They've Got the Whole World, In Their Hands

Two days shy of St. Patrick's Day, Irish America magazine announced its Global 100, a list of the most revered and influential Sons and Daughters of Erin. The launch party, held at the American Irish Historical Society, on Fifth Avenue, attracted celebs and power brokers alike, with attendees including Touched By an Angel actress Roma Downey, Survivor superproducer Mark Burnett, flame-haired Times columnist Maureen Dowd, author Mary Pat Kelly (whose new novel, Galway Bay, hits bookstores this month), New York Senator Charles Schumer and the prime minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen. (For the uninitiated, his official title is Taoiseach, pronounced tea-shok.) The publication also took the occasion to introduce Irish Central, a new clearing house on the web that's chock-full of news and information relating to the Emerald Isle. Even if you're not Irish, the site offers plenty of interesting fodder, including a list of the worst Irish accents in film (brace yourself Julia Roberts) and a story on the "secret life" of Maureen Dowd.

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