A new beginning for the Irish Echo

By Sean Finlay, President and Publisher, Irish Echo

“We stand on the edge of a new frontier. . . . But the New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises — it is a set of challenges.”

John F. Kennedy

Welcome to the first issue of the new generation. Indeed, a new day is dawning for the Irish Echo — and for its many loyal readers. It is a day filled with both new hope and new promise, bolstered by a rededication to making this vibrant and venerable newspaper the best it can be, now and for years to come.

For more than 73 years the Echo has nourished generations of Irish Americans, the Irish in America and those with an abiding love for all things Irish, providing objective and reliable news coverage and insightful commentary on the major issues of the day affecting Ireland and its global diaspora. The Echo has always sought to inform, enlighten and entertain. These goals remain. We understand, however, that the information our readers require is constantly evolving and changing. In the months and years ahead, existing readers — and many who will be introduced to the Echo — will be treated to ever more comprehensive and wide-ranging coverage of news, business, arts and sports, as well as introduced to a wide variety of people and personalities important to our culture.

It is an exciting time, filled with challenges and opportunities, for Ireland and the U.S., two nations that beat with one heart.

Beginning even before the Echo’s founding in 1928, Ireland had begun on its path to what it is today: a mature and modern democracy with a truly global reach. The intervening years have seen the declaration of the Republic in 1949, the birth of the civil rights movement, economic prosperity and, more recently, the Good Friday agreement, which, despite the inevitable hiccups along the way, offers the best hope for a lasting peace in Ireland.

The United States, in that time, has seen Depression, led the free world to victory in two World Wars, and fought in Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. Today we face another great threat to our freedom, and once again America will emerge strong, proud, and, in the end, victorious. From the firefighters and policemen toiling through the winter to recover the remains of their brethren to their friends and family across the width and breadth of Ireland and beyond, Irish people everywhere stand united in this war against terror.

Long before the birth of the United States as a nation, the Irish and American peoples have enjoyed a close relationship and, in some ways, a shared history. The Irish have fought valiantly — and died — for American freedom. We have been the captains of industry and the protectors of the poor and downtrodden. We have left our imprint on every facet of American life and no doubt will continue to do so.

It is with these things in mind that we pledge today to build on the considerable strengths of the Irish Echo as we move confidently into the new millennium.

We would like to thank Claire Grimes for her noble stewardship of the paper. We understand the legacy of the Echo and we humbly accept our responsibilities to you, our devoted readers.

The Irish Echo has played a tremendous role in our history since 1928. This new generation stands ready to make some history of its own, and to see to it that it is reported to you with the honesty and integrity you deserve and have come to expect.

With due respect to the past, let us proceed.