By John O’Brien, Jr.
You hold the final issue of 2024 in your hands, or perhaps you are viewing it on our new iirish.us website (don’t forget the Merch store, loaded with perfect, warm, soft and one of a kind gifts now available in all sizes) or your cell. This is gift number 216, covering our rich community people, places and impacts.
We can’t say we are sad to see 2024 go, brutal as it has been, but enter our 18th year with a great sense of hope for new plateaus, client partnerships and advertisers, followers, engagement across all areas, continued growth and of course, readers. Not too ambitious, is it?
Your support has carried us through our first seventeen years. We hope you will continue to encourage others to like, follow, opt-in and share our work, wherever they find it.
What's the Craic?
Within and online see What’s the Craic? for the best things to do in Irish America this month; Taking the Fields of Glory as The Saints wrapped up a great 2024 season; the massive and historic election held for Ireland on November 29th; Christmas stories, tradition, and how important love (of self and of others) is to our health and well-being, plus other tips. History, illuminations, language, book and music reviews, all the details needed to end the year right, and lay the groundwork for a better 2025 too, are waiting for you.
Merch Store
So is the new iIrish Merch Store – with warm and soft hoodies, crew and VNeck sweatshirts, T-Shirts, books, poster, an iIrish Craictivist Tote to carry it all, and so much more. Those fashion favorites and a one-, two- or three-year iIrish subscription are the perfect Christmas, birthday or travel to Ireland gifts, that last all year long.
There is so much more online. Of course, iIrish.us has every past print issue at iIrish.us. Those are all interactive issues.
We have a load of other content that we either couldn’t fit in print, have more to the story and more pictures (and has videos) than is in print, or that we thought would be of interest to you as it came in. The website and our social media channels of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and LinkedIn are updated several times a week.
iIrish is made in America. We have always been green and are proudly Irish, all year long. We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, Blessed Hanukkah, a bright and meaningful Kwanzaa and a Happy New Year.
Read more of John’s Editor’s Corner, Click HERE
This Just In: Rock N Read is Back!
Rock ‘N’ Read is a nonprofit program founded in memory of former Lorain City Schools teacher, Anne Godlewski.
Rock ‘N’ Read raises funds to purchase and donate rocking chairs and children’s books to new and expectant mothers. Recipients are clients of Neighborhood Alliance and Mercy Health Resource Mothers programs – ensuring that children in our community benefit from the generosity of our sponsors and donors.
This Just In: In Celebration of St. Valentine’s Day: US Immigration Options for Couples Webinar
This is happening, be in the know
Columbus Irish: Full slate of fantastic events, Traditions to Come This Year
Info on fun St. Pat’s Day, Parade, events and traditions showcased in and around Columbus this year.
Nuair a stadann an ceol, an damhsa déanann an amhlaidh
(When the music stops, so does the dance)
John
To read more of John’s columns, click HERE
John O'Brien, Jr.
*John is a Founder and the Publisher and Editor of iIrish; a Founder and Deputy Director of Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival for more than 35 years; an archivist, spokesman, emcee, Spoken Word presenter and author of five books, so far.
