Irish-Americans have always been an integral part of New York City, contributing to political, economic and social life. St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of all things Irish. In honor of this day and the achievements of Irish-Americans, here is a sample of some of the materials available in the City Hall Library.

A Revolutionary Conservative: James Duane of New York by Edward P. Alexander tells the story of the first Mayor of New York City after the American Revolution. Appointed to the position in 1784, Duane was a prominent lawyer and landowner and member of the Continental Congress, who helped New York City rebuild after the revolution. Beau James: Life of Jimmy Walker by Gene Fowler chronicles the life of a former songwriter, who became Mayor of New York from 1926 to 1932. Under his leadership at first, improvements were made to city government. However, after being investigated by the Seabury Commission for alleged corruption, Walker was forced to leave office.

Alfred E. Smith: the Happy Warrior by Christopher M. Finan offers a look at the life of the governor of New York State from 1919 to 1928 and the first Catholic candidate for President of the United States in 1928. This book explores Smith’s personal, financial and political achievements and setbacks. In Counsel for the Defense, Paul O’Dwyer recounts his life story from childhood in Ireland to arrival in America and success in law and politics in New York City. O’Dwyer worked as an attorney helping labor leaders accused of Communism and fighting for the cause of civil rights. He served as City Council President from 1974 to 1978.

The Days of Wine and Roses are Over by Daniel C. Kramer reviews the gubernatorial career of Hugh L. Carey, governor of New York State from 1975 to 1982. Carey worked to assist New York City with its financial troubles in 1975, signing legislation to establish the Emergency Financial Control Board and doing battle with the federal government to obtain financial aid for the city. The Gentleman from New York by Godfrey Hodgson is a biography of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who represented New York in the U.S. Senate from 1977 to 2000. The book discusses Moynihan’s middle-class childhood and youth spent in Oklahoma, Indiana and New York City; his work for the Nixon administration as chief domestic advisor; diplomatic service as ambassador to India and later to the United Nations and Moynihan’s illustrious Senate career.

Another book of interest is The Man Who Ran the Subways: the Story of Mike Quill by L.H. Whittemore. Quill was president of the Transport Workers Union during the 1966 transit strike. Originally from County Kerry, Ireland, Quill arrived in New York City in 1926, worked as a subway token clerk and helped form the Transport Workers Union. Known for his fiery personality, Quill led his workers out on strike in 1966, virtually shutting down the city for nearly two weeks.

Biographical files in the City Hall Library contain articles on Irish American politicians, officials and others of note. There is also a vertical file on the Irish in New York City and one on the St. Patrick’s Day parade, providing background and news stories for further research.

HISTORICAL PHOTOS OF NEW YORK CITY HOUSES

Ever wondered what your house looked like 60 years ago? Between 1939 and 1941, the City photographed every house and building in the five Boroughs for tax purposes. Department of Records has recently made these unique images available for purchase. Visit http://nyc.gov/html/records/html/taxphotos/home.shtml for more info.

ACQUISITIONS LIST, FEBRUARY 2005

The following publications were received by the City Hall Library in the month of February. Additional government publications can be found online in our Government Publications section.

Bhalla, Caroline K., et al.
State of New York City’s housing and neighborhoods 2004. Furman Center for Real-Estate and Urban Policy. School of Law, New York University. 2005.

Citizens Union, et al.
A Citizen’s guide to the Hudson yards draft environmental impact statement. New York: September 2004.

City Project.
Campaign cruise toward the perfect fiscal storm: New York City’s FY 2006 preliminary budget. February 2005.

Clean Air Task Force.
Diesel and health in America: the lingering threat. Boston: February 2005.

Community Service Society.
Out of school, out of work . . . out of luck? New York City’s disconnected youth. By Martin Levitan. January 2005.

Healthcare Association of New York State.
Six consecutive years of losses: a financial profile of hospitals and health systems in New York State. January 2005.

National Wildlife Federation.
New York Public Interest Research Group. Mercury in the Mid-Atlantic: are states meeting the challenge? January 2005.

N. Y. City. Council. Speaker
State of the City. Remarks as delivered. February 24, 2005.

N. Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Budget options for New York City. February 2005.

N. Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
City labor costs: growth rate slows, for now. (Inside the Budget). January 25, 2005.

N. Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Long-term costs and benefits of the New York Sports and Convention Center. (Background paper). February 2005.

N. Y. City. Management and Budget, Office of.
Percent of low and moderate income persons by census tract. Report created by the N. Y. City Department of City Planning, March 2003. 2005.

N. Y. City. Mayor.
Mayor’s management report: fiscal 2005, preliminary. February 2005.

N. Y. City. Public Advocate.
Undertrained, underpaid, and unprepared: security officers report deficient safety standards in Manhattan office buildings. February 2005.

New York Public Interest Research Group. (NYPIRG)
Access denied: the state of New York government’s openness. December 2004.

New York Public Interest Research Group. (NYPIRG)
Pricey plastic: NYPIRG report and survey of plastic card fees. February 2005.

New York Public Interest Research Group. (NYPIRG) and Center for Medical Consumers.
Paying the price: the high cost of prescription drugs for uninsured consumers. October 2004.

New York Public Interest Research Group. (NYPIRG), et al.
Empty promises: the failure of the New York State Health Department to monitor medical errors. New York: 2005.

New York Public Interest Research Group. (NYPIRG)
Subject to influence: New York State agency contracting. December 2004.

N. Y. State. Chief Administrator of the Courts.
26th annual report for calendar year 2003. 2005.

N. Y. State. Comptroller.
Review of the financial plan of the City of New York. February 2005.

Regional Plan Association.
Brooklyn waterfront greenway: a plan for Community Boards 2 & 6: draft. February 1, 2005.

Regional Plan Association.
Out of balance: the housing crisis from a regional perspective. April 2004.

Regional Plan Association.
Urban development alternatives for the Hudson Rail Yards. December 2004.

Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York and the New York Restaurant Industry Coalition.
Behind the kitchen door: pervasive inequality in New York City’s thriving restaurant industry. January 25, 2005.

U. S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Report on asylum seekers in expedited removal. 2 vols. February 2005.

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