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Claire McGovern is a sustainable interior designer, art advisor and manufacturer, whose recent work uses Irish wool as its basis, a textile she has come to see as a 'miracle fiber' and after listening to this episode you'll think so too.Claire spent her formative years in a small enclave in south Dublin called Dartry, nestled between the more well-known suburbs of Milltown and Rathmines.  Perhaps it was under the shelter of these leafy idyllic suburban surroundings that she first developed her creative flair, and a passion for nature's sustainability on a fragile, threatened planet, or perhaps this evolved on America's 'Left Coast' during her years in San Francisco.  Either way, it is all reflected in her work and in her business.   Though she learned early that she, and her family, would not always be sheltered from life's harsher side,  she has persevered, always listening to the voice of entrepreneurship inside her,  always creating beauty for the rest of us to enjoy, as she draws on the many strands of a thing called 'soft power'.Claire likes to use the word 'trajectory' when she narrates her life, describing her various physical locales, or the steps of her career.  The word connotates propulsion and flight,  up off the ground, and is an apt one for Claire to adopt.   She used Dublin and her education to catapult her to the States, all the way to the other side of if, before, in the ways of the boomerang, turning back towards the east and New York.   And that eastward trajectory is not yet done.And in New York, she has taken motherhood, that big thing, in her stride along the way.  That particular flight path also has a way to go!======================================Links of Note for Claire:Rhyme StudioDonegal Yarns–the genuine DonegalKerry Wollen MillsCushendale Woolen MillsDartryBurning ManClaire in the Irish Times (June 19 2020)The poetry of Cecilia McGovern (Claire's mum!)======================================Thanks to Purple-Planet  for music, and to FreeSound for sound FX,  and music too.Learn more about Celtic Irish American Academy. Support their work by donating (in USD $, with tax exemption benefits) here: CIAA Scholastic.W: CenterPieceNY.com.  Ratings & reviews here.FaceBook/Twitter: @CenterPieceNY

We're taking a slightly different approach in this episode.   We've gathered some thoughts and memories of several centerpieces, but the centerpiece of their lives in New York was, for a few years,  a decade ago, a thing called 'The Computer Club'.The reason we are doing this now is because one of us, Paraic, had to leave the stage this month, and we've put together this episode in his honor.  We hope it will help us grieve.Have a listen.  If you do, you'll end up feeling connected to a time and a good place.  And to good people.============================================Links to accompany this episode:Death Notice for Paraic FeeneyVideo of Paraic Feeney's Funeral MassFrank Gordon: New York Daily News, Dec 10 2014StoryCorpsFather TedNew York Irish CenterPhotos & words, including the full unedited interview between Frank and Paraic============================================Thanks to Purple-Planet  for music, and to FreeSound for sound FX,  and music too.We didn't include our usual message for the  Celtic Irish American Academy in this episode, but you can learn more about them here. Support their work by donating (in USD $) here: CIAA Scholastic.W: CenterPieceNY.com.  Ratings & reviews here.FaceBook/Twitter: @CenterPieceNY

Martin Nutty, all 6 foot 4 inches of him,  burst onto the global Irish community scene in 2020 when he fetched up alongside the previously-minted local New York Irish community celebrity John Lee, to stand up the innovative Irish Stew podcast.    From the throes of the pandemic in 2020 to the current reemergence, he and John have roped in dozens of amazing members of the Global Irish Nation, and in doing so are helping to define it.  And Martin has the voice that is the envy of all male podcasters, one as deep as he stands tall.  (Now, John Lee's radio voice is not too shabby either!).  Together they make a dynamic duo.Martin didn't get into podcasting because it's the latest "thing".  It's the result of a long and unfinished search for meaning and connection.  It began, in his words–and Martin has more words in his vocabulary than you can shake a stick at–as an avocation, i.e. a serious hobby, to transmit his inner life out into world.   Blogging, writing about his father, was the initial broadcast channel, but this then progressed to audio and his podcast, The Nutty Chronicles.  From there it was on to 'the Stew'.  So what will our pensive podcaster explore next?  Wherever it is, we'll be tracking him.  =======================================Martin's Podcasts:Irish Stew Podcast (with a fine review) The Nutty ChroniclesSinger/Songwriter Rosa NuttyMore about Martin's Sister sister.What is a Gaeilgeoir?======================================Thanks to Purple-Planet  for music, and to FreeSound for sound FX,  and music too.Learn more about Celtic Irish American Academy. Support their work by donating (in USD $) here: CIAA Scholastic.W: CenterPieceNY.com.  Ratings & reviews here.FaceBook/Twitter: @CenterPieceNY

