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S P E C I A L H E A LT H C A R E & L I F E S C I E N C E S I S S U E
TRAVELING LANDSCAPE How a painting of Donegal came to hang in a Russian museum WEARY WILLIE Emmett Leo Kelly the American circus performer, who created the memorable clown figure PADDLING IRELAND In the wake of St. Patrick and Game of Thrones on rivers and lakes, North and South
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 CANADA $4.95 / U.S. $3.95
“RESEARCH IS THE PROCESS OF INVENTING THE FUTURE, AND INVENTING THE FUTURE IS THE PROCESS OF MAKING BETTER MEDICINE.” Dr. Kevin Tracey
President & CEO of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
CHICAGO MAY Mary Anne Duignan, an Irish-born grifter who became known as the “Queen of Crooks” CLEAN GREEN Products of the beehive that have been used for centuries
DR. KEVIN TRACEY
Inventing the Future OF MEDICINE
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— Progress Through Philanthropy — Thanks to you, The Ireland Funds has assisted over 3,200 outstanding Irish organizations and causes across the island of Ireland and around the globe. People are at the heart of what we do. One example is The Children’s Medical & Research Foundation. The Ireland Funds is proud to support their work improving the quality of children’s healthcare and transforming the lives of sick children, young people and their families in Ireland and the United States. Let us help you connect with Ireland and realize your philanthropic goals. Visit www.irelandfunds.org
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80 Irish Landscape by Robert Henri, an influence of Rockewell Kent’s.
contents | Vol. 34 No. 4 August / September 2019
Features
HIGHLIGHTS
34 Dr. Kevin J. Tracey: Inventing the Future
Hibernia
The neuroscientist, immunologist, and inventor of bioelectronic medicine talks to Maggie Holland about his family, visiting Ireland, and the future medical prospects made possible by his research. By Maggie Holland
Irishman wins British Open; Climate action in Ireland; Canada remembers Irish famine victims; 9/11 bill passes Senate. p. 10
28 Paddling in Ireland A Canadian couple paddleboarded the stunning waterways of Ireland, even making their way to a few Game of Thrones locations. By John Kernaghan and Pam Martin
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Keeping up with the Gleesons; the latest on Saoirse Ronan; Normal People turned into series. p. 20
28
40 2019 Healthcare & Life Sciences 50
Roots
Fifty of the best and brightest healthcare and life science professionals of Irish descent.
Learn about the history of the Tracey surname and some of its notable bearers. p. 66
68 Wild Irish Women Chicago May wasn’t from Chicago – and that’s just one of the fascinating aspects of her episodic life. By Rosemary Rogers
Sláinte! Edythe Preet tells you all you need to know about using natural homemade products for your summer cleaning.
72 Corey Johnson: Lighting in a Bottle The high energy speaker of the New York City council burst onto the scene and is making his mark. By Rosemary Rogers
p. 88
Those We Lost
74 What Are You Like, Mary Beth Keane?
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Her book, Ask Again, Yes, has been voted The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’s 2019 summer read – but what is Mary Beth Keane like? By Patricia Harty
78 Window on the Past: The Sad Clown
Ivan Cooper; Brendan Grace; John F.X. Mannion; Sean McNeill; Noel Whelan. p. 90
Photo Album Tom Connor’s father was wanted by the FBI – to be captain of their baseball team. p. 96
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By turning his smile upside-down, Emmett Kelly’s Weary Willie flipped clowning on its head as well. By Ray Cavanaugh
DEPARTMENTS
80 Dan Ward’s Stack Rockwell Kent didn’t have a drop of Irish blood, but loved to paint Donegal landscapes. By Geoffrey Cobb
Irish Eye on Hollywood
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82 Mental Illness A story of a mother struggling to help her daughter, and a high school essay penned by the late Saoirse Kennedy Hill (87). Irish America magazine (ISSN 0884-4240) © by Irish America Inc. Published bi-monthly. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1277, Bellmawr, NJ, 08099-5277. Editorial office: 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1606, New York, NY, 10001. Telephone: 212-725-2993. Fax: 212-244-3344. Email: submit@irishamerica.com. Subscription rate is $21.95 for one year. Subscription orders:1-800-582-6642. Subscription queries:1-800-582-6642, (212) 725-2993, ext. 217. Periodicals postage paid at New York and additional mailing offices. Postmaster please send address changes to Irish America magazine, P.O. Box 1277, Bellmawr, NJ, 08099-5277. Irish America is printed in the U.S.A.
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First Word Letters Quote Unquote Book Reviews Crossword Last Word
Cover Photo: Compliments of the Feinstein Institutes
Northern Westchester Phelps
Glen Cove
Mather Hospital
Peconic Bay
Huntington
North Shore Syosset Zucker University Lenox Hill Plainview Hillside Southside Long Island Jewish LIJ Forest Hills South Oaks Cohen Children’s Nassau Maimonides Medical Medical Center University Medical Center (Affiliate) Center (Affiliate) LIJ Valley Stream Staten Island University (North) Staten Island University (South)
A network of innovators, raising the standard of health care At Northwell Health, we’ve re-imagined what health care can be. We’re more than just 68,000 employees—we’re a network of innovators working together to bring world-class care to millions of patients each year. And as New York state’s largest integrated health system—with 23 world-class hospitals and more than 700 outpatient locations—patients across Long Island, New York City and Westchester County have greater access to lifesaving medicine. At Northwell, we’re raising the standard of health care and providing better care for all.
Learn more at Northwell.edu/Network
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Vol. 34 No. 4 August / September 2019
IRISH AMERICA Mórtas Cine Pride In Our Heritage
Founding Publisher: Niall O’Dowd Co-Founder/Editor-in-Chief: Patricia Harty Art Director: Marian Fairweather Assistant Editor / Advertising and Events Coordinator Mary A. Gallagher Assistant Editor / Social Media Coordinator Maggie Holland Financial Controller: Kevin M. Mangan Accounts: Mairead Bresnan Editorial Assistant: Gregory Chestler
IRISH AMERICA 875 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1606 New York NY 10001 TEL: 212-725-2993 FAX: 212-244-3344
Subscriptions: 1-800-582-6642 EMAIL:
submit@irishamerica.com www.irishamerica.com Irish America magazine ISSN 0884-4240 © by Irish America Inc. Published bi-monthly. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1277, Bellmawr, NJ 08099-5277. Editorial office: 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1606, New York, NY 10001. Telephone: 212-725-2993. Fax: 212-244-3344 Email: submit@irishamerica.com. Subscription rate is $21.95 for one year. Subscription orders: 1-800-582-6642. Subscription queries: 1-800-582-6642, (212) 7252993, ext. 217. Periodicals postage paid at New York and additional mailing offices. Postmaster please send address changes to Irish America magazine, P.O. Box 1277, Bellmawr, NJ 08099-5277. IRISH AMERICA IS PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
6 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
the first word | By Patricia Harty
Inventing the Future of Medicine
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ou would think after all this time as editor of this magazine, I would cease to be surprised at the mighty achievements of Irish-Americans. We have showcased the measure of that success down through the years, and yet the honorees profiled in this issue give me pause. The incredible work that they do – in research institutions, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities – is mind-boggling. And inspirational as it is, it is equally heartwarming to see the appreciation that our honorees have for their Irish heritage – music, dance, storytelling – and the strong emphasis on education. Researchers agree that innovation and perseverance are key components of success, and perhaps these characteristics, which all our honorees have in abundance, are inherited traits from past generations. Driven by need, our ancestors had to be inventive, and in living through hard times, they had to be strong in their resolve to survive. When it comes to perseverance and innovation, Dr. Kevin J. Tracey, immunologist, neuroscientist, and inventor, is like no other, as you will read in our cover story by Maggie Holland. He and his team at the Feinstein Institutes have invented a device that, implanted in the vagus nerve, can stop inflammation. It’s bioelectronic – the medicine of the future! And while each of our honorees is outstanding in their particular field, in the scientific world, Dr. Patricia Broderick deserves a shout-out. She has spent her career working on biopsychiatric conditions like anxiety, depression, and schizoaffective disorders, and has invented a probe that scans the brain in real time. The Irish are vulnerable to mental illness (a recent study shows that 18.5% of the population in Ireland suffer from a mental disorder), which is much harder to treat than physical maladies. In a poignant essay in this issue, a mother writes about supporting her daughter as she suffers through mental illness and drug addiction; and in another stirring prayer/ poem, we learn the pain of watching a sibling suffer from schizophrenia. Hopefully, with new technology such as The Broderick Probe, patients with mental health disorders can expect better outcomes in the future, and that will be something truly worth celebrating. Mórtas Cine,
ON A SAD NOTE: As we were just about on press with this issue, news reached me of Saoirse Kennedy Hill’s death. I knew Saoirse. As a child, she was such a bright spark, full of laughter and devilment. As a young woman, she embraced social causes, helping to build schools in Mexico and do other volunteer work. She was never afraid to speak out when she encountered injustice, a trait she inherited from her parents. Her mother, Courtney, is the daughter of Robert Kennedy, and her father, Paul Hill, is an outspoken campaigner for human rights, having been wrongly imprisoned for 15 years. I once asked Paul if he was bitter about the injustice he had suffered and he said no. “If I hadn’t been in prison, I would probably have been shot on the streets in Belfast. I would never have met Courtney, or had Saoirse. She [Saoirse] was my victory.” I thank Deerfield Academy in advance for permission to publish Saoirse’s essay. It’s a wonderful piece of writing and it deserves wide distribution, for it will surely help some other young person who is suffering from depression. I can think of no better way to honor Saoirse’s memory. Rest in peace, beautiful girl.
See Exquisite Pieces of Crystal manufactured before your eyes Guided Factory Tours Daily
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caint | readers forum
Irish Power, U.S. Politics:
Wild Bill Donovan: Irish-American War Hero and Superspy
U.S. Rep. Richie Neal, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Commitee
By Geoffrey Cobb
When I was growing up we would get phone calls in the middle of the night asking if we were related to Wild Bill Donovan.
By Niall O’Dowd
[Richie Neal] I care about where you come from, but I care much more about where you are going. If you aren’t going to be getting Trump’s taxes (like the law allows) and punishing Steven Mnuchin (like the law demands) you need to find a new line of work and hand this over to those who will. – Philip Bagley, Twitter
Thanks for all you do Richard for the deep U.S. / Ireland / Europe friendship.
– Bill Donovan, Facebook
I’m very concerned to see Donald Trump in Britain promoting the most damaging sort of Brexit and then comparing the Northern Ireland border to his Mexican border wall project. Brexit has already disrupted the peace in Northern Ireland. The U.S. should not encourage it.
– Andrew O’Callahan, Ireland, Twitter
So...Mnuchin just defied you and you’re cool with that? I wish Dems would grow a spine. I feel like I wasted a lot of activist hours to elect a bunch of ground squirrels.
Wild Bill’s greatnephew was my classmate in high school. – James T. McKnight, Facebook
Good looking man. Beautiful eyes.
– Michael Millea, Twitter
– Ann Doherty, Facebook
You cover a lot of ground, Niall [O’Dowd, who interviewed Neal], on multi-continents. This was interesting and sensible and Mr. Neal handles himself very well, like a boxer and you his sparring partner.
– Peter Schink, Twitter
– Peter Garland, submitted via email
John Louis O'Sullivan and the Term “Manifest Destiny” By Ray Cavanaugh
At the expense of millions of Native American peoples. Words like “manifest cooperation” and “friendship” would have been better. – John Michael Cahill, Steelville, Missouri, Facebook
Photo Album: Tales of New York By Robin Dobson
Great story; thank you for sharing. They weren’t that bad looking lol. – Patricia Farrell, submitted via email
Robin will probably save a fortune by keeping away from the genealogy sites.
Recollections of a Bronx Irish Catholic
– Ted Murray, Facebook
By Peter Quinn
Great read and similar to a MIC experience (Manhattan Irish Catholic) growing up. Congratulations are in order for Peter Quinn, who will be honored next October with the Eugene O’Neill Distinguished Artist Award by the Irish American Writers & Artists organization. – Paul Edward Keating, Hillsdale, New Jersey, Facebook 8 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Sounds like it will be great to read this book! – Alice Olwell, Cold Spring, New York, Facebook
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Sláinte! The Lace Place By Edythe Preet
Loved the article on the lace. I was very fortunate to visit the Lace Gallery in Carrickmacross, where I purchased a kit. I would love to have a group of people who would enjoy getting together and stitching. Any takers? – Maeve Vinci, Facebook
Interesting! – Patty Moloney Figliola, Alexandria, Virginia, Facebook
Thank you for such an interesting article. I was particularly intrigued by the involvement of religious sisters in the tradition of lacemaking and also the part they have played in its revival and survival! – Máirín Delaney, submitted online
Celebrating 50 Years of Irish Dance By Kristin McGowan
Congratulations Patsy! I’m a longtime friend of daughter, Roisin, who, last I saw, still TRIED to dance! lol I’ve met several dancers from your old Inwood school…many still involved in dancing, with their own kids, grandkids, over the years. – Glenn Leahey, submitted via email
Fabulous article. Congratulations on 50 years, Patsy McLoughlin. – Donna Genthe, Facebook
Gorgeous write-up, congratulations! – Hillary Joyce Owens, London, United Kingdom, Facebook
The Last Irish Saloon By Pat Fenton
Farrell’s is the first bar I went to when I moved to NYC in 1986. I lived right around the corner. You could get a pint of beer to go in a paper cup with a lid. They called it a tank. – Paul Olinde, New Orleans, Louisiana, Facebook
I’ll read any article with Pete Hamill in the post. An absolute hero of mine, and as a resident of Brooklyn Heights for years, I knew Farrell’s well. Pete lived close by at one time and Shirley MacLaine had a few of her happy returns to the neighborhood with him. When he remodeled his bathroom, the downstairs hardware store asked for his old toilet seat and subsequently hung it in the window. “Shirley MacLaine Sat Here” read the sign. – Gabriel Donohue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Facebook
Been there quite a few times… many years ago. First time, I was in my early 20s and asked if I got a free beer because of having the same surname. Got a handshake and was told, “That guy is a Farrell, and so is that one, and that one, and so on…” I muttered, “Everybody wants to be a Farrell – bunch of wannabes.” And with that, I got a free beer. – Joe Farrell, New York, New York, Facebook
[Farrell’s] The place where I met my husband and also where this picture was taken. Lol. Sure. It’s been a while since I enjoyed a Farrell’s container! – Kim MulhareColuccio, Facebook
I read the article on Farrell’s Bar in your May / June 2019 issue with great pleasure – it brought back wonderful memories of socializing with friends and family at a revered institution in Brooklyn. I would like to share an interesting connection between Farrell’s Bar and the sinking of the Titanic. The younger brother of the founder of Farrell’s Bar booked a passage on the Titanic to come to New York City to join his brother in working on the bustling Brooklyn dockyards. James Farrell, the younger brother, is mentioned in the book A Night to Remember that details the sinking of the Titanic: James assisted third-class passengers in evacuating from the lower decks, when he forced a locked gate open. A member of the Titanic crew pointed a gun at James’s head to stop him from letting the steerage passengers out. James refused to be intimidated and allowed at least 20 women and children to escape and board the last lifeboat before the Titanic sunk under the sea. James did not survive, but his life-saving action is memorialized in a dedicated monument in his hometown of Cloonee, County Longford, in Ireland. – John McDevitt, submitted online
Close to 50 years ago I returned to Farrell’s after having been absent for almost two years. I put a few dollars on the bar while Jimmy Houlihan poured a beer for me. He placed it on the bar and told me “Sorry pal, your money’s no good here.” I had returned from Vietnam the night before and never paid for a beer at Farrell’s while I was on leave. – Denis Keyes, submitted via email
FOR MORE FARRELL’S COMMENTS GO TO PG. 93
Visit us online at irishamerica.com to leave your comments, or write to us: Send a fax (212-244-3344), email (submit@irishamerica.com) or write to Letters, Irish America magazine, 875 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1606, New York, NY 10001. Letters should include the writer’s name, address, and phone number and may be edited for clarity and length. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 9
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HIBERNIA • NEWS PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE LIMERICK LEADER
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BRINGING MUSIC TO AHALIN NATIONAL SCHOOL
ichael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health in New York, presented an Irish American Partnership grant of $10,000 to Ahalin National School in Knockaderry, County Limerick, during his June 26 visit to the school. The grant will establish a musical instrument loan scheme at Ahalin, promoting Irish arts and culture at a formative age. Dowling attributes his accomplishments to the wonderful education he had as a child in TOP: Principal Brid Leahy, Vincent Hanly, Limerick and later at University College Cork: and Michael Dowling at “Education, for me, has been the key to whatAhalin National School. ever success I have had.” – I.A.
WATERFORD’S ANNUAL HARVEST FESTIVAL The 11th annual Waterford Harvest Festival is set for September 6-8.
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aterford is expecting over 40,000 attendees to partake in the annual celebration of local food, culture, and heritage. This year there is a special emphasis on sustainability. On opening night, a dinner hosted by nonprofit GIY (Grow It Yourself) will feed 50 lucky diners a zero-waste meal. The dishes will be prepared by GROW HQ head Chef J.B. Dubois and visiting chef and Chef’s Manifesto Ambassador Conor Spacey of Food Space. GROW HQ is the food education center of GIY – which offers classes on growing, cooking and wellbeing. 70 free and ticketed events, ranging from educational workshops to elegant dinners, will take place over the weekend, with lots of activities for grown-ups and kids. Festival Director Tommie Ryan remarked, “From cooking demos and feasts with some of Ireland’s extraordinary chefs, to buttermaking, wood carving, and beekeeping workshops; to our eco-friendly food stalls and markets, this year’s Waterford Harvest Festival is the most diHarvest Festival participants. verse yet.” Regardless of your age, the festival promises that you won’t leave hungry or without a potential new hobby – and you might just learn how to cut down on food waste and save some dollars throughout the process! For more information on the event, visit www.waterfordharvestfestival.ie. – G.C. 10 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
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IRISHMAN WINS BRITISH OPEN IN N. IRELAND
hadn’t drank a brandy since 2009,” said Emily Scanlon, grandmother of golfer Shane Lowry, after Lowry won the 148th British Open Championship on Sunday, July 21, at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. “I drank two yesterday. It’s nearly killing me.” The 32-year-old Lowry from Clara, County Offaly, won the Irish Open back in 2009 as an amateur (and his grandmother had some brandy to celebrate). A decade later, he has become the second man from the Republic of Ireland to take home the famed Claret Jug, the other being Pádraig Harrington, who is now very good friends with Lowry and stood behind the 18th green waiting to congratulate him. This year was only the second time that the Open has been held in Northern Ireland. The last time was in 1951, also at Royal Portrush. “Everyone knows we’re all one country when it comes to golf,” Lowry said after the win. He marks his golf balls with a green shamrock. “It’s huge for Irish golf. I think it’s big for Irish sport. It’s a very tight-knit community. I’d say people watched golf today that have never watched golf before.” After the big win, Lowry celebrated with family, friends, and fans at a pub where they joyously sang beloved songs such as “My Little Honda 50” and “Fields of Athenry,” as Lowry cradled the Claret Jug. (Catch the celebration on YouTube). Ranked 33rd going into the tournament, Lowry entered into the final day carrying a fourshot lead, which was never reduced to less than three, even with the five bogeys he shot that day. He ultimately won by six strokes over Tommy Fleetwood, achieving his first major championship as tens of thousands of fans in Northern Ireland cheered him on in the windy, rainy weather, waving tricolors. “It was Shane’s time, Shane’s tournament,” said Fleetwood, the distant runner-up who also came in second at last year’s U.S. Open. “He literally controlled the tournament from the start of today until the end, and that’s a very, very impressive thing to do.” – M.H.
”
Shane Lowry after his win.
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NEWS • HIBERNIA
CORK HOSTS SUMMIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE
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of global ocean challenges.” ith the theme “shared Minister Creed also announced the publication of the annual voices from small isprogress report on Ireland’s Integrated Marine Plan – Harnessing land nations,” the 2019 Our Ocean Wealth, which contains inputs from across state deSeaFest and Our Ocean partments and agencies, providing a wealth of information. Wealth Summit in Cork, 7-9 The event coincided with the Cork Harbor Festival – June 1-9, of June, focused on the importance of protecting the world’s which featured over 70 different events on land and water, includoceans from the impacts of climate change and ensuring a susing the Ocean to City – An Rás Mór (“the big race”) taking place tainable long-term future for the marine economy as a whole. on opening day. “As a small island, Ireland understands the threats ABOVE: Former – M.H. climate change poses to our friends in the Pacific, U.S. secretary of Caribbean, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. It threatens state John Kerry. their very existence,” said the Tánaiste and minister for RIGHT: Children enjoying one of foreign affairs and trade Simon Coveney, T.D., who led the many exhibits. Ireland’s participation in the summit, along with minister for agriculture, food, and the marine Michael Creed, T.D. A wide range of international experts participated in the summit, including former U.S. secretary of state John Kerry, president of Seychelles H.E. Danny Faure, the U.N. Secretary-General’s special envoy for the ocean Peter Thompson, foreign minister of Malta H.E. Carmelo Abela, vice president of the European parliament Mairead McGuinness, MEP, as well as U.N. permanent representatives from various other countries including Jamaica, Vanuata, Antigua and Barbuda, the Marshall Islands, and Palau. Minister Creed said, “The already present threat posed by climate change is the key challenge of our time and we need to plan for the sustainable future of our marine sector in the context
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KYLEMORE ABBEY VISITOR CENTER OPENS
rom Generation to Generation… The Story of Kylemore Abbey promises to take visitors on a vivid journey through the history of the iconic building, from its founding by Benedictine nuns who fled Belgium in World War I to the current mother abbess of the Benedictine Community, Marie Hickey. The nuns, who had been based in Ypres for several hundred years, had been bombed out of their abbey during World War I. The nuns were rescued by men of the 8th battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers and after a time in England, purchased the lands and castle in Connemara from the duke and duchess of Manchester, who had gambling debts. They soon set up an international school that for almost a century educated boarders and young girls from the area until it was forced to close in 2010. The industrious sisters set about saving
The exhibition provides “a taste of life in the early 20th-century west of Ireland,” says Tourism Minister Shane Ross, who launched it that evening. Archivist Damien Duffy and inteConor Coyne, chief executive of the Kylemore Trust, Sr. Máire Hickey, Mark Mitchell rior designer Joanne Smyth oversaw Henry, Minister Shane Ross, Sr. Magdalena, the creation of the visiand Orla Carrol of Failte Ireland. tor center, which includes a new suite of four authentically refurbished rooms, as well as a multimedia presentation evoking tales of romance, innovation, politics, and spirituality. “The new experience embraces the contribution of the Benedictines to the survival of Kylemore as it exists today, and allows us to share our beautiful home with all who come to visit,” said Sister Máire Hickey On Monday, June 10, thanks to a €1.7 OSB, mother abbess of the community. million grant from Fáilte Ireland, – M.H. Kylemore Abbey unveiled its new visitor center. their home, running a summer school, fundraising in New York, and reaching out to former students.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 11
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HIBERNIA • NEWS
QUEEN’S TAKES ON FERTILITY ISSUES
Q Dr. Eilís Dowd BELOW: Michael J. Fox
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MICHAEL J. FOX FUNDS PARKINSON’S RESEARCH IN GALWAY
he Michael J. Fox Foundation, founded by and named for actor, author, and advocate Michael J. Fox, announced that it is awarding $300,000 to NUI Galway for researchers to develop an approach to brain repair for Parkinson’s disease. Brain repair for Parkinson’s involves transplanting healthy cells into the brain, a process that has not been very successful thus far because the transplanted cells have not been surviving well. That may change, now that a research team at NUI Galway led by Dr. Eilís Dowd has developed a gel that supports the transplanted cells, considerably improving their survival rates. The grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation will be used toward further developing the supportive gel and determining if it could also improve the survival of adult stem cells. Fox founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 after publicly disclosing his 1991 diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. Since then, it has been dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda, as well as to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those suffering from Parkinson’s disease today. – M.H. 12 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
ueen’s University Belfast has been awarded 6.1 million euros, in collaboration with 11 other global partner universities and institutions, to develop a test to identify harmful chemicals that affect female fertility. The grant is part of a wider research project funded by the European research and innovation program Horizon 2020 to develop highly needed test methods to identify harmful chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors. The tests will be used to address a range of health issues
Dr. Lisa Connolly
affecting humans, animals, and the environment. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere with hormones, and are found in everyday products such as plastics, air fresheners, and cosmetics.
Without dedicated tests to assess endocrine disruptor properties, it is difficult to gauge the damage these chemicals can also have on anyone who interacts with them. Better test methods will help all species. In humans, endocrine disruptors can affect fertility and brain development. Animals can be affected by endocrine disruptors in the environment. For example, male fish are increasingly carrying female eggs, a phenomenon caused by the release of endocrine disruptors released by wastewater treatment plants. Dr. Lisa Connolly at Queen’s University Institute for Global Food Security, co-author of the study, explained: “There is surprisingly limited knowledge on this issue. We will investigate how exposure to endocrine disruptors during different hormonesensitive phases in a woman’s life, such as the fetal, puberty, and adult stages can ultimately affect her fertility.” Dr. Connolly added: “We are delighted to be part of this research project which brings together experts across a number of countries. It is only through developing a test to better understand how these chemicals affect fertility that we will then be in a position to offer solutions.” – I.A.
BNA 2019 FESTIVAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
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ome 1,500 international neuroscientists, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, patient advocates, and patient organizations gathered in Dublin for the BNA2019 Festival of Neuroscience, the biggest neuroscience festival held in Europe in 2019 and the first time it was held outside of Britain. The festival took place from April 14-19 in Dublin. Lead organizer of the public program, Dr Áine Kelly, TCD, said: “The public outreach program of the festival
provided wonderful opportunities for the general public to hear about brain health and brain research directly from world-leading neuroscience researchers. Many events focused on neurological or psychiatric conditions including Huntington’s disease, delirium, depression, teenage mental health, and epilepsy.” There was a strong arts focus to the program, which included films screenings, music, dance performances, and a neurosciencethemed art installation. – I.A.
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NEWS • HIBERNIA
NUI GALWAY COLLABORATE ON GLOBAL ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANT BACTERIA STUDY
NUI Galway participates in major international study showing sewage can reveal levels of antimicrobial resistance worldwide.
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comprehensive analysis of sewage collected in 74 cities in 60 countries worldwide has yielded the first comparable global data which show the levels and types of antimicrobial resistant bacteria that are present in mainly healthy people in these countries. The National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark led the study, which was conducted by an international team of researchers, including Professor Martin Cormican, Dr. Dearbháile Morris, and Dr. Louise O’Connor from the Discipline of Bacteriology, School of Medicine at NUI Galway. The World Health Organization describes antimicrobial resistance as the ability of a microorganism (like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites) to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics) from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist, and they may spread to others. The key finding from the study showed that there were marked differences in the levels of antimicrobial resistance observed by region, and regions with poorer sanitation had higher levels. This suggests that improving the overall sanitation and health in these regions could limit the overall global burden of antimicrobial resistance. The study was published in the highly-regarded scientific journal Nature Communications. In the study, the researchers mapped out all the DNA material in the sewage samples and found that according to antimicrobial resistance, the world’s countries fall within two groups. North America, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand generally have the lowest levels of antimicrobial resistance, while Asia, Africa, and South America have the highest levels. Brazil, India, and Vietnam have the greatest diversity in resistance genes, while Australia and New Zealand have the lowest.
IRELAND BANS MICROBEADS
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ith a bill soon to be introduced by the Dáil, Ireland is set to be the first country in the European Union to ban the use of plastic microbeads in household cleaners and toiletries. Microbeads are tiny bits of plastic, less than a millimeter in diameter, that are put into some personal care products such as soaps, facial cleansers, and toothpastes, to add texture and aid in exfoliation. A single bottle of facial scrub can contain as many as 330,000 microbeads. Once washed down the drain, microbeads pose a threat to water, soil, and animals. They are not biodegradable, and because of their small size, they can pass right through the sewage filters. A study from the State University of New York found any-
Dr. Dearbháile Morris, from the School of Medicine at NUI Galway, said: “The approach taken in this study is an important first step toward the development of a global model for surveillance of all diseasecausing organisms, not just antimicrobial resistance.” The researchers’ findings show that most of the variables which are associated with the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in a country, are related to the sanitary conditions in the country and the population’s general state of health. The project lead, Professor Frank Aarestrup, Technical University of Denmark, says: “In the fight against antimicrobial resistance, our findings suggest that it would be a very effective strategy if concerted efforts were made to improve sanitary conditions in countries with high levels of antimicrobial resistance.” The overall ambition of those participating in the study is to develop a worldwide surveillance system that can continuously monitor the occurrence and spread of disease-causing microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance. As such, it would be possible to use the global surveillance data, for example, to manage diseases that threaten to spread beyond a country’s borders and develop into pandemics, such as Ebola, measles, polio, or cholera. Professor Aarestrup added: “Analyzing sewage can quickly and relatively cheaply show exactly which bacteria abound in an area, and collecting and analyzing sewage does not require ethical approval, as the material cannot be traced back to individuals. Both parameters help to make a surveillance system via sewage a viable option – also in developing countries.” – I.A.
where from 1,500 to 1.1 million microbeads per square mile on the surface of the Great Lakes, the worst being Lake Erie. A variety of wildlife mistake the microbeads for food, and the ingestion of the plastic is toxic for these animals as well as other species higher up in the food chain. The Microbead Prohibition Bill restricts the production and use of “rise down the drain” products that are part plastic. It excludes products that are meant to be “worn on.” Ireland first began discussing a ban in 2016. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy emphasized the importance of the bill, arguing that it should be an offense to sell, manufacture, import, or export products containing the plastic beads. The bill is currently in the committee stage, where amendments will be debated. – M.H. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 13
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HIBERNIA • CLIMATE CHANGE
ARE WE DOING ENOUGH?
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Ireland’s Role in Global Climate Change
elcome to the Emerald Isle. A country so verdant that Johnny Cash sang of the 40 shades of green that could be found in its rolling hills and valleys. But how green is Ireland, really? What is the country doing to protect its environment? What role is it playing in preventing global climate change? The Irish government has certainly pioneered some bold environmental policies. It introduced a levy on plastic carrier bags in 2002. This led to a reversal in consumer behaviour. Before the levy, 95 percent of people took their shopping home in plastic bags. Now, 90 percent use their own reusable bags. In 2004, Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in workplaces. Many countries have since followed its lead. In May, it became the second country in the world to declare a climate and biodiversity emerIreland’s biodiversity is in freefall. Of the 99 bee species in the country, more than half are in substantial decline, two are extinct, and 30 percent are in danger. Birds are struggling too. There are 202 species of commonly occurring birds in Ireland, but over 60 percent of those are now on the red and amber conservation lists. The agricultural sector is not helping matters. EmisLEFT: Beekeeper Honora Harty exsions from farms account for a third of all Irish emistracting honey. sions and are on a rising trajectory. Despite its declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency, the government is not doing well at living up to its official climate change targets either. As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, it made a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent of 2005 levels by 2020. Last year, the minister for the environment, Richard Bruton, admitted it would gency. This move was welcomed by 16-year-old climate change achieve only a paltry one-percent reduction. activist, Greta Thunberg, who urged others to follow suit. So badly is the country performing that, at the end of last Yet these headlines only tell some of the story. As I write this year, Ireland’s response to global warming was ranked the worst in July 2019, members of Extinction Rebellion Ireland have in the E.U. and among the worst in the world in the Climate blocked a street in Dublin in an attempt to force the governChange Performance Index. ment to take action to reduce Ireland’s dependence on cars and, This doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon, eiin the process, improve air quality in the city. ther. Shortly after declaring a climate emergency, Minister BruThey have a point. In 1986, 44.9 percent of people comton ruled out an immediate ban on fossil fuel exploration. He muted to work by car. By 2016, that had increased to 61.4 perjustified this by saying that Ireland depended on oil or gas for 70 cent. The government recently announced plans to have percent of its energy needs. 500,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030 as a way of reLooking to the future, a heavier carbon tax may be needed to sponding to this problem. However, based on current uptake push people into choosing environmentally friendly options. and the lack of a widespread recharging network, this is not conThis tax currently stands at €20 per ton in Ireland, but there is sidered a realistic target. talk of it being increased to €80 per ton in this year’s budget. ABOVE: The climate action campaign group Extinction Rebellion Ireland stage a sitdown in Dublin on July 16.
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This won’t be the only financial penalty that Irish people will have to pay as a result of lagging behind in its response to climate change. Because our 2020 targets under the Paris Agreement were binding, the government expects to face fines of at least €150 million for not meeting them. Yet there is some cause for hope. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a campaign to get everyone – from farmers and local authorities to schools, gardeners, and businesses – to do what they can to create an environment in which birds and bees can thrive. The farming organization Teagasc has recently published an emissions roadmap, which identifies 28 measures that could make a substantial contribution to meeting 2030 emission targets. This has now formed the basis of the agricultural element of the government’s climate action plan and includes practical suggestions such as changing fertilizer types, increasing broadleaf forestry, and displacing fossil fuels using biofuels and anaerobic digestion. In April, all public bodies – including schools and hospitals – were banned from purchasing single-use plastics such as cups, cutlery, or straws. Businesses and social enterprises are getting in on the act too. Refill Ireland is an initiative to reduce the two and a half million plastic water bottles that are generated in Ireland every day by recruiting private businesses and public enterprises to allow people to refill their water bottles on their premises. Organic Movement is a fashion label that tackles problems associated with cheap clothing – such as synthetic fabrics contributing to microplastics in the ocean – by making clothes entirely from sustainably sourced organic cotton. Rash’r goes one step further. This sportswear brand uses recycled ocean plastic to make its rash vests. Then there are shops such as Twig Refill in Clonakilty. It minimizes the use of plastic and packaging by asking customers to bring their own bags, bottles, and jars to stock up on food items and household goods. Most hopefully of all, there are the Irish individuals who are stepping up and inspiring everyone else with their eco-friendly example. Former president Mary Robinson is one of those. Last year, she joined forces with comedian Maeve Higgins to create the Mothers of Invention podcast, which introduced listeners to women all over the world driving positive change in climate policy. She now has a new book, called Climate Justice, and at a recent talk at the Galway International Arts Festival, she described climate change as “possibly the single most important issue facing humanity.” She isn’t the only one actively doing what she can to confront the problem. The Green Party is resurgent in Ireland, as are small pressure groups such as The Irish Pedestrian Network, the Zero Waste Alliance and Extinction Rebellion. Joining them in what may be the greatest symbol of hope of all are the thousands of children and teenagers who have taken to the streets in school strikes for climate action. They are calling on the government to take its responsibility seriously. This means leaving fossil fuels in the ground, banning the building of new fossil fuel infrastructure, and actively planning for a future based on clean and renewable energy. With these young people pushing the agenda, Ireland might become the emerald green isle she has always claimed to be. – Sharon Ní Chonchúir
WHAT’S ON TAP?
