The British general election, set for April 9, could be the most crucial contest in the modern era, one which could redefine terms such as "Britain" and the "United Kingdom." At stake is the future of Scotland as an integral part of the British mainland. Devastated in the Thatcher era by huge unemployment, the rising tide of Scottish nationalism threatens to force a withdrawal … [Read more...] about First Word: Break-up of an Empire?
Australia
News Roundup July 30, 2022
Emily Moriarty
IA Newsletter July 30, 2022
IA Newsletter July 30, 2022
Former UUP Member David Trimble Dies Age 77 David Trimble, an esteemed member of the Ulster Unionist Party, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and a key negotiator in the brokerage of the Good Friday Agreement, died on Monday, July 25. Trimble was 77. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) announced Trimble's death on behalf of his family on Monday evening. “It is with great sadness … [Read more...] about News Roundup July 30, 2022
The Catalpa Rescue
By Donald J. Magilligan
December/ January 2021
In 1876, a daring escape from an Australian prison colony by six Fenian prisoners was masterminded by the revolutionary and journalist John Boyle O’Reilly. The sailing triumph of the Catalpa and the daring escape of six prisoners from an Australian prison dates back to 10 years earlier, 1866, to the failure of the Fenian rising in Ireland, when they were among those … [Read more...] about The Catalpa Rescue
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
Sláinte! Irish Eats Down Under
Regular readers have probably deduced I'm a boomer – a member of that generation born after WWII when the troops came home. Along with more than one hundred thousand other Americans, my Da spent the war years in Australia. In 1942 with Australian forces off fighting for England and Pearl Harbor a fresh victory, Japan advanced on Australia, intending to use it as a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Irish Eats Down Under