They say that diversity is being asked to the dance, while inclusion is being asked to dance, but belonging is hearing  your music play at the dance. To belong is a fundamental human need, but the road to true belonging continues to be a long one for many in the US. Shelley Ann Quilty-Lake, or simply Shelley, devotes her day, and her life as a lawyer, to those excluded from the dance, and to those who've made it into the dancehall but who aren't  allowed onto the dancefloor.  Discrimination, racism, and other -isms, are often deeply buried, but she skillfully teases them out to protect her clients.  And Shelley knows what it's like to be othered. Shelley is gay, unapologetically so, now, but that's neither here nor there, to use a common turn-of-phrase among the Irish, when you learn of the totality of the person she is.She was raised in the countryside of County Wexford in Ireland, where working with horses, and playing field-hockey (at which she excelled) brought her great joy. But even then, even there, her self-awareness was speaking in her ear,  first in the whisper of a gentle breeze, and  later, as she grew up and left to attend college in Dublin, in the howl of a more persistent, blustery Irish wind. Yet, it took being in America for Shelley to finally feel free enough to seek belonging.  This is the true essence of American freedom, the real pursuit of happiness, not the corrupt mé féin*  version in vogue in this country today.  There was a choice to be made, and Shelley describes this choice with exquisite eloquence.From there, it was a natural progression to being an advocate for any category of people that have been historically excluded.  Here the universe conspired to help her, when, out of necessity, she took a job as a paralegal, and witnessed how powerful the law can be in protecting the vulnerable.  She had truly found where she belongs. The Irish have a keen sense of justice, it should be one of their stereotypes, and Shelley embodies this entirely.    She is unapologetic in her beliefs, yet operates with kindness and fairness. It is her superpower.And like all Irish people, she loves being part of the community, which is evidenced by her leadership in several Irish community organizations.  We can safely say–knowing how well Shelley makes choices–that in whatever she is doing, she belongs.*Gaelic for 'myself', used here in a selfish, self-centered, context.==============================Links to accompany this episode:Meenan & Associates, LLCIrish Business Organization NYIABANYIAW&ATrinity College DublinShelley the field hockey 'keeper!Dublin Horse ShowSame-sex Marriage ReferendumShelley on Twitter: @ShellQL===============================Thanks to Purple-Planet and the group Sláinte, via freemusicarchive, for music, and to FreeSound for sound FX and music.Learn more about Celtic Irish American Academy. Support their work by donating (in USD $) here: CIAA Scholastic.W: CenterPieceNY.com.  Ratings & reviews here.FaceBook/Twitter: @CenterPieceNY

Breda Skeados is the middle child in a family of thirteen siblings from the rural West of Ireland, all born in a twenty-year period between the 30s and 50s. Ten survive to this day. Even during that time, in her hometown of Dunmore, County Galway, families of this size were on the wane.  In fact it was so remarkable, some smarty pants composed a rhyme to keep track of all their names in order, a rhyme still recited by children in the region to this day!  Breda was raised in a small house on a small farm, with no running water.  She remembers when electricity arrived, and their first family radio!   Her story could be taken right out of the pages of another tale of Irish childhood poverty, Angela's Ashes,  with its vivid description of a 'miserable Irish childhood'.  But it's not.Instead, it's a story of a family you almost feel you'd like to be a part of yourself.And there's an interesting segue to discuss the origins of New York's fabulous Irish Arts Center - and we're talking the Big Bang moment of the IAC's universe!And what's with her Greek name? Well, the answer to that is pretty straightforward, but you'll have to listen to find out.   And if you do that, you'll get to discover the really interesting adventures of Ms. Skeados.   Plus, you'll get to pronounce her name correctly too!==================================Links of note to accompany this episode:Religious of the Sacred Heart of MaryCivil Rights Movement in Northern IrelandIrish Arts Center=================================Thanks to Purple-Planet and the group Sláinte, of Tacoma, Washington, via freemusicarchive.org, for the music, and also to FreeSound for the sound FX and music !!Learn more about the work of our friends in Galway City, Ireland, at the Celtic Irish American Academy. You can support their work by donating (in USD $) here: CIAA ScholasticWebsite: CenterPieceNY.com.  Ratings and reviews here.FaceBook and Twitter: @CenterPieceNY

