive across generations,” says Brian O’Donovan from Clonakilty, Cork, host of Boston’s popular radio show Celtic Sojourn on WGBH. “The emphasis on competition, while often criticized, has created these large gatherings that contribute (to Irish identity) in interesting and unpredictable ways.” In the United States, “Competitions are held in every state and on any given week-
end you can find at least four Feiseanna,” says Helen Gannon. “Families are traveling together, enjoying the fun and camaraderie of these events.” Comhaltas, says Connolly, deserves credit in America for “giving people a sense of community and a connection to the homeland.” Fiddler Jimmy Devine, who grew up in Yonkers, NY and now lives in Rhode Island, still recalls how he was welcomed into the fold when he first took up the fiddle. “I got introduced to Irish music at the Irish Arts Center in New York through Bill Ochs, Nancy Lyons and Chuck O’Donnell, which led me to Comhaltas. We used to go up to the Michael Coleman branch and play at the Broadstone Inn sessions in Inwood,” he says. “When I went to the Comhaltas center in Monkstown, Dublin, I received a very warm reception from musicians there. Seamus MacMathuna told me, ‘You play like one of our own,’ and that compliment encouraged me for years!” And that sense of family and community is what pays dividends for the well-
2011 Hall of Fame inductee Margie Mulvihill with CCE PRO Paul Keating.
being of Irish music. Since moving to Rhode Island in the 1980s, Devine has taught a number of outstanding fiddlers there, including Tina Lech and his own daughter Hannah. “I got my fiddle from my dad Joe Devine, who died when I was twelve, and today, my daughter Hannah is playing that same fiddle. Passing on the music is what it’s all about.” And that is what Comhaltas IA has done admirably for sixty years.
2011 Comhaltas Concert Tour ECHOES OF ERIN • October 9 – 22 OCTOBER 15 •Rome Free Academy 95 Dart Circle, Rome, NY 7:30 p.m. Contact: Michael & Christine Hoke / 315-827-4291 or 315-225-6292 or uticairish.org
• OCTOBER 9 Dublin, Ireland
• OCTOBER 13 Edgerton Center for
Cultúrlann na hÉireann • 8:30 p.m. Contact: eolas@comhaltas.ie or 01-280 0295 OCTOBER 11 Irish American Center 297 Willis Ave, Mineola, NY 7:30 p.m. Contact: Pat Kearney / 631-698-3305 OCTOBER 12 Middletown Arts Center 36 Church St, Middletown, NJ 7:30 p.m. Contact: 732-915-2191 or.irishshore.org
the Performing Arts Sacred Heart University 5151 Park Ave, Fairfield, CT 7.30 p.m. Contact: 203-371-7908 or EdgertonCenter.org
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• OCTOBER 14 Waltham High School 617 Lexington Street,Waltham, MA 8:00 p.m. Contact: Larry Reynolds / 781-899-0911 or Barbara Davis / 508-947-8688
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OCTOBER 16 Erie Community College – North Campus Gleasner Hall 6205 Main Street,Williamsville, NY 2:00 p.m. Contact: Bridget English / 716-536-0490 or MartinWynne@Comhaltas.net OCTOBER 18 The Breen Center for the Performing Arts Arts, 2008 West 30th Street, Cleveland, OH 7:30 p.m. Contact: Brian Holleran / 216-645-9844 or Rasa Chambers / 216-496-9013
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OCTOBER 19 The Summit Country Day School Kyte Theater, 2161 Grandin Road, Cincinnati, OH 7:30 p.m. Contact: Daniel J. Curtin / 859-441-7682 OCTOBER 20 The Sheldon Concert Hall St Louis, MO 7:00 p.m. Contact: Metrotix / 314-534-1111 or slia.org OCTOBER 21 Irish Cultural and Heritage Center 2133 West Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee,WI 8:00 p.m. Contact: 414-345-8800 OCTOBER 22 Irish American Heritage Center 4626 N. Knox Ave, Chicago, IL 8:00 p.m. Contact: 773-282-7035
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For more information visit:http://comhaltas.ie/ www.ccenorthamerica.org
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IRISH AMERICA would like to extend a special thank you to our annual sponsors
Mutual of America The Coca-Cola Company House of Waterford UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business Quinnipiac University The American Ireland Fund Tourism Ireland CIE Tours International 1-800-Flowers Go raibh mile maith agaibh!
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{compass records}
Charting
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Celtic Music’s Way Forward By Tara Dougherty
PHOTO: COMPASS RECORDS
82 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
hile it seems there is no conventional story of musical success, Irish American Alison Brown’s path was particularly unique. A former investment banker, Brown is now recognized as a premier banjoist and has recorded such critically acclaimed solo albums as Fair Weather, the 2000 Grammy winner for Best Country Instrumental Performance. She is also the co-founder of Nashville-based label Compass Records, the staple in Celtic music in America. Compass Records is housed in an historic building in Music City, the walls practically pulsating with the sounds of decades of legendary visitors. Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett are just two frequenters of the address that Compass Records now boasts. Throughout the offices, the walls are lined with black and white photographs of Nashville greats. Upstairs, a state-of-the-art studio is housed, and just down the hall, a playroom for Alison and her husband and business partner Garry West’s two young children Hannah (9) and Brendan (4). A Hartford, Connecticut native, Alison Brown initially put a stop to her musical ambitions and pursued a career in investment banking. After earning degrees in history and literature from Harvard University and an MBA from UCLA, Brown worked in San Francisco for several years before taking the hectic life of touring. She first made a name for herself nationally in the summer of 1978 touring with fiddler Stuart Duncan. In 1989, her life would change dramatically when she was asked to join then bluegrass and country up-and-comer Alison Krauss. Brown followed Krauss, now a 26-time Grammy winner, to Nashville in the early 90s as the banjoist in her Union Station band. She met bassist Garry West through their mutual musical endeavors – and together they went to found what is now one of the most globally respected independent music labels. In the world of do-it-yourself musicians, it is hard to imagine a time when the business side of the music industry was run entirely by the businessmen. Though certainly no slouches when it came to knowledge of distribution (Brown’s MBA from UCLA being nothing to scoff at), Brown and West considered themselves primarily a musician-run label. “The artist-owned label wasn’t a con-
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cept at the time,” West explained. But the vision the two expressed to me was just that: artists helping lift other artists to the surface of public consciousness. It started with their friends, but soon the label branched out to include inspiring acts the pair did not previously know. “And I felt, probably the same way that you do: If people heard this music, how could they not love it?” Brown summarized. The couple has a habit of doing this – finishing each other’s sentences, completing stories and clarifying. They speak like a perfect musical arrangement, full of give-and-take, never outshining the other for too long. Most interesting is the way they manage to throw in what I came to call “Compassisms” – perfect sound-bites, summing up entire promotional philosophies in clipped sentences. In 1997, Compass artist Kate Rusby released Hourglass, which went on to become widely successful, even outside of traditional folk listening circles. “That album became our calling card for English folk,” Brown said. Compass continued to branch out into different genres, and Celtic music soon became a regular category on the release list. Brown’s background was primarily in bluegrass music, but she discovered a connection to Irish traditional music. “The acoustic nature of the music, as well as the excitement of it, made it a natural pairing with bluegrass,” she said. In 2006, Compass Records Group acquired the 30-year-old Green Linnet label, making it the largest label for Irish and Celtic music in the U.S. and adding a list of well-known Irish traditional artists such as Mick Moloney and John Doyle to its stable of artists. When I asked about the changes in distribution as the music industry, and every industry, turns digital, Brown responded: “It’s harder to turn the Titanic than our little barge,” by way of explaining that since the label’s focus is primarily on niche music, there is a much more personal connection to the buyer than one finds with larger labels. Their movement into the digital world will be gradual, and according to these two, the music indus-
try will never go completely digital. “You can’t autograph a download,” West added ruefully, a favorite Compassism. What Compass seems to understand, with particular regard to Irish traditional music, is the significance of a relationship between band and listener. It’s face-time, not the download count, and what brings fans to concerts and festivals is what nurtures that most enviable quality in a musician: longevity. “The artists need to be pedaling the bike. There needs to be a certain amount
Opposite: Alison Brown and Garry West, the musicians who founded Compass Records. Above: The Irish group Beoga (from left) Damian McKee,Sean Og Graham, Eamon Murray, Liam Bradley and Niamh Dunne. Below: Compass band Altan (from left) Ciaran Curran, Ciaran Tourish, Dermot Byrne, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Mark Kelly.
of buzz around an artist for us to make the case to promote them as needed,” West said. With acts like Compass’s widely successful Beoga, word had traveled. The Celtic quintet is comprised of accomplished and experienced
musicians who paid their dues in the genre. Brown admitted that, at the time of the label’s inception, their initial idyllic dream was just the opposite of their current philosophy. As an artist-run label, Brown wanted to take an artist no one had ever heard of and bring them to the world stage. “You can’t lead through promotion anymore,” West said, adding another Compassism: “The best sales tool is word of mouth.” West went on to say that an estimated 85 percent of Celtic music sales are still physical. Whether bought at Celtic specialty shops or more likely at venues after a concert, Irish traditional music remains a CDin-case genre primarily. While technology has come to suggest that musicians are becoming more and more independent, West and Brown say that the existence of record labels is more important now than ever. “We are looking for the best of the genre. We are more likely to sign a band out of Northern Ireland than Nashville,” Brown said. Compass’s goal is to take that music, already abuzz with dedicated fans, and promote it in a way in which the artists cannot. With record stores collapsing throughout the country, the best way to get records to fans for roots music is through touring. “We still get handwritten requests for CDs in the mail,” Brown said. “And people call [Compass] and ask ‘What’s good now?’” West added. With recent releases from Irish bands Beoga, Altan and John Doyle, there’s a lot ‘good now’ coming from Compass. IA
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{music reviews} By Tara Dougherty
How to Tune a Fish • Beoga n exciting new release from Compass Records, How to Tune a Fish by Beoga is sure to be a lively hit amongst long-time trad fans and newcomers alike. Eamon Murray’s presence on the bodhran is a dominant one. Trad music is by its nature very percussive, but Murray, a former All-Ireland champion player, demands more than just toe tapping. On the title track he downright steals the show, no easy task in a band of two button accordions and a fiddle. Beoga is a five-piece band, very appropriately named (‘beoga’ is Irish for ‘lively’) who met at an AllIreland Fleadh. The five accomplished players turned heads in 2004 with their debut album and will certainly have heads bobbing with this follow-up. With perfectly woven arrangements and an electric chemistry, How to Tune a Fish is a tongue-in-cheek album packed with life and energy. Tapping into the always welcome bluegrass crossover in “Home cookin,’” Beoga never seems to falter in their vacuum-sealed-tight playing. None of the quintet waiver, but each steps forward to shine on various tracks throughout the album, creating a true ensemble record.
