First Word Archives
Trailblazers Past & Present
“We are the music makers. We are the dreamers of dreams….Yet we are the movers…
The First Word: ‘Tis the Season of Giving
“Ireland wasn’t as wealthy as it is today. But there was always a culture of…
The First Word: Profiles in Courage
“The stories of past courage can define that ingredient – they can teach, they can…
More Articles
First Word: What I Learned from Hillary
Our cover story on Hillary Clinton reminds us of her role in the Irish peace process – particularly her involvement in bringing women into the discussion and throwing a light […]
The First Word: Let’s Talk About the Climate
I’m reminded as we go to press that in Ireland we always talk about the weather. “How about the weather now?” was an oft heard refrain of my childhood, one […]
The First Word: We Are All Immigrants
And so it begins. A new year, and already a happy one with the election of an Irish mayor in Boston. And who better to embody the tough, tireless, tender trajectory of our […]
The First Word: Faugh A Ballagh
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” – William Faulkner, from Requiem for a Nun (1950) Irish America’s impact on the history of America is well established, as […]
The First Word: Grace and Healing
The First Word, by Patricia Harty. Our hearts weep for Boston. This most Irish of American cities has seen its share of tragedy, but when the bombings at the marathon […]
An Excerpt from ‘Country Girl’, Edna O’Brien’s Memoir
In an excerpt from her memoir, Edna O’Brien returns to Ireland to build a house in which she hopes to avail of the “peace that passeth understanding,” only to find […]