Tony Quinn Although he now calls Bay Ridge, Brooklyn home, Tony is originally from Newry Co. Down. Having worked for a numer of years in London in the late 1980's,Tony returned to Ireland to work and then attend college at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown near Belfast. He came to the United States five years ago to teach third level education and did so up until June of 2001, lecturing as an Assistant Professor at St John's University, Queens, New York, New York University Graduate School and the City University of New York, at Kingsborough Community College. Over the years he has written for several publications both here in the U.S. and in Ireland, and has only recently been appointed Editor of Irish Connections Magazine. This issue he laughs with Eddie Cahill of Friends fame and talks soccer with Tommy Smith.

Danny McCabe

A New Yorker of Irish, Australian and Sicilian descent, Danny McCabe's first American ancestors emigrated from Leitrim to Manhattan to escape the famine that swept Ireland in 1847. Born in Queens in 1979, Danny has studied at the State University of New York at Purchase, John Jay College and the State University at Buffalo. He now works at Independence Pass Productions under the guidance of studio owner and mentor Kit DeFever. The images featured in this issue were captured either on the morning of September 11th or the tumultuous days to follow. They are dedicated to the memory of all those who lost their lives on that day, and to those of us left behind, that we might be strong at heart in these uncertain times and never forget that morning our world was changed forever.

Sandra Rocha

Sandra received a bachelor of arts degree in painting and printmaking at Rhode Island College in 1999. Her work has been displayed at the Bannister Gallery of Rhode Island, and at the Rhode Island Higher Education Authority. In the summer of 2000, she worked with the Portuguese Consulate of New Bedford, Massachusetts in a project called Azores, A Window to the Past, where she created a series of paintings on site. Sandra recorded the building of whale boats as historical artifacts. She has also been involved in political activism over the years, having worked for the Urban League of Rhode Island, Rosie's Place of Boston, and the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This issue, Sandra investigates the vibrant Irish entertainment scene and presents us with her pick of events and information.

Jack Lyons

Though born in Cork in the early forties, Jack Lyons grew up in London before eventually settling back in his native Cork in 1968. As a teenager in London in the early sixties he befriended what was to become one of rock music's most explosive bands-- The Who, attending one of the earliest ever public performances of Pete Townsend and Rodger Daltrey. In the movie Quadrophenia, the character of Jimmy is based on Jack Lyons. He has also co-written a book on the band, The Who Concert File, documenting every single gig the band performed. Not only is the book a story of the development of the band themselves, but it proves also to be an important account of the music scene and trends in the Sixties. He lives in Cork city with his wife Maura and family and has worked as a postman for the past twenty years. He is a regular contributor of stories to various magazines.

Marie Dubarry

Marie started her career in Dublin as a member of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland and the Irish National Union of Journalists. In over thirty years in the U.S. she has gone from journalism and PR to being a small business owner, then licensed financial consultant. As a small business owner in Queens, NY, Marie won three business awards from New York City for being the first woman to buy a factory in Jamaica, NY, as part of the city's revitalization program. After she sold that business, Marie moved into the world of finance. Working for one of America's largest mutual fund companies, she obtained her Series 7, 6, 63 and insurance licenses and became a registered financial consultant. Today, Marie is on the move again. She is going back to Ireland and in this issue reflects on her past in the U.S. and her thoughts on 'going home.'