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Voices & Harps Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra ormac de Barra has long been the premier name mentioned among a sadly scarce breed: the Irish harpist. De Barra has played with many of Ireland’s best including The Chieftains and Julie Feeney. With roots in Cork, he is a studied and creative harpist, and his partner on this record, Moya Brennan is a fellow harpist and vocalist widely known as the “First Lady of Celtic Music.” These two Celtic powerhouses come together for their aptly named album, Voices & Harps. The curt name of the album speaks to the very acoustic and sparing production choices throughout the album. And while the album has a simple feeling to it, as though the listener is seated in the room with the band, the intricacies of these expert players’ arrangements and skill of play is, as always, astounding. Brennan’s voice leads many vocal journeys into traditional Irish songs, flawlessly in the track “A Seanduine Doite.” The album is a must have for any Irish-speaker or lover of the rhythm and beauty of the Irish language. Brennan’s performance of the classic “Taim Breoite Go Leor” is breathtaking and with added harmonies, it is stunningly tragic. De Barra is no vocal slouch himself. Lending harmonies to most of the record, he takes the reins on the haunting “Bean Duch
C
84 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Celtic Rose • Hayley Griffiths
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fter an award-winning debut album, Hayley Griffiths has released her sophomore collection of Celtic songs.The classically trained singer has toured worldwide with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance as the lead female vocalist in the hugely successful shows. Now residing in Dublin, the Surrey-born vocalist’s long affair with Irish music runs deep. She manages to reinvent classics like “Danny Boy” and “Galway Bay” into a genre which best fits her vocal styling. The theatrical album is a testament to her background on the stage. Griffiths shines most on her rendition of “You Raise Me Up,” the tune made famous by Josh Groban. It is the only track, which very distinctly strays from the Celtic undertone of the record but is a welcome stray. Griffiths is touring Holland and Japan this fall, followed by a UK tour in 2012.
A’ Ghleanna” and does it more than justice. It is so rare that any piece of music gives the harp its fair dues and this album is entirely dedicated to it. Voices & Harps is a showcase of one of the most underrated and diverse instruments in the Irish trad genre.
Legacy Of A Quiet Man Sinead Stone & Gerard Farrelly ny fan of the classic film The Quiet Man is familiar with that haunting melody which frames the unforgettable shots of Maureen O’Hara. The song,“The Isle of Inishfree,” was written by Dick Farrelly in 1950. Now more than a half century later, his son, pianist Gerard Farrelly, has released it again with exquisite vocals by Sinead Stone. Legacy of A Quiet Man offers a new take on the song, and the entire album, arranged and produced by Farrelly as a tribute to his father, is filled with familiar classics. Stone, whose vocal presence is both solid yet vulnerable, performs all the songs spectacularly. (The duo played at Maureen O’Hara’s induction ceremony at the Irish America Hall of Fame at the Dunbrody Famine Ship in County Wexford in July, and were a huge hit.) In addition to “The Isle of Inisfree” other highlights on the album are “When Today is Yesterday” and “The Gypsy Maiden.” The latter is one of the few up-tempo songs on the album, which is a welcome change of pace as much of the delicacy of the album lends itself to tear-jerking moments. Overall, the album is an emotional journey and as a tribute to father from son, it feels very personal. IA
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Filmed carefully over a period of twelve years, the new documentary Knuckle sheds light on the inner workings and on-going feuds of three Irish Traveller clans. Up next for the film: a New York premiere and a new HBO spin-off series. By Daphne Wolf
Bare-Faced and Bare-Knuckled D
on’t let the bandaged fist in the photo fool you. Knuckle, Ian Palmer’s documentary about the bare-fisted boxing tradition of the Irish Travellers, might be about blood, but it’s not about gore. The blood Palmer seems most interested in is the stuff that pumps through the veins of the intricately connected Traveller community he visited and filmed over 12 years, a society where cousins marry, work together and, when the occasion arises, beat each other senseless. “I wanted to make a film from inside their world,” Palmer told indie/WIRE when Knuckle premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. “The idea and the approach was simple. I spent as much time as I could with the families with a minimal crew and small camera.” His approach resonated at HBO, which is adapting the documentary into a new drama series. Industry blogs hint that the HBO treatment will trend toward dark comedy, since it is being developed by writer Irvine Welsh (author of the gritty novel Trainspotting, on which the film of the same name was based), and director Jody Hill of Rough House Pictures, the project’s producer, whose politically incorrect comedy Easthouse & Down also airs on HBO. 86 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Knuckle will have its New York premiere on September 30 at Irish Film New York, which will feature five other recent Irish releases. This new screening series of contemporary Irish films is co-presented by New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House, and runs September 30 through October 2 at NYU’s Cantor Film Center. Festival founder and curator Niall McKay, who is also the founder and director of the San Francisco Irish Film Festival and co-founder of the LA Irish Film Festival, said he deliberately chose films for the series that depict Ireland as it is today. “I particularly wanted films that had a real physical effect on me,” he said, “ones that made me cry or laugh or get angry.” “We’re pleased that Niall McKay has chosen to work with Glucksman Ireland House to present this excellent addition to the city’s arts scene,” said Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Chair of the Glucksman Ireland House NYU Advisory Board. She praised the festival for presenting “works that would not otherwise be seen by a wide audience. It should be an exciting experience for our Irish American community.” Besides Knuckle, Irish Film New York will also feature the New York premieres
of the Galway Film Fleadh-winning Parked with Colm Meany, a study of a friendship between two men who live in their cars, and The Runway, the story of a downed pilot in Cork rescued by a little boy, with Weeds star Demián Bichir. Other films include the bittersweet coming-of-ager, 32A, directed by Marion Quinn, a hilarious peek at Dublin teenagers called Pyjama Girls, and Sensation, about a man who tries to lose his virginity but ends up running a brothel. Directors and stars of the films will appear at Q&A sessions after each screening. There will also be an industry panel in conjunction with NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where filmmakers and producers will discuss the direction of Irish film at home and abroad. McKay says the mission of Irish Film New York is to expose American audiences to the best in Irish contemporary cinema and to give Irish filmmakers “a fair crack at the U.S. market.” It will join with the San Francisco and Los Angeles Irish Film Festivals to bring the filmmakers of Knuckle, Parked, and The Runway on a tri-city tour in anticipation of each film’s U.S. release. Knuckle will appear in independent U.S. theatres this December, with The Runway and Parked following shortly after.
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Director Palmer admitted to Irish Independent Weekend that he did not approach the filming of Knuckle like an investigative journalist. “It was more about observing the [Traveller] families and trying to let the life reveal itself. The reasons behind the fighting were difficult to get at. The feuds stretched back over generations. It was always about defending your name and family pride.” The three rival families that he studied, the Quinn McDonaghs, the Nevins and the Joyces, are all related, often sharing the same grandparents. As one of the women remarks, “We’re all one in the end.” Even if a Nevin married a Quinn, or a Quinn has a mother who is a Joyce, the rationale for fighting rests on defending just one family’s name. While Palmer is able to ferret out the powerful origin of one particular feud, the sources of the disputes don’t seem as important as the disputes themselves. “Would it not be possible for you guys to get together to talk about it and make up?” the director asks Michael Quinn McDonagh, on his way to a fight in England. “You’re crazy,” Michael laughs, dumfounded at Palmer’s naiveté. The matches are called “fair fights” and are organized with unexpected formality: when a challenge is issued, it is promptly accepted, a date and location are set, and the fighters hit the gym to train weeks before the match. Fair fights take place in secret locations with few onlookers. There are referees from neutral families and lots of rules. And everybody obeys the rules. Anyone who doesn’t is disqualified, and his family takes the loss.
