First Word Archives
First Word: We Are Now 44.3 Million Strong
Founding publisher Niall O’Dowd. Good news! The 1990 U.S. Census has…
First Word: The Bishops at the Bat
Founding publisher Niall O’Dowd. There are far worse offenses for a…
First Word: Making a Difference
Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief. Did you ever panhandle? Ask for money on…
More Articles
The First Word: There’s No Hope in History
“And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby. Dear readers: We hope that you are enjoying […]
First Word: Dreamers
“Our focus is to create ladders of opportunity to help people get to the middle class through the construction trades. That’s really why you do it.” – Sean McGarvey This […]
First Word: The Dream That Never Dies
“As the first of the racial minorities, our forefathers were subject to every discrimination found wherever discrimination is known.” – Robert Kennedy speaking at a Friendly Sons of St. Patrick […]
Last Word: The Way Forward
Following the success of the 1916 commemorations, the Irish government has launched a five-year program to celebrate the wealth of Ireland’s creativity. ℘℘℘ 2016 was a momentous year for Ireland […]
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 […]





