In this issue we celebrate the realization of the American dream by so many of our people, reminding us once again of the good fit this country has proved to be for the Irish. Not that it happened overnight. In the words of Robert Kennedy: "As the first of the racial minorities our forefathers were subject to every discrimination found wherever discrimination is known." The … [Read more...] about The First Word: Our Evolving Heritage
Patricia Harty
A Memorable Evening with Seamus Heaney
Courtesy of NYU Glucksman Ireland House
On April 13, this Saturday, Seamus Heaney would have been 80 years old. Though he passed away too early, on August 30, 2013, his work lives on. Through the last 25 years of his life, the poet had an ongoing connection with Glucksman Ireland House, the center of Irish Studies at NYU, and its founder Loretta Brennan Glucksman. On April 11, 1996, just six months after winning the … [Read more...] about A Memorable Evening with Seamus Heaney
The Life of Riley
Pat Riley's record says it all. Four National Basketball Association championships, two Coach of the Year awards, and the best overall winning percentage (756-299) of any coach in NBA history. In the 1980s, his Los Angeles Lakers won four NBA titles -- two of them back-to-back, a feat never achieved by any other team -- and made all the more sweet by the fact that they … [Read more...] about The Life of Riley
The First Word: Pilgrimages For Peace
Nowhere in the world are Americans more welcome at the moment than in Northern Ireland. For the people there realize the importance of the American role in bringing about the present climate of peace. Not least of all has been the role of our President Bill Clinton. In the words of George Mitchell, the president's economic advisor on Ireland: "When you go over to Ireland … [Read more...] about The First Word: Pilgrimages For Peace
The First Word: Times to Remember
This year Irish America celebrates its tenth year. And it seems somehow fitting that the magazine, whose motto Mortas Cine stands for Pride in our Heritage, should be celebrating such a happy occasion in the same year that marks the 150th anniversary of the Famine. For this magazine, especially this special Top 100 issue, pays tribute to the success of the Irish in America. … [Read more...] about The First Word: Times to Remember