Boston Irish Commentary

From left, Frank Burke, Martin McGuinness, and Joe Leary at the Clover Club years ago.The first time I saw Martin McGuinness was at the old Ritz Carlton Hotel in Boston in 1996 as he was striding down the second-floor corridor to join a luncheon the Irish... Read more
Northern Ireland tribalism is a unique force that has created a near-permanent division amongst its people. This artificial state, set up and controlled by British leadership almost 100 years ago, has proven itself almost ungovernable since its inception... Read more
Finally! We have the answer to everything that comes from the mouths of Donald Trump and his acolytes. The answer? “Alternative facts.” Kellyanne Conway snapped at NBC’s Chuck Todd that “alternative facts” now govern the nation in which we live.... Read more
Northern Ireland, a small, artificial enclave of 1.8 million people, has been in constant turmoil since 1922 when Great Britain separated it from the rest of Ireland. In the years since it was created, thousands of its people have died in protest of that... Read more
Anyone who bet at the outset of 2016 that Donald Trump would win the White House is smarter—as well as richer, perhaps—than most of the “all-knowing” media, pundits, and pollsters in the world. An even longer bet, however, might have been that an inner... Read more
Every New Year brings new challenges and new surprises. For Ireland, both North and South, 2017 will be a very critical year. The American election and the British vote to leave Europe (Brexit) will dramatically impact Ireland and could be very disruptive... Read more
RockyWed., Nov. 9, 2016 12:30 a.m. – In the ER with my elderly Maltese who is not doing well. We’re in line behind a Shi-tzu who ate a tampon, presumably while watching the election returns. Memories: In 2001, my family (including my mom, who was healthy... Read more
“Facts are stubborn things.” In his defense of the British soldiers on trial for the infamous Boston Massacre (1770), John Adams used those words, which are often attributed to him even though they appeared long before he deployed them with telling... Read more
Is the American experiment in democracy equipped to survive a Trump presidency? Our E-day-plus-one answer is, “Of course it will.” And it is the responsibility of our leaders, especially the vanquished Democratic ticket, to re-affirm this bedrock belief.... Read more
It was quicker than anticipated. After lamenting the loss of my wife and pondering the chances of meeting someone else, it happened. A friend told me about a widow I might like to meet. Why not? I figured; it’s better than sitting at home feeling sorry... Read more
Senior Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore, formerly with the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, somewhat gleefully announced on BBC radio the day after the election that Donald Trump’s new reduced tax rate would mean that many American... Read more
The Republican nominee for president –whose name shall not be written in this space for reasons of good taste – has succeeded mightily in lathering a once-Grand Old Party with all manner of slime and shame over the last year and a half. The Republican... Read more
The rest of the world has always paid attention to our presidential elections, but foreign newspapers and foreign leaders have generally been circumspect and very careful about what they say about the campaigns. Most countries respect the leadership of... Read more
The rest of the world has always paid attention to our presidential elections, but foreign newspapers and foreign leaders have generally been circumspect and very careful about what they say about the campaigns. Most countries respect the leadership of... Read more
For almost 30 years, the Irish American Partnership, which was founded in Ireland “to organize Irish American support on behalf of job creation, education, and economic development in Ireland,” has assisted the island’s primary schools, universities, and... Read more
The surprise vote of the British people to leave the European Union known as “Brexit” has caused much confusion, turmoil, and regret throughout Ireland, Britain and all of Europe. The reaction to the decision by the UK both inside and outside of Europe... Read more
By Peter F. Steves, Special to the BIR A week or so ago I had dinner with an erudite and sophisticated Dubliner, and during the meal he posed a straightforward question with an uncharacteristic expletive: “What the [deleted] is going on with America and... Read more
By James W. Dolan, Special to the BIR The global economy is inevitable. Efforts to block or derail it may succeed for a while but an evolving world is destined by demographics, technology, travel, and the aspirations of humanity to eventually function as... Read more
By Joe Leary, Special to the BIR The surprising vote by the British people to leave the European Union has and will cause many unforeseen difficulties and opportunities, one of which may be the impact on the question of a United Ireland. There are many... Read more
By JOE LEARY Special to the BIR In a stunning surprise the British people have narrowly voted to leave the 28-nation European Union (EU), with the Brexit (short for British exit) campaign winning 51.8 percent of the vote on June 23. Anger against rules... Read more

Pages