Intelligencer

A Welcome Return

One of the most pleasant aspects of the Glucksman Ireland House Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture last week honoring Bono and famed economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs was the presence of Lew Glucksman, who with his wife Loretta were the founders of Glucksman Ireland House at New York University.

Lew, a former Wall Street giant, has been in poor health recently and has resided mostly in Ireland where the couple retain a home.

However, he made it to the Ireland House event and received due tribute from those present. The difference Ireland House has made in the Irish American community in New York has been immense.

It is ironic that Glucksman, who is Jewish with no Irish ancestry, has been such an amazing benefactor. However, the former Smith Barney honcho became interested in Irish literature at a young age and has pursued his interest avidly all his life.

Certainly, he and Loretta make a great team.

In addition to Ireland House, the Glucksmans have obviously been huge supporters of the American Ireland Fund where Loretta serves as president, and have supported many good causes in Ireland as well. It was nice that the community got to pay tribute to Lew last week.

New McCourt Book

One of the interested guests at the Glucksman Ireland House event was the irrepressible Frank McCourt, fresh from a trip to England which he spent in the state room of the Queen Elizabeth II, the luxury ocean liner.

McCourt had been writer in residence at the swank Dorchester Hotel in London for some weeks, staying in the presidential suite, and had the same role on the QE2.

He was, as usual, very funny about his time at the top of the heap of British life. It was long way from the slums of Limerick, but if anyone can pull it off Frank can.

His new book Teacher Man is set to come out before Christmas and will focus on his years teaching in New York. It should make for some fascinating reading.

McCourt continues to draw audiences from all over the world, and he can hardly keep up with all the invitations he receives. Not a bad life for a man who was a struggling writer, actor and schoolteacher just a few short years ago.

George Will Do Harlem Movie

Also at the Ireland House event was Terry George, Oscar nominated director of Hotel Rwanda, the film released last year that had a profound impact on all who saw it.

Like McCourt George is an incredible story, coming here from Belfast as a young man with very little and a background in paramilitary activity which was a huge strike against him.

He has risen to the top on sheer ability and his work on Hotel Rwanda was an outstanding example of that. His next movie is a huge Hollywood production that will be set in Harlem during the 1950s and 1960s.

George is hoping to link up again with Don Cheadle, the Oscar-nominated star of Hotel Rwanda who has since become a committed voice for more aid to Africa.

George, who was also nominated for an Oscar for screenwriting the movie In the Name of the Father, is a former columnist for this newspaper where he used to write on contemporary music many years, ago before he was famous. His fame and success in Hollywood is richly deserved.

Edge for Kids

Of all the people at the Ireland House event, it was the Edge who attracted the most attention, for obvious reasons.

The U2 lead guitarist appeared at the reception beforehand and was mobbed by all those present, including the television crews.

Although he does not have the huge profile that Bono does on an issues such as Africa, it is clear that the Edge will establish his own charitable cause and legacy soon.

He is said to be extremely interested in helping sick children, not surprisingly as one of his own children suffered a serious illness. It is believed that the Edge has already commenced extensive charity work in this area.

Supreme Callahan?

Interesting to note that if Harriet Miers is not confirmed as the next Supreme Court justice, the position may go to another Irish American, Judge Consuelo Callahan, who is on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. She was named in several media reports as the runner up to Miers.

One commentator noted last week that Callahan represented a double whammy, both Irish and Hispanic connections, which may have made her attractive to President Bush.

However, conservatives note that both Democratic Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein approved of Callahan when she was nominated by the president and that may have doomed her in conservative eyes.

It seems there is a possibility that Callahan may yet be tapped, as the Miers nomination continues to run into trouble. However, Bush, no doubt, will expend even more political capitol on getting her on the court than any other nominee he has worked for so far.

Support for Tragedy

The Irish government sure is stepping up to the plate to aid the spate of natural disasters that have plagued the world in recent times.

On Tuesday the government announced it would donate €2 million towards the relief efforts dealing with the horrific effects of the earthquake in Pakistan, and another €1 million to assist efforts in Central America following the effects of Tropical Storm Stan.

Last month, of course, the Irish government donated €1 million to the American Red Cross to help cope with the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Katrina.