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Belfast Takes on Plastic
rofessor Chris Elliot and Dr. Cuong Cao are co-leading a project at Queen’s University Belfast to raise awareness about potentially harmful materials found in tap water, bottled water, and other goods that humans ingest regularly. The story has been told before – plastic waste is bad for the environment – however, what’s different about the work being done in Belfast concerns just how microplastic waste affects the human body when it is digested. The plastic found in bottles, shopping bags, industrial waste and various other packaging materials has made its way into pipelines, faucets, and drinking glasses. The job of the researchers is to discover just how hazardous these particles are. If anyone can deliver results, it’s sure to be Professor Elliot who led an independent review on the British food system after the 2013 horsemeat scandal. Elliot is also the founder of the Research Institute for Global and Food Safety at Queen’s University in Belfast. Due to past research, it is already known that the non-decomposable bits of waste carry bacteria from the surfaces they come into contact with; however, finding out what happens when those bits are given access to our bloodstreams could help protect everyone’s future safety. A hopeful reaction to the findings would be legislation that tests water sources for cleanliness and limits the access to water with too high a concentration of these bacteria-ridden microplastics – the European Commission has already stated a change in drinking water standards that will be delivered into legislation by the end of 2019. Whatever the findings reveal, one thing is for sure: from the dark days when the British army rained plastic bullets down on her citizens to being at the center for research that will hopefully restrict the amount of plastic in our drinking water, Belfast has come out on the right side of the fight. – G.C. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 15
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HIBERNIA • THE GREAT HUNGER
IN THE SHOES OF REFUGEES
Walking in the footsteps of 1,490 Irish exiled in 1847. By Christine Kinealy
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n 2017, and again in 2019, I was honored to be part of a small group of five historians who were invited by Caroilin Callery of the Irish Heritage Trust to follow in the footsteps of 1,490 refugees from the Great Hunger. As a historian, I have researched and written extensively about the Famine since completing my Ph.D. at Trinity College, Dublin in the 1980s. Nothing I have read in the intervening decades – and some accounts are heart-rending – has moved me as much as participating in these two walks. Whose footsteps were we following? In May 1847, when mortality was peaking in Ireland as a result of the arbitrary closing down of the public work schemes, almost 1,500 men, women, and children walked from County Roscommon to the quayside in Dublin. It was a journey of over 100 miles. What they had in common was that they all came from the Strokestown Estate and they had been tenants of Major Denis Mahon. “Had been”…as they had all been “persuaded” to surrender their small holdings in return for a free passage to Canada. For these poor people, emigration to Canada represented a voyage of survival; for Major Mahon, it was a calculated financial transaction. Since the first failure of the potato crop in 1845, landowners had been clearing their estates, some more ruthlessly than others. Removing tenants overseas had the added attraction that they could never return and become occupants of the local workhouses, and thus a charge on local taxes. And the passage to Canada was cheaper than the one to America. Thanks to the survival of the Mahon family papers at Strokestown House – and the intervention of local businessman, Jim Callery, who saved them – we are learning 16 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
The 2019 walk was the third one to take place. Additionally, this year marked the launch of the National Famine Way along the Royal Canal. The Famine Way is marked by 31 pairs of bronze children’s shoes, some of which were unveiled during the walk. They each have a short story written by Marita McConlan-McKenna, describing the journey from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy. We stopped at each of these monuments for a moment of quiet reflection. The 2019 walk took place over seven days. On the first day we did not walk but participated in a “Canadian Wake” in Strokestown. The next day we began walking. As we left Strokestown, pupils from the local Scoil Mhuire read a roll call of the names of the 1,490. Each walker assumed the persona of one of the original emigrants. I was Bridget Brennan, and was traveling with my husband and two children. Both I and one of my children (unidentified) died at Grosse Île. So, I (as Bridget) never saw Canada – a reminder that Famine deaths were not confined to Ireland. At a number of points along the canal we were joined by local people who accompanied us for a few steps or a few miles. This included a large number of schoolchildren, reminding us ABOVE: Christine that many of the original walkers Kinealy and Caroilin were aged under 12. At one being the quarantine staCallery on the walk point, we were joined by a large tion at Grosse Île. Over from Roscommon to group of refugees and asylum 600 of the 1,490 did not Dublin in memory of the exiles of 1847. seekers from the New Horizon survive the journey. Group in Athlone, a timely reWhen news of the minder of why we should not forget our deaths reached home, Mahon was conhistory. demned from the pulpit of the local There were a number of particularly Catholic church. Shortly afterwards, the poignant moments. This included the final landlord was assassinated. His death sight of Sliabh Bawn, the beautiful caused outrage in Britain and prompted mountain that many families had lived Queen Victoria to write a letter of condolence. No sympathy was expressed for the on. As we left Mullingar, we were joined by 300 schoolchildren and by a local uildead 600. a lot more about these people. On the Canadian side, research is being undertaken by Professor Mark McGowan of Toronto University, who also took part in the 2019 walk. The passenger list in the Strokestown archive reveals that 1,490 were sent to Canada in May 1847. One thousand of them were children. The group walked along the Royal Canal to Dublin. From there, they traveled onwards in several ships to Liverpool in the north of England. In Liverpool, they boarded three separate ships to Canada, with the first stop
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A REMINDER • HIBERNIA
no English. The loss of family, home, language, and culture were all part of the tragedy of the Famine. In total, we walked for six days along the Royal Canal. When we arrived in Dublin, we boarded the Jeanie Johnston (a Famine replica tall ship) and we symbolically said goodbye to
leann pipe player. Piper Colgan played a sad lament as we left the town behind us. He was re-creating what had happened in the 1830s and 1840s when local pipers would come out to give a musical farewell to emigrants. It may have been the last time they ever heard Irish music. The place where the farewell music was performed became known as “The Piper’s Boreen” (Boithrin an Phiobaire). For the great majority of the walk there were just six of us, allowing plenty of time for quiet reflection. In the 1840s, though, the canals would have been bustling with activity and full of noises and smells. Horses and people would have packed the tow paths, and barges would be constantly traversing up and down the canals, many of those heading to Dublin carrying food that was being exported out of Ireland. In Mullingar, the Strokestown people would have had their first sighting of a train, as railways were expanding westwards. Being confronted with so much that was unknown must have been an overwhelming experience at times. In the 1840s, sailing to Canada would take approximately six weeks. Many of the 800 who survived the journey were children, a large portion of whom had been orphaned. Several of them were adopted by French-Canadian families. This happened to 12-year-old Daniel Tighe, who had lost his mother, his uncle, and three siblings during the journey. He and his younger sister were adopted by a childless French-Canadian couple. In 2013, Daniel’s descendant, Richard Tye, returned to Strokestown. There, he was reunited with his Tighe relatives. Richard had never left Canada before, and he spoke
and the kindness of the group was incredible. The walk was physically and emotionally draining, but we each helped each other through it. We walked whatever the weather: the first day was hot, leading to some sunburn; the third day we had freezing rain and hail stones – and nowhere to shelter. And there were many blisters, broken toenails, and aching legs and backs. But there was no real hardship – we had food, water, beds, showers and soap, blis-
ter pads, and no small, hungry children to carry… Walking in the footsteps of the exiled 1,490 has been a highlight of my professional and personal life. Thanks to the vision and doggedness of the Callery family, the “missing 1,490” are no longer missing or forgotten. Moreover, their stories are a microcosm of the stories of the millions of people who fled from Ireland in CLOCKWISE: One of the 31 interactive 19ththe 19th century. century bronze As we walked, I would children’s shoe sculpfrequently wonder: what was it tures that mark the way. like to be a refugee in 1847, Ireland. Ballymahon, County leaving behind your home, We then had a closLongford, a stop on the your community and your ing event in the Epic 100-mile journey. country? Perhaps, just as imporMuseum of Emigration. The pilgrims on board tantly, what is it like to be a Singer Declan O’Rourke the Jeanie Johnston, a refugee in 2019? and sculptor Kieran replica of a sailing ship As one of the walkers pointed Tuohy joined us there. of the era. out, “Our past is their present.” We had made it! Over the course of the seven days, the IA camaraderie, the craic, the knowledge, AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 17
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HIBERNIA • HISTORY
THE UN-QUIET GHOSTS OF THE CARRICKS
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ones of Irish children were found 170 years after they died on a “coffin ship” en route to Canada in 1847. Vertebra and jaw bones were identified among the remains, believed to be of Irish children fleeing the Great Hunger, that were discovered in 2011 on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, about 500 miles from Montreal, in Canada. Canadian scientists have concluded that the bones that washed up that same year after a harsh storm were those of two seven-year-old boys and an 11-year-old boy, all of whom suffered from severe malnutrition. Those found in a mass grave in 2016, dug up in the process of a beach
Archaeologists unearth some of the abandoned remains. TOP: Beside the monument is a bell from the boat, found near BlancSablon in 1968. (Photos courtesy CBC Radio-Canada)
restoration, were the bones of another 18 individuals, mostly women and children, and are believed to be former tenants of Lord Palmerston who were evicted in the heights of the great starvation in 1847. In March 1847 the two-mast brig Carricks of Whitehaven, under the command of Captain R. Thompson, sailed from the port of Sligo carrying tenants from Lord Palmerston’s estates in the county – 20,000 acres. Lord Palmerston, an absentee landlord named Henry John Temple, was one of Britain’s most powerful politicians, who served twice as prime minister. He evicted some 2,000 of his Irish tenants for non-payment of rent during the Great Irish Famine. One Canadian official compared conditions on the vessels he chartered to “shovel out” his starving tenants to those of the slave trade. On April 28 the Carricks ran into a severe storm in the Gulf of 18 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
St. Lawrence and sank after striking a reef near Cap-des-Rosiers in Gaspé, Canada. Of the 173 passengers on board only 48 reached the shore. Of the crew, all survived except for one boy. Nine had already perished on the 28-day journey. “Our skeletons reflect what we eat,” said Isabelle Ribot, an associate professor of bioarchaeology at Université de Montréal. The analysis of the bones found that they belonged to people whose diets were agriculturally dependent, specifically potato-based, which is characteristic of a rural population and typical of the Irish at the time. The bones also showed evidence of malnutrition. “The tragic events of the Carricks shipwreck are a startling reminder of just how difficult the journey was for the travelers, and that not everybody was lucky enough to reach their new home,” said Diane Lebouthillier, MP for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, in a statement. The remains were transported to Forillon National Park and a funeral service was held Thursday, July 4, after which the bones were buried near the Irish Memorial on Cap-des-Rosiers Beach. In recent years, a monument has been erected to their memory by the parishioners of St. Patrick’s Church in
Montreal. The Un-quiet Ghost of the Carricks, a film documentary currently in progress, will trace the journey of the Irish-speaking Kaveneys’ voyage to Canada and follow the French-speaking Gasé Kavanaghs (whose great-grandparents were tenants of Lord Palmerston) as they reverse the journey – 168 years later. – By Maggie Holland
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HIBERNIA • IRISH EYE ON HOLLYWOOD
Tom Deignan
KEEPING UP WITH THE GLEESONS
Golden Globe winner Saoirse Ronan
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t’s the Gleeson family’s world. The rest of us just live in it. This autumn will be a special time for the Irish acting clan, made up of patriarch Brendan Gleeson and sons Brian and Domhnall. Domhnall was featured in the summer Irish-American gangster flick The Kitchen, about the wives of West Side Manhattan hoods taking over various criminal enterprises when their husbands are sent off to prison. Next up for Domhnall is a little film entitled Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In some circles, folks are a tad nervous about the continuing success of the Star Wars franchise. You can find more than one website that actually refers to the series’ last film, Solo: A Star Wars Story, as a “bomb.” This, about a movie that made something like $400 million worldwide. One suspects the producers of Brendan Gleeson’s next movie, Frankie, would be thrilled with a mere fraction of that box office take. Set to be released in late October, Frankie revolves around several generations of a family spread across Europe. The family matriarch (Isabelle Huppert) is aging and may not have long to live. So, the family gathers in Portugal for an eventful reunion. Frankie stars Greg Kinnear and Marisa Tomei alongside Gleeson. Finally, longtime fans of the British crime series Peaky Blinders were thrilled this summer when the show’s fifth season debuted in the U.K. Featuring a wide range of Irish acting talent, from star Cillian Murphy to supporting players Aiden Gillen and Ned Dennehy, the latest series – sure to make its way to the U.S. in late 2019 or early 2020 – also features Brian Gleeson. Early word is there may be not one, but two more seasons of Peaky Blinders to come.
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SAOIRSE, SAOIRSE, SAOIRSE
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his Christmas also brings with it another literary / historical epic for Saoirse Ronan, following Mary Queen of Scots, On Chesil Beach (based on Ian McEwan’s novel), and The Seagull, based on the famous Chekhov play. This December, Ronan finds herself in the U.S. Civil War-era classic Little Women, alongside Meryl Streep and Emma Watson. Directed by Greta Gerwig (with whom Ronan worked on the critically acclaimed Lady Bird), the film is based on Louisa May Alcott’s famous book about the trials and tribulations of the spunky March family. In 2020, look for Ronan in another historical flick, this time a love story, alongside Kate Winslet, and then in another starstudded offbeat offering (featuring Bill Murray, Benicio de Toro, Tilda Swinton and, yes, Kate Winslet, among others) from Wes Anderson, The French Dispatch.
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL THE TAPE
ohemian Rhapsody was a gigantic hit. Rocketman, a somewhat more modest one, but a hit nonetheless. So you know Hollywood is going to ride this rockstar biopic wave for as long as possible. Up next? The life and times of gender-bending Culture Club singer Boy George, born George Alan O’Dowd. “MGM is developing a feature about the singer, tracking his humble beginnings in an Irish working-class family through his rise to the top of the international charts in the 1980s with the group Culture Club,” The Hollywood Reporter noted recently. Aspects of Boy George’s life were already explored in the big-time Broadway musical Taboo. But once Bohemian Rhapsody – about
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Queen’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury – made nearly a billion dollars (yes, with a “B”) worldwide, Hollywood began scouring any and all scripts related to musical stars. The Elton John biopic Rocketman didn’t do quite as well, but still earned nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on a $40 million budget. The Boy George life story, which is expected to start shooting soon, is not likely to be the last rock’n’roll picture show.
Boy George
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YOUNG ACTORS GET RECOGNIZED
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wo young Irish actors with bright show biz futures have recently been honored for their fledgling careers. First, Dubliner Jordanne Jones – who has appeared in movies like I Used to Live Here and Metal Heart, as well as the Irish historical TV series Rebellion – has been named a Screen International “Star of Tomorrow,” joining the ranks of previous winners such as Emily Blunt, Dominic Cooper, James McAvoy, Carey Mulligan, and John Ely Solan Boyega. Previous Irish winners include Jessie stars in Buckley, Ruth Negga and Seana Kerslake. The daughter of Irish senator Detainment (2018). Lynn Ruane, the politically-outspoken Jones was recently profiled by the Irish Independent under the headline: “Lights, Camera, Activism: Jordanne Jones is the 18-year-old actress using her voice for good.” Meanwhile, Galway-born teenager Ely Solan has been recognized for his work in the Oscar-nominated short film Detainment. Solan recently received a Young Artist award at a ceremony in Hollywood, joining the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts, Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and a host of other Hollywood royalty who won the award. “This is crazy!” Solan said as he accepted the award. He thanked his mother Olyvia for bringing him to Los Angeles from Ireland. “I love acting so much and it is so nice to get recognition for something I put my heart and soul into.” Following Detainment, Solan appeared as a young Charles Dickens in The Man Who Invented Christmas. Next up is the new season of the RTÉ 2 series Rory, as well as the feature film Four Kids and It with Michael Caine and Russell Brand. “To even think of the idea of being able to make a living out of something that I enjoy so much is absolutely crazy,” Solan has said.
magine the success Irish author Sally Rooney will have after she turns 30! The young Castlebarborn author has published two novels now, met with massive critical acclaim. As Vanity Fair noted recently, Rooney has been, “heralded by everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker to Zadie Smith,” and “immediately became Someone You Need to Know About.” The New Yorker referred to her as the “first great millennial novelist,” and now the BBC and Hulu are teaming up to turn her acclaimed bestselling novel Normal People into a 12episode series. “Normal People follows the tender but complicated relationship of Marianne and Connell (Daisy EdgarJones and Paul Mescal) from the end of their school days in a smalltown in the west of Ireland to their undergraduate years at Trinity College,” Deadline.com reported. AC Irish talent – including Oscarnominated director Lenny Abrahamson and writer Mark O’Rowe – he Image you Missed is a curious but thoroughly are among those who will be workIrish documentary to keep an eye out for. Diing on Normal People. rected by Donal Foreman, it explores the life and “As a long-time admirer of legacy of Arthur MacCaig, a New Jersey-born Irish Lenny Abrahamson’s work, it’s a American who moved to France, and also made special privilege for me to be gripping documentary films about the nationalist Filmmaker working alongside him on the cause in Northern Ireland at the height of the TrouDonal adaptation of Normal People,” bles. Foreman – raised by a mother from Dublin – Foreman Rooney was quoted as saying in also happens to be MacCaig’s son. The Guardian newspaper. “I couldCalling the film “intriguing,” New York Times critic Ben Kenigsberg added: “The film n’t be happier with the cast and is constructed as a dialogue that’s at once son-to-father (MacCaig was mostly absent from team we’ve put together, and I’m Foreman’s upbringing) and filmmaker-to-filmmaker. Foreman compares his dad’s way of very excited to watch them bringmaking documentaries to his own: ‘You had been able to reach conclusions; my narratives ing new life to the story on were partial, incomplete, at risk of falling apart at any moment.’ “ screen.”
FOREMAN MAKES DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HIS FATHER ARTHUR M CAIG
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HIBERNIA • NEWS
CARON MUSIC AWARD NAMED FOR THOMAS MORAN The Caron Addiction Recovery Center’s annual NYC Gala
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aron Treatment Centers, an addiction recovery center, hosted its annual NYC gala dinner at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 8, 2018, and renamed its prestigious music award for the late Thomas J. Moran, business leader, philantropist, and much-loved member of the Irish-American community, who passed away in August 2018. “Tom was a dedicated philanthropist; he was a beautiful guy,” Caron’s CEO Doug Tieman remembered. “He was dedicated to helping those who were suffering or in pain. He would come and visit patients, talk with them, and pray with them on Caron’s Family Sunday.” The tributes to Tom, who in life served as chairman and CEO of Mutual of America and chairman of the relief organization Concern Worldwide U.S., continued throughout the night. John Greed, CEO of Mutual of America and Tom’s close friend, said: “Those of us fortunate enough to have known Tom and work closely with him, as I was for 25 years at Mutual of America, fondly remember his wisdom, his integrity, his compassion, his caring nature, his engaging personality, his great sense of humor, and most of all, his incredible love of music.” Michael McDonald, chair of the musicians’ support foundation MusiCares, received the award renamed for Tom. McDonald spoke about his family’s experience with addiction. “As the child and grandchild of alcoholics, there was a good chance that I would also end up one,” he said. “What has allowed
ABOVE: Joan Moran, Tom’s widow, pictured with Michael McDonald, who received the Thomas J. Moran Music Award. LEFT: John Greed addresses the gathering. (Photos by Samantha Nandez and Vladimir Weinstein, BFA.com)
me to persevere are the other traits that I’ve inherited: pride, a sense of humor, diligence, and a strong moral backbone. As a kid I saw my mother make an unpopular choice in the 1970s, especially in our Catholic community – she kicked my alcoholic dad out, and she was judged harshly for it. She chose a braver course in life so that her children would thrive.” A video mesage, from when Tom himself was honored with the Caron Music Award in 2012, left those gathered with a stirring message from him: “Everyone of us has a responsibility to care enough about people to make sure the right things are done,” he said, “I’m not a rescue worker, yet I can rescue. I’m not a preacher, yet maybe I can save a soul,” he said from the screen. The gala raised more than $1.5 million for patients in need who have limited resources. – M.G.
DR. PADDY BOLAND RECEIVES “NOBILITY IN SCIENCE” AWARD
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he 17th Annual New York City fundraising event, “Stand Up to Sarcoma,” was held on Thursday, May 9 at Gustavino’s on East 59th Street. Dr. Paddy Boland, the Irish-born surgeon who has spent his career doing groundbreaking work at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, received the “Nobility in Science Award,” and his friends in the Irish community turned out in force, making it the most successful event the foundation ever had. Almost $1,000,000 was raised in donations for the organization that advocates for sarcoma patients by funding research and increasing awareness about the disease. The array of former patients in at-
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tendance, some 30 people ranging in age, who had been successfully treated by Dr. Boland, highlighted the importance of ongoing sarcoma research. “Thirty
years ago, it was unlikely that any of these patients would have survived. Today, these patients are cured with good function and a good quality of life,” Dr. Boland said in his remarks. Sarcoma is a cancer of the connective tissue (nerves, muscles, bones, and tendons) that is diagnosed in approximately 9,000 Americans each year. – I.A. RIGHT: Dr. Paddy Boland (second from left), and (left to right): dinner co-chairs Sean Mackin, Mike Carty, and Dr. Jonathan Lewis, an honorary board member of the Sarcoma Foundation and the 2019 event chair.
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HIBERNIA • THE AFTERMATH
A WIN FOR HEROES 9/11 Bill Passes the Senate
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ew Yorkers were sweating through a brutal heat wave at the end of July this year when grim news began circulating, from Briggs Avenue in the Bronx and East 111th Street in Harlem to the quieter suburbs of Westchester County and the historically Irish enclaves in Long Island and the New York City boroughs, where generations of New York City cops, firefighters, and other civil servants settled to raise families. Two more firefighters had died from 9/11-related illnesses: Kevin Nolan, 58, who retired out of Engine 79 in the Bronx in 2007, and Richard Driscoll, a 73-year-old Vietnam veteran, who retired out of Harlem’s Engine 91 in 2002. Nolan and Driscoll were, respectively, the 199th and 200th members of the FDNY to die from illnesses related to the time they spent at the wreckage of the World Trade Center site, searching for potential survivors and victims. “Another grim milestone,” read the front page of the New York Daily News, over the larger headline: “No End to Tragedy.” That both Driscoll and Nolan were Irish-American illustrates the tremendous contributions Irish first responders made in the wake of the Al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001. All these years later, Irish-American firefighters, police officers, EMTs, construction workers, and others are wrestling with the long-term health effects – and costs – of breathing in toxic dust during the search, rescue, and clean-up phases at “the pile” in lower Manhattan, and the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island. “The lingering effects of 9/11 have no precedent in the long history of the FDNY,” Irish-American historian Terry Golway told Irish America in 2015. Golway’s father was a firefighter, and his books include So Others Might Live, a history of the FDNY.
Billions of Dollars Worse, even as the terror attacks continue to take a toll – with the 18th anniversary of 9/11 coming this September – billions of dollars in government aid for first responders and their families has been bottled up in Washington. In fact, the 200th death of a New York City firefighter came just as Congress fiercely debated how to – or even if they should – fund an extension of previous bills designed to assist 9/11 victims. But the tireless advocacy of first responders – with the help of a bold-faced name – eventually paid off. At the end of July, the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed “Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act.” The bill – with a long-term price tag of over $10 billion – is designed to avoid the acrimonious debates that have popped 24 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
up every few years related to funding 9/11 health issues. “The country has moved on, and rightfully so,” Michael O’Connell, a retired Irish-American FDNY lieutenant, told The New York Times after the bill was passed. He added: “(But) it’s in front of our eyes. We’re in hospices. We’re seeing people pass away right in front of our very eyes.” The moment the healthcare legislation passed, retired cops, firefighters, and other advocates, “leapt to their feet in the usually hushed (Senate) chamber to lead a standing ovation,” the Times reported, while outside the Senate chambers, “they choked back tears, embraced, and clapped one another on the back.”
“Incredible Metaphor” But aside from being bittersweet – given all the pain and suffering, nearly two decades later – this legislative victory was also never guaranteed. Back in June, actor and comedian Jon Stewart – a longtime advocate for 9/11 survivors – joined a group of first responders in Washington to lobby for permanent aid. But it appeared that numerous members of the House sub-committee either did not attend the meeting or were moving back and forth between different meetings. In short, the meeting seemed sparsely attended, which did not sit well with Stewart. “Why this bill doesn’t have unanimous consent is beyond my comprehension,” he said, later adding: “As I sit here today, I can’t help but think what an incredible metaphor this room is for the entire process that getting healthcare and benefits for 9/11 first responders has come to. Behind me, a filled room of 9/11 first responders, and in front of me, a nearly empty Congress.” The hearing also featured a gaunt, retired New York City police detective – whose name had been lent to the legislation – Luis Alvarez. Media accounts featured photos of a strapping Alvarez from a decade ago, in stark contrast to the frail figure, who endured dozens of chemotherapy treatments during his battle with colorectal cancer. “I will not stand by and watch as my friends with cancer from 9/11 like me are valued less than anyone else because of when they get sick. You made me come here the day before my 69th round of chemo. I’m going to make sure that you never forget to take care of the 9/11 responders,” Alvarez told congressional reps. “I’m lucky to have the healthcare that I’ve got, but there are guys out there who don’t have it,” Alvarez said in a later interview with Fox News. “In terms of going through the stress of fighting cancer, they’re also fighting the financial stress of the healthcare.” Alvarez added: “I’m no one special, and I did what all the other guys did. Now we are paying the price for it. I got sick
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16 years after the fact. And there’s workers out there who say, ‘This isn’t going to happen to me. I’m O.K. The time has passed.’ The time doesn’t … is not going to pass.” Alvarez died as the bill he lent his name to was still being debated. He was 53.
“Hypocrites...Bottom-feeders” The House eventually passed the 9/11 bill by an overwhelming majority. However, when it moved on to the Senate, Kentucky Republican Rand Paul voiced concerns about the bill’s cost – and government debt in general. “We’re adding debt at about a trillion dollars a year,” Paul said. “Any new spending we are approaching, any new program that’s going to have the longevity of 70, 80 years should be offset by cutting spending that’s less valuable. We need to, at the very least, have this debate.”
PHOTO: PETER FOLEY
Photographer Peter Foley spent months documenting the aftermath of 9/11.
This did not sit well with prominent advocate John Feal, a construction worker severely injured during the 9/11 clean-up. “They’re hypocrites at best. No, not only are they hypocrites, they’re bottom-feeders. They’re opportunists,” said Feal, of Sen. Paul, as well as Sen. Mike Lee, of Utah, both selfdescribed fiscal conservatives, who voiced concerns about the health bill’s cost. Paul and Lee ended up as the only two senators voting against the 9/11 health bill, which President Donald Trump eventually signed into law. Meanwhile, the grim toll kept mounting: Just before passing the “Never Forget the Heroes” bill, Staten Island resident and retired NYPD detective, Christopher Cranston – who spent months at both Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills landfill after the terror attacks – died from 9/11-related cancer. He was 48 years old. IA – By Tom Deignan AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 25
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HIBERNIA • QUOTE UNQUOTE “I’ve been collecting the September issue of Vogue for as long as I can remember. They were my gateway into a world that I (at the time) couldn’t visualize myself within. “Those September issues still line my bookcases at home and now, I’ll get to add one more to that collection – one with me on the cover and many other women I respect, admire, and am inspired by.”
– Sinéad Burke, Irish activist who has achondroplasia and is an advocate for greater inclusivity, after being chosen by Meghan Markle, the guest editor of the September issue of British Vogue, to be one of the issue’s cover stars.
– Ethel Kennedy, 91, on her granddaughter Saoirse’s unexpected passing.
“Congratulations to all the 2019 Emmy nominees. Especially me. I’m particularly pleased for me.”
“I’m sorry if I sound angry and undiplomatic. But I’m angry, and you should be too, and they’re all angry as well and they have every justification to be that way. There is not a person here, there is not an empty chair on that stage that didn’t tweet out ‘Never forget the heroes of 9/11. Never forget their bravery. Never forget what they did, what they gave to this country.’ Well, here they are. And where are they? And it would be one thing if their callous indifference and rank hypocrisy were benign, but it’s not. Your indifference cost these men and women their most valuable commodity: time. It’s the one thing they’re running out of.”
– Irish actor Chris O’Dowd on receiving an Emmy nomination.
“His vocation was to lift the gloom of the nation and to lift the gloom of the people who came to see him.” – Father Brian D’Arcy at the funeral of Brendan Grace. y
“There might be a long road ahead, but there’s a road ahead, and we’re delighted that’s the case.” – Barry Cowen, brother of Brian Cowen, speaking about the former taoiseach’s recovery after admitted to intensive care earlier this month.
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Saoirse Kennedy Hill with her mother, Courtney.
“The world is a little less beautiful today. She lit up our lives with her love, her peals of laughter, and her generous spirit. Saoirse was passionately moved by the causes of human rights and women’s empowerment and found great joy in volunteer work, working alongside indigenous communities to build schools in Mexico. We will love her and miss her forever.”
– Comedian Jon Stewart testifying on Capital Hill before the House Judiciary Committee about the need to ensure that the 9/11 first responders compensation fund never runs out of money to pay for medical care for those who risked their lives to save others after the attack at the World Trade Center, who are still experiencing adverse health affects from the relief effort.
“I really hope to do a lot of work for my cause, which is women in tech and women in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics], and really empowering women to excel to the tops of their industry in general, all industries deserve to have women in the top.” – Dubliner and NASA analyst Fionnghuala O’Reilly, after being crowned Miss Universe Ireland.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS… Titanic Belfast
Home to the hum of festivals. To the thrilling notes of traditional music. To the chatter of family and feasts shared with friends. And to the legendary buzz of the Irish pub. Listen carefully because Ireland is calling, from the fast-paced beat of the Titanic city to cozy corners where laughter rises to the roof. There, against a backdrop of Ireland’s one hundred thousand welcomes, memories are prompted, acquaintances rekindled and promises made to stay connected. They say you should always listen to you heart, and it’s telling you to come home. Find your way home at
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Paddling in theWake of St. Patrick & Game of Thrones
PHOTO: PAM MARTIN
PHOTO: RICKY MARTIN
Looking for a truly exceptional adventure? Paddleboarding is the fastest growing sport in the world, and Ireland offers an abundance of waterways – some challenging, some less so – and, as our intrepid Canadian couple discovered, all flanked by stunning landscapes of mountains, lakes, coastlines, and islands. By John Kernaghan and Pam Martin e wanted to drink in Ireland’s audaciously green spring, but do as much of that as we could from the water – the gorgeous flip side of the views from land. So, being two adventurous souls, we took inflatable standup paddleboards to Ireland this past April, stowed them in a honking big camper van, and then negotiated the narrow roadways to spots where we paddled Games of Thrones’ seas, rivers, and canals, as well as waters plied by St. Patrick on his mission in Ireland. 28 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
This is not for the faint of heart in either element. On land, the almost 23’-long, 7’6”-wide, and 10’high Bela Mauritius proved tricky to maneuver on country roadways, village streets, and under old bridge spans. And on the water choppy lakes, surging ocean swells, and rivers doubling as wind tunnels often made the going sketchy. Still, in 13 days we notched eight bodies of water, paddled in the wake of St. Patrick, and relived episodes from Game of Thrones. Both the RV and paddling communities offered
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warm welcomes and understanding when we veered into misadventure – like a losing battle with a stone abutment protruding into a narrow roadway, or headers into frigid water in Lough Neagh, the River Foyle, and off the north coast near Portrush. The hulking camper van, which we nicknamed “Maury,” meant we could overnight close to water and nature, like we did our first night at Battlebridge Caravan and Camping Park in Leitrim. The setting was ridiculously pretty, close to the Shannon River where a dozen swans played in the current under an ancient stone bridge. But we needed to get on the water and Northwest Adventure Tours, out of Sligo, obliged with a jet lag-busting paddle across Lough Gill and down the Garavogue River to Sligo’s city center. The lake was choppy and we paddled on our knees until we got the wind at our backs. The effort of the crossing called for a food break, so we ducked into a little bay and tucked into some healthy snacks from
the Sweet Beat Café in Sligo. Then it was up on our feet and easy going on the placid Garavogue, perhaps Ireland’s shortest river and surely one of its prettiest, with the Dartry and Ox mountain ranges flanking us. A section of the river ran along the ancient Hazelwood Estate and featured a stone roundhouse battlement near shore, a vestige of times when attacks by water were repelled by gunfire through slotted openings in the stone. But for us, all was peaceful; the only sound was the trill of birdsong, a soundtrack that played throughout our travels. That night we missed getting into one campground by five minutes, and had an accident en route to another campsite 30 minutes away. An oncoming driver hogged the center line on a curve, and wide Maury simply ran out of road. Our arrival at Lough Arrow Touring Park was a master class in Irish hospitality. We pulled up near the campground’s community room, the gaping wound from the stone wall exposed to all.
