Category Archives: ireland

QUEEN OF THE PLAZA by Peter Nolan Smith

March 17, 2022 – 7:46 am

St. Patrick’s Day promised to be another disaster for the Retail Collection of the Plaza Hotel. Hordes of green-clad spectators streamed down the escalator into the basement. Their eyes averted the luxury goods on offer, as their destination was the hotel’s public bathroom. Within the first hour I had given directions to the toilet over […]

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Roger Casement Martyr

April 16, 2021 – 11:49 am

Once a Knight of the British Empire Roger Casement was led to his death before a firing squad. His crime was treason. He had plotted to have weapons delivered to the IRA to fight against the English during WWI. The Germans had failed to supply the arms. A lover sold him out to the Brits. […]

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The Year Of The Crow

March 17, 2021 – 1:27 am

My grandmother traveled by ship from Ireland to Boston at the age of 14. One heel of her good shoes broke coming down the gangway. It was her welcome to America. Once on a visit up to Maine someone asked the year of her arrival and Nana responded, “The Year of the Crow.” None of […]

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Irish Ha-Ha

March 16, 2021 – 5:03 pm

An Irishman who goes on to a building site looking for a job and is told by the foreman that he will have to undertake a brief test. ‘Fine,’ says the Irishman. ‘OK then,’ says the foreman. ‘First up, can you tell me the difference between a joist and a girder?’ ‘That’s easy,’ the Irishman […]

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Big Jim Of Kerry

December 3, 2017 – 10:14 pm

Twenty years ago Big Jim Moore married a girl from Kerry. He spawned two daughters on the Emerald Isle. The other day he comes into the 169 wearing a skateboard cap. Big Jim commented on my cap. Classic Hibernian headwear. “Try it on.” The emcee of Sensei’s Skate Night did so. Irish to the marrow […]

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