Irish Eclectic

By Brian McGowan It has been said that the greatest victory the Irish achieved in their long journey to nationhood was not on a battlefield but rather in their conquest of a foreign language that had been forced upon them

By Brian McGowan It’s been a while since we visited the Celtic calendar. Time for a refresher on where we currently stand within it. May 1, just recently past, marked the feast of Beltaine, one of the four major Celtic

One truism of the virtual eradication of Ireland’s native tongue – a tragedy, given its beauty and eloquence – is that it gave the Irish another language to conquer. Conquer English they did, whether in Ireland or in any land

Quite soon, or thereafter – depending upon when the presses roll – we will close the books on our first full-fledged celebration of Saint Patrick since the COVID-19 pandemic fell upon us two years ago.  We will firmly sink a

By Brian McGowan More than a few things bond Ireland and Scotland, as more than a few articles in this column have suggested. A common indigenous tongue, a fierce sense of pride, dedication to the memory of a dethroned Stuart

By Brian McGowan Everyone knows the greatest parade in the world is New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. While unfortunately a casualty of COVID-19 restrictions for the past two years, New York’s annual homage to Ireland’s patron saint, and

By Brian McGowan Ireland, long the most Catholic of countries, retains more than a trace of practices from times past. These are often revealed throughout the year on the occasion of Christian celebrations lightly pasted on top of earlier, pagan

By Brian McGowan Celebrating the slow but steady progress on the road to post-COVID normalcy, my wife and I happily sat through Kenneth Branagh’s semiautobiographical film “Belfast” on a recent Friday night at the Jacob Burns Film Center.  Astounding is

By Brian McGowan A brief mention was made in the last issue of the passing of Paddy Moloney, co-founder and lead composer and arranger for the Irish musical group The Chieftains, along with a promise to do Paddy more justice