The Cuban struggle for independence and the remarkable Irishman who helped. Johnny O'Brien was already famous among sailors for his extraordinary skill as a harbor pilot guiding ships through the treacherous waters of Hell Gate in New York harbor. But when he out-maneuvered Spanish gunboats and United States Revenue cutters to keep the Cuban rebels supplied with weapons and … [Read more...] about Dynamite Johnny
Issues
Argentine Irish Leader Passes
Dr. Mario Dolan, who founded the Irish Argentine Society in 1987, died on October 3, in New York City. The group's main goal as the promotion of relationships between the descendants of the Irish who emigrated all over South America with those in the U.S. and Ireland. Dolan also worked tirelessly to raise funds to support the Southern Cross, the Irish newspaper … [Read more...] about Argentine Irish Leader Passes
Those We Lost
Derek Bell 1935 -- 2002 Derek Bell, the much-loved musician best known for playing harp with The Chieftains, died suddenly in Phoenix on October 17th. Belfast-born Bell had been with the band for nearly 30 years and made 30 albums with the band as well as many on his own. Classically trained, he was a multi-instrumentalist and composer who played the piano, oboe, … [Read more...] about Those We Lost
Northern Ireland’s Political Crisis Deepens
The political crisis in the North looks set to continue in the coming months. It seems that both Dublin and London are now resigned to the fact that it will take a lot of work to re-establish some trust between Nationalists and Unionists which would enable the institutions in the North to get up and running again. Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly are due in May and … [Read more...] about Northern Ireland’s Political Crisis Deepens
Preparations Underway for Special Olympics — Ireland 2003
It is a logistical challenge, the likes of which Ireland has never seen before. Over a quarter of a million lunches will have to be made, 2,000 interpreters have to be found to speak more than 50 languages, accommodation has to be found for some 40,000 people, but with just over 200 days to go to the 2003 Special Olympics summer games, organizers say that preparations are … [Read more...] about Preparations Underway for Special Olympics — Ireland 2003