Technology and money play crucial roles in this tradition-bound ritual: Families exchange videotaped challenges and fight results are reported by cell phones. Bets are negotiated for astonishing amounts of cash; winner (and family) takes all. The fighters accept Palmer’s presence with the nonchalance of a generation bred on reality TV. But despite his desire to let the story emerge from the people themselves, they never forget the camera is
there. Dodging it, challenging it, playing with it, they turn the camera – with narrator Palmer – into another character in the film. Palmer said it was only during editing that he realized that the narrative would work better if he allowed himself to be an obvious part of his film. “The film is more honest for accepting that Knuckle is my experience of this world,” he said, “and my relationship to the people in the film and how that affected me.” His “shaky cam” character dances around the fair fight scenes with a perilous immediacy. At any moment, you expect a fist to fly into the lens. Because he interviews both families involved All films at NYU Cantor Film Center, 36 East 8th St. NYC 10003 in a fight, Palmer never Tickets at www.irishfilmnyc.com or www.smarttix.com appears to be taking sides. Each film: $10 (students), $12 (adults) Even though he follows one Festival All Access Pass: $40 (students), $60 (adults) fighter’s story more closely than others, he is not making Fri., Sept. 30 Industry Panel (Time & location TBA) a fight movie. There is no Knuckle 8 p.m. Big Match to decide it all, no Sat., Oct. 1 32A 6 p.m. good guys or bad. The Runway 8 p.m. James Quinn McDonagh, the soft-spoken man whose Sun., Oct. 2 Pyjama Girls 4 p.m. winning battles form the core Parked 6 p.m. of the film, says over and Sensation 8 p.m. over again he doesn’t want to San Francisco Irish Film Festival: www.sfirishfil.com fight, but is provoked into Los Angeles Irish Film Festival: www.lairishfilm.com it by the other families,
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claiming he’d like “to be known for something more positive.” James doesn’t like to train either. “I’d rather be socializing,” he quips. But when a challenge comes from the Joyces or the Nevins, he comes out with fists blaring. “It’s the best way to sort things out,” he explains. Even after he swears off fighting, he is seen anxiously prepping his brother by cell phone before a fight, exclaiming as he waits for the results, “Grandfathers in Heaven, send Michael the power!” Why do the fights continue? Palmer sees “fair fighting as still mainly about family and individual honor and pride,” a deeply felt emotion expressed here in macho posturing: “We will fight because we are men, we’re Joyce men.” Then there’s the fast cash from the betting. The suggestion of inconsistent employment implies that fighting is a needed source of income, and might also be a way to establish self-respect when the outside world offers too little. But within a closed community, the flip side of self-respect can be a cult of personality. Joe Joyce, an older man who nevertheless continues to fight, boasts, “I’m still King of the Travellers!” One of James’ opponents, the dewyfaced youngster, Davy Nevins, says the fights are not about revenge. “James thinks he’s better than us,” he explains calmly. “People think he’s a god. I don’t want to defeat the Quinns, I just want to defeat James.” Some Nevins relatives suggest a possible link between being a Traveller and the need to keep fighting. When an old man muses, “There’s always been wars,” the younger Spike Nevin replies, “But we’re Travellers. At least wars are about something. Something right.” Conspicuously absent from the film are Traveller women, who are reluctant to appear on camera. Yet, the only strong voices condemning the fighting come from a sofa full of older women gathered for an after-fight party. “I think it should end,” one woman states firmly. “All this fighting over names. It’s an awful life to have. It should be finished.” “I don’t know what they’re fighting for,” James’ mother adds. “When my sons grow up, they aren’t doing it,” a much younger woman declares with convincing resolution. But she quickIA ly adds a caveat, “If I can help it.” OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 87
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{roots} By Laura Corrigan
From ó Ruadain to Rowan to Ruane
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he surname Ruane comes from the old Gaelic Ó Ruadain, meaning the descendant of the red one, originally derived from the Gaelic ruadh. The pre-medieval clan stems from Ui Maine, an ancient territory that was made up of mid-Galway and South Roscommon, and Ui FIachrach, an ancient area of Mayo, Sligo, and Southern Galway. The name, variously recorded as Rowan, Ruan, O’Rowan, O’Ruan, Rogan, O’Rogan, Ryan, and Rouine, is eminent in the West of Ireland, specifically of Counties Cork, Kerry, Galway, Clare, and Limerick. Those of the O Ruadhain name range from notable mathematicians and officers to emigrants from the Famine. The first recorded spelling was that of Felix O’Ruadhain, the Archbishop of Tuam, County Galway in the “Register of the Irish Prelates in the Vatican” during the reign of King John of England in 1215. Sir William The O’Rowans of County Mayo are Rowan described in the Irish Annals as “People of Hamilton property and importance in the barony of Gallen,” and in Petty’s 1659 “Census” of all Ireland the name is prominent among the nobility of Bunratty and East Carbery of Clare and Cork. Many Rowans have been recognized for their dedication to Ireland and their contributions to the country. Archibald William J. Hamilton Rowan (1751-1834) is Ruane famous for his advocacy for Irish liberty as the founding Secretary of The Dublin Society of United Irishmen. Rowan was arrested and fined during his life due to his political activities. His speeches and autobiography have been published. A relative of Archibald Hamilton Rowan was Sir William Rowan Hamilton (18051855). Sir William dedicated his life to studying and mastering the sciences. He was a mathematician, astronomer, and physicist, and made important offerings in the fields of algebra, mechanics, and optics. One of his most notable contributions was the reformulation of Newtonian mechanics, now known as Hamiltonian mechanics. His studies centered around modern theories of electromagnetism and the development of quantum mechanics. Another famous Rowan was Arthur Blennerhasset (18001861), an antiquarian writer from Tralee, Kerry. He received his B.A., M.A., B.D., and D.D. at Trinity College. He toured the continent of Europe and published records of his travels. He dedicated much of his time to the antiquaries of the South of Ireland and founded and edited the Kerry Magazine, which dealt with local history and antiquities.
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Other Rowans have made their mark through the military. Charles Rowan (1782-1852) was born in County Antrim and served in many wars before he was appointed Commanding Officer and Commissioner of Police of Metropolis, head of the London Metropolitan Police. Charles and the other commissioner were able to recruit, train, and deploy a force of nearly one thousand men in twelve weeks. His military expertise and dedication was acknowledged when he was made a Knight Commander of Bath. Caitríona Ruane was born in County Mayo in 1962 and has been a Sinn Fein politician and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Down. She is a former professional tennis player, and once represented Ireland in Caitríona Ruane the Fed Cup. Frances P. Ruane is the director of the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin. Frances has contributed to the understanding of international economics and industrial development, and is on numerous boards and committees focusing on higher education and economics. Martin Ruane’s (1946-1998) family originated from County Mayo before moving to London. Ruane, a professional wrestler, was best known by his ring name of Giant Haystacks and his impressive height of 6 ft. 11. William J. Ruane (1925-2005) was a notable Wall Street investment manager and philanthropist. He founded his own investment firm, Ruane Cunniff, and launched their flagship, Sequoia Fund, which has been one of Martin Ruane the top performing mutual funds. He adopted a block in Harlem, NY, committed to making it a better community. Another important figure in the world of finance is Brian Ruane. CEO of BNY Mellon’s Alternative and Broker-Dealer Services, he has played a major role in managing BNY Mellon’s outstanding growth and is a driving force in the continuing expansion of the Alternative Investments industry. He is a member of The Advisory Board of the UCD Smurfit Graduate School of Business in Dublin. This year he is Irish America’s keynote speaker for the Wall Street 50. The Ruane family crest is green and yellow with a center of crosses representing the strength and power of this important clan. The elaborate intertwining of the two colors shows unity. The motto of “creso per crucem” means “I grow through the IA cross.”
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{poem}
The Stones of Culdalee We took the winding road west from Aclair, arrived at where we thought the turnoff should be, the boreen so overgrown you’d hardly know it had ever been the way. We waded down through the uncut field, down the steep hillside to the wild valley below. Thankfully, the cottage still stood, looking much as it did when I saw it last, forty years ago. “Culdalee,” my cousin said. “Culdalee,” saying the syllables that had dropped so sweetly from my grandmother’s tongue. Culdalee, where I had gone with her once as a boy, the place already a ruin. But still the old stone cottage stood, the roof gables and chimney proud against the sky, the thatch having fallen in fifty years ago, the massive hearthstone an earthquake could not unseat. We could light a fire here and cook a meal as my ancestors did these three centuries past. Irish was spoken here, only Irish, though they had English enough for the wider world as well. Winnie, Anne, and Austin were the last— an old picture of them I treasure— and old Kate Kilmartin—Kate who lived to a hundred and eight, from before the Great Famine to the Second World War.
We walked across to the ancient ring fort where I’d played as a child, as my father did before me, knelt beside the stream where two forks converged, a brogue of birds in the blackthorn the hawthorn and hazel obscuring the Giant’s Grave across the grassy meadow. Later, back at Tom’s place in Tourlestrane, we lamented the death of Jack, wondered who’d tend the sheep farm high in the Ox Mountains— a “sky farm” they call it, a sky farm because up there it seems you must be harvesting the sky. The next day, we rode the winding rode west from Aclair, arrived at where we knew the turnoff would be. We walked the uncut field, down to the shambling, moss-grown cottage. We stood beside the massive walls, rested our hands on the rounded stones as if listening to the old place speak. At last, my son selected one of the fallen stones at the wall’s base to trundle back through the airport and place on our mantel back home. –Timothy Walsh
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Banville on Black The acclaimed Irish writer discusses his work as two authors: the novelist John Banville and the crime writer Benjamin Black. By Sheila Langan ometimes, in the middle of the afternoon if I’m feeling a little bit sleepy, Black will sort of lean in over Banville’s shoulder and start writing. Or Banville will lean over Black’s shoulder and say ‘Oh that’s an interesting sentence, let’s play with that.’ I can see sometimes, revising the work, the points at which one crept in or the two sides seeped into each other.” If one happened to overhear John Banville talking about writing under his pen name, Benjamin Black, it would be forgivable to surmise that he was suffering from a mild or slightly whimsical identity crisis. But suffering would not be the right word at all – he is clearly quite enjoying himself. And from the abundance of work he has produced since beginning to publish under his pseudonym in 2004 – five Black books and two Banville novels, one just finished – he is clearly not a man in crisis. “It’s wonderful, you know,” he chuckled, sipping an oakysmelling white at the Knickerbocker Club on Fifth Avenue. “I started doing this on the brink of being 60 and here I am, suddenly, two people.” Banville, 65, is compact and refined, with prominent jowls and the ability to speak in engaging paragraphs. He wore a navy suit and a red tie, and a panama hat that somehow did not appear until he exited the room at the end of our interview, like a kind of parting thought. He was in New York following the July release of Black’s latest, the seasonally appropriate A Death in Summer. It is the fourth of the five books now published under Black’s name to center on
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Dr. Garrett Quirke, a pathologist of 1950s Dublin and all it entails. As before, a body he is called on to inspect has died of a cause that is less than natural. This time, the victim is newspaper magnate Dick Jewell, who was respected more for his money than anything else. Similar to earlier cases, Jewell is survived by his wife, the sphinxlike and beautiful Françoise d’Aubigny, who piques Quirke’s interest as he tries to figure out who killed Jewell and made a sorry attempt to disguise it as a suicide. One of the best developments is that Phoebe, Quirke’s onceestranged daughter and a character Banville palpably enjoys writing, plays a larger role than ever. “My agent insists that I’m in love with her,” Banville said with amusement. “I say to him ‘No, Phoebe is me.’ If there is anybody in those books that’s me, it’s Phoebe. She has a darkness and an obsessiveness that I feel… I won’t say comfortable with, but that I feel a familiarity with. “It’s like being a child again, playing games with toy soldiers,” he continued. “It’s wonderful moving characters around in a book, thinking ‘What will I do with them now?’” It seems, though, that the character he’s having the most fun inventing might actually be Benjamin Black. It was never a secret that Black is Banville – his author bio spells it out. Some of the early cover designs even state “A compelling new crime series from Booker winner John Banville.” But this transparency has not prohibited Banville from creating a distinct identity for Black.
