Irish America capped the century with a special Millenium Ball in honor of the magazine’s Irish Americans of the Century.
Joy mingled with a touch of nostalgia at our recent Millennium Ball, during which video clips of the late President John F. Kennedy and other deceased members of the Greatest Irish Americans of the Century were cheered alongside speeches by contemporary honorees.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith was not alone as she wiped a tear from her eye following the stirring coverage of her brother’s visit to Ireland just months before he died. “He would ask sheepishly if we could watch the tape of his trip again,” she recalled. “so we watched it over and over, because after all, he was the President.”
The thunderous applause which greeted the Kennedy video footage and the presentation to his sister – of an exact Waterford Crystal replica of the bowl he received from the Irish government in 1963 – was proof of the popularity of our choice of Kennedy as Irish American of the Century. Author Pete Hamill. remembering the President as “our Jack,” described him as “the Irishman of the Irish Diaspora.” and added that Kennedy had changed the 20th century “for all of us.”
The glittering evening, attended by more than 550 guests and stars from the worlds of art and entertainment, business and politics, kicked off with a cocktail reception. followed by a few words from our editor-in-chief and co-founder Patricia Harty. “As I look out at all of you tonight and see how wonderful you are, how smart, how literary, how talented,” she remarked, “I know that our ancestors would not want us to focus on past sorrows but to celebrate the fact that we have overcome so much and achieved so much.” The sense of celebration in the room was heightened by the recent political successes in Northern Ireland. and Harty went on to pay tribute to Mutual of America chairman Bill Flynn, CEO Tom Moran, and former Senator George Mitchell, whom she hailed as “the man who walked on water.”
Shane Flynn, vice chairman of MBNA, the night’s title sponsor, was next up to the podium, followed by our founding publisher Niall O’Dowd who said: “As we look forward tonight we should also look back and remember…not just the people we’re honoring but those who sacrificed, You know who they are: they’re your grandparents, your parents, maybe your great-grandparents who came over here with very, very little and sacrificed so that we could all have this wonderful standard of living.”
O’Dowd then introduced a video clip of Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley in action. The hoofer himself, who takes his place as one of the Greatest Irish Americans of the Century alongside such toe-tappers as Gene Kelly, spoke briefly, saying he was “absolutely honored” to be included on the list.
Illness prevented Deanna Dempsey the widow of boxing great Jack Dempsey, from attending, but Barbara Dempsey Phillips stood in for her mother to accept the award (all honorees received a stunning replica of the Waterford Crystal Ball which will be dropped in Time Square on New Year’s Eve) on behalf of her father. “My father would have been so pleased to be here,” she announced, citing his love of all things Irish and his collection of albums by Count John McCormack. “He was Irish down to his toes.”
Our next video clip had feet tapping and hands clapping all over the room, as the assembled guests stepped back almost 40 years in time to watch the Ed Sullivan Show that launched the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem on an adoring U.S. public. Liam Clancy caused many an eye to fill with his touching salute to his brothers Paddy and Tommy who have passed on. “Are ye up there, lads?” he asked. “Let us hope we’ll all meet again – next millennium.” Tommy Makem, accompanied by his daughter and four sons, paid tribute to “the Irish music-makers…who continue to enhance our magnificent culture.”
Silver screen legend Maureen O’Hara, of Quiet Man fame, was introduced by a starstruck Don Keough, chairman of New York investment banking firm Allen &Company, Keough joked that the actress was one of two women with whom he’d been in love for decades – the other, of course, being his wife Marilyn. “Rather than pursuing the movies,” he remarked, “the movies pursued Maureen.” After short clips from The Quiet Man and Only the Lonely, O’Hara herself took the stage, looking nowhere near her 79 years of age.
“Next year, I’m having a wonderful birthday,” she proclaimed proudly. “On August 17 of the next century, I will be 80 years of age.” Exhorting all present to “say a prayer for Ireland” every night, O’Hara read Padraic Pearse’s stirring poem, “The Mother,” written just prior to the Easter Rising of 1916.
Introducing astronaut Eileen Collins, Patricia Harty said that one word encapsulated this trailblazing astronaut: “determination.” In July, the petite Elmira, New York native became the first woman to command a space shuttle. Noting that she and her husband, Delta Airlines pilot Pat Youngs, were both very proud of their Irish heritage, Collins added: “This honor here tonight is very important to me, but I think of it as an honor for the entire team” referring to the crew of the Challenger. She added that the day was not too far away when space exploration would expand to the construction of space stations on Mars.
An angel followed the astronaut to the podium – none other than Touched by an Angel star Roma Downey, clad in a stunning red dress. The Derry native introduced Gregory Peck, praising his “excellence as an actor, his unflagging dedication to numerous worthy causes, and his fierce loyalty to Ireland.” The soft-spoken acting legend recalled his Irish grandmother and his relative Thomas Ashe, the patriot who was also known for his talents on the accordion. “Some of his artistic genes may possibly have robbed off gently on me,” confided Peck to a warm round of applause.
The final portion of the evening involved two presentations by First Lady Hillary Clinton, the first to Senator George Mitchell for his heroic efforts on behalf of peace in Northern Ireland and the second to Jean Kennedy Smith, who accepted on behalf of her late brother John F. Kennedy – our Irish American of the Century.
“Not only did the Irish save civilization,” said Clinton, referring to Thomas Cahill’s book (Cahill was also present on the night) “but they brought it to America and we’re grateful for that.” The First Lady, radiant in a dark suit and green silk scarf, joked about Senator Mitchell’s acceptance of “a small, part-time commitment” as her husband’s Economic Advisor on Northern Ireland, a posting that grew into something much more important when he was asked to chair the peace talks.
Mitchell drew a hearty round of applause from the assembled guests when he thanked “Senator Clinton” for her warm remarks. Paying tribute to his fellow honorees, Mitchell noted that those included in our Greatest Irish Americans of the Century feature were only “the tiny tip of an iceberg.” He added: “Instead of a handful of Irish Americans, there were many millions [who] helped build this – the most free, the most open, the most just society.”
The former Senator recalled heading off to college, at age 16, only to be reminded by his father that when he succeeded in life, he should remember “that every human being has an obligation to help those less fortunate.” His father, he said, added: “And remember, the greater your success, the greater the obligation.”
With the evening’s final presentation, from the First Lady to Jean Kennedy Smith, our special millennium event drew to a close. Celebrating the best of Irish America, both past and present, it was indeed a night to remember.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the February / March 2000 issue of Irish America.
Leave a Reply