"As long as you have your health, you have everything,” my mother, Norrie, used to say. She said a lot of things that annoyed me when I was younger, but as the years go by I realize that she was right about everything, especially about health being your most important asset. Many of us are guilty of taking our bodies for granted. We concentrate on our careers and accumulating … [Read more...] about First Word: Into the Future
The First Word
The First Word: Making the Most of
What You’ve Got
“Being Irish means being the best you can be by making the most of what you’ve got. It’s about being loyal to your friends and family, sharing with them all the joys that make life worth living.” – Wall Street 50 Honoree Sean Kelly.
In the 1980s when Kathleen Lynch was making her way to Wall Street, Irish America was in its infancy. With little money and few staff, we all … [Read more...] about The First Word: Making the Most of
What You’ve Got
The First Word: Let’s Talk About the Climate
I’m reminded as we go to press that in Ireland we always talk about the weather. “How about the weather now?” was an oft heard refrain of my childhood, one that brought the answer, “The weather is up.” The weather is up! Or should we say, something is up with the weather. It’s too darn hot – with my pale Irish skin and light eye color, I’m constantly running for cover. And … [Read more...] about The First Word: Let’s Talk About the Climate
The First Word: A Visit to Irish America
I've come to think of Irish America as an actual place unto itself, sort of like in an Irish fairytale where someone is magically transported to another world. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get to take a trip to that place without ever leaving American soil. That’s how it was for me the week after Easter. It began when I took two friends, visitors from Northern Ireland, … [Read more...] about The First Word: A Visit to Irish America
The First Word: Hall of Fame
Past, Present, and Future In this issue, in which we celebrate the new inductees into our Hall of Fame, I’m reminded of great Irish Americans of the past such as John Barry, the father of the American Navy; John F. Kennedy, our first Catholic president; and Eugene O’Neill, playwright and Nobel Laureate. Our incoming Hall of Fame honorees take their rightful place alongside … [Read more...] about The First Word: Hall of Fame