Irish America

The Last Word

The Last Word: Things Fall Apart

By Peter Quinn, Contributor
August / September 2019

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The failure to stay young. ℘℘℘ The greatest failure in America is the failure to stay young. It is a failure of imagination, the inability to grasp the alternatives offered by surgery, cosmetology, and pharmacology. It is a failure of will, the indiscipline that results in flagging energies, flabby bodies, and clogged arteries. It is a failure of financial planning, the … [Read more...] about The Last Word: Things Fall Apart

The Last Word:
Irish American Agitation in the Age of Trump

By Kerry McElroy, Contributor
February / March 2018

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U2, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, and the Irish trying to save America. ℘℘℘ In autumn 2017, U2 released their 14th studio album, Songs of Experience. Critical reception on the album was mixed – was it a superstar older rock band’s attempt at political relevance, or a late-career classic infused with the urgency of Brexit, Trump, and a world thrown into uncertainty? In December 2017, the … [Read more...] about The Last Word:
Irish American Agitation in the Age of Trump

Last Word: The State of Play

By Sharon Ní Chonchúir, Contributor
October / November 2015

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Why women are still fighting male chauvinism on the greens of Ireland. ℘℘℘ Ireland is now a rainbow nation. With the passing of the referendum on same-sex marriage in May, all romantic relationships gained equality in the eyes of the law. But does this equality extend elsewhere? It may seem like a trivial question, but does it extend to golf courses? Is everyone afforded equal … [Read more...] about Last Word: The State of Play

The Last Word: The Father of Irish Studies

By Tim Pat Coogan
June / July 2014

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Tim Pat Coogan recalls Eoin McKiernan, who for many years wrote the “Last Word” column for this magazine and was a pioneer in the field of Irish Studies. The founder of the Irish American Cultural Institute and the Irish Way Program, McKiernan is now the subject of a new biography, Irish America Reawakening: The Eoin McKiernan Story, written by his daughter Deirdre. Eoin … [Read more...] about The Last Word: The Father of Irish Studies

The Last Word: Irish-American Adoptions

By Dr. Valerie O’Brien and Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao
December / January 2014

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Is it time to have a gathering? Philomena shines a light on an aspect of Irish in need of urgent attention. The movie Philomena, based on Philomena Lee’s real-life search for her son who was adopted by an American family, highlights the issue of the many clandestine adoptions of Irish children by U.S. families, and the complicity of religious orders and government and church … [Read more...] about The Last Word: Irish-American Adoptions