Sophie Colgan is one of the finest examples of strong leadership on the rise today among the young in the Irish community of New York.Upon first arrival in the Big Apple in 2013, Sophie Colgan picked up on the background noise of goodwill that benefits all Irish people who come here,  an almost universal feeling that has its origins in the aggregation of centuries of small and big contributions to community that the Irish have given this great city.   Sophie returned to Ireland to finish her college studies, but returned immediately after, in 2014.  She couldn't wait to get back.  She was in love with New York and, immersing herself in the Irish community, felt right at home with the traditions and history of the Irish in America.Her ambition for her role in her community was not to be a passenger.  As she says herself, "My sights were set on big things."  She represented New York at the world famous Rose of Tralee, and it is no surprise  she quickly found herself working for the prestigious American Irish Historical Society (AIHS) whose motto is: "That the World May Know." But to Sophie, community is about inclusion, not exclusion, and when she witnessed  some self-serving behaviors at her place of work, it did not sit well with her.   Even at great risk to her career and her residency in the US,  she felt compelled to speak out, because leadership doesn't hide when the going gets tough.  She suffered for her bravery, but has landed on her feet.   And Sophie's story is still unfolding. Her steely determination is not to be underestimated.Coming from a big, wonderful family, Sophie's parents left Ireland only to return when they got the chance, an increasing trend in the Irish Diaspora in recent decades. Thus, Sophie joins legions of young people with lovely Irish accents whose birth certificates indicate otherwise, just another colorful flavor in an ever-evolving Irish identity.Join us as we trace Sophie's life from her early return from Kent, in southern England, through her upbringing in County Down in Ireland, at the foot of the beautiful Mourne Mountains, to her impact on the New York Irish community and beyond.And by simply being who she is, and living her life accordingly, she is actively redefining and expanding the modern Irish American identity.And she's a great podcaster too!==========================Navigating New York, Sophie's excellent podcast!Dan Barry in the NY Times (by subscription).Solace HouseThe Mourne MountainsThe Rose of TraleeThe Good Friday AgreementFollow Sophie @colgan_sophie==========================Thanks to Purple-Planet and the group Sláinte, of Tacoma, Washington, via freemusicarchive.org, for the music, and also to FreeSound for the sound FX and music !Learn more about the work of our friends in Galway City, Ireland, at the Celtic Irish American Academy.Website; CenterPieceNY.com Ratings and reviews here.FaceBook and Twitter: @CenterPieceNY

We know County Galway in Ireland has it share of towns (and a city!), each with their own character and traditions, but Tuam–along the northern edge of the county–stands apart in its creative take on the world.It is no surprise that such a free-thinking place, with its vibrant music and theatre scene, should produce an adventurous young lady like Jacqueline Kealy, our centerpiece for this episode.In fact, Ireland produces more such women than most nations, and we'll explore that theme too in this episode. Raised in Tuam, Jacqueline left Ireland in the darker economic times before the Celtic Tiger. Part of a wave of outward migration from the island that we covered in a previous episode with Sean Benson, Jacqueline came to New York shortly after finishing her second-level education, almost on a whim, and immediately fell in love with the city.Already having stage acting on her resume in Tuam, and in her blood, this former undocumented immigrant, and now US citizen, connected quickly and seamlessly to the vibrant performing arts scene in the Irish community of the time.  Over the years she has strode the boards with the finest Irish theatre companies in New York, and mixed it up with the best actors and writers the community has produced, one of whom ended up her husband!And of late she can be seen on the silver screen of Amazon's streaming media.The eldest of seven sisters (yes seven, and no brothers!), Jacqueline's first stage was the platform of her wonderful family, and despite distance and time and challenges, they will always be there for each other.  This past year, unfortunately,  has tested their resilience as great tragedy has descended upon the Kealys of Tuam, mostly brought on by the the pandemic.  Even while reeling from the sudden impact of loss, though, Jacqueline retains the dignity and love of life, and gratitude, that her parents bestowed upon her.In this episode you will learn the correct pronunciation of the name 'Tuam', by the way, and you'll get a hint of its secret language!----------------------------------Here are some places mentioned in this episode:An Béal Bocht: The Poor MouthThe Irish Repertory TheatreIrish Arts CenterHere's a short documentary in three parts about the Tuam music scene called Music From Tuam Town: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3. Here's the movie in which Jacqueline currently stars:A Bend In The River (trailer).----------------------------------Thanks to Purple-Planet and the group Sláinte, of Tacoma, Washington, via freemusicarchive.org, for the music, and also to FreeSound for the sound FX ! Special mention too for the wonderful theme music of A Bend In The River  - Emer's Dream by Colm Mac Con Iomaire. Learn more about the work of our friends in Galway City, Ireland, at the Celtic Irish American Academy.Website; CenterPieceNY.com Ratings and reviews here.FaceBook/Twitter: @CenterPieceNY

