Boston Irish Commentary
WICKLOW, Ireland – In many ways, everything has changed utterly since I wrote about February’s general election here in Ireland in the inaugural edition of Boston Irish. A global pandemic, the likes of which have not been seen in a century, struck – and... Read more
DUBLIN – A march in the Irish capital on June 1 in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the oppressed in America included a journey past Dublin monuments and landmarks that evoked history and the connection between Ireland and America. As I joined the... Read more
With the easing of some COVID restrictions this week, I'be felt a new sense of freedom and relief. The lockdown here in Ireland started shortly after an unusual St Patrick's Day – no celebrations, churches closed, no sports, and over 70s could not leave... Read more
Tim Kirk, a software professional, and his wife, Raphaelle, a nurse, left Needham, Massachusetts, last December and settled permanently in Dublin. He has sent along his impressions of his first few months of residence there as the viral pandemic spread... Read more
Do you know what I’m really missing about baseball these days?
The voices.
The voices of those who in normal times would be bringing us the
play-by-play action and color commentary of the games on television and
radio. I miss the professionalism of... Read more
This is a newsletter featuring whatever thoughts I might have at any particular time about any particular subject. Some entries, but not all, might be on the Red Sox and baseball, and some, but not all, might contain verse.
As I sit in semi-splendid... Read more
The idiom “Whistling past the graveyard” is defined as the attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation. Well, I’m all puckered up and ready to blow. Are you ready?
The Red Sox loss of Mookie Betts might not the mean end of the world.
There. I’ve said it... Read more
As Ireland entered Europe in 1973 and the “troubles” raged in the North, I was lost in teenage heartache. So much so that I took refuge in my grandparents’ house one night to watch a BBC2 documentary about Joseph Stalin.
Distracted by the footage of... Read more
By James T. Brett Compassionate medical care and end of life considerations are some of the most complex and difficult issues facing families, and society in general. It is a reality that may only intensify against a backdrop of an aging population. In... Read more
We make deposits of ourselves for our time,
notes in an endless rhythm
By James W. Dolan
Reporter Columnist
I can see the glow in my late wife’s eyes and the smile on her face as she sat with our children and grandchildren at family events. She was... Read more
BY JOE LEARY
There is no doubt that the Boston Irish Reporter has been a most important force in strengthening and build-ing the Irish American community here in the Boston area. Since Ed and Mary Forry began publishing this extraordinary newspaper 30... Read more
As the calendar turns toward Thanksgiving, several prominent Irish Americans are doing their level best to turn the conversation away from platters of holiday “gobbler” to the spewing of lies, and, in one case, an ill-advised confession to several of... Read more
BY FRANCIS COSTELLO
SPECIAL TO THE BIR
“Don’t even think about it” is the message US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered with special emphasis during her recent visits to London and Dublin. The words were a strong caution to any UK government seeking a... Read more
As 'Moscow Mitch', Kellyanne Conway, others tout the part y line, the question is: WHOSE PARTY?
by PETER F. STEVENS
BIR STAFF
America’s chaotic political state of affairs no longer stands as a battle between “Red” and “Blue.” While the Democrats remain... Read more
Or will they self-cannibalize and cede field to imperial outrage?
BY PETER F. STEVENS
BIR STAFF
A Hobson’s choice is loosely defined as take it or leave it. What are President Trump and his simpering Senate sycophants, the Banana Republicans offering us... Read more
A warning: It’s not the ‘I’ word
BY PETER F. STEVENS
BIR STAFF
This writer is not in the business of predictions. In November 2020, however, President Donald J. Trump can be defeated. He can be trounced, actually, on one, and perhaps only one issue: It... Read more
BY JOE LEARY
SPECIAL TO THE BIR
Britain’s long, boring, argumentative journey toward separation from Europe will be remembered for centuries. It will not be a proud moment in its history.
So far the process has been a mess. Massive egos, with their own... Read more
It’s high time to add yet another word to the lexicon employed by lazy journalists and casual pundits. Whether you’re viewing CNN, MSNBC, or Fox, you’ve heard this word ad nauseam. Cue the contrived dramatic pause as on-air anchors, reporters, and... Read more
Who is the greatest sports hero in Boston history? Beats me.
The question, an age-old one, has flared up recently as Tom Brady has climbed relentlessly up the heights of the Mount Olympus of sports gods, now with six Super Bowl titles hanging from his... Read more
By Peter F. Stevens
BIR Staff
It’s over, at least for now. As of this writing, the partial shutdown/presidential temper tantrum ignited by Donald Trump’s demand for a border wall or bust is over until Feb. 15. Still, as the president is already making... Read more
