New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd will be honored with an honorary degree by the National University of Ireland Galway next week.
She will also be given a civic reception attended by Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny in Castlebar County Mayo, the county where her mother, Peggy Meenahan's, people, came from.
University College Galway will also host an evening with Maureen Dowd during which Ms Dowd will talk about her career.
Dowd, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is considered among the most influential columnists in America and has a worldwide audience.
Her father, Michael, emigrated from Clare in Ireland and was due to travel on the Titanic in 1912 but took a later ship after his mother begged him not to go. His wife, Peggy, was born in the USA of Irish parents.
Michael Dowd was a National Chairman of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and was an heroic police officer who was decorated for bravery.
Peggy Dowd was a strong Irish nationalist who took part in demonstrations outside the British Embassy after Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972.
Dowd's columns have been described as letters to her late mother, who friends say was "the source, the fountain of Maureen’s humor and her Irish sensibilities and her intellectual take."
Dowd covered the Obama visit to Ireland last year as well as Clinton’s first visit to Ireland which she described as “among the best days of his presidency.”
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Bythebay | Jul 02, 2012, 09:41 PM EDT
This is one of those stories that just keeps on going. It's up to repeat 4 now in early July. Easier and cheaper than looking for actual news.
mccannon | Jun 19, 2012, 06:52 PM EDT
She is a vile angry woman with no clue about American politics! Giving her an award is a joke!
pounder | Jun 19, 2012, 10:32 AM EDT
She's a twit.
johnshiel | Jun 19, 2012, 09:22 AM EDT
never realized what a nicely colored woman she is...
KatieMurphy | Jun 18, 2012, 11:07 PM EDT
Cheers.................. As for katieherk 's cooments, I'm confused, but mentioning the pope - she should mention "the pope who in 2009 UNexcommunciated a holoaust denier and is directly involved in the endless hidden molestation of children.
Bythebay | Jun 18, 2012, 08:17 PM EDT
Taoiseach Enda Kenny, not Prime Minister. Taoiseach = head of government.
katieherk | Jun 18, 2012, 06:08 PM EDT
Doesn't deserve it! She's against everything good in politics, with the Catholic Church and especially with the Pope! One of the greatest (sic) liberals!!
eiriamach | Jun 18, 2012, 01:15 PM EDT
Congratulations, Maureen! Well deserved!
turzovka | Jun 18, 2012, 09:35 AM EDT
If you set aside Maureen Dowd's unscrupulous and poorly reasoned attacks on the Catholic Church, the pope, and Catholic teachings then perhaps she deserves to be well recognized and awarded.
luxefaire | Jun 18, 2012, 09:34 AM EDT
Maureen Dowd is a hireling and a key part of the bush political machine....she should be ashamed of herself, and the damage her type have done to America.