[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 39 (Thursday, March 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E406]]
             TRIBUTE TO GENE McCARTHY, IRISHMAN OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JACK QUINN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 11, 1999

  Mr. QUINN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today on the floor of 
this House in recognition of Mr. Gene McCarthy from Buffalo, NY in my 
district, as the 1999 Goin' South ``Irishman of the Year.''
  Born in Buffalo's ``Old First Ward'' in 1926, Gene McCarthy is a 
lifelong member of our community. After high school, Gene began working 
on Buffalo's waterfront at Pillsbury grain elevators, where he spent 
twelve years.
  In 1955, Gene wed Mary (Dories). He and his wife rasied their three 
children, Patti, Bill, and Maureen to respect their proud Western New 
York and Irish-American heritage. In addition, the McCarthy's now have 
seven grandchildren.
  Twenty-five years ago, Gene and Mary opened McCarthy's, a fine 
restaurant and tavern in the heart of the Old First Ward, at the corner 
of Hamburg and Republic Streets. Famous for its corned beef, fish 
fries, and friendly service, McCarthy's has become a true landmark. It 
is a proud symbol of not only his community, and not only the McCarthy 
family, but of our Irish heritage in Buffalo.
  In 1996, I invited the Honorable Dermott Gallagher, then Irish 
Ambassador to the United States, to Buffalo to dedicate a monument 
which was erected in honor of the Great Famine in Ireland. During his 
stay, I took him to McCarthy's. Ambassador Gallagher has said that the 
tavern was his favorite place in all of Western New York, no doubt a 
reflection on the McCarthy's overwhelming hospitality.
  Whether it is for the famous Notre Dame football parties in the fall, 
the Shamrock Run, the many local organizations and causes which the 
McCarthys support, or the best St. Patrick's Day atmosphere outside of 
Ireland, McCarthy's Tavern and Gene and Mary McCarthy will always be an 
important part of the proud history of our City. I am proud to call him 
my friend.
  Mr. Speaker, today I would like to join with the entire McCarthy 
Family, the Goin' South community organization, and indeed, all of 
Western New York in tribute to Mr. Gene McCarthy, Irishman of the Year.

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