Irish America

August September 2009 Issue

The Life of Brian Moynihan

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
August / September 2009

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Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan says  “It doesn’t all break your way all the time, so you’ve got to just power through it.”  He has the look of an athlete, compact with broad shoulders. He also has something of a pre-game focus, a quiet intensity, and gives the impression, even as he answers questions,  that he has his eye on the ball and he’s not forgetting for a moment that … [Read more...] about The Life of Brian Moynihan

The First Word: Finding Strength in Our Ancestors

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
August / September 2009

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“There’s no sense of entitlement, no sense of placement, it’s all a sense of you’ve got to go out and work hard to get there. It doesn’t all break your way all the time, so you’ve got to just power through it. I think that’s deeply imbedded in the culture of the Irish.” – Brian Moynihan, whose ancestors left Ireland in 1850. I am remembering a day around this time of year in … [Read more...] about The First Word: Finding Strength in Our Ancestors

International Relief Efforts During the Famine

By Christine Kinealy, Contributor
August / September 2009

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The Irish government designated 17 May 2009 as the first National Famine Memorial Day. On that day, Irish people throughout the world remembered and honored the victims of Ireland’s Great Hunger – which to this day remains one of the most lethal famines of the modern era. Out of a population of eight-and-a-half million, over one million people died, and approximately two … [Read more...] about International Relief Efforts During the Famine

Irish American Named Teacher of the Year

By Kara-Rota, Contributor
August / September 2009

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The first Rose Garden ceremony of President Obama’s administration occurred this April 28 and honored Irish American Anthony Mullen, who was lauded as the 59th National Teacher of the Year for 2009. The National Teacher of the Year Program began in 1952 and is the oldest, most esteemed national program to honor excellence in teaching. Mullen, who teaches ninth through twelfth … [Read more...] about Irish American Named Teacher of the Year

My Goodness My Guinness!

By Andrew Phillips, Editorial Assistant

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Tradition. A word that embodies Guinness, a brand which celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009. In 1759, Arthur Guinness set the stage for the iconic brand by signing a 9,000-year lease at St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin. Guinness provided his workers with wages that were 10 to 20 percent higher than the local average, provided paid holiday vacations, and offered free … [Read more...] about My Goodness My Guinness!