So we're all podcasters nowadays, but what is podcasting but radio on demand ?  In this episode we hear the story of one of the great radio pioneers among New York's Irish community, who is still standing and still broadcasting after 50 years, who was plying his trade when it required serious work and investment to do so: studio time, air time and a lot more equipment than a bit of editing software, an Internet connection, and a microphone (or two). We refer of course to the legendary, the notorious, the amazing Adrian Flannelly. And Adrian is even more than that, he's also an innovator.  He brought news to the airwaves of the community, and then talk radio, with interviews, conversations... and opinions. He truly is the Godfather of Irish talk radio in New York. He became an influencer, when Instagram and Twitter were but a twinkle in the Internet's eye. The tables are turned, the mics are flipped, the interviewer becomes the interviewee.   The man who has spent a lifetime drawing out the stories of others, now has his own story drawn from him. Listen and learn of his origins in Ireland's County Mayo, his early years as a musician on the circuit in New York and of course his radio days.  Learn too of his family, his powerful political relatives in the Big Apple, and how he moved the dial for the community on immigration matters, and in honoring the victims of Ireland's Great Hunger, all from the platform of his beloved radio. And get a dose of his unique wit, to be taken only with a grain of salt! You can tune it to Adrian's world at IrishRadio.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to Purple-Planet and the group Sláinte, of Tacoma, Washington, via freemusicarchive.org, and Adrian himself, for the music, and also to FreeSound for the sound FX ! Learn more about the work of our friends in Galway City, Ireland, at the Celtic Irish American Academy. Website; CenterPieceNY.com Ratings and reviews here. FaceBook/Twitter: @CenterPieceNY

To kick off Season Two, host Paul Finnegan sat down with well-known Irish comedian, author, broadcaster,  MC and podcaster Colm O'Regan.   Of course, the marvels of the Internet allowed both chairs to be separated by the Atlantic Ocean.   The topic? This podcast itself, and podcasting in general.   Have a listen... and keep an ear out for the rattle of a cicada in the background now and then. Loads of energy after 17 years of dormancy!  You can find out more about Colm O'Regan on his website: colmoregan.com A thanks to Purple-Planet and the group Sláinte, of Tacoma, Washington, via freemusicarchive.org for the music.Learn more about the work of our friends in Galway City, Ireland, at the Celtic Irish American Academy. Website; CenterPieceNY.comFaceBook/Twitter: @CenterPieceNY

