“We are adventuring into a new world.”
– Astronaut Eileen Collins.
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The idea of an issue devoted to women has been brewing for some time but it really took hold these past months with all of the 1916 commemorations and celebrations marking Ireland’s rebellion. Finally, the Women of the Rising are getting their due, and there has been a plethora of articles showing us just … [Read more...] about First Word:
“Reach for the Stars”
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First Word: Does this sound familiar?
“I’m of Irish descent and in America, 100 years ago, we were refugees, my family. Irish were treated terribly in America for a period of time and not accepted, and America learned to accept all of these ideas. It’s what our country is, a country of immigrants. We have not recently done a very good job of remembering who we are.” — George Clooney, speaking to a group of Syrian … [Read more...] about First Word: Does this sound familiar?
First Word: “Two Hearts Beat as One”
“No New York. No America. No Easter Rising. It’s simple as that.” – Director of Glucksman Ireland House, NYU, J.J. Lee While editing the articles in this 1916 commemorative issue, I was struck by two related observations: without the Irish in America the 1916 Rising would not have happened; and Britain sealed its fate by implementing its terror policies, and allowing a … [Read more...] about First Word: “Two Hearts Beat as One”
First Word: The French Connection
As we struggle with the magnitude of the recent terror attacks in Paris and live with the renewed fear of attacks here at home, we all find personal ways of coping. Mine is to reflect on the past and the great tragedies that we have overcome; to remind myself that life goes on. Jim Clerkin, the subject of our cover story, responded to the devastating news by flying to Paris to … [Read more...] about First Word: The French Connection
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Our 30th Anniversary!
There is something about anniversaries that appeals to people. And it’s our 30th. If it were a wedding anniversary, pearls would be an appropriate gift.
There is something about the pearl that speaks to the story of the Irish in America.
Born out of grit, a grain of sand, an outsider makes its way into a shell and sets off a chain reaction that in time results in a precious … [Read more...] about First Word:
Our 30th Anniversary!





