Phoebe Prince's mother complained twice about bullying to school authorities

Phoebe Prince's mother was turned away twice after complaints to school authorities that her daughter (pictured above left) was being bullied in school. It also appears staff had far more knowledge of the bullying than they have revealed.

Anne O'Brien Prince went to the school and spoke with authorities there after her daughter came home upset and crying over the taunting and threats she was receiving.

Her mother got no satisfaction however, from school authorities and failed to convince them that her daughter needed far more protection.

The bullying continued with tragic consequences when Phoebe hung herself on January 14th after a particularly bad day of threats and bullying.

The revelation makes it all the more extraordinary that school authorities have essentially got off scot-free from the repercussions surrounding the case.

Anne Prince had moved back to the area with her famil , Phoebe her sisters Lauren, Tessa and Bridget, and brother Simon, from Ireland where they had settled and her husband Jeremy had started a blueberry farm.

Jeremy did not accompany the family and Phoebe missed him deeply by all accounts. he is now back with the family
Principal Dan Smith told Slate magazine in February that "There were instances of name-calling, with Phoebe, the week before she died. These were brought to our attention, we dealt with those kids right away. We also talked to her, we had her working with a school counselor, we talked to her mom."

The prosecutor Elizabeth Scheibel is in no doubt that the school staff knew "The investigation has revealed that certain faculty, staff and administrators of the high school also were alerted to the harassment of Phoebe Prince before her death."

Two bullies expelled from school in Phoebe Prince case

Two of the nine kids who bullied Phoebe Prince to an untimely death have been expelled from their school after prosecutors announced charges against them.
What took them so long?

South Hadley High School administrators issued a statement today that said they had not known some of the accusations against the two until the prosecutor's report was issued

“As we continue to review the new information that was released by the district attorney at her press conference on Monday, we have taken disciplinary action with an additional small group of students and they have been removed from the high school,” said Assistant Superintendent Christine Sweklo in a statement.

“We continue our ongoing efforts, through our Anti-Bullying Task Force to Promote Civil and Ethical Behavior, to review our policies, programs and procedures.”
Only two of the students who were cited remain at the school so it is believed those are the two who have been expelled.

This looks like a case of see no evil.

According to the Boston Herald "School administrators indicated yesterday that the school department’s probe did not turn up evidence against the girls who remained in the school, and they wanted to review the district attorney’s evidence."

My what on earth were they looking at then? A brief conversation with any kid in Phoebe's circle or teachers who knew about the bullying would have told them what they wanted to know, IE who was doing the bullying etc.

The school's inaction has been disgraceful and heads need to roll

Adults should be charged in Phoebe Prince bullying death

The charging of nine teenagers in the tragic suicide of Irish student Phoebe Prince in South Hadley Massachusetts is no more than what they deserved.

Yet the failure to charge any adults at the school with at least negligence in her case is puzzling.

The heartbreaking evidence released by the prosecutor shows that adult supervisors witnessed and did nothing about the extreme bullying the 15-year-old girl underwent on her last days on earth.

That included heavy bullying in the library before a supervisor who did absolutely nothing to stop it or report it.

The entire school leadership, given that there were previous incidents of bad bullying at the school, deserves to be reprimanded and in some cases sacked over this tragic episode.

One can make no excuse for adults who watched and did nothing while a young girl was bullied to death hanging herself in a closet when it all became too much for her.

Her crime was being asked out on a date by a popular high school football player, which incensed the mean girls in the school, one of whom fancied the player herself.

One can only imagine what the young Irish girl went through as a posse of at least nine kids made her life hell day after day and she was powerless to stop it.

The fact that she had recently arrived from Ireland, that her family were settling in and that she had few friends must have made it incredibly difficult for her to cope with the growing bullying.

The lack of a support network proved fatal in the end for Phoebe, a young emigrant in a strange land who had so much to deal with in such a short time.

The fact that no adult stepped in to help her is a shameful reality and one that will haunt the school authorities forever more. It was simply inexcusable.

The good work of the prosecutor in charging the teenagers with liability in the death is to be praised but the fact that the adults got off scot-free is regretful. Either way they must live with the horrifying reality of what they allowed to happen before their very eyes.

Looks likely Ted Kennedy Jr. will face Scott Brown in 2012 Senate race

Ted Kennedy Jr.is shaping up like he will run for his father's seat against Scott Brown in Massachusetts in 2012.

Over the weekend, Ted Jr., who lost a leg to cancer, spoke in Worcester, MA, to a conference on disabled issues.

The choice of location was no accident, I'll bet. What he said was even more indicative.

He was asked about a possible political career. "Politics is in my blood,” he said, going on to state that "at the moment," he’s more devoted to his young children and the needs of the disabled community.

Note the "at the moment" qualifier. This is a 48-year-old with a political future. As the Boston Herald reported, "Told there was a Senate race in 2012, a very wry and self-assured Ted Kennedy Jr. just smiled: “You don’t say,” he chuckled.

Indeed we do say. And I'll repeat it here. I believe Ted Kennedy Jr.will face off against Scott Brown in 2012 in Massachusetts when Brown has to run for a full term.

Kennedy first came to prominence at his father's funeral when he delivered an impassioned eulogy that left many in tears and wishing he would run.

He has that depth of character and experience brought about by his battle against his disability that marks him as a special Kennedy. Though based in Connecticut and a successful human rights layer, he has retained his Massachusetts residency. That will surely come in handy.

There is no doubt the family is still steaming over the loss of the seat to Brown, and the pathetic race run by Martha Coakley.

Kennedy would have a great shot if he decides to run. The bloom will be off Brown by then, and Obama will be running and winning statewide for President unless he suffers a total political meltdown.

Over the weekend, Kennedy talked about his father's absence as health care finally passed and predicted some Republicans would have signed on if he was still around.

“It was a bittersweet moment,” Kennedy said. “And yes, something about it made me miss my dad all the more. For so many years, he was the one who worked to keep the flame of universal heath care going.

“He would introduce that legislation over and over again, certain that someday the moment would come when his dream of health care for all would become a reality. I just wish he’d been here to see it.”

If there was any consolation, Kennedy said, it was that his father died believing that his vision was going to become law. “With the (Democratic) majority in Congress and the commitment of President Obama, I think he knew it would happen,” he said.

“My father had this gift of forming personal relationships with people, and it didn’t matter which side of the aisle you were on. People like Al Simpson or Lowell Weicker would come over to my dad’s house for dinner all the time. Hell, I can even remember Don Rumsfeld coming over one night to jump in our pool. You could argue back then, and still be great friends.”

Methinks this son has many of the same talents.

What Vatican secrets does disgraced Bishop John Magee take to the grave?

The disgraced Bishop of Cloyne, John Magee, will bring at least two dark secrets to his grave with him. He resigned last week after a tribunal found he had blatantly failed to implement church regulations on abuse of children.

The Newry-both Magee was Secretary to three Popes, Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II, the only cleric in history to achieve such an incredible honor. In the picture above, he is with John Paul II.

John Cooney, an Irish journalist covering religious affairs, wrote how Magee proudly boasted that Pope Paul VI treated him like a son, and that John Paul II treated him like a brother.

According to Cooney, he was considered the "most handsome man" in the Vatican and had incredible access to the Popes. He lived in a wonderful villa on the Vatican grounds.

It even had a private chapel, and he loved to entertain friends from Ireland and arrange meetings with the Pope for a chosen few.

He was widely expected to return to Ireland in triumph as Archbishop of Armagh, his home diocese, and be the future Primate of All Ireland.

