An Irish Passion For Justice

An Irish Passion for Justice reveals the life and work of Paul O'Dwyer, the Irish-born and quintessentially New York activist, politician, and lawyer who fought in the courts and at the barricades for the rights of the downtrodden and the marginalized throughout the 20th century. Robert Polner and Michael Tubridy recount O'Dwyer's legal crusades, political campaigns, and civic interactions, deftly describing how he cut a principled and progressive path through New York City's political machinery and America's reactionary Cold War landscape. Polner and Tubridy's dynamic, penetrating depiction showcases O'Dwyer's consistent left-wing politics and defense of accused Communists in the labor movement, which exposed him to sharp criticism within and beyond the Irish-American community. Even so, his fierce beliefs, loyalty to his brother William, who was the city's mayor after World War II, and influence in Irish-American circles also inspired respect and support. Recognized by his gentle brogue and white pompadour, he fought for the creation of Israel, organized Black voters during the Civil Rights movement, and denounced the Vietnam War as an insurgent Democratic candidate for US Senate. Finally, he enlisted future president Bill Clinton to bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. As the authors demonstrate, O'Dwyer was both a man of his time and a politician beyond his years. An Irish Passion for Justice tells an enthralling and inspiring New York immigrant story that uncovers how one person, shaped by history and community, can make a difference in the world by holding true to their ideals.

A Passion for Justice explores the early Irish or Celtic story of people and personalities. Their stories are part history and part myth, yet in the Celtic perspective both are powerful means of recognizing truthful ethics. It is important to recognize the context for early Irish social ethics, so this text explores the lives of some Celtic saints and their socio-ethical praxis. Author Johnston McMaster identifies key Celtic socio-ethical themes and connects these with the contemporary challenge to build an ethical community, inclusive of human and environmental relationships. The chapters on social ethics, in characteristic Celtic style, have a triune structure. Each chapter begins with an overview of a contemporary ethical issue, followed by an exploration of biblical perspectives. The chapters then develop insights from the early Irish and Celtic tradition using early poetry and writings. The focus on the Irish Celtic experience is not intended to exclude other Celtic regions, but to show within an Irish context, and in the contemporary context of an Irish peace process, that there is a rich Irish Celtic ethical tradition with contemporary resonance. The final chapter explores the spirituality of Celtic ethics - the spiritual resources that inspired, motivated, and shaped ethical praxis. The early Celtic Christian heritage echoes across the centuries and fires imagination and commitment at a key moment in Irish history. McMaster suggests that, as explorers of history, we can become history makers. Out of a shared past, a just peace and a shared future can be built. In connecting to the social ethics of the Irish Celtic tradition, we are, in the words of the medieval mystic Eckhart, 'Back in the house you never left.'

This is an excellent book about theology, ethics, and public policy as reflected in the thought and lives of Walter Rauschenbusch, John A. Ryan, and Reinhold Niebuhr - three individuals who have had great impact on Christian thinking about justice. Harlan Beckley shows how each man's conception of justice was informed by and cohered with his theology. This book is the most thorough study of the theory of justice in the work of these important social thinkers.

For almost forty years, Fr Sean McManus has been at the heart of the Irish American campaign to pressurise the British government regarding injustice in Northern Ireland. This is a deeply personal account of how his lone voice mainstreamed Northern Ireland on Capitol Hill, after the Catholic Church removed him from Britain. He became 'Britain's nemesis in America', founding the Irish National Caucus in 1974. Also chronicles the events and social context that influenced him, growing up in a parish divided by the Border.

A successful property developer in England, the Sligo-born Tom Gilmartin had ambitious plans for major retail developments in Dublin in the late 1980s. Little did he know that in order to do business in the city, senior politicians and public officials would want a slice of the action ... in the form of large amounts of cash. Gilmartin blew the whistle on corruption at the heart of government and the city's planning system, and the fallout from his claims ultimately led to the resignation of the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2008. Written by Ireland's leading investigative journalists, Tom Gilmartin is a compelling narrative of official wrong-doing and abuse of office; it lifts the lid on the corruption and financial mismanagement that blighted Irish society in latter decades of the twentieth century. The product of two decades' research, it's a must-read for anyone seeking to uncover the roots of Ireland's financial catastrophe.

"A Rage for Justice" tells the riveting story of Phillip Burton (1926-1983), one of the most brilliant, driven, and productive legislators in Californian and American politics. A ruthless and unabashed progressive, Burton played a pivotal role in championing welfare and civil rights, labor legislation, environmentalism, and congressional reform. 20 photos.