ABOVE: Pam paddles by Dunluce Castle during a trip along the cliffs of the Causeway Coast. LEFT: The Celtic Camper van had some tight squeezes on the back roads. This one was near Lough Derg in Donegal.
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PHOTO BY JOHN KERNAGHAN
ABOVE: The big camper van, nicknamed “Maury,” at rest on a quiet bay near Sligo. CENTER: John and Pam take a break on Lough Foyle near Derry.
Folks poured out, offering sympathy. Women hugged us and men consoled with “It’s only a flesh wound,” and “Ah now, no one died.” A bottle of wine was produced that helped mend the driver’s wounded pride. The glistening Lough Arrow beckoned in the morning, but we ignored it and headed to a restorative visit at the VOYA in Strandhill, Sligo, where owner Neil Walton introduced us to the spa’s seaweed baths. Neil, a former elite-class triathlete, discovered seaweed’s benefits when he was seeking ways to recover faster from the punishing trio of swim, cycle, and run events. That led to a plunge into seaweed research and the renewal of the baths that used to dot Ireland in the early 1900s, nine in tiny Strandhill alone. Relaxing in a bath as tentacles of the marine vegetation gently glide around you is not for everyone, but we both found it soothing. Afterwards, Neil suggested we find a quiet beach area to relax, as our bodies would initially feel tired from the experience. We found an uninhabited beach just off the Wild Atlantic Way route and negotiated a rocky beach roadway until we could go no further. After some lunch and a little wine, the seaweed magic set in, bringing blissful naps with a cool ocean breeze flowing through Maury. We woke invigorated and spent the night at Strandhill Caravan and Camping Park, where we watched the surfers take on the coast’s big waves and marveled at the paddleboarders handling the big surf, too. The waters of Lough Derg, Donegal, called out to us the next day. We had imagined paddling out to Station Island, the site of pilgrimages honoring St. Patrick for 1,500 years. The reality was crushing: a biting wind drove whitecaps that only the most skilled paddler would dare try. Still, it is an astonishing place, with the big welcoming statue of Patrick and the knowledge that people have worshipped here since the 400s. We moved on to the gentler Lower Lough Erne in Fermanagh and a soft landing at Finn Lough, a beautifully appointed resort on a 75-acre peninsula thrusting into the lake. Maury was comfy enough, but this was being spoiled with a deep mattress, massive bath
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area, and excellent cuisine. Lower Lough Erne was tranquil the next day as we pumped up the boards and did a circuit of a section of lake near the resort, while admiring the backdrop of green hills rolling away from the lake’s edge. Next up was Derry, where we had another two nights of fine hotel accommodation at Bishop’s Gate Hotel, and two paddles planned with Far and Wild’s Lawrence McBride. We enjoyed a pre-paddle nosh at Pike ’N’ Pommes, a quaint wee fish-and-chip stand set in a shipping container, melded to a light-bejewelled double-decker bus, and planted conveniently near the Derry City marina. Deliciously fresh squid tacos turned out to be the fuel Pam would need that day as the tail end of Hurricane Hannah buffeted her every which way but straight on the River Foyle’s fascinating urban stretch. History came alive as Lawrence recounted century-spanning stories of monasteries, garrisons, plantations, civil wars, and sieges all witnessed by the ancient stone and earthen fortifications encircling Derry. After battling the wind and rain, losing the fight once when sudden gusts dumped Pam in the water, we hauled out and up onto the impressive stanchions of the Derry Peace Bridge. The elegant architecture reaches out in a symbolic handshake, unifying the communities from opposite sides of the river. Once the boards were secured from the whims of the current, Lawrence ceremoniously produced fruit and a thermos of hot tea from his dry bag, providing a much-needed rewarming before the boards were turned towards home. A much speedier paddle, with the tide, back to the marina, where a clearing sky and sunshine met the paddlers for the final stretch, made it an exhilarating ride in the land of myth and magic. The second outing was on Lough Foyle, starting in the harbor at pretty Moville, Donegal, and heading into the wind towards Derry.
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PHOTO BY LORCAN MCBRIDE
Lawrence drew on his encyclopedic knowledge of local history, noting we would likely bisect a crossing St. Patrick would have taken some 1,500 years ago. He recounted the legend of Manannán mac Lir, a mythical Irish sea god who traveled waters on a horse drawn chariot. Fictional myth-making took place on the west side of Lough Foyle, where Lawrence pointed to a bench below the summit of Binevenagh mountain. It was used for a number of different Games of Thrones scenes, including the most memorable, when Daenerys Targaryen, having been rescued by her dragon Drogon above the city of Meereen, is spotted surrounded by a huge Dothraki horde. Meantime, there was some magic at work on this paddle, as shortly into it a border collie appeared and tracked us along shore for some time before we put in for lunch. The Atlantic mackerel with local potato bread, Broighter rapeseed oil, and Dart Mountain Cheese was a welcome repast as the wind picked up. The dog stayed close, often in herding pose, enjoying some mackerel and then selecting a piece of driftwood and setting it in front of John. It was playtime and she wore out his arm before, working on some inner clock, she abruptly took her driftwood prize and headed off. It was a charming interlude before heading into an accelerating wind that eventually turned us around to glide back to Moville. It was a short trip on Northern Ireland’s compelling Causeway Coast from Derry to Portrush, our next stop, where preparations for the British Open were already underway. The plan was to paddle the blustery coastline, where winds bedevil even the best golfers. We pulled into the huge and pin-neat Carrick Dhu Caravan Park for a two-night stay. But wild conditions ruled out the coastline paddle, so we settled for our first Game of Thrones site, Ballintoy Harbour, which was well-protected and offered a mini archipelago of rocky islets to play around. It was the setting for several scenes portraying the Iron Islands, including Theron’s return and his first meeting with his sister, Yara. We were led on this adventure by Ricky Martin and Hanno Windisch, respective owner and instructor at Alive Surf School and two standup paddleboard comedians who kept up a lively patter as we eased out of the harbor and skirted the skerries, as
PHOTO: PAM MARTIN
the small rocky islands are called, playing in the ocean swell as it rose between them. The real challenge would come the next day when the weather shifted and a window opened for the planned seven-kilometer run from Portballinatrae to Whiterocks. There are no escape routes on this paddle as it is entirely along cliffs, including those brooding with the ruins of Dunluce Castle, another Game of Thrones backdrop known in the show as Pyke Castle, home of the House of Greyjoy, ruler of the Iron Islands. Surfers here call it the “cold paradise,” a seemingly endless stretch of crenelated coastline eroded deeply into caves, rocky arches, and curious sea stacks composed of the skeletal remains of microscopic marine organisms. Paddling with an elegance that revealed a man finely in tune with the sea, Hanno danced close to the rocks and led us into darkened caves echoing with the crash of waves. Entry and exit had to be timed with the undulations of the ocean swell. Rising dramatically above us, 14th-century Dunluce Castle, once the stronghold of the MacDonnell chiefs of Antrim, provoked images of seagoers, smugglers, and the adventurous who had explored these caves – some searching for treasure from a downed Spanish galleon not far offshore. Ricky, whose humble humor belied his obvious swimming and surfing expertise, entertained with stories of wild escapades coasteering and free diving
LEFT: Pam brandishing her paddle, breaks into mock swordplay with a Game of Thrones fan at Inch Abbey. ABOVE: Ricky Martin of Alive Surf School paddles towards the trunk of Elephant Rock with Dunluce Castle in the background.
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PHOTO BY JOHN KERNAGHAN
ABOVE: Pam and Eddie Hawkins of Wild Rover Adventures paddle the River Quoile towards Down Cathedral, where St. Patrick is buried.
(whilst roped to boulders) with the seemingly fearless Hanno. He was the first to jump in and cool off in the icy waters of a vast cathedral cave, with sunlight beaming through an opening in the ceiling. Paddling westward, once around Giant’s Head and through the soaring volcanic formation of the Wishing Arch or the Elephant Rock, the chalk cliffs gloriously gave way to the ancient sand dunes and soft white beach of Whiterocks. Having reached our final destination, Ricky led the charge to a wee bit of play in the surf, before we reluctantly gave in and dragged our boards to shore. The entire experience rendered one breathless in wonder and begging for more. By contrast, Lough Neagh was calm. We put in at Toome Lock, a stone-walled canal that is another Game of Thrones site, representing Old Valyria, Essos in season five. It is here where disgraced Jorah Mormont spirits the fugitive Tyrion by boat in an effort to bring him to Daenerys. It was scarcely that moody a scene on this visit, with Far and Wild’s Lawrence as guide, as we paddled down the tranquil canal and into a broad, sunny lake. Afterward, we tried eel for the first time and favored the smoked variety, which simply tasted like very good seafood, wrapped in potato farls and dressed with rapeseed oil. Then it was a matter of skirting Belfast on our way to St. Patrick’s Country, and the Dufferin Coaching Inn in lovely Killyleagh. It’s on the main street, just down from the imposing Killyleagh Castle and a short walk to the village’s quaint harbor, where pastel-painted row houses form a crescent around the appendage of Strangford Lough. Fortified by a big three-course meal at the Dufferin Arms and a bracing breakfast at the immaculate Inn, which is housed in an old Ulster Bank building, we met our guides. John Keating of Life – One Great Adventure and Eddie Hawkins of Wild Rover Ad-
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ventures were another pair of bantering bros who took us out on Strangford Lough to the mouth of the River Slaney, where in 432, Patrick is said to have first set foot in pagan Ireland. The Strangford location was almost lyrical with emerald drumlins rising and falling around the lake, which we seemed to have all to ourselves this day. We launched from Delamont Country Park, a short drive from Killyleagh, and explored just a small part of this large inlet, leaning into a stiff wind and lake chop before a restorative picnic repast from Fodder, a trendy gourmet food supplier, on Delamont’s shore. Next up, and purely by chance, we hit upon the intersection of St. Patrick’s travels and the mad-keen devotions of Games of Thrones fans as we toted the boards from the Quoil River, where Pam and Eddie facilitated this visit’s money shot as they paddled toward Down Cathedral, where St. Patrick is buried. A massive Game of Thrones tour bus had just decanted fervent fans who suited up in capes and swords and swarmed Inch Abbey. The abbey’s majestic remains serve as a backdrop on the series for the camp of the Houses of the North and the Riverlands. Pam, brandishing her paddle, broke into mock swordplay with a Thrones fan as the group fanned out to take photos of the scene. We spent that night at tidy Delamont Camping and Caravan Park, right beside the big public park where we enjoyed the trails and the towering Strangford Stone, a megalithic peace monument erected in 1999 which overlooks Strangford Lough. The whirlwind tour finished up at Castlewellan Forest Park with a night in Maury under a tree in a pristine pasture, followed the next morning by a tour of the park in electric bikes provided by Keating’s Life Adventure Centre. In the spirit of the pace of our visit, we shifted them to turbo mode. As always, Ireland summons us back with the IA roads and waterways not yet explored.
We applaud
Irish America for being a voice of Irish identity by highlighting American leaders of Irish descent in health care and life sciences. We are thrilled to welcome Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, and congratulate this year’s honorees, including our own:
Michael J. Dowling Elaine M. Brennan Winnie Mack, RN Thomas McGinn, MD Richard Mulry Irish leaders charting the future course of health care in America. Michael A. Epstein Chair, Board of Trustees Ralph A. Nappi Executive Vice Chair
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The Sixth Annual Healthcare and Life Sciences 50 KEYNOTE S
Dr. Kevin Tracey
Inventing the
Future of Medicine
Dr. Kevin J. Tracey, president & CEO of the Feinstein Institutes, is a trailblazer in the neuroscience of immunity, bioelectronic medicine, and unlocking the secrets of the brain.
By Maggie Holland
F
or those of us fortunate enough to walk and run with ease, it’s hard to imagine living with chronic joint pain and swelling that makes every step difficult, and normal activities like dashing for a bus or taking an aerobics class impossible. Add to that severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition, and you have a person with a severly diminished quality of life. Now, imagine that after years of excruciating agony, you take part in a clinical trial and all those symptoms go away. That is what happened to a patient named Kelly who suffered from Crohn’s disease and inflammatory arthritis for 15 years before receiving a vagus nerve implant. After the operation, Kelly promptly went into remission, no longer needing drugs or her walking cane. Calling Kelly’s remarkable recovery a miracle would be selling short the decades of research that led to this breakthrough, but one can’t deny the biblical undertones. “It was absolutely amazing,” says Dr. Kevin J. Tracey, the CEO of the Feinstein Institutes in Manhasset, New York, where we meet on a Tuesday morning in late May. It was Dr. Tracey and his team of scientists at the institute who invented the science behind the electronic device that Kelly received. Implanted onto the vagus nerve (located on your neck behind where you feel your pulse), this revolutionary device can send
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signals that block inflammation, the central phenomenon in virtually all disease. “We have long known that the nervous system communicates with the body. We can now learn the language by which it communicates, which enables us to fine-tune how we help the body heal itself,” Dr. Tracey says of the groundbreaking work the institute is doing. On a table in his office there is a blue glass pyramid about six inches wide, with a canister floating in the center containing the molecule that Dr. Tracey and his research team identified
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E SPEAKER: PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE FEINSTEIN INSTITUTES
as the neural mechanism for controlling the immunological responses to infection and injury. He said the structure is called a “tombstone” – ironic because of the molecule’s lifesaving properties. Then there’s Kelly’s old cane that Dr. Tracey keeps in his office, which says much about his personal approach to medicine. As a brilliant neurosurgeon, Dr. Tracey’s focus was one-on-one. Today, he is helping millions more patients by conducting cuttingedge research as opposed to one surgery at a time, but he still appreciates getting to see the
individual impact. He sees that in Kelly. She was hired by the institute following her recovery. Now in charge of patient outreach, she works down the hall from Dr. Tracey’s office, and is a daily reminder of what has been accomplished, and what he and his team are working towards. Dr. Tracey’s quest for knowledge of the inner workings of the body began in childhood. His mother passed away suddenly from a brain tumor when he was only five. His not being able to comprehend why doctors couldn’t just remove the tumor without destroying her
Dr. Kevin J. Tracey in the lab at Northwell Health System’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y.
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brain is the key to his becoming a neurosurgeon. Another tragedy, a young baby in his care dying of sepsis, turned his attention to immunology and led him to become a leader in the study of the molecular basis of inflammation and the co-founder of the Global Sepsis Alliance. He is also the author of Fatal Sequence: The Killer Within, and more than 320 scientific papers. For all the groundbreaking work that Dr. Tracey has done throughout his varied career, there is still more to come. “The most exciting advances in science come when you cross fields,” he tells me. He has now merged together molecular medicine, bioengineering, and neuroscience into an entirely new hybrid field – bioelectronic medicine, which consists, as in Kelly’s case, of inserting small implants under the skin that control the electrical signals sent out by the nervous system to dictate cell behavior, which limits the need for expensive medications. Eventually, Dr. Tracey hopes these devices can be used to treat a variety of diseases, including cancer and possibly paralysis. Medicine aside, Dr. Tracey’s office also holds many mementoes of his life outside the institute. Photographs of his family, his wife Tricia and their four daughters, Maureen, Mary, Katherine, and Margaret, abound. On his desk sits a bobblehead Abe Lincoln given to him by his daughter Margaret because he re-reads the Gettysburg Address before writing one of his talks. It was Lincoln who famously said, “Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.” Now there’s a quote that perfectly frames Dr. Tracey’s dedication to his work.
PHOTO: JOHN J. BURNS LIBRARY ARCHIVE
Did you always want to be a doctor? I always wanted to be a scientist. My grandfather was a professor of pediatrics at Yale Medical School, living a life that combines science and medicine. After my mother died I remember asking him to explain it to me. He told me that if the surgeons had done anything more, they would have had to damage my mother’s brain in order to get the tumor out. She wouldn’t have been who she was. I remember saying to him, “Someone should do something about that. Someone should figure out a better way.” He said, “Well, maybe you will.” For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be someone who would find a better way of doing medicine to help people. After medical school, I trained in neurosurgery at New York Hospital Cornell for nine years, and then practiced as a neurosurgeon for ten years here at Northwell. But after 24 years, I retired as a neurosurgeon and I put all of my attention on research. I had loved doing neurosurgery, but as the research enterprise grew and the discoveries that we made became so tangible, I became convinced that I could help more people by focusing on projects that could affect millions as opposed to one person at a time. Do I miss the patients? Yes. Do I second-guess it? Never. Not once.
Dr. Tracey, left, in an early lab setting at Boston College in 1979. TOP RIGHT: Dr. Tracey working in his lab at the Feinstein Institute.
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Does your background in neurology help your research work? It didn’t in the beginning. Arguably, you never know what’s helping what. One of my favorite quotes is from Louis Pasteur: “Chance favors the prepared mind.” Another from Isaac Newton: “If I’ve seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. Somehow in science you accumulate knowledge, and the most exciting advances in science come when you cross fields. It wasn’t a plan that I would study neurosurgery and then study immunology and combine them. Most people, looking back over their lives, can connect the dots in a way that tells a story. But I’ve never met anyone who actually had a complete plan at day zero. It’s interesting to put everything in perspective from your experience – what happened to you and what you wanted to happen – but I could not have predicted what would happen by combining these worlds. About 20 years ago, my experience in neuroscience / neurosurgery and immunology / inflammation did come together in a really big way that led to a new field called bioelectronic medicine. We discovered that it is possible to build devices to control the signals in the body’s nerves – hack into the nerves, if you will. Once we’ve done that, we can use the signals in the nerves to control targets in the body’s cells that are the targets of drugs. Simply put, we can build devices to replace drugs. How did the discovery come about? It started very simply. We were working on mice and rats that had brain damage from a stroke. We put molecules into the brain that blocked inflammation. We had worked on it for years, and we thought we knew everything about that molecule as an anti-inflammatory drug. But one day when we put that molecule into the brains of the animals, it blocked the inflammation in the brain as we thought, but what we didn’t expect – and couldn’t explain for months – was that the drug in the brain also turned off inflammation throughout the body. This made no sense at all. How could a teeny bit of a molecule in a brain turn off the immune system throughout your body? It was turning it off in a beneficial way, blocking inflammation. We knew if you could block inflammation, you could treat diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease, but we couldn’t understand the connection between the brain and the inflammation. Over many years, we discovered that the connection is a nerve called the “vagus nerve,” that leaves your brain and goes to your spleen and other organs. The vagus nerve acts like a brake, like the brakes in your car, stopping inflammation from accelerating. So, we said, if the signals are in the vagus nerve, we should be able to build electronic devices to turn on the brakes in the vagus nerve. That’s what we did, and it worked. SetPoint Medical Inc., a company I co-founded to develop this idea for clinical studies, has now implanted the devices in patients whose drugs for
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Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis had failed. There are people in Europe and the USA walking around today with vagus nerve implants in their neck, who don’t have to take drugs anymore. It’s a whole new approach to developing therapy for patients. Is it true that before this, scientists thought the two systems didn’t interact? Not in a specific way. We knew that when inflammation starts, the body has mechanisms to turn it off, but those mechanisms were all blood-borne molecules, like hormones. For example, steroids from your adrenal gland will turn off inflammation. And it was known for decades that organs of the immune system, like the spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow, contain nerves. What was never appreciated before my colleagues and I made some discoveries in this space was that the nerves are actually working like a reflex to control the inflammatory cells. Think of a very simple reflex, like touching a hot stove. It burns you. As soon as the pain starts, your nerves pull back your hand before you even realize it; you don’t think about pulling your hand back. That’s a reflex. In a reflex there’s a signal, the pain or the heat, which goes up to the nervous system, and then there’s a returning signal, which goes back to the muscles of your hand and arm and pulls your finger away. We postulated that perhaps the immune system is also controlled that way, so we mapped it out as a thought experiment. How would it work? The way it would work is first you have inflammation caused by molecules such as TNF (tumor necrosis factor). This inflammatory molecule activates a signal that goes up to the brain as the input of a reflex. Then the signals coming back down from the brain travel in the vagus nerve to turn off any further inflammation. Like touching the hot plate and pulling your hand away, TNF touches the nerve and the nerve turns off inflammation. That’s the inflammatory reflex. What is the key to being a good researcher? The key to my research is trying to understand how things work, taking them apart so you can put them back together. Doing that led to understanding the signals the nerves are using to turn off the TNF, then building devices to replicate those signals to help people. What do you like to do when you’re not researching? Spending as much time as I can with my wife, Tricia, and our four daughters is the biggest priority in my life. Discoveries come and go, but your family is with you forever. I’ve been very fortunate to see some of my work help individual
patients, launch companies, and create jobs, and that’s all very gratifying, but nothing beats the satisfaction of being with my girls and Tricia. As busy as work can be, I make time on nights and weekends to spend with them. When I have time for hobbies, I like to fish, mostly during summer vacation. I also love woodworking year round. I love to build things. Being able to take a piece of wood and turn it into something that didn’t exist before, building something from nothing, is just really a great hobby for me. I like to build things that get used: cabinets and tables. And I built a playhouse for my kids that’s now heated and air conditioned. I have a workshop in my barn in the backyard outfitted with table saws and miter saws and jointers. It’s better than a home office. It’s really fun. It seems like the same technique of taking things apart and putting them back together. There is a theme here, yes! There’s definitely a theme of building and creating. The other thing I like to do is write. I wrote one book and I hope to work on another one. I enjoy reading, too. Reading and writing are incredibly important to a life of science. Work not published is work not done. There have been many, many scientific discoveries that were really important but never heard of because they weren’t integrated into a story that people could understand. I learned from 24 years of talking to patients that when you take the time to explain something, it’s better for everybody. It’s better for the patient, and it’s also better for other scientists to understand what you think your findings mean and how it integrates into the world of science. In business and in leadership it’s incredibly important to schedule time to think clearly about the message you’re trying to communicate. There’s a sign hanging on the wall here of Henry Ford’s quotation: “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it.” It takes a lot of work to say the right thing, and the best way to say the right thing is to write it down first. But in order to write it down, you have to really think it out. My hobbies do overlap with what I do at work. But I’ll say it to you backwards: I’m one of the very fortunate people who has gotten to spend much of my working life as if it were a hobby. I go to the laboratory with my colleagues, who are brilliant, and I get to hear their ideas and we get to build things together. We focus on ideas that other people haven’t thought of or haven’t tried. We’re creating; we’re sculpting ideas into tools that can help people. There’s a continuum there between reading and writing and communicating and building. I feel very fortunate to be able to spend so much of my time in the lab, quote-unquote “at work,” feeling like I’m doing a hobby. It’s like that quote: “If you find what you love to do you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” I’m living that quote. Is every day perfect? No. Are there stresses and strains of raising money for a laboratory or a research institute? Of course there are. Does every experiment work? No. Does every paper that you write get accepted the first time, or does every grant get funded? No, no, no. There are definitely good days and bad days, AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 37
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but I’m very lucky to be doing what I love. A lot of people don’t get to do what they love. Even more so because what I love to do is make things that will hopefully help a lot of people. The satisfaction I get from meeting a patient who has benefited from something that I had a role in inventing can’t be replaced by anything. It’s what makes it all worthwhile. Is your household pretty Irish? Yes. I am married to Patricia McArdle, who is second-generation Irish with ancestors from Donegal. Her brother Brian recently visited the original homestead there and reconnected with some distant relatives. My great-grandparents emigrated from Westmeath in the early 1900s. A few years ago my brother Timothy (named after my great-grandfather) visited the ancestral cottage, and found it still standing deep in the pastures of an active farm. So Tricia and I do indeed celebrate our Irish heritage with our daughters. Have any of your daughters shown interest in going into medicine? Yes. Maureen majored in neuroscience and behavior and is now a nurse specializing in geriatrics. She has a tremendous compassion for the elderly, which is a huge need today with the aging population and with Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases. Mary Bridget majored in special education and teaches middle school children with learning disabilities. It takes sincere compassion to work with students with ADHD, autism, and other special needs. Today's learning environment is very complex. There is strain on the parents and financial pressures on the school districts. And Mary is immersed in the entire process for the sake of the students. Katherine is a neuroscience and behavior major at the University of Notre Dame – the home of the Fighting Irish, of course. She is going to pursue a career as a physician assistant, and has already found her passion working with patients in intensive care units, respiratory care centers, and as a trainer in the athletic department at Notre Dame. Margaret is still in high school, and not yet considering a profession. She has many interests and she has the curiosity and persistence to do well in whatever she sets her mind to, whether she follows her sisters into medicine or education, or charts an entirely different course. Is patience one of your virtues? If you ask those who know me at work, it is not likely that the first word springing to their mind would be ‘patient.’ I’m impatient for results. Fortunately for my family and I, Tricia is extremely patient and compassionate. That is such a blessing. I would argue that in science and in medicine, there is a very strange interaction required for success between impatience and patience. People see day-to-day at work that I’m incredibly impatient for the results to be completed when we see the path to completion. On the other hand, I can be infinitely patient. Some experiments and projects that I summarized for you in a few minutes were the result of 20 years of work. Our work on the inflammatory reflex was the result of hundreds of people working 500,000 hours during 20 years. That requires a certain kind of patience.
“For as long as I remember, I
wanted to find a better way of doing medicine to help people.” 38 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
“The key to my research is trying to understand how things work, taking them apart so you can put them back together. “ I have that patience when I see progress occurring, even if I’m not sure what the outcome is going to be. That’s the fun part. Do you have a certain leadership technique? My leadership technique is to identify the successes of my colleagues and elevate them. I spend a lot of time identifying the strengths of my colleagues and then restructuring the job around their strengths. I don’t believe in identifying the job and going and finding the person to fit the job. I don’t think that’s efficient. There are too many things that can go wrong. You can define the job wrong, which happens all the time in big organizations. Or, you can try to retrofit a person who you think is right for the job that you think you defined, but you’re going to be wrong on that at least half the time, maybe more. On the other hand, if you identify people who share your vision and your passion for success, even if they don’t have the right tools in their toolkit to do what you thought you wanted them to do, you figure out what the tools in their toolkit are, and you have them build that project. Now you have an engaged person who’s doing something that she’s good at, and in the position to shout her success from the rooftops. You can talk about organizations, business plans, revenue projections, profit and losses, but at the end of the day, what do people remember? They remember that so-and-so discovered this, and he invented that, and the world’s a better place because she did this and he did that. That’s what matters. Our mission at the Feinstein Institutes is to produce knowledge to cure disease. The organization isn’t producing knowledge; individual people are. Identify the best people based on what they’re best at, and then celebrate their successes. It’s a fun way to do the right thing, and it’s amazing how far it goes. The rising tide raises all the boats. Others join in and you build a team that way. You build a team of winners. At a place where there are 5,000 employees, it’s important that the people working here know the successes of their colleagues, and it’s important that the messaging of successful coworkers starts with the coworkers. Then together we take the message outside. I see that you have an Abraham Lincoln doll on your desk. Are you a big Lincoln fan? Yes! Margaret, my youngest, gave me that for my birthday last year. It’s an Abraham Lincoln bobblehead doll. I said, “Thank you Margaret! I love it, but why are you giving it to me?” She said, “Dad, you told me that you write a lot of speeches, and every time you sit down to write a speech, you start by reading the Gettysburg Address.” I said, “Yes, I do.” She said, “Now when you’re reading the Gettysburg Address, you can look at Abraham Lincoln on your desk.” And so I do. I think that in the history of the world's best speeches, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address tops the list. Have you been to Ireland? Yes, many times. I lived there for a month in 1983 on a combination camping-golfing trip. We would go into a town, find a bed and breakfast, go to the pub, get to know people, and find out about the golf course. We played Ballybunion, Connemara,
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Lahinch, Portmarnock, and Waterford. We wanted to get a feeling for living in Ireland. We would alternate bed-and-breakfast nights with camping, either on a beach, in the woods, or on a farm. We met some of my friend’s relatives in Dingle. I’ll never forget entering the farmhouse with a dirt floor on a Sunday morning. They were the most welcoming, inviting people. With the kids holding on to their mother's legs, the father brought out a bottle of Irish whiskey. This was clearly only for special occasions. It was unforgettable. I visited recently and the country has advanced tremendously in the past 30 years. The country is so beautiful and the people so welcoming and quick to laugh. On more than one occasion I remember being in a pub in some small village somewhere at nine or ten o’clock at night, and half the town would be there singing. John and I would be the only Americans, maybe the only foreigners, listening to these ancient Irish songs sung by people in a traditional way. It brought tears to my eyes. You could just feel the spirit of the country right there. I’m going back this weekend with my daughter Katherine for a five-day version of that trip – a father-daughter long weekend, and I can't wait. What are the values that guide you? What I value most is my family. What I value most at work is discovering things that will help people. Michael Dowling, the president and CEO of Northwell Health who has been honored by Irish America before, has elevated the priority of Northwell to supporting research because he places a premium on what research does. “Research,” Michael and I like to say, “is the process of inventing the future,” and inventing the future is the process of making better medicine and better healthcare systems. For those of us fortunate enough to work on creating value independently from money, it makes all the difference. Luck is very important to what we’ve been able to do. I remember my dad saying, as a man who was very Irish, “what good is it to be Irish if you can’t be lucky?” And I’ve been very lucky. One of my favorite Irish-isms is: what you can imagine, you can achieve. The hard part of that is actually the imagining. Once you imagine it, it actually does come true a lot. To me, that’s very Irish. “Yes, there’s a hard problem, but how can we imagine a solution to it?” Does it happen every time? Of course not. Does it happen more often than it should? IA Definitely yes! Thank you, Dr. Tracey.
Dr. Tracey in his office at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.
PHOTO: GARY WAYNE GILBERT.
“Research,” Michael [Dowling] and I like to say, “is the process of inventing the future, and inventing the future is the process of making better medicine and better health care systems. That's why Northwell is a major sponsor of the research we do at the Feinstein Institute.” AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 39
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THE HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES
50 Irish American innovators who are leading the way in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease
CO-PRESENTED BY
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HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES 50 Joan M. Bathon
Columbia University Dr. Bathon’s career has focused on understanding the pathogenesis and functional consequences of inflammation in the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As a rheumatologist, professor of Medicine, and chief of the Division of Rheumatology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, she has played a major role in clinical trials that brought novel targeted treatments to patients suffering from RA. Her group is also studying the effects of chronic rheumatoid inflammation on organs “outside” the joints, in particular the enhanced risk for accelerated atherosclerosis and myocardial dysfunction in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Bathon has authored over 180 scientific publications and book chapters. She served as editor-in-chief of the rheumatology specialty journal, Arthritis & Rheumatism, from 2010-15. She has served on the board of directors of the American College of Rheumatology, and is a past member of the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee. She is currently a member of the Advisory Council to the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Dr. Bathon’s Irish roots are from her mother (maiden name Cassidy). Details are scarce, but the information passed down orally is that Dr. Bathon’s Irish ancestors emigrated from County Sligo to the U.S. in the 1880s due to poverty in Ireland, losing five children along the way. Some relatives remained behind in County Sligo also living in extreme poverty until well into the 1970s, when Dr. Bathon’s parents visited them for the first time and began mobilizing financial assistance from American cousins and relatives. Dr. Bathon’s great-great-grandmother had five more children once in the U.S., thus assuring the propagation of the Cassidy name. Today most of the Cassidy (and interrelated Kerins) Irish clan who are related to Dr. Bathon live in western Pennsylvania.
Madeline Bell
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Madeline Bell is the President and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), one of the top-ranked children’s hospitals in the United States. A bold and visionary leader, Bell champions change with empathy and integrity, inspiring the nearly 20,000 employees in the hospital’s $3-billion-a-year health system and research institute to create breakthroughs that have worldwide impact. Bell began her career as a pediatric nurse at CHOP in 1983, later leaving the organization to move into hospital administration. She returned to CHOP in 1995, and has since held a number of leadership positions, advancing from Vice President to Senior Vice President to Executive Vice President to Chief Operating Officer. In 2015, she assumed the title of President and CEO. Bell has made numerous contributions to CHOP, including the development of one of the largest pediatric ambulatory care networks in the country, the expansion of the hospital’s four-million-squarefoot campus, and the development of many nationally recognized clinical care programs. She has also secured many philanthropic gifts to help further the institution’s mission. Bell serves on the board of directors for Comcast – NBC Universal, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee, the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, and Solutions for Patient Safety. She is a member of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and of the Economic Club of New York. She is also an adviser to numerous international
hospitals and frequently lectures on the topics of children’s healthcare and women in leadership. In 2017, she received The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Industry Icon Award, and she was named one of Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” in 2017 and 2018 and one of its “Top 25 Women Leaders” in 2019. She was also included on WomenInc.’s 2018 list of “Most Influential Corporate Directors.” Bell is also the author of the blog Heels of Success, which offers guidance to women on how to elevate themselves in the workplace, and the host of Breaking Through with Madeline Bell, a podcast that features interviews with CHOP doctors and scientists, as well as philanthropists, innovators, and business and civic leaders. She holds a bachelor of science in nursing from Villanova University and a master of science in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. With the maiden name of McCarthy, Bell cannot deny her Irish heritage. Her grandfather’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland, specifically County Cork in the early 1900s. Bell’s grandfather was orphaned at a young age after his father died in WWI, and his mother died shortly after. He went to a Catholic orphanage in Philadelphia with his sister, who ultimately went from the orphanage to the convent, and finally went on to become a Catholic nun. Her grandfather went from the orphanage into the U.S. Navy and had a distinguished career – fighting in WWII and Korea.
