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Ted Kennedy: a name that inspired millions

By
NIALL O'DOWD,
IrishCentral.com Publisher

Published Thursday, September 3, 2009, 10:02 AM
Updated Thursday, September 3, 2009, 10:19 AM

 

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Ted Kennedy

Once there were nine siblings, and now just Jean Kennedy Smith is left from the children of Joe and Rose FitzGerald Kennedy, who went on to become the most powerful political family in America.

We forgot what the Kennedys accomplished for Irish Americans. They grew up in an era when “No Irish Need Apply” signs were still up in some New England neighborhoods.

The family’s summer house was in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts only because the Newport, Rhode Island snobs would not have Irish Catholic neighbors.

By the time John F. Kennedy became president all had changed utterly. He defined an American generation and made Irish American identity a definite plus, especially in politics. After he became president the No Irish Need Apply signs were taken down forever.

We can say their names now with a mixture of awe and admiration, starting with the most recently deceased, Senator Edward Kennedy, who championed over 3,000 pieces of legislation, passed over 350 major bills during his time in the Senate and became the voice of the powerless in the most powerful institution on Earth.

He could make and break presidents but never became one himself.  Barack Obama became president in large measure because Kennedy decided to back him at a critical moment in his primary race against Hillary Clinton.

Equally, Kennedy’s run against Jimmy Carter in 1980 made it impossible for Carter to be re-elected because of a deeply divided Democratic Party.

On Irish terms, his work on the peace process and immigration reform will be his legacy. He was the champion of Ireland on Capitol Hill for a generation and his influence will be deeply missed.

His sister Eunice, founder of the Special Olympics predeceased him by two weeks. She too was an extraordinary woman, one who felt strongly about her handicapped sister Rosemary and decided to do something about it. The Special Olympics are her monument, and one can hardly think of anything better.

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