Authors

Niall O'Dowd

Niall is the Founder of IrishCentral as well as of Irish America Magazine and the Irish Voice Newspaper. He is also responsible for publishing IrishCentral.com community newspaper and The Irish Emigrant newspaper, in Boston.

He founded the Wall Street 50 awards, the Top 100 Irish Americans, the Business 100 and more recently the Top 50 Women in Business and the Irish Legal 100 awards.

Niall was awarded an honorary doctorate by University College Dublin for his work on the Irish peace process, which was a subject of a book, "Daring Diplomacy" and a PBS Special, "An Irish Voice."

Latest Stories

"Minstrel Boy" - The most-performed song in the world on St. Patrick’s Day

Joe Biden not Trump, proves the true strongman

Irish director Jim Sheridan will direct highly controversial docudrama about Lockerbie bombing

Kate Hickey

Kate Hickey is the CEO at Irish Studio, overseeing IrishCentral, Ireland of the Welcomes and British Heritage Travel, along with The IrishCentral Box and Irish Heritage Tree. 

She joined IrishCentral as Editor in 2010 while living in New York. In 2015 she returned to her hometown of Dublin, expanding IrishCentral's base into Ireland. She now works from the Irish Studio Dublin office. 

In 2010 Kate moved to New York having worked in various online and print publications such as The Irish Independent, The Irish Times, and New York Arts among others. Kate has also worked as a Spokesperson for the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform.

Latest Stories

Ireland's Travel Secrets: The Great Sugar Loaf in Co Wicklow

The deadly Irish American serial killer nurse Jolly Jane

On This Day: Iconic Irish actor David Kelly dies in 2012

Kerry O'Shea

New York Editor Kerry O'Shea, previously the Assistant Editor at IrishCentral, returned to the website in 2018 after roles at NBCUniversal, SiriusXM, and Hearst Digital Media.

The daughter of a Kerryman and an Irish American, Kerry grew up in New Jersey and visits Ireland annually.

She holds a degree in English and Writing from Marist College in New York.

Latest Stories

WATCH: Taoiseach says in Washington, DC that Gaza ceasefire is "well overdue"

TUNE IN: Biden to address Friends of Ireland luncheon in Washington, DC today

Ireland's Taoiseach to meet with US President and Vice President in Washington, DC today

Shane O'Brien

Shane O'Brien is a journalist at IrishCentral. Shane studied journalism at DIT for four years before moving to New York in 2019. He started working with IrishCentral on his return to Ireland in January 2020 and has worked on a number of issues affecting the Irish American community. 

Latest Stories

Irish giant folklore might be explained by genetic study

Co Kerry "hat-trick" as Dingle Crystal crafts Shamrock Ceremony bowl for third year

Queens turns green for St. Pat's for All Parade

Catherine Devane

Catherine Devane is a copywriter/journalist with IrishCentral. Her bylines have appeared in national and local print publications and she has also been a contributor for radio stations. Coming from Dingle in County Kerry, she has a love for the Irish culture, heritage, and scenery. Catherine holds a BA. in journalism from the Technological University Dublin.

Latest Stories

Happy birthday Kenneth Branagh! Northern Irish director born on this day

When a farmer discovered an ancient Bronze Age tomb on Dingle Peninsula

Ireland to Wales camino set to become leading pilgrimage route in Europe

Cahir O'Doherty

Cahir O'Doherty is Arts Editor, Features and Travel Writer for The Irish Voice, Irish America magazine and IrishCentral.com. He has reported on the culture, politics and heritage of Irish America for over a decade.

In 2015 Cahir was awarded Silver Blogger of the Year award at Ireland's Digital Media Awards and is seen/heard on RTE, Sirius, Newstalk, Today FM, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Ulster, The Public Theatre, The New York Irish Center, Irish America Magazine, The New York Post.

Cahir is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Ulster. 

Latest Stories

US leprechauns versus Irish fairies - a St. Patrick’s Day death match

On This Day: Nelson’s Pillar in Dublin was blown up in 1966

WATCH: Peter Lennon’s 1968 documentary examines Ireland during a transformative decade

Debbie McGoldrick

Debbie McGoldrick is Senior Editor of the Irish Voice newspaper, where she has worked since 1991.

Her writings cover politics, immigration and community issues. She is also the editor of the Voice’s annual Irish Legal 100 and Irish Education 100 issues.

Latest Stories

NY Governor Kathy Hochul’s Irish pride

Pierce Brosnan says "you'll have a laugh" with his new flick "The Out-Laws"

Bono's artwork raises funds for Ukraine President Zelenksy's UNITED24

Ciaran Tierney

A former newspaper journalist, Ciaran was a staff reporter with the Connacht Tribune group in Galway for over 22 years. He has regularly contributed to The Irish Times and Hot Press magazine, as well as a number of travel and political publications. Ciaran has a keen interest in Irish culture, music, politics, and travel, and is seeking new challenges in the digital age.

Latest Stories

A local's guide to ten of Galway's best-kept secrets

US family proves you can make a successful move to Ireland

First transatlantic flight ended with a crash-landing in a Galway bog

Larry Kirwan

Larry Kirwan was the leader of the Irish political rock band Black 47 for 25 years during which the band played 2,500 gigs, released 16 albums, appeared on Leno, Letterman, O’Brien, Fallon and every major US TV show.

