I can still see the collection box with its picture of a black child and an Irish missionary priest. I can't remember if we were saving their souls from damnation or their bodies from starvation. One sister says she remembers it as starvation, another says it was definitely souls. Growing up in Ireland, Africa was in our consciousness from a very early age. We were encouraged … [Read more...] about First Word: Seeds of Hope
First Word
First Word: Survivors
It is one thing to see the Depression in photographs -- black-and-whites of men in suits and hats lining up for food. It's another when it is recreated on screen by good actors, and a director who made his first film -- a documentary about the Depression -- when he was in 11th grade. There is a scene in Cinderella Man that for me completely captures the reality of what it must … [Read more...] about First Word: Survivors
First Word: The Way Forward
There is a sign on the wall at Gleason's, Brooklyn's storied boxing gym, posting an invitation from the poet Virgil: "Now whoever has courage, and a strong and collected spirit in his breast, let him come forth, lace up his gloves, and put up his hands." John Duddy, a young boxer from Derry, was in Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, far from his hometown in Northern Ireland, when … [Read more...] about First Word: The Way Forward
First Word: The Best & The Brightest
When we compiled our first Top 100 list in 1985, we did it to show that the Irish had not all vanished into the mainstream of American life but were still a viable ethnic group. Almost 20 years later, the Irish, despite their profound identification with American way of life, still hold a great appreciation for their Irish heritage. Some of those honored in these pages are … [Read more...] about First Word: The Best & The Brightest
First Word: A Different Tune
As Irish America's editor for the past 20 years I have witnessed a major sea change in the economic relationship between Ireland and the U.S. For centuries Ireland depended on help from the U.S. but today Irish firms employ as many people in the U.S. as American companies do in Ireland. The number of Irish-born executives in corporate America is at an all-time high. Ireland … [Read more...] about First Word: A Different Tune