The National Book Award for fiction for 2009 has gone to Irish author Colm McCann who lives in New York for his book "Let the Great World Spin." The book is set in New York in 1974 when a French tightrope walker Philippe Petit walked between the two towers of the Twin Towers, creating a massive publicity stunt.

"Finian’s Rainbow" is back for another run on Broadway. You are probably familiar with the songs – “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?,” “Look to the Rainbow” – but there is more to the show than meets the ear.

Did you know that most Irish people have never eaten corned beef and cabbage (it’s an American staple) and that Irish cooking has undergone an organic and locally sourced craze that – coupled with world class chef training - has led to it becoming one of the best dining destinations in Europe?

New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein announced his proposal to create a high school named in honor of the late Pulitzer Prize winning author Frank McCourt at a memorial service to celebrate McCourt’s life and work held at Symphony Space in upper Manhattan last week.

An unmistakably Irish memorial service was held in upper Manhattan on Tuesday night when the life and work of the incomparable Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Irish-American writer, was commemorated in story and song.

It seems appropriate that Ted Kennedy and Frank McCourt share the cover with “Finian’s Rainbow,” which is back for another run on Broadway. Its combination of immigrants’ quest for the American dream, political satire, beautiful lyrics, and social message is one that Ted and Frank would have identified with.

The ancient O'Maille or O'Malley name is said to be derived from the Gaelic words "maille" meaning gentle or smooth, and "maglios" meaning chieftain, which is fitting as the O'Malleys were once the chieftains of the baronies of Murrisk and Burrishoole in County Mayo.

Pultizer Prize winning Irish writer Frank McCourt will be given a Mass on Wednesday, August 19 in New York. McCourt would have celebrated his 79th birthday on that day.

Frank McCourt is back on the best-seller list thanks to the huge publicity surrounding his tragic death from cancer. Angela's Ashes debuted at number five in the paperback non-fiction section in The New York Times list on

The late, great Frank McCourt would abhor the idea of a statue of him being erected in his hometown of Limerick, according to his brother Malachy.

Been to Ireland lately and spent some time in the Shannon Region, or about to so? If you took some photos and have a favorite shot, why not enter the Shannon Development's photo competition and be in with a chance to win $1400!

Niall Burgess: Writing about his father’s death in 1985, Frank McCourt recalled a line by Emily Dickinson: “after great pain, a formal feeling comes.” It is a measure of the man that Frank’s memorial in New York last week was marked by no formality, but by music and celebration of his life.

A secret farewell to Frank McCourt last week drew a surprise guest — President Bill Clinton — who attended the event at the Manhattan Club in New York, sources tell IrishCentral.

Concern Worldwide US has been awarded a five-year, $41 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for mother-and-child health programs. The organization is headed up by chairman

The family of Frank McCourt, who passed away on July 19, has picked October 6 as the date when they will celebrate his life in his beloved New York.

Frank McCourt was born in Brooklyn on August 19, 1930, the eldest son of seven children. His father

While mourning the death of Irish author Frank McCourt on Sunday, his friends and relations were consoled by the knowledge that -- although taken too soon -- McCourt had lived a rich life and had achieved every goal he had set himself.

Author and raconteur Frank McCourt, in his autobiography, “has examined his ferocious childhood, walked around it, relived it, and with skill and care and generosity of heart, transformed it into a triumphant work of art,” writes Pete Hamill.

Family and friends of Frank McCourt gathered at his bedside while he was dying to give him a traditional Irish send-off, IrishCentral has learned. "It was a wonderful Irish farewell, full of love, humor and sadness; just like Frank," said one attendee.

Limerick City Council has opened a book of condolences for Frank McCourt, the man who put Limerick on the map. The 78-year-old’s memoir of growing up in Limerick won him a Pulitzer prize and worldwide acclaim - but not everyone in Limerick was impressed by his portrayal of the conditions in the Treaty City in the 1930s.

Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “Angela’s Ashes” has died. The celebrated Irish author was 78 and had recently been diagnosed with cancer. His wife Ellen daughter, Maggie, and granddaughter Chiara survive him.

Friends of the celebrated Irish writer Frank McCourt have been gathering at his bedside this past weekend to say their farewells. The author of "Angela's Ashes" is gravely ill in a Manhattan hospice watched over by his devoted wife Ellen and other family members.

With break-out Irish stars such as Saoirse Ronan and Elaine Cassidy popping on to the TV and movie scene, it looks as if the lack of Irish women in Hollywood is soon to be a thing of the past.

"Angela's Ashes" author Frank McCourt is facing a life-and-death battle with cancer, IrishCentral.com can reveal. Sources say that McCourt was hospitalized recently in New York for treatment. McCourt, who born in New York to Irish immigrant parents, shot to fame on the release of his memoir "Angela's Ashes."

From Dennis Lehane to Samantha Power, the best of the best Irish-American writers and Irish writers in America

  In an effort worthy of their mighty subject, the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York will stage a month-long festival of all 26 plays written by William Butler Yeats, the world’s most revered Irish poet. The Rep’s Yeats Project will begin previews on Wednesday, April

When our resident film critic picked her Top 10 Irish movies of all time, she provoked a storm of protest from many of our readers. So here, we let our readers have their pick.

Kelli O’Hara, who recently finished up a long run as Ensign Nellie Forbush in the current Broadway production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "South Pacific" to take maternity leave, talked to IrishCentral about her family history and heritage.

