Saint Patrick’s Day Links
Carraig Airt, Co Donegal, Ireland
March 17, 2025
The most beautiful version of “Danny Boy”, Seamus Heaney, W.B. Yeats recited by Cillian Murphy, Collette Bryce, Scythian, In Their Thousands, Mick Flannery, Jim McCann sings “Grace”, Van Morrison sings “Carrickfergus”, Iarla Ó Lionáird & Steve Cooney
Phil and Jake chat with MBD about his beautiful book, My Father Left Me Ireland, and more on Manifesto! A Podcast
Roddy Doyle reads Maeve Brennan
Janille Stephens reviews Brian Doyle’s Mink River
The most beautiful version of “Danny Boy” (prayer for her), Seamus Heaney, W.B. Yeats recited by Cillian Murphy, Collette Bryce, Scythian, In Their Thousands, Mick Flannery, Jim McCann sings “Grace”, more Yeats by Dearbhla Molloy, the incomparable Dolores Keane, Van Morrison and The Chieftains Mary Black, Danny O, Róisín O, Iarla Ó Lionáird & Steve Cooney
A miscellany of some of my favorite Irish things for St. Patrick’s Day, including some Irish poetry and music. Enjoy!
Phil and Jake chat with MBD about his beautiful book, My Father Left Me Ireland, and more on Manifesto! A Podcast
Not surprisingly, this is one of my favorite episodes of one of my favorite podcasts. Michael Brendan Dougherty wrote a tender, beautiful book, My Father Left Me Ireland. In this episode, he talks about it, and more, with Phil Klay and Jacob Siegel on the always interesting Manifesto! A Podcast. One of the things that I love most about this podcast is that Klay and Siegel try to understand the manifestos and the art without demanding answers or pretending they have them. This particular episode is really wonderful. Please give it a listen.
Roddy Doyle reads Maeve Brennan
If you’ve never heard of Maeve Brennan, you’re in for a treat. She is one of the finest short story writers ever. In this episode of the New Yorker Fiction podcast, Roddy Doyle reads her short story, Christmas Eve, and discusses his relationship with her. Brennan’s short story collection, The Springs of Affection, is exquisite. I don’t understand why she doesn’t have a bigger following. The restraint of her finely tuned stories infuses them with a quiet intensity so that they linger long after the book is re-shelved. Every once in awhile there’s a Maeve Brennan revival. Let’s start one now.
Janille Stephens reviews Brian Doyle’s Mink River
I love this review by Janille. She admits right away that she didn’t want to like the book, all because “Brian Doyle makes goodness believable—profoundly believable, excruciatingly believable.” Read Janille’s review. Read Brian Doyle. You won’t regret it.
