Free Republic

Even though green beer will flow freely today, one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year, few beer connoisseurs understand its appeal. "I don't knock people who drink green beer," says Kieran Folliard, who owns four Irish pubs — Liffey in St. Paul, Cooper in St. Louis Park and Kieran's and the Local in Minneapolis. "But to be quite honest, I wouldn't drink it unless I was stuck in the desert and it was the only thing around." Sean O'Byrne, who opened Great Waters Brewing Co. 15 years ago today, won't touch the stuff for any reason. "Never have,...

Don't hang out 'no vacancy' sign at Kittery Maine needs immigrants to grow and prosper, which means being welcoming, not hostile. Cead Mille Failte is a Gaelic expression of Irish hospitality that literally translates to "one hundred thousand welcomes." As the son of Irish immigrants who were welcomed to Maine more than 80 years ago to find work, raise a family and practice their faith, I believe the only way to have a prospering Maine is to have a welcoming Maine. Maine's periods of great economic growth have coincided with its periods of high levels of in-migration. This is...

DUBLIN: Streets in the capital and other cities of Ireland were yesterday overflowing with people marching to protest against Irish Ferries’ plan to replace its workers with low-paid immigrants. A total of over 70,000 labour union members and their supporters brought Irish cities and towns to a standstill carrying placards, beating drums and singing protest songs. The banners and placards carried various messages like “Equal Rights For All Workers”, “No slave ships on Irish seas” and “Stop Outsourcing” referring to the growing incidence of natives being replaced by immigrants willing to work for low wages. In Dublin, a large mass...