There is a sign on the wall at Gleason's, Brooklyn's storied boxing gym, posting an invitation from the poet Virgil: "Now whoever has courage, and a strong and collected spirit in his breast, let him come forth, lace up his gloves, and put up his hands." John Duddy, a young boxer from Derry, was in Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, far from his hometown in Northern Ireland, when … [Read more...] about First Word: The Way Forward
Peace
Bono Nominated for Nobel
He's been nominated for Oscars, was recently awarded the French Legion d'Honneur, and won dozens of Grammies and other prestigious music awards. So it really isn't a big deal that U2 lead singer Bono has now been nominated for a little thing called the Nobel Peace Prize, is it? Think again. "It's just a huge honor to be even mentioned on the same list as people like Pope John … [Read more...] about Bono Nominated for Nobel
Endgame: The Road to Peace in Northern Ireland
"This is the first time the inside story of the Irish peace process has been told by so many of the major politicians and paramilitary leaders who helped shape it." – WGBH executive producer Zvi Dor-Ner ℘℘℘ Endgame in Ireland, a four-hour PBS special documenting the hard-fought road to peace in Northern Ireland from the onset of The Troubles in the late 1960s to the IRA … [Read more...] about Endgame: The Road to Peace in Northern Ireland
IRA Dispose of Weapons
An historic breakthrough was made in the Northern Ireland peace process at the end of October when the first IRA arms were put permanently beyond use in a move monitored by the International Commission on Decommissioning. In the early hours of October 23 General John de Chastelain oversaw the disposal of what was called a "sizable quantity" of the IRA's weapons, a move which … [Read more...] about IRA Dispose of Weapons
Solas for Clinton
The Irish Immigration Center in Boston is having its annual fundraising awards luncheon on November 20 at the Boston Copley Mariot Hotel. This ear's winner of The Solas Award will be former president Bill Clinton for his tireless effort to bring peace to Ireland. It was his influence and intervention that proved vital in bringing about the Good Friday Agreement. Senator Ted … [Read more...] about Solas for Clinton