Irish American of the Year, 1996 It was an evening that dreams were made of, a crystal clear Belfast night, the winter air crackling with anticipation. On the sound stage adjacent to City Hall, Van Morrison was blasting out his There'll Be Days Like This, the unofficial anthem of the peace. A huge and enthusiastic crowd, later numbered at 100,000 was rocking along to the … [Read more...] about The Man from Hope
Ceasefire
The First Word: A Whisper of Hope in Northern Ireland
There is an absence of joy so far this St. Patrick's Day season but not of hope. The end of the IRA cease-fire on February 9 and the subsequent bombings in London have cast a shadow over the celebrations of our Irish heritage, but all is not lost. Moves afoot as we went to press could certainly help change this gloomy scenario. By all accounts President Clinton is playing a … [Read more...] about The First Word: A Whisper of Hope in Northern Ireland
Loyalist Ceasefires
Declared Over
The Northern Secretary John Reid announced recently that he considered the ceasefires of three loyalist groups to be over. The actions of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) were so blatant and persistent that they could no longer be ignored by politicians.
The move came mostly in response to the murder of Northern journalist Martin … [Read more...] about Loyalist Ceasefires
Declared Over
Can This Man Bring Peace?
By Deáglan de Brádún
July/August 1996
Deáglan de Bréadún reports on former Senator George Mitchell's efforts to resolve the conflict in the North of Ireland. Dear shadows, now you know it all, All the folly of a fight With a common wrong or right. The innocent and the beautiful Have no enemy but time. Those words of the Irish poet W.B. Yeats referred to an earlier chapter in our national story: an earlier … [Read more...] about Can This Man Bring Peace?