PDX Hibernian Independent - 12 November 2026
More than an email. Less than a newspaper. Weekly newsletter of the Portland Hibernian Society. Delivered every Thursday morning.
Come for the readings. Stay for the craic.
Next week on November 19, the Portland Hibernian Society once again celebrates and salutes the Spirit of Ireland with public readings. Join us at Kells Restaurant on SW Second. No host dinner at Six P.M. Colleen Schultz’s homemade Guiness fudge brownie afterwards. Readings at Seven. If you would like to read, please let Ed Curtin know. Email Ed at curtine@peak.org.
Our big, beautiful book giveaway
Never let it be said that the Portland Hibernian Society does not practice what it preaches. Join us next Thursday and you can win one of thse books: Land by Maggie O’Farrell. The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhn. Sez I to Myself by Frank and Malachy McCourt. The Smuggler by Ronan Noone. How The Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill.
Speaking of reading
You might want to think about thanking whoever it was who inspired your love of reading. Your mom or dad? An older sibling? Teacher? Librarian? Buddy? According to a new report, any kind of reading could be responsible for improving your chances of beating Alzheimers. Regular reading has been linked to better thinking skills, mental well-being, and a lower risk of cognitive decline. You can read the report itself or a summary here. Our meeting next Thursday will be good for your mental health. Book clubs and shared reading offer social benefits for all ages, but this may be especially important for older adults.
Smuggler Two Review
If you missed The Smuggler four years ago, you don’t want to make the same mistake twice. It’s a one man show staged in TC O’Leary’s Pub on NE Alberta and performed by Tom O’Leary, proprietor of same who emigrated to Portland from Dublin just about decade ago. He’s excellent, according to this review by Krista Garber just posted at the Broadway World website. “You feel the weight he's carrying as he recounts his situation, often with dark humor. The small space makes the performance intimate, and as he wrestles with balancing morality against just getting by, you will, too.” There are just ten performances remaining. Click here to book your seat in the pub.
Banshees of Inisherin auteur returns with Wild Horse Nine
Martin McDonagh loves animals. Always has. Just ask Jenny, the unfortunate donkey in The Banshees of Inisherin. Sure, his furry friends don’t always make it to The End, but they were good while they lasted. His fifth feature-length film as director and writer, Wild Horse Nine, is no exception. Thus its title. Human members of the cast include John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey. Prediction: Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Actor (Malkovich) and Best Screenplay. The Academy announces finalists on the Third Thursday of January. Click here to read a review - Spy vs Spy - at the PHS website.
Liam Neeson and Catherine Corless, the Co. Galway woman who wouldn’t give up her search for answers.
When will we get to see Liam Neeson’s passion project?
Here’s the latest on the movie Liam Neeson has produced – The Lost Children of Tuam – based on one Irish woman’s effort to uncover the truth about the hundreds of small children who died at the St Mary’s mother and baby home near Galway between 1925 and 1961.
Happening Now. Dublin goes on double high alert as world leaders arrive
Ireland’s security systems are being tested once again. As if Trump’s appearance in Dublin and Doonbeg in September wasn’t enough, the State is now tasked with protecting some of Europe’s top leaders at the ninth summit of the European Political Community beginning today in Dublin. Fifty heads of state and and ten times as many staffers are expected to attend “This is the largest security operation An Garda Síochána has ever mounted,” reports Irish Central. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came to the party early, making his third visit to Ireland in 12 months. He thanked Taoiseach Micheal Martin for "unwavering support for our people, for Ukraine, for our defense." Is there a special relationship between Ireland and Ukraine? Seems like it.
Irish newspaper anoints “next Obama”
APOLOGIA - An item appeared in the PDX HI last Thursday that posed a question but never answered the darn thing. The Irish Independent ran a photo of one of the U.S. Senate winners in the midterms with this headline: ‘Next Barack Obama’ becomes new frontrunner for 2028 presidential race” Which successful US Senate candidate was pictured? Answer below.
Senator Jon Ossoff. Democrat of Georgia.
Cupla focal (A few words)
Thanks for reading this week’s PDX HI. Is there an interesting Irish-adjacent story I left out? A local event? Hit reply and let me know, please. As you may have noticed, we don’t sell ads. Nor do we receive any outside funding. Go raibh maith agat.