How Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness is adjusting to his new role as Northern Ireland's Minister for Education. ℘℘℘ Unusually for a politician, Martin McGuinness is early. He arrives at the Irish-speaking primary school in Newry, the Bunscoil an luir, as part of his duties as Minister for Education in the Northern Ireland Executive. The Executive, and McGuinness, are back to … [Read more...] about Educating Martin
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The King Ranch
How the orphaned son of Irish immigrants ended up owning one of the largest cattle ranches in Texas. Kingsville, Texas: You look across the flat, dry miles stretching to the horizon, land that was even more foreboding 150 years ago, and wonder how an Irish river pilot could see this developing as the epicenter of the American cattle industry. This was the Wild Horse … [Read more...] about The King Ranch
The Irish in Australia
Commencing with convicts, feared and despised, and followed by free immigrants and settlers, the Irish became the dynamic force in Australia's evolution into a nation. ℘℘℘ The eyes of the world were on Australia this past September, as Sydney hosted the 2000 Olympic Games. A close observer will have noted that many of the Australian athletes, including swimmer Susie … [Read more...] about The Irish in Australia
Ties That Bind
Two successful Irish Americans share an experience of giving...more than money. ℘℘℘ Mary Pat Lyons O'Connor listened to the old woman, her grandfather's sister, Margaret, as she spun her narratives of the Irish Famine and the small fenced hillocks, famine graves, where hundreds of the nameless lie buried. The two women were in the sitting room of a three-room farm … [Read more...] about Ties That Bind
Two Grandfathers
William Kennedy on his unsung origins. My grandfathers, George Kennedy and Peter McDonald, died before I was born. I came to know something of them through talks with my parents and other relatives, a few artifacts, death certificates and obituaries, and two photographs that defined them for me forever. Both photos are working-class portraits. The portrait of George … [Read more...] about Two Grandfathers