But John Paul 11 banished him to a lonely Cork diocese in 1987, when Magee was at the height of his power. The job of Bishop of Cloyne was intended for someone else, but John Paul insisted that Magee go.

He was never liked by the priests there, who considered him a Vatican outsider who was dumped on them. The Bishop's house was a sad, drafty old building in need of repair, totally unlike his Vatican villa.

The reasons why he was exiled to Cloyne have never been explained.

Rumors ran rampant, including involvement in a cover-up of the death of John Paul I and unspecified personal behavior charges, but nothing ever came to light.

What is known is that in 1978, on the death of John Paul I after only 33 days as Pope, Magee covered up the fact that a nun found him, and a statement was issued that he was the person who discovered the body.

Why this was so has never been explained.

Nor was the fact that he was briefly brought back to Rome immediately when Pope John Paul II died for unspecified duties.

By all accounts, he went into a deep funk when posted to Cloyne, a minor diocese in Ireland far from his beloved Armagh.

His lack of oversight of the child abuse problems in his parish were seen as a sign of his total disinterest in his new duties.

Now he is gone, and the mystery of how he ever ended up in Cloyne, or why he tried to mask the truth of who found the body of John Paul I, may never be known.

In "Angels and Demons," Dan Brown's prequel to "The Da Vinci Code," an ambitious Irish priest close to the Pope almost becomes Pope himself by plotting and eliminating enemies during a papal conclave. The book's Rev. Patrick McKenna may well have been loosely based on Magee.

Whatever lofty ambitions Magee had, they have long since ended, and he resigned in disgrace.

It was surely not the script he had written for himself.

New Irish language newspaper launches

It is a brave venture in these times to launch a new newspaper. It is even braver to launch one in a language that the majority of Irish people are unfortunately, not fluent in.

That has not deterred the folks at Gaelsceal. a new weekly publication which literally mean Irish news, which was launched on friday in Ireland.

You can see it on line at gaelsceal.ie and it makes for a very handsome production and a very interesting read.It is based in County Galway and comes out weekly and carries an amazing amount of "scealta" news stories from all over Ireland

I'm not entirely unbiased. I have written a column in my native tongue for the newspaper, the first I have ever penned. It felt good to "Bi ag scriobh as Gaelige " (writing in Irish) after thirty years writing "as Bearla" (in English)

Although thirty years out of Ireland the wonder of reading and hearing the native tongue still inspires me . It is as if the ancestral voices can be heard for the first time. For over 3,000 years forms of Gaeilige (Irish) were the lingua franca. Only after the Famine did the language die--and now it is back.

These days there is a major revival, a successful television and radio station, a huge all Irish language school movement and now a newspaper. It is wonderful to see and speaks to a younger generation who have none of the hangups of my era about learning and speaking the mother tongue.

Go on to the website whether you speak Gaelic or not. It will inspire you too.

What on earth has happened to Senator John McCain?

What has happened to Irish American Senator John McCain, the man of principle, who stood up for what was right and to hell with the consequences?

Those of you who saw him on the Today Show yesterday will know what I mean.

Host Ann Curry asked him about the violence that is occurring around the country as fanatics target Democratic lawmakers who voted for the health care reform bill.

McCain's weasel words in reply, effectively saying there was nothing new in such tactics, do not fit the man who is a hero to so many Americans for his ability to speak truth to power.

The old John McCain would have spoken out directly against the acts that are being committed and would have insisted that everyone calm down.

But alas, with a tough vote in Arizona on his hands, where he is running against a Tea Party candidate in the primary, McCain it appears had to play the hardball angle every chance he gets.

What a pity for a man who had so much class that I even helped run a fundraiser for him two years ago because of his support on immigration reform.

Back then an impassioned McCain spoke powerfully about what it was like to find out that desperate immigrants, some of them young babies, had died of thirst trying to cross the border from Mexico and how he was committed to doing something about it.

The new McCain is an impostor I'm sure and if he wins his seat back let's hope we see the old McCain. U.S. politics badly needs him.

Perhaps he could take a lead from his daughter Meghan McCain,who made clear her feelings on Tom Tancredo, keynote speaker at the recent Tea Party convention who made several downright racist comments during his speech about Latinos.

“It’s innate racism, and I think it’s why young people are turned off by this movement,” McCain charged of Tancredo’s remarks. “Revolutions start with young people, not with 65-year-old people talking about literacy tests and people who can’t say the word vote in English. It’s ridiculous.”

That's the kind of McCain we need

Irish Bishop present at death of three Popes resigns in Irish sex abuse scandal

Another day, another Irish Bishop resigns. The Vatican has now accepted the resignation of the Bishop of Cloyne, John Magee.

Magee, a Down native, was already in deep trouble over victim abuse in his Cork diocese, and had stepped aside temporarily while his actions were examined.

Magee is a controversial figure. He was personal secretary to three Popes: Paul VI, John Paul I, and John Paul II -- and was present at each of their deaths.

He was one of the first who discovered Pope John Paul I dead in his bed.

Various conspiracy theories have accused him of cover-ups. He claimed to have found the dead Pope first, but later retracted that and said a nun had found him.

In 1981, he gave Communion and a Crucifix to dying Irish hunger-striker Bobby Sands in his prison cell as part of a mission from the Vatican to try and defuse the hunger strike issue.

He was called back to Rome from Cork for undisclosed reasons when Pope John Paul 11 passed away, and it was never made clear what he did there.

By then he had been quietly moved to Cloyne, but soon ran into trouble on the issue of child abuse.

In a statement today, Magee said he wanted to sincerely apologize to victims of abuse in Cloyne.

"To those whom I have failed in any way, or through any omission of mine have made suffer, I beg forgiveness and pardon," he said.

"I also sincerely hope that the work and the findings of the Commission of Investigation will be of some help towards healing for those who have been abused," he said.

"I welcome the fact that my offer of resignation has been accepted, and I thank the priests, religious and faithful of the Diocese for their support during my time as Bishop of Cloyne, and assure them of a place in my prayers always."

Responding to the announcement, Cardinal Seán Brady said in a statement: "I wish to acknowledge the long and varied ministry of Bishop John Magee in the Church. I thank him for his contribution to the work of the Irish Bishops' Conference over the past twenty years, particularly in the area of Liturgy. I assure him of my prayers at this time and wish him good health in his retirement.

"However, foremost in my thoughts in these days are those who have suffered abuse by clergy and those who feel angry and let down by the often inadequate response of leaders in the Church," he said.

Patrick Kennedy: 'Dad, the work is done'

"Dad, the work is done." With that poignant note that Congressman Patrick Kennedy left on his father's grave in Arlington, the health care debate drew to a close.

Kennedy was one of hundreds of visitors to Ted Kennedy's grave since the bill was passed and now signed into law.

His widow Vicki spent several hours there on Sunday, and schoolchildren and health advocates all visited to pay tribute.

But it was Patrick's poignant note that symbolized the massive scope of the victory.

He had previously presented President Obama with the 1970 bill his father had drafted for universal health insurance. All these years later, the President that Ted Kennedy handpicked to carry on and try and achieve his dream had delivered.

Joe Biden, say it ain't f------ so!

Last week, Vice President Joe Biden pronounced the mother of the Irish Prime Minister dead during a St. Patrick's event at the White House.

He quickly apologized to the hale and hearty Mrs. Cowen.

This week, he swore, saying "this is a big f------ deal," when he embraced President Barack Obama after the signing ceremony for the health care bill. Microphones clearly picked it up.

