Boston Irish Commentary
Letter from Wicklow/ Larry Donnelly
Not for the first time, “Opening Day” in American college football was played in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Georgia Tech and Florida State flew across the Atlantic to face off and some 27,000 of their followers... Read more
Letter from Dublin/Tim Kirk
“What do you think of all of this Irish success at the Olympics?’ I asked a Dublin friend. ‘Before we would have thought of ourselves as a third world country, not a part of the Olympics. We feel like we are really a part of... Read more
Kamala Harris for President
Rarely in the annals of the American republic have its citizens been presented with an electoral choice that could be termed existential, not only for our own shared destiny, but also for those of far-flung allies and untold... Read more
Our friends and neighbors in South Boston have grown accustomed to disruptions and some measure of bad behavior from the hundreds of thousands of people who descend on “the town” each year for the St. Patrick’s Day-themed parade through their streets. ... Read more
Having reached the final chapters of my life, I think back on all I have absorbed within the context of my professional career as lawyer, judge, and, in retirement, as an arbitrator, mediator, and occasional columnist.
Unfortunately, I am not as confident... Read more
When my father declined to cross the Atlantic for my wedding in 1990, I understood why. Traveling from Dublin to Massachusetts and meeting so many new people would have been anxiety inducing for him. Although his decision did not upset me, it left me... Read more
The tributes have been constant and numerous since Brian O’Donovan died in October, as well they should be. He did so much to make Boston a fertile environment for folk and acoustic music, Irish/Celtic in particular, through his WGBH “Celtic Sojourn”... Read more
The Boston theater community was stunned to learn of the passing of Tony Award-winning actor, Michael McGrath. He was 65 and died suddenly at his New Jersey home last Thursday (Sept. 14), a few days short of his birthday. He leaves his wife of 30 years... Read more
At the hour of writing, the New York Rose, Róisín Wiley, has just been named the 62nd International Rose of Tralee for 2023. She was a worthy winner, even if it is instinctively hard for me to congratulate a New Yorker. Over two nights, after in-depth... Read more
Brian Donnelly, the Lower Mills guy from St Gregory’s parish who served six years as a Dorchester state rep and fourteen years as a member of Congress, will be memorialized this month when the Irish Cultural Centre gathers to present the first “Brian... Read more
I will always be indebted to the late Congressman Brian Donnelly. His initiative and legislative skill created a visa lottery program that helped me and around 25,000 other Irish people obtain permanent resident status in the United States followed by the... Read more
Family album: Above, my Uncle Brian and Aunt Ginny smile for the cameras during his unsuccessful campaign for governor of Massachusetts in 1998.
As I write, the proud veterans of the “Yes Equality” group, who campaigned to introduce same-sex marriage... Read more
Every year Irish politicians joke that in America St. Patrick’s Day lasts at least a week. This year, it seemed closer to two months. Ireland dominated the agenda of senior American policy makers in March and April with three, weeklong events: The annual... Read more
Is my yearning for something better than what I see around me just an indication of my fretful human nature? Or am I being pulled by a force that draws me toward a destiny beyond my own mortality? Is it a dream or a promise?
True contentment is... Read more
By Peter F. StevensBoston Irish Contributor
“A lie does not consist in the indirect position of words, but in the desire and intention, by false speaking, to deceive and injure your neighbor.”
– Jonathan Swift
The above quote flows from the pen of an... Read more
President Biden made a stealthy, but stirring visit to Ukraine’s capital city in February, greeting the war-torn nation’s leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and touring Kyiv on foot as air raid sirens blared in the distance. It was a brilliant piece of... Read more
Plumbing the myths, and realities, of an Gorta Mor,and why the whole story has for so long been ignored “Those in power write the history, those who suffer write the songs.”– Robbie O’Connell
Readers of BostonIrish know that the Great Hunger, an Gorta... Read more
Immigration as political issue … Bertie’s back … Biden’s running again WICKLOW – When I wrote in this space at Christmas, there were widespread protests in Ireland at the government’s often hastily conceived moves to house thousands of refugees and ... Read more
On initial consideration, one might see an attraction like Caherconnell Stone Fort as perhaps another fort, similar to Dun Aengus or any other of the many stone age remnants dotting the Irish landscape. We were delighted to learn that Caherconnell offers... Read more
“It’s not as important where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes
DUBLIN – Ireland’s population was 2.8 million (4.3 with the North) in 1960 and is projected to pass 8 million (10 with the North) by 2050. All political... Read more
