Recalling a boy named Damien

By Staff
February 2, 2012

BY ED FORRY, BIR Publisher
The new year brought sad news for local Hibernians: The death of Damien Brennan, a 24-year-old youth worker who lived and worked in Belfast, N.I. Damien was five years old in 1992 when he became the victim of a vicious crime: he was attacked at a Portadown playground by three older boys.

Speaking of bargains for tourists, Ireland is hard to beat right now

By Joe Leary, Special to the BIR
February 2, 2012

Joe Leary, Special to the BIR

Joe Byrne, Tourism Ireland’s New York-based executive vice president for North America, is typical of the hard-working Irish men and women who are sent to the United States to represent their country. Enthusiastic, loyal, focused, and extremely bright, his friendly outgoing personality belies a tough, single-minded dedication to improving Ireland’s annual visitor count – in the North and in the South – from the United States and Canada.

Cause & effect & all of us

By Ed Forry
February 2, 2012

BY JAMES W. DOLAN
SPECIAL TO THE REPORTER
That God is the uncaused cause has long been one of the principal arguments for a supernatural, all-powerful being. Some unexplainable, mysterious force must have begun the creative process, otherwise there would be nothing, or so the argument goes.

Vatican Embassy Closing by Ireland Spurs Criticism

By Bill O'Donnell
February 2, 2012

Bill O'Donnell

The recent decision by the Irish government to shut down its embassy in Rome is meeting with widespread public disapproval. Although the closing was characterized as an economy move at the time, there is a feeling among many of the country’s punters that it was a retaliatory back-of-the-hand to Rome.

That voice you hear is probably Mike McNally’s

By Greg O'Brien
February 2, 2012

Greg O'Brien

Ask Francis Michael McNally for a resume, and he tosses out a self-effacing one-pager that reads like a photo caption and doesn’t even begin to tell the story of this man of many voices. His education essentials are to the point: bachelor of science in finance from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management; master’s in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University’s College of Communications; participation in BC’s doctoral program in Educational Administration.

Taoiseach is bound for Boston

By Staff
February 2, 2012

Ireland’s Taoiseach, Enda Kenny will be spending an overnight in Boston this month, his first visit to the Hub since his election as prime minister last year. The Irish leader will address a forum at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government on Feb. 16, and then make several appearances across the city over the course of the the next day.

Letting the younger set know the feeling when a house party turns into a session

By Sean Smith
January 17, 2012

Sean Smith

BY SEAN SMITH
SPECIAL TO THE BIR
It seemed like most any typical all-ages holiday gathering, and in many ways, it was.
A Christmas tree stood in the corner of the living room, right by the entry to the dining room. Christmas decorations graced the fireplace mantel and other parts of the house, and an assortment of various treats, including Christmas cookies, was laid out on the dining room table.

Appraising the ‘Jig’ documentary: entertaining; but context is an issue

By Sean
January 17, 2012

Sean

By Sean Smith
Special to the BIR
It’s not just Irish dance aficionados and child development experts who can find grist for conversation in “Jig.” Add classical philosophers to the list, too.
Sue Bourne’s documentary on Irish competitive dancing, released early last year and now available on DVD, touches, albeit somewhat indirectly, on universal questions about perseverance in pursuit of an elusive goal. When is it all too much? Why endure the sacrifices when the returns, at least in material terms, are virtually non-existent?

JFK’s Presidential Library and Museum captures history while remembering a life

By R.J. Donovan
January 17, 2012

R.J. Donovan

BY R. J. DONOVAN
SPECIAL TO THE BIR
Nestled on 10 acres of waterfront property along Dorchester’s Columbia Point, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum faces the sea, an apt location given JFK’s love of the ocean. If you’ve never visited the Museum, now’s a perfect time to absorb the rich history that awaits within its halls. And if you’ve stopped by in the past, new exhibits beckon.

At New Year’s, looking back, looking forward at the things we love about the island of Ireland

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
January 9, 2012

It's hard to believe that another year has sped past, leaving behind some good and some not-so-good memories, and that 2012 has now been launched. As the year turns, it's fun to remember all the things we love about Ireland, especially what we experienced during the previous year.

Here are a few 2011 favorites:

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