Mary Bernt
Veggies Health Food Store In an age of big industry healthcare, Mary Bernt stands out as a leader of the community grassroots movement. Born and raised in Rapid City, South Dakota, Mary can still recall the seed that grew her into a vegan restaurant owner. “My father was a physician by profession and a cowboy at heart, and we had a ranch where I learned to ride horses and cut cows. One cow in particular was very near and dear to my heart. I named him Moose. I’ll never forget the night we were eating dinner at the table and my dad asked me how I liked Moose. And I realized, fighting back tears, that the steak we were eating was him,” Mary says. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 41
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES “I was fourteen and gave up red meat then and there.” Chicken and fish followed, and for the last 32 of her 60 years, Mary has only eaten plant-based food. “Hippocrates said it best – ‘Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.’ So many of today’s chronic illnesses could be prevented or reversed with a whole-foods, plant-based regime,” Mary believes. Mary has turned countless others on to the joy of eating what grows in the ground. Though she’s yet to convert her
Taking a break from the kitchen: Mary Bernt with her daughter, Holly, out for a ride in the Oklahoma hills.
father, she credits him with how she approached her wellness-based work. “Watching – him, hearing him on the phone with his patients, gave me the desire to minister to people in a loving way – I feel he passed that on to me,” Mary says. “That’s a big part of being Irish.” Mary, whose Irish ancestors are from County Kerry, and her husband, Tom, opened their first Veggies in the Black Hills in the early 1990s. It quickly became a favorite among the locals and summer tourists, including actor Woody Harrelson, who turned up twice in one day. “He said he loved that we’d created a vegan oasis in the midst of cattle country,” Mary recalls, adding,“His favorite thing was our plant-based ice cream – he couldn’t get enough of it.” In 1998 Veggies was honored in America’s Best Restaurants (Magellan Press), and in 2005 the second Veggies opened in Ardmore, Oklahoma. “This was more of a challenge,” Mary admits. “Now we 42 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
were deep in the heart of southern culture where plant-based food is something people fry or open out of a can.” Around Ardmore (pop. 25,000), word spread fast of Mary’s hearty animal-free entrees, creative soups, pristine salad bar, and famous avocado chocolate pie; and Veggies became the go-to lunch spot even meat-eaters love. “Our cafe is frequently filled with cowboy hats and spurs.” Mary says. “These are the real food critics.” The demand for her recipes resulted in two plant-based cookbooks – The Best of Veggies and I Love Veggies – and health and nutrition seminars held around the country, where Mary teaches the art of vegan cooking and food as natural medicine. The most recent seminar series, conducted at the restaurant over an eight week period, resulted in 14 Ardmorites losing a grand total of 300 pounds: lowering their cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. “The best thing about my work is witnessing the joy people experience as they see their health and energy levels improve,” Mary says. “We don’t talk about diets at Veggies; we teach people about a total lifestyle change, and it just happens to be delicious.”
functional extremity. Together with colleagues from neurosurgery, diagnostic radiology, and radiation therapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering, he has extensive experience in the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors of the spine. Over the years, he has developed a special interest in the management of tumors of the sacrum. Dr. Boland is also involved in ongoing clinical research in sacral tumors and in the assessment of quality of life in patients with metastatic bone cancer. Born and raised in Ireland, Dr. Boland is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in England, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. This past May, Dr. Boland received the Nobility in Science Award from the Sarcoma Foundation of America. His many friends in the Irish-American community helped raise over a million dollars for research at the gala dinner in New York. A number of Dr. Boland’s former patients, who once would have been presented with a fatal diagnosis, turned out to honor him, and highlight the importance of ongoing sarcoma research.
Patrick Boland
Elaine Brennan
Memorial Sloan Kettering Dr. Patrick “Paddy” Boland is a senior member of the Orthopedic Service, Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he specializes in the management of malignant and benign tumors of the bones, including those of the spine and pelvis, and in soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities. Dr. Boland also has special training in limb salvage surgery – that is the removal of the limb cancers while preserving a
“Thirty years ago, it was unlikely any of of these patients would have survived. Today, these patients are cured with good function and a good quality of life.” – Dr. Paddy Boland
Northwell Elaine Brennan is Chief Commercialization Officer at Northwell where she has responsibility for managing and developing collaborative and strategic relationships with the pharmaceutical industry. The focus is in establishing Northwell as a premier destination for clinical research, innovation, outcomes, and international programs. Previously, Elaine was the CEO of Socrates, a health care information technology company, where she led the development and launch of its electronic health records system in the U.S. Prior to that she worked with Enterprise Ireland, managing the Irish life sciences companies entering the U.S. market.
Teva is proud to support Irish America’s 2019 Healthcare and Life Sciences 50 Congratulations to our own accomplished Irish American, Brendan O’Grady, and all the other honorees. At Teva, we are committed to putting people at the center of everything we do. We do this by striving to provide innovative treatments and quality generic medicines that enable millions of people around the world to live better, healthier days. Teva. Live Better Days.
tevausa.com
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES She also founded Gastroenterology Ireland, which combined a cluster of companies, research and development, and Irish opinion leaders in Ireland and the U.S. Her pharmaceutical career at Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Abbvie included marketing, sales, and clinical roles launching blockbuster products in the virology sector. Elaine has published scientific articles on genetic engineering and biodegradable polymers applications, and patented many products in the same area. She earned her science degree in the U.K. and did her early education in County Galway and Belgium. She currently resides in New York with her son Cian.
Patricia Broderick
CUNY School of Medicine & NYU Langone They call Patricia Broderick the “dynamite stick” because nothing stops her and she has a particular genius in making complex concepts simple. Dr. Broderick is the first person to link bionanotechnology with the human and mammalian brain, and is a widely recognized expert in both education and science. She has invented, patented, and
Niall Brennan
Health Care Cost Institute Niall Brennan is President and CEO of Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI), which analyzes data on over 100 million Americans to foster greater understanding of the growth in, and drivers of U.S. healthcare costs. He is a nationally recognized expert in healthcare policy, the use of healthcare data to enable and accelerate health system change, and data transparency. He has published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Health Affairs. Prior to joining HCCI, Niall was Chief Data Officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Niall has also worked at the Brookings Institution, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, and the Congressional Budget Office. Niall was born in Cavan Town, County Cavan and spent the majority of his childhood living in Bray, County Wicklow with his parents, Noel and Ann, and his sister Roisin. Before receiving a scholarship to Georgetown University where he received an MPP, Niall attended Presentation College Bray and University College Dublin. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Myra Tanamor and their children Niamh and Eoghan. 44 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Dr. Patricia Brockerick (center) with a few of her many nieces and nephews: Ellen O’Brien Kelly, Dennis O’Brien III, his wife, Lauren McCarty O’Brien, and Sean O’Brien.
trademarked the Broderick Probe, the first biosensor to see brain signalling in the natural state and compare it with the diseased state. This biosensor sees each neurochemical interacting, with video tracking electrochemical signaling continuously, enabling patterning of neurochemicals for diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for neurodegenerative diseases and drug addiction. The Broderick Probe has provided a novel sub-field for scientists and physicians called Neuromolecular Imaging (NMI), and the biosensor delves into our everyday lives to study the daily use of the neuroprotective effects of the stimulant caffeine. Dr. Edwin Kolodny, MD, formerly of NYU Langone Medical Center, said, “These are real-time measurements over long periods of time in a living brain; the implications are awesome.” Broderick believes the brain is a living miracle. She has spent her career working on neurodegenerative diseases like
epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s, as well as biopsychiatric conditions like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, and says that we’re getting closer to understanding the brain, biologically and chemically. According to Dr. Steven V. Pacia, MD, NYU Langone and Director, Epilepsy, Lenox Hill Hospitals, neuromolecular imaging, Broderick’s unique biosensor represents a significant shift in the way that physicians and scientists study the chemistry of the brain. Broderick’s genius lies in her ability to integrate across diverse disciplines. Through her inventions the electrochemist can talk with the neurochemist, the biologist can talk with the chemist, and the biophysicist can meet in the laboratory of biomedical engineering. Broderick is also invested in supporting the next generation of innovators. The Broderick Brain Foundation is dedicated to funding training for medical, doctoral, masters, undergraduate, and high school students, as well as professors, doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers in the unending quest to discover “how the brain works.” A medical professor in molecular cellular and biomedical science at CUNY School of Medicine at the City College of New York, and professor in Neurology at NYU Langone Medical Center, Broderick has been appointed to the most prestigious editorial boards in seven international journals, and she has a book series in progress. She has received many awards. She was inducted into St. Thomas Aquinas College’s Hall of Fame in 2019 (pictured above), and she was the international keynote speaker at the Congress on Nanotechnology & Nanomaterials in Stockholm, Sweden in 2018. Broderick’s mother, Margaret, was born in 1899, the second oldest of 14 children raised on a farm in Kilcrohane, County Cork, Her father Padraig “Patt” was born in 1902, one of the oldest of 11 children, in a thatched cottage in Flagmount, County Clare. They arrived separately at Ellis Island (Margaret in 1928 and Patt in 1930) and met at a dance. Margaret worked as a maid in the Algonquin and Pennsylvania Hotels, and Paddy was a licensed oxyacetylene torch welder and taxicab driver.
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William Campbell
Deborah Brosnan
Deborah Brosnan & Associates Dr. Deborah Brosnan Ph.D. is the president and founder of Deborah Brosnan & Associates, an international scientific consulting company that provides smart solutions to environmental risks and climate change. The company is known for its scientific excellence, integrity, credibility, and ability to find solutions that benefit the environment, community and economic investment. She and her team have successfully implemented innovative solutions on significant national and international environmental projects. She also has a distinguished career in academia. She is an adjunct professor of biology at Virginia Tech University and has held positions and fellowships at several institutions, including U.C. Davis, Stanford University, the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Washington. She has published in major journals and co-edited two scholarly books. She is a member of several boards including Project AWARE and is president and chair of the Irish America Science Forum Board of Trustees. She is the recipient of a Red Cross humanitarian award for her life-saving efforts for fellow passengers when the 747 jet aircraft they were on crashed on take-off in Asia. Dr. Brosnan was born in Limerick. She moved to Galway, where she received her B.Sc. honors and M.Sc. before relocating to the U.S. for her Ph.D. at Oregon State University. “My parents and their generation did not have the opportunities for high school education, let alone at university level, but they worked to give me that chance. Irish education fostered my love of learning, exploring the Irish coast sparked my interest in life sciences, and Irish culture fostered my ethic to use knowledge for the betterment of people and our planet.” She has two children, both born in Galway: a son who is a NASA scientist and a daughter who is an anesthesiology resident.
Nobel Prize Winner Donegal native Dr. William Campbell was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in medicine for his work on a drug that fights roundworm-related infections. He and his colleague, Professor Satoshi Omura, shared the award for their work in discovering Ivermectin, which has drastically reduced occurrences of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis (commonly known as elephantiasis tropica), among other ailments. The drug was developed in the late 1980s and annually treats roughly 25 million people, preventing new cases of river blindness. Dr. Campbell was born in 1930 in Ramelton, County Donegal, and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin with honors in 1952 with an undergraduate degree in zoology. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1957. Campbell is currently a research fellow emeritus at Drew University in New Jersey, and despite having lived in the United States for many years, has remained exceedingly proud of his Donegal heritage. In fact, he always begins his semesters at Drew by showing his new students a picture of his father’s cows on the Mall in his hometown.
James Collins
Harvard-MIT James J. Collins is the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering &Science and Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, as well as a member of the HarvardMIT Health Sciences & Technology Faculty. He is also a Core Founding Faculty member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, and a board member of MIT and Harvard. Collins is one of the founders of the
field of synthetic biology, and his research group is currently focused on using synthetic biology to create next-generation diagnostics and therapeutics. Professor Collins’ patented technologies have been licensed by over 25 biotech, pharma and medical device companies, and he has helped to launch a number of companies, including Synlogic (NASDAQ: SYBX). He has received numerous awards and honors, including a Rhodes scholarship and a MacArthur “Genius” award, and he is an elected member of all three national academies – the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine. Collins’ paternal grandfather, Maurice Collins, was born and raised in Abbeyfeale, County Limerick, and his paternal grandmother, Helen Kiely, was born and raised in Kiskeam, County Cork.
Gavin Corcoran
Axovant Gavin Corcoran, M.D. serves as Chief R&D Officer at Axovant. In his career, he has overseen successful drug development across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology and psychiatry, and was previously chief medical officer of Allergan plc and Actavis. Dr. Corcoran was Executive vice president for Global Medicines Development at Forest Laboratories prior to the acquisition of Forest Laboratories by Actavis. Dr. Corcoran also served as head of Late Stage Clinical Development for Inflammation and Immunology at Celgene, and as chief scientific officer and head of R&D at Stiefel Laboratories. Earlier in his career he held leadership roles in clinical development and regulatory affairs at Amgen, Schering-Plough, and Bayer. He received his M.B. B.Ch. from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and completed his clinical training in internal medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. His Irish heritage is from his greatgrandfather, moving from Sligo in northwest Ireland to South Africa. He and his wife, Corcoran’s great grandmother, had AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 45
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES 12 children, so up until about 35 years ago all of the Corcorans in South Africa were related. He has visited Ireland many times and has made it to Sligo several times for business.
Kevin Curran
Memorial Sloan Kettering Dr. Kevin Curran is a pediatric oncologist who specializes in the development of novel treatment approaches for leukemia and lymphoma that do not respond to current therapies. Specifically, he and his colleagues use genetic manipulation of immune cells to recognize and kill cancer cells. “When you are diagnosed with cancer, people start reading on the Internet and they would be like ‘Oh, success rate is so high,’ but truthfully, that doesn’t matter for the individual. We have to give them the chemo and see how they respond,” he told Irish America. Four years ago, nine-year-old Ezzy Pineda was diagnosed with leukemia and after four rounds of chemo she was only getting worse, so she needed a different approach. We were able to give her that different approach and she has been cancer-free since.” In the case of Pineda, it only took two week for her to be cancer free after her genetically modified white blood cells were returned to her body, and four weeks for her normal cells to return. He double-checked at six weeks to confirm. She has been in remission ever since. That approach is a budding treatment called CAR-T, which uses the body’s own immune system to fight the cancerous cells attacking it. The problem is that cancerous cells, though deadly, are effectively invisible to the body’s white blood cells, our natural defense mechanism against viruses and bacteria. What makes this treatment so unique, and experimental, is that Curran and others who are on the front lines actively remove billions of white blood cells, genetically modify them, and return them to the body so they can recognize the cancer when they encounter it. Curran likens it to giving the blind back their sight. “The cells, they want to find the cancer, they just forgot how to do it,” and blind cells can’t find 46 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016
“We have to have them work better with less toxicity so that people don’t have to have three years of treatment or have a lot of side effects or have long-term side effects. That is our vision, our dream.” – Dr. Kevin Curran
and kill what they can’t see, so Curran is working on ways to genetically engineer white blood cells to learn how to see that cancer both exists, and is bad. He undertook a four-year trial that treated 25 patients with a 75 percent success rate, and several drug companies will have products on the market as the direct result of Curran’s research. “We have now shown this proof of principle,” he says. “So now we need to figure out how to work it for five cancers, ten cancers, fifteen cancers, and not just for kids. We need to make it work for adults, too. We have to have them work better with less toxicity so that people don’t have to have three years of treatment or have a lot of side effects or have long-term side effects. That is our vision, our dream.” Curran has been working towards this goal since high school, when he saw how talented and happy his pediatrician was, he says. He earned his M.D. at Georgetown University, where he decided to specialize in oncology. He did his residency at Tufts Floating Hospital and afterwards joined Sloan Kettering. He grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of two Irish emigrants, both from Kerry, who met in Boston. His mother, Eileen O’Sullivan, is from Castleisland, and his father, Liam, is from Ballyferriter, where the Curran family farm remains today with many extended Irish relatives. It was there, in fact, where he proposed to his wife, Kathleen. Today they have two sons, fouryear-old Liam, named after Kevin’s father, and two-year old Declan, and still attend the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade every year.
“Education was definitely something that was instilled by my family and by my community,” he says. “My father worked for the gas company, so he worked driving front loader and literally digging holes and putting in gasoline, and he did that for thirty-five years and my mother was a homemaker. Sometimes my dad says, ‘How come you are not a regular doctor? What is all this research business?’”
John P. Curtin
NYU School of Medicine Dr. Curtin is a gynecologic oncologist currently practicing at NYU Langone Health. He is also the director of Gynecologic Cancer services at Bellevue Hospital Center. Dr. Curtin received his undergraduate and medical degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Following medical school he trained at the University of Minnesota as an obstetrician and gynecologist. He then did additional training as a gynecologic oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Curtin joined the faculty at NYU School of Medicine in September 1999. Prior to joining NYU he held faculty positions at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and USC School of Medicine. Dr. Curtin is a nationally recognized cancer surgeon, teacher and researcher. He is past president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology. Dr. Curtin has been an invited participant at a Consensus Conference for ovarian cancer at the National Institutes of Health. His research activities presently include directing both clinical and preclinical translational projects. He has been active in the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) as a principal investigator and committee member. Dr. Curtin is a past member of the executive board of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Curtin is the author and co-author of more than 140 peer-reviewed articles. He has co-authored four textbooks and 12 textbook chapters on gynecologic oncology, and has presented scientific abstracts at many national and international forums. Dr. Curtin’s practice is devoted to women with cancer
Celebrating Innovation: From the U.S. to Ireland and Beyond Bayer is proud to support Irish America’s 2019 Healthcare and Life Sciences 50. Congratulations to our own Ray Kerins and all the other honorees. At Bayer, we’re dedicated to solving the challenges of today’s fast-paced, ever-connected world. We champion the innovations that help communities — in the U.S., across the pond and around the globe. Only together can we bring innovative solutions to healthcare and nutrition, building better lives for people around the world, each and every day.
bayer.us @BayerUS bayerus
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES of the uterus, cervix, and ovaries and his research is especially focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of these cancers. Dr. Curtin’s father John J. Curtin was born in Kinvara, County Galway, and immigrated to the United States at age 22. His mother Leah Colwell Curtin was a second-generation descendant of immigrants from County Clare. Both were active in the Irish-American community in St Paul, Minnesota. Additionally, his mother Leah was the executive director of the Hibernian Life Insurance Fund.
Michael Dowling
Northwell Health Michael Dowling, born in County Limerick, is president and chief executive officer of Northwell Health, which delivers world-class clinical care throughout the New York metropolitan area, pioneering research at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and a visionary approach to medical education highlighted by the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell and the School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. Northwell is the largest integrated healthcare system in New York State with a total workforce of more than 66,000 employees – the state’s largest private employer. With 23 hospitals, 6,675 hospital and long-term care beds, more than 665 outpatient physician practices and a full complement of long-term care services, Northwell is one of the nation’s largest health systems, with $11 billion in annual revenue. One of healthcare’s most recognized executives, Mr. Dowling has received numerous awards, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, an honorary degree from Queen’s University Belfast and his selection as the grand marshal of the 2017 New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. He also serves as chair of the Healthcare Institute and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Prior to joining Northwell in 1995, Mr. Dowling served in New York State gov48 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
ernment for 12 years. He was director of health, education and human services, commissioner of social services, deputy secretary, and a chief adviser to former Governor Mario Cuomo. Earlier, Mr. Dowling was a professor of social policy and an assistant dean of the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services. He started his career as a caseworker in the New York City schools.
Garret A. FitzGerald
University of Pennsylvania Dr. Garret FitzGerald is the McNeil Professor in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he directs the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics. Dr. FitzGerald’s research has been characterized by an integrative approach to elucidating the mechanisms of drug action, drawing on work in cells, model organisms and humans. His work contributed substantially to the development of low-dose aspirin for cardioprotection. FitzGerald’s group was the first to predict and then mechanistically explain the cardiovascular hazard from NSAIDs. He has also discovered many products of lipid peroxidation and established their utility as indices of oxidant stress in vivo. His laboratory was the first to discover a molecularclock in the cardiovascular system and has studied the importance of peripheral clocks in the regulation of cardiovascular and metabolic function. Dr. FitzGerald has received the Boyle, Coakley, Harvey and St. Patrick’s Day medals, the Lucian, Scheele and Hunter Awards and the Cameron, Taylor, Herz, Lefoulon-Delalande, and Schottstein Prizes. He is a member of the National Academy of
Medicine, the Leopoldina and the Accademia dei Lyncei. He is an honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy and Sciences and of the Royal Society.
Timothy Flanigan
Brown University Timothy P. Flanigan, M.D., is Professor of Medicine in the Infectious Diseases Division of The Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island, and Brown Medical School. In 1991, he came to join Dr. Charles Carpenter to lead the HIV and AIDS program and was subsequently appointed Chief of Infectious Diseases in 1999 until stepping down in 2012. He spearheaded the HIV Care Program at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections to develop improved treatments for HIV infection and has received NIH and CDC funding for over 30 years. He also co-directs the new Lifespan Lyme Disease Clinic. As a byproduct of his work in corrections, he is the founder and president of the Newport/Fall River Star Kids Scholarship Program to help break the cycle and support the children of parents with a history of incarceration and/or substance abuse to succeed in school, go to post-secondary education and to meet their full potential as self-sufficient, active participants in their communities. He has been recognized by the HIV Medicine Association for his community-based work with HIV-infected men and women. He received the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leadership Award in 2000. And the Milton Hamolsky Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Physicians Rhode Island Chapter earlier this year. Dr. Flanagan received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.D. from Cornell University Medical School. In 2013, he was ordained a permanent deacon in the Roman Catholic diocese of Providence, RI and serves at Saint Theresa’s and St. Christopher’s churches in Tiverton, RI. In 2014, he spent two months in Monrovia, Liberia, helping the Catholic medical clinics and hospitals respond to the Ebola epidemic. Dr. Flanagan has deep roots in Ireland on both
Icahn School of Medicine at
Barbara Murphy, MD, and the Department of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai congratulate Eimear Kenny, PhD, and Emily Gallagher, MD, PhD, and all of this year’s honorees recognized by Irish America Healthcare & Life Sciences 50.
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES Leo Grady
sides of his family. His grandmother, Carmel Snow, came from Dublin to exhibit at Chicago’s World’s Fair in 1893. She went on to lead the fashion world as the editor of Harper’s Bazaar for many years. His father, Peter Flanigan, was a New Yorker with roots in Newcastle West, County Limerick. Dr. Flanigan is married to Luba Dumenco, M.D. and the proud father of five children.
Emily Gallagher
Mount Sinai Dr. Emily Gallagher is an NIH-funded physician-scientist in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she also serves as the Associate Program Director for Research and Director of the Research Track for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. She was born in Dublin, and received her medical degree at the University College Dublin, and her Ph.D.
in Physiology and Medical Physics from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She is a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and is ABIM Board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology. Her scientific research focuses on the effects of systemic metabolic disease and cancer progression with specific interests in the roles of insulin and lipids. Clinically, she is a practicing onco-endocrinologist, specializing in the treatment of the metabolic and endocrine complications of cancer treatments. She has published a number of scientific articles, and is a recognized expert in the field of diabetes / obesity and cancer. 50 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Siobhán Gibbons
Rutgers Dr. Siobhán Gibbons, who grew up in Keadue, County Roscommon, is a licensed psychologist in the state of New Jersey. She has a B.A. in social work and an M.A. in sociology from Trinity College, Dublin. After immigrating to the U.S., she earned an Ed. D. in counseling psychology from Rutgers University, where she is a staff psychologist. She has a special interest in working with students with ADHD and those on the autism spectrum. As an immigrant herself, she has also focused on issues of immigration, diversity, equity, and inclusion with students, especially Muslims. She is certified to teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) by the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is also a Certified Curvy Yoga teacher, and has completed the 40-hour Trauma Sensitive Yoga with Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center in Brookline, M.A. Dr. Gibbons teaches MBSR – an eight week psycho-educational evidencebased treatment for coping with stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and chronic medical conditions. She also offers weekly drop in mindfulness meditation workshops for the Rutgers community. This mindfulness practice enables people to develop a caring, compassionate, nonreactive awareness of themselves and the world around them. Dr. Gibbons says that her interest in meditation began when she was growing up in the west of Ireland, where every town had a meditation center – the local church whose doors were always open.
Paige Leo Grady, PhD, is Chief Executive Officer of Paige, the leading computational pathology company focused on building artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the clinical diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Leo is a seasoned healthcare technology professional, with 15+ years of experience in prototyping, developing and bringing to market advanced machine learning, computer vision and medical imaging technologies and products. Since becoming CEO of Paige, Leo has led the company to receive Breakthrough Device designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the first such designation for AI in cancer diagnosis publicly announced by any company. Prior to joining Paige, Leo was the SVP of Engineering for HeartFlow, where he led full stack technology and product development efforts for HeartFlow’s cardiovascular software and drove HeartFlow’s IP portfolio. Before that, Leo served in a variety of leadership roles at Siemens. Leo is the author of two published books, over 100 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers and has over 300 issued or pending patents worldwide. Winner of the 2012 Edison Patent Award in medical imaging, he was inducted as a Fellow in the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 2014. Leo received the B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering at the University of Vermont and a Ph.D. in cognitive and neural systems from Boston University. Multiple members of Leo’s family emigrated in the 19th century from counties Mayo, Clare and Galway to Pennsylvania. Leo’s family shares a love for Irish music, his daughter studied Irish step dancing, and he lives with his two children in Connecticut.
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John Greally
Albert Einstein College of Medicine A native of County Galway, John Greally currently serves as professor of genetics, medicine, and pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he is currently a driving force in the implementation of new ways to perform human epigenetics research. Greally was first educated at the National University of Ireland in his home county and subsequently undertook an internship in medicine and surgery there. He is married to fellow honoree Geraldine McGinty. Since arriving in the U.S., Greally has received multiple awards for his services to his field, such as the 2015 – 2016 Litchfield lectureship under the University of Oxford title. He was made a fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics in 2013. Greally continues to play a role on his alma mater’s governing body, an experience that has confirmed for him that “we can create a new way of exploring the definition of Irishness, based on the genomes of the people living on the island of Ireland and scattered overseas. By understanding this genetic heritage,” he says, “we will reveal the commonalities and diversity of Irish people, a complexity that should be celebrated.”
Daniel J. Hilferty
Independence Health Group Daniel J. Hilferty is CEO of Independence Health Group, parent of Independence Blue Cross, one of the nation’s leading health insurers. The number of people served by Independence Health Group has tripled since 2010 under Mr. Hilferty’s leadership. His vision is to lead the transformation of healthcare in America, seeking innovative technologies and new models of care that will increase the quality and lower the cost of care. Mr. Hilferty led the creation of the Independence Blue Cross Center for Innovation; launched Tandigm Health, a unique venture arming primary care physicians with new tools and data; established Quil, a joint venture with Comcast that is focused on digital health; and partnered
with other leaders in healthcare to purchase dynamic health care companies including AmeriHealth Caritas, one of the country’s largest Medicaid-managed care companies. Mr. Hilferty is the immediate past chairman of the board of directors of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and serves on the executive committee of America’s Health Insurance Plans. Mr. Hilferty identifies with his strong Irish heritage through his father, the late John Hilferty, and his family connection to Letterkenny, County Donegal. Mr. Hilferty’s great-grandfather, also named Daniel Hilferty, moved to America in 1864. His family connection also extends through his late mother Mary [née Gallagher] and her family ties to County Mayo. Mr. Hilferty’s leadership role in the Irish American community has led to an honorary doctorate from Maynooth Uni-
versity, the Irish American Business Chamber’s Taoiseach Award, and recognition as a St. Patrick’s College Irish Educational Development Foundation Honoree. Mr. Hilferty and his wife Joan have five children and three grandchildren.
Louise C. Ivers
Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health Dr. Louise Ivers is the executive director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, an associate professor of Global Health and Social Medicine, and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is a practicing infectious diseases physician and works on the design, implementation, and evaluation of large-scale public health programs in resource-limited settings, with the goal of achieving health equity.
Dr. Ivers has spent her career providing care to the rural and urban poor, as well as in patient-oriented research seeking practical solutions to barriers to care. She has worked on healthcare delivery in India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. She was based in Haiti for almost a decade, where she designed and implemented HIV and TB programs for the poorest people. She was present when a major earthquake occurred in 2010 and led a major humanitarian response to that disaster. When a cholera outbreak occurred in Haiti some months later, she also led a huge coordinated response to the epidemic, innovating on ways to approach the control and prevention of the disease. From 2015-2017 she was a member of the executive leadership team at Partners In Health, responsible for global strategic implementation. Dr. Ivers has published research articles on HIV/AIDS, TB, food insecurity, and cholera treatment and prevention. She is involved in global policy and advocacy work to improve health equity. She has served as an advisor to the WHO and the Haitian Ministry of Health, and is a delegate to the Global Task Force for Cholera Control at WHO. She has collaborated with the U.S. government; the E.U.; multilateral, non-governmental organizations; and private industry partners. She mentors Haitian, American, and Irish physicians and students in global health implementation and research. She is the editor of a textbook on food insecurity and public health, and over 60 peer-reviewed published papers and chapters on global health issues. Dr. Ivers was born in Dublin and is a graduate of University College Dublin, Ireland, where she received her professional medical degree and a research doctorate in medicine. She completed residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in infectious diseases at the Harvard Infectious Diseases program. Dr. Ivers earned a diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and a master’s degree in public health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 51
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES John G. Kennedy
NYU Langone Dr. John G. Kennedy is the director of the Foot and Ankle Center at NYU Langone and was previously the attending orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, as well as assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. Kennedy also founded and co-chairs the International Congress on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle, a multinational think tank instrumental in changing cartilage treatment strategies around the world. A native of Dublin, Kennedy’s medical career stretches over 25 years and is buttressed by a commitment to teaching, researching, and administering quality care dedicated to sports injuries of the lower limbs. His interest in basic science research was initiated as a medical student at the Royal College of Surgeons. As a result, in his intern year he began his first postdoctoral thesis investigating the effects of oxygen-free radical scavengers on tourniquet induced ischemia. This formed the basis of his M.M.S. Following this, he continued to be involved in basic science at the Enders Laboratory at Harvard Medical School under Dr. Melvin Glimcher, where he defended his masters in surgery thesis on new composites in bone regeneration. Shortly after that, he was instrumental in setting up a basic science laboratory at University College Dublin as part of his role as senior lecturer in orthopedic surgery. Kennedy has published over 190 peerreviewed articles in addition to countless podium presentations and other citations of his research. As part of the international collaboration between Ireland and the U.S., Kennedy received an honorary degree from the faculty of sports and exercise medicine in the Royal College of Surgeons. This was in part due to the pipeline of medical students and residents that travel from the R.C.S.I. to his office in New York each year to experience the different medical culture and collaborate in innovation between the two countries 52 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Irish-born Kenny has a BA in biochemistry from Trinity College Dublin, a Ph.D. in computational genomics from Rockefeller University, and did her postdoctoral training in population genomics at Stanford University.
Raymond F. Kerins, Jr.
Eimear Kenny
Mount Sinai Dr. Eimear Kenny, Ph.D., is founding director of the Center for Genomic Health, and Associate Professor of Medicine and Genetics at Mount Sinai. She is a statistical and population geneticist who leads a multidisciplinary team of geneticists, computer scientists, clinicians, and other medical professionals, working on problems at the interface of computational genomics and medicine. Her goal is to accelerate the integration of genomics into clinical care, particularly in diverse and underserved populations. Kenny is principal investigator in multiple NIH-funded consortia focused on genomic research, medicine and health, including NHGRI Clinical Sequencing Evidence-based Research, NHGRI Genome Sequencing Project, and NHLBI Trans-Omics in Precision Medicine. She is a scientific advisor to many genomic and genomic medicine, initiatives in government, non-profit and industry arenas. She has published over 70 papers in leading journals like Science, Nature, Nature Genetics, and NEJM, and her work has been featured by the New York Times, Australian Broadcasting Company, and at the Smithsonian Human Genome Exhibit in Washington, D.C.
“Growing up, I thought everyone’s grandparents spoke the way mine did – with an Irish brogue. My love and respect for Irish culture – it’s people, personality, and perseverance – started at a young age.” Raymond F. Kerins.
Bayer U.S. “Growing up, I thought everyone’s grandparents spoke the way mine did – with an Irish brogue,” said Kerins, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Bayer U.S. “My love and respect for the Irish culture – its people, personality and perseverance – started at a young age.” Kerins, who previously held senior executive positions at Merck and Pfizer, embraced a Catholic education from grammar school through Iona College. From his father, a retired Bronx homi-
cide detective, Kerins learned about the importance of loyalty, love, and friendship – traits Kerins and his wife, who is his college sweetheart, share with their three children. When Kerins is not spending time with his family, serving others is among his top priorities. “My former fire chief would always say that the world is run by people who show up.” Kerins is a long-standing member of the Center for Disease Control & Prevention Roundtable on Global Health Threats. He is an executive committee board member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is Chairman of the Chamber’s Global Innovation Policy Center, as well as a board member of the Congressional Award, the only charity of the U.S. Congress. Finally, he is Chairman of KidsBFF (Kids Building For the Future), a Kerins family charity focused on helping under-served youth. He holds a bachelor of arts and masters of science from Iona College.
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Niamh Long
Memorial Sloan Kettering Dr. Niamh Long is an attending radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York. Originally from Skibbereen in West Cork, Dr. Long is a graduate of University College Cork Medical School and originally trained in surgery prior to undertaking residency in radiology at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin. She undertook a fellowship in musculoskeletal intervention at Cappagh National Orthopedic Hospital in Dublin and subsequently moved to the U.S. to complete a fellowship in musculoskeletal imaging at NYU Langone
Medical Center in New York. This was followed by fellowships in Body Oncologic Imaging and PET/CT at MSKCC. Currently on staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering, she specializes in oncologic and musculoskeleta imaging and performs image-guided procedures. She has a strong interest in research, authoring multiple publications, and presents at national and international conferences. Outside of medicine, Dr. Long has been an integral member of the New York Irish community. She is a player, founding member, and former board member of the Manhattan Gaels ladies’ football team, which has grown in force since it was founded in 2014. She currently sits on the board of the Irish Network NYC where she holds the position of communications officer. “Having seen firsthand the immeasurable contribution of the Irish diaspora to society in New York, I feel passionately about helping to build relationships which will ensure the continued success of the Irish-American community.” Dr. Long is an active snowboarder and a classically trained flautist, and recently completed the New York City Marathon in 2018, raising over $3,600 in aid of Concern Worldwide.
