RSS
News


Home Page > News > IMPAC Dublin Literary Award founder James B. Irwin commits suicide

Blogs


comment on article Make a comment
print this article Print
email this articleE-mail

IMPAC Dublin Literary Award founder James B. Irwin commits suicide

Found Monday night with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head

By
KENNETH HAYNES,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Friday, September 25, 2009, 1:29 PM
Updated Friday, September 25, 2009, 2:19 PM

 

Bookmark and Share

James Irwin

James B. Irwin, the founder of the annual International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, took his own life on Monday evening at his home in Connecticut.

The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an annual prize give to a work of fiction, and is the biggest of its kind in the world. Nominations are made from libraries around the world, and books in any language are eligible. The winner is given a €100,000 ($146,585) prize and previous winners include “The Master" by Colm Toibin.

Irwin was a second-generation Irish -American whose grandparents, the O’Rourkes and the McCooks, came from County Clare. He grew up in the Bronx and held dual Irish and U.S. Citizenship

Police went to the 73-year-old’s home on Monday evening after receiving a call that a man at the home was threatening to kill himself.

On arrival they found an empty pistol case and a note. Shortly thereafter they heard two shots. The officers discovered Irwin with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, but died of his injuries.

A spokesman for the Connecticut State Police told the Hartford Courant that no suspects were being looked for in the incident.

"We believe there is no criminal aspect to it," said Lt. J. Paul Vance, confirming that detectives examined the scene as per procedure.

On Tuesday, the state medical examiner ruled that it was a suicide.

Irwin’s  life was touched by tragedy when his son was murdered, and in 2000 this led to his efforts to block the reappointment of Judge David L. Fineberg, who had worked the trial of the man charged with the killing.
 
Irwin argued that Fineberg was favoring the prosecution, as the man charged with the murder, John Tyler Fuessenich, was former state police commissioner Cleveland Fuessenich’s nephew. 
 
Fineberg was eventually  given the appointment, but Irwin’s challenge led to a Connecticut state constitutional amendment to protect the rights of crime victims.

1 2 Next page >
print this article Print
email this articleE-mail


Be the first to make a comment.

It may take several minutes for your comment to appear.


Click to learn more from DiscoverIreland.com.
IrishCentral Mobile QR code


Connect to IrishCentral with your Facebook account

or sign-in directly

Welcome to IrishCentral!
Please provide the following information in order to create your account

Username:
E-Mail Address:
Password:
Confirm Password:
I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy


Welcome to IrishCentral!
All we need is the following information and you will be part of the #1 Irish community in the US

E-Mail Address:
First select a unique username:
Username:
Now choose a password:
Password:
Confirm Password:
I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Thank you!

Just one more step and you will be part of the largest Irish community in America! Tell us a little more about you to start enjoying all the features of IrishCentral.

Additional Information:

First Name:
Last Name:
Date of Birth:
Zip:
Gender: Male  Female 
Country:
Degree of Irishness:
Household Income:
Level of Education:

Subscribe to our newsletters:

The Best of IrishCentral - Daily Newsletter
Special Offers from our sponsors

or
Skip

You can edit your information at any time, just go to "my account" when you're logged in.

Log into IrishCentral with your Facebook account

or sign-in directly

E-Mail:
Password:
 Remember me Forgot my password