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It started in early 2005, after The Sea had been published (but before it won the Man Booker prize) and while he was at work on The Infinities. Banville returned to a television screenplay he had written some years earlier for a mini-series that never went into production. The script, set in 1950s Dublin and Boston, became Christine Falls, Banville’s first noir novel and his first work published under the name Benjamin Black. The process of turning the television script into a novel, he said, “marked the birth of Black… I really only took on a pseudonym because I did not want people to imagine that this was some literary joke I was playing.” He had initially wanted to be Benjamin White, the name of a character in his early works Long Lankin and Nightspawn, but “my agent and my publisher said ‘no, we think Black is better, it sounds better.’” In a piece Banville recently wrote for The Guardian, his account of the evolution of Benjamin Black is much more epic, involving a moment of inspiration that leads him to stop the car as he is driving along the Black Banks section of the Howth Road, ‘pull over to the side of the road and, for some reason, laugh.’” But it was, he writes “less a laugh than the birth-cry of my dark twin and brother Benjamin Black.” Like any good dark twin, Black seems to be Banville’s polar opposite. In Banville’s novels, which are frequently likened to extended prose poems, word choice trumps plot, narration dominates character development, and the sentence is prized over all. Black’s books, on the other hand, fit cozily into the realm of noir without much complaint, and all of them (save The Lemur) center on Dr. Quirke, your fairly archetypal moody, boozy, womanizing detective by circumstance rather than trade. The day-and-night differences extend to the writing process, too. When Banville sits down to write, he does so “with a fountain pen on paper, very slowly. If Banville could write 150 words in a morning or even a day, he’d feel he was doing well.” But when he writes wearing his Benjamin Black hat (which, by the looks of the latest author photo that accompanies A Death in Summer, may very well be a black felt fedora) the process is far more fluid. Black can write “1,500 words in a morning.” That does not mean, he was quick to add, that writing crime fiction is necessarily easy, just that the fluidity comes with the territory. “Crime writers, after past interviews [of mine], would get furious about this…But I was just saying that writing crime fiction is different. I have to write swiftly and fluently as Black, because otherwise it would get all bogged down. Crime fiction, this kind of fiction – I hate making that distinction – is driven by character, by plot, by dialogue, and by that kind of swiftness and spontaneity that poor old Banville could never manage.” As priorities, character, plot and dialogue normally rank low for Banville, who is fond of quoting Kafka’s diary entry
“Never again psychology!” But in order to write a noir novel, they were things he had to face. “When I write a Banville book, I’m not working in a fixed medium. One of the joys of writing crime fiction is that there’s a medium there and you work with it… the rules are laid down.” Perhaps creating Black has given him a certain freedom from his Banvillian writerly hang-ups and allowed him to, by their contrasts, better understand his identity as both writers. Though he is insistent upon his two writerly personalities remaining separate, he does acknowledge that becoming Black has influenced the way he works as Banville. “This is something that fascinates me now,” he said. “At the start it just seemed like a little adventure I was embarking on. Looking back now, I think maybe it was something Banville needed to do. Maybe I needed a sudden jolt, a sudden diversion into some other way of working.” It will be interesting to see whether this is noticeable in Ancient Light, the Banville book he had just finished three weeks before we met. A return to the Alexander Cleave character from Eclipse and Shroud, it is the first Banville book he has written start to finish since assuming his nom de plume. “The people who have read it have said ‘There’s a lot of plot in this.’ So I think Banville is learning from Black, something about loosening the tie, you know? Stepping back a bit, letting things happen. Which I think will be a good thing, but I’m not sure. Banville has to write the way Banville writes. He can’t become Benjamin Black, that would be disastrous.” Both Banville and Black are headed for the screen. Banville recently collaborated with Glenn Close on the screenplay of Albert Nobbs, an adaptation of Simone Benmussa’s play The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs (itself an adaptation of a George Moore short story), in which Close plays a woman who pretends to be a man in order to find work in 19th-century Ireland. The Sea is also set to go into production next year, and will star Ciaran Hinds as the grieving, retrospective Max Morden. The three Quirke books that precede A Death in Summer will be made into a three-part mini-series by the BBC next year. Banville won’t be as involved in the writing or production, but said that he was excited and called it “ironic because the whole thing started out as a miniseries. Now it’s come full circle.” And since he must always be writing something, he is about to begin the next Benjamin Black book. “I have a plot,” he said, declining to say what it would be about, but confirming that Quirke would be back. Another Banville book is slowly taking shape, as well. “It’s strange, though,” he mused. “I was supposed to finish the Banville book at the end of this year, but somehow I finished six months early. So now, Banville and Black are both planning books, they’re both at the starting line – the hare and the IA tortoise, just waiting to go.” OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 93
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Brian Friel Theatre and Politics For almost 50 years, ever since Brian Friel’s iconic play of exile, Philadelphia, Here I Come, burst upon the scene at the 1964 Dublin Theatre Festival, he has been viewed as Ireland’s leading contemporary playwright. James W. Flannery looks at a new book by Anthony Roche that offers an analysis of Friel’s work. he story that unfolds in this remarkable book, Brian Friel: Theatre and Politics by Anthony Roche, is the artistic life of a man of uncompromising standards, incredible courage and restless inquiry. One of Roche’s great achievements lies in demonstrating that the seeming fragmentation of Friel’s body of work, as measured by the varied forms he has explored, actually contains a remarkable coherence when examined from the standpoint of how form is integrally related to idea in each of the individual plays. And what a bracing conspectus of ideas these are as a reflection on modern Ireland by a playwright who is also a subtle and persuasive thinker. Rare among contemporary academics, Roche’s writing is as readable as it is incisive. What he has done for the first time is to examine the intention of each of Friel’s plays within the biographical and historical context that originally inspired them. But he has also succeeded in something even rarer, and that is to demonstrate how the plays deserve to be staged so as to realize in minute detail their extraordinary dramatic potential. As I read Roche’s book, I found myself saying: “That’s what’s really going on here. How exciting. How moving. How inspiring and meaningful to anyone who cares about the art of theater and its potential to impact upon our lives both privately and as responsible citizens of the world.” From a dramaturgical standpoint, Friel’s breakthrough with Philadelphia, Here I Come (1964) was to subvert the kitchen-sink naturalism of the Abbey Theatre style that had dominated Irish drama ever since the death of Yeats in 1939. He did this by combining wonderfully compelling characters with avantgarde theatrical techniques borrowed from European theater – a method that, as
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Roche demonstrates, he was to follow throughout his career. In Philadelphia, Friel captured the desolation and distress of that archetypal experience of familial and national loss. The inability of Gar O’Donnell to penetrate the implacable silence of his widowed father, even as they both long for a mutual understanding and love, was almost unbearable to witness. And yet, even through the muffled sobs that filled the theater, the audience was never allowed to wallow in a self-indulgent bathos. Instead, Friel evoked a far more complex response by having the figure of Gar portrayed by two actors representing his inner and outer self. This opened up the character and the play itself into a wide range of deeply layered perspectives on the real subjects that concerned the playwright: the complex and contradictory nature of human identity; memory as a flawed prism in trying to explain how and why we act the way we do; and the difficulty of achieving either personal autonomy or self-realization within an Irish landscape described by Friel as “inbred and claustrophobic.” Friel was fortunate in having his first major professional production directed by Hilton Edwards, the legendary founder of the Dublin Gate Theatre, who was in the twilight of his career, but whose mastery of stagecraft was still unsurpassed by anyone else working in Irish theater. Edwards’ production was a tour de force in which acting, choreography, sound and
lighting all combined to create a world of continually shifting shades of meaning. I particularly recall the ease with which the comic vaudeville routines of Private and Public Gar moved in and out of more natural exchanges between them, almost as if they were different modulations in an exquisite piece of chamber music. Also the ways in which the different planes of the set – Gar’s bedroom as a realm of fantasy; the stifling kitchen where his father sat stiff, taciturn, and absolute; and the forestage with its directly performative connection with the audience – were each employed so as to establish what Roche calls “a fluid psychological space” that not only challenged the conventions of all-too-familiar naturalistic settings but expanded the intellectual and imaginative horizons of the spectators. Such a creatively adventurous use of the theatrical arts requires interpretive artists with an equivalent sensibility. In Edwards, Friel was blessed with such a creative partner. Unfortunately, as Roche makes clear, that was not always the case, and there have been some illconceived productions that have damaged Friel’s reputation beyond Ireland. Such a career inevitably carries its ups and downs. Broadway successes like Dancing at Lughnasa were followed by a production of the philosophically dense and provocative Wonderful Tennessee (1993) that closed after only nine performances. Always, however, Friel has refused to be content with replicating what he has already achieved. Over and over again, he
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has challenged himself and his audiences, not to mention the critics and theater artists charged with interpreting his work, by resolving, as he once put it, “to start again and then to start again.” Indeed, he remarked, quoting Graham Greene, at the ceremony in which Dancing at Lughnasa was named the best play of the 1993 London theater season, “Success is merely the postponement of failure.” Roche shows us that Friel, like Yeats and Beckett, has cast off what he calls “the threadbare devices of realism” in order to address the fragility of human existence within a wide range of differing circumstances. Also like them, he has rooted his art in a loving respect for the art of acting as a supreme reflection of humanity in all its greatness and grief. According to Roche, Yeats is much on Friel’s mind as, in his eighties, he looks back on his life’s work and asks, as Yeats did in his late poem, “The Choice,” whether it will live after him and continue to find renewed meaning: The intellect of man is forced to choose Perfection of the life, or of the work, And if it is to take the second must refuse A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark. With unflinching honesty, Friel confesses that “I never considered the life all that important. I gave myself to the perfection of the work. Did I do wrong?” His own answer to that question is perhaps best given in the words of Lily Matthews, a character in Freedom of the City (1973), Friel’s powerful indictment of the massacre of Bloody Sunday, who at the moment of her death recognizes that: Life had eluded me because never once in my forty-three years had an experience, an event, even a small unimportant happening been isolated, and assessed, and articulated. As Roche demonstrates, no artist since Yeats has dealt more comprehensively than Friel with the entire historical experience of Ireland. What Roche also conveys with thoughtfulness and insight on every page of his book is how stunning Friel’s achievement is when understood as a manifestation of a deeply committed political consciousness expressed through that most demanding of art forms, the living theater. For Friel the “political element” is
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always present, although he has always taken pains to avoid expressing that in the overt polemics demanded by some of his most aggressive critics, especially at the height of the Northern Irish Troubles. I once had the opportunity to catch a personal glimpse of Friel’s attitude in that regard during a conversation we had about the nineteenth century Irish poet and songwriter Thomas Moore. The occasion was an opening night party celebrating the return to the Abbey Theatre of Dancing at Lughnasa following its triumphant reception in London. I had just released a recording of the Irish Melodies of Moore, and friends of mine in the cast told me how much Friel admired it. Suddenly I found the master at my side asking me to sing for him. After my performance in the beautiful drawing room of Noel Pearson,
the producer of Lugnasa who was about to bring it to Broadway, Friel talked to me about Moore. “What I love about him,” he said, “is the way his politics is subsumed within his artistry.” The same, of course, could be said about Friel himself. For years to come, this remarkable study by Anthony Roche will be a must for any producer, director, dramaturg, teacher or lover of Irish theater who would truly understand and honor Friel’s IA genius. James W. Flannery is the Winship Professor of the Arts and Humanities at Emory University. From 1989 to 1993, he was the Executive Director of the Yeats International Theatre Festival at the Abbey Theatre. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 95
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{ review of books} Recently published books of Irish and Irish-American interest.