Thomas J. Lynch, Jr.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Dr. Thomas Lynch joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in March 2017 as Chief Scientific Offi-
cer to lead the Research & Development organization, bringing broad leadership experience, significant experience in drug development, and a deep understanding of the patient perspective as a treating oncologist. He previously served as a director on Bristol-Myer Squibb’s board from 2013-2017. Tom has more than 30 years of medical, management, and leadership experience, including more than 23 years at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and as a member of the MGH board from 2015-2017. Before his roles as Chairman and CEO at MGH, Tom served as the Director of Yale Cancer Center and was the Richard and Jonathan Sackler Professor of Internal Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine from 2009 to 2015. He also served as the Physician in Chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital, Yale New Haven from 2009 to 2015. Prior to 2009, he served as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of Hematology / Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital. While at MGH in 2004, Tom was part of the team credited with the significant discovery that certain genetic mutations in lung cancer patients caused therapies to work for some individuals and not for others. Tom is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Asked about his heritage, Tom said: “My Irish background is pretty solid. My father’s side came over in 1840s and mom’s side came over in the 1890’s. Neither ‘intermarried’ so my genetic stock is pretty much Irish. My Irish highlight is walking down High Street with my grandfather in Holyoke, MA, when he was the grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1965! I also had the chance to speak at the 300th anniversary of Trinity College Dublin – as a keynote speaker.”
Winifred B. Mack
Northwell Health Winifred Mack, RN, has served in a number of leadership roles within Northwell Health, such as Executive Director, Regional Executive Director and Senior Vice President. She is currently Senior Vice President of System Operations and serves as President and C.E.O. of N.U. Health, which encompasses Nassau University Medical Center, the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, and N.U. Health Family Health Centers. Winnie earned a B.S. in nursing and a master’s degree in public administration from LIU Post. Passionate about nursing and an accomplished nurse leader, Winnie’s career in healthcare spans more than 45 years. As the President and C.E.O. of N.U. Health, she oversees over 3,500 employees on multiple campuses throughout Nassau County. In fact, Winnie began her career as a nurse at Nassau County Medical Center shortly after the facility opened. Before joining Northwell Health, Winnie held a number of high-level administrative and nursing positions at Continuum Health Partner’s Beth Israel-St. Luke’s Roosevelt Health System in Manhattan, Winthrop University Hospital, Nassau University Medical Center, and Stony Brook University Hospital. Winnie is a board member of the YMCA of Long Island, the LIU School of Health Professions and Nursing Advisory Board and JMB Synergy Advisory Board at Northwell Health. She is also recognized as a Long Island trustee for the Energeia Partnership at Molloy College. Winnie is a second-generation Irish American, with origins in counties Mayo and Leitram on her mother’s side and County Tyrone on her father’s side. She and her husband, Bill, who is a retired police force detective have one son, Patrick. They enjoy sharing their Irish traditions, which includes marching in the NYC Saint Patrick’s Day parade and hosting their annual Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. Winnie takes great pride in her Irish heritage and attributes her strong values and good sense of humor to her Irish upbringing. Winnie lives by a quote that her Irish grandmother taught her at a very young age: “If you’re going to help AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 53
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES someone do it from your heart, and expect nothing in return. You will be surprised at the many blessings that come your way.”
Bill Mackey
Tufts University Dr. Bill Mackey recently stepped down as Surgeon-in-Chief at Tufts Medical Center and Andrews Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery at the Tufts University School of Medicine after serving for more than 18 years in these roles. Dr. Mackey received his BA from Amherst College and his M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine. He performed his surgical training at The New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center and his vascular surgery training at Tufts Medical Center. He remained triple board-certified in general surgery, vascular surgery, and surgical critical care throughout his career. He served on the editorial board of the Journal of Vascular Surgery for 10 years. He is a past president of the New England Society for Vascular Surgery and of the Boston Surgical Society. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 published papers, book chapters, and editorial commentaries. His clinical and academic interests include carotid artery disease, aortic diseases, risk assessment in vascular surgery, and surgical education. He frequently lectured on these and other topics, and served as visiting professor at several sites in the U.S as well as in the U.K., Greece, Israel, and China. He has won numerous awards for excellence in teaching from medical students and surgical residents. He received the 2014 Dean’s Outstanding Mentor Award, the 2018 Distinguished Career in Teaching Award, the 2018 Distinguished Faculty Award, and the 2019 Zucker Prize for Achievement in Clinical Education from the Tufts University School of Medicine. He served on the boards of trustees of Tufts Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center Physicians’ Organization, and the Tufts Medical Center Indemnity Corporation. Dr. Mackey’s paternal great-greatgreat-grandparents, James and Lucy Mackey, emigrated from Ireland in the 1840’s and settled in a rural area outside of Rockford, Illinois, where the family remained until the 1950s. 54 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Michael F. Mahoney
Boston Scientific Corporation Mike Mahoney is CEO and chairman of the board of Boston Scientific Corporation, a global medical technology leader with more than $9.8 billion in annual revenue and commercial representation in more than 130 countries. Since joining Boston Scientific in 2011 as president, he has focused the company on addressing the needs of the evolving healthcare landscape by driving improvements to patient outcomes and increasing healthcare economic efficiency and access. Under his leadership, Boston Scientific has brought many transformational medical devices to market. He became president, CEO, and a member of the board in 2012 and was elected chairman in 2016. Mahoney’s career spans more than 25 years of success building market-leading medical device, capital equipment, and healthcare IT businesses. Prior to joining Boston Scientific, Mike held prominent leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, Global Healthcare Exchange, and GE Medical Systems, where he spent the first 12 years of his professional life. Mike serves on the board of Baxter International and the American Heart Association leadership council. He earned a B.B.A. in finance from the University of Iowa and his M.B.A. from Wake Forest University. He is married and has three children.
Geraldine McGinty
Weill Cornell Medicine Radiology Dr. McGinty did her medical training in Ireland at the National University and then came to the U.S. for residency at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was chief resident. Her fellowship was in women’s imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital. While working at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, she completed
an MBA at Columbia University. She is an internationally recognized expert in imaging economics. She has served as advisor to the CPT Editorial Panel, the JCAHO, and the National Quality Forum. She was chair of the American College of Radiology’s Commission on Economics and was the radiology member of the AMA’s Relative Value Update Committee from 2012-2016. In May 2018 she was elected as the chair of the ACR’s Board of Chancellors, the first woman to hold this office. Until 2013 she was managing partner of a 70physician multispecialty medical group on Long Island. In 2014 she joined the faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. As well as running her clinical practice there, she serves as chief strategy officer and chief contracting officer for the Weill Cornell Physician Organization’s more than 1,400 members. Her role as lead negotiator for managed care contracts at Weill Cornell Medicine incorporates both traditional fees for service agreements as well as value-based payment arrangements. She is also a member of WCM’s digital health strategy team. She serves as a non-executive director of IDA Ireland, the national foreign direct investment agency, and is also on the Medical Advisory Board of Wellthie, a healthcare technology start-up. Her published work has focused on payment models for imaging, most recently a bundled payment for breast cancer screening. Recently she has focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on medical imaging and has spoken at the Turing Institute and to the WHO focus group on AI in healthcare on this topic. In 2015 she was voted Radiology’s Most Effective Educator by the readers of Aunt Minnie, a radiology news site with more than 140,000 members. She has more than 9,000 followers on Twitter.
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES The Medical Brothers McGinn Almost since setting foot in the states, the McGinn family, formerly of County Tyrone, have pursued a startling variety of paths to a life in medicine. Physicians, nurses, physician assistants: it’s a remarkable collection of skill and compassion. Here we take a brief look at just two, Joseph and Thomas.
Joseph McGinn
Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute Born and raised in Brooklyn and the “Irish Riviera,” – Breezy Point – Queens, Dr. Joseph T. McGinn, Jr., chairs the Division of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery at Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute in North Carolina, where he’s helping to revolutionize the discipline of cardiothoracic surgery. More than 25 years ago, he was chair of surgery at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) and founding director of The Heart Institute at SIUH’s Ocean Breeze
Campus. In that position, he developed and refined a breakthrough minimally invasive technique for coronary artery bypass grafting, known as MICS/CABG: Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery / Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting). Now widely known as the McGinn Technique, the innovative approach provides access to the heart without needing a “zipper” incision or a heart-lung machine. Since the first time in 2005, Dr. McGinn has repeated it more than 1,000 times. He started teaching it to one or two surgeons at a time but now travels the world working with groups, propelling the McGinn Technique into the mainstream. Dr. Joe Jr.’s son, also Joseph T. McGinn, M.D, is currently a resident in general surgery at the Zucker School of Medicine and plans to apply for a cardiothoracic fellowship after completing it. 56 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Thomas McGinn
Northwell Dr. Thomas Gregory McGinn, M.D., M.P.H., has taken a different path from that of his brother, as Northwell Health’s Deputy Physician-in-Chief, Senior Vice President, and Chair and David J. Greene Professor of the Zucker School of Medicine Department of Medicine. He's also founding director of the Center for Health Innovations and Outcomes Research (CHIOR), a Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. CHIOR’s team of internationally renowned researchers and rising stars put to work technology, big data, and creative new ways of thinking about healthcare outcomes to measure and improve healthcare delivery. CHIOR draws on the work of experts in healthcare information technology, biostatistics, behavioral and medical economics, and public health, as well the full range of practicing healthcare providers like physicians, nurses, and psychologists. They leverage the unique diversity and size of Northwell’s patient population to learn about the struggles and challenges faced by both patients and healthcare professionals. An internationally acknowledged authority on evidence-based medicine, comparative effectiveness research, and medical education, Dr. McGinn has overseen unprecedented expansion of both the scope and size of the department’s research enterprise by focusing on cutting-edge study of healthcare delivery and patient-centered outcomes research. For more than 20 years, he has received extensive federal, state, and foundation support for his work, and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed
journal articles, book chapters, and social media programs. He has mentored dozens of junior scientists who have gone on to successful, federally funded research careers. Most recently, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) awarded Dr. McGinn a $1.14million grant for a unique system that cuts down on complications and frustrations faced by frontline providers trying to access personalized clinical information and guidance in the real-time setting of patient encounters. Tom is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He earned his medical degree from SUNY Downstate, completed his residency in internal medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/ Bronx Municipal Hospital Center, and holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University.
Emma Meagher
University of Pennsylvania Emma A. Meagher, M.D., serves as professor of medicine and pharmacology at the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Dr. Meagher graduated cum laude with her medical doctorate degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, and completed postgraduate training in internal medicine, cardiology, and pharmacology at Beaumont Hospital, RCSI, and The Mater Hospital, University College Dublin. She immigrated to the U.S. in 1994 with her husband, Noel Williams, MD, also a graduate of RCSI, and their four children: Cameron, Cia, Simon, and Nicole.
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At Penn, Dr. Meagher’s educational interests are in the fields of translational research methodology; she designed the first degree-granting program for translational scientists nationally. Dr. Meagher’s research interest is in the development of novel therapeutics in rare cardiac disorders. As vice dean and chief clinical research officer at Penn, and as senior associate vice provost for human research, Dr. Meagher oversees the institution’s clinical research infrastructure and its portfolio, and sets the strategy for Penn Medicine’s clinical research enterprise. As associate dean for PSOM’s master’s and certificate programs, and as director of translational research education, Dr. Meagher is responsible for the rapidly growing portfolio of professional education opportunities provided by the Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Meagher is certified as a master trainer via the NIH-funded National Research Mentoring Network. At Penn, she implemented a research mentor and mentee training program for investigators conducting clinical and translational science. Dr. Meagher has received recognition for her efforts in education through numerous teaching awards, including Penn’s highest teaching honor, the Lindback Award for Medical Education, and the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Emma is a native of Dublin, with family from Offaly and Tipperary on her father’s side and from Cavan on her mother’s.
and ophthalmology services, overseeing operations, finance, growth and quality management, among other areas. Mulry joined the health system in 2015 after working for Catholic Health Services of Long Island, where he was senior vice president responsible for the physician network within the $2.2 billion, six-hospital health system. At Catholic Health Services, Mulry was responsible for physician recruitment and alignment strategy and developing the infrastructure of the health system’s ambulatory network. Previously, Mulry was executive director/CEO at University Physicians of Brooklyn at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and held various leadership positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. From 2003 through 2007, he also served as vice president
Richard Mulry
Northwell Health As Chief Operating Officer for True North – the arm of Northwell Health dedicated to innovation and commercialization of services – Richard Mulry helps build new relationships with private organizations and curates innovative ideas within the health system. He oversees all operations and delivers new investments into the marketplace to drive improvements in patient care and create diversified revenue streams for the health system. Mulry has more than 25 years of healthcare administration and operations experience. Previously, he served as the senior vice president for operations within Northwell Ventures, and administrative vice president of Northwell’s neurosurgery, neurology, ENT/head and neck,
of practice and revenue management for Northwell Health. Mulry’s mother, Mary (Walsh) Mulry was born in Co. Galway, and his paternal grandmother (Margaret Crowley) was a native of Cork. He spent summers in Ireland as a child, and has come full circle, given the opportunity to work with Irish companies. Mulry holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Saint Michael’s College and a Master of Public Health in health policy management from Columbia University,
School of Public Health, and is a member of the Medical Group Management Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Joseph Mulvehill
Concierge Medicine Dr. Joe Mulvehill obtained his medical degree from SUNY Stony Brook and completed his training in internal medicine at Albert Einstein Medical College. A diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and recognized as one of Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors and Best Doctors by New York magazine, Mulvehill’s metropolitan New York practice was rated among one of five “best concierge-medicine practices nationwide” by Town & Country. Joe is among a small group of New York physicians who pioneered the concept of concierge medicine, with the goal of restoring to his practice the intimate doctor/patient relationship he experienced while growing up in rural Ireland. He believes that finding the solution to medical problems must be accomplished in the context of each patient’s life. Dr. Mulvehill believes in innovation, and his use of Internet-based solutions to stay in contact with his patients has become an integral part of his everyday practice. However, he says, “I only use technology to augment and not replace the personal care that each patient needs,” which he believes is paramount to the doctor/patient relationship. To this end, a patient’s ongoing medical history is consolidated into a Personal Health Record, which allows each patient to access his or her vital medical information. This Personal Health Record, which helps to create a closer bond between doctor and patient, is now available to treating physicians wherever they happen to be.
Barbara Murphy
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Dr. Barbara Murphy is the System Chair for the Department of Medicine, the Murray M. Rosenberg Professor of Medicine, and the Dean of Clinical Integration and Population Management at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is a transplant immunology researcher whose most recent work has focused on the use of genomics and genetics to investigate outcomes following renal transplantation. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 57
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES M.B., B.A.O., and B.Ch. from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and went on to do an internship, residency, and a fellowship in clinical nephrology at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
John Nolan
She was first recruited to Mount Sinai as Director of Transplant Nephrology in 1997 and was named Chief of the Division of Nephrology in 2003. In 2011, she was appointed Dean for Clinical and Population Management, Director of Conduits at the Institute for Translational Science and PI of the Institutional CTSA. She was named Murray M. Rosenberg Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Samuel Bronfman Department of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2012. Dr. Murphy is a Councilor for the American Society of Nephrology and past President of the American Society of Transplantation. Among her numerous honors, Dr. Murphy was named Nephrologist of the Year by the American Kidney Fund in 2011 and received the Wyeth Basic Science Investigator Award – the single most prestigious award for young physician-scientists in the transplant field – from the American Society of Transplantation in 2003. She is the recipient of the 2014 Jacobi Medallion for her dedication and distinguished service to Mount Sinai. In 2018 Dr. Murphy became Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for RenalytixAI, a company that uses artificial intelligence solutions in collaboration with the Mount Sinai Health System to improve kidney disease detection, management, and treatment. Born in Ireland, Dr. Murphy earned her 58 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Waterford Institute of Technology Professor John Nolan is the founder and director of the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland (NRCI) and is also the Principal Investigator of the Macular Pigment Research Group within this center. In addition, Prof. Nolan has established two sister laboratories in the U.S. (at UCSD and Duke University), with the capacity to conduct human studies for optimizing vision and brain function. His research group studies the role of nutrition on vision. In 2011, Professor Nolan won a European Research Council research grant to study the impact of nutritional supplementation on visual function via two major clinical trials; Central Retinal Enrichment Supplementation Trials (CREST). These trials identified how targeted nutrition can improve visual function for the general population, and for patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The CREST project was recently selected for presentation at a high-level conference entitled “EU Research & Innovation in Daily Life.” The nutritional compounds that Prof Nolan and his team identified as essential for supporting retinal health and function now represent a standard of care for patients with AMD. This nutritional formulation is available as MacuHealth in the U.S (www.macuhealth.com) and MacuPrime in Europe. Current studies at the NRCI are investigating the link between nutrition and brain health and function, with important implications for Alzheimer’s disease
(www.memoryhealth.com). Professor Nolan has published 101 peer-reviewed scientific papers on his area of research (3965 = citations, H index = 39). In 2014, he successfully edited a CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group book publication entitled Carotenoids and Retinal Disease. He has also edited a special issue in the prestigious journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research (MNF) “Nutrition for the Eye and Brain.” Professor Nolan has editorial roles at the European Journal of Ophthalmology and the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. A major career highlight is his role as Chair of the International Brain and Ocular Nutrition Conference (BON Conference), which is held at Downing College, Cambridge University (www.bonconference. org). See www.profjohnnolan.com for further details and access to the scientific publications. Away from his work, Professor Nolan is a devout family man. He and his wife, Jane, have two baby daughters, Penny and Bea. He is a native of Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary and is a passionate supporter of the Tipperary senior hurling team. He is also a competitive middledistance runner.
Róisín O’Cearbhaill
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Dr. Róisín O’Cearbhaill is a medical oncologist and Research Director of the Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), with a joint appointment at Weill Cornell Medical College. A committed advocate of excellence in patient care, Róisín serves as the director of the Patient and Family Centered Care Grant initiative and she is also the vice-chair of the Investigational New Drug/Device committee at MSKCC. She has extensive clinical and research experience in the treatment of gynecological cancers. Her research focuses on the development of novel targeted and immune-based approaches to improve outcomes for women with these cancers. She is proud to serve on several international committees and was recently appointed as chair of Developmental Therapeutics in NRG Oncology, where she is leading a large phase II/III clinical trial for women with ovarian cancer. She has received numerous awards for her work, including a Conquer Cancer Foundation Career Development award, a Young In-
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HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES 50 Owen O’Connor
vestigator award from the Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation, an Excellence in Research Award from MSKCC, and an Excellence in Teaching award from Weill Cornell Medical College. Her research, incorporating cutting-edge technology such as CAR T cells, has been highlighted in Science Magazine. Born and raised in Galway, Róisín received a first-class honors medical degree from National University of Ireland, Galway, where both her parents and parents-in-law taught. She has a love of languages, completing her first year of medical school through Irish (Gaelic) and spending her fourth year studying in Grenoble, France, on an ERASMUS scholarship. She completed a medical oncology residency at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Dublin, incorporating a six-month senior residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, M.N., and began her fellowship training with the Royal College of Physicians, Ireland. In 2008 she was awarded a scholarship by the Irish Society of Medical Oncology to complete a two-year advanced fellowship at MSKCC in New York, and on completion she was appointed as faculty. She travels home to Ireland frequently with her husband and three children to see family and friends there, and is currently preparing her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) at NUIG. She is passionate about supporting young researchers and facilitating access to clinical trials for children at home, so she recently joined the board of the Children’s Foundation for Medical Research, a foundation that raises vital funds for the National Children’s Research Center in Dublin. Róisín is very proud to be Irish, even if it means continually having to explain how to spell her name!
Columbia University Owen A. O’Connor, M.D., Ph.D., is an American Cancer Society Research Professor, Professor of Medicine and Experimental Therapeutics, Founding Director for the Center for Lymphoid Malignancies, and Co-Program Director of the Lymphoid Development and Malignancy Program at Columbia University. The American Cancer Society Professorship is the highest distinction granted by the Society. O’Connor is an international leader on the study of Hodgkin Lymphoma and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and drug development. He has overseen the development and regulatory approval of four new drugs for the treatment of such diseases. He both co-invented and developed pralatrexate, the first drug approved by the U.S. F.D.A. for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, which has now been approved in over 30 countries worldwide, where it is often the only drug approved for this disease. He holds over 20 patents on methods to treat cancer, has been inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Society Hall of Fame, and is a recipient of the Trustees Award, the highest award given by the society. He currently leads several international studies, many the largest of their kind to ever be conducted, on various lymphoma subtypes. His primary goal is to develop safer drugs that exclusively target the unique biology of the cancer cell, minimizing the collateral damage of existing chemotherapy treatments. He is a member of the prestigious U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Oncology Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC). O’Connor is globally known for his ability to translate novel scientific concepts into practical state-ofthe-art treatments for patients. He was recently honored by the Irish government as one of the top 50 Irish Americans in science and medicine in the U.S., and is recognized as one of the top physicians and oncologists in the U.S. Born in Huntington, Long Island, O’Connor lives in New York with his wife, Rosella, and children, Marc and
Laura. He is a second-generation Irishman with ties to Bantry, Co. Cork and Castlebar, Co. Mayo. “Pride in my Irish Catholic upbringing came from a family proud of their heritage,” he says, calling it “very instrumental to every success I have achieved in my personal and professional life.”
Daniel O’Day
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Daniel O’Day is the Chairman and CEO of Gilead, the biopharmaceutical company, which has more than 11,000 employees around the world. Prior to joinging Gilead in March 2019, O’Day served as the Chief Executive Officer of Roche Pharmaceuticals. His career at Roche spanned three decades during which he held a number of executive positions in the company’s pharmaceutical and diagnostics divisions in North America, Europe and Asia. O’Day, who was the keynote speaker
at Irish America’s Health Care / Life Sciences 50 dinner in 2017, was born in Texas and is a third-generation IrishAmerican with family from Ennis, County Clare on his father’s side. “The perseverance of my Irish ancestors is a daily motivation to me professionally and personally,” O’Day says. His first job was landscaping, which, he says, “inspired me to pursue my education.” O’Day holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Georgetown University and an MBA from Columbia University in New York. He and his wife, Mara, have three children Tierney, Meghan, and Brendan.
Brendan O’Grady
Teva North America Commercial Brendan O’Grady is seen as an industry thought leader in market access, patient AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 59
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES “My heritage has been an underpinning of my pride in who I am and what I stand for, which has been unwavering throughout my career. I associate my work ethic, passion, and dedication to my lineage as a proud Irish American. These traits have been invaluable to my commitment to a company with a goal of helping patients live better days.”
Patrick O’Leary services, and commercial strategies and has spoken at industry symposia and conferences on these topics. O’Grady was appointed Executive Vice President & Head for Teva North America Commercial in November 2017. Prior to his appointment, he served as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for Teva Pharmaceutical’s Global Specialty Medicine division and the interim head of Teva’s European Specialty business. Previously, O’Grady held the positions of President & CEO of North America Generic Medicines and Vice President and Head of U.S. Market Access & Patient Services for Teva’s U.S. specialty business, which included their internal specialty pharmacy. In that capacity, he was responsible for access within all thirdparty payer segments to include commercial, Medicaid, Medicare, federal, and specialty pharmacy, as well as public and private exchanges, and proactively worked with payers in the development of innovative access strategies for Teva’s branded medicines. He was also accountable for the development and execution of the many patient assistance and engagement programs focused on optimizing the patient experience and improving outcomes. He has 28 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. O’Grady has also been a guest lecturer at Rutgers University’s pharmaceutical MBA program on the topic of specialty pharmacy distribution. He is a current member of the board of directors and the compensation committee chair for American Well, a leading U.S.-based telemedicine company. Prior to joing Teva, O’Grady spent 10 years with Sanofi predecessor companies in a variety of commercial and medical affairs roles that began in field sales. He received his B.S. from Geneseo State University (SUNY Geneseo in Geneseo, NY) in Management Science/Marketing and holds an M.B.A. from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. 60 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Hospital For Special Surgery Dr. Patrick O’Leary is often called on by individuals needing high-level, sophisti-
“My heritage has been an underpinning of my pride in who I am and what I stand for, which has been unwavering throughout my career. Brendan O’Grady
cated spine care. His patients include professional athletes. Sports stars from the Mets and the Knicks teams are among those who have sought Dr. O’Leary’s expert opinion, and surgery, if necessary. A former chief of the Spine Service at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), in New York City, Dr. O’Leary currently serves as an associate attending spine surgeon at HSS. Dr. O’Leary specializes in the surgical management of disorders of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, and this has been his specialty for many years. His area of expertise encompasses complex spine surgery, including revision surgery. He also has a special interest in the areas of surgical technology and advances in surgical technique, collaborating with colleagues in Europe and the United States. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a fellow of the International College of Surgeons, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is also a member of the Cervical Spine Research Society, the Scoliosis Research Society and the North American Spinal Society. Born in County Cork, O’Leary grad-
uated from University College Cork Medical School in 1968. He did his internship in LDS Hospital Salt Lake City, and has held a number of leadership positions at top New York hospitals, including Lenox Hill, and Hospital for Joint Diseases (NYU). He has been at HSS from 1987 to present. In addition to being named to New York magazine’s “Best Doctors,” Dr. O’Leary is listed in the Castle Connolly medical guide, How To Find The Best Doctors in New York. He is also listed in Castle Connolly’s “America’s Top Doctors.” Dr. O’Leary has four older daughters from his first marriage to Susan, and three younger children with his present wife, Jill. His great-uncle Phil Sullivan was the captain of the Kerry football team that won the 1924 All Ireland Final.
Patrick D. Pilch
BDO USA, LLP Patrick D. Pilch leads the National Healthcare Advisory practice and cofounded the BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence & Innovation for BDO USA, LLP, a U.S. professional services firm pro-
viding assurance, tax, and advisory services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies. With more than 25 years of healthcare, financial services, operational management, and restructuring experience, Patrick provides strategy, business transformation, interim management, M&A advisory, restructuring, turnaround, and performance improvement services to assist organizations and their stakeholders. He has served as a strategic advisor to hospitals, boards, foundations, and healthcare systems in matters involving mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, real estate holdings, and other assets and restructurings. A third-generation Irish-American, Patrick has maternal roots in Bonniconlon, County Mayo, County Kilkenny and Abbeyleix, County Laois. His father’s
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In loving honor of DR. PATRICIA BRODERICK, Maith thú! Your passion for science, as well as your passion for all things Irish, whether teaching me the Irish dance steps of your youth, or tutoring me through Biology, while bringing a light and fun-loving approach to all pursuits, has imbued in me the legacy of a rich and profound ancestral connection to Eire. I remain eternally grateful for our trip over together; and I commend you for this monumental tribute to one of Irish America’s finest first gener’s—my Aunt Patsy! Nana would be so proud! Up Cork! Ellen O’Brien Kelly
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES side is from Belfast. Patrick is one of 10 children, whose parents instilled in them the importance of education. “All ten of us have college degrees, and many have graduate degrees,” says Patrick, who is a certified public accountant and licensed investment banker and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Fairfield University and an M.B.A. from Columbia School of Business. “It is my parents’ legacy.” Patrick and his wife, Mary Pat (whose mother is from County Waterford, and her father’s family is from County Cavan) have three children: Patrick, Briege, and Fiona.
Margaret E Rice
NYU School of Medicine Dr. Margaret E. Rice is a professor at the New York University School of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology. She is also an Investigator in the NYU Neuroscience Institute and a member of the NYU Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders. As the only non-M.D. in the Neurosurgery Department, she is involved primarily in neuroscience research and teaching. Her NIH-funded laboratory studies factors that regulate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays key roles in the interrelated functions of movement and motivation: we move because we are motivated to do so. Dopamine dysfunction underlies several disorders of the nervous system, including Parkinson’s disease, that involves degeneration of dopamine motor pathways, and addiction in which drugs of abuse, like cocaine, hijack dopamine reward pathways. Current research in the Rice lab is focused on regulation of dopamine release by local neurotransmitters, by the metabolic hormones insulin and leptin, and by diet and exercise. Dr. Rice and her colleagues have published over 120 research articles, reviews, and book chapters on these and related topics. She serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Parkinson’s Foundation, and is a past president of the International Society for 62 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Monitoring Molecules in Neuroscience (MMiN) and continues to serve on the MMiN Scientific Advisory Board. She is the Co-Chair for the 2020 Basal Ganglia Gordon Research Conference, which is an international conference on brain circuits that underlie motor activity and reward. Dr. Rice was raised in Oklahoma, earned her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Kansas, then moved to New York City for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at NYU – over 30 years ago. She has always claimed Irish and Scots Irish roots through her mother’s father’s family, the McConnells, but confirmed this heritage only recently, when DNA testing indicated ancestry from counties Down, Donegal, and Cork among others. Further research into the McConnell line revealed Irish ancestors as far back as the 1500s, with the first colonial McConnells born in the 1730s in Pennsylvania. Later generations moved west to Ohio and Nebraska, then to Oklahoma, where her grandfather George and mother Loree were born. Dr. Rice’s parents were the first to break with centuries of farming tradition by earning their doctorates and becoming college professors. Her parents clearly inspired her love of academic research and teaching, but it is tempting to speculate that her more distant roots may underlie her enjoyment of camping in state forests in Pennsylvania and New Jersey with her brother’s family, who also live in New York City.
Ruth Riddick
Sobriety Together Originally born in Dublin, Ruth Riddick is a New York Certification Board Certified Addiction Recovery Coach (CARC) with a coaching, training, and mentoring practice at Sobriety Together™. She is also an authorized and experienced Recovery Coach Academy trainer (CART), and a designated Recovery Coach Professional (CCAR). Appointed in 2016, she serves as New York City-based ASAPNYCB community outreach, supporting professional peer recovery development, training, and certification throughout the prevention-treatment-recovery field statewide. At ASAP, she also serves as consultant to the New York Certification Board Ethics Committee and as Peer Workforce Initiative administrator, developing and implementing original training
for new professional peer recovery certifications. Ruth is an acknowledged peer recovery subject matter expert, serving as consultant to the International Credentialing & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), and is a familiar speaker on topics such as Mapping Recovery and Ethical Practice. She developed and delivers the original ASAP-NYCB Peer Recovery Exam Preparation workshop, hosted by communitybased organizations and agencies across the state. She is also co-developer of the ASAP-PWI CRPA-Family classroom-based certification-track curriculum, and a cotrainer of the authorized trainers panel. She serves as an NYS recovery consultant to SAMSHA’s national Opioid Response Network Technical Assistance Consortium, and as a member of the Caron NYC Annual Community Awards breakfast nominating committee. Additionally, she is a fluent Irish speaker. Widely published, her most recent essay, “Recovery-The Vision Thing,” appears in the inaugural edition of Journey magazine (March 2019).
Eileen M. Sullivan-Marx
NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing Eileen Sullivan-Marx is Dean of NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and the Erline Perkins McGriff Professor of Nursing and will assume the presidency of the American Academy of Nursing this year. She also is a professor emerita and adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing where she is an alumna. Dr. Sullivan-Marx was an American Asso-
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HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES 50 ciation of Political Science Congressional Fellow from 2010-12, serving as a senior advisor to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and is currently a health and aging policy fellow. She is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the New York Academy of Medicine and the Gerontological Society of America. She serves on the boards of the United Hospital Fund and the Arnold P. Gold Foundations here in New York City. Dr. Sullivan-Marx is renowned as a nursing leader, educator, and clinician for her work in aging care healthcare reform in communities. She has led payment reform to recognize nurses’ work. In 2008, Dr. Sullivan-Marx served as chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Senior Care Services and was a member of the Philadelphia Emergency Preparation Review Committee in 2006.
During Superstorm Sandy, Dr. SullivanMarx, as a new dean of two months, led the NYU School of Nursing, a disaster response in Washington Square to provide services and healthcare to homebound persons living in high rises with students and faculty during the blackout week. Her work was recognized by the NYU trustees and then President John Sexton for contributing to solace and prevention of worsened health for many who were sheltered in place without water, heat, or light. She received the international Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society Best of Image Research Award (1993), the Hippensteel Founders Award for Excellence in Practice Award (2011), and the Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award (2013), and VillageCare Award Distinguished Service Award in 2016. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni from the University of
“My mom and my grandmother were strong Irish women who were role models for my sister and me.” Ann Marie Sullivan
Rochester School of Nursing and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Dr. Sullivan-Marx’s Irish roots in America are traced to her sixth paternal great grandfather, Joseph Collett Pennock, born in 1677 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, and who emigrated to Pennsylvania as a seven-year-old with his family, who were members of the Society of Friends but returned to Ireland for an education in Clonmel. In 1701, he returned to the Pennsylvania colony after inheriting property there. As a merchant and landowner, he was a public servant and served in the Pennsylvania Assembly from 1716 to 1745, building a home in what is now Chester County, P.A. named Primitive Hall, that still stands today. Joseph Pennock was a supporter of the Declaration of Independence. He died in 1771 at the age of 93. Eileen’s paternal Sullivan roots are traced to Patrick Sullivan, who emigrated to Smyrna Delaware in the 1850s at the age of 14 as an apprentice carriage painter, her paternal greatgrandmother, Julia Wall, who came as a child to Pennsylvania in the 1840s, and maternal great-grandparents, James Logue and Annie Kelly, who emigrated from Ireland as children to the Philadelphia area in the 1840s.
