Sir, - The Irish-American Diary (October 15th), by Diane Duane brings to mind a certain coincidence. The street upon which we presently maintain our office is called after the subject of Ms Duane's article and describes a man who was obviously a very talented lawyer, as well as being an American patriot in the true sense of the word. He was politically active in the life of New York city and was appointed its mayor after the revolutionary war.
The career of Mayo-born Paul O'Dwyer parallels in many ways the life of James Duane. Both were of west of Ireland lineage. Both came from humble beginnings and both gained fame as accomplished trial lawyers. Duane's reputation for taking on cases "that no one else would touch" is mirrored by that of O'Dwyer. He not only tried unpopular cases but he also distinguished himself as the voice of the underdog in civil rights matters throughout the United States - particularly in the deep South, at a time when to do so involved serious personal risk.
He travelled to Russia to plead the cause of Soviet Jewry and to Spain in support of victims of the Franco regime. And he, like Duane, was passionately opposed to Britain's presence in a country where it did not belong.
Like Duane, he was politically active in the life of his city. He was elected as president of the New York City Council from 1973 to 1977 and was later appointed as New York City Commissioner to the United Nations. His accomplishments, both as a lawyer and as a civil libertarian, earned him the admiration of his fellow-citizens and, following his death in 1998, the New York City Council voted to honour him by changing a portion of Duane Street to be renamed Paul O'Dwyer Way.
This street in Lower Manhattan, now proudly carries the names of these two distinguished Irish-Americans. - Yours, etc.,
Frank Durkan, O'Dwyer & Bernstien, LLP, Attorneys at Law, Paul O'Dwyer Way, Duane Street, New York.