A united Ireland seems more possible now than at any point in our history “Brexit has catapulted this issue forward,” says Pádraig Ó Muirigh, advisor to the Republican Sinn Féin Party. “There is a real sense that we’re living in historical times.” In October, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson effectively agreed to place the de facto future border in the sea between … [Read more...] about A Citizen's Assembly on a United Ireland
History
President Obama Statue of Presidents
Visitors to historic downtown Rapid City, South Dakota, are greeted by a series of life-size bronze statues of our nation’s past presidents along the city’s streets and sidewalks. The City of Presidents project began in 2000, to honor the legacy of the American presidency. Each of the sculptures is privately funded, and the pattern of placement is chosen to maintain a coherent … [Read more...] about President Obama Statue of Presidents
Woodstock: The Irish Contribution
On the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival, Christine Kinealy remembers the legendary guitarist from Northern Ireland who gave a celebrated performance. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, The Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Ten Years After, Joan Baez, Santana, Joe Cocker, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and – Henry McCullough. They … [Read more...] about Woodstock: The Irish Contribution
Sláinte! The Great October Fair
The Ballinasloe October Fair is one of the oldest fairs in Ireland. While now predominantly associated with horses, in its heyday it served as a market for the sale of cattle and sheep by the farmers of the west to their counterparts in the east of Ireland. An Irish adage advises: Go East for a woman; go West for a horse. When I was a girl I had a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Great October Fair
Striking Gold – Transcontinental Railroad Turns 150
Irish contributions to American history received a special recognition this week. The 150th anniversary of connecting the First Transcontinental Railroad was commemorated in a two-day celebration in Utah May 9 and 10 at Promontory Point, the state landmark where the Golden Spike connecting the track’s east and west branches was struck on May 10, 1869. The railroad was six years … [Read more...] about Striking Gold – Transcontinental Railroad Turns 150