Recommended: The Forgotten Waltz
o author writing today can get as much out of a single moment as Anne Enright. In The Gathering, Enright’s 2007 Man Booker Prize-winning study of the Hegarty family, she stretched into an eternity the silent minutes in which the narrator, Veronica, imagines her grandmother, Ava Hegarty, as a young woman sitting in the lobby of a Dublin hotel, not making eye contact with Lamb Nugent, the man behind the reception desk, who would become a strange and central part of her life and the lives of her descendants. In The Forgotten Waltz, the moment takes place in our time, in a back yard in Ireland that almost has a view of the sea. As Gina, looking back from a vantage point of winter 2008 remembers it, “It is half past five on a Wicklow summer Sunday when I see Séan for the first time. There he is, where the end of my sister’s garden becomes uncertain. He is about to turn around – but he doesn’t know it yet.” Of course he turns around, and, of course, he and Gina have an affair that (and this isn’t giving anything away) eventually explodes their respective marriages and complicates things with Séan’s troubled daughter, Evie. Given the time frame and the unmistakable themes of selfishness and destruction, it is tempting to read The Forgotten Waltz as an early arrival in the fleet of postCeltic-Tiger recession era novels sure to emerge in the months and years to come. And indeed, Ireland’s recent history has a distinct presence here, from the extravagant houses, to the designer labels, to the vague-sounding jobs in IT and finance that eventually disappear. Even the wine – and there is a lot of wine – traces a certain trajectory. In 2002, Gina is “mad – just mad – into Chardonnay.” When she and her husband close on a house they can’t quite afford, they celebrate by sharing a decadent bottle of Krug. By 2007, when things are still at a high but just beginning to unravel, Gina spends a lonely holiday drinking a bottle of Icelandic ice wine – washed down by a meaningful shot of Irish whiskey.
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Enright plays on our new insights into Ireland’s strange recent past, but she also, as ever, offers her own insights into more enduring, constant and sometimes quotidian things like relationships and desire, presenting moments and scenes that enchant you with their keen humor and language before they widen your eyes with their significance. – Sheila Langan (288 pages / W.W. Norton & Company / $25.95)
Irish Essays
enis Donoghue is one of the most important, influential and downright brilliant Irish scholars and thinkers of our time. The Henry James Professor of English and American Letters at New York University, he is the author and editor of over 30 books, ranging from critical studies of Jonathan Swift and T.S. Eliot to texts on modernism and literary theory to a memoir about growing up in Warrenpoint, Co. Down. He is also one of the foremost voices on Irish literature. His latest book, Irish Essays, gathers together some of his best and more recent writings and lectures on the field. Though Irish Essays is by no means light reading, it couldn’t be farther from impersonal academic writing. One of the most unique and consistently refreshing things about Donoghue’s writing is the ease and critical elegance with which he inserts himself into his commentary. Donoghue’s lack of reticence in this regard is evident right from the start of Irish Essays, when he uses the Introduction to introduce himself and his professional and personal history, placing himself within the context of the literature he proceeds to discuss and the theme of nationalism he explores to the fullest in the fourteen essays that follow. These personal notes range from the central – in the first, “Race, Nation, State,” for example, Donoghue sets the stage for a much larger discussion by describing what it was like to grow up in a Border town –
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to the purely anecdotal: in the final essay, “Early Roddy Doyle,” Donoghue notes that he and his wife once had to decide between living in Stillorgan or Kilbarrack, the area that inspired Doyle’s fictional Barrytown (they chose Stillorgan). Swift, Yeats and Joyce, the principal figures throughout the essays, are each thoroughly explored in their own sections – at once complicated and accessible, as in the fantastic chapter “A Plain Approach to Ulysses.” The chapters in the final section, “Other Occasions,” are some of the most exciting, as Donoghue (who is the father of writer Emma Donoghue) considers more contemporary authors such as John McGahern, William Trevor and Doyle. Irish Essays is by no means a casual or easy read; rather, it is invigorating and immensely important. – Sheila Langan (272 pages / Cambridge University Press / $26.99)
Fiction: Broken Irish
roken Irish is the latest work by Edward J. Delaney, author of the acclaimed debut novel Warp & Wheft, winner of the 2005 O. Henry Prize and of a 2008 Literary Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. That he has also worked as a journalist, a documentary filmmaker and a teacher should give some sense of his talent and range. In Broken Irish, which will be released in October, Delaney zeroes in on South Boston of the late 1990s. Using a similar narrative technique to the one he employed in Warp & Wheft, Delaney renders Southie extraordinarily vivid via a constellation of characters from the fractured community. In brief, powerful chapters (89 in all) that flit from person to person, story to story, we meet flawed and familiar characters like Jimmy Gilbride, a self-professed “truly accomplished functional alcoholic;” the anxious and uncertain Colleen Coogan, a widow who wants desperately to bond with her son; the less than saintly Father John, and many more. All of their stories are told with rich detail and a rare lack of judgement, and stay with you long after the book’s close. – Sheila Langan
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(416 pages / Turtle Point Press / $18.50)
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Memoir: Time on the Ocean
heo Dorgan pulls us out to sea with him in his personal narrative, Time on the Ocean: A Voyage from Cape Horn to Cape Town. Dorgan plunges into his personal journey of sailing through some of the most treacherous and isolated waters in the world. The vivid and technical details of his voyage give you the nerves of a beginner sailor from Cape Horn, past the Falklands/Malvinas, beyond the remote volcanic islands of Tristan de Cunha to the final destination of Cape Town. The reader is gripped with Dorgan’s personal desire to connect with a piece of family history where his greatgrandmother died at childbirth off of Cape Horn. The unpredicted friendships made and the rich details of sailors’ timeless superstitions in his lively account create a fluid understanding and intimacy for all to enjoy. – Laura Corrigan
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(298 pages / Dufour Editions / $25.99)
Nonfiction:
Lady Gregory: An Irish Life
rish historian Judith Hill’s recent work, Lady Gregory: An Irish Life, follows the dramatist’s life with a wonderful confidence, matching the character of her subject. Hill presents Augusta, Lady Gregory, co-founder (with W.B. Yeats) of Dublin’s Abbey Theatre and the woman who George Bernard Shaw called the “greatest living Irish-woman,” with a seamless thoroughness, reflecting on her role as an early feminist despite the tradition of the time.
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Beginning with her childhood and marriage to Sir William Gregory, the biography quickly abandons the years Gregory herself called “sheltered” years and crescendos to recount her work with Yeats and Edward Martyn on the Irish Literary Theatre. Hill humorously notes Lady Gregory’s resemblance and popular comparison to Queen Victoria, as well as her reputation as the “outspoken, down to earth” champion of the Irish Literary Revival. Hill also, however, paints a sensitive portrait of the feminist, notably in the chapters covering her affair with the poet Wilfred Scawen Blunt, and her son’s death in WWI; both sections achieve both historical reverence and entertaining storytelling. As Lady Gregory’s own work enjoys a recent revival among theatrical companies, a comprehensive, enjoyable portrait of Lady Gregory is wonderful to see. – Harrison Post (616 pages / Dufour Editions / $26.95)
Is Féidir Linn: A Golden Ticket to Moneygall
ntil a few months ago, not many people had heard of Moneygall, a small village that sits on the border between counties Offaly and Tipperary. In 2007 , genealogist Megan Smolneyak traced then Senator Barack Obama’s ancestry to a man named Fulmouth Kearney, who had emigrated from
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Ireland to America in 1850. But when word came that the president would visit Ireland in late May 2011, the sleepy town knew its moment had arrived. Though the visit, which took place on May 23, lasted only a few hours, the effect on Moneygall began long before and will continue long after. Is Féidir Linn: A Golden Ticket to Moneygall, by journalist Eimear Ní Bhraonaín with photographs by Jeff Harvey, chronicles the journey of both the town and its most celebrated visitor. It introduces readers to key Moneygall figures – from Obama’s eighth cousin Henry Healey (“Henry the Eighth”) to Ollie Hayes, proprietor of the now famous pub where the President and First Lady had their first sips of Guinness on Irish soil. Even more fascinating than the details of the visit, which drew international media and a carefully screened crowd of 2,500 locals and their relatives, are Ní Bhraonaín and Harvey’s accounts of the efforts the town undertook in preparation. Residents of Main Street gave their houses a fresh coat of paint, courtesy of a donation from Dulux. As the “Not-So-Secret Service” arrived in the village, a group of 4-yearolds who called themselves the Spy Kids donned sunglasses and stood guard as well. With beautiful photographs and enchanting and well-researched writing, this is the perfect book to commemorate an important moment in Irish – and Moneygall – history. – Sheila Langan (80 pages / Independent / $36.01)
Faces of Hope 10 Years Later Ten years ago, following the September 11 attacks, Christine Pisera Naman published a book that communicated 50 hopeful things that happened that day: the births of 50 children across the United States. Faces of Hope, Babies Born in 9/11 featured the smiling faces of 50 babies, each representing one state. Ten years later, Naman has reconnected with each of the children for her second commemorative book, Faces of Hope 10 Years Later. What’s immediately evident is how much the children have grown, and how well on their way they are to becoming fine individuals.This time, each of their photographs is accompanied by a hand-drawn picture and thoughts on how they will make the world a better place.Their inspiring and ambitious goals range
from becoming President, to making the world greener, to saving animals, to the simple yet profound aim of Ana Maria from Oregon, who plans to “open doors, be kind, nice, gentle and love others.” The most heart breaking of these entries is the one belonging to Christina Taylor Green, the youngest victim of the January 8, 2011 shootings at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ Congress on Your Corner event. Her photo is accompanied by a quote from President Obama’s speech at her memorial:“If there are rain puddles in heaven, Christina is jumping in them today.” In the face of this tragedy and the lingering tragedy of 9/11, Naman beautifully conveys her message of hope and inspiration. – Sheila Langan (67 pages / HCI Books / $10.95) OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 97
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THE IRISH REPERTORY THEATER:
A Class Act
Showcasing the Irish and Irish-American experience on stage. Story by Mary Pat Kelly. Photographs by James Higgins