We have two guests this time around, young thirty-somethings and brothers, Peter and Bryan Fahy, originally from Salthill in Ireland's Galway City, who came to live in New York just only in the last ten years, but are in the States now for the long haul.But we also have a third guest: the City of The Tribes itself–we are taking a deep 'Blackrock' dive into Galway City, which also happens to be the hometown of Paul Finnegan, the presenter and producer of CenterPieceNY, so this one is close to home.  We investigate whether Galway lives up to being a city, despite a population size that pales in comparison to other great cities. So, is it a city?Is it diverse enough? Cosmopolitan enough?  Complex enough? Intense enough?You bet it is.Does it have undercurrents, and underbellies? Does it operate on many frequencies, some hidden, from deep local, to hinterland, to national, to international?Does Galway have the heartbeat of a city?You bet it does...But don't just take our word for it, let the Fahy brothers convince you!And as Peter and Bryan have discovered, Galway City is the perfect training ground for life in the big, big city of New York.==========A special thanks to our contributors for this episode: Lynda Tonery, of Riverside, in Galway, and founder and chief strategist at Treyeo. Maddison Rhoa, American author on the rise, who studied in Galway and then simply had to write a novel about it. You can learn more about Maddison, and read some of her writings, here. Vinny Warren, of Dun Na Mara, Renmore, Galway, and big-time advertising 'influencer'. AndA big thanks to Shattered Ego, via David Comer,  for these tracks:Winter, Big Boy, Kids and Who Cares.(Shattered Ego are now defunct, but there's always talk of a comeback tour!)And a couple of Shout Outs: St. Pats  Bar and Grill, in Manhattan - Peter Fahy's place.  Celtic Hair Design, in Maspeth, Queens.  -------------------------------------------------------------------For more info on our sponsor, and the work of Brian Fahy (aka Dad), visit Celtic Irish American Academy.Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CenterPieceNY.  Subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.  And kindly give us a rating, and a review there, or here.Thanks again to Purple Planet, for our intro/outro music, and then some. And FreeSound.org for some of those amazing sound effects.This concludes Season 1 of CenterPieceNY.  We'll be back soon, lots more great people and stories in the pipeline.  Sign up for updates so you don't miss out.   Don't stray too far!

Legalizing the Irish.In the days before Monday October 14th 1991, thousands converged on a post office in Merrifield, Virginia. They had come from throughout the United States and represented countries the world over. They all had one thing in common. They were undocumented immigrants, and by being there, at that post office in Virginia, at that time, they had a real shot at securing a green card, and coming out of the shadows in America.It was the very first running of the Diversity program, designed to give legal status to some citizens of countries adversely affected by a 1965 immigration law. Among the long list of countries that were to benefit from this program was Poland, Italy and... Ireland.The rules: applications had to arrive by mail at the State Department during a one week window, not before or after, starting 12.01AM on that fateful Monday. And green card winners were to be selected at random; it was a lottery. But there was a twist. Each person could submit as many applications as they could muster. The more submitted, the more likely to  be picked from the heap at the State Department. Many had painstakingly prepared hundreds, even thousands, of applications. There was no online, only paper forms, and pens, and envelopes, and stamps.And better to  get in early too, so the plan was to mail applications as close as possible to the door of the State Department in DC, i.e. at that mailbox at that post office in Virginia. Except a mailbox couldn't handle the deluge of paper that was about to land on it. Knowing this, postal workers at Merrifield had put large baskets in front of their facility.  Even then, it was at times chaotic, even dangerous, as the crowd surged forward, throwing envelopes over the heads of others into the baskets, in what resembled a ticker-tape parade.    Merrifield was also the culmination of a David vs Goliath struggle–to solve the problem of 50,000 Irish undocumented–for the Irish Immigration Reform Movement (IIRM), a group that started with young Irish activists in 1987 in Queens, New York.  And did they ever.  By 1990, the IIRM had become a national, powerful grassroots movement that lobbied for, and secured, 40% of all Diversity green cards for the Irish, 16,000 in number, in each of the program's first three years. It put a green card, basically, in the hand of any Irish person that wanted one.  This set-aside for the Irish came to be known as the Morrison Visas, after then Congressman Bruce Morrison.The IIRM had but one regret, the bounty was temporary. They foresaw it would soon be near impossible again for an Irish person to gain legal status in the US.  And so it is today.But Merrifield was a shining moment for a generation of Irish that never expected to have to leave its native shore, only to be treated as outcasts, in America of all places.Sean Benson, from Co. Kildare, the centerpiece of this episode, was one of these 80s Irish, joining the IIRM at the outset, playing a leading role in it, and being pivotal in the early years of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, the IIRM's social service wing. Hear Sean's telling of the IIRM's story, and of his life in the decades since.Further reading:Legalizing The IrishWashington PostLA TimesFor more info on our sponsor visit Celtic Irish American Academy.Facebook, Twitter @CenterPieceNY.  Ratings and reviews here.Thanks Purple Planet, for the music!

