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PEP Archives | September
2002 Table of Contents | Public Employee Press Archives | Home
Irish
heritage event remembers 9/11
Poems and booklet at annual
celebration honor bravery of city workers in tragedy.
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At their annual celebration on June 14, the DC 37 Irish Heritage Committee
proved the saying is true: You can't keep the Irish down.
Months of planning go into the event, which is usually held in March,
but the attacks on the World Trade Center closed union headquarters
through mid-February. "We were not going to let the terrorists
stop us. We're just a little later this year," said Committee
Vice Chair Kathy Fitzgerald.
The event began with a moment of silence in memory of those who perished
in the attack. At each place was a booklet titled, "Sept. 11,
2001: We'll Never Forget." Compiled by committee member Bernadette
Enzmann, the moving 22-page publication included photographs, poems
and articles about the 9-11 tragedy.
After an invocation by the Rev. Lawrence E. Lucas, a Chaplain and
member of Local 299, the careful planning showed as the program moved
smoothly from music to speeches and poetry and back to a stepdance
performance by the Tir Na Gael School and dance music by the Hittmen.
Participants applauded the Knights of Columbus Pipe Band, which includes
Local 2507 member John Manning and Local 1320 members Mike Donovan
and Sean Scaglione. As the skirl of their bagpipes faded, Committee
Chair John Townsend, the president of Local 1322, introduced DC 37
Executive Director Lillian Roberts.
"Like the city itself, DC 37 is a living testament to diversity,
a blend of many immigrant cultures and national identities with a
common goal - a better life for working people," said Ms. Roberts.
She spoke of the "great Irish leaders" who helped "build
our organization from humble beginnings to the city's largest public
employee union." In her talk, she cited three who meant a lot
to her personally: Secretary Colleen Detroy, longtime Research and
Negotiations Director Dennis Sullivan, and the late Edward Maher,
who like Ms. Roberts was a DC 37 Associate Director during the growth
years of the 1960s and '70s.
The committee's annual awards went to Ms. Roberts, Ms. Fitzgerald
and recent retiree Marion Cox, who served on the Irish Heritage Committee
for 10 years.
DC 37 Secretary Edward W. Hysyk discussed the contributions of Irish
leaders and members to the history of New York City, New York State
and the labor movement.
Ray Simons, an Emergency Medical Technician who was involved in the
Ground Zero rescue effort, read from his poems. The Local 2507 member
evoked powerfully the horror of the mass deaths on 9-11 and the brave
response of city workers.