"We choose to go to the moon and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." - President John F. Kennedy. Exactly 20 years ago when we set out to explore the story of the Irish in America we used Mortas Cine -- Pride in Our Heritage -- as our motto. Every article that has appeared in our magazine over the years flows from this guiding … [Read more...] about The First Word: Happy Birthday To Us!
The First Word
The First Word:
The Greatest Country
"Most of us take it for granted how great our country is. We have the freedom of speech, and the Presidents of our country have never taken control of our personal lives."
– Claire Cassidy, 10, student at St. Philip's in San Francisco
At a time when America is coming under criticism from many quarters, let us not forget how truly unique this country is. If there is any doubt … [Read more...] about The First Word:
The Greatest Country
First Word: Operation James
"He was just a kid, he wasn't an enemy. This is what I signed up to do, to help people." –Pfc. Joseph Dwyer, 7th Cavalry ℘℘℘ As we go to press Pierce Brosnan's latest James Bond movie Die Another Day is set to open in the U.K. (May 2 and in the U.S., June 2). Brosnan wasn't interested in discussing 007, however, when he met with Irish America recently. The … [Read more...] about First Word: Operation James
The First Word: What Falls Away
"One hundred and fifty years after the Famine, the spirit of the Irish people was the backbone which America relied upon during the worst attack in our nation's history." – Rudy Giuliani at the Irish Famine memorial dedication in New York. It's hard to believe it's only a year. So much has changed, it seems as if it should have taken several lifetimes. The oddest thing is … [Read more...] about The First Word: What Falls Away
The First Word:
Window on the World
On July 11, 2001 we gathered at the Windows on the World on top of the World Trade Center for our annual Wall Street 50 bash. The guests, senior members and a smattering of women excepting, were mostly young men in their 30s. I talked to John Ryan Jr. and kidded him about his mother giving him a hard time over the Hawaiian shirt he wore for his bio pic.
Ryan and his friends, … [Read more...] about The First Word:
Window on the World