wbur.org
support wbur today!
The following is a "closing segment" for the show which aired Wednesday, March 17, 2004 at 10:00 AM EST.
Listen to this closing segment
It’s a Long Way from Penny Apples

Across the country and the sea, Irish and non-Irish alike have donned the green today to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

In New York, 150,000 marchers braved snow and freezing temperatures in the largest St. Patrick’s parade in the country. In Washington, President Bush accepted the traditional bowl of shamrocks from Ireland’s Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, and announced plans to visit the Emerald Isle in June. And in Dublin, pub-goers enjoyed their last St. Patty’s Day before a new smoking ban is implemented in 2 weeks.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we bring you a reading from Irish author Bill Cullen’s autobiography, “It’s a Long Way from Penny Apples.” The memoir traces Cullen’s journey from growing up in the slums of Dublin to becoming one of the wealthiest men in Ireland. In this excerpt, a young Cullen — then known as Liam — witnesses the strength of his mother, Mary, who fearlessly rescues a neighbor who is being evicted from her tenement:

Guests:

 
 

Comments are closed.

On Point Today
Hour 2
Robots Among Us
Thursday, July 9, 2009 image

Robots among us. iRobot CEO Colin Angle on the business and science of robotics now.

Comments [37]
 
Hour 1
Stimulus, Part Two?
Thursday, July 9, 2009 image

Debate mounts over a “Stimulus II.” But with talk of a “fiscal train wreck,” can America afford to spend more on stimulus? Top Obama advisor Christina Romer weighs in.

Comments [42]

Recent Shows
U.S. Nuns and the Vatican
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 image

The Catholic Church in Rome moves to scrutinize — maybe rein in — American nuns. We’ll talk with sisters on the front lines.

Comments [43]
 
Trouble in Honduras
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 image

Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya comes to Washington for help. We’ll ask what the coup against him means for Honduras, and for democracy in Latin America.

Comments [46]
On Point Blog
Christina Romer on the Stimulus

Christina Romer, chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, joined us in our first hour today to talk about the economy and the debate over whether a second round of stimulus is needed. Asked about Vice President Biden’s recent remarks, that the administration had “misread how bad the economy was,” she replied:  “It’s important to realize [...]

More »
 
Ten Minutes with Brzezinski

Former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski joined Tom from Washington, D.C. this morning and shared his impressions of President Obama’s first face-to-face meetings with Russia’s leaders.  Brzezinski called it a “sober and realistic summit, one which didn’t create undue expectations, but one which also marked some real progress…. There was, in a sense, an unstated agreement to disagree, and that’s [...]

More » | Comments [1]
 
India, China and the Climate

The passage of the House climate bill – discussed in our first hour today – has been greeted with enthusiasm in many quarters. But in some ways, the real question is whether a global framework can be established in Copenhagen in December, when countries will negotiate a new international treaty to curb greenhouse gases. After all, America emits only [...]

More » | Comments [1]