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Meryl Streep wants to further research her Irish roots

"I want more time in Ireland " says Oscar star

BUZZ BRADY

IrishCentral.com Showbiz Writer

Published Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 6:57 AM

Updated Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 11:40 AM

Meryl Streep is seeking to research her Irish great-grandmother and to spend more time in Ireland.

The acclaimed actress says that Grace Strain, her great-grandmother born 1865 in Donegal, is someone she wants to find out far more about.

Her daughter Grace is named after her Irish ancestor:

"I want more time in Ireland. I feel the need to do real scientific work on her ancestry,” she said.

She first became aware of her Irish connection when filming "Dancing at Lughnasa," the Hollywood adaptation of Brian Friel's stage play of the same name.

In that movie, she plays a Donegal-born older woman who is watching her life ebb by in a small Donegal backwater.

Streep went back to Donegal for a showing of the movie and talked about her ancestor who is from Creeslough, also home of Irish country and western star Daniel O'Donnell.

Her Irish roots are not far from where Matthew Broderick, whose grandfather hailed from the area, and Sarah Jessica Parker regularly vacation.

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Posted by corkkerry on Feb 10, 2010, 10:45 PM EST

It only makes sense that Ms. Streep is partly Irish!

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Posted by grandmaguns on Feb 10, 2010, 10:29 PM EST

Glad to hear that Meryl's family is from Count Donegal, but Daniel O'Donnell hails from Kincasslagh not Cresslough. His people lived down the road from my father.

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Posted by FastEddy on Feb 10, 2010, 07:40 PM EST

"Julie and Julia" is a winner, even if you don't like to cook.

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Posted by dessieglynn on Feb 10, 2010, 02:33 PM EST

my childhood home in dublin was a strain- built house.

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As the Irish people have a genuine sense of fun, Irish entertainment can be found in every town, village, city and county. One of the most popular forms is the festival, which is used to celebrate all sorts of occasions &emdash; everything from literary pursuits to a love of oysters. Here are a few highlights of entertainment in Ireland throughout the year: Londonderry boasts the biggest Halloween Festival in the world with around 30,000 celebrating the ancient Celtic New Year every October. Grab a dodgy mask and join the party! / The Belfast Festival at Queen’s is Ireland’s biggest International Festival and boasts an eclectic mix of music, talks, comedy, exhibitions and film. / The Galway Races, the Rose of Tralee Festival, Puck Fair in Killorglin, and the Oul’ Lammas Fair in Ballycastle are world famous and offer a great chance to enjoy Irish entertainment, life and laughs with the locals. / Food festivals are now a big draw in Ireland with local produce scoring high among international foodies. Head to the famous oyster festivals in Clarenbridge in Galway, or Hillsborough, County Down. / Tune in to a spot of music with the Open House Festival in Belfast, the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, or the Feile an Phobail in west Belfast. Or grab a pint and tap your feet to some cool tunes at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. / If you prefer your festivals small and intimate, try the harp festivals in Roscommon or the rough and ready horse and pony fairs from Cavan to Cork. Even today, the horses are priced in guineas, and bought and sold with a spit in the hand. / At the other end of the scale of entertainment in Ireland lies the Wexford Opera Festival with full-scale opera productions, concerts, recitals, talks, cabaret, fireworks, and, of course, parties. / For something a little different, try the Magnus Barelegs Festival in Downpatrick offering a slice of Viking life, or the Eagle Wing Festival in Groomsport, County Down, which celebrates Ireland’s cultural links with America. / Theater fans should head to Dublin for both the Dublin Theatre Festival and the excellent Dublin Fringe Festival, with wildly exciting performances taking place in fabulous venues. / Around March 17, the country turns a shade of green for a host of St Patrick’s Festivals. All over the country, from the Saint’s hallowed burial place in Downpatrick to the more carnival atmosphere of parades and exceptional fireworks in Dublin and Belfast. / Literary lovers should head to Dublin in June for the intriguing Bloomsday Festival, where fans of Joyce’s Gargantuan Ulysses dress up in traditional gear and scoff old Dublin food like “nutty gizzards” and “urine-soaked kidneys”. Alternatively, seek out the delights of the Aspects Literature Festival in Bangor in September, an annual celebration of Irish literature with lectures, discussion and music. But festivals are just one aspect of Irish entertainment—let's not forget about music! From impromptu sessions in your local bar to the thrilling beat of U2, Ireland has always been home to the best sounds of music. Ireland’s massive successes in the Irish entertainment world include some bands and artists you may have heard of…U2, The Corrs, Enya, Westlife, Snow Patrol, Ash, David Holmes, Van Morrison and The Thrills, to name just a few. Unique and distinctive, the harp holds a special place in Irish entertainment and has come to symbolize the harmony of people and music in Ireland. It’s the earliest musical instrument mentioned in Irish literature and has been used as an official emblem for Ireland since medieval times. Today, it’s on Irish passports and stamps. But there's more: Fleadhs, or festivals, are a major part of Irish entertainment as well as cultural life, and impromptu trad sessions have become the stuff of legend at West Belfast’s Feile an Phobail, the Galway Racing Festival or Kerry’s Puck Fair. Rock and dance music festivals are also big news with the Oxegen Festival, Tennents Vital Belfast and the Electric Picnic held in summer.

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Meryl Streep wants to further research her Irish roots

"I want more time in Ireland " says Oscar star

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