Reflecting on the past year, it appears to be a great time to be Irish. And if we Irish are being perceived as "great" at the moment, our creative artists are largely responsible. Time magazine's "Best of 1996" picked Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes as the best nonfiction book of the year, and it's been on the best-seller list for weeks now. Remember that wonderful review that … [Read more...] about The First Word: A Great Deal Left to Do
The First Word
The First Word: Field of Dreams
Looking back over the year there are few images that stand out more in my mind than that of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hugging after McGwire's record-tying home run. In a year beset with political scandals it was such a relief to watch McGwire and Sosa. You couldn't ask for two guys with more class - one an Irish American, the other an immigrant from the Dominican … [Read more...] about The First Word: Field of Dreams
An End to Shame?
Thomas Keneally's latest book The Great Shame should be in every Irish household, and it should be read, all 700 or so pages of it, by anyone with an interest in the history of Ireland. It is a great book, wonderfully written by the Irish Australian author of Schindler's List. Beginning with the tale of Hugh Larkin, a twenty-four-year old rebel transported for life in 1833, … [Read more...] about An End to Shame?
The First Word: ‘Tis the Season of Giving
By Patricia Harty
"Ireland wasn't as wealthy as it is today. But there was always a culture of giving back, and that’s something that was ingrained in me from the time I was a kid.” - Ronan Ryan Happy Christmas to all our readers receiving this issue in the mail, it should be arriving in your mailboxes just in time. And congratulations to all our Wall Street 50 honorees who we will be … [Read more...] about The First Word: ‘Tis the Season of Giving
The First Word: Profiles in Courage
“The stories of past courage can define that ingredient – they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration." – John F. Kennedy This magazine was created to bring you the stories of our people. As is often the case, the best stories are those in which individuals triumph over circumstance. The Good Friday Agreement, a major development in the … [Read more...] about The First Word: Profiles in Courage