Joe should listen to his own advice: After last week's gaffe, he quickly quoted an old Irish proverb, "Is Binn Beal in a Thost," which means "Sweet is the mouth that's shut."

Joe could learn a lot from that proverb.

Vicki Kennedy visited Ted's grave as health care vote loomed

As the clock ticked down on the House debate om the controversial health care bill Sunday, Vicki Kennedy visited Arlington National Cemetery where she said she "spent some time" with her husband, she told CNN.

"I thought yesterday was an important day to be there, because I had hope and confidence."

She also praised the Democrats and especially President Obama for the fight they showed when it looked like reform was in trouble.

"I think that President Obama showed incredible determination and courage and focus when he continued this battle; and Speaker Pelosi to continue to rally the troops and the leaders in the House of Representatives showed incredible determination and focus and courage," Kennedy said.

"And I think it is a real tribute to all the members of the House of Representatives as well. I think it is a real tribute to all of them and I am deeply, deeply, grateful, as I think are the American people."

"You know Teddy always said that when we finally pass health care reform and when people understand what's in the bill and what benefits there are for them, they are going to say 'What took you so long?' And I think that's going to happen here," Kennedy said.

Ted Kennedy's gamble on Obama pays off as health care passes

Somewhere Ted Kennedy is smiling.

His gamble on choosing Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton for President has paid off. The relentless Obama focus on health care, a legacy from Kennedy, has made possible the historic vote on health care which passed the House tonight.

There was a poignant moment tonight when Speaker Nancy Pelosi made an impassioned plea for the passage of the health care bill, and spoke emotionally about Kennedy's posthumous letter to Obama pleading for health care passage to be his legacy.

That looked like a failed dream when Sen. Scott Brown took the Kennedy seat, to the consternation of the Kennedy family.

But a few weeks is a long time in politics, and tonight Pelosi cobbled together a majority that ensured that the greatest change in health care since Medicare was passed will now become law.

Off to the side, watching Pelosi's speech, was Rep. Patrick Kennedy -- now in the last few months of his time in the House. As soon as Pelosi was finished, she strode over and embraced him.

They both knew Ted Kennedy's legacy is now secure. His wife Vicki issued an immediate statement saying it was the culmination of his life's efforts.

It is a sad he did not live to see his greatest legislative priority come into being.

But no doubt, he would have deflected the praise as he always did to others.

Nonetheless, history was made on health care tonight -- and in many ways, we have the Lion of the Senate, Ted Kennedy, to thank.

Pope Benedict letter a major disappointment in abuse scandal

The Pope's response to the Catholic Church scandals in Ireland has come up woefully short -- which should be no surprise.

To say he was "truly sorry" was the bare minimum. Saying bishops had erred "sometimes grievously" was a light slap on the wrists for the disgraceful behavior of so many. He did not call on those bishops who are guilty to step down.

Describing the abuse of children by Irish clergy and religious as "sinful and criminal" were the usual weasel words, with no actions to follow.

No amount of Vatican-speak can remove the heart of the matter that evil men who abused children were protected and defended by the same Church that claims to speak for God on earth.

Benedict is a canon lawyer supreme, and this document, with its careful parsing and analysis, reflects that. There was no other recourse he could take.

Of course, there is a bloodless apology and a plan to do more to protect kids in the future. And no doubt, that will be the case -- but the horse has bolted and all the Pope's prelates cannot put the horse back in the stable again.

That is simply because the crime is so reprehensible and the cover-up so outrageous that the Pope resembles nothing more than a thief at the gallows repenting his crime and those of his followers.

The deed itself is so awful as to make any effort at apology or excuse for covering-up entirely useless. Young boys and girls were stripped, raped, beaten -- some even killed by their abusers. The Pope is powerless against that.

Take Cardinal Sean Brady in Ireland for instance, who last week tried to explain how in 1975 he had made two young children swear an oath of silence -- on a Bible no less -- over abuse allegations by the worst pedophile of all, Father Brendan Smyth. Even though he believed their allegations, he refused to report Smyth to the police.

No matter what way Brady tried to twist it, it is impossible to put it in any other light: He covered up the abuse of innocent children by a monster.

In any era, at any time, in any historical context, what he did was wrong. He can claim the standards of the day back in 1975 were different, but they were not. Abusing children is a heinous crime in any era.

That is why Benedict has flailed and failed with this document. There is simply no way to explain it away, no amount of apology, no plea to do better that can make the slightest bit of difference.

Against this sin, even the Pope is powerless.

Irish power alive and well in Washington

Barack Obama walked on to the podium in the East Room the White House on St.Patrick's night looking like a man without a care in the world. He knew he was among Irish friends.

Facing him on the floor were 500 Irish American Democrats, many former Hillary supporters. who had come to the White House on this Irish night of nights to celebrate their power and influence in America.

There has been a lot of nonsense spewed since the passing of Ted Kennedy that the Irish are about to lose their clout in Washington that this generation of leaders will pass and no legacy will remain. Tell that to anyone in the packed room on St.Pat's night and watch them laugh.

What nonsense it is too. At the podium and all day on Wednesday both the President and the Vice President, the two most powerful men in the country, were proudly embracing their Irish roots. President Obama jokingly remarked that he wished he had known about them when he was running for office in Chicago. He joked that Chicago Mayor Richard Daley had told him he had Kenyan roots.

Joe Biden is far more Irish American, in fact the first Irish Catholic vice president in American history, a distinction he is deeply proud of. His introduction to Obama was sprinkled with Yeats and Heaney quotes,heartfelt rather than read by rote.

It was Biden who insisted on a new wrinkle for St. Patrick's Day, a breakfast at his residence, the Naval Observatory, with the Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen.

It is not just in the Democratic Party that Irish connections go deep. Last week former President Bush intervened in the Northern Irish crisis, his first such outside engagement since stepping down from the presidency.

His former Northern Ireland envoy Richard Haass recalled how deeply interested and committed to peace in Ireland that Bush was.

As for Bill Clinton, his predecessor he quite simply labels himself Irish every chance he gets even though the ancestry is through the father he never knew, who died before he was born.

There has been a certain revisionist view of Irish America these past few years,stating that power was about to pass with this generation. That theory fits with a certain snobbish set in Ireland where Irish America is considered a deeply suspect invention.

The Irish consul in New York, Niall Burgess, tells an interesting story about a letter he found when preparing to celebrate the 8oth anniversary of the founding of the consulate. It stated that back in 1921 now that the 26 county state had been created it was quite likely Irish Americans would lose interest in Ireland.

It wasn't true then and it is not true now. The White House this St.Patrick's Day was a clear reminder of that fact

Hispanics pleased as Obama launches his immigration reform effort at Irish reception

As he made his way along the rope line at the White House Irish reception on St. Patrick's night President Obama encountered three separate queries about immigration reform.

Later, staffers expressed surprise to me that the Irish were so concerned about the issue.

It is obvious however, that key players in the the Obama administration have now become aware of that fact. There are an estimated 50,000 Irish undocumented and more on the way with the economic crisis back home. Now is the time for action.

Obama mentioned his efforts for comprehensive reform in his remarks before 500 leading Irish Americans and it is clear that the matter has begun to surface as his next big legislative effort.

It was no accident that Obama announced it at the Irish party. Earlier in the week Congressman Luis Gutierrez , the key leader in the Hispanic lobby on this issue had announced he was going to oppose Obama's health care plan because of his lack of commitment to immigration reform.

