Mark O'Meara, golf's mister nice guy, is interviewed by John Kernaghan. Some men are defined by how they win, some by their bearing in defeat. For Mark O'Meara, golf's great grandson of Ireland, his composure on a day of personal loss but team triumph fleshes out a portrait of classical sportsman. The scene at the 17th green on the last day of the Ryder Cup competition at … [Read more...] about The Player
December 17, 1999
The Irish government announced on this day in 1999 that the state had purchased the 550 acre site of the Battle of the Boyne for £9 million. In 1690, forces under rival claimants to the English throne, Catholic King James and Protestant King William, met at the River Boyne near Drogheda and fought. The battle was won by William, ending James's quest to regain the crown and … [Read more...] about December 17, 1999
December 2, 1999
On this day in 1999, the Good Friday Agreement came into effect. Both British and Irish governments formally notified one another that the necessary arrangements and agreements would be met. This formal ceremony took place on this day at the headquarters for Department of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Affairs Minister David Andrews and Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter … [Read more...] about December 2, 1999
Our Jack
By Pete Hamill, Contributor
Pete Hamill writes on JFK Somewhere in the shadowy land between myth and history lies the domicile of John F. Kennedy. The first United States president of Irish-Catholic descent, Kennedy was a man of many faces: war hero, orator, lover, creator, and visionary. He had it all, and it was all taken away, but in the end he gained immortality. That day I was in Ireland, in the … [Read more...] about Our Jack
October 12, 1999
Former US Senator George Mitchell moves his make or break review of the Good Friday Agreement, which he helped work on, to London. Secretary of State Peter Mandelson also arrives in Northern Ireland on this day to meet with political leaders. The Good Friday Agreement and the Irish peace process continues to move forward in it's efforts. … [Read more...] about October 12, 1999