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et us now praise the Irish Repertory Theater, New York, and congratulate founders Charlotte Moore, Artistic Director, and Ciarán O’Reilly, Producing Director, as they receive the 2011 Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish American Writers and Artists. The award is given annually to “an Irish American writer or artist who has created a body of work that places them among the great artists and entertainers of all time.” Charlotte and Ciarán join two previous honorees, acclaimed author William Kennedy and iconic actor Brian Dennehy. Since September 1988, when the Irish Rep opened with The Plough and the Stars, so many of the company’s 150 productions have been singled out for notable awards and nominations that merely listing them all would take up the rest of this article. Theirs is a record of, to quote a Drama Desk Award, “Excellence in Presenting Distinguished Irish Drama.” Rave reviews in the New York Times and The New Yorker confirm this. The Wall Street Journal’s Terry Teachout wrote that the Irish Repertory Theater is “one of the finest theater companies in America,” and went on to say that “the quality of the company’s work is enhanced by the deep cultural authenticity in its productions. In the broadest possible sense the Irish Rep gets the accents right.” They get it right. The stated mission of the theater is “to bring works by Irish and Irish American masters and contemporary playwrights to American audiences,” and to do this “with a native understanding.” Their success in this mission has led playwright Brian Friel to say of the Rep, “Because the best theater involves an
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experience of the spirit, the ground they occupy has now been made sacred by them. They have made the space hallowed.” Since 1988, in production after production, Charlotte and Ciarán have gathered audiences around the hearth at 132 West 22nd Street to hear the seanachie entone Fádo and enter the sacred space of connection. Through all the years of oppression and
exile we Irish refused to relinquish our songs and stories. The Irish Rep honors that patrimony and its founders embody it. Charlotte Moore’s Kennedy ancestors left Wexford in the mid-19th century. “Poor as snakes,” Charlotte says. “They mined coal and homesteaded in Southern Illinois until my grandfather somehow managed to put together enough money to buy a mine and then World War II happened and we became well-off.” Charlotte inherited the storytelling instinct. Her acting ability impressed college teacher Nelson McGill who urged her to go to New York. She was chosen by legendary actor/director Ellis Rabb to become a member of his Association of Producing Artists which included such acting greats as Nancy Marchand, Paul Sparer and Rosemary Harris. Almost 30
years later Marchand would star as Lady Bracknell in the Rep’s 1996 production of The Importance of Being Earnest with Tony Walton, the Tony award-winning set and costume designer, making his directorial debut. Bringing life-long friends who also happen to be theater greats into the Irish Rep family is a speciality of Charlotte’s. When she read for Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim and was cast in A Little Night Music, “I didn’t even know who they were,” Charlotte says. But even when her fear of singing in front of an audience made playing a role in the musical impossible, Prince remembered her and a year later invited Charlotte to be a member of the repertory company he was forming. “For three or four years I played leads in classic plays directed by Hal Prince. The first time I stepped on the Broadway stage he was directing. Amazing. I was so lucky.” Prince would become a consistent supporter of the Irish Rep, and in 1992 adapted a section of Sean O’Casey’s autobiography into The Grandchild of Kings, a towering theater piece which he also directed. The two dozen members of the Irish Repertory Theater Company were “the best ensemble I ever worked with,” he said.
A Theater is Born It was when Charlotte met County Cavan native Ciarán O’Reilly that the dream of telling the story of the Irish and IrishAmerican experience through theater was born. “In 1980 we were appearing together in Hugh Leonard’s Summer directed by Brian Murray who is a very important member of our company now,” Ciarán says. “I had just come to the U.S. from Dublin where I’d spent a year at the
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Above: The cast of Brigadoon at the 2010 fundraising gala. Right: Jonathan Cake, Charlotte Moore, Matthew Broderick and Ciarán O’Reilly. Far Right: Matthew Broderick and Jonathan Cake, the hosts of the evening, reading a scene from Brigadoon.
Abbey Theatre, playing for some reason, characters who spoke in Irish. I’d also been acting at the Focus Theater there. I began getting roles in New York at the Irish Arts Center and other theaters when Brian cast me,” he recalls. “Charlotte and I talked about doing Irish plays, but it wasn’t until 1988 that I produced The Plough and the Stars with Charlotte directing.” It would be their first production of many. So Charlotte and Ciarán had the dream, the understanding, the commitment, but how did they manage to make it all come true? “When you work very, very hard and do your best, things happen,” Charlotte says. And things did happen. One was a latenight phone call Ciarán received. “My home phone number was the Rep’s number – still is – and it rang in my bedroom one night at 2 AM. Someone working late, intending to leave a message at the box office got me. How could she donate to the Rep? the woman asked. Donate? I said. ‘You are a non-profit aren’t you?’ she said. And I answered, ‘Yes, of course.’ And that’s how we became one.”
Performances were initially held in a rented theater on West 18th Street, until the Irish Rep secured its current home in 1995, in a renovated warehouse just a few blocks away. Ellen McCourt, President of the Board of Directors of the Irish Repertory Theater, heads the capital campaign aimed at retiring the mortgage held on that sacred space on 22nd Street. She says that the Rep’s secret fund-raising weapon is that “everyone loves Charlotte and Ciarán. The Board loves them and fully supports them in everything they do.” Ellen got to know the Rep soon after she met husband-to-be, Frank McCourt. “He was playing a teacher in Philadelphia, Here I Come! with Ciarán and Patrick Fitzgerald as Gar public and private, and Charlotte directing.” The New Yorker called the production by the oneyear-old company “better than flawless” and Ellen found herself part of a new family. “Wonderful gatherings and everyone doing their party piece – Pauline Flanagan, Terry Donnelly and Ciarán Sheehan all became close friends.” Terry Donnelly and Ciarán Sheehan would join Rusty McGee, Malachy McCourt and Frank and Ciarán
in what was meant to be a one night’s presentation of Frank’s take on The Irish…and How They Got That Way. “Frank had a shoebox full of notes on Irish-American history that he thought could become a theater piece,” Ellen says. “Charlotte shaped it. They added songs and did the show as a one-night-only fundraiser for the Rep.” Audience response convinced Charlotte and Ciarán to expand this show, and now the Rep has presented four productions of The Irish…and How They Got That Way as well as licensing it to theaters across the country and presenting it on Public Television. The warmth Ellen expresses toward Charlotte and Ciarán is echoed and amplified by the members of the Irish Repertory Company and indeed the entire theater and theater-going community. The Rep’s annual fundraising galas have become occasions for expressing this high regard. From the first of these evenings, when Katharine Hepburn took center stage to read from Yeats, through concert performances of classic musicals such as Brigadoon, OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 IRISH AMERICA 99
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Photos from the 2011 annual fundraising gala, Camelot in Concert. Clockwise from above: Melissa Errico and Jeremy Irons as Guenevere and King Arthur. Irons and Errico joined by James A. Stephens as Merlyn, Josh Grisetti as Mordred and James Barbour as Lancelot. Charlotte (far left) and Ciarán (front) with the full cast of Camelot in Concert, including Brian Murray, KT Sullivan, Jacob Clemente, Christopher Lynn and Victoria Molloy.
some of Broadway’s and Hollywood’s greatest stars have lent their talents in tribute to the Rep. In this year’s Camelot in Concert Jeremy Irons starred as King Arthur with an outstanding cast drawn from the Irish Rep Company, while a 100 voice chorus and an orchestra of theater’s best musicians – all volunteers – filled the stage. Ciarán narrated a Camelot honed to its essence which Charlotte had adapted and directed during just four days of rehearsal. The result: a standing ovation from the 1,000-plus audience at the Schubert Theater. Broadway star Melissa Errico, who played Guenevere that night, has worked with Charlotte and Ciarán for almost 15 years. “I cannot find the words to say how much my career and my spirit have felt nurtured and supported. They work from a point of view of joy and optimism, they make everything seem possible, so you end up reaching for the stars.” Josh Grisetti, who portrayed the villainous Mordred, couldn’t “think of enough wonderful things to say about Ciarán and Charlotte.” He said it wasn’t only their “impressive body of work or unrelenting devotion to stage craft” but “the sense of warmth and familiarity that they bring to an otherwise chilly industry.” 100 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
The evening of Monday, October 17, when they receive the Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award, will be filled with many such tributes. The acclaimed Irish actor Gabriel Byrne will be the Master of Ceremonies, and the award will be presented in The Manhattan Club, just a short distance away from Eugene O’Neill’s birthplace in Times Square. O’Neill himself might have remarked on the similarities between his Provincetown Players and the Rep. He certainly would have appreciated their “native understanding.” Over and over again he complained that critics missed the essence of who he was as an artist. “I’m Irish,” he said. “Anyone who delves into O’Neill’s plays knows they come from the mind and soul of an Irish person,” Charlotte says. When the Rep follows its searing production of O’Neill’s Long Days Journey Into Night with that lighthearted Take Me Along based on O’Neill’s Ah Wilderness, they’re
expressing something about O’Neill’s Irish soul and ours – sunshine and shadow, George M. Cohan and Samuel Beckett. At the dinner after Camelot in Concert I listened as Tony-award-winner Brian Murray, who played Lord Pellinore, spoke to Jacob Clemente, the star of Billy Elliot who portrayed the young page Thomas of Warwick, who is entrusted with the story of Camelot. He talked about his own days as a child actor who left South Africa at 13 for the London theater. “I knew I was happier on the stage than anywhere else,” Brian said. Jacob nodded. And I thought that the Rep itself is a kind of Camelot – a place of happily ever aftering. So go see for yourself. Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa opens October 19th at 132 West 22nd Street. Charlotte and Ciarán will be there to greet you and show IA you to your place at the fire. For more information visit: Irishrep.org
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{sláinte} By Edythe Preet
Feile Na Marbh
Sláinte columnist Edythe explores how Feile Na Marbh or Feast of the Dead became Halloween. hat which we know as All Hallows Eve actually began as a harvest festival several millennia ago in Ireland. Though the evening’s popular colors are black and orange, they might as well be Forty Shades of Green, for the customs of the celebration are Irish as the shamrock. The ancient Celtic year was divided by the four seasons and reckoned by a lunar calendar. The full moon that rose midway between the Autumnal Equinox and Winter Solstice was called Samhain. It was the most scary and sacred time of all. Winter was approaching, crops were dying, days were growing shorter, and the specter of death hung heavy in the air. Cattle were slaughtered and salted to feed the people through winter. Crops
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lured to live forever below ground with the fairy Sidhe. This was Feile Na Marbh, Feast of the Dead. Children born that night were blessed with ‘double sight,’ able to see and play with the fairies. Spirits appeared to ordinary folk advising them of future events. Long-dead ancestors sought the warmth of a hearth fire and communion with the living. In every window, flickering candles lit the way for lost souls. In 432AD Saint Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, but the old ways persisted. Rome attempted to take the easy way out and absorbed the tradition into its own calendar. For centuries, the Church had honored its martyrs and saints on May 13, so in 844AD Pope Gregory IV transferred the saints’ feast to November 1, renaming it All Hallows Day.
