Boston Irish Commentary
With all the trauma caused by the recent erratic turns of the world’s stock markets, investment executives and those responsible for Ireland’s economic well being have become very nervous about 2016.
While Wall Street experts keep saying don’t panic, stay... Read more
Current events don’t seem as interesting after the death of a loved one. Much of the news of the day, viewed in the broader perspective of life’s fragility, seem trivial and inconsequential. The larger issues of the how and why of existence tend to get... Read more
Ireland’s long-standing struggle for independence from the British had been going on for hundreds of years when, on April 14, 1916, Easter Monday, an armed rebellion by a few thousand Irish men and women in Dublin began a sequence of seven years of bitter... Read more
By Joe Leary
Special to the BIR
December is the month of giving. Whether it is to our families under the tree, a few coins in the Salvation Army basket, or the local homeless shelter, most of us are already planning our Christmas gift list.
This column is... Read more
By Peter F. Stevens
BIR Staff
The issue of corporate inversion has erupted again, and again Ireland stands center stage in the controversy. The long-expected news that Pfizer Inc. will swallow Allergan Plc. in a $160-billion “merger” has drawn sharp... Read more
Greg O’Brien during a 2015 visit to Ireland.Duncannon, County Wexford – The tapering headland of Hook Head on the Irish Sea, at the mouth of rivers Barrow, Nore and Suir, is wholly inspiring in its rugged landscape, primeval history, and the majesty this... Read more
The year 2016 will mark the anniversary of several important Irish events. First and most important are the 100th anniversary celebrations in Ireland and the United States American of the famous “Easter Rebellion.”
Another event will also be remembered... Read more
It can be safely said that the government in Northern Ireland set up by the Good Friday agreement in 1998 is barely working and could be in serious danger of collapse. There is deep resistance within the Unionist community, especially among the political... Read more
Sometimes, glimpses of an old gravestone or a memorial trigger historical memory, compelling one to pause and ponder their significance. In the Copp’s Hill Cemetery stands one such marker, a weather-beaten stone that bears the name of Captain Daniel... Read more
After visiting Ireland for a week this past June I feel I can confidently say that Dublin and most of its citizens are enjoying one big celebration of life. Spend a Saturday afternoon walking from O‘Connell Street to Grafton Street and all the way up to a... Read more
The application of strict principles in an evolving society presents many problems, both temporal and spiritual. Supreme Court justices are split between those who see the constitution as fixed and immutable and those who see it as a set of fundamental... Read more
As part of our careful search to determine the best use of the funds we raise on behalf of Ireland, the Irish American Partnership constantly reviews its decisions regarding grants to specific programs and Irish schools. A formal grants committee... Read more
Despite the refusal of hardliners on both sides to embrace the peace and new spirit of cooperation in Northern Ireland, there are hopeful signs of change.
The signing of the Good Friday agreement in 1998 has nearly eliminated the bombings and sectarian... Read more
During the recent rioting in Baltimore, the media cliché was heard over and over: “How could this have happened?” The answer is another question: “How could this not have happened?” And the answer to that comes with a reflection on the sad,... Read more
Frankly, I’m not surprised at the level of skepticism that has greeted the possibility of the Summer Olympics coming to Boston. That Yankee caution and resistance to all things new has permeated our culture for centuries. And while as a region we often... Read more
If society truly measures people by both financial success and charitable works, Andrew Carney ranks as one of the greatest rag-to-riches stories in America’s annals.
Before there were “Horatio Alger” stories, there was Andrew Carney. Today, we have... Read more
Let’s refuse to be drawn into vengeance where only another death balances the scale
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is not repentant for the harm he has caused. He is not asking for mercy or forgiveness. He sees himself as a Muslim warrior fully justified in... Read more
Every time the people of Northern Ireland vote, the political experts look for signs of change. Are those favoring a United Ireland gaining? Are the pro-London Unionist parties maintaining their lead?
It will be the same on Thurs., May 7, when the voters... Read more
Reflections on the ‘Smack 47’ letter – Comparing it to the ‘Irish Cable’ of 1920 is flawed reasoning
What does the recent furor over the 47 Republican senators’ missive to Iran’s ayatollahs have to do with the United States and Ireland?
Nothing – at least until defenders of the 47 started talking smack about the time 95 years ago when 88 members of the... Read more
By Trina Vargo
The week of March 16 was so seven years ago. Irish America publisher Niall O’Dowd may be loud, but that doesn’t make him right, or representative of most Irish Americans.
In his never-ending need to ingratiate himself with the Clintons, he... Read more
