THE promise of immigration reform benefiting the undocumented Irish in America took a quiet but very important step forward in Washington, D.C. last week with a pivotal meeting between Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Ciaran Staunton, president of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) and South Carolina Ancient Order of Hibernians board member Jim Lawracy.

THERE was standing room only at Rory Dolan’s Irish restaurant in Yonkers on Wednesday, May 6, at an immigration meeting hosted by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. “There’s nothing going on in Ireland anymore. There are no jobs,” said Alan, 25, a native of Co. Limerick who has been working in New York for the past four months. “They say things are bad here, but I’ve still managed to find construction work. Not a hope of that in Ireland. There will be plenty more Irish coming over here very soon because it’s so bad. I hope ILIR is able to do something for them, and me.”

There was standing room only at Rory Dolan’s in Yonkers on Wednesday as the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform held a public meeting for the undocumented.

Senator Charles Schumer of New York will hold the first hearing on the issue of immigration reform on Thursday, April 30 in Washington, D.C.

Irish Americans and Irish give their reaction to the departure of Hugh Orde, who is to step down as head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, after seven years.

The Irish undocumented have warmly welcomed the news that the Obama administration will address the issue of immigration reform in the next couple of months. Many of them have been living in the U.S. for many years and haven’t been home in a very long time.

A large crowd gathered at the Irish Cultural Center of New England in Canton, Massachusetts on Monday night to hear from the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR).

Over 350 Boston Irish braved a dark dreary evening to come to the Irish Cultural Center of New England in Canton, MA for a meeting on immigration. The meeting had been organized by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR)

The race to become the Obama administration peace envoy to Northern Ireland is down to the last few contenders.

Irishcentral.com has learned exclusively that at least two prisoners from the notorious Guantanamo prison camp on the island of

Bill Flynn formed part of a group of Irish Americans who played a vital role in the Northern Ireland peace process. Flynn, the leading Irish-American businessman and former chairman of Mutual of America, together with Bruce Morrison, Niall O’Dowd and Chuck Feeney, successfully persuaded the State Department in 1994 to grant Gerry Adams a U.S. visa.

"WHY are so many Irish illegal? Have they stopped issuing visas? I applied for a green card in 1990 and we got it in 1992, and after five years we applied for citizenship. We were granted citizenship in 2003.

What is going on with all of these stories of illegals that I read on the Irish Voice website? I guess I have been out of the loop for a long time.

Why are so many Irish illegal? Have they stopped issuing visas? I applied for a green card in 1990 and we got it in 1992, and after five years we applied for citizenship. We were granted citizenship in 2003. What is going on with all of these stories of illegals that I read on the Irish Voice website? I guess I have been out of the loop for a long time.

For fiscal year 2005, which concluded on September 30 of that year, guess which nation was issued more green cards – Ireland or Syria? Or how about Ireland or Iran?

The Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) is preparing its new campaign to lobby on behalf of the Irish undocumented in the U.S. in the weeks and months ahead.

Former Congressman Bruce Morrison, while in Ireland to speak at an Irish diaspora conference in early November hosted by University College Dublin and Irish America magazine, met with Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen to discuss various topics including but not limited to the Irish economy, issues pertaining to Northern Ireland and the matter of legal immigration to both the U.S. and Ireland.

THERE are times in your life in America when a sense of awe grips as you realize the sense of power this country can project. Such was the combined sense Ciaran Staunton, Kelly Fincham and myself, had as we slipped into the West Wing of the White House on a cold gloomy Friday afternoon last week.

We are the senior officials of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR), and we were there to meet Ed Gillespie, proud son of an Irish father from Donegal and President Geroge W.

THERE were over 100 present at the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) meeting in the Bronx on Tuesday evening, October 21. It was a fine crowd considering the midweek night, and the level of interest in immigration reform is still clearly very high in the community.

Ciaran Staunton, the volunteer vice chairman of ILIR, and Kelly Fincham, the only full time employee and executive director, briefed those present on what has been happening with immigration reform.

THE race to the White House is well and truly on, with wall to all coverage and excitement building as both nominations are up for grabs coming up to Super Tuesday on February 5.In Irish America, where there are always more viewpoints than presidential candidates, the Irish Voice caught up with some prominent community activists to hear their opinion on how the most exciting presidential race in their lifetimes is shaping up.Brian O'Dwyer, the prominent New York Democrat who is a long-time supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton, is encouraged by her current progress.

"THE concept of an amnesty, wiping the sheet clean, is just not on." "They are talking from a position of sitting in the bar, and talking nonsense."With these comments made while standing on the steps of the U.