Ann Marie T. Sullivan
New York State Office of Mental Health Dr. Ann Marie Sullivan is currently the Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health. As commissioner, she is responsible for a multi-faceted mental health system that serves more than 700,000 individuals each year. The Office of Mental Health (OMH) operates psychiatric centers across the state, and oversees more than 4,500 communitybased programs. As commissioner, she has guided the transformation of the state hospital system in its emphasis on recovery and expansion of community
based treatment, reinvesting over 90 million dollars in community services,implemented the incorporation of critical recovery services for the seriously mentally ill in the Medicaid benefit plan, and expanded services for the mentally ill in the criminal justice system and in community reentry. Previously, she was the Senior Vice President for the Queens Health Network of the New York City Health and Hospitals, responsible for Elmhurst and Queens Hospital Centers, two public hospitals which serve a community of over two million New York City residents. She has also served as Associate Director of Psychiatry and Medical Director of Ambulatory Care at the Gouverneur Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Manhattan, NYC. Dr. Sullivan grew up in Queens, New York City. She graduated from NYU and its School of Medicine and completed her psychiatric residency at New York University/Bellevue Hospital in 1978. Dr. Sullivan, is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and has served as the Speaker of the American Psychiatric Association’s Assembly. She is a clinical professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a member of the American College of Psychiatrists. Dr. Sullivan is an active advocate for her patients and her profession, and has published and lectured on best practices in community psychiatry. Her maternal great-grandparents were born in Ireland. They settled in Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. “My mom and my grandmother were strong Irish women who were role models for my sister and me. My mom always encouraged us to follow our dreams and made sure we had strong family values and a good education. Mom had never been to Ireland, so my sister and I went with her when she was eighty years old. While we didn’t know any family there, all who we met made us feel like family! Mom treasured that trip!” AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 63
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50HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES James Walsh
Rutgers University James Walsh is founding senior director for research and innovation at Rutgers New Brunswick, part of the State University of New Jersey, where he has responsibility for managing and developing collaborative and strategic relationships with the academic and healthcare research community. Rutgers’ focus is on establishing New Jersey as a premier U.S. innovation hub for biomedical research and training the next generation of healthcare innovators. He believes that the key to future medical success is international partnership programs – including significant new relationships with the world’s leading medical technology and healthcare innovation research community in Galway and the now globally recognized medical device innovation hubs in Ireland. Walsh has had many healthcare focused roles on both sides of the Atlantic – he is the founding CSO of ImmunoGrow, an oncology cell therapeu-
tics company based in Ireland and Princeton New Jersey, whose mission is to develop more affordable cell therapeutics to help enable broader patient access. He also worked with Mount Sinai Health System, NYC, to improve healthcare industry partnerships, and for many years with Enterprise Ireland, the Irish agency responsible for helping Irish companies succeed in global markets,
where he focused on building life sciences and healthcare research and innovation capacity in the Irish university system. Walsh’s research career started at the National University of Ireland, Galway as an undergraduate with Prof. Kieran L. Dunican, and continued at the University of Oxford with Prof. John Edwards, where he worked on inherited muscle wasting disorders. His Ph.D. work at both Imperial College, London and subsequent research career at the U.K. Medical Research Council focused on inherited forms of childhood deafness and blindness and on early development disorders. Here he and colleagues helped determine the causes of many of these very debilitating diseases. These discoveries led to multiple widely cited high impact publications in Nature. He was born in Galway and spent his formative years in the west of Ireland. He resides in Princeton, N.J. and in Dublin, Ireland, with his beautiful wife Margaret Leahey, and sons Ruairi and Fionn.
Cоgratulatiоs
MADELINE BELL President & CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
For her visionary leadership and compassion for children and their families in Philadelphia and beyond. -EILEEN C. MCDONNELL Chairman & CEO, The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company
©2019 The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Philadelphia, PA 19172 www.pennmutual.com T4244
08/19 | 2665380TM_Aug21
ASAP and the New York Certification Board sends our best wishes and congratulations to Ruth Riddick, ASAP-NYCB Community Outreach & Communications, on the occasion of her recognition as a 2019 Irish America Healthcare & Life Sciences 50. John Coppola, MSW Executive Director of the ASAP New York Association of Addiction Services and Professionals www.asapnys.org
Ruth Riddick, President/CEO of Sobriety Together™ Coaching | Training | Mentoring www.sobriety-together.com
Sobriety Together†† Designed by LibbyClarkeDesign.com
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MISSION & SERVICES • Empowering coaches, therapists, social workers and other professionals by providing specialized skills-building education and training for more effective support of clients’ addiction recovery priorities and sober life management goals • Enhancing professional standards for addiction recovery support through provision of premium education and training, and partnerships with credentialing and oversight organizations • Envisioning a complete continuum of care for people with substance use disorders
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roots |
by Gregory Chestler
O’Treasaigh, Tracy, T
FROM TOP: Nathaniel Tracy Honor Tracy John Treacy
he Irish Tracey (Tracy, Treacy, Treacey) comes from the historic sept of the Ó Treasaigh; however, the name originally stems from the word treasach, meaning war-like, fighter, more powerful, or superior. Although the surname O’Tracy is rooted in the ancient and noble English family from Saxon ancestry, many of the Anglo-Irish Tracys (Ó Treasaigh) were from County Limerick. Most, if not all, arrived there from County Cork and a good deal can be traced back to County Galway as well. The muddy interrelations between the Irish and English is outlined in a number of the Tracys that follow. As fate would have it – regardless of spelling – from the very first mentioning of Treasach in the Annals of Ulster to the present-day Dr. Kevin Tracey, featured on the cover of this issue, it is no secret that this clan has been chasing superiority, and fighting militaristic and medicinal battles alike for over a thousand years. In 884 A.D. Treasach, son of Becan, chief of Ui Balriche Maighe, is stated to have been slain by Aedh, son of Ilguine. This account is the first written mentioning of the Ó Tresaigh sept. Additionally, a poetic verse about Treasach included in the Annals of Ulster after recording his death reads: A heavy mist upon the province of Bressal, since they slew at the fortaliced Liphe, Heavy the groans of Assal, far grief at loss of Treasach. Wearied my mind, moinst my countenance, since Treasach lies in death. The moon of Oenach Lifi all, and of Leinster to the sea, is the son of Becan. Fast forward nearly 1,000 years, and we find ourselves with dozens of variations of the original Ó Treasaigh surname and representatives of the clan dispersed around the globe. Though it might be difficult to prove an ontological connection from Treasies to McGillentresses, the lot of Ó Treasaigh offspring is littered with individuals that found “tracing their Tr(e)ac(e)y” imperative to understanding medicinal, geographical, and militaristic links over familial generations. We turn first to American-born Mathew J. Tracy (b. 1832), who traced his genealogy back nearly 200 years prior to his birth. He contributed his recorded findings in Historical Sketches of the Tracy and Tanner Families, which was published in 1915 when Mathew was a young 83. Arriving in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, area in the year 1640, the Scots-Irish Tracys relocated to North Carolina. Mathew’s grandfather Nathaniel Tracy (1751-1796) played a large role in the financing of the Revolutionary War; he also fought
67 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
against the British in battle. Nathaniel’s son, James Tracy (d. 1837-8), followed in his father’s footsteps, battling with his fellow Americans in the War of 1812. This brings us to the self-proclaimed genealogist, Mathew, whose first memory is saying goodbye to his dying father James, at age five, in 1837. James’ last words, on Valentine’s Day 1837 – “What will become of my little boy?” – stuck with Mathew. After fighting for the Potomac-Union army for three years during the Civil War and securing a weighty pension, he became a third-generation American-Tracy veteran. Shifting our attention to hospital records from County Tipperary on Valentine’s Day, 1895, we would see the addition of a boy named Seán (1895-1920) to one Treacy family. Genetically disposed to war-like tendencies, it is no surprise that before age 20 Seán was already a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood – which became the I.R.A. Arrested twice before turning 23, it should not come as a shock that Seán planned and took part in the Soloheadbeg ambush of 1919. Widely acknowledged as an incident that helped spark the Irish War of Independence, the ambush was responsible for the deaths of two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Unfortunately Seán would not make it to see his homeland liberated, as he was shot by a British police detective in 1920 on Talbot Street, Dublin city. About a century before the War of Independence, the well-traveled William Samuel Tracey (c. 17981873) had just graduated from Trinity College, Dublin. A resident magistrate of counties Leitrim, Sligo, Limerick, Antrim, and Wicklow, William ended his decades-long tenure in the civil service in Belfast where an 1862 banquet was thrown in his honor. His wife Margaret Simpson Tracey and daughter Jane Tracey (b. 1837) were also in attendance. Unfortunately his son, Thomas Burrowes Tracey (18351907), was not present for the celebration, due to his being employed as a civil servant at the East India Company in Cawnpore, Bengal, India. However, Thomas would reappear in court filings after ordering an investigation on the well-being of his sister Jane, around 1895. It was that year she was placed in Bethlehem Hospital after having two delusional episodes in which she believed she was being operated on by electricity. The court closed before the case was resolved, and Jane was never diagnosed with any illness – though she was known to regularly wrap cloth around her head to avoid imagined electric shocks in the hospital. Why mention this line of Traceys? Well, it just so happens that American-born, self-proclaimed genealogist Patrick Tracey, who sat down for an interview
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Tracey, Treacy with Irish America to discuss his book Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for the Roots of My Family’s Schizophrenia for our December / January 2009 issue, was extremely fascinated by the history of schizophrenia throughout his family tree. Whether or not he is related to the aforementioned Tracey can be uncovered by reading his findings. Another story-telling Tracy did so on screen, through the words of others. Irish-American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967) must have taken the translation of his family name quite seriously, reigning “superior” during the Great Depression when he became the first person to receive two consecutive Academy Awards for best actor: Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938). The only man to do so since is Tom Hanks, nearly six decades later in ’94 and ’95. Sticking with notable Tracys from the 20th century, it would be hard to overlook author, contributor, and correspondent Honor Tracy (1913-1989). Much like the Scots-Irish Tracys, the traveling Traceys of the 19th century, and war hero Seán Treacy, Honor Tracy found herself caught between conflicts in the U.K. and Ireland. Born a Protestant in 1913 Britain, she converted to Catholicism and wrote for the Irish Digest and Bell Magazine before becoming a news correspondent in Dublin. She spent many years in Achill Island, County Mayo. Her most critically acclaimed novels include The Straight and Narrow Path and The Quiet End of Evening. She was probably best known for her satirical
approach to the British-Irish disagreements during the Troubles; sadly she passed away in 1989, before conflicts were resolved. Five years before Honor died, another Treacy was making headlines in 1984, in Los Angeles. Villierstown, County Waterford, native John Treacy (b. 1957) won silver for Ireland at the 1984 Summer Olympics for the marathon. At the 1980 Moscow Olympics he collapsed with 200 meters left in his 10,000 meter-long run; he made quite a comeback four years later, earning Ireland her 13th Olympic medal. He went on to win the L.A. marathon in 1992 and the Dublin marathon in 1993. John is currently the chief executive of Sport Ireland and a chair on the board of Concern Worldwide. The marathon list of Traceys would be incomplete without mentioning Dr. Kevin Tracey (b. 1957), featured on the cover of this magazine! Unlike Mathew and Patrick, who spent years tracing their respective Tracy trees, a full explanation of the family staple “superior” research Dr. Kevin Tracey has completed is available just a few flips away on pages 34-39.
Spencer Tracy
Come Celebrate Irish America’s 22nd Annual Wall Street 50 on October 3, 2019 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Kathleen Murphy PRESIDENT, Personal Investing – Fidelity Investments
Come and celebrate this year’s Wall Street 50 honorees at a gala dinner marking the 22nd running of the list. The honorees represent some of the largest finance companies around the globe.
VENUE:
The Metropolitan Club 1 E 60th St New York City For tickets and information email mary@irishamerica.com
L
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wild irish women |
by Rosemary Rogers
Chicago May “How hard Ireland was on the women who could not fit in – the wild ones, the ones who had to get out, seeming emigrants but actual exiles.” Nuala O’Faolain
C
hicago May wasn’t from Chicago and, in fact, spent little time there, but the name somehow suited her. May Duignan was born in 1871 in the remote county of Longford in the ancient world that was 19th-century Ireland. Her young life was a slog of backbreaking work on the farm and by age 19, she knew she had to get out. But how? Her parents weren’t com-
COURTESY OF CHARLES PASCOE.
ing through with money for emigration. She could marry a local bachelor-man, but that life invariably came with a cranky crone (his mother), and more farm work. Of course there was always the convent, but somehow May didn’t hear the call of a vocation. In 1892, after helping her mother give birth to her latest child, May slipped out the door, family savings under her cloak and dreams of adventure in her head. She tripped lightly across four continents, a buxom and fun-loving scoundrel with red-gold hair, the heartiest of laughs and a simmering sexuality. Immigrants always undergo some kind of re-invention, but May’s was, to say the least, extreme. In 1907, 15 years after she fled Ireland, she was in The New York Times, described as, “the blue-eyed siren who has lured so many men to their doom.” May, 68 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
who came from a priest-ridden world where skipping Sunday Mass was a mortal sin, managed to effortlessly transition to the decadence of the New World – the farmgirl had become a “blue-eyed siren.” She was a woman of pure id, never evidencing any guilt, shame, or remorse – emotions that should have been embedded in her DNA. They weren’t. Nicking the family nest egg may have been her first crime, but it wasn’t her last. She was a blackmailer – the first to use a hidden camera – a forger, a thief, a burglar, a prostitute – or, as she preferred, a “badger” (a two-dame operation: one has sex, the other robs the john) – and an accomplice to a bank robbery. May perfected the fine art of the fainting fit, a feigned state that allowed her to steal watches and wallets and suck diamonds from tie-pins of the gents who came to her aid. May planned, if at all, badly. She lived on the edge and in the moment, without a thought to her future. Always on the move, she never had a permanent home. She made lots of money but held on to none of it, oblivious to her financial security. Generous, May was an easy touch, paying her pals’ rent or bail, and with the roll of bills in her garter, she was always ready to stand a crowded bar to rounds of drink. Back to where it all began, that night in 1892: May made tracks out of Longford, holding her stash close until she reached Liverpool, where she bought some glamorous duds and a first-class ticket to America. In her excellent biography of May, Nuala O’Faolain describes her flight: “Off she sailed with her red-gold hair and blue eyes and raucous voice and tough-asnails mannerisms and reckless energy.” After arriving in New York, May took off for Nebraska looking for an uncle, but instead found a full-fledged outlaw, Dal Churchill, a member of the notorious Dalton Gang. Dal, like most men, was instantly smitten with May and they wed. But soon after the nuptials, the bridegroom was caught robbing a train and summarily lynched by an angry mob. The young widow had American citizenship, a new name, Churchill, and she bolted the Badlands pronto, heading north. She found herself in Chicago, another penniless Irish immigrant and worse, a woman alone with few job opportunities – saving domestic work. May then did what the catechism warned against, she “fell in
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The only name she never used was May Duignan.
FAR LEFT TOP: CHORAL GIRL VANISHES, NY Morning Telegraph, 1898. FAR LEFT: BELLE OF NEW YORK publicity photo. ABOVE LEFT: “CHICAGO MAY” circa 1908. Philadelphia Inquirer, 1933. BELOW: EDDIE GUERIN, circa 1900.
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
with bad company,” and landed between the cracks of morality and the law. She joined the tribe of loose women, flimflam artists, and thieves; in her 1928 autobiography, Chicago May, Her Story by “The Queen of Crooks,” May defends her decision, “Did I not know that the rewards of steady industry were pitiful compared with the easy, if uncertain, windfalls of crime?” She set up shop in the red-light district, worked the World’s Fair of 1893. Chicago May was born. The fair left town, taking May’s business with it, but ever resourceful, she found work in a gambling club in Egypt, and soon “Cairo May” was sailing down the Nile. Her Cairo expedition was short-lived because she wanted to conquer New York. May traveled across countries, oceans, and rivers to arrive in the city’s notorious Tenderloin district, a writhing pit of gangsters, grifters, and whores. She was right at home. May’s curvaceous body and kewpie doll face belied her physical strength and violent nature – she was a powerful woman known for her roundhouse punches and capacity for alcohol. Some nights she swanned around as “Diamond May,” the grande dame in pearls and furs, on others she was the fierce fighter in the center of a brawl. She met James Sharpe, a sot and son of a wealthy family who fell in love with her. They wed, and on her wedding license she put May Lettimer as her name and 21 as her age (she was actually 27). Mother Sharpe suspected something fishy about her new daughter-in-law, but believed she was tough enough to get Jim on the natch. May, in turn, believed the family would lavish their fortune on the newlyweds
but discovered that James, the family black sheep, was only allotted a weekly allowance befitting an 11-year old. She also learned he was batty, constantly planning to murder his family. After a year in New Jersey avoiding her husband and drinking tea with her mother-in-law, she went back to the city. James enlisted in the SpanishAmerican War and was never heard from again. She now had a new name – courtesy of both hubbies and adding the fanciful “Vivienne,” she was May Vivienne Churchill Sharpe – and a new look, Gibson Girl. At 28, her hardscrabble life and alcohol consumption hadn’t diminished her appeal, and she landed in a hit musical, The Belle of New York. She traveled with the show throughout the United States and then on to London, where May, both beautiful and beautifully dressed, left her shady-lady past on the other side of the Atlantic. This could have been the high point of her life, except Eddie Guerin, the man she would later describe as “the source of all my trouble,” happened to be in London at the same time. Eddie was an Irish-American gangster who became so enthralled with May (“Her beauty held me spellbound”) that he completely forgot he had gotten married just two weeks earlier. May was likewise besotted, and immodestly wrote, “Both us were successful, prosperous thieves…good-looking, healthy, vigorous, well-dressed specimens of our respective sexes.” They traveled to Paris where they strolled the city looking like just another pair of romantic tourists, except Eddie was planning a bank robbery and enlisting May as the lookout. This was to be her official entry into major crime. The gendarmes caught Eddie and his gang, but May escaped to London. Whether it was love or loyalty or her reckless nature, she returned to Paris thinking she could help Eddie, but instead went to trial with the gang. She was sentenced to five years in a woman’s prison, but Eddie got 20 years in Devil’s Island, notorious for its systemic torture, vampire bats, and the sharks that kept circling the island, making it impossible for prisoners to escape. In its infamous history only a handful of prisoners escaped and Eddie Guerin, a two-bit con from Chicago, was one of them. He ran, sailed, and swam his way out of Devil’s Island, endured starvation, malaria and “savages,” all the while fulminating about his fate – he put the blame on May. News of his escape made headlines everywhere: England hailed him as a daring desperado, France claimed him as a
CHICAGO MAY ALIASES: May Churchill May Churchill Sharpe May Ridgeley May Rogers Mary O’Malley May Guerin Cairo May May Smith May Lettimer May Kelly Diamond May Edna Richards Gold Tooth May
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 69
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ES PAS CO E. CO URT ESY OF CH ARL
COURTESY OF CHICAGO TRIBUNE .
fugitive prisoner needing to finish his sentence, and May knew he was a madman vowing to kill her. May, too, escaped prison using her usual M.O.: she seduced the prison’s doctor, then threatened him with blackmail and got an early release. Hearing Eddie was on the loose from Devil’s Island, May scurried to South America and plied her trade at the Pan American trade conference in Rio, a venue filled with lonely businessmen. There, a diplomat with ties to British royalty, Sir Sidney Hamilton Gore, became taken with May and she, always a throne-sniffer, was ecstatic. Gore escorted the famous whore (and now, jailbird) to the “ball of the decade,” where a fabulously dressed May, on the arm of her aristocrat admirer, danced all night. After the ball they strolled in the moonlight (or got drunk, accounts vary) and he proposed marriage. But there was no happily ever after because Gore, soon after they parted, shot himself in the head. Yet another scandal in the adventures of Chicago May. Meanwhile, Eddie, having been arrested on his return to London, was in prison awaiting extradition to France. There he struck up a friendship with another prisoner, Charley Smith, and beefed how May had done him wrong. On the eve of Charley’s release, Eddie ordered him to kill her or at the very least, lop off an ear. Charley set out to follow Eddie’s orders until…he met May. It was love at first sight, but their idyll was cut short when the couple got some bad news – Eddie was free and on the streets of London. Charley thought they should run away but May (“I’m not yellow”) refused, so Charlie decided to kill Eddie; it was the only way to keep May safe. The threesome had a standoff in Russell Square, Charley shot Eddie in the foot, and after a sensational trial, Charley and May, in 1907, were convicted of attempted murder. May was sentenced to 15 years in Aylesbury Prison for Women, always a difficult stretch for Irish prisoners as they faced continual prejudice from the British guards. The 1911 Census was taken in Aylesbury and there one May Vivienne Churchill put down a string of lies, claiming to be an artist/painter, aged 35, married and – in a ploy to pass as an artiste descended from Ascendancy Protestants – gave her birthplace as Belfast. This changed after May became friends with another prisoner, Countess Constance Markiewicz, the “grandest woman I ever saw.” The countess inspired some nascent nationalism in May and, during their time together in Aylesbury, enlisted her in Rebel protests. May served 10
TOP: 1911 Census Aylesbury Prison. ABOVE: “CHICAGO MAY,” circa 1927.
70 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
years of her sentence and once out, Great Britain deported her to America, grateful to be rid of this troublesome redhead. Charley served the full 20 years. And Eddie? He had lost two toes but continued a life of crime, albeit petty, pinching pocketbooks and nylon stockings. Back in New York, May tried to go straight but as she poignantly states in her autobiography, “I became bad again.” She was 46 and the face, body and sassy style – those moneymakers that turned her into an Irish Circe – were gone. She was now, officially, “more sinned against than sinning.” She had a new man – a violent pimp who forced her to walk the streets on varicose-veined gams – he took the money while May landed in the clink. She found herself in solitary confinement in a Detroit prison, lying on a stone floor trying to pass a kidney stone, a moment described by O’Faolain, “It is hard to imagine anyone with more of a past and less of a future.” The creepy satanist, Aleister Crowley, wrote a nasty poem about one of his ex-girlfriends, but refrained from identifying her and instead used a name that had become synonymous with sordid. His opus “Chicago May: A Love Poem” begins, The great sow snores / Blowing out spittle through her blubber lips / Champagne and lust still oozing from her pores. It only gets worse from there. A social reformer and criminologist, August Vollmer, now entered May’s life, visiting her in the hospital while she recovered from kidney surgery. Vollmer, “a good-hearted bull,” knew her story and suggested a good way to go straight: write her autobiography. She did, and produced a brave, if dissembling, account of her life, published in 1928. Then, in 1929, Charley Smith, the man who spent 20 years in prison for May, traveled to America to see his lost love. As soon as he arrived Charley went to see May, again in the hospital, and they spent every night and day holding hands. He proposed, she accepted and they picked an upcoming date for their wedding: May 30, 1929. That turned out to be the day Chicago May, in Philadelphia, died on the operating table. She was 58. The sole mourner at her funeral was a stranger, a nun. In 1927, Genevieve Forbes Herrick wrote a story in The Chicago Tribune presenting May as a feminist, and “a pioneer of women’s rights in the maledominated world of crooks.” May didn’t think of herself as a feminist (it’s doubtful she knew the meaning of the word), but she knew she had enough moxie to do what few women of her time could do: get off the farm and head out into the unknown. Like all immigrants, she re-invented herself, though she did so more flamboyantly and more dangerously than most. O’Faolain writes, “May’s story is not a negative story at all – life dealt her this hand of cards, and she played it her way. In her terms, her IA life was a success – her great adventure.”
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Corey Johnson:
Lightning In
Corey Johnson zoomed into New York like a comet and burst onto the political scene. In just a few short years he became speaker of the city council. He’s smart, articulate, high-energy, and the kind of guy who is going places fast. He talks to Rosemary Rogers about his history, his health, and his Irish pride.
Speaker of New York City Council, Corey Johnson, at the Irish Arts Center. Pictured are Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Corey, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Pauline Turley, the center’s vice chair. Speaking at the event, which marked a $2.5 million grant from the Irish government to the center, Johnson said: “The story of this project, in many ways, is the story of Ireland and the story of New York. It’s a persistent gritty history of how we moved this project forward.”
I
n 2013, Corey Johnson, with little money and less connections (he’s from Massachusetts), won a seat on the New York City Council. He was only 31. Five years later, the council (including its Republicans) elected him as their speaker. Corey is a man in a hurry, bringing energy and passion into every minute of his long day, making him the most charismatic politician New York has seen in a long time. This openly gay, openly HIV-positive politician is already being talked about as the next mayor of New York City. His personal story is compelling. He was a kid from a working-class family who grew up in public housing and realized, in the sixth grade, that he was gay. He suffocated in the closet until he knew he had to come out. But that’s not easy for any high school kid, and unimaginable if, like Corey, you’re captain of your school’s football team. He turned to activists and educators for guidance and was able to
72 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
tell his family. They were loving but worried for his safety – only two years earlier the torture and murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man, had made national headlines. He next told his grandfather, “Grandpa, I have something to tell you: I’m gay.” For Grandpa, it was a relief: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I thought you were going to tell me you were a Republican!” Telling his family was liberating: “It lifted a large anvil off my shoulders.” But telling his team would be more difficult. How would they, immersed in the macho culture of jocks, react to learning their captain is gay? He stood in front them in the locker room, “I’m coming out as an openly gay man. I hope this won’t change anything.” Shock and silence filled the room until Corey broke the ice, “I didn't come on to you in the locker room last year. I'm not going to do it this year. Who says you guys are good enough anyway?” The team broke down in laughter and were instantly on his side, and stayed there, especially during games when the opposing teams would shout gay slurs. Corey’s story made the front page of The New York Times in 2000 and included his quote, “You don't have to do drama or be a drum major to be gay.” When Corey toured the U.S. to tell his story, he saw it resonate with many young people grappling with the same issue. Coming out in high school made you both an inspiration and an activist. Is that how you see it? The experience really gave me the courage to speak out and encourage others to come out as gay if they were struggling with making that decision, but mostly I learned about the importance of being brave and being yourself… I received half a million emails from people all over the world.
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A Bottle He moved to New York City at 19 and entered public service as an activist, first for LGBTQ+ causes and then expanding to issues like tenant advocacy. He went on to serve as chairperson of Manhattan’s Community Board 4, becoming the youngest person to chair a community board in the five boroughs. Then he learned he was HIVpositive. When were you diagnosed as being HIVpositive? I was 22 years old when I was diagnosed as HIVpositive. I felt shame, fear, anxiety. It was awful. I didn’t think it could get any worse. Then a couple of weeks after I seroconverted*, I lost my job, which meant I also lost my health insurance. I didn’t know where to turn. Then my doctor gave me the address of a clinic. My caseworker was loving, vibrant and reassuring. I felt zero judgment. It took me a long time to be able to talk about my diagnosis with anyone aside from my caseworker. *Seroconversion: Once infected with HIV, the virus takes hold in the body by multiplying rapidly. The immune system responds by producing antibodies in response to the virus. Antibodies appear within one to two weeks and will continue to increase in the months after infection.
What were the years following your diagnosis like? In the years after my diagnosis, I began to really abuse drugs and alcohol. I think I was self-medicating rather than dealing with the pain and anxiety I was feeling. But I’m proud to say that today, I am sober, I have health insurance, I am grateful and I am open about my status. I use my position to help people just like I was helped and to lessen the stigma surrounding HIV / AIDS. This is our Health and Life Sciences Issue and I have to ask: you’re someone who exudes energy and exuberance – those splits! – making you a terrific role model for the other HIV folks out there. Has that put you on the path to being an HIV advocate? I would not be alive today if it were not for those who came before me: Peter Staley, Ann Northrop, Vito Russo, and particularly Larry Kramer, who cofounded the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and created ACT UP. I think about those activists every day. We lost a generation of people, and we would have lost
more if it weren’t for them. I am alive because of activism. I will always be grateful and live a life of service in their honor.
Speaker of New York city council Corey Johnson’s official head shot.
Sadly, HIV / AIDS is still here. People are still dying of HIV / AIDS in 2019. For the most part, they’re black and they’re brown and they’re very poor. They don’t look like me, but I know how they feel. They’re scared and they need help. So we’ve come far, but we have far to go. I’m here to do my part and will work to save the lives of the next generation. You recently were included in Queerly’s PRIDE 50, as was Ireland’s prime minister Leo Varadkar, also openly gay. Have you ever met or spoken with him? Any thoughts about him? I met him at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Irish Arts Center space in my district in Manhattan. He was very tall and very serious. We are very grateful to have his support in building an expanded state-of-the-art facility for the Irish Arts Center. Your mother’s maiden name is Queenan. Do you have any idea what part of Ireland her family is from? Yes, they are from Mooncoin, County Kilkenny, about 10 miles from Waterford City. You’re part of the city council’s Irish caucus. What are those meetings like? The Irish Caucus – there are five of us – is really active when we are planning and discussing all the wonderful Irish pride events happening throughout New York’s five boroughs for St. Patrick’s Day. That’s when our meetings become a real gabfest. We’re all pretty big personalities and so there is a lot of talking and laughter. We’re not a shy bunch. We have a good time. We are proud of our heritage and proud of all the ways New York celebrates Irish IA pride. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 73
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what are you like? |
by Patricia Harty
Writer Mary Beth Keane On swanky hotels, Gráinne O’Malley’s tailor-made pirate outfits, and her own unusual hidden talent.
M
ary Beth Keane’s novel, Ask Again, Yes, is a lyrical, moving tale spanning 40 years about family, love, alcoholism and mental illness. Told with tenderness and empathy for the human condition, it is juxtaposed with just the right amount of humor to carry the story along. NPR’s Maureen Corrigan called it “one of the most unpretentiously profound books I’ve read in a long time.” Mary Beth is the daughter of Irish immigrants – her mother is from Mayo and her father is from Connemara
– and she writes with deep familiarity about the Irish in her books. She is also the author of The Walking People, and FEVER (about Mary Mallon, known as Typhoid Mary). In 2015 she was awarded a John S. Guggenheim fellowship for fiction writing. Mary Beth lives in Pearl River, New York, with her husband and their two sons.
What is your current state of mind?
What was your first job?
A mix of joy and anticipation and self-loathing. I’ve a new book out, things are going very well for it, but I’ve noticed I’m not quite as sick of talking about it as I really should be. Then at the end of every day I call myself out on being an attention-seeking terrible person, and I vow to be more modest starting tomorrow. Then the next day it starts all over again.
Receptionist at a literary agency on Bleecker Street in New York. My salary barely covered my rent, but I took the job so that I might learn a little about book publishing, and I did.
Your greatest extravagance? Nice hotels. I got ruined on book tours and now even when I’m footing the bill I think a swanky hotel is usually worth every penny.
Who is your hero? Gráinne O’Malley, 16th century pirate queen of Ireland. What a ball-busting powerhouse of a woman, but in my imagination she has perfect, flowing hair and a great tailor making her pirate outfits. She was probably insufferable to be around, but still, I’ve been obsessed since I first heard of her as a child. There’s a family rumor that we are descendants from her on my father’s side. My paternal grandmother was O’Malley. When I’m at my bossiest I think that might be her coming out in me. (I started the rumor.)
What is on your bedside table? From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan, and There, There by Tommy Orange. 74 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
Your earliest memory? Sitting on my father’s shoulders and letting go of a balloon. Crying as it floated up and away.
Best advice ever received? On writing: Never begin until you feel like a pot about to boil over.
Do you strike up conversations on long plane rides? Hell no.
Where do you go to think? I go for a long run, or a long walk. I find running and writing go very well together.
What is your hidden talent? I’m an extraordinarily gifted parallel parker. The tragic part is I’m always best when I’m alone. I can squeeze an SUV into a spot meant for a scooter.
ABOVE: Keane’s new book, Ask Again, Yes. ABOVE RIGHT: Author Mary Beth Keane. RIGHT: Keane as an infant with her father, Willie.
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Your favorite quality in friends? Brutal honesty delivered from a place of unconditional love.
Your typical day? Wake up, get the kids out to school, respond to emails, write 1,000 words (this may take 90 minutes or it might take four hours), exercise, run a few errands if there’s time, get the kids off the school bus, get the kids to baseball or basketball or whatever thing, homework, dinner, bed. Somewhere in there I try to read for at least 90 minutes.
Your perfect day? Wake up while everyone else is still sleeping but somehow the coffee is already made, write a few pages, feel good about it, go for a long run (in my perfect day it’s always 60 degrees out). When I get back from this imaginary run the kids are awake but giggling and not at all punching each other. Then we eat something good and do something as a family. A perfect day would end with one or several perfect glasses of wine.
Favorite country you have ever visited? Peru.
Movie you will watch again and again?
The Fugitive. I think I’ve seen it a dozen times. I never get sick of it.
What drives you? I want to be able to capture in writing exactly how people feel: every secret, every nuance, every contradictory thought, and have it be understood.
Your most embarrassing moment? I can’t report that in a magazine my entire extended family reads.
Your favorite place? Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Favorite sound? My kids laughing. I know how corny that is.
Favorite smell? Coffee.
Favorite meal? Warm scone with butter and a cup of tea. AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 75
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what are you like?
|
writer mary beth keane
Favorite drink?
What’s next for you?
Probably a Malbec or a Bordeaux blend, stemless glass.
See above.
What are you like? What is your most distinguishing characteristic? I have almost no patience whatsoever.
What trait do you most deplore in others? Hypocrisy.
What is your motto? Do people have mottos? I don’t have one.
If you weren’t doing what you are doing, what would you do? I think I’d enjoy working in construction in some capacity. Not the heavy lifting but the negotiating, organizing, and then in the end to see a concrete result: a building or house that wasn’t there before.
What question do you wish someone would ask you? My thoughts on the end of Game of Thrones.
What have you been working on recently? I’m in the very very very early stages of a new novel.
