The 1993 Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans also carries a section on "Great Family Fortunes." Unlike a similar list of the European great family fortunes, which would be top heavy with royalty and titled nobility, the American experience shows the true strength of a "bottoms up" society where, in the first instance, wealth was earned rather than bestowed. Put … [Read more...] about First Word: All in the Family
Irish Americans
The Stones of Gallarus or Two Pounds For a Pint
By James T. Dette
September October 1993
Survival, we are told, is the first law of nature. If so, the Irish are the most law-abiding citizens in the world. That they survived centuries of English occupation and oppression is legend, but it was a recent trip that illustrated this in a very different way. It was my first trip to Ireland. To my knowledge I was the first descendant of James Burke, my mother's father, to … [Read more...] about The Stones of Gallarus or Two Pounds For a Pint
Cheerleader-in-Chief
Eileen McDonnell, the Chairman & CEO of Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, discusses her Irish heritage, breaking the glass ceiling, and the way forward. When parents tell their children that they can do anything, it’s all too often taken with too many grains of salt. But Eileen McDonnell believed her parents. She had no reason not to. And it served her well. When she was … [Read more...] about Cheerleader-in-Chief
Macklin’s Cross
It looks like it's trying to clear this morning, though waves of drizzle betimes pass through. Our friend Thomas says "betimes." I like it. A little while ago our neighbors Anne and Joe Kelley stopped to tell us that Joe Macklin had died during the night. The Macklins live in the small house on the crossroads at the end of our lane, where we turn to go into Roscommon. It's … [Read more...] about Macklin’s Cross
The World’s Irish Coffee Champion
The Buena Vista is Best! Drinking legend has it that in 1942, when Foynes was the foremost transit point between Europe and America, a flight to New York was returned to Ireland due to bad weather. The airport bartender, anticipating grouchy passengers, decided to add a little sweetener to their coffee, a hefty slug of whisky was sneaked into their drinks and Irish Coffee made … [Read more...] about The World’s Irish Coffee Champion