A Window on the Past: Historian Christine Kinealy debunks the myth that Ulster was untouched by the Great Hunger.
The myth of Ulster exceptionalism and affluence has roots in the Great Hunger itself. As early as 1849, Protestant loyalists were laying the foundation for a binary, two-nation view of the Famine. Objecting to a new tax that was to be levied on all parts of … [Read more...] about Last Word:
Great Hunger in the North
2015
Last Word:
Photo Album:
The Road to the Bright City
My grandfather John Bernard “Barney” Hynes and his brother Thomas J. Hynes emigrated from Loughrea, Galway, Ireland to Boston, Massachusetts in 1875. They were in their early teens.
Barney got a job with the Elevated Railroad Company, where he worked for 40 years and moonlighted at night singing, mostly at Irish wakes.
Tom went to Harvard where he spent countless hours on the … [Read more...] about Photo Album:
The Road to the Bright City
When It Comes to Irish Peace,
Hillary and History Rhyme
Hillary Rodham Clinton’s role in the Irish peace process is often underestimated but there were few people more important.
In retrospect it all seems so obvious. Once an American president focused on Ireland, there would be an immediate concerted effort to find a way to end Europe’s long-running war.
After decades of war the American intervention was decisive, a fact admitted … [Read more...] about When It Comes to Irish Peace,
Hillary and History Rhyme
First Word: What I Learned from Hillary
Our cover story on Hillary Clinton reminds us of her role in the Irish peace process – particularly her involvement in bringing women into the discussion and throwing a light on the role they played in their communities – work that was often under-recognized. Closer to home she taught me a lesson that opened my eyes to the fact that when it comes to giving women their due, we … [Read more...] about First Word: What I Learned from Hillary
Patrick Quinn: ALS Champion
Last summer, hundreds of thousands of people, including celebrities, politicians, sports stars, and even a group of Irish nuns, filmed themselves pouring buckets of ice water over their heads to raise awareness for ALS, the neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. You may even have been one of them. Simply and appropriately dubbed the ALS Ice Bucket … [Read more...] about Patrick Quinn: ALS Champion