The standoff in Northern Ireland is a disgrace, pure and simple

By Joe Leary, Special to the BIR
February 1, 2018
Joe Leary, Special to the BIR

The good people of Northern Ireland have been without local assembly government for over a year now with politicians continually refusing to agree on much of anything to repair the situation. With the destructive Brexit changes looming, the citizens of Northern Ireland have no real voice in their future.

His job: Pave the way for Globe Santa

By Tom Mulvoy, Managing Editor
February 1, 2018
Tom Mulvoy, Managing Editor

For most of us, thoughts of Santa are a November-December thing. For Bill Connolly, Santa considerations are a yearlong proposition in his role as executive director of the Globe Santa program, which on Christmas Day 2017 concluded its 62nd campaign, using more than $1 million from reader donations to distribute presents consisting of toys and books to some 34,000 children in more than 19,000 deserving families.

‘Seeking Sanctuary’ An artistic collaboration of music, words, installations

By Sean Smith, Special to the BIR
February 1, 2018
Sean Smith, Special to the BIR

An immigration-themed performance event that premieres February 9-11 at the Boston Center for the Arts will feature a specially commissioned piece by Charlie Lennon – one of Ireland’s most distinguished tradition-influenced musicians/composers – and a narrative based on family stories of two prominent Boston citizens: Mayor Martin Walsh, the son of Irish immigrants, and Irish musician Tommy McCarthy, owner of the popular Davis Square music venue The Burren.

Abortion ban headed for ballot box in Ireland Health minister defends referendum

By Gregory Katz, Associated Press
February 1, 2018
Gregory Katz, Associated Press

LONDON — Irish women are having abortions regardless of a near-total constitutional ban on terminating pregnancies, the country’s health minister said on Jan. 30 in defense of a planned referendum that will ask voters whether the amendment should be repealed.

Health Minister Simon Harris said on Ireland’s RTE television that he is beginning work on a proposed abortion law that would be submitted to parliament if the May referendum removes the constitutional ban. The legislation would allow abortions during the first trimester, he said.

Forbes Museum exhibit recalls a special mission

By Daniel Sheehan
February 1, 2018
Daniel Sheehan

The newest exhibit at the Forbes House Museum in Milton tells the story of Captain Robert Bennet Forbes’s humanitarian aid mission to Ireland during the height of the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s.

The exhibit, which officially opened on Jan. 27 at an open house event at the museum, features a collection of artifacts and documents that detail the voyage and place it in historical context.

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