Irish America

February March 2009 Issue

Obama’s Irish Roots: A House in Black, White & Green

By Debnis Bergin, Contributor
February / March 2009

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When Barack Obama enters The White House as the 44th U.S. President, he will find that the Irish and African-American strands of his ancestry have been linked in many other ways throughout the history of the most famous building in the world. On the day he assumes the highest office in the land, Barack Hussein Obama, the descendant of Ohio and Indiana immigrants who came from … [Read more...] about Obama’s Irish Roots: A House in Black, White & Green

The First Word: The Comfort of Tradition & Ritual

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
February / March 2009

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“The robins came – that’s a sign of luck,” my cousin whispers in my ear as the men start to shovel the clay. Sure enough, I look up and see a pair of robins swoop down over the heads of those gathered and then fly off together. It’s a bright sunny day, but the temperature is below freezing and I worry that the clay will be frozen solid. Perhaps it is. But the men – whom I … [Read more...] about The First Word: The Comfort of Tradition & Ritual

Bobby Kennedy’s Bridge

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
February / March 2009

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Senator Robert R. Kennedy represented New York from 1965 until June 1968 when he was fatally shot in Los Angeles while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination. On November 19, 2008, forty years after he was assassinated, the Triborough Bridge, which connects Manhattan with the Bronx and Queens, was renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. “It is an honor to join … [Read more...] about Bobby Kennedy’s Bridge

McAleese Honored on West Coast Trip

February / March 2009

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On a whistle stop tour of the West Coast in early December, which included stops in California, Oregon, and Arizona, President Mary McAleese met representatives of local Irish and Irish-American organizations to strengthen cultural, trade and business links between the two countries. On December 11, The University of San Francisco (USF) awarded President McAleese an honorary … [Read more...] about McAleese Honored on West Coast Trip

Irish Eye On Hollywood

By Tom Deignan, Contributor
February / March 2009

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Martin Scorsese just can't get enough of the Irish! Just as the legendary director of Raging Bull and Taxi Driver is wrapping up his next movie (based on a novel by Irish-American best seller Dennis Lehane), word is that Scorsese's next project will explore the Irish and their role in the creation of New Jersey's gambling mecca Atlantic City. Best known for exploring the … [Read more...] about Irish Eye On Hollywood