And since it’s our Health issue – can you say why you decided to write about Typhoid Mary (I haven’t read FEVER yet) and what was the most surprising thing you learned? I felt moved to write FEVER, my novel before this new one, because in everything I read about Mary Mallon (the woman known to the world as Typhoid Mary), her thoughts, feelings, and perspective were left out. Her story was told by many people, but all people who couldn’t have possibly understood her: male lawyers, doctors, reporters, sanitary engineers – none of whom seemed to see her as fully human. I wanted to give her another dimension, a point of view. The most surprising thing I learned is that she was only responsible for one death. Several illnesses, yes, but only one death. And considering what most people understood about germs and hygiene back at the turn of the 20th century, I think it’s very likely that she never linked that death to herself.
76 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
I’m told I seem kind of intense, but I consider myself laid back. I don’t know. Impatient, at times, but devoted to the people I love. Empathy springs up pretty easily in me.
When did you first think of yourself as a writer or know that was what you wanted to be? When I was in fourth grade we had to write a paragraph on our favorite food, and then we had to stand at our desks and read it aloud to our class. Ninety percent of the class picked pizza and described it as triangular. I picked a baked potato purely because of the descriptive possibilities (butter melting, grains of salt, etc.) When every student had their turn I remember thinking for the very first time: I’m better at this than the rest of these people. I’m not sure I had confidence in anything I did before that.
Do you have a favorite place to visit in Ireland? My favorite part of Ireland is the drive between Connemara (my father’s place) and Louisburgh, Mayo (my mother’s place) by way of Leenane, passing the Killary Fjord. I don’t think it’s possible IA for a place to be more beautiful.
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window on the past |
The
Emmett Kelly
Triumph of a
Sad Clown The extraordinarily gifted Emmett Kelly, who turned clowning into an art form. By Ray Cavanaugh
TOP RIGHT: Kelly in a 1953 LIFE magazine photo. BOTTOM RIGHT: Kelly having himself a bubble bath in 1955.
T
hough he was most certainly a clown, Emmett Kelly’s performances were wistful rather than slapstick. Instead of wearing cheerfully bright clothes and having a prominent grin painted on his face, Kelly flouted clownish convention, wearing dark-colored rags and having a face forever contorted in sadness. Even though he went decades without smiling onstage, he brought smiles and laughter to millions. Emmett Leo Kelly was born on December 9, 1898, in Sedan, Kansas, a small farming community near the railroad. The railroad industry employed his father, Thomas Kelly, an Irish immigrant who named him after the executed Irish nationalist Robert Emmett. When he was about age seven, Kelly and his family relocated to Houston, Missouri. There he began to show an aptitude for drawing, and eventually decided to take a mail correspondence cartooning course. As a young man, he left his small town for Kansas City, seeking to become a cartoonist. His lack of education, which ended at grade eight, proved an obstacle to finding the jobs he wanted. So he was compelled to earn money by painting signs and working at carnivals, as related by Jan Onofrio’s Kansas Biographical Dictionary. He received his first taste of professional clowning when he landed a spot with the Frisco Exposition Show that was visiting Kansas City. Kelly eventually found a position as a cartoonist with an advertising film company. During this period, he created “Weary Willie,” the disheveled and dejected hobo-clown who would become his famed stage persona. Though he found his cartooning job agreeable, he could not resist the urge to return to the stage. So he became part of a small trapeze act. There he met his first wife, Eva Moore, a trapeze artist with whom he performed. Their marriage, which took place in 1923, lasted 12 years and produced two children. He later had a brief, childless marriage to Mildred Richey. In 1955, he married Elvira Gebhardt, with whom he had two children. They remained married until his death. For the first part of his stage career, Kelly per-
78 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
formed as a trapeze artist and a traditional whiteface clown. He had wanted to try performing as hobo-clown Weary Willie but was unable to persuade circus higher-ups to okay the character. That all changed with the Great Depression, which forced millions of Americans into desperate poverty. During this era, a significant number of males became train-riding drifters, known as “hobos.” They were a common sight across much of America. Now there were countless people interested in Weary Willie. Indeed, in those depressed times, many could personally identify with him. Weary Willie was a hard-luck but lovable slob. His eyes, large and expressive, would peer at the audience. Willie’s stare was seemingly bottomless in its mournful resignation. About his stage persona Kelly remarked, “I don’t feel funny when I’m this hobo character. I’m a misfit, a reject. Life is passing me by.” This “reject” was much in demand, however. Aside from making numerous nightclub appearances, Kelly and his alter ego spent much of the 1930s touring with circuses in the U.S. and U.K. The prime of his career started in 1942, when he became a star attraction for Ringling Bros. circus. His audience was international and sometimes highly prominent. According to a 1947 LIFE magazine article, Winston Churchill and the Queen of Spain enjoyed his routine, though Kelly remembered that Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie seemed rather indifferent to him. Many audience members, however, actively sought to cheer him up. Weary Willie might be offered peanuts or even a cake. But he was not inclined to accept these handouts. Instead, he would sit on the side of the stage, eating a raw cabbage, while staring into the eyes of the audience. In his more active moments, he might hang his tattered laundry on a tightrope. Or he would try to cut a wooden board in half (but the saw would get stuck), or try to open a peanut with a sledgehammer (always ending in disaster). He might play solitaire, until a losing streak forced him to abandon the game in frustration. Then he would sweep up after the other performers. For his signature act, he would use a broom to sweep up the spotlight that followed him
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PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
on stage. Though Kelly said that he also had a rather solemn temperament in real life, family members recall that he was no stranger to having a fun time. He also functioned well in crucial moments. On July 6, 1944, Kelly, who eschewed hard liquor but loved beer, was having a drink in his dressing tent when he heard the sound of crackling. Seeking to identify the source of the sound, Kelly saw that the main circus tent was engulfed in flames. This event became known as the Hartford Circus Fire, the cause of which remains unknown, but the results of which claimed about 170 lives, the majority of them very young lives. On that infernal day, Kelly emerged as one of the heroes: aside from carrying pails of water, he helped usher dazed and panicked people to safety by way of the candy vendor’s exit. The fast-acting Kelly and his weary alter ego retired from Ringling Bros. in 1956, though Weary Willie continued to appear in movies and on TV shows and commercials. The year 1967 saw the establishment of the Emmett Kelly Museum (emmettkellymuseum.com) in Sedan, Kansas. This museum commemorates the life of the clown whom Sedan’s inhabitants are proud to call a native son. Kelly died of a heart attack in Sarasota, Florida, on March 28, 1979, at age 80. Aside from his legacy as a performer, he left behind family members who sought to emulate him, often too much for his liking. His son, Emmett Kelly Jr., not only became a clown but also used his father’s character Weary Willie. This was a source of conflict between the two and resulted in years of estrangement. Kelly’s grandson, Emmett Kelly III, left his job as an accountant to follow in his predecessors’ clown-
ish footsteps. He did not use the Weary Willie character, but was a less mournful clown, known simply as “Willie.” Of course, neither of the younger Kellys found success like the first Emmett Kelly – the sad clown extraordinaire who captivated millions IA without speaking a single word.
One can view a number of Emmett Kelly clips, including his spotlight act, courtesy of YouTube.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 79
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Stack Dan Ward’s
From rural Donegal to Russia’s Hermitage Museum: the bizarre journey of an Irish landscape by an American artist. By Geoffrey Cobb
Y
ou would hardly expect to find idyllic scenes of the Donegal Gaeltacht in a Russian state museum, but the celebrated painting “Dan Ward’s Stack” and other gorgeous canvases of rural Donegal grace the walls of two of Russia’s world-renowned art museums. The story becomes even more incredible because the Donegal canvases were gifts to the thenSoviet Union, not from an Irish painter, but from a New York artist who had fallen in love with Donegal. 80 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
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LEFT: “Dan Ward’s Stack” by Rockwell Kent. Courtesy of the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. BOTTOM LEFT: Portrait of Rockwell Kent, June 21, 1882. TOP: “Shipwreck” by Rockwell Kent. Courtesy of the Plattsburgh State Art Museum. RIGHT: “Annie McGinley” lying on the Donegal cliffs, by Rockwell Kent. Courtesy of Plattsburgh State Museum. Now in a private collection in New York. BOTTOM: “Sturrall,” Donegal (1927) by Rockwell Kent.
As if the story was not improbable enough, the saga of Rockwell Kent’s Irish paintings becomes even more surreal on account of his background. Kent was an upper-class New Yorker of English background without a drop of Irish blood. Born in Tarrytown, New York, in 1882, Kent attended Columbia University and trained with the finest American art teachers of his day, including Paul Henri, William Merritt Chase, and Wilhelmina and Thomas Furlong. Kent was apprenticed to painter and naturalist Abbott Handerson Thayer, who stimulated Kent’s interest in painting wild, idyllic landscapes. In 1905, Kent ventured to remote Monhegan Island, Maine, where he found inspiration in its rugged, primitive beauty for the next five years. His series of Monhegan canvases were met with wide critical acclaim in 1907 in New York. These works earned Kent an enduring reputation as one of the foremost early American modernists, and they still hang in museums across the country, including New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kent read the work of transcendentalists Thoreau and Emerson and shared their belief that man found peace and spiritual beauty in remote natural settings. He sought out even wilder landscapes than Maine, traveling to Newfoundland and Alaska before ending up in Donegal in 1926. Seeking solitude and beauty, Kent found them in
a remote corner of Donegal, in a valley called Glenlough that was then accessible only by foot. Kent rented a cowshed from local farmer Dan Ward, where the New Yorker set up his studio. Ward and Kent became good friends, and after painting for several weeks, Kent invited Ward and his wife Rose to the cowshed for tea, where they became the first people ever to see his Donegal series. Ward, the story goes, was singularly unimpressed. He stared at the canvasses for ages, and finally, he removed the pipe from his mouth, and blurted out: “Begorra, they’re terrible.” Undeterred by the criticism, Kent continued his work. One of his finest paintings, depicting Ward building a giant haystack, now hangs on permanent display in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, while another of his Donegal paintings, “Annie McGinley,” is now in a private collection in New York. After four months, and 36 Donegal paintings, Kent left for New York, where some of his work was sold into private collections. He kept in touch with the Wards by letter, and was eager to return to Ireland. But fate took a hand. The Depression hit and people had little money for food, let alone artwork. Then came the war, and after that, the Red Scare. Interrogated by Senator Joseph McCarthy in front of the House Committee on Un-American activities, Kent refused to name names or admit that he was or ever had been a member of the Communist party. He was duly punished: when he tried to leave America, his passport was revoked. Kent began a long and costly legal battle to regain his passport. In the meantime, his old friend Dan Ward offered to sell him his farm. Finally in 1958, the Supreme Court sided with Kent and, passport in hand, he headed off to Ireland. He arrived at the Belfast docks and took the narrow gauge railway to Killybegs, but he arrived too late. Dan’s place had already been sold. Pilloried by McCarthy’s supporters in America, Kent was seen as a hero in the Soviet Union. His 1957 Russian retrospective was celebrated and, in gratitude, Ward donated more than 80 of his paintings to the Soviet people.“Dan Ward’s Stack” was among them. His fame in Russia lived on. Kent became a recipient of the prestigious Lenin Prize before his death from a heart attack in 1971. He was 88, and living in Plattsburgh, New York. His paintings have never had a showing in Ireland, and few people in Donegal knew of their existence, until a recent television program piqued local interest. Kevin Magee, a correspondent with the BBC, came across a copy of the “Annie McGinley” painting, hanging in a Donegal pub, and set about investigating the American artist who painted the barefoot local girl lying on the cliff edge. Thus began Ar Lorg Annie / In Search of Annie, which was broadcast on BBC2 Northern Ireland in June last year. Perhaps now, the paintings will finally have an IA Irish retrospective. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 81
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Our Story
When mental illness wreaks havoc on life and home.
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PHOTO CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK
n September, 1989, my beautiful, talented daughter entered NYU Film School as a promising young filmmaker. She amassed a stunning photography portfolio and produced two acclaimed short documentaries while still in high school, and every university she applied to offered her scholarships. In her freshman year, she produced several excellent and insightful short films, but when she returned for her sophomore year, she had a mental breakdown and had to return home on a medical emergency basis. She has never fully recovered. For the past 30 years she has struggled with mental illness, which is much more difficult to diagnose and treat than a purely physical condition such as diabetes or heart disease, especially when the subject is highly intelligent. While the age at which she became ill is a common time for the emergence of schizophrenia, she has never experienced the classic visual and auditory hallucinations symptomatic of the disorder. She does, however, experience paranoia, have delusions that her father and I control her from afar, and express grandiose, unrealistic ambitions. As a result, her diagnoses have vacillated from bi-polar and schizo-affective to dissociative identity (once called multiple personality) and even obsessive compulsive. Over the intervening decades, my daughter has been hospitalized numerous times and has been prescribed psychotropic medications that invariably she has stopped taking because once they begin having the desired stabilizing effect, she doesn’t believe she needs them. When she spirals into a seriously decompensated state, her thinking and communication become disjointed, she is non-compliant with any directives, is unable to maintain personal and environmental hygiene, cannot follow through on even her simplest plans, and is consumed by rage. For these reasons and more, she has twice been diagnosed as “gravely disabled,” placed under legal conservatorship, and court-ordered for in-patient treatment at a secured psychiatric hospital. My daughter’s first conservatorship did not go well. The hospital where she was being treated discharged her too soon and she fled California. For five years she moved from state to state, and my only contacts with
her were late-night delusional phone calls – when she would rage that I was controlling her telepathically. In Washington she was hospitalized several times, and at one treatment center seemed to be doing well, but then she stopped taking her medication again and the delusions returned. I didn’t hear from her for months, and when she finally called, I learned she was homeless in Hawaii. When she returned home she was hospitalized again, placed in conservatorship, and court-ordered for treatment in a secured psychiatric hospital. She hated every minute of the four months she spent at the facility, but her mental state stabilized and she was discharged to an out-patient program. When her conservatorship came up for its annual renewal, the judge lifted the restriction because she no longer fit conservatorship’s narrow legal definition. By this time she wasn’t in denial about her mental illness and willingly continued taking her medication. Then she met someone who introduced her to meth. She has been using meth for three years now. The drug has wracked her body, rotted her teeth, and destroyed all the progress she had made. For the past year and a half, I lobbied her psychiatrist, case worker, and the mental health system to re-admit her to a psychiatric hospital, but was told by all that she didn’t “fit the criteria.” Finally, the fifth evaluation team authorized hospitalization that would begin the conservator process
again. Her physical condition was so grave that she was put on IV fluids and antibiotics in a non-secured ward, equipped with a sole 24-hour guard. On the sixth day of treatment she was left briefly unguarded and she fled. The hospital filed a “critical missing person” report with the police, who tracked her to a homeless encampment, but they couldn’t enter without search warrants. A week later, she contacted me and I notified the police, thinking the information I gave them would help find her, but I was told that because she contacted me she was no longer considered “missing,” and her case was closed. She won’t come home and doesn’t trust me because I have called the psych team so many times, which she sees as a betrayal rather than my desperate attempts to help her. She prefers to live on the street. My heart breaks when I look at my daughter’s wasted body and hear her delusions. She says the meth makes her feel better and is healing her, but I know it’s killing her. She refuses to seek help on her own, and with the way the laws are structured, I am prevented from helping her against her will. This is our story. But it’s more than just our story. Mental illness is a scourge that affects millions of Americans. Everyone I know, or even speak casually with, either has a family member who is afflicted with mental illness or knows someone who suffers from it in some form. The numerous commercials for medications that treat psychi-
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atric disorders demonstrate how rampant mental illness has become, but the billions in profits earned by the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture psychotropic medications strengthen their lobbies to deter Congress from changing the laws that regulate treatment. Mental illness is the primary underlying cause of our over-crowded prisons, the drug crisis, and the homeless epidemic that grows more severe every day. Undiagnosed and untreated, persons who experience mental illness will often endanger their lives by self-treating with alcohol or drugs, a mental health condition defined as “dual diagnosis.” In 2018, the California legislature was presented with a bill that would broaden the legal definition of mental illness to include drug use, but it failed. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest mental health organization, is dedicated to building better lives for all Americans affected by mental illness. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has become the leading voice on mental health. Through their public awareness events and activities, NAMI fights the mental illness stigma, encourages understanding, and works daily to make sure our country understands how important mental health is. Across the country, thousands of trained NAMI volunteers who have personal experience with mental health conditions in their own families bring a variety of peer-led programs to community locations. The NAMI Family & Friends four-hour seminar informs and supports people who have loved ones with a mental health condition. Participants learn about symptoms, diagnoses, treatment, recovery, communication strategies, crisis preparation, and NAMI resources. NAMI Family-to-Family is a free 12-week class for families, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions. The course is designed to facilitate a better understanding of mental health disorders, increase coping skills, and empower participants to become advocates for their family members. If you love someone who is suffering from a mental health condition, I encourage you to visit www.NAMI.org and learn more by attending NAMI’s free educational programs. I did. The writer wishes to remain anonymous.
Prayer I believe in an afterlife, A promise made by the gentle Jesus, Of a Heaven free of pain. A place of joy and possibility, Of welcome into the arms of Those we loved. Is there a Hell? I doubt its reality, When I observe your anguish. Hell is your struggle These seventy-six years on Earth. I dream and hope in the Beliefs of our eastern brethren. That there is another chance for you. A rebirth into a world Ripe with realities that Were snatched from you The day you were born. I pray for a safe space And loving arms to hold you And sweet, dream-filled nights. I pray for good, loyal friends And meaningful work. I pray for dances and beautiful clothes. For a loving mate, For children who adore you, For a home that reflects you, Where you can dance from room to room; I pray for rooms with no bars. For a mind Open to the wonders of the world. I pray for your freedom.
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My sister has suffered with schizophrenia since she was 21. This prayer / poem popped out after a particularly sad visit with her a couple of years ago. She is a very gentle soul. Although Hell exists between her ears in the form of frightening delusions, she will hone in on anyone whom she thinks is sad or suffering. It can get a little sticky, but everyone at the nursing home understands. I have saved envelopes of single dollar bills that she shoves at us for the family. It is so important that she has something to give. She is so generous, which blows my mind since she has suffered so much.
The writer wishes to remain anonymous. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 83
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review of books | recently published books FICTION
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die By James Mustich
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f you can get past what is clearly one of the more intimidating book titles you will ever come across, this volume is a wonder to dip in and out, in small or large doses. And not surprisingly, it is loaded with Irish titles – some classics, others unjustly forgotten. There is, of course, James Joyce (Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Ulysses) and Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot, as well as the lesser-known novel Molloy, and novella “Company”). But there’s also Lucy Grealy’s memoir Autobiography of a Face, Nuala O’Faolain’s Are You Somebody, and Irish American Bruce Duffy’s historical novel The World as I Found It. Overall, Mustich deserves credit for a mighty diverse list which includes popular and experimental fiction, history, memoir, and even hard-tocategorize works like The 9/11 Commission Report. And, of course, the whole point of a book like this is to argue about what has been left out. So be prepared for a gigantic literary hole between L and N, with nothing here by Colum McCann or Alice McDermott. Thankfully, we have the complete stories of both Frank O’Connor and William Trevor, though just one play by Eugene O’Neill (Long Day’s Journey Into Night). Still, the diaspora is well-represented, in the form of Aussie-Irishman Peter Carey (The True History of the Kelly Gang), Irish Americans Pete Hamill (A Drinking Life) and Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes), and expatriate Irish like Edna O’Brien (The Little Red Chairs). Mustich’s summaries are breezy but insightful, learned without being stuffy. For each title he also offers other works by the same author, and similar works by other authors. All in all, this is a great book to have in your library, though by the time you actually read all of the entries you may…oh, never mind. – Tom Deignan 948 pages / $35 / Workman
All the Bad Apples By Moïra Fowley-Doyle
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ollowing the success of her first two teen novels, Moïra Fowley-Doyle’s third book, All the Bad Apples, stays in line with the fantastical, suspenseful tone she is known for while also tackling a number of socio-cultural themes that are ever prevalent in both Ireland, the U.S., and abroad at present. Deena, an insecure Dublin teen, reveals her darkest secret to her older sister, Rachel, and to her father, accidentally, on the morning of her 17th birthday, which results in a domino chain of reactions involving a death, a curse, a quest, a family history, a chance at love, and a shot at saving the family tree. Fowley-Doyle draws on the troubling history of institutions such as Magdalene laundries to drive home the underlying intention of the novel: to highlight injustices committed against “bad apples” – young women thought to be on the wrong path – throughout Irish history. The quick pacing is sure to hold the attention of today’s teens. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters and mystical adventure combined with motifs concerning fair reproductive rights, gender / sexual equality, and broken families situate Fowley-Doyle’s story in the thick of current discourse surrounding politically tense issues. A great read for teens struggling to find books featuring LGBTQ+ protagonists and those who enjoyed series such as Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson but are ready for a female hero to take charge. – Gregory Chestler 305 pages / $23.00 / Kathy Dawson Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC)
Car Trouble By Robert Rorke
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ongtime columnist for the New York Post, amongst other publications, Robert Rorke’s first novel, Car Trouble, allows him ample space to display his strong skills as an author. The Brooklyn native pays tribute to his home borough’s changing landscape, architecturally and racially, in this coming-of-age novel that is easily relatable to readers young and old. Centered around a 1970s Irish-American family, the stories of the Flynns of Flatbush are delivered to the reader through the eyes of Nicky Flynn – the family’s sole son. Between him and his mother Claire, a run-down home of four girls is cared for – insofar as they can keep Pat Flynn, the flawed patriarch, under control. Referred to throughout the novel as Himself, Nicky’s father is a meta-Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde character whose wild side is unlocked with a drink – or seven. His protective spirit and good intentions are met with his outlandish actions, unpredictable personality, and too-often missing presence from home. The novel is sectioned around the various vehicles Himself purchases at the 69th precinct at auction and explores the generational gap of men from the 1950s vs. 1970s, the draft, white flight, and alcoholism, all without becoming too preachy about any particular issue. While the motifs are heavy, Rorke does a fine job of allowing the story to lightly deliver its message. An easy read, but one you’ll want to pay attention to, and perhaps revisit the first section after finishing the epilogue. – Gregory Chestler 406 pages / $15.99 / HarperCollins
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summer read for kids
The Dog Who Lost His Bark By Eoin Colfer Illustrations by PJ Lynch
The Sleeping Giant By Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
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his heartwarming story is perfect for enthusiastic young readers. With large, clear font, a simple vocabulary, and an engaging story about finding one’s family, the book hits all the right notes. “Dog” is a puppy who’s been through a lot, and his once-happy bark has faded to a whimper. Then Patrick, whom he refers to as “AWESOME PATRICK,” finds him at the pound and brings him home, and he learns to open his heart to humans again, starting a new life with a new name – “Oz” – in a new home, filled with love and music. Oz finds that Patrick’s family is in the midst of their own life-changing journey, and that they need him as much as he needs them. He throws himself whole-heartedly into his role as Patrick’s best friend, and the two pals bolster each other to brave one’s unhappy past and navigate the other’s uncertain future. Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer’s subtly sweet relation of a summer through the eyes of a dog and his boy is accompanied by detailed, evocative illustrations by award-winning Irish artist P.J. Lynch. If your family doesn’t have a dog (preferably a rescue) by the time you’ve finished reading, be warned: you may be getting one whether you like it or not. – Mary Gallagher
ake a quick detour to Kerry, where off the coast lies a small island – or is it actually a friendly giant, sleeping off a hearty meal? Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick’s beloved 1991 children’s classic The Sleeping Giant, which tells the story of a bumbling tower of a man who awakens in the wrong century, has been re-released in paperback form. A happy-go-lucky fellow with an earth-shaking walk, the Kerry giant crushes farmhouses and creates new landmarks with every step. When an ancient spell in his stew puts him to sleep, the people live in peace and enjoy the landscape his slumbering form creates for hundreds of years – until he wakes up! Stumbling through a land that is no longer his own as he destroys buildings and terrifies people in his wake, the distraught giant meets a little girl, Ann, who helps him find his way back to the sea where he belongs. Young readers with an interest in funny folklore will enjoy this modern extension of Irish mythology, which is dedicated to the author’s own daughter – Ann. The story is based on legends of the island Inishtooskert, (known as An Fear Marbh, Irish for “the dead man,” because it resembles a man laying on his back). The story may not put your child to sleep, but it promises to make you both laugh. – Mary Gallagher
144 pages / $16.99 / Candlewick Press
32 pages / €9.99 / The O’Brien Press
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| children’s corner
My Little Album of Dublin By Juliette Saumande and Tarsila Krüse
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njoy a tour of Dublin with your little one with this picture book of adorably illustrated city landmarks. Starting on O’Connell Street and venturing through the DART, Croke Park, and other sites, the Little Album is a young reader’s adaptation of the I Spy books, with a collection of surprises to be found in every colorful expanse in a simple, engaging game of identification and recognition. The items hidden within each scene are arrayed on the following pages, with their names printed both in English and as Gaeilge. The simple translations make reading the book not only a fun virtual tour of Dublin (or Baile Atha Cliath), but a tool that will fan an interest and aptitude with the Irish language early on. Authors Juliette Saumande and Tarsila Krüse, from France and Brazil respectively, have both made their homes in Dublin, and their picture book reflects the eager enthusiasm for a place that can only be held by residents who have chosen it. If you can’t make it in person, take your child on a visit to Ireland’s capital through the vividly colorful pages of My Little Album of Dublin. – Mary Gallagher 32 pages / $14.25 / The O’Brien Press
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review of books | CLIMATE CHANGE:
A Mum’s Mission Trócaire’s Lorna Tevnan Gold on saving the future from the present. By Mary Gallagher
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r. Lorna Tevnan Gold of the Irish humanitarian organization Trócaire has been working to change environmental policy and appealing to the public to see climate change for the impending disaster already-in-motion that it is for the past 15 years, and now she’s written a book about it. Climate Generation – Awakening to Our Children’s Future explains in layman’s terms what we face if we don’t start making effective changes immediately. Yet it is not the harbinger of doom that many such treatises are. Gold maintains that the matter is urgent because there is still time to make a difference. “Yes, the situation is very, very challenging,” she confirmed at our meeting in June, “but we can still do so much.” Recently, Trócaire has been encouraging Irish institutions to review investments through an ecological mindset. A resounding success came with the Irish government’s announcement in November 2017 that the sovereign wealth fund would be completely divested from fossil fuels, becoming the first government in the world to make that pledge. “It’s a real leadership,” Gold said, with “Ireland really punching above its weight internationally, showing leadership on this link between our investments and our approach to sustainability in the climate.” As Gold notes, Ireland can be credited with spreading climate change awareness from the beginning. Irish physicist John Tyndall (born in County Carlow in 1820) uncovered the mechanics of how the atmosphere absorbs heat, and noted that the substances that took in the most were water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone. Ireland’s involvement in the battle against climate change makes a good deal of sense, considering what the island has to lose. Gold elaborates, “What the scientists have told us is that we’re going to see wetter weather in the west and increasing coastal flooding and tidal surges, affecting cities like Cork in particular. And then on the east coast, we’re going to see a dryer climate, and more droughts.” The Irish ecosystem is as delicate as it is intricate – the emerald of the isle has been cultivated by centuries of consistent weather patterns. The country simply cannot afford the climate instability predicted in the coming years. Yet in spite of regular discussion in politics and media, the matter remains non-urgent to, in Gold’s words, the “ordinary folks on the street, who are just
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getting on with life.” Her book tackles this by veering from the mainstream of climate change literacy, speaking to the most instinctive, visceral response humans are wired to have: protecting their children. “When I do the climate talk, I’m Lorna, the mum, who has the two boys, who also knows something about climate change. And that disarms people.” she says. “It becomes something that’s more human interest and relatable,” Her unique approach was inspired while at the park with her sons. “I was looking around to see this lovely scene of parents who just adore their kids. Everybody loves their children, and we all want the best for our kids. And there was just this sense in my head, like, ‘Why is it?’” she remembers, shaking her head. “It’s not that people are ignoring climate change because they’re bad or they feel guilty; there’s just a huge communication gap, and my question was: what would it take to overcome that? What does it take for people to actually see that this is something that affects them personally?” So she wrote things down from her perspective, and interviewed family, neighbors, and friends for their take, and worked closely with her good friend John Sweeney, Ireland’s leading climatologist, and the author of the foreword to the book, to be firm on the finer points of the science. Thus Climate Generation was born – to make it clear whose future is at stake. “People say to me, ‘Why do you care about climate change?’ And I’ll go, ‘I don’t care about climate change,’” Gold clarifies. “‘I care about my children. I care about the future. I care about the world.” “‘And it just so happens that there’s this big problem called climate change,’” she says with a knowing smile; she’s made this speech before. “‘It’s getting in the way of a safe future for our children.’ When you turn it round like that, people listen.” “There’s so many solutions. That’s the thing: on one hand it’s the hope, and it’s also the tragedy of the situation. The tragedy is that we have the solutions in front of our eyes, and if we choose to change, we can IA salvage a lot of the future for our kids.”
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Saoirse, the only daughter of Courtney Kennedy Hill and Paul Hill, tragically died on Thursday, August 1, of a suspected accidental overdose. She was a junior at Boston College. In this essay, published in February 2016 for the Deerfield Academy student newspaper, she wrote about dealing with depression.
We thank Deerfield Academy in advance for permission to publish.
COURTESY: THE KENNEDY FAMILY
Saoirse Kennedy Hill
Saoirse W
hen you were little, did you ever have friends your mom made you hang out with, even though you didn’t want to? Then those friends kept showing up, and you were confused and sick of them. Soon enough, those friends were around so much that you got used to them. Finally, those friends were always with you and never left, and you almost began to enjoy having them around. Until last year, this was my relationship with my mental illness. My depression took root in the beginning of my middle school years and will be with me for the rest of my life. Although I was mostly a happy child, I suffered bouts of deep sadness that felt like a heavy boulder on my chest. These bouts would come and go, but they did not outwardly affect me until I was a new sophomore at Deerfield. We all know that some people find winter at Deerfield lonely, dark, and long. I began isolating myself in my room, pulling away from my relationships, and giving up on schoolwork. During the last few weeks of spring term, my sadness surrounded me constantly. But that summer after my sophomore year, my friend depression rarely came around anymore, and I was thankful for her absence. Two weeks before my junior year began, however, my friend came back and planned to stay. My sense of well-being was already compromised, and I totally lost it after someone I knew and loved broke serious sexual boundaries with me. I did the worst thing a victim can do, and I pretended it hadn’t happened. This all became too much, and I attempted to take my own life. I returned to school for the fall of my junior year, but I realized that I could not handle the stresses Deerfield presented. I went to treatment for my depression and returned to the valley for my senior year. Coming back from medical leave was definitely not what I expected. I saw a stark contrast between my treatment facility – a place full of aware and accepting people – and my experience at Deerfield. Although my friends were extremely supportive, they seemed to be the only ones who knew what had been going on in my life for the past year. Dr. Josh Relin, director of counseling at Deerfield, has explained to me that federal laws designed to protect patient privacy constrain what information can be shared in workplaces and schools. “There is a strong firewall between what happens in the Health Center and the other adults in the community due to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act),” he said. “This law determines how health information can and cannot be shared.” HIPAA was designed to protect patient privacy, yet in my experience, it left me feeling very much alone. I didn’t care that students thought that I had left
because of an eating disorder, or that I had been bullied, but it concerned me that my teachers and advisors didn’t know what I had been going through. Even though it was helpful for me to discuss my struggles with all of those important people in my life, it was still uncomfortable, and it was hard for me to take the initiative. In the future, I hope that the Health Center reaches out to students before they return from medical leave in order to discuss how the school can make their adjustment back to Deerfield less difficult. If they had reached out to me, I would have let them know that I wanted my circumstances shared with my teachers and advisors before I returned to campus; this would have made my transition back a lot easier. Deerfield is one of the top educational institutions in the country, yet no one seems to know how to talk about mental illness. People talk about cancer freely; why is it so difficult to discuss the effects of depression, bi-polar, anxiety, or schizophrenic disorders? Just because the illness may not be outwardly visible doesn’t mean the person suffering from it isn’t struggling. I have experienced a lot of stigma surrounding mental health on Deerfield’s campus. As students, we have the power to end that immediately. Stigma places blame on the person suffering from the illness and makes them ashamed to talk openly about what they’re going through. Teachers and students on our campus can do their best to be more aware when discussing mental health issues. If someone says they’re feeling depressed, a good way to respond would be, “What are some other things you’re feeling? What do you think has brought this on?” If you don’t feel comfortable saying either of those, say, “I don’t understand what you’re going through, but I am here for support.” Too often, people speak before they think, and that can damage the trust in a relationship. If someone confides in you, try not to say, “It’s all in your mind,” or “lighten up,” or, my personal favorite, “Happiness is a choice.” No, it’s really not. When I’m in a really bad place, I do my best to surround myself with positive people and upbeat music, but too often it feels as if I’m drowning in my own thoughts, while everyone else seems to be breathing comfortably. Many people are suffering, but because many people feel uncomfortable talking about it, no one is aware of the sufferers. This leaves people feeling even more alone. Since I spoke about this issue at a school meeting, I have had countless people approach me, telling me that they, too, are struggling and would love to be more open about it. I am calling all members of the Deerfield community to come forward and talk freely about mental health issues. We are all either struggling or know someone who is battling an illness; let’s come together to make our community more inclusive and comfortable. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 87
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Clean Green!
