First Word Archives
Renewing the Spirit
Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief. The sound of bagpipes in the distance drifts…
The First Word: A Whisper of Hope in Northern Ireland
Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief. There is an absence of joy so far…
The First Word: When Hope and History Rhyme
Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief. History says, don’t hope on this side of…
More Articles
The First Word: Field of Dreams
Looking back over the year there are few images that stand out more in my mind than that of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hugging after McGwire’s record-tying home run. […]
An End to Shame?
Thomas Keneally’s latest book The Great Shame should be in every Irish household, and it should be read, all 700 or so pages of it, by anyone with an interest […]
A Living Memorial
“Pray for the dead, but fight like hell for the living.” – Mother Jones This special issue on the Great Hunger is an effort to tell the story of what […]
Trailblazers Past & Present
“We are the music makers. We are the dreamers of dreams….Yet we are the movers and shakers of the world forever it seems.” – Ode by Arthur O’Shaughnessy Arthur O’Shaughnessy […]
The First Word: ‘Tis the Season of Giving
“Ireland wasn’t as wealthy as it is today. But there was always a culture of giving back, and that’s something that was ingrained in me from the time I was […]
The First Word: Profiles in Courage
“The stories of past courage can define that ingredient – they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration.” – John F. Kennedy This magazine was created […]