My god, what they went through to get here. Whenever I forget the lot of early Irish immigrants to America, something pulls me back. As I write this, I have open in front of me a book called Forgotten Ellis Island: The Extraordinary Story of America’s Immigrant Hospital by Lorie Conway. (Smithsonian Books). Lorie’s book is dedicated to her son Max “whose great-grandfather … [Read more...] about The First Word: Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
2008
A Letter to the Editor: Mission Possible
I felt compelled to write you and say thank you for unintentionally helping my family. Because you put a group of wonderful people in the same room (for the awards ceremony of your “Top 100 Best & Brightest”) our lives have forever been changed. Let me explain: My husband John is a 15-year Army veteran who was severely injured on January 5, 2006, while on patrol on Taji, … [Read more...] about A Letter to the Editor: Mission Possible
A Window on the Past
By Katherine Hartnett, Editorial AssistantDecember / January 2008
This book is lovingly dedicated to my son, Max George, whose great-grand-father Edward Conway immigrated to America in 1900 at the age of 18. Arriving at Ellis Island from Ballina, Ireland, he had two dollars in his pocket and listed his occupation as “laborer.” By 1915, he was already living the American dream – he had a family, owned a home, and in one photo, a derby hat sits … [Read more...] about A Window on the Past
The Save Tara Campaign
By Ian Worpole, ContributorDecember / January 2008
The harp that once through Tara’s halls The soul of music shed, Now hangs as mute on Tara’s walls As if that soul were fled. – Thomas Moore The Save Tara Campaign spread its wings to New York City and the steps of the Irish Consulate on Park Avenue on September 22 when a group of Irish artists gathered to protest the building of a motorway, approved by the Irish government in … [Read more...] about The Save Tara Campaign
Irish Man Builds Houses for Homeless in South Africa
New York, September 24, 2007: Irish philanthropist, Niall Mellon, unveiled plans to build the world’s first not-for-profit housing super-factory in South Africa in response to the inability of traditional methods of house construction to keep pace with the growth of homelessness among the Developing World’s poor. The Irishman’s radical plans to build the first such factory near … [Read more...] about Irish Man Builds Houses for Homeless in South Africa