Nowhere in the world are Americans more welcome at the moment than in Northern Ireland. For the people there realize the importance of the American role in bringing about the present climate of peace. Not least of all has been the role of our President Bill Clinton. In the words of George Mitchell, the president's economic advisor on Ireland: "When you go over to Ireland … [Read more...] about The First Word: Pilgrimages For Peace
First Word
The First Word: Times to Remember
This year Irish America celebrates its tenth year. And it seems somehow fitting that the magazine, whose motto Mortas Cine stands for Pride in our Heritage, should be celebrating such a happy occasion in the same year that marks the 150th anniversary of the Famine. For this magazine, especially this special Top 100 issue, pays tribute to the success of the Irish in America. … [Read more...] about The First Word: Times to Remember
The First Word: And Now the Good News…
Belfast: "We need a solution the dead can live with," is how one Belfast resident, in a uniquely Irish way, described the prospects for long-term peace after the recent events in Northern Ireland that shook the world. His words were not such a paradox as they may seem. The graves of the over 3,000 dead stand as mute testament to the suffering on all sides that the Long War of … [Read more...] about The First Word: And Now the Good News…
The First Word: Where’s Our Famine Movie?
There is a curious irony surrounding Schindler's List and the part that the Irish have played in bringing the movie to fruition. Thomas Keneally, an Australian of Irish Catholic background, wrote the book, and Liam Neeson, from the North of Ireland, was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of the man who saved some 1,100 Jews. As Keneally wrote in a recent … [Read more...] about The First Word: Where’s Our Famine Movie?
First Word: The Belly of the Beast
Prison literature from John Mitchell's Jail Journal to the prison diary of Bobby Sands has a revered place in Irish literature and the latest addition, though written from a cell in far-off Lebanon, is easily a match for the best. I highly recommend An Evil Cradling, the story of Irish's hostage Brian Keenan and his five-year struggle for survival in various Beirut hellholes. … [Read more...] about First Word: The Belly of the Beast