A playwright and novelist, an Irish Echo columnist and a celebrity host/producer of Celtic Crush on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, he has written 16 plays and musicals, three novels, a memoir, and A History of Irish Music.

His musical, Paradise Square, recently ran for ten weeks and was twice extended at Berkeley Rep. His latest novel, "A Raving Autumn," will be published in Spring 2020 by Cornell University Press. He is currently completing two new musicals, IRAQ, and The Catacombs (the life and times of Brendan Behan).

Latest Stories

On This Day: Irish dramatist Sean O'Casey dies in 1964

Mixing the sacred and the profane - Larry Kirwan remembers Shay Healy

Larry Kirwan sums up Black 47's legendary career

John Spain

John is a veteran Dublin journalist who has worked in senior editorial positions in national newspapers in Ireland for 40 years. He has been writing his weekly Ireland Calling column for the Irish Voice newspaper in New York since its foundation. The column now also appears on IrishCentral.

A graduate in Economics and Politics from Trinity College Dublin, John started his career in the early 1970s in the Irish Press, where he worked in News and Features and was Assistant Editor of the paper for over ten years.  He joined the Irish Independent group in 1987 and worked in News and News Analysis and as an editorial writer. He also worked as Features Editor and Supplements Editor, developing new sections for the paper like the Weekend magazine and starting the educational supplements which are now a regular part of Irish newspapers.

Now semi-retired, in recent years he has been Literary Editor of the Irish Independent. When his now adult children ask him why he doesn't write books he points out that his weekly Irish Voice column has been running for 29 years and that adds up to a small library!

Latest Stories

Last call from "Ireland Calling" - John Spain's final column after 34 years

Climate change among burning problems in Ireland’s future

President Higgins was wrong to refuse invite to partition event

Dermot McEvoy

Dermot McEvoy was born in Dublin in 1950. For 25 years he was an editor/writer for Publishers Weekly magazine.

He is the author of five books including the novels "The 13th Apostle: A Novel of Michael Collins and the Irish Uprising," "Terrible Angel: A Novel of Michael Collins in New York," "Our Lady of Greenwich Village," and two nonfiction works: "Irish Miscellany" and "The Little Book of Irish Wisdom."

He lives in Jersey City, NJ.

Latest Stories

On This Day: George Brent, the Irish rebel turned Hollywood star, was born in 1904

Irish songs that celebrate when Nelson’s Pillar was blown up

A step-by-step guided tour of Micheal Collins’ Dublin

Tom Deignan

Tom Deignan is the author of "Irish Americans: Coming to America" (Barron’s) and served as a contributing writer for the book "Irish American Chronicle" (Publications International Ltd.).

He writes the weekly Sidewalks column for the Irish Voice newspaper and contributes a monthly Op Ed column to the Newark Star Ledger.

His writing has appeared in newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post and Irish Independent, and magazines such as Commonweal, America, Publisher's Weekly and Irish America. Currently an English teacher in Brooklyn, Deignan has taught history, cinema and English at CUNY, St. John’s University and Bowling Green State University.

Born in Staten Island, he lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children. He is currently working on a novel set in Brooklyn on the eve of World War II.

Latest Stories

First through Ellis island - Annie Moore’s tough and tragic life

On This Day: Playwright Eugene O'Neill passed away in 1953

The Thanksgiving tradition of Ragamuffin Day in Irish neighborhoods

Cormac MacConnell

Cormac MacConnell is a veteran writer and journalist. His much loved column, about his life in County Clare and observations about Irish life, has appeared in the Irish Voice for close to 30 years.

Latest Stories

Everything you know about the St. Patrick's Day shamrock is a lie

On This Day: Larry Cunningham, Irish country music singer, is born in 1938

A history in Ireland's dry stone walls

Nick Bramhill

Nick Bramhill lives in Greystones, County Wicklow, where he is married with four young children. Bramhill has extensive national newspaper experience in Ireland and has been working full-time as a freelance journalist since 2010.

Latest Stories

Ireland’s haunted triangle is the spookiest place on earth, says ghost hunter

Irish nurses resorting to "Sugar Daddies" due to cost of living crisis

Irish girl needs $500k funds before Christmas for life-saving cancer treatment in the US

Paddy Clancy

Paddy Clancy has spent a lifetime in journalism, having worked for Irish and British national newspapers and is a former presenter of “It Says In The Papers” on RTE radio.

He has contributed to IrishCentral's sister publication, the Irish Voice, for a decade and now lives in Donegal where he continues to freelance for a variety of papers.

Latest Stories

Calling time on a great career in journalism, 62 years on

UK public opposes amnesty for Troubles-era crimes

Irish government to review RTÉ in wake of Tubridy payment scandal

Andrea M. Meek

Andrea M. Meek is the Senior Weekend Editor for IrishCentral. She was a contributing theater and film reviewer for Show Business Weekly and has also worked for Niche Media and American Media, Inc.  

Previously based in New York, she now resides in the New Orleans area.

Latest Stories

These Christmas songs should not be listened to while driving, according to new research

Four hotels in Ireland have been named among Europe’s top resorts

Colm Meaney stars as Santa Claus in charming Christmas ad