Why is it called Angela's Ashes?

because whenever she would get upset she would stare into the ashes in the fireplace

Supposedly (according to people who have had him come to their college, seen interviews, etc), the titles of his first two books came about because he originally set out to write the story of his (and his family's) life up to the part where he and his brothers dealt with their mother's ashes. But during the writing of it, the book became too long, and so at his publisher's recommendation, he ended it where he did. The original book was going to be called Angela's Ashes and so he went ahead with that title.

The continuation of the original story became his second book 'Tis. But he admits that it would have made more sense to have called the first book 'Tis and the second book Angela's Ashes.

http://thevenusproject.com
http://thezeitgeistmovement.com