Looking back at Irish America’s premier issue we see that it set the tone for what was to come: a thorough investigation into what it means to be Irish American. Thirty-five years later, we are still answering that question and still pondering the answers. Enjoy these quotes compiled over 35 years. -The Irish America Team 1986 Tip O'Neill “Growing up as a youngster in … [Read more...] about 35 Years: 1985-2020
Kelly Candaele
“Keeping Going”
What help can poetry be during a pandemic? This summer it feels like Ireland needs Americans and Americans need Ireland more than ever. I have visited Ireland close to twenty times since my first trip there in the late 1970s, drawn by the country’s remarkable beauty, justly famous hospitality, and, during the 90s, by my interest in American involvement in the Northern … [Read more...] about “Keeping Going”
Gerry Adams The Way Forward
Kelly Candaele talks to Gerry Adams about recent developments in Northern Ireland. ℘℘℘ Gerry Adams is no stranger to violence. In 1984, he told reporters that he believed there was a ninety percent chance he would be assassinated. Two months later, he was shot by loyalist paramilitaries. While he denies ever having been a member of the IRA, most close observers of the … [Read more...] about Gerry Adams The Way Forward
The Last Hurrah
President Bill Clinton's third, unprecedented and final visit to Ireland as President had all the feelings of a homecoming. And why not? No other American President has devoted as much time, political energy and determination to bringing peace to Northern Ireland and economic development to the country as a whole as Bill Clinton. And it was clear from the crowds that lined the … [Read more...] about The Last Hurrah
Ulysses S. Grant The Irish Visit, 1879
March / April 1996
Ulysses S. Grant, in his visit to Ireland in 1879, covered much the same territory as President Clinton did on his visit in 1995. ℘℘℘ Ulysses S. Grant was not actually president of the United States when he arrived in Dublin from London on January 3, 1879. His tenure as a two-term Republican president had ended in March of 1877. He was succeeded by Rutherford B. Hayes, … [Read more...] about Ulysses S. Grant The Irish Visit, 1879