Dubliner Susan McKeown has made a career in music.  This is no small feat, and tells us she is an accomplished singer and innovative songwriter. And now, through the Cuala Foundation, she's become a social entrepreneur in the arts.  And when you add to the mix that she is also a mother who single-handedly raised her daughter, you're learning about someone who revels in taking on the world when the odds may not be in her favor. In short, she's a warrior.  A Celtic warrior.   With her dream of making great music, Susan arrived in New York in the early 1990s–landing in a city that could still hear the 1970s echoes of its own decline, a metropolis still awaiting the turnaround that has since restored it to former glories.  And make great music she did, connecting with kindred spirits on Manhattan's grungy Lower East Side, finding a home at the Sin-é café, an Irish hot-spot for great underground performances during this time.Building on her formative experiences in this historic patch along Manhattan's eastern flank, Susan has gone on to record many albums, and collaborate with many first-rate performers, on stage and in the studio.The Lower East Side is famous for its part in the story of America's melting pot, when large numbers of German, Italian, Jewish and Irish immigrants lived in close, crowded quarters.  This concoction of traditions has morphed into a fertile ground for a diverse creativity that lives on to this day.  So it was no surprise that Susan was influenced by much more than her beloved Irish heritage, and explains her extensive work with a Jewish klezmer group, which led to her winning a prestigious Grammy in 2007.    The early loss of her own mother shaped her, and her unique musical style.  Changes to music's business model, along with being a witness to mental ill-health in those she loved, has led her to implement new models of care for artists, through her most recent venture, the Cuala Foundation.And, of course, there's the motherhood thing, which has been central to her identity for the past two decades. She raised her daughter, and raised her well, in the turbulence of a performing artist's life on the road.  Step back and give that a moment's contemplation!For more info on just some of those mentioned in this episode, check out these links:Veronica DunneBernadette Devlin McAliskeySin-é CaféJeff BuckleyJohnny CunninghamCathie RyanKlezmaticsOn Holy Ground - trailerBarry ReynoldsFor more info on our sponsor visit Celtic Irish American Academy. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CenterPieceNY.  Subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.  And kindly give us a rating, and a review there, or here.Thanks to Purple Planet, for our intro/outro music.  And thanks to Susan McKeown for her music in this episode. 

Pat Lally is a Galwayman. He hails from the county in Ireland that is the second largest of that country's famed set of thirty two.  And that county is Galway. County Galway is named for Ireland's famous, most western city, Galway City, which sits on the shores of beautiful Galway Bay, itself famed in song, with the Aran Islands strung across its entrance like three precious emeralds in a necklace.  And on those weather-beaten islands, early settlers brought forth elaborate stone forts from the bare rocks.Galway City divides its county into two halves, and is a gateway to an area called Connemara, the outermost edge of Europe's shrinking Celtic fringe.   Lying to the west of the city, it is a rocky and mountainous region, of immense scenic beauty.  It is known as a Gaeltacht area, where the Irish language has been spoken on a daily basis for centuries, and whose inhabitants speak it with a blas–with a rich and distinct flavor, that is. To the east of Galway City is where Pat comes from.  Later episodes of this podcast will consider the wonders of the city but for this episode the focus is on that other side of the county, East Galway, as Pat's origin story. East Galway is the more fertile half.  Farming has always been a staple of the local economy, and the social order has long been associated with land, be it the Anglo-Irish or the native Irish Catholics.  And so it is that Pat was raised on a farm.  And even though Pat left Ireland for New York many years ago, he finds East Galway's history and traditions endlessly fascinating.  He is an authority and a storyteller for the region, before his time and since. In this episode you'll hear of everything from a pivotal battle that put an end to the last shred of resistance the Irish could muster against William of Orange in 1691, letting Gaelic Ireland fall into a long winter.  You'll hear of Pat's days in boarding school at a famous Galway school, the Galway sports world, and of nature in Galway, from the cuckoo to the foxhunts.  And then on to his life and family in New York, and the challenges to his faith, and of his leadership in New York's Galway Association. And just as everyone of a certain age in Dublin has their own personal U2 story, Pat, like many in Ireland in 1963, has one for President Kennedy!For more info on our two sponsors in this episode, check out the Celtic Irish American Academy and the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CenterPieceNY. Visit us at CenterPieceNY.com. Subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.  And kindly give us a rating, and a review.Thanks to Purple Planet, for the background music, and to Dr. Timothy O'Donnell and Sons for their rendition of The Galway Shawl, and also to FreeSound for the sound FX !