After a frenzied series of meetings Gutierrez suddenly announced he was going to support the health care plan,as were the Hispanic lobby. Insiders say Obama promised in return to lead a push for comprehensive --and to announce it at the White House Irish event as Gutierrez wanted.

That would be no surprise. Gutierrez saw the strength of the Irish lobby in recent years when he attended the Washington rallies held by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform and almost every major player on Capitol Hill attended. He also went to Ireland on a recent congressional delegation and discussed the Irish role in immigration reform there

Obama also invoked the name of Senator Edward Kennedy on the issue to an Irish audience who considered him a hero. Obama would hardly have invoked Ted Kennedy lightly on this question. The mention of his name in connection with immigration drew loud applause.

Obama said: "He knew, as we do, that our nation is infinitely richer for not only the contributions of the Irish throughout history -– but the contributions of people from around the world. That’s why I’m pleased that there’s bipartisan progress being made in an area that I know was close to his big heart -– and that's fixing our broken immigration system. (Applause.) And that’s why my own commitment to comprehensive immigration reform remains unwavering."

So its game on for immigration reform. If Obama gets health care through he has a shot and the Irish lobby will be in his corner on this one.

President Obama's great Irish speech – the excerpts

As many of you know I was deeply impressed with Obama's speech at the White House reception for the Irish Prime Minister last night. Below is the relevant section I referred to in my earlier blog which I think captures the extraordinary impact of his words.

"And in the wake of a Great Hunger, that migration intensified. And the Irish carved out a place for themselves in our nation’s story -– America and Ireland, our brawn and our blood, side by side in the making and remaking of this nation; pulling it westward, pushing it skyward, moving it forward -– even if it was a nation that was not always as welcoming as it could be.

"But with hard work and toughness and loyalty and faith, the Irish persevered. And in the process they secured the future for generations of Irish-Americans free to live their lives as they will -– and today, free to argue openly and proudly about who is more Irish than whom.

"So it can be easy to forget that there was a time when “No Irish Need Apply.” Particularly when it was half a century ago this year that John F. Kennedy walked through the doors of this house as the first Irish Catholic President of the United States.

"One person who never forgot this history -– someone who frequently recalled his grandfather’s vivid stories of those days; who through his office window could see the Boston Harbor steps where his eight Irish grandparents first set foot in America –- was the President’s youngest brother and our dear friend, Ted Kennedy.

"He knew, as we do, that our nation is infinitely richer for not only the contributions of the Irish throughout history -– but the contributions of people from around the world. That’s why I’m pleased that there’s bipartisan progress being made in an area that I know was close to his big heart -– and that's fixing our broken immigration system. And that’s why my own commitment to comprehensive immigration reform remains unwavering.

"In this and every other battle for progress, Ted was a tireless warrior. And I know that we could use him this week. I am so glad that we’re joined tonight by his wife Vicki; his daughter, Kara; his son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy; and his sister-in-law, Ethel Kennedy, as well as a whole bunch of nieces and nephews. Please give them a big round of applause.

"Both of our nations are down one friend, a champion, and peacemaker. But it wouldn’t be Irish mourning without some undercurrent of joy. So while Teddy’s laughter may not shake the walls of this house tonight, as it did so many times over the past half-century, ours will not be diminished. While his singing may not fill these rooms, I suspect that won’t stop some of you from trying.You don't have to try, though -- that's why we brought in the entertainment.

"This is rightly a day for celebration and good cheer between America and one of her oldest friends -– and it’s a partnership that extends to our earliest days as a Republic. So before I turn it over to the Taoiseach, let me leave you with all the words from those early days that speak to why this has been such an incredible relationship between our two countries. These are words spoken by the father of our country, George Washington:

"When our friendless standards were first unfurled, who were the strangers who first mustered around our staff? And when it reeled in the light, who more brilliantly sustained it than Erin’s generous sons? Ireland, thou friend of my country in my country’s most friendless days, much injured, much enduring land, accept this poor tribute from one who esteems thy worth, and mourns thy desolation. May the God of Heaven, in His justice and mercy, grant thee more prosperous fortunes, and in His own time, cause the sun of Freedom to shed its benign radiance on the Emerald Isle.”

"To all of you from near and far, and over all the years and tests ahead, may America and Ireland forever brilliantly sustain one another’s sons and daughters.

"And with that, to our guest, the Taoiseach of Ireland, on behalf of the American people we want to thank you for your presence here. We are proud to call you a friend this day and every day. And we are looking forward to planting this little piece of Ireland in the garden here in the White House."

Story / Barack and Michelle Obama win over the Irish crowd / Click here

Barack and Michelle Obama win over the Irish crowd

Until you actually experience Barack and Michelle Obama close up you might wonder what all the fuss is about.

They came into office a year ago with expectations sky high. They may have not lived up to them but make no mistake, they are incredibly talented people who have brought class and distinction to this White House.

Last night I stood about ten feet away as Barack Obama delivered possibly the best speech about Irish and American ties that I have heard.

We were at the White House for the annual St Pat's party in honor of the Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen and what an occasion it was.

Obama's speech touched every chord of memory and meaningful moment in the long history between the two countries.

He ended by quoting George Washington's stirring words about the sons of Erin who rallied to the American standard in the battle against the British.

Before that he spoke of the famine and the dreadful toll on the Irish it took.

But he also talked about the rise form the ghettos of the Irish who fled the Famine and the incredible inspiration they provided for future generations of emigrants from many other cultures as they too battled to gain a foothold in America .

Along the way he noted the 'No Irish Need Apply' signs did not stop them overcoming every obstacle.

The Irish he noted were America's longest allies and continued to stand with them through thick and thin.

Vice President Biden who was also present on the stage nodded in agreement.

There was a clear note of emotion in Obama's voice when he talked about one of those famous Irish, Senator Edward Kennedy whose 'laughter filled these rooms;' from the time of his brother Jack in the White House from 1960 to 1963.

But the legacy for Kennedy he stated would be the laughter and fun from this Irish crowd celebrating his spirit.

Brilliantly put and delivered without a teleprompter I might add. Obama clearly knew his material and cherished the opportunity to work an Irish crowd.

But when it came to the meet and greet it was Michelle who stole the show.

I brought my daughter to the White House. At ten years old I wanted Alana to experience the greatness of America first hand.

She was feeling under the weather and sneezed several times during the speeches.

Michelle Obama came over to her after put her arms around her and told her to feel better.' Let's pose for a picture' she said making Alana's March 17th the most incredible imaginable.

This is a rare First Couple who ooze class and dignity. It was an honor to be in their company this St Pat's Day.

Story / President Obama's great Irish speech – the excerpts / Click here

What famous Irish sayings really mean

May the Road Rise to Meet You-- From the Gaelic, Go N-eiri an bothar leat, which means may success be with you.

Top of the Morning: Hollywood invention, never used in Ireland.

And the rest of the day to yourself --Also Hollywood.

Slainte: means Good health ---Slainte is the Gaelic word for health.

Slan meaning farewell Slan is the Gaelic word for safe so it means keep safe.

Erin go Bragh -- Means in Gaelic "Ireland forever."

A Hundred Thousand welcomes -- from the Gaelic Cead Mile Failte which means literally that.

Dia is Muire Dhuit: Means hello in Gaelic, literally means "God and Mary with you."

Dia is Mhuire Duit agus Padraig; How the person responds,"God and Mary and St. Patrick with you."

Pog Mo Thoin --Yes it means what you think it does, Gaelic for kiss my ...

And finally...

