Irish Eclectic

By Brian McGowan In 1847, the “Gorta Mór,” or “Great Hunger,” entered its third year, ravishing the countryside of Ireland, destroying the one crop – potatoes – that the bulk of the Irish peasantry survived on. This crop failure, which

By Brian McGowan And you thought you knew all about Santa Claus, being familiar with New York City native Clement Clarke Moore’s memorable “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” a contribution solidly in the top five list of Christmas must-haves. You

By Brian McGowan A term often heard today is “The Irish Diaspora.” It refers to the roughly 70 million people living throughout the world today whose ancestors left Ireland over the past several centuries. Many groups, of course, have their

By Brian McGowan This Friday, Oct. 18 marks the fourth anniversary of the passing of eminent Irish-American scholar and prolific author Thomas Cahill. When Cahill, a Bronx native, died, he left behind an impressive body of work, including his most

By Brian McGowan Were the “Famine Irish” the lawless, illiterate and ignorant louts portrayed in popular media such as “The Gangs of New York?” Or do they deserve better treatment? They do, argues award-winning historian Tyler Anbinder. His fourth book,

By Brian McGowan Back to the New World for an interesting peek into our own revolution and the role that many Irish, born or descended, played in it. Given that we’re in the month of August, of special note is

By Brian McGowan June is a month that most often brings up tales of James Joyce and his master work, “Ulysses,” or treatment of ancient Celtic festivals, such as Mid-Summer Eve. Been there in these pages; done that! This month

By Brian McGowan In Irish lore and legend there is a strong belief in mystical powers bestowed upon some by virtue of their order of birth. Most prevalent of these is a role that blesses certain males who just happen