Few neighborhoods, if any,  in New York City have gone through as many upheavals over the last 60 years, as has Bushwick in Brooklyn.  For an area that covers a mere two and a half square miles, the sea-changes it has witnessed during this period, both economic and demographic, have been massive.  And its residents have lived through times of great urban peril. But Bushwick has remained a community.  How it has retained its distinct and unique identity through so much turmoil, is due in no small part to one man, laboring as he does in the fields of the Lord, a de facto missionary among peoples that are often 'othered', providing his neighborhood a link to the past, and a path to the future.  That man is Monsignor James Kelly, since 1960 a priest and pastor in Bushwick's St. Brigid's parish.   And that man is an Irishman, encapsulating the finest, less-heralded, stereotypes of his people.  He is compassionate, funny, welcoming, erudite and above all in his Irishness, the possessor of a keen sense of justice.  No doubt it was inevitable  that CenterPieceNY would at some point feature a Catholic priest.  But this priest, Fr. Jim Kelly, is special.  He is a natural-born priest, with a jolliness and a joie-de-vivre which sharply contradicts the world of hurt in which he moves, while at the same time complimenting his keen intellect.  The Gospel calls him only in the direction of social justice, and he follows it there.  When obstacles arise he overcomes them–not by beating them, but by joining them. When the criminal courts became adversarial to his charges, he became a lawyer and legally represented them; when the game switched to immigration court, he went there too; when languages became barriers between him and those in need, he learned them, and became fluent in them.  There are many that have benefitted from Fr. Kelly's help in the course of six decades, and he often rises to the level of sainthood among them.  He is continuously sought out, this Padre For The Poor.  They say if you want something done, give it to a busy person, and Fr. Kelly, in his 80s, will therefore always be at center of action in his Bushwick office. In the concrete whirlwind that is Bushwick, his mind often travels to his peaceful childhood home in Adare, County Limerick, in Ireland, and onto the playing fields where his beloved and indescribable game of hurling is played as if life itself depended on it. No wonder he quotes the line "the savage loves his native shore"  from The Irishman by James Orr. This episode was not taped in front of a live audience. Have a listen and you'll get it.  Learn of the Burning of Bushwick in 1977, and of Fr. Kelly’s adventures with the late Bishop Eammon Casey,  how St. Brigid's parish got its name, and lots more! Special thanks to siblings Richard and Princess at District 3 Youth and Adult Center, for helping me with my interview of Fr. Kelly, and for all their hard work. For more info on our two sponsors in this episode, check out the Celtic Irish American Academy and Sober St. Patrick's Day. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CenterPieceNY. Visit us at CenterPieceNY.com.  Subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.  And kindly give us a rating, and a review.Thanks to Purple Planet, for the music, and also to David Phillips for his rendition of Danny Boy!

Perhaps it came about from the confines of her upbringing, and the little say she had in decisions that greatly affected her life, but Peggy Cooney has a rebel's soul.  And as with all the rebellious, she has come to negotiate the world on her terms only. Peggy who has turned 90 years of age in the midst of our great pandemic, was raised in County Meath in Ireland.  Her county is often called Royal Meath, so-named, not for those who have sat on throne of England, but because, at Slane, it once held the ancient seat of the Gaelic High Kings of Ireland.Peggy spent her childhood in a village called Dunshaughlin, and if you harbor any hope of pronouncing it correctly you'll need to listen to her say it, as she unfolds the stories of her life.  She was happy there with her brother and sister, but along the way she found herself unwillingly in Tuam, County Galway, and later, again against her will, in the post-war ruins of the city of Coventry, in England. But America, now that choice was all Peggy's.Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CenterPieceNY or visit us at CenterPieceNY.com.   Be sure to subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.  And kindly give us a rating, and/or write a review.And thanks to Purple Planet, and the group Sláinte, of Tacoma, Washington, via freemusicarchive.org, for the music!  

