[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7009-S7010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DEATH OF A GREAT IRISH-AMERICAN--PAUL O'DWYER

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I was greatly saddened to learn of the 
death today of Paul O'Dwyer of New York City. To all of us who knew him 
and worked with him and loved him, he was a great friend, a great 
champion of democracy and civil rights, a great friend of working 
families, and a great friend of Ireland. He will be dearly missed.
  Paul was born in County Mayo in Ireland, and immigrated to the United 
States in 1924 at the age of seventeen. He put himself through law 
school at night, and formed his lifelong commitment to the political 
and social causes which were so important to him and for which we all 
admired him.
  He was a proud supporter of Ireland all his life. He was a hero to 
the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and to Irish Americans as 
well. At the same time, he recognized the importance of reaching out to 
the Protestant community in Northern Ireland to achieve

[[Page S7010]]

peace and reconciliation in that troubled land, and he always insisted 
on meeting with Protestant leaders visiting this country.
  Paul was elected to a number of offices in his long and brilliant 
career, including President of the New York City Council. Once, when 
asked about his decision to come to America as an immigrant, Paul said 
``I thought of going back, but something that grips you as an immigrant 
is the sense of freedom here.'' As few individuals have ever done, he 
worked hard and long and well to provide that freedom for all 
Americans. We will miss his leadership, and we will miss his 
friendship.

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