Brown and Clinton Come Out Swinging on Irish Issues Washington's policy towards Ireland and Irish-related issues could be drastically changed after the November election, if either one of the Democratic presidential contenders has their way. A specially-formed peace envoy, similar to those sent to other "trouble spots" such as Central America or the Middle East, was just … [Read more...] about Hibernia
Politics
First Word: Break-up of an Empire?
The British general election, set for April 9, could be the most crucial contest in the modern era, one which could redefine terms such as "Britain" and the "United Kingdom." At stake is the future of Scotland as an integral part of the British mainland. Devastated in the Thatcher era by huge unemployment, the rising tide of Scottish nationalism threatens to force a withdrawal … [Read more...] about First Word: Break-up of an Empire?
The Vision of Mary Robinson
On her recent visit to the United States President Mary Robinson (49) became for Irish Americans the embodiment of a new Ireland, an Ireland in which the Irish diaspora – those 70 million worldwide who can trace their roots to the Emerald Isle – were once again welcome. Perhaps it happened as she gave her magnificent speech at Ellis Island, commemorating the first immigrant to … [Read more...] about The Vision of Mary Robinson
The Roads to Nowhere
With the implementation of the Single European Market at the end of 1992 that "opened up all European frontiers to free movement and trade" no one in the border counties of Fermanagh and Leitrim registered more than a cynical shrug of their shoulders. For years the border, imposed under threat of war in 1922, had not only cut through their homes and fields but every aspect of … [Read more...] about The Roads to Nowhere
Ourselves Alone: An Interview with Gerry Adams
The Sinn Féin office is located in a what could hardly be called a luxury building in what seems to be a mostly deserted area of West Belfast. In the room where I sit, there is a one-bar electric fire, a couple of mismatched chairs and little else. Somewhere on the outside a band is practicing, the drums that one usually associates with Loyalists are getting a fair belting from … [Read more...] about Ourselves Alone: An Interview with Gerry Adams