John Houlihan is a native of Ringsend, a fishing village in Ireland,  absorbed long ago into the great city of Dublin, the nation's capital.  But Ringsend still retains its unique customs and traditions, and a flavor of a Dublin of a by-gone era, which John exemplifies. John came to America in 1970, and has made his home among the Italians of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.  John's working life in New York was mostly spent navigating its vast, and famous, 24-hour subway system as a train conductor–as good a place as any to keep a finger on the pulse of a town that never sleeps.  He witnessed much in his time in Kerryman Mike Quill's union, the Transit Workers of America, including a tragic Tuesday morning in September, in the year 2001.Listen to John as he tells his stories of his Dublin childhood, and of his adult life in New York, delivered  in one of Ireland's most unique accents. Learn of his passion and knowledge of sports, and of his singing community.  Hear tales of the many marathons he ran, and his dedicated admiration for a founder of the American Navy, Wexford man Commodore John Barry.  And you'll get to hear John's fine tenor voice too.Thanks to Purple Planet for the music, and to Donal O'Shaughnessy for the sample from his version of Dublin In The Rare Old Times.  And to John himself for his rendition of O Holy Night, perfect for the season that is in it.Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CenterPieceNY or visit us at CenterPieceNY.com.  Be sure to subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.  And kindly give us a rating, or write a review!

John McGurrin was a mere lad of twelve years when his family upped stakes in his native County Cavan, Ireland, and headed for New York, unlike many Irish immigrants who arrive on the shores of the United States as young, single adults. It was 1955 and he had his whole life ahead of him, a life that brought him and his family great tragedy and hardship in his adopted country, but also great opportunity and excitement. It's been a life where he's travelled the world over, and a life he continues to live to the fullest, sixty five years later.  It's been a life where he's helped many, of all backgrounds, in all sorts of difficulty, in his work and as a volunteer.  He has embraced the cultures of many lands, and yet his love for his own Irish culture is deep.  He is both outward looking, a cosmopolitan, but remains true in his heart to Ireland, a Hibernian.  Listen and learn the rhythm of John's life through his stories.And given the season that is in it, and following the year the world has had. we include a special message about self-care, from Rebecca Skedd, CEO of Solace House.Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CenterPieceNY or visit us at CenterPieceNY.com.  Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And thanks to Purple Planet, and the group Sláinte, of Tacoma, Washington, via freemusicarchive.org, for the music!  

Like many a man before him, Michael Doherty left his home in Ireland, and followed his brother to New York, in search of a steady wage.  What he hadn't figured on was the big down payment he'd have to pay to America soon after arriving in New York, to prove his commitment to his new country.  Within months of his arrival, Mike was drafted by the US military and packed off to Vietnam, where he served his tour of duty as a medic.  Almost a year later, with war behind him, he finally embarked on his American life, working hard and making lifelong friends every step of the way.  In time, he met the love of his life, his wife Kathleen.  A born storyteller, Mike's life has been full of adventure. And it hasn't always been easy; there was a life threatening illness and then, this year, the isolation of COVID. But Mike, with his signature chuckle and his ever-present cap, is a survivor and a winner, with lots of adventures left in him.  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CenterPieceNY or visit us at CenterPieceNY.com.  Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And thanks to Purple Planet for the music!!  

Our very first episode! Though still a teenager, Helen Ward left her small village in rural County Longford, Ireland, in 1960, to come to New York. Now a mother, a grandmother, and a widow, living in the traditionally Irish neighborhood of Woodside, Queens, she has led a full life, with its share of ups and downs, including one very traumatic family event. Learn of her tough upbringing in Ireland, finding her own voice in America, her sustaining faith, and dealing with the pandemic of 2020.  And after six decades in New York, she's still smiling! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @CenterPieceNY or visit us at CenterPieceNY.com.  Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And thanks to Purple Planet for the music!

We will be dropping our first couple of full episodes in the run up to Thanksgiving (that's before November 26th, for those of you who do not live Stateside). In episode 1, we'll be talking with Helen Ward, a great lady who came to New York in 1960, and who has led a remarkable life since. In episode 2, Mike Doherty, from South Armagh, tells of his service in Vietnam, his love for the US, and the many twists and turns on the road since he arrived in New York in 1963. In the meantime, you can listen to this introductory episode, where I chat with George Heslin of the New York Irish Center. It will give you a sense of what this podcast is all about. Twitter and Facebook: @CenterPieceNY Website: CenterPieceNY.com  Thanks to Purple-Planet for the music!