"Ireland wasn't as wealthy as it is today. But there was always a culture of giving back, and that’s something that was ingrained in me from the time I was a kid.” - Ronan Ryan Happy Christmas to all our readers receiving this issue in the mail, it should be arriving in your mailboxes just in time. And congratulations to all our Wall Street 50 honorees who we will be … [Read more...] about The First Word: ‘Tis the Season of Giving
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Historic Times in Ireland
Irish America's publisher Niall O'Dowd wrote the following column on the occasion of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement on April 5, 1998. Every once in a lifetime or so comes an opportunity to reflect on truly historic news which affects all Irish Americans of whatever class or creed. The peace agreement signed in Northern Ireland on Good Friday after much burning of the … [Read more...] about Historic Times in Ireland
The First Word: 35 Years of Irish America
As we celebrate our 35th year we are indeed thankful to still be publishing despite the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on the media business and indeed, almost every other business as well. We have you, the patient reader, and you the supportive Irish American business world, to thank for keeping our publication marching forward, looking ahead and miraculously … [Read more...] about The First Word: 35 Years of Irish America
The First Word: There’s No Hope in History
“And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby. Dear readers: We hope that you are enjoying a summer respite from the pandemic and reuniting with friends and family. We are living through strange and stressful times, to be sure, but I do not doubt that things will get better. History makes … [Read more...] about The First Word: There’s No Hope in History
First Word: Dreamers
“Our focus is to create ladders of opportunity to help people get to the middle class through the construction trades. That's really why you do it.” – Sean McGarvey This year’s Hall of Fame honorees reflect the length and breadth of the Irish-American experience. They show us the extraordinary impact that the Irish have had in every aspect of American life – the arts, … [Read more...] about First Word: Dreamers