La Fheile Padraig brea dhibh go leir -- Have a great St. Pat's everyone

No leprechauns need apply on St. Patrick's Day

It is sad to consult the Google top trends on the eve of St. Patrick's Day. There are four Irish entries in the top twenty, not unexpected on the eve of the big day for 40 million Irish Americans.

Alas, one is for leprechauns and three are for recipes for corned beef and cabbage, soda bread and Guinness cake.

Is that really all we have to contribute to America? No, not really. For every forlorn plastic leprechaun in a shop window there is a living, beating vibrant Irish culture out there that has nothing to do with little green men.

I urge Irish Americans to go out and discover it, not to accept the drive-by version of their heritage on St. Patrick's Day of all days.

Read an Irish book. Colm Toibin's 'Brooklyn" a novel about a lonely woman from Ireland emigrating to America in the mid 1950s is a great place to start. It will give you extraordinary insight to the emigrant journey that some of your ancestors from whatever era faced.

Listen to Irish music. Not the canned stuff from Celtic Woman or the drunken warbling of "Danny Boy" but the stuff that lifts the heart and seizes the soul. Start off with Bill Whelan's majestic score from "Riverdance" and see if you can't stop a toe tapping, or a foot pounding or your heart beating a little faster.

Watch an Irish film. No, not the awful "Leap Year," but an Oscar-winning classic like "My Left Foot," the autobiography of Christy Brown, one of the most-inspirational stories from any culture.

Read a poem. Not the awful shamrockery limericks which plague us this time of year, but pick up some poetry by W.B Yeats or Seamus Heaney and experience your heritage and history through their eyes.

Help is on the way for us to find a much more complete view of our culture. The Irish government announced today a huge effort to recolonize the arts in America. In 2011 in a dozen cities or so a huge Irish invasion of art and culture and music and song will take place. Think of it as an Irish Lollapalooza.

Above all think of it to as an opportunity to get to know ourselves a little better and appreciate what we have.

I look forward to the day the Google trends will show a Heaney poem or a Whelan creation at the top of the Irish list. The goodness of that will last year round. The plastic leprechaun goes back into his box the day after the "Wearing of the Green."

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Bill O'Reilly & Maureen Dowd party at Irish awards

What happens when the two biggest Irish names in the media business collide at a Saint Patrick's Party?

That is what occurred when Maureen Dowd and Bill O'Reilly met at the IrishCentral/Irish Voice Top Thirty media awards last night in Manhattan.

Maureen was there to accept the Irish Spirit award from Irish America magazine, Bill to be named to the top Media list. They arrived within moments of each other and were soon deep in conversation as the cameras snapped.

What were they talking about?

Well, I can reveal that exclusively, as I was the third person there, handing out the awards.

"Hope I see this picture on the Times website " O'Reilly joked.

"I'm sure you will' Maureen joked back.

Dowd and O'Reilly discussed their common Irish heritage.

She confessed to liking O'Reilly, saying he reminds her of her brothers, Irish kids from the suburbs who did well for themselves.

O'Reilly also thinks Maureen is okay, despite joking about her left-wing views.

In her remarks, Maureen talked about her pride in her heritage and said:

"My parents' blood ran green, and our family listened to Notre Dame football game with a rosary over the knob on the radio."

She was deeply moved when City Of New York genealogist Brian Anderson presented her and her sister Peggy with a bound copy of the arrival records of their grandfather through Ellis Island.

Sailor suspended for stamping shamrocks on Staten Island Ferry

An Irish American who stamped shamrocks on the Staten Island ferry to celebrate St. Patrick's Day was suspended for 16 days for the "infraction."

If this isn't bureaucracy gone mad, I don't know what is.

Jared Largo, a half-Irish Brooklynite, wanted to help spread some St. Patrick's Day goodwill and stamped the shamrocks all over the wheelhouse, fully intending to remove them after St. Patrick's Day. He is a mate on the ferry and often steers it.

"I looked at it as the same thing as Christmas decorations," he said.

Not so his bosses.

They said they watched him on video stamp the shamrocks and ordered him to face the consequences.

Clearly these supervisors have as little to do as most supervisors have.

Suddenly Jared found himself before a Department of Transportation judge.

On the morning of his court date, The New York Times reported he grabbed a hunter green pair of shoes, thinking they were black.

"The judge was like, 'What, you think you’re funny, wearing green shoes here?'" he said.

He sentenced him to 16 days of unpaid suspension.

I have an idea for this judge. Let's hang a plank off the next Staten Island Ferry and have him walk it.

When he gets to the edge, let him recite 100 times "I am a stupid judge with very little to do with my life if I think putting shamrocks on the Staten Island Ferry is worth a judicial hearing."

As for Jared, he said his phone had been "ringing off the hook" with St. Patrick’s Day invitations. He will have the day off, so he is going to the parade and will sit in the stands.

"I was thinking of renting a green tux," he said.

America is an evildoer says Irish artist in new U.S. Exhibit

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day comes a new art exhibit from an Irish artist described by The New York Times today as 'Through Irish Eyes, America as Evildoer"

Tom Molloy is exhibiting at the Aldrich Contemporary Museum in Ridgefield Connecticut in an exhibition that "is not flattering" to quote The New York Times about the U.S.

"About 20 works made by Mr. Molloy over the past decade have been assembled by Joseph R. Wolin, an independent curator. With its emphasis on politics and violence, this show is not for the squeamish or easily rattled. And its insensitivity to the tremendous cost of American lives from our lingering Middle East wars will raise the ire of many," the Times notes.

The Times goes on to say: "There is a great deal of death imagery here, beginning with “Sweep” (2009), a pencil drawing based on a news photograph depicting an Iraqi family washing away blood from the roof of a house where United States soldiers shot and injured two Iraqis; the artist’s own dried blood drips from behind the frame. More gruesome imagery follows, with “Dead Texans” (2002), a loose grid of 50 small, delicate pencil drawings of mug shots of men executed in Texas while Mr. Bush was governor. Much like “Sweep,” the delicacy of the pencil drawing belies the horrific subject matter.

“Swarm” (2006), like “Map,” [pictured above] also employs dollar bills — more than 3,000 of them. For this installation the artist folded the bills into paper airplanes and stuck them, nose-first, to the wall. The viewer thinks immediately of the swarm of American jets that rained down missiles on Iraqi cities during the recent war, but also of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks."

"Mr. Molloy’s works are designed to evoke a sense of both empathy and responsibility in viewers, to confront us with the human cost of seemingly detached military and government decisions,” says The Times. To me it sounds like a lot of the same old angry rhetoric, except in art, we have been hearing about the U.S. from many Irish over the past decade.

Gerry Adams makes right decision to speak at Boston all-male dinner

Gerry Adams will go where Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Deval refused to tread tonight when he appears at the Clover Club in Boston to address the 650 members.

Deval snubbed the all-male club when he refused to turn up at the last moment for their dinner in December. It looks like Adams is a much-bigger draw than Deval however, according to club members who say Deval had attracted only 500 or so members.

Adams was invited by Joe Leary, head of the Irish American Partnership, an organization that has done sterling work for peace in Northern Ireland. Rita O'Hare, head of Sinn Fein's outreach to America, said that Leary's work on behalf of peace in Northern Ireland made accepting the invitation a no-brainer.

That is as it should be.

I have known Joe Leary for twenty years, when the going was tough in Northern Ireland. Before the peace process became everyone's bandwagon, Leary was working hard to bring about peace there.

While in Boston Adams will also march in the Saint Patrick's Day parade in South Boston, and attend a political breakfast there on Sunday morning.

