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Ted Kennedy Jr. recalls father as Irish champion, says 'I miss him terribly'

By
FRIEDA KLOTZ
,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Friday, November 13, 2009, 12:35 PM
Updated Friday, November 13, 2009, 1:00 PM

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Ted Kennedy Jr. recalls father as Irish champion, says 'I miss him terribly' | Irish News | IrishCentral




Read more: Edward M. Kennedy, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Law, Social Issues
Ted Kennedy

Members of the Irish community gathered at a memorial Mass in New York Thursday to remember Sen. Edward Kennedy, just over 12 weeks after his death. The senator’s son, Edward Kennedy Jr., Christine Quinn, Speaker of New York City Council, and Irish Consul General Niall Burgess  were among those present at Holy Trinity Church on the Upper West Side .

After Communion, Kennedy Jr. spoke about his family, saying his grandmother Rose would talk about the days when she saw signs saying “no dogs, no Irish.” It was easier for the Irish to succeed in politics because there was less prejudice in that profession than in others, he suggested. “He was so proud of how far we’ve come,” he said of his father. “Civil rights and human rights were something he believed in strongly.”

Kennedy Jr. also recounted an anecdote his father loved to tell: When he visited New York once, a woman came up to him and asked if people always thought he was Ted Kennedy. When he said they did, she replied, “Doesn’t that make you mad as hell?!

“In politics you have to celebrate these wonderful moments,” Kennedy Jr. said.  He read two passages from the late Senator's memoir, "True Compass," in which Kennedy spoke about how important his Catholic faith was to him. And he recalled visits to Ireland he made with his father.

“I miss my dad terribly today,” he said.

“Ted Kennedy represented a whole realm of possibilities,” said Siobhan Dennehy, executive director of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center.

“The Kennedy family came from humble beginnings but they never forgot the underdog. Ted always worked to promote assistance for people who needed it.”

The ceremony gave due to the issues Kennedy cared about in his political career and personal life. At the Prayers of the Faithful, Dennehy prayed for immigration reform and a bill “Ted Kennedy would have been proud of.” Rob Dunne, president of the Brehon Law society, prayed that peace in Northern Ireland would continue to prevail.

“There’s a natural connection between everything Senator Kennedy did and everything the Brehon Law Society continues to fight for,” Dunne said later, speaking to Irish central. “Civil rights, human rights, and peace in Northern Ireland.”

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Posted by Felicia on Nov 18, 2009, 05:14 AM EST
12 million approved by Congress for a Ted Kennedy Memorial! I don't know about you but I sure would like some of that taxpayer money to help my family and others like us during these difficult times of unemployment, etc. Right now that is a slap in the face to every American. This is how the Kennedy's concern themselves for our civil and human rights??
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Posted by borefield on Nov 17, 2009, 12:55 PM EST
How utterly hypocritical the catholic tribute to the late Ted Kennedy. His family and friends attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion. This man was in the same book as OJ Simpson, he killed a woman and had it brushed under the rug. His father robbed, denounced and abused the Irish until he needed their votes to elect John. When I read this tripe on an Irish news page I really want to change my last name. It's just so wrong.
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Posted by FatherVol on Nov 16, 2009, 11:20 AM EST
Another wasted love affair. Get over the Kennedys! The are Catholic in name only, reject the teachings of the Church and encourage others to do so. The, like Notre Dame, are passe and a good example of why family inheritance taxes should be increased to 90% so offspring can earn their names and place in the voice of America.
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Posted by rndidonato on Nov 16, 2009, 10:20 AM EST
As a first generaton Catholic American, it it great that we have come such a long way in politics. However, my biggest dissapointment is that Ted Kennedy could not be faithful to ALL the tenents of his Catholicl faith. He would not take a stand on defending the most innocent, the unborn. I don't think that when he stood before our Father in heaven that He was quick to overlook this character flaw as so many in this country have done. God bless his soul.
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Posted by manhattan on Nov 13, 2009, 02:11 PM EST
I have totally disagreed with Ted Kennedy since the 60's. But that was politics. But now I will remember him as a man who was so loved by his children and I now think of him in an entirely different way. I read his book True Compass and I wish we could have known all the good he has done before now. We used to say about Jack "Johnnie we hardly knew ye" now we can say "Teddy we hardly knewyou." Rest In Peace.


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