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Edythe Preet
ummer is in full bloom! The days are longer, and the light is brighter. But with the drapes pulled back, and sunshine illuminating the corners of every room, suddenly everything looks a little dingy. The windows could benefit from a good washing. The chandelier has lost its gleam. Ditto the furniture. And while everything outdoors smells fresh and green, everything indoors seems a bit musty. There is a good reason why housekeepers have always dived into spring and summer cleaning frenzies, airing out clothes that have hung in closets all winter long, washing and waxing furniture, and hauling rugs
Beeswax makes the best furniture polish.
outdoors and beating them mercilessly. If you’ve ever seen one of those commercials that magnify microbes a million times, you’ve learned that dust has teeth, and those voracious little motes will gnaw away at your prized possessions with merciless persistence unless you break up the party. Most of the modern methods to renew a home’s sparkle and shine rely on ammonia for its cleaning potency. Even though it has been used since the days of the Egyptian dynasties, when it was extracted from camel dung, ammonia is terribly dangerous stuff. Poisonous if swallowed, and supremely caustic to bare skin and eyes. Even scarier than that: if ammonia is accidentally mixed with bleach, the combination will
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release chlorine gas that can kill in an instant! Aside from the fact that ammonia is deadly and its fumes literally take my breath away, other harsh and hazardous commercial cleaning agents, with labels covered in usage warnings, make me nervous. What if they leave a residue that my cats pick up on their paws? Or worse, what if a child somehow accesses a container of toxic fluids? Call me old fashioned, but I’ll stick with safer methods, even though a bit more elbow grease may be required. Surprisingly, some of the best cleaning agents are also food! The first cleaning trick I ever learned was how to remove tea stains from china. Like most Americans, my father drank coffee, but my mother, whose Italian heritage should have endowed her with the coffee gene, picked up a preference for tea from my father’s Irish-blooded sisters. The day I watched Mom magically remove nasty brown tea residue from our bone china teacups by rubbing it with a baking soda-water paste is engraved in memory. Mother wasn’t Irish, but with the battery of natural solutions in her cleaning arsenal she was certainly “green.” Windows, venetian blinds, and the crystal chandelier were always washed with a mixture of hot water and plain white vinegar. I’ve added the techno-touch of using a pump spray bottle, which diminishes drips and eliminates the need to dismantle any light fixture. When I was a child, clothing was almost always made of cloth woven from organic fibers. Polyester and nylon are both manmade fibers spun from coal and petroleum derivatives. Once nylon grays or yellows, it’s gray or yellow for life. Polyblends don’t wrinkle, but they also don’t clean very well. Stains are practically impossible to remove except by dry cleaning, and that just exposes the wearer to yet another batch of chemicals. However, stains can usually be removed from linen and cotton, especially if the fabric is white. The miracle whitening agent is not harsh chlorine bleach, which can damage fibers, but lemon! Not too long ago, every home owned a large enamel or porcelain laundry tub. In it, soiled white clothing and linen was first soaked overnight. The fol-
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sláinte | good cheer lowing day, sliced lemons were added to the pot, which was then put over heat, and the water was brought to a boil. After boiling for a while, the linens were removed, allowed to cool, wrung out, and hung on a line outdoors, where the sun finished the bleaching process. Lemon juice will even successfully remove rust stains. Moisten the stain with water, squeeze lemon juice onto it, hold the stained area in the steam from a boiling teakettle for a few minutes, and the stain will disappear before your eyes. This may sound like some arcane alchemy formula, but it works like a charm! Another rust-removing method, though not as rapid, calls for salt. Sprinkle salt on the stain, moisten with lemon juice, and dry the item in full sun. In researching this article, I discovered that salt and lemon can also be used to clean mildly tarnished copper and brass, which is actually a copper alloy. Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle it liberally with salt, and rub the tarnish away. Alternatively, use a heated mixture of vinegar and salt. When I told a pal about these truly strange metal-cleaning methods, she not only had already heard about them, but swore that copper also responds well to being rubbed with ketchup! She added that the ketchup will turn green as it cleans the metal and must not be left on too long or it will eat away at the metallic finish. Products of the beehive have been used for centuries. Honey, of course, is the primary product. Aside from its value as a sweetener, pure honey has been used for soothing lotions and as a healer for wounds and sore skin for hundreds of years because its high potassium level does not allow bacteria to survive. Some of the finest beauty products are made with honey, and a lip salve composed of honey and beeswax not only heals chapped lips in a trice but tastes good too. Several years ago, while visiting Delphi Lodge, a fabulous Edwardian fishing lodge on the far edge of the wild Connemara peninsula, I learned another valuable beeswax usage. When I commented on the soft luster of all the wood furniture and floors, the owner shared with me the secret to keeping wood clean, and more importantly, dry in a damp environment. The lodge’s wooden surfaces were always polished with beeswax, which when melted down with turpentine makes the best furniture polish. Over time, it builds up into a soft patina protecting and enhancing wood’s grain and beauty. So this year, why not experiment with using natural ingredients for cleaning? By making ecologically sound choices, you’ll be eliminating a few hazardous chemicals from your personal environment. Not only have these homespun methods been used by generations of Irish homemakers, they’re as ‘green’ as it IA gets. Sláinte!
RECIPE Beeswax Wood Polish – Sloe Gin & Beeswax by Jane Newdick
Note: The turpentine called for in this mixture is EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE and has a very low flash point to flame. Follow the instructions carefully. 60 300 25 150 6
grams beeswax granules milliliters pure turpentine grams Ivory soap flakes milliliters boiling water drops lavender essential oil
In a medium-size stainless steel bowl, pour the boiling water over the soap flakes and stir briskly until the soap is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly. In a double boiler, heat the water to boiling point, then lower to simmer. Place the second pot containing the beeswax and the turpentine over the simmering water and stir until the wax is melted. (You MUST use a double boiler and be very cautious; if the turpentine is heated in a single pot it WILL catch fire!) When the wax is dissolved, remove from heat. Pour the cooled soapy water into the melted wax mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour emulsified polish into a medium-size jar and cap tightly. Store in a cool place until ready to use. Stir each time before using. Beeswax polish is best used on soft woods, such as pine, and should never be used on varnished surfaces that require a fine hard wax. When using beeswax cream, apply sparingly, then spread and buff with a soft cloth. The more you buff, the better the shine.
Baking Soda Uses For centuries, baking soda, a naturally occurring mineral known as “trona” (sodium sesquicarbonate), was once the most common leavening agent used in baking bread, with Irish soda bread being the best known example still made today. This most useful mineral has many other applications, some of which are included here. To absorb refrigerator odors: • Keep one open box of baking soda in
the refrigerator and one in the freezer. To clean bathroom and kitchen tile and counters: Mix baking soda with water to make a paste and apply with a damp sponge. To remove odors from laundry: Add one-half cup baking soda to the wash cycle. To keep drains smelling fresh: Put a few tablespoons of baking soda down the drain and flush with several cups of boiling water. To clean and deodorize the inside of a microwave oven: Mix three tablespoons of baking soda with one cup water in a microwave safe container. Boil in the microwave for fourminutes, then remove and wipe down the interior surfaces with a damp cloth. To remove burned on food from stainless steel pots: fill the pot with water, add several tablespoons of baking soda and one lemon cut in quarters. Boil briskly for 15 minutes, pour off water, and scour.
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those we lost |
by Mary Gallagher
Ivan Cooper
(1944 – 2019) rish civil rights activist Ivan Cooper died in late June, aged 75. A founding member of Northern Ireland’s Social Democratic and Labour party, Cooper is best known for his leadership of the anti-internment march in Derry that erupted into 1972’s Bloody Sunday. Born in Killaloo, County Derry, to a Protestant family, Cooper started out as a unionist, but his allegiances shifted when he saw the discrimination and violence Catholics in Northern Ireland were up against. He joined Derry’s civil rights movement, becoming president of the Derry Citizens’ Action Committee. Standing out as the only Protestant leader to march with the nationalists, Cooper was shunned by fellow church members – some of whom refused to share a pew with PHOTO: MARGARET MCLAUGHLIN/THE IRISH NEWS him, but his determination did not flag. “Ivan Cooper was born to break the mould,” current leader of the SDLP, Colum Eastwood, averred. “A man of sharp contrasts, sharp intellect and, it must be said, sharp tongue, he stands as a giant in the story of this island.” Cooper held fast to the demand for justice that would last his whole life. “In my church the commandment says ‘thou shalt do no murder’,” he insisted when asked years later about the prosecution of the soldiers who fired on the nonviolent protestors, killing 14, “and I believe in that commandment.” “He was always there for us. He was one of the stalwart supporters of the Bloody Sunday families, TOP: James Nesbitt and Ivan Cooper. and even in later years, when he was ill, he always Nesbitt played Cooper made a point of coming to the annual services of comin the movie Bloody memoration and he was always proud to stand with Sunday (2002). us,” said John Kelly, brother of Michael Kelly, a vicCENTER: Brendan Grace tim of the massacre. “I regard Ivan Cooper as a hero.” Cooper leaves behind wife Frances, daughters BronRIGHT: (Left to right) agh and Sinéad, and grandchildren Cashel and Luca. Tom Moran, Gerry
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Adams, John F.X. Mannion, and Bill Flynn.
Brendan Grace
(1951 – 2019) ctor and comedian Brendan Grace died of lung cancer in early July, aged 68. Best known for his role as Father Fintan Stack in the beloved Irish TV series Father Ted, Grace was also a successful folk music performer with multiple hits to his credit. Born and raised in Dublin, Grace left school at 13 to become a messenger, which proved both dangerous and unexpectedly lucrative when he was knocked off his motorbike; the settlement he was awarded allowed him to buy his family a new house. At 18, he found his calling in the entertainment industry when he helped form the Gingermen folk singing group, even-
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tually going out on his own to release hits including “Cushie Butterfield” and “Combine Harvester.” Grace’s talents as a comedian were revealed when, in a stall for time before a performance, he shared some of his witty observations on Irish life with the crowd – a resounding success that opened up a new field of material for him. He continued comedy through the end of his life, from a debilitating ministroke to the cancer diagnosis 10 days before his death that forced him to cancel a planned tour. Comedian and star of Mrs. Brown’s Boys, Brendan O’Carroll, spoke of Grace’s impact on Irish comedy on the Ryan Tubridy Show on RTÉ 1. “He opened doors for so many of us, and leaves a legacy of love and laughter that will echo through this land and we will all mourn his passing.” “He had a niche within comedy in Ireland,” he continued. “There's nobody there to fill that.” Grace is survived by his wife Eileen and their four children: Melanie, Brendan, Amanda, and Bradley.
John F.X. Mannion
(1932 – 2019) roud Syracusan and devotee to the Irish peace process John Mannion died in late May, aged 86. A dedicated servant to his community, Mannion was a patient teacher and leader who was one of the first Irish Americans to rally U.S. involvement in Ireland during the Troubles. Born in the Bronx to Irish immigrants John and Ellen, Mannion’s spirit of service was grounded by his parents, who helped many incoming Irish find a place to live and get settled. Mannion attended All Hallows High School, going on to graduate from the University of Notre Dame. There he enlisted in the USAF’s ROTC, and served in the Korean War. After discharge, Mannion worked his way up the ranks of the insurance industry, becoming chairman and CEO of Unity Mutual Life Insurance. He was active in politics and made friends wherever he went, including the late Bill Flynn, whose activism in the Irish peace process was inspired by Mannion’s own passion for the cause.
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“He had a magnificent ability to make people feel important,” Mannion’s son Patrick told Central NY News. “It doesn’t matter if you were the only person or there were 1,000, you always felt like you were the only one in the room.” Mannion leaves behind wife Stephanie; sister Eileen; children Patrick, Kristin, Terence, Sean, and Kerin; 19 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Eugene McCarthy
(1943 – 2019) ugene Gerard McCarthy died in early June, at the age of 76. A gentle, devoted friend who held his causes close to his heart, McCarthy’s love for his Irish heritage and the Marine Corps he served in knew no bounds. “Gene” was born in the Bronx to parents Florence and Catherine, from Anascaul and Ballydavid, County Kerry, respectively. He attended Cardinal Hayes High School then became a Marine before embarking on a lifelong career in insurance. He received many awards for his work, was counted as an expert among his peers, and lectured at the University of Notre Dame and NYU. He was diligent, even in his off-hours, acting as chairman of the Knights of St. Patrick, a director of the Irish Cultural Institute, and a board member of the Physically Challenged Foundation, with memberships in the Insurance Round Table of New York, the Ireland-U.S. Council, the Union League Club, and the New York Athletic Club. “Gene was one of a kind and our dearly loved friend,” offered friends Eugene and Adele Hutchinson in an online tribute. “We will miss his warmth, humanity, and sense of humor. A great American and a great Irishman.” McCarthy is predeceased by his parents, his sister Kathleen McCarthy Tobin, and his former wife Annemarie. He is mourned by his wife Sheila, daughter Deborah, son Jim, and four grandchildren: Caitlin, Brendan, Anna Kathleen, and Seamus Eugene.
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Maureen Mulhall
(1922 – 2019) rish immigrant and cofounder of Mulhall’s Nursery, Maureen Mulhall, died in late May, aged 97. A resident of Omaha, Nebraska, Mulhall was also a loving wife, mother, and grandmother who encouraged her loved ones to aspire for greatness. Born near Lough Key, County Roscommon to a family of six children, Maureen’s father died when she was 12, forcing her to leave school to go to work. She eventually
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made her way to Dublin, working as a cook at the American embassy. She met the head groundskeeper, John Mulhall, and the two fell in love. With the encouragement of their former employer, Ambassador Francis Matthews, they moved to Omaha, where John’s aptitude for growing things turned into a business, and they opened Mulhall’s Nursery out of their garage. While Maureen’s work was behind the scenes, her practical nature balanced her husband’s vision as the business began to flourish, Maureen filling any necessary roles with skill. Regretting her own abandoned education, Maureen pushed her children and grandchildren to take advantage of what she could not – especially her granddaughters, who didn’t dare disappoint their grandmother. “Although she may look small, she is mighty,” granddaughter Macy, who is now a chemical engineer, wrote of Maureen for an assignment. “She was one of the strongest women I have ever...will ever know,” confirmed her son Sean, who runs Mulhall’s with his brother Dan. Maureen was predeceased by her husband John and their son Kevin. They leave behind other sons Jim, Sean, and Dan, and nine grandchildren.
TOP: Eugene McCarthy ABOVE: Maureen Mulhall
Noel Whelan
(1968 – 2019) rish lawyer, political commentator, and advisor to the Fianna Fáil party in Ireland Noel Whelan died in early July, aged 50. His zeal for justice for all made him a constant activist and, as his wife Sinéad put it at his funeral mass, “the person to whom everyone turned when they had a problem.” Born in Ballycullane, Wexford, Whelan’s father Séamus’ career as a Fianna Fáil councillor nurtured an interest in politics that lasted all his life. Whelan studied history and politics at UCD. Hired by Fianna Fáil headquarters just out of school, he jumped headfirst into the political arena and quickly moved up the ranks to become political advisor to the minister of state for E.U. affairs. Though his campaigns for a seat in the Dáil and Seanad (Ireland’s houses of parliament) were unsuccessful, Whelan remained engaged with politics while pursuing a law degree and developing his practice. The success of several campaigns – most notably Ireland’s marriage equality referendum – was due to his vast knowledge of political trends and strategy. “He understood and knew every constituency and local electoral area across the country,” remembered Fianna Fáil leader Michael Martin, “and could, off the top of his head, remember quotas from an election held back in the ’80s.” Whelan shared that proficiency with the world in several publications, including a legal textbook, election guides, and a column in the Irish Times. “He brought intelligence, fairness, and clear thinking to any debate,” Ireland’s Health Minister Simon Harris said, and “changed Ireland for the better.” This
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those we lost | passages was underscored by Whelan’s commitment to undertakings like New Ross’s Kennedy Summer School, of which he was founder and director. Whelan leaves behind his wife Sinéad, a former Fianna Fáil advisor herself, and son Séamus.
Dr. Henry Lynch
(1928 – 2019) ounder of genetic researching for cancer Dr. Henry Lynch died in June, aged 91. Lynch’s study of the hereditary nature of oncology led him to uncover the BRCA gene cancer markers and hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (renamed Lynch Syndrome in his honor), revolutionizing diagnostic procedure with the knowledge that at least five percent of cancers have genetic links. With roots in Kerry, Tyrone, Waterford, and Wexford, Lynch was raised in New York by parents Henry and Eleanor. With a cousin’s identity and his mother’s signature, he enlisted underage in the Navy, becoming a gunner in the South Pacific. Once home, not done putting his 6’5” frame to use, he began a boxing career under the name Hammerin’ Hank. After growing up around the Irish and Jewish gangs of NYC, he was a natural at the sport. “He was very interested in his heritage,” said his son, Dr. Patrick Lynch, a gastroenterologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center. “Even though he didn’t know a lot about his roots, he loved being Irish.” Pursuing that interest in heredity, Lynch got his degree in clinical psychology, hoping to find the genetic link that made conditions like schizophrenia a family legacy. After a slight shift into medicine, he obtained his M.D. and a Ph.D. in genetics. In 1967, Lynch landed at Omaha, Nebraska’s Creighton University School of Medicine, where he remained for the rest of his career. Upon treating an alcoholic patient who insisted that he drank because he was going to die, since his whole family had died of colon cancer, Lynch found the connection between history and science he had been waiting for. He collected comprehensive data from patients, creating family trees of cancer diagnoses. When his theory was rejected, he only redoubled his research. He finally gained enough traction to launch the Hereditary Cancer Center at Creighton in 1984, compiling one of the first and most detailed hereditary cancer registries in the world, and sharing data and advice freely with anyone who asked. “He gave me every questionnaire, every consent,” remembered Dr. Olufunmilayo Olopade, who sought Lynch’s help identifying breast cancer genes. “He was among the most decent people in academ-
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ABOVE: Noel Whelan Dr. Henry Lynch Sean McNeill
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ics,” confirmed Dr. Judy Garber, chief of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s division of cancer genetics. “I knew we had something here,” Lynch said, according to the university’s news center. “I knew we could potentially save lives.” Lynch’s wife Jane died in 2012. He is survived by identical twin brothers Donald and Warren, son Patrick, daughters Kathy and Ann, 10 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Sean McNeill
(1953 – 2019) rish entrepreneur Sean McNeill died of gallbladder cancer in late July, aged 65. The proprietor of McNeill Real Estate and Easy Irish Gift Box NYC never failed to offer his time and effort where it was needed, both personally and through work with charitable organizations. One of eight born to parents James and Mary, McNeill grew up in Roscommon. While working in Dublin, he visited New York and fell in love with the place, determining to make his life there. Though he returned to Ireland, buying a pub in Wexford with his brother Michael, McNeill never lost sight of his goal. In 1994, he settled in New York permanently. He became a real estate broker, and established himself in New York’s Irish community. Identifying as gay made some friendships hard-won and others nonexistent, but McNeill wasn’t discouraged. “I was not always welcome at Irish events,” he told the Irish Voice’s Cahir O’Doherty, “but I ignored that, and put my face where they could see me.” That assertive friendliness clinched his acceptance: he became president of the Irish Business Organization of NY and remained an active member until his death. He was a valued supporter of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center and several aid organizations, including Concern Worldwide and Solace House. “Nothing was a bother to him if he was helping others,” said Christine McGowan, Sean’s friend from the IBO, in an online tribute. “He always made me feel valued and treated me like a friend. That’s how Sean was! He was one in a million.” McNeill’s selflessness ensured that he had friends by his side. When his medical bills piled to an impossible amount, they started a GoFundMe page just a day before he died, with a goal to raise $50,000. Donations poured in, accruing more than half that before it was announced that McNeill had passed. They continued to come, amounting to over $42,000, from friends wanting to give something back to a man who gave all of himself to the people he loved. McNeill is predeceased by his parents, his sisterin-law Imelda, and his baby niece Claire. He leaves behind siblings Maura, Catherine, Teresa, Una, Padraic, Michael, Peter, and Una; cousins Jimmy and Mary; and several nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, IA and grand-nephews.
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readers forum
| caint
FARRELL’S BAR MEMORIES
continued from page 9
Thanks so much for the article, Pat. So many memories of the institution called “Farrell’s.” As a young man growing up in Windsor Terrace, the first beer at Farrells was a “rite of passage.” – Thomas G. Campbell, submitted via email
My mom and dad made the stained glass “Farrells” windows! Still hanging and looking great! – Steven Gates, submitted via email
Good friends and neighbors asked me to be godfather to their first, but the priest at St. Augustine’s, where they had been married, would not allow it as I am a Protestant. I told them to just pick someone else, I would still be an unofficial godfather. His mom was furious and said no way. Instead Brian was baptized with beer at Farrell’s. – Peter Keller, submitted online
I worked up a thirst reading that article. – Mick Bauer, Bay Ridge, New York, Facebook
Pete Hamill. A Drinking Life and Downtown are great reads. – Tamara Henderson, Facebook
Retired NYPD officer and Farrell’s patron Jacky Malone, who died in 2017. TOP RIGHT: Author Pete Hamill and writer Pat Fenton, who wrote the article.
A colder, crisper Bud draft has never been had. – Jimmy Ryan, Facebook
Not many of the old-time spots left. They should be cherished while they are. – Gary McDonald, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Facebook
A place of legend! – Ernie Morganstern, Facebook
Bucket list! – Erin Goulding-Burgher, Facebook
Grew up one neighborhood over – Kensington – my husband and brother still go – now my son and his partner. Re Nee, Facebook
My wife and infant daughter and I lived on 16th Street off 11th Avenue from 1980-1990. We now reside in Rochester, N.Y., but will always think of Brooklyn, N.Y., as our home. Here are some additions to your publication’s wonderful story: There must have been some changes at the 16th
Jimmy Ryan and friend, pictured holding their beverages in the the bar’s classic Styrofoam cups.
Street watering hole since I last spent some lazy summer afternoons there with FDNY / NYPD and teacher friends in the early 1980s, enjoying some wonderful Brooklyn stories and the coldest beer east of the Mississippi. That was a time where three generations of men (usually men only), with police revolvers hung on the wall, were able to enjoy one of Brooklyn’s really safe pleasures, at a time when the fate of Brooklyn was at its lowest point since the Dodgers left in 1957. Thankfully, the Brooklyn spirit was reawakened and turned a corner; now it is the one of the most desirable locales in the entire city—and for plenty of good reasons. Why was the beer so cold? Because Farrell’s never took the improvement that refrigeration provided to heart and continued to augment the new protocol with ice delivered daily and moved down the chute to sit atop the copper lines that brought the beer upstairs to the thirsty customers. Steamy August evenings never seemed so intolerable at the Farrell’s outpost. Interestingly, I noticed a picture in the article with one of the patrons sitting on a stool. That never was possible back in the day. For one, there were no barstools; and the established rule at the time was simple: If you could not stand up, you had enough. Finally, there was no mention of the hilarious urban cowboys riding their horses down 16th Street on Sunday afternoons after a jaunt in the park returning the horses home, with the iconic white take-out cardboard container from Farrell’s in one hand and the reins in the other. “Whoa, boy!!” The kids on the block squealed with delight at the sight, but God help anyone trying to park their car at that moment! Nonetheless, the cleanup on the street after that hilarity was memorable and stomach churning. You can’t make this stuff up!!! Thanks again for the memories. Cheers! – John Travers, Ed.D., North Miami Beach, Florida, submitted via email
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crossword | ACROSS
1 Referee, in short (3) 4 See 8 down (5) 6 A vegetable from the onion and garlic family (4) 10 (& 31 across) Peaky Blinders actor with piercing blue eyes (7) 12 Belfast’s Castle Ward is the backdrop for this iconic Game of Thrones set (10) 14 The Irish classroom (4) 15 Expression used to express grief, pity, or concern (4) 16 See 2 down (1, 6) 18 See 16 down (4) 19 Where the British Open was played in July (8) 22 Old Irish Traveller language, dying out in many parts of the country (4) 24 (& 34 down) We’ve had the book, the movie, the play and now ... the musical (7) 27 (& 13 down) He was recently voted to replace Theresa May as prime minister of the U.K. (5) 28 The hit Cranberries song that features on a new line of special edition Irish stamps (6) 29 See 38 across (1, 5) 31 See 10 across (6) 33 Where the Irish Open was played
by Darina Molloy
in July (7) 35 (& 44 across) Hit Northern Ireland comedy / drama, now streaming on Netflix U.S. (5) 37 See 21 down (5) 38 (& 29 across) American playwright of Irish descent whose middle name was Gladstone (6) 42 Carrickmacross is famous for it (4) 43 See 16 down (6) 44 See 35 across (5)
DOWN
2 (& 16 across) This Savannah-born writer wrote frequently about her Catholic faith (8) 3 This writer’s (2 down) ancestors hailed from this Irish county (9) 4 U.S. House speaker Nancy ________ (6) 5 Group of people united by kinship and descent (4) 7 Popular Irish butter brand (9) 8 (& 4 across) This deceased republican gave a lengthy interview about IRA activities in the Boston College tapes (7) 9 Iconic Grafton Street café and restaurant which reopened after a face-lift in 2017 (7) 10 Mashed potato
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with kale or cabbage (9) (& 17 down) Irish multinational retail chain (6) See 27 across (7) (& 43 across, & 18 across) This iconic Luke Kelly song is also featured on the new stamps from An Post (2) See 11 down (6) (& 23 down) Congressional representative from Springfield, Massachusetts (6) Award-winning Northern Ireland novel by Anna Burns (7) (& 37 across) Former Irish soldier who converted to Islam and was
Win a subscription to Irish America magazine Please send your completed crossword puzzle to Irish America, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1606, New York, NY 10001, to arrive no later than August 30, 2019. A winner will be drawn from among all correct entries. If there are no correct solutions, the prize will be awarded for the completed puzzle which comes closest in the opinion of our staff. The winner’s name will be published along with the solution in our next issue. Xerox copies accepted. Winner of the May / June 2019 crossword: Allan Goldberg, Brooklyn, N.Y. 89 IRISH AMERICA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
23 25 26
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subsequently captured and detained by U.S. forces in Northern Syria (4) See 18 down (4) See 30 down (5) Irish traditional dish native to Dublin, that uses up leftovers like sausage, potato, rashers, onion, and herbs (6) (& 25 down) This Offaly native recently won his
32 34 36
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first major title in golf (5) Variety of sweet potato (3) See 24 across (5) Tattered piece of cloth or derogatory term for a tabloid newspaper (3) Emergency room, in short (1, 1) Chemical symbol for sodium (1, 1) For example … (1, 1)
May / June Solution
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© 2019 CONCERN WORLDWIDE US INC.
Devastation after the earthquake in Nepal.
Long after a disaster stops “trending” and the media leaves the scene, we stay behind to finish what we started and help the most vulnerable. Whether we’re responding to a natural disaster, epidemic, or conflict. Our work isn’t just about showing up - it’s about following through. Please donate:
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photo album | Tom Connor
Playing Ball with the FBI M
RIGHT: Catherine Casey, holding her infant granddaughter Mary. BELOW: Agent Tom Connor on the field.
y father was wanted by the F.B.I. Specifically, by J. Edgar Hoover himself. The founding director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation had heard of Tommy Connor’s prowess on the baseball field. A star player in Washington, D.C., in the 1920s, Dad had graduated from high school at 15, put himself through college by 17, and went on to play Triple-A 3rd base for the old Boston Braves. When after three years the dream of playing in the Majors appeared stalled, he enrolled in law school, which is where Mr. Hoover tracked him down. Though hardly athletic, the head of law enforcement was fiercely competitive (not to mention vindictive) and with the U.S. government starting an interdepartmental baseball league that season, the little man desperately wanted to win the league championship – even if he had to drag the future
captain of the FBI team (and the bureau’s basketball team) out of law school! Hoover may also have been impressed by my father’s reputation as a tough Irish kid, though his aggression was usually directed toward bullies. In high school, an older and bigger kid is said to have stopped by so Dad could walk him to school and out of harm’s way. And yet with women and children, Dad was a sweetheart of a man, gentle and devoted to his family and to his mother, Catherine Casey, who had come over on the boat from Cork in the 1880s. Catherine was 11 years old, traveling alone, and seasick the entire time. Passing through Ellis Island, she somehow made her way to Rhode Island, where her relatives had settled. She was small and vivacious, a successful businesswoman with a feisty spirit and, on occasion, a sharp tongue seasoned with a brogue. She tolerated no fools. A favorite saying of hers about men she wasn’t impressed by went, “I’d like to buy him for what he’s worth and sell him for what he thinks he’s worth!” She was Dad’s bond with the motherland, a bond reaffirmed by her stuffing his and his siblings’ pockets with hot potatoes for them to warm their hands with on the walk to school in winter, and once there, presumably for them to eat. In 1932, the agents won the government league championship the first season and Hoover wrote, in
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heroic prose and at great length, letters praising the captain’s leadership and play. When the team came in second the following year, however, the imperious director (did I mention that he was vindictive?) sent Dad packing to Chicago – at the time the most dangerous city in America. There with fellow agents he helped track down many of the most notorious criminals of the day, including Baby Face Nelson, Ma Barker and the Barker Gang, and the most infamous character of them all – the most wanted man in America at the time – John Dillinger. For more than a year, Dillinger and “the Dillinger Gang” had roamed the Midwest, robbing 24 banks and four police states and eluding authorities. (When asked once “Why banks?” Dillinger famously answered, “That’s where the money is!”) On the night of July 22, 1953 my dad and fellow agents received a tip that the colorful American gangster and his girlfriend would be going to see a movie at the Biograph Theatre on Chicago’s North Side. Stationed at the side door of the theatre in case Dillinger caught wind of the posse outside and tried to flee, Dad was dressed in a white suit and straw hat and carried a Thompson submachine gun. Dillinger, it turned out, was dressed exactly the same way. Chicago police, learning of the FBI’s presence, descended on the theater and, mistaking my father for the bank robber, came close to shooting him and asking questions later. When my father died in 1997 at the age of 91, he was the last surviving federal agent at the theatre the night Dillinger was killed. That, at any rate, was how The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Time Magazine summed up his life. To me and my sister, though, he was the gentlest of men and the most loving father a child IA could have.
LEFT: The letter Tom Connor received from Hoover after the 1932 basketball season. BELOW: The FBI’s 1932 basketball team. Tom Connor is front row, center, holding the ball.
– Submitted by Tom Connor
Please send photographs along with your name, address, phone number, and a brief description to Patricia Harty at Irish America, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1606, New York, NY 10001. If photos are irreplaceable, then please send a good quality reproduction or email the picture at 300 DPI resolution to submit@irishamerica.com. We will pay $65 for each submission that we select. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 IRISH AMERICA 97
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last word |
by Peter Quinn
Things Fall Apart
The Failure to Stay Young
T
he greatest failure in America is the failure to stay young. It is a failure of imagination, the inability to grasp the alternatives offered by surgery, cosmetology, and pharmacology.
Peter Quinn, a frequent contributor, is the author of Dry Bones and Banished Children of Eve (both from Overlook Press), among other books Previously published in Commonweal / www.commonwealmagazine.org
It is a failure of will, the indiscipline that results in flagging energies, flabby bodies, and clogged arteries. It is a failure of financial planning, the incapacity to amass the resources needed to deploy the full panoply of anti-aging techniques and technologies. Most basic of all, it is a failure of genetic foresight, the prenatal passivity that accepts a poisoned lineage of physical and mental infirmities, moral laxness, and hereditary balding. For me, the nightfall of old age is particularly upsetting. I tried hard to seize and hold the day. I was born to healthy, middle-class parents in a good neighborhood. Except for college and that weekend in Las Vegas, I drank moderately. I exercised regularly and completed several marathons. I had regular checkups and took care of my teeth. I’ve enjoyed a reasonably successful career, a happy marriage, and a retirement undimmed by fear of living in a cardboard box and subsisting on the kindness of strangers. Some changes were only to be expected. At 30, I faced up to male-pattern baldness. At 40, I purchased my first pair of reading glasses. At 50, I added Metamucil to my orange juice. At 60, I started blood pressure medication and did my best to eschew meat and order whatever fish was on the menu. Despite hard work, sound planning, lifestyle adjustments, and unusually well-behaved Irish genes, I find myself – to paraphrase the poet Yeats – “where all the ladders” end, “in the foul rag and bone shop” of encroaching decrepitude.
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One day I had hearing as good as a rabbit’s. The next I suffered “sudden-onset hearing loss.” At cocktail parties, I can no longer distinguish conversation from background noise (not that it matters much). Going out to dinner requires several minutes of configuring the seating to compensate for my auditory deficiency. I developed epilepsy. As a result, I can no longer drive, ride a bike, swim alone, or – not that I had ever had the desire – swing on a trapeze. My knees resemble the coil springs on a rusted ’56 Chevy. Two weeks ago, something snapped in my upper arm while doing my morning pushups. I can’t lift my right arm above my shoulder. Last week, while jogging, I wrenched my back so badly I can’t walk right. I had surgery for thyroid cancer. My medicine cabinet resembles the pickup window at the local pharmacy. My powers of recall are showing signs of wear and tear. I open cabinets and drawers and instantly forget what I’m looking for. The ability to attach names to the faces of friends and acquaintances is becoming one of life’s small triumphs. “The wages of sin,” wrote St. Paul, “is death.” Either he forgot to mention or deliberately left out that so are the wages of virtue. We’re all inching or hurtling toward the egress, and we Baby Boomers are elbowing our way to the head of the line. For us, keeping the Grim Reaper at bay looms as an increasingly expensive proposition. It’s true you can’t take it with you. It’s also true that we members of the over-65 set will suck up a disproportionate share of the country’s medical resources in order to make incremental additions to life spans already longer than those enjoyed by 99 percent of our ancestors. The inevitability of the final curtain doesn’t make it easier to accept. I’m as reluctant and fearful as anyone else to face the end. But, sooner or later, it’s all right to think about making room instead of taking it up. A degree of resignation and acceptance isn’t a bad thing. We can claw and cry for a day or two more, and spend whatever it takes. We can rage against the dying of the light and resent it as a violation of an imagined right to live forever. Or we can enjoy what we’re still capable of enjoying and exit, if not laughing, then with a smile of gratitude for the miracle of existence we’ve been privileged to share. IA The End.
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