What may not co-operate will be the weather. Heavy rainstorms are forecast all day Saturday and Sunday in Boston, which may put a damper on the parade.

Could Pope Benedict lose his job over German sex scandals?

Could this pope lose his job?

The Associated Press reports on Friday that 'Church Abuse Scandal Now Reaches Pope.'

The New York Times headline this Friday evening says that the church sex scandal on Germany is creeping ever closer to Benedict .

"Church Abuse Scandals in Germany Edges Closer to Pope" it says. Where have we heard this kind of language before? With Nixon and Watergate, Clinton and Lewinsky, and so on.

The German media is digging deep and digging fast to find out what role our current pontiff had in a scandal involving an abusive priest who was allowed back to his ministry and abused again in Germany in 1980.

The pope was archbishop of the diocese at the time.What is clear is that he ordered the priest into therapy and that a subordinate had taken responsibility for later admitting him to the ministry.

The German Catholic church has accepted that the archdiocese made "serious mistakes" in how they handled the issue.

Benedict hardly expected how he handled child abuse to be his possible legacy . In Ireland, the U.S. and now in Germany huge questions are being asked about how this horrific crime was dealt with. In all three cases the answer seems to be very badly.

Could this issue take down the pope, maybe force him to resign early?

That seems a very long shot right now, but the more the drumbeat continues, as happened in Ireland, the more it becomes inevitable that bishops resign.In Ireland's case four have already done so.

But this is the pope,who reigns until he passes from this earth . There is no mechanism to replace him --except,possibly, the power of pubic opinion and damage to the church if this scandal in Germany continues to mushroom as some are predicting it will.

Saint Patrick's Day poems for that special person

Dear reader, we Irish are nothing if not poets, and here is a selection of the best St. Patrick's poems and songs I could find:

The love of St. Patrick

May the love of St.Patrick
find a place in your heart
A love of a country
a land set apart
A love of a people
so proud and so true
and lastly the love
that I feel now for you

Wishing you always

Wishing you always—
Walls for the wind
And a roof for the rain
And tea beside the fire—
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you—
And all that your heart might desire!

St Patrick's Day Verse

May you have warm words
on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill
all the way to your door.

""

May these rich blessings be your due—
A wealth of friendships, old and new,
Some service rendered, some solace given,
And gentle peace with God and Heaven.

""

May You Always Have...
enough luck to make you smile,
enough trials to keep you strong,
enough of all life's treasures
to keep you truly happy.

""

Saint Patrick was a gentleman,
he came from decent people,
In Dublin town he built a church,
and put upon't a steeple;
His father was a Callaghan,
his mother was a Brady,
His aunt was an O'Shaughnessy,
and his uncle was a Grady.
Then success to bold St. Patrick's fist,
he was a saint so clever;
He gave the snakes and toads a twist,
and banished them forever.

""

To the land of his masters
a shepherd boy came,
But to conquer their hearts,
not to seek for his fame,
And now his blessed name is known
all the world wide,
And the glory of Patrick
is Ireland's best pride.

Obama can't afford to fail on immigration reform

Barack Obama has to be careful he does not become a caricature, a president who continuously promises but never delivers.

Today he was at it again promising action on immigration reform and pledging to be a partner with Congress in ensuring that the current system will be changed.

We have been hearing a lot of promises from the Chief Executive of late but have yet to see one be delivered.

Yes, Republicans have been downright nasty and obstructionist in their tactics, but this is still a president who until November has a healthy majority in both Houses of Congress.

He is struggling with health care and unfortunately, immigration reform makes health care look easy by comparison. Yet if Obama gets neither this presidency may be a write off.

It was Machiavelli who wrote that great leaders need to be feared not loved. Obama's problem is that no one,not even in his own party are afraid of him. He's too nice, too accommodating, too ready to hear out every argument.

Well it's not working and he needs to come down from Kumbya land and get his hands dirty on some of this stuff. He is acting professorial, above it all and leaving Congress to do the sausage making while he awaits their deliberation with Olympian detachment.

It is simply a failed tactic. On healthcare he has been sidelined by a Republican minority that is using every legitimate trick on the book to prevent passage.

Now on immigration reform he is showing an alarming tendency to leave it all to Congress again. Both Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Lindsay Graham are able men, but asking them to get an immigration bill through Congress right now is like asking them to drive through a stone wall.

Only the president with his ability to arm twist and get results can make this happen. Obama needs to kick butt, get people in line and drive legislation through like Lyndon Johnston and Ronald Reagan did in their day --and he needs to start now.

The devil at work in the Vatican, says chief exorcist

Lord save us, but the Vatican's chief exorcist has really unloaded on his own cardinals by claiming that "the Devil is at work inside the Vatican."

Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, who has been chief exorcist for 25 years, says there are "cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon."

He added: "When one speaks of 'the smoke of Satan' [a phrase coined by Pope Paul VI in 1972] in the holy rooms, it is all true -- including these latest stories of violence and pedophilia."

Amorth has just published "Memoirs of an Exorcist," and said that the devil was "pure spirit, invisible. But he manifests himself with blasphemies and afflictions in the person he possesses. He can remain hidden, or speak in different languages, transform himself or appear to be agreeable. At times he makes fun of me."

Acording to the London Times, it sometimes took six or seven of his assistants to hold down a possessed person. Those possessed often yelled and screamed and spat out nails or pieces of glass, which he kept in a bag.

"Anything can come out of their mouths -- finger-length pieces of iron, but also rose petals."

He said that he hoped every diocese would eventually have a resident exorcist.

Father José Antonio Fortea Cucurull, a Rome-based exorcist, said that Amorth had "gone well beyond the evidence" in saying that Satan had infiltrated the Vatican corridors.

"Cardinals might be better or worse, but all have upright intentions and seek the glory of God," he said. Some Vatican officials were more pious than others, "but from there to affirm that some cardinals are members of satanic sects is an unacceptable distance."

Now al-Qaida is operating in Ireland

The seven people arrested in Waterford and Cork today in an alleged plot to murder Danish cartoonist Lars Vilks (photo) were carrying out an al-Qaida mission, according to reports.

The four men and three women were supposedly trying to carry out the terrorist organization's threat to murder Vilks. It even offered $100,000 to the person who killed him, as well as $50,000 if they slit his throat.

Al-Qaida was enraged after Vilks drew a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed depicted as a dog.

When the threats were made, Vilks was put into hiding by Danish authorities. But clearly, the al-Qaida killers were intent on finding him.

The seven have all lived in Ireland and come from Morocco and Yemen. They are refugees with legal status in Ireland.

The arrests are bound to raise questions about al-Qaida activities in Ireland. There have been several stories that the organization is active there, but this is the first documented case of an alleged death plot.

Surprise as George Bush intervenes in Northern Ireland peace process

George Bush has intervened in the Northern Irish peace process in his first active role in politics since leaving the White House.

He called Conservative party leader David Cameron on Friday and urged him to get Ulster Unionists to vote for a key package on policing and justice set to be decided today. The Guardian newspaper broke the news in a lead story on Tuesday morning

Bush made a direct plea to David Cameron because his party and the Ulster Unionist have agreed a pact in the British general election set for early summer.

However, the Bush intervention failed as Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey has now stated that his party will vote against the package. Ulster Unionist support is not necessary for the pact to pass, as the largest unionist party the DUP is voting for it, but their refusal to sign up sends a worrying signal.

This is despite the fact that an opinion poll yesterday showed 75 per cent of the people of Northern Ireland in favor of the policing and justice deal.

