Irish Eclectic

By Brian McGowan Today’s heated discussion about immigrant hordes swamping our pristine shores should surprise no one. In a case of history repeating itself, the debate today closely echoes efforts during the 1800s to counter perceived threats to America’s future.

By Brian McGowan Growing up in an Irish Catholic American family, there were several “pilgrimage” sites my parents took us to each year. One was an East 90s boarding house where my grandfather, Frank McGowan, first lived when he came

By Brian McGowan A recent Saturday evening saw a sold-out crowd at the iconic Tarrytown Music Hall, welcoming the holiday spirit with an awesome performance by Irish-American band Cherish the Ladies in their annual “A Celtic Christmas” tribute. With a

By Brian McGowan In the last column, we considered what-ifs in Irish history. A recent vacation in Italy brought home another one. In planning this trip, I was anxious to draw out the connection between Ireland and Italy. My research

By Brian McGowan By any measure the greatest Irish hero is Cúchulainn (pronounced koo-HULL-en).  He is the mighty hero of the Irish epic, “Táin Bó Cúailnge,” translated into English as “The Cattle Raid of Cooley.” Son of the great Celtic

By Brian McGowan Who does not love a sea shanty? Pronounced “shan-tee,” it is a rhythmical work song sung by sailors at sea. While much of the work once performed by hand on sailing vessels has been replaced by machines

By Brian McGowan I mentioned, a few articles past, a film, “The Quiet Girl,” which is based on the novella “Foster,” by Irish author Claire Keegan. This brilliant film played for several weeks at Pleasantville’s Jacob Burns Film Center. To

By Brian McGowan Got here last night, it seems. Early on, we are out and about with a free day to explore the Republic of Ireland’s third largest city, population of 82,000 souls. Galway, which spans the River Corrib, is