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yeats

Book Reviews

By Tom Deignan, Columnist
October / November 2002

October 1, 2002 by Leave a Comment

A sampling of the latest Irish books on offer. RECOMMENDED  Telling an as-yet-untold story about the heroic FDNY mission of September 11, Terry Golway writes: "Lieutenant Bob Bohack faced the dilemma of his career. He had his orders: He was to help extinguish the fire on the 79th floor. But those orders were given before he heard rumors of missiles, of more airplanes heading … [Read more...] about Book Reviews

The First Word: Payback Time

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
June / July 2000

June 4, 2000 by Leave a Comment

Patricia Harty - Editor-in-Chief.

The Ireland I grew up in was doubtful of its own identity. The school curriculum reflected a post-colonial lack of confidence and ignored Irish poets and prose writers in favor of English scribes. While I'm grateful for the grounding I was given in Shakespeare and the like, I mourn the fact that the words of Yeats will never come trippingly off the tongue like say, the poems … [Read more...] about The First Word: Payback Time

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May 10, 1869

The Transcontinental Railroad was completed. The first spikes were driven in 1863 during the Civil War, and over the following 6 year period, over 2,000 miles of track was laid entirely by hand over rugged terrain including the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Central Pacific Company built East from Sacramento, while the Union Pacific built West from Omaha, Nebraska. Both teams tried to beat the other’s record for track laying. The Central Pacific concocted a plan to lay 10 miles in a day. Eight Irish tracklayers put down 3,520 rails, while other workers laid 25,800 ties and drove 28,160 spikes in a single day. On May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, a golden spike was hammered into the final tie.

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