Irish America

Irish America

The Troubles

Weekly Comment:
Punk and the Peace Process

By Olivia O'Mahony
September 22, 2017

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In 1978, Northern Irish punk rock band The Undertones released their debut single, “Teenage Kicks.” The track opened with the punchy and iconic lyric, “Are teenage dreams so hard to beat?” The answer was a resounding yes, and the song became an instant anthem for the followers of Northern Ireland’s punk movement. With a new exhibition at the American Irish Historical Society in … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment:
Punk and the Peace Process

First Soldier Arrested for 1972
Bloody Sunday Deaths

By Julia Brodsky, Editorial Assistant
February / March 2016

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This past November, detectives in County Antrim arrested a former British soldier who was involved in 1972’s Bloody Sunday. The arrest was the first made in connection with the incident, which claimed the lives of 14 civil rights protesters in Derry nearly 44 years ago. The man was arrested and held and questioned at a police station before being released on bail. Since the … [Read more...] about First Soldier Arrested for 1972
Bloody Sunday Deaths

The First Word: Hunger and Silence

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
August / September 2012

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“People think [the Irish] are such great talkers, but there is so much silence in Ireland about certain issues.” – Fionnula Flanagan The image of Michael Fassbender on our cover is very different to how he was seen in Hunger, the 2008 movie in which he played Bobby Sands, leader of the 1981 hunger strike in Northern Ireland. Fassbender, a Kerry native whose mother is from … [Read more...] about The First Word: Hunger and Silence

Bloody Sunday Investigation Launched

By Catherine Davis, Editorial Assistant
August / September 2012

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Police in Northern Ireland are launching a murder investigation into the infamous Bloody Sunday shootings, which occurred on January 30, 1972, in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, and left 14 unarmed Catholic-civil-rights protesters dead at the hands of British soldiers. PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott told the Irish Times, “It’s a lengthy investigation. This has … [Read more...] about Bloody Sunday Investigation Launched

President William J. Clinton: Irish America Hall of Fame

By Niall O'Dowd, Founding Publisher
April / May 2011

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Politician, peacemaker, and hero to millions of Irish. As a major supporter of the Irish peace process, Bill Clinton moved mountains.  The 42nd President of the United States took the strongest position on Irish issues ever taken by an American president. In 1994, he granted a visa to Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, fulfilling a campaign promise and stating “the U.S.  cannot … [Read more...] about President William J. Clinton: Irish America Hall of Fame