Bush called Cameron last Friday to ask him to use his political muscle to ensure that the package, one of the last pieces of the puzzle in the peace process, will be passed

One source quoted by The Guardian stated : "The fact that George W Bush has decided to intervene is really significant. He was interested in the peace process as president and appointed an envoy. It is a general sign of how concerned people are in the US about what David Cameron is up to.

"There was a feeling that a conservative to conservative conversation was the right way to go about this," "This conversation was borne out of the concern that Empey is holding out."

Another source stated : "This is the most active thing George W Bush has done in his post-presidency period. He has been incredibly restrained and diplomatic since leaving the White House. He has maintained radio silence."

The Guardian reported that that the US economic envoy to Northern Ireland, Declan Kelly, persuaded Bush to intervene.

A Tory source said: "George Bush did have a conversation with David Cameron. It was a positive conversation. David underlined his commitment to the agreement and said we are doing all we can to support it. But he said that we cannot force Sir Reg to vote for it. George Bush thanked David and said, 'I can see you are engaged.'"

There are fears that the Tory/Unionist pact will bring an end to the even handed approach of Labor governments to Northern Ireland where neither side was favored.

New York Times' Paul Krugman blames Irish bank regulators for financial crisis

Paul Krugman,Nobel Prize winning economist and New York Times columnist. has laid the failure of the Irish economy in the past two years squarely at the feet of those whose job it was to regulate and oversee banks.

Krugman's Monday columnn is given over to an examination of the two crises in the U.S. and Ireland which he says were similar in impact but very different in how they came about.

In Ireland he says there were no exotic financial instruments such as derivatives which caused such grief over here.

He writes "As a new research paper by the Irish economists Gregory Connor, Thomas Flavin and Brian O’Kelly points out, “Almost all the apparent causal factors of the U.S. crisis are missing in the Irish case,” and vice versa. Yet the shape of Ireland’s crisis was very similar: a huge real estate bubble — prices rose more in Dublin than in Los Angeles or Miami — followed by a severe banking bust that was contained only via an expensive bailout."

But Ireland he points out had "none of the American right’s favorite villains: there was no Community Reinvestment Act, no Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac."

Part of the reason he says is that key players in Ireland had no reason to fear failure as they knew regulators were on their side and they would be bailed out if all went wrong.

"Rogue-bank heads retired with their large fortunes intact.” There was a lot of this in the United States, top executives at failed U.S. financial companies received billions in “performance related” pay before their firms went belly-up.

But Krugman says the key reason why the economy has tanked in Ireland was “regulatory imprudence”: the people charged with keeping banks safe didn’t do their jobs.

"In Ireland, regulators looked the other way in part because the country was trying to attract foreign business, in part because of cronyism: bankers and property developers had close ties to the ruling party."

Krugman says the lesson from the Irish crisis is that "letting bankers do what they want is a recipe for disaster."

"That’s why we need an independent agency protecting financial consumers," he concludes.

Why 'Danny Boy' ban should be imposed on St.Patrick's Day

I'm sorry to see that 'Danny Boy' has been allowed back into the only Irish bar in the world where we were safe from hearing it sung by drunks.

Foley's Bar in Manhattan won worldwide headlines when they banned the song, calling it too maudlin. The reintroduction came when a new whisky called 'Danny Boy' launched at the venue on Manhattan's West Side.

Which I'm sure was an occasion of sin for every 'Danny Boy' warbler between here and Muttontown Long Island to give it a good wail.

Its not that I don't like 'Danny Boy.' In the hands of the late Frank Patterson it was a beautiful moving air, a fabulous love song between a father and a son which could bring tears to the eyes.

It is just there is no song on earth that can be sung as badly as 'Danny Boy.' Like the 'Star Spangled Banner' it has got high notes that invite the kind of screeching that usually occurs only when your brakes fail at high speed.

The other problem is that other drunks invariably join in at that high point, making it like a male cat's convention when the only female in town is introduced and the brawl begins,

Even if you shut your ears to that there is worse to come, the dreaded 'Erin go Bawl' moment, when the singer breaks down and begins blubbering like a two-year-old with a wet diaper. The other drunks immediately find their emotions getting the worst of them and a sea of tears ensues.

However, no one stops singing and the effect is like a coyote convention on full moon night.

Also to be avoided at all costs is the 'designated Danny Boy singer.' Every group has one, the person , who after the required magic potions, is asked to step up to the plate.

After much protesting and throat clearing he manfully launches into the task. Woe betide anyone who asks for a drink or lets a cell phone go off while Caruso is killing his number. Fights are known to breakout when the Great One is interrupted.

The moral of the story is approach 'Danny Boy' with care, either as singer or listener. Avoid if at all possible if in the company of good cheer on St.Patrick's Day. Stick with the Teletubbies theme song instead. Its got no high notes, only one line 'Teletubbies" and everyone knows the words, er word.

Even The Muppets, though their rendition of the song is hilarious, prove the song should sometimes come with a health warning!

Irish tenor Ronan Tynan quits New York for Boston after death threats

Ronan Tynan has decided to leave New York after death threats, boycotts and angry emails put him under pressure to move.

The Irish-born Tynan is quitting New York for Boston and has not ruled out singing ‘America the Beautiful’ at Red Sox games. Since 9/11 up to last year he had become a fixture doing the same at Yankees games.

The Irish tenor has now purchased an apartment in Boston. His relationship with the New York Yankees ended since he was accused of anti-Semitic remarks by a woman looking at an apartment in his building last October 16th.

Tynan stated to The New York Times that death threats, angry emails and a surgeon who wrote saying he would let him die on the operating table were particularly difficult.

Tynan also told of an experience where a leading chef would not let him sit with a table of customers because one of them, a Jewish man, refused to meet him.

“It hasn’t driven me out, because I love this city so much, but it has saddened me. I’ve cried and I’ve laughed with New Yorkers, irrespective of creed or whether they’re Jewish or Catholic or Protestant.

“I made a comment that was misunderstood,” said Tynan, a medical doctor who first shot to fame as part of the Irish Tenors.
He had both of his legs amputated below the knee as a child because of a congenital condition.

"If anyone knows the pain of discrimination, I do,” he told the newspaper.

Tynan made what he admitted was an anti-Semitic remark on October 16, which he said was in jest after two Jewish women had looked at an apartment in his building.

Subsequently the real estate agent told him the apartment had been sold and Tynan replied, “As long as they are not the Jewish ladies.” A Jewish woman with the real estate agent overheard the remark and complained to the building and the Yankees.

The Yankees quickly banned him and never relented despite his best efforts. Tynan has now sold his apartment and bought one in Boston.

The Yankees issued a terse statement saying, “We wish him all the best,” when the news broke. Tynan wore a World Series ring when interviewed by The Times.

As for singing for the Red Sox, Tynan would not rule it out “We’ll see", he said.

President Obama must take the lead on immigration reform

It looks like President Obama is taking a shot at immigration reform after all. This week Obama met with Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Lindsay Graham who have been trying for months to create a bipartisan bill.

So far however, it appears Graham is the only Republican likely to sign on to such a bill but Obama is seeking to move something on the Senate floor that will satisfy his immigration supporters, especially the Latino lobby, who have backed him heavily.

It seems like a kamikaze mission in the current climate. The prospects for immigration reform, never good to begin, with have gone further south every time the unemployment rate inches up.

Schumer and Graham will produce a blueprint that the White House will then go to work on.

