Irish America

Irish America

In This Issue 1999

The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Law

By Irish America Staff

November 1999

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William J. Brennan, Jr. Lion of the Court "The law is not an end in itself, nor does it provide ends. It is preeminently a means to serve what we think is right. " Considered one of the most influential shapers of public policy in the nation, the late Justice William Joseph Brennan, Jr., was best known for his support of civil rights, and particularly freedom of speech. … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Law

The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Medicine

By Irish America Staff

November 1999

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Dr. Kevin Cahill Born in the Bronx, New York, Dr. Kevin Cahill is the president general of the American Irish Historical Society, as well as a distinguished doctor whose patients have included Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and several UN Secretary Generals. He was the first American ever to receive the Grand Cross Pro Merito Melitersi, a papal award. Among his many other … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Medicine

John Jr., Remembered

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
November 1999

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I can't say I knew him well. Who can except for his immediate family and close friends? Still, we all felt as if we knew John Kennedy, Jr. He touched our hearts. He carded the flame of Camelot, conscious (modestly) of what he embodied for many Americans, particularly Irish Americans. He might have chosen a different role had it been left up to him. He wanted to be an actor and … [Read more...] about John Jr., Remembered

The Paddy Clancy Call

By Frank McCourt

November 1999

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We're heading towards the end of 1999 and there are some, including myself, who may not see another year with a 9 in it. And isn't that the gloomiest opening sentence you ever read in your life? Still, it had to be written because they're going, my generation, the silent generation, slipping gently, one by one, into that good night, going with grace -- unlike the bleating … [Read more...] about The Paddy Clancy Call

John Steinbeck: Voice of the Dispossessed

By Jim Dwyer

November 1999

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All the great novels and stories of John Steinbeck slice into the American experience, clear to the bone. They are set in California, or along Route 66, where the Joads trekked across the southwest from the Dust Bowls. And Steinbeck himself, born with the century, was raised in Salinas, California, when it was still a small town on the last frontier of America. Yet the voice … [Read more...] about John Steinbeck: Voice of the Dispossessed