It was the first time that I knew the full weight of Irish America. Coming from a small country with few people, it’s difficult for an immigrant to grasp that in a place as big as America, the Irish could wield such power. I’m talking about the first Irish-American Presidential Forum in 1992. It was arranged by then-assemblyman John C. Dearie. I don’t remember the venue, but I … [Read more...] about First Word: Trailblazers Past & Present
St. Patrick's Day
Celebrating St. Patrick in the United States
Some of the biggest and best parades celebrating Ireland’s patron saint actually take place in America. New York may have the largest parade in the country, but it’s followed closely by Savannah, Georgia. And while the Boston parade has a long history, the Holyoke, Massachusetts parade rivals it for its sheer color and gaiety. Here’s a sampling of parades across the … [Read more...] about Celebrating St. Patrick in the United States
Weekly Comment: Irish Taoiseach Meets with Trump in Oval Office
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met with President Donald Trump on his first official state visit to the U.S. this week, presenting Trump with a bowl of Irish shamrocks, continuing a tradition that dates back to the 1950s. ℘℘℘ At the annual St. Patrick's Day reception at the White House this week, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar presented President Donald Trump with a bowl of Irish … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment: Irish Taoiseach Meets with Trump in Oval Office
Weekly Comment: 9 Uniquely American St. Patrick’s Day Traditions
By Catherine Davis
March 14, 2018
March 14, 2018
From Honolulu to Hot Springs, North America has some of the oldest – and quirkiest – St. Patrick’s Day traditions. On the morning of March 17, 1853, Archbishop of New York John Hughes addressed a crowd of worshippers at St. Patrick’s Cathedral about the special significance that St. Patrick’s Day had taken on in recent years. He declared: “... the very misfortunes of a … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment: 9 Uniquely American St. Patrick’s Day Traditions
What Are You Like? Loretta Brennan Glucksman
The Grand Marshal of the 2018 New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes our questionnaire. When Loretta Brennan Glucksman’s grandparents immigrated to Pennsylvania coal-mining country, the last thing on their minds was making the trek to New York City for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. “That was outside the realm of possibility,” she says. Her father’s family, the … [Read more...] about What Are You Like? Loretta Brennan Glucksman