PHOTOS: BRIAN MORRISON FOR TOURISM IRELAND
Halloween festival in Derry City
were gathered in and stored lest the shape-shifting Pooka, a nocturnal hobgoblin that delights in tormenting mortals, destroy the fruits of the field and bring on a season of famine. With storehouses full, the Celts marked the 3-day full moon period with revelry and ritual before facing the unknown. Consumed with fear that they might be carted away to the land of the dead, the Irish lit huge bonfires to ward off evil forces. At night they listened to seanachies tell how the Gaels had defeated the magical Tuatha De Danaan. Undaunted, the Tuatha De plagued their conquerors with trickery, depriving them of milk and grain. Finally, a compromise was reached and the land was divided into two parts. The Gaels had won the right to live above ground; the fairy folk agreed to live underground. But on Samhain the veil between this and the Otherworld was thin. The fairies roamed at will, the mounds marking the entries to their dwelling places glowed with eerie light, and many a mortal disappeared, 102 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Five hundred years later, Celtic descendants were still celebrating their 3-day Feast of the Dead. In the 14th century, Rome decreed November 2 would be known as All Souls Day and masses would be said for the departed who had not yet been admitted to heaven. In an effort to finally eradicate the ancient festival, October 31 was titled All Hallows Eve and installed on the Church calendar as a vigil of preparation for the 2-day religious observance. Christianity had absorbed Samhain, but the Celtic ceremony of honoring the dead – now fixed on October 31st and November 1st and 2nd instead of the final harvest full moon – remained. It was still an occasion for feasting and revelry. It was still the night when souls roved free. And it was still the time to seek answers on things unknown. Hollowed out turnips (which in Ireland are as big as pumpkins) were carved with fearsome faces, lit with candles, and placed in windows to scare away ghosts. People wore masquerades when
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out traveling to disguise themselves from creatures of the night. Youngsters went from house to house chanting for food for the poor in the name of Finn Mac Cuill, a tricky descendant of the Tuatha De Danaan. Meals featured the fruits of the late harvest. No Hallows Eve dinner was complete without a steaming bowl of potato-cabbage Colcannon, crowned with a deep puddle of melted golden butter. Baked into the fruity Barm Brack dessert cake were fortunetelling tokens: a button for the bachelor, a coin for the rich man, a wooden matchstick for the pauper, and a thimble for the spinster. And whoever found the cake’s hidden gold ring would certainly marry within the coming year! In memory of the departed, crisp wafers called ‘Soul Cakes’ were kept by the door in easy reach of hungry guests – both mortal and immortal. Revelers bobbed for apples in buckets of water and quenched their thirst with mugs of spiced cider. Casting a glance backward into a mirror might show the face of one’s future spouse. An egg white dropped in water could swirl into the initial of a someday betrothed’s name. Through the evening happy music from pipes and fiddles kept all but the friendliest spirits at bay. Finally at midnight, church bells began to toll. For the following two days candles burned bright in every home in memory of
all those who had gone before. Just as they always had during the Celtic festival of Samhain. Nearly eight hundred years on, All Hallows Eve is yet the night for magic, mystery and merry making. Ghosts haunt the imagination and trick-or-treaters go begging for goodies from door to door. Decorations have gone far beyond carved out turnips and become big business, with devotees of the night decorating their lawns, yards and homes even more lavishly – and definitely more ghoulishly – than Christmas. Costuming is limited only by the imagination, and parties spawned by this ancient Irish tradition now rival the revelry of Mardi Gras. In New Orleans, which like New York boasts a long history of Irish immigration, Anne Rice’s annual Vampire Ball is the stuff of legend. Author of Interview with a Vampire and several sequels collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice is Irish American to the core and her books continue the ‘undead tradition’ begun by Ireland’s own Bram Stoker. While costuming at the Ball runs the gamut of all that is weird and wonderful, I spotted more than a few leprechauns, banshees, and fairy folk among the guests the year I attended. My costume? A drop dead come hither vampire, of course. Pardon the pun. Sláinte! IA
RECIPES
Soul Cakes 1 3⁄4 1 ⁄4 1 ⁄2 1 8
cups oatmeal tsp baking powder tsp salt tbsp melted butter tsp hot water
Preheat oven to 350F. Pulverize 1 cup oatmeal in a blender. In a small bowl, combine ground oats, baking powder and salt. Stir in butter. Gradually add water to make a thick paste. Gather into a ball, place on a board lightly sprinkled with 1/4 cup oatmeal and roll around until completely covered with flakes. Spread another 1/4 cup of oatmeal on the board and flatten the ball into an 8-inch circle 1/4 inch thick. Cut in wedges and transfer to a pan covered with another 1/4 cup oatmeal. Bake 15 minutes. When wedges are light brown, turn off heat, open oven door and let sit in the oven for about 5 minutes until firm and crisp. Makes 8 Soul Cakes. (Personal recipe)
Hot Spiced Cider 2 quarts apple cider 2 cups fresh orange juice
2 tsp whole cloves cinnamon sticks thin half-round orange slices
Warm cider, orange juice and cloves in a stainless steel pot. Serve with orange slices and cinnamon stick stirrers. Makes 2 1/2 quarts. (Personal recipe)
Colcannon
4 large potatoes, boiled, drained and mashed with milk 1 small head of cabbage, minced and sauteed until tender 1 stick butter, melted
Mix mashed potatoes with minced cooked cabbage. Mound in a serving bowl and make a deep depression in the center. Pour melted butter in the depression. Serve immediately. Serves 4. (Personal recipe)
Traditional Barm Brack 13⁄4 13⁄4 33⁄4 1 4
cups raisins cups golden raisins cup dark brown sugar cup cold tea ounces candied citrus peel, minced
Grated rind of 1 orange tbsp melted butter eggs, lightly beaten cups flour tsp baking powder tsp pumpkin pie spice tsp cinnamon pinch of salt 5 fortune tokens, each wrapped in parchment paper (silver coin, non-plastic button, wooden matchstick, metal thimble, gold ring)
8 2 4 2 1 1 ⁄2
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan; line with waxed paper. In a saucepan, heat raisins and sugar with tea, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Cool. Sift dry ingredients together; set aside. Add candied peel and grated rind to the raisin tea mixture. Stir in butter and eggs. Gradually add dry ingredients. Combine well. Pour into prepared pan and hide the parchment wrapped fortune tokens deep in the batter. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a cake tester can be withdrawn dry. Makes 1 cake. (Classic Irish Recipes, Georgina Campbell) Variation: Use up to 1/2 cup whiskey to replace some of the tea.
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{crossword} By Darina Molloy
ACROSS
2 Where’s Waldo? Hiding under an alias in Ireland! (5) 4 See 11 down (5) 6 Latest church abuse report (6) 8 (& 20 across) Unusual behavior: it goes against ___(3) ______ (5) 10 ______ Island: connected to Cork mainland by Ireland’s only cable car (6) 11 (& 31 across) Gone With the Wind author (8) 12 See 3 down (7) 16 Irish freedom (7) 19 Minor prophet in Old Testament (4) 20 See 8 across (5) 21 See 25 down (7) 22 French without (4) 24 Male offspring (3) 27 Brian ______: captain of the Irish rugby team (9) 29 The golden touch (5) 31 See 11 across (8) 33 New buzz word in Ireland (9) 34 Good Wife locale (7) 36 ___ (4) of bacon 40 _____ City: Pete Hamill’s appropriately-titled new book (7) 42 ____ and flow (3) 43 Tipperary birthplace of Martin Sheen’s mother and site of his new movie (11) 44 _____ Valley: very historic part of County Meath (5)
DOWN
1 Just or solely (4) 3 (& 12 across) Lake in counties Westmeath, Meath and Cavan (5) 4 AKA ‘Whitey’ Bulger, he was arrested in June after years on the run (5) 5 (& 39 down) Apple head honcho who stepped down this year (5) 7 You’re only supposed to eat these in months with ‘r’ in them (7)
9 See 38 down (7) 11 (& 4 across, & 14 down) The man behind Knock Airport (9) 12 Gaelic harvest festival that was held to mark end of summer (7) 13 The Burren rock (9) 14 See 11 down (5) 15 This ‘lady’ left her mark on Caribbean and East Coast in August (5) 17 New documentary about Irish dancing (3) 18 Famine memorial ship in New Ross, Wexford (8) 23 New novel by Longford native & NYC resident Belinda McKeon (6) 25 (& 21 across) Derry co-winner of Glee Project part in the hit TV show (6) 26 See 32 down (4) 28 A zucchini by any other name ... (9)
Win a subscription to Irish America magazine Please send your completed crossword puzzle to Irish America, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10001, to arrive no later than October 15, 2011. A winner will be drawn from among all correct entries. If there are no correct solutions, the prize will be awarded for the completed puzzle which comes closest in the opinion of our staff. Winner’s name will be published along with the solution in our next issue. Xerox copies are acceptable. Winner of the August / September Crossword: Catherine K. Winger, Scranton, PA 104 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
30 Information technology (1,1) 32 (& 26 down) Emigrant paper in UK the latest publishing casualty (5) 35 You had me at ___ (5) 37 Beloved or expensive (4) 38 (& 9 down) Young Co. Down golfer who won U.S. Open in June (4) 39 See 5 down (4) 41 Tim Robbins movie:__ Roberts (3)
August / September Solution
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Those We Lost Hugh Carey 1919-2011
Former New York Governor Hugh Carey, who famously saved the state from the brink of financial ruin, passed away at his home on Shelter Island on August 7. He was 92. Carey, New York’s 51st governor, served for two terms from 1975-1982. During his first year in office, he immediately inherited the debt incurred during Governor Rockefeller’s four terms and the
deficits and troubles of the 1975-75 recession. The measures he took to save the city and the state from insolvency were not always popular, but they were undeniably effective. He raised taxes and transit fares, instituted tuitions at the city’s universities, negotiated with banks and the legislature, and helped reverse President Ford’s 1975 decision to deny New York much-needed extra funding. Hugh Leo Carey was born in Brooklyn, NY on April 11, 1919, one of five sons of Margaret and Denis Carey, both children of Irish immigrants. In later years, Carey featured prominently in the Irish American political scene. Along with Edward Kennedy, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Tip O’Neill, he was one of the “Four Horsemen,” a group that sought to block U.S. support for Irish republicans. Carey changed his opinion in later years and even backed the granting of a visa to Gerry Adams in 1994. Governor Carey was predeceased by his first wife, Helen Owen Twohy, and is survived by 11 children, 25 grandchildren and 6 great-grandclildren. – S.L.
