| Letters Russell Crowe
Great article on Russell Crowe (Aug./Sept. issue). Besides the overall
excellent writing, which gave him a lot of credit, your (gentle) indictment
of his ill behaviour with the phone, gave it a certain dimension. As a testosterone-burdened
male, it would suit me fine to find an excuse for what he did. But sometimes
a tantrum’s just a tantrum.
Kevin Shea, Falls Church Virginia
Cousin Chuck
I was pleased to see the name Feeney covered in your Roots section. Chuck
Feeney is my cousin, and Congressman, Thomas C Feeney III, is my son. Thanks
for a very interesting story.
T. Feeney, Jr., Received by e-mail
Paddy Whacked
After I read Tom Deignan’s interview with T.J. English in the June/July
issue, I just had to buy the book Paddy Whacked.
I was flabbergasted, amazed and well informed. Anyone interested in Ireland
and Irish America needs to read this book, which Mr. English has put some
time into researching. Though it’s on the dark side of American history,
it’s a great book.
I’ve been a subscriber for many years now and look forward to every issue.
Steward Kellum, Kernersville, North Carolina.
P.S.: Another powerful book is Bandit Country by Toby Harnden. It too
will open your eyes.
Last Word on McCartney
I found the personal attack on the McCartney family for their campaign
seeking justice for the murder of their brother and fiancée to be in appalling
bad taste coming from Sinn Féin and Provo supporter sources. (The Last Word
piece by Mary Nelis Aug./Sept.) Somehow, Ms. Nelis has not noticed that
the failure to obtain witnesses to the killing has been attributed to intimidation
of the many witnesses by her heroes. This of course, has not been lost on
the ordinary citizens of Northern Ireland. They don’t see it as a routine
“death of a man in a pub brawl” as Mary tries to pass it off. A pretty awful
excuse anyway, isn’t it? They see it as the Provo bullyboys killing an innocent
man and then covering up like the Mafia. It is this revulsion that has stung
Sinn Féin and the Provo leadership. “Double standard” indeed, Mary. Take
a look in the mirror.
On a happier note, I enjoyed your stories on Jimmy Braddock. My own father’s
family came from a similar background, Leeds/Birkenhead Irish who came to
America well before the Depression but never forgot their Irishness.
Albert Regan Doyle, Sanibel, Florida
Green Suede Larry
Congratulations on a truly spectacular June/July issue. I always find
something interesting in your magazine and this one was no exception. You
covered everything from “the Troubles” to Vietnam, from Maeve Brennan to
T.J. English, from the Irish Wolfhound to the possible wolf in sheep’s clothing
Gerry Adams.
I absolutely loved the Irish Wolfhound article, which shows that not
all fascinating Irish history is political. You even saved the best bit
for (almost) last, a lovely review of Larry Kirwan’s Green Suede Shoes.
Larry Kirwan is a Renaissance man. I have been a fan of his band Black
47 for a long time now and have seen how difficult it is for a group that
does not fit into the established Top 40 mold to get recognition for their
wonderfully unique Irish sound. Your reviewer did his fine book, Green Suede
Larry, justice by actually reading it. I have seen so many reviews that
look like they were copied verbatim from the press release. Bravo. I can’t
possibly think of how you are going to try to top this issue with your next
but I can offer a suggestion: more Larry, less Liam [Neeson].
Laura Vona, Randolph, Massachusetts
The Champ
The article on James J. Braddock in the August/September issue was excellent.
Jimmy surely was a great guy. I remember him as a regular spectator at the
Friday and later Saturday night fights at the old Madison Square Garden
back in the early 1960s. He always had a nice word for everyone, as did
Jack Dempsey who at the time was still working as a metre and greeter at
the restaurant of his name on Broadway.
At that time a ringside ticket to the fight cost eight dollars and you
could bring a date for New York State Tax, which at the time was four percent
or 32 cents. After the fights you would adjourn to Dempsey's for BLT's and
a few drinks and for a $20 night your date thought she was with the reincarnation
of Diamond Jim Brady.
A few corrections: When you say the list of heavyweight champs from the
1880s to the 1930s often reads like a roll call at an Ancient Order of Hibernians
meeting (Corbett, Fitzsimmons, Burns, Dempsey, Tunney and Braddock), you
left out the most famous and possibly the best, the great John L. Sullivan.
Also, Tommy Burns was not Irish, not close, he was born Noah Brusso in Canada,
a Canadian of German extraction. And Bob Fitzsimmons was born in Cornwall,
England and grew up in New Zealand. I never heard of him claiming to be
Irish.
Once again, it was a good article and I'm glad you mentioned the fact
that Braddock volunteered for World War II at a time when he was 38 years
old and had a wife and three children.
Jim Lundrigan, New Haven, Connecticut
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