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1 week ago | 
irishecho.com | Jilleen Barrett |Kevin Holohan |Jay Mwamba |Daniel Neely
Tim Collins is not only a gentleman and a scholar, he’s also one of the finest concertina players in traditional music. And, he’s just out with a brand new solo album called “Weaving the Tune” that’s only been 21 years in the making! Fortunately, I’ve had it in the media yoke all week and can report that it’s been worth the wait.
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2 weeks ago | 
irishecho.com | Jim Mulvaney |P.J. Cunningham |Daniel Neely
I know I write this every time, but releases from the Ireland-based record label Raelach all seem to carry a sort of imprimatur that confers upon them the assurance of finest quality. Over the years, they’ve put out important and excellent recordings by the likes of Tony Linnane, James Cullinan, Noel Hill, Diarmuid Ó Meachair, the group Keane, Connolly, McGorman and Tony MacMahon, just to name a few, and they never disappoint.
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3 weeks ago | 
irishecho.com | Daniel Neely |Jay Mwamba
Walsh Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador News June 05, 2025 by Irish Echo Staff Photo of the Day: As expected, Edward Walsh has been confirmed as the new United States Ambassador to Ireland. Walsh cleared the last hurdle Wednesday evening when the Senate voted 57 to 38 in favor of the New Jersey businessman. Eight Democrats joined Republicans in confirming Mr. Walsh who, it is expected, will soon take up residence in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
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3 weeks ago | 
irishecho.com | Daniel Neely |Jay Mwamba |Ray O'Hanlon
Stalwarts of Belfast Irish language youth club Glór na Móna have arrived in New York ahead of a fundraiser tonight for their new build plans. The Irish Echo is among sponsors of the event which has also garnered support from prominent Irish speakers in the Big Apple.
On arrival, the Gaeilge group met up with leaders of the International Longshoremen's Association, the dockers' union driving a $600,000 appeal towards costs of a new hall at the group's West Belfast base.
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1 month ago | 
irishecho.com | P.J. Cunningham |Daniel Neely
It's fair to say that soccer fans in the U.S. and around the world are looking forward to the World Cup next year.
The 2026 competition will be the 23rd such gathering and it will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. This is the first time that there will be three host countries.
The tournament will feature 48 teams - up from the previous 32 - and will run from June 11 to July 19.
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1 month ago | 
irishecho.com | Gerry Adams |Anthony Neeson |Ray O'Hanlon |Daniel Neely
A couple weeks back, I led an event at the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany called “An All Ireland Affair: The Music of the Famous Flanagan Brothers.” Joined by Diarmuid Ó Meachair (melodeon) and Brendan Dolan (piano), the evening combined an in-depth lecture about the history of the Flanagan’s recordings with a live performance of their music.
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1 month ago | 
irishecho.com | P.J. Cunningham |Daniel Neely |Margaret Johnson
Rhubarb only makes a brief appearance in spring, from as early as March in Ireland to as late as May in other areas where it’s grown. It’s here in the northeast U.S. where I live, so I’m grabbing bunches of it to use now and to freeze for later when I want a taste of spring. Because of its tart, bitter flavor, rhubarb is generally paired with a sweet fruit — strawberries and raspberries among the most popular — to balance the flavor.
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1 month ago | 
irishecho.com | P.J. Cunningham |Daniel Neely
The news that former president Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer is indeed sad.
But in a health care system that is very much top down at least Biden can be assured of first rate care and treatment. This is not the case for all Americans.
Granted, the standard of medical science in the United States is unmatched. If you have a life threatening condition this is a good place to be. That's assuming you have health coverage.
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1 month ago | 
irishecho.com | Anthony Neeson |P.J. Cunningham |Daniel Neely
This year, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s annual Mid-Atlantic Fleadh (https://ccemidatlantic.com/) took place April 25-27 at the Crowne Plaza Princeton, N.J., Conference Center. Co-chaired by Mid-Atlantic Regional Chair Annmarie Acosta Williams and North American Provincial Chair Frankie McCormick, the Mid-Atlantic Fleadh is a qualifying event for the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Ireland, where young folks go to compete for the vaunted “All-Ireland” title on their respective instruments.
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1 month ago | 
irishecho.com | Ray O'Hanlon |Jay Mwamba |Daniel Neely |Geoffrey Cobb
Ironically, the artist who best captured the subtle and ephemeral beauty of the West of Ireland was an outsider. Belfast-born Paul Henry painted canvases that are regarded as the best canvases ever painted of the region. No artist influenced Irish and international perceptions of rural traditional life and the landscape more than he did. Earlier artists had painted Irish landscapes, but these scenes looked like paintings in England or France.
