2009 President's Letters

March 22, 2009
A Letter from Seamus Boyle to
Brian Tierney of the Philadelphia Inquirer
Regarding an Article Stereotyping the
Irish as Drunks and Liars

The Philadelphia Inquirer
400 N Broad St
Phila Pa 19101
Att. Mr. Brian Tierney

Dear Mr. Tierney,

As the National President of the largest Catholic Irish American organization in the United States and a past Union Official I must protest the article in Friday’s Inquirer by Tom Adkins in reference to stereotyping the Irish as drunks and liars. I am sure he would not attempt to do the same for other Nationalities such as the African American, the Polish or the Jew etc. I don’t believe John F Kennedy or you Mr. Tierney, are drunks and liars but when he put all Irish in the same group he must mean them too. I wonder how you like being called a liar and a drunk by one your employees. I and my members resent being associated with this type of garbage and I am sure Mr. Adkins can show you where all the Irish in this city are on some kind of sham. I worked hard all my life for what I have today without shaming anyone and raised a family without being a liar, a drunk or shaming my way thru life. Why doesn’t Mr. Adkins check out what the Irish Immigrants have done for this Country and were and are very proud of their adopted country. The Irish who came here have fought in every war, built our infrastructure, fought and worked for decent pay for a fair days work and became great politicians and business people. How dare Mr. Adkins defame them and what Nationality will he next attack. I ask that you as the CEO of the paper, which some of my money as a Union Carpenter is invested in, should have a talk with Mr. Adkins and explain to him that NO Nationality deserves the treatment that he penned in his column last week.

Seamus Boyle
AOH National President