This is precisely the same kind of deal Obama decided on with health care and then that came back to bite him.

Why won’t Obama lead from the front on this issue and proclaim a plan and use the bully pulpit to deliver?

Immigration advocates know that the president means well on this issue but he has only paid it passing attention.

Schumer and Graham are two of the most committed and hard working senators in the U.S. senate but they are not miracle workers.

For a bill to have any chance of passing Obama will have to lead from the front, a place he seems strangely reluctant to position himself.

It is time to throw caution to the winds on this one. A legislative victory here would galvanize his presidency.

Standoff between Israel and Ireland worsens

Israel is clearly making a major effort to repair relations with Ireland after the Dubai passport fiasco when Irish passports were used by Mossad agents.

Writing in The New York Times yesterday Israeli Ambassador to Ireland Zion Evrony was positively gushing as he paid tribute to the Northern Irish peace process and the lessons for Israel therein.

This is a major change in tactics. For years Israel has said that there were few if any lessons to be learned for the Middle East from Northern Ireland’s peace process.

Now the Israeli ambassador has changed that perception it seems. He says the key lesson from Ireland is that both sides must give up its maximum aspiration.

“First and foremost, there is the concept that to resolve a difficult conflict, each side, while retaining its “dream” — its maximum aspiration — must be willing to forego its implementation in practice. Painful compromises were made by both sides in the Good Friday Agreement, without which no deal would have been possible.” He writes.

There is much more in that vein in a love letter to the Irish accomplishment in the peace process.

But is it too little too late?

In the same online edition Irish Foreign Minster Michael Martin (pictured above) takes aim at the Israelis after his recent visit to Gaza and makes no bones about his belief that they are turning Gaza unto a humanitarian disaster by their blockade.

The Irish are furious and rightfully so at Israel over the use of Irish passports by the death squad that killed a Hamas operative in Dubai. They believe such tactics put Irish travelers in the Middle East in real jeopardy. It is hard to argue with them.

Israel is clearly on the defensive on this one hence the New York Times soothing article. But it may be too little too late.

The town of Carrickmacross recently tore out the page devoted to the Israeli Ambassador’s visit in their welcome book. It is an example of the anti Israel sentiment current in Ireland. I doubt The New York Times article will help much.

Genocide against Armenians in 1915 is finally recognized

Congratulations to Armenian Americans who won a resolution 23-22 from the House Foreign Affairs Committee today recognizing the genocide against their people by Turkey in 1915.

I met with some of their leaders some years ago to discuss how ethnic issues can be raised in American politics. They showed today they have perfected the art.

It is a similar moment to when British Prime Minister finally apologised for the Irish Famine over 150 years later. The sense of closure, of blame accepted was very real.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the committee's nearly split vote came after a packed meeting attended by three genocide survivors, who support the measure. "Pointing to the survivors -- ages 97, 98 and 105 -- Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-N.Y.) said: "They're here for justice. How long can they wait?"
How long indeed.

It is time this administration stood up for human rights as promised and accepted the proper definition of what happened in Armenia almost a century ago. Obama came into power promising a far more justice based foreign policy. To date he has been a disappointment in this arena as well as in many other areas.

The verdict of history is clear at least 500,000 Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman Empire during the genocide and millions more were displaced. Concentration camps were set up, forced marches were common. Innocents were killed by the thousands.
The House should now do the decent thing and pass the resolution . The ghosts of those genocide victims, like those of the Holocaust and the Irish Famine demand no less.

The Irish are leaving Ireland again

It is an eerie feeling being in Ireland these days. The sense of deja vu for an emigrant is incredible.

The Irish are leaving again, not so much this time to America, but to Australia, Canada and other points, drive again by a poor economy and the inevitable impact.

I am launching a book here about my thirty years as an exile from Ireland called 'An IrishVoice' but the most surprising aspect of the launch is how relevant it has suddenly become again to talk about emigration.

Every show I have been on the question has come up right away. Before it was always political questions about Obama/Bush/Clinton or whoever happened to be in the limelight. Now the Irish have begun to look inward again , to address their own grievous problems.

During the Celtic Tiger era emigration was what very wealthy people did to avoid tax restrictions in Ireland. Those young people who did leave were usually taking up high paying jobs overseas and were by no means the definition of traditional emigrants.

Back during those years emigration was a curiosity and I was rarely asked about it. Thousands were flooding into Ireland not out of it . I was often asked what the end of emigration meant to me. I always answered that I was far from sure it was all over.

But the inexorable Irish cycle of boom, bust and departure has now kicked in. Every thirty years or so in the 1920s, 1950s, 1980s and now again, the emigrant planes and ships fill up and thousands go sailing.

Since I have come here last weekend I have been questioned repeatedly about the possibility of finding work in America for sons, daughters, cousins, friends, etc. The reality that many young people have lost their jobs and face crushing mortgages on houses that are no longer worth the candle has struck home with a vengeance.

Australia and Canada ,with much more liberal and sensible immigration policies, are attracting the majority of the young Irish. Those countries will be lucky to have them. These young Irish I meet are as anxious as ever to work, to get on in life and to create a better country whether it is Canada or Down Under or hopefully some day back in Ireland in a resurgent economy.

Some are inevitably coming to America but the notion of living illegally does not interest them. It is a shame that this pool of great young talent is not able to find a home in the U.S. if there is no work in Ireland. It is America's loss I am certain.

There was a poignant article in the Observer newspaper at the weekend about the town of Westport in Mayo where the recession has hit hard. The broken dreams and futile efforts to cope of many of the young residents locally were chronicled. Many are leaving on a jet plane. It is a story being repeated all across the country.

Ireland is down but not out and the bad old days are back. Should we be surprised? Probably not but as another generation begins the emigrant trail one cannot help but feel for them and their families. Let us hope there are better days ahead.

Time to welcome gays to march in St.Patrick's Parades

Only three St.Patrick's Day parades in America welcome gays as a group to march.

Two are in San Francisco and Key West Florida - both cities with very large Gay communities .
The third is a specially organized gay and lesbian led St.Patrick's celebration in Queens, New York usually attended by Mayor Bloomberg and other powerful political figures .

Ironically, in Ireland, where attitudes to Gays are far behind those in many American cities, Gays are welcome in both the Dublin and Cork marches, the two largest.

There are many and complex reasons why Gays are so excluded from American marches, the much larger role of the Catholic Church for instance in the New York parade is one, but isn't it high time we got rid of the excuses that prevent Gays from marching from coast to coast?

Isn't it time we of the heterosexual Irish community here in America extended that hand of friendship to Gays in more marches?What on earth are we afraid of? They are our brothers, sisters, fellow workers, friends and family.

Some of the great heroes of Irish history such as Roger Casement and possibly Patrick Pearse were gay. Some of our great writers such as Oscar Wilde and church leaders were undoubtedly Gay also .One of the great heroes of 9/11 Father Mychal Judge, openly admitted he was gay. Was he any less a hero as a result?

So what's the big deal? What are we so afraid of ?

At a time when the military are reviewing their 'Don't Ask, Don't tell' it may be time we had our own Irish version of that I'll call 'Don't march, Go to hell" removed.

We are bigger than exclusion, better than keeping fellow Irish people out. We suffered enough exclusion in our time from 'No Irish Need Apply' in America to 'No Irish, Blacks or dogs' in Britain.

Its time we put up the cead mile failte signs ( A hundred thousand welcomes) to all Irish irrespective of color, creed, or sexual orientation onSt.Patrick's Day . It is beyond time actually. Who will be first to step forward?