IN response to the outrage within the Irish community over comments made by Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern claiming Irish undocumented are seeking an "amnesty" deal, the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) has requested a meeting with Ahern during his visit next month to the U.S. where he will address a joint session of Congress.

IN the wake of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's announcement that he will resign on May 6, American politicians and business leaders have offered their assessments of Ahern's three-term tenure. The reviews have been decidedly positive.In a statement, Senator Hillary Clinton said, "Since first being elected to the Dail (Parliament) in 1977 and becoming taoiseach in 1997, Bertie Ahern's career has been one of great accomplishment.

THE retiring Taoiseach Bertie Ahern ends his opinion piece by noting that "we should and must work together" on the issue of the Irish undocumented, after spending most of the previous paragraphs attacking the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. It is a surprising way to advocate cooperation. It is unfortunately the work of a man at the end of his political career looking backwards rather than forward, and perhaps trying to settle a score that was much better left alone as ILIR was definitely prepared to do.

SENIOR members of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) will meet with Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern in Washington on Thursday, May 1, to discuss matters pertaining to the undocumented Irish in the U.S.Kelly Fincham, executive director of the ILIR told the Irish Voice on Tuesday that she along with ILIR chairman Niall O'Dowd, vice chairman Ciaran Staunton, president Jeff Cleary and former Congressman Bruce Morrison will meet with Ahern and other senior representatives of the Irish government in an effort to keep the issue of an estimated 50,000 undocumented Irish high on their agenda.

The Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) met with Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern on Thursday, May 1 in an effort to heal a recent rift between the parties on the issue of the Irish undocumented immigrants The meeting, which took place at 8 am, comprised of ILIR chairman Niall O'Dowd, Vice-Chairman Ciaran Staunton, Executive Director Kelly Fincham, former Congressman Bruce Morrison, San Francisco board member Bart Murphy and ILIR President Jeff Cleary. From the Irish Government there was Ahern, Secretary General of the Department Dermot Gallagher Irish Ambassador to the U.S.

SENATOR Edward Kennedy, 76, who was diagnosed with brain cancer on Tuesday, is in the thoughts of Irish Americas around the country, and fans of the Kennedy family in Ireland.An Irish government spokesperson said the Irish Ambassador to Washington, Michael Collins, had been in contact with the Kennedys since the senator's admission to hospital to express the government's concern.On Tuesday Irish American leaders responded to the shocking news.

IRISH American supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton are hoping that Senator Barack Obama will place her on the ticket, and they want to see a far greater outreach to the Irish American community by Obama. In a widely reported move on Tuesday, Clinton told New York lawmakers that she is open to being Obama's running mate.Former Democratic Congressman Bruce Morrison, a long-time supporter of the Clintons told the Irish Voice, "Well it's never over till it's over, but obviously it's very close to being over.

THE Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform has kicked off a major fundraising drive in advance of the November elections and a new White House administration next year.First up is a heavyweight event next Tuesday at Bobby Van's in New York which will feature the cream of the Irish in New York.Irish-born business success stories such as Fay Devlin, Denis Kelleher, Declan Kelly, Sean Mackin and Joseph Smith have joined forces with leading Irish Americans Charles Feeney and Don Keough to promote the event.

TAOISEACH (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen announced last week during his first visit to the U.S. as Irish leader that a strategic assessment of the relationship between Ireland and the U.

Senator Edward Kennedy announced last Friday that he is stepping down from the Senate Judiciary Committee, which also includes the subcommittee on immigration, to focus his attention on health care reform.

Kennedy, 76 and fighting a malignant brain tumor, is the chairman of the Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee of the Judiciary. The Massachusetts Democrat used his position on the committee to work with the opposition to create a comprehensive immigration reform package to try and solve the issue of the undocumented in the U.

Obama Missing Out on Irish

STRONG words from Irish Echo columnist and famed musician Larry Kirwan last week about the failure of the Obama campaign to reach out to Irish Americans.

Kirwan was voicing what several Irish Americans have been saying privately, that there seems to be almost no effort by the Obama camp to work with Irish Americans on issues of concern.

He has given no indication he will attend the Irish American Presidential Forum organized by John Dearie and, as Kirwan pointed out, passed up several opportunities over the St.

Gallagher To Retire

DERMOT Gallagher, head of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, announced his retirement last week, ending a spectacular diplomatic career that took in major stints here in the U.S.

Gallagher was at the helm of the Irish Embassy in Washington during the glory years of the American intervention in Northern Ireland led by President Bill Clinton.

Hillary Clinton as the next secretary of state will get to choose who the next special envoy to Northern Ireland will be.

One name circulating is that of former Congressman Bruce Morrison, who played a leading role in securing the critical IRA ceasefire in 1994. Morrison has been involved with the Irish peace process since the very beginning.