"Brotherhood," a stunning, 240-page book of photos, captures the heavily-Irish New York Fire Department in all its rugged, poignant suffering and glory. Pity Frank McCourt, who was drafted to write the introduction. His words are somehow supposed to stand alongside these extraordinary images.

"The Encyclopedia of Ireland" is being dubbed the most comprehensive book to date on Irish life, culture, and history, and leafing through its pages, it's hard to disagree. Arranged in alphabetical order, the Encyclopedia contains more than 5,000 essays written by nearly 1,000 contributors. A random sampling (under G) captures the wide range of topics covered in this impressive volume: "games, mediaeval," "Garinish" (a small island in Bantry Bay) and "George IV's footprints" (these are actual impressions in a granite boulder which mark the monarch's August 12, 1821 visit to Dublin, the first such peaceful visit by a British monarch in over 100 years).

Frank McCourt has written the Foreword to a new collection of essays (edited by Nell Casey) entitled "An Uncertain Inheritance: Writers on Caring for Family." "There are two great themes in this book: suffering and heroism. You'll be shocked by the honesty in these narratives, the mixed feelings we have when our parents - or family members in general -suddenly become so much of a burden that we have to change our lives," writes McCourt Among the 19 authors who contributed to this at times touching, at times disturbing volume are New York Times writer Sam Lipsyte, Jerome Groopman and Andrew Solomon.

Two of the most famous characters in recent Irish literary history have returned in a new book, actually two books. First, there is Frank McCourt, the longtime New York City high school teacher who exploded onto the literary scene with his Limerick coming-of-age memoir "Angela's Ashes" in 1997. Then there is Angela, Frank's mom.

Producing a list of 20 books which every Irish-American should read was both joyous and painful. The joy, obviously, came as we pored over the many volumes, revisiting the beautiful sentences, the haunted memories. The pain, however, was knowing that, inevitably, some brilliant books would have to be excluded.

Ever thought about Ireland just for a weekend? Well, now you can. Especially if you live in the Boston area. On May 2, 2005, American Airlines began scheduled flights from Logan to Shannon, and in so doing opened up a gateway to a myriad of leisure possibilities in the Shannon region: Clare, Galway, Limerick, Tipperary and Offaly.

NOW in its 16th year, the annual Bloomsday on Broadway festival on June 16 at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side has become one of the hottest tickets in the New York calendar. Celebrating both James Joyce and Ireland, it's a far cry from the other dried up celebrations of revered authors legendary watering hole McSorley's provides the ale, for example, and you never have to wait long to hear a song. Says festival host Isaiah Sheffer, "It's always a great deal of fun and a lot of work and we're just sending out the scripts now to the 93 readers who will take to the stage on Bloomsday.

FOR the first seven years of his life Irish actor Paul Ronan, father of current Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan, lived in Dublin's infamous Ballymun flats. Across town his wife Monica grew up in Crumlin, another working class suburb on the south side of the city.

Since both communities fostered a surprising level of local pride, it's no surprise they share the outlook and sensibility of people whose experiences have kept them grounded all their lives.

AS the Irish Repertory Theatre's most artistically successful season to date draws to a close, artistic director Charlotte Moore and producing director Ciaran O'Reilly won't be basking in all the well-deserved accolades. The final play of the Rep's season opens this week, and plans are already afoot to host their 20th anniversary celebration with cocktails, dinner and entertainment at the Pierre Hotel on June 9.

"Because its our 20th anniversary we're bringing a lot of our company members back to perform pieces from some of the hit shows we've had," says O'Reilly.

In her new book Being Catholic Now, activist Kerry Kennedy interviews 37 prominent Catholics (many of them Irish American) to discover what being Catholic means to this generation of followers. Kennedy tells CAHIR O'DOHERTY how her faith as a Catholic, which she learned as a child in the center of America's royal family, has carried her through all the heartbreak that have haunted the Kennedys over the years.

GROWING up in a house and family affected by great loss, it's no surprise to discover that for Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert Kennedy, her Catholicism has been a well of strength and solace for decades.

Frank McCourt's brother Malachy also keeps himself busy. His latest book is called "Malachy McCourt's History of Ireland." In it, McCourt puts his own spin on thousands of years of Irish history, from Fionn mac Cumaill to Bertie Ahern and Bono.

When Bill Watkins' first memoir "A Celtic Childhood" was released almost a decade ago, the world was awash in Frank McCourt-mania, so Watkins' book might have slipped under the radar, dismissed as "just another Irish memoir." But Watkins' book, about growing up in England and Ireland with a Welsh father and Irish mother, was infused with humor and poignancy. He has now written another memoir, entitled "The Once and Future Celt," which recounts time Bill spent in his early 20s with Romany Gypsies (including his efforts to woo a forbidden girl), as well as his efforts to find employment in Birmingham, England, and his father's decision to offer up some juicy family secrets.

Top 100 Irish America's Finest in Dance . Music . Acting

The Irish have had a long history in the entertainment business, from the days when actors Errol Flynn and James Cagney graced the silver screen, Gene Kelly danced his way into hearts, and crooner Bing Crosby brought joy to millions with his heavenly voice. So too, our Top 100 honorees, dancers, musicians, stars of stage and screen, light up our lives with their particular talent.

They have made us laugh, cry, sit spellbound in our seats, and gasp in awe at their enormous talent.