Mike Flanagan 1951-2011
Mike Flanagan, former pitcher, general manager and broadcaster for the Baltimore Orioles, died at his home on August 24. The Maryland medical examiner deter106 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
mined that the cause was a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. A police investigation concluded that Flanagan, 59, had been upset about unspecified financial matters. A left-handed pitcher, Flanagan joined the Orioles in 1975, switching from Toronto to Baltimore. His best year was 1979, when he was awarded the Cy Young Award for his impessive 23 victories and 5 shut-outs. Flanagan spent many more seasons with the Orioles as both a pitching coach and a broadcaster. In 2003 he was appointed co-general manager, and then served as executive vice president from 2006-2008. Fittingly, he was a member of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame. Michael K. Flanagan was born in Manchester, NH on December 16, 1951. A talented athlete, he excelled in both baseball and basketball. It wasn’t until he was at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, that he decided to stick with the sport that would become his career. Flanagan is survived by his wife, Alex Flanagan, and three daughters, one of whom was among the first babies conceived via in-vitro fertilization in the United States, and the first to be born without a Cesarean section. – S.L.
Bernadine P. Healy 1944-2011
Dr. Bernadine Patricia Healy, the first woman to lead the National Institutes of Health, a former head of the Red Cross, and a pioneer in cardiology and women’s health, died on August 6th in her home in Gates Mills, Ohio. Sixty seven years-old, she had faced recurring brain tumors for 13 years. One of four sisters, Healey was born on August 2, 1944 in Queens, NY where her parents ran a small perfume factory. Raised Irish Catholic, Healey aspired to be a nun for some years, before switching her attention to medicine. After finishing college in three years she went on to Harvard medical school, graduating in 1970.
A pioneer from the earliest stages of her career, she was the first female assistant dean for postdoctoral studies at Johns Hopkins, where she became a full professor in 1982 and also directed the university’s cardiac care unit. In 1984, Healy joined the Reagan administration as deputy science advisor and then served as president of the American Heart Association before becoming head of the National Institutes of Health in 1991, where she founded the groundbreaking Women’s Health Initiative. In 1999 she took over as the president of the Red Cross, but resigned in 2001 amid controversy surrounding the organization’s response to 9/11: Healy’s move to reserve some of the donations received for future attacks was met with criticism, as donors and Congress questioned why all of the funds were not directed to relief efforts. Healy is survived by her husband, cardiac surgeon Dr. Floyd Loop, and two daughters. – S.L.
John Kelley 1930-2011
John Joseph Kelley, winner of nine national marathons and a member of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, died on August 21st in Connecticut. The cause, as reported by the New York Times, was melanoma. Kelley was born on Christmas Eve in 1930 and grew up in New London, CT. He began running competitively in high school and set a national record for the mile in his age group. In his junior year, he attempted to run his first Boston Marathon but had to stop halfway through due to difficulties with his knee. Undeterred, he went on to win second place in 1956 and was the champion of the 1957 race. He competed in the national championships in Yonkers, NY every year between 1956 and 1963, winning each time. Kelley was the victor of the 1959 Pan American Games marathon and traveled to the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. His personal record was 2:20:5. A graduate of Boston University, Kelley worked as an English teacher and track coach
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{those we lost} for many years in Groton, CT. In retirement, he contributed to magazines and books, sold sports equipment, drove a taxi, and kept running long after his competitive days were over. Kelley was predeceased by his wife, Jacintha Braga, in 2003. He is survived by their three daughters and eight grandchildren. – S.L
James T. Molloy 1936-2011
James T. Molloy, who ushered six presidents into the House of Representatives to deliver the State of the Union address by bellowing “Mr. Speaker, the president of
the United States!” died on July 19 in Rochester, New York. He was 75. Molloy was the 34th and last doorkeeper who held this position, which was created in 1789. He lost his job after the 1994 election when Republicans gained control of the House and eliminated the job. The duties of the doorkeeper, which included supervision of the House document room, the press gallery, the photography office and 400 employees, were redistributed in attempt to save money. The duty of introducing important figures was passed onto the sergeant of arms. In his youth, Molloy paid his way through Canisius College working at the Buffalo Fire Department until he graduated in 1958. A third-generation IrishAmerican, Molloy was honored with an Outstanding Citizen Award from the New York State AFL-CIO, the President’s Award from NY State Federation of Police, and the U.S. Senate Youth Alumni Association Outstanding Service Award. In 2006, he received a more personal honor when his local post office on South Park Avenue was renamed the James T. Molloy in 2006. – L.C. 108 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
Paddy Murphy 1941-2011
Paddy Murphy, whose persistence through a seven-year battle with a degenerative disease enabled a TV documentary on an Irish famine ship to be broadcast, has died. He was 70. Patrick Bernard Murphy was retired from a marketing career when he picked up the tale of the Irish famine ship Hannah sinking in 1849. He was a descendant of Bernard Murphy, Paddy Murphy who was saved from the icy his wife, Jane, and their water as a child. grandchildren. Paddy had MSA, Multiple System Atrophy, and raced His most widely recognized works against its progression to tell the story of includes Fauscailt (Co. Wexford, 1998), the sinking, in which many Irish immiCrann an Oir (outside the Central Bank in grants perished on the ice floes of the Dublin, 1991), and Anna Livia (widely Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada. known as the “floozie in the Jacuzzi”), Paddy’s research led to a documentary, which the city council controversially Famine and Shipwreck: An Irish Odyssey removed from Dublin’s O’Connell Street on BBC Northern Ireland and the CBC in in 2002, and has since been placed near Canada. An article in Irish America in Heuston Station. His most notable work in Aug./Sept. 2008 was a key link to getting the Americas is the Great Hunger the story told. The great-great-grandson Memorial in Ardsley, Westchester County, of William Marshall, the captain of the New York, completed in 2001. ship which saved Hannah passengers, Also an academic, painter, architect, and found the story on the Internet and conmusician, he taught at several universities nected with Murphy. It proved to be a throughout the United States and Europe vital link in getting the documentary and was scheduled to open a new exhibimade. tion of drawings in Dublin this September. “Paddy left us on the seventh day of Fellow artist Mick O’Dea remembered the seventh month of the seventh year of him in the Irish Times as “a maker, shaper, his illness,” said his wife Jane. “His four [and] lover of life,” and remarked, “his loving children were with him.” Daughter contribution to Irish artistic life has been Kathy Pugliese said her father was a man enormous.” O’Doherty leaves behind his who packed a full life into his 70 years. wife, Barbara, daughters Aisling, Medhan Murphy’s ashes were interred in and Rosie, and son, Eoin. – H.P Westport, Ontario on July 30 following a prayer vigil at the Mission on the Mountain, the site of the area’s first Roman Catholic Church. He was instrumental in getting the location designated a historical site. – John Kernaghan
Eamonn O’Doherty 1939-2011
Irish artist and sculptor Eamonn O’Doherty passed away in Gorey District Hospital, Co. Wexford on August 4, 2011 at the age of 72. Known primarily for his popular sculptures throughout Ireland and the United States, O’Doherty was born in Derry in 1939 and studied architecture at University College Dublin before continuing his studies on scholarship at Harvard University.
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{photo album} Family Pictures
Aunt Anna Falls y beautiful Aunt Anna Falls came to America from County Tyrone, circa 1925, at age 16. My mother, Liz Falls, who was ten years older, had been here for a few years and sent for her. There were thirteen Falls siblings, six sisters and seven brothers. All of the sisters came to the U.S., as did three of the brothers, around WWI. Anna was a waitress at Horn & Hartnet’s in Philadelphia, and married Mike Brassil from Tullough, County Clare in 1937. They lived in Abescon, New Jersey, where Mike worked as a milkman for Wilson’s Dairy for 40 years. Anna continued to work at DiLilullos Restaurant in Atlantic City for 25 years, until she retired. After her first baby died in childbirth she did not have any more children, but she was a fairy godmother to her 95 nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, whom she adored. With so much family, she was always on the phone, keeping in touch with all of them, both in the U.S. and Ireland. Anna Falls lived to be 91. – Sister Frances Patrice Kirk
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Mike Brassil and Anna Falls Brassil on their wedding day, 1937.
Flourtown, Pennsylvania Anna Falls on a day off with some friends.
1927: Anna Falls Brassil with nephews Stephen, Kevin and James Cassidy, and niece Hellin Falls Kirby.
Please send photographs along with your name, address, phone number, and a brief description, to Sheila Langan at Irish America, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10001. If photos are irreplaceable, then please send a good quality reproduction or e-mail the picture at 300 dpi resolution to submit@irishamerica.com. No photocopies, please. We will pay $65 for each submission that we select. 110 IRISH AMERICA OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
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