Tip O’Neill’s son in running for ambassador role
JUST LIKE HIS LATE FATHER, THOMAS HAS A PASSION FOR IRELAND, IN PARTICULAR HIS ANCESTRAL HOME OF MALLOW
THOMAS P O’Neill III, son of the former speaker of the US House of Representatives, ‘ Tip’ O’Neill, who always took pride in his Mallow roots, has joined the race to become the next US ambassador to Ireland.
Ambassador Edward Crawford, who has major Duhallow roots and was appointed to the role by former US President Donald Trump in 2019, stood down last month.
THE SON of the former speaker of the US House of Representatives, ‘ Tip’ O’Neill, who throughout his life made no secret of the pride he took in his Mallow roots, has joined the race to become the next ambassador to Ireland.
Thomas P O’Neill III, a former Massachusetts State Representative, who served also as the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is understood to be one of a number of people seeking the role.
According to IrishCentral. com, friends of O’Neill say he has been lobbying leading figures within the Irish community in the US to gain their support for his push to secure the prestigious and sought-after position.
The previous holder of the position, Edward Crawford, who was appointed to the role by former US President Donald Trump in 2019, stood down last month.
Mr Crawford also had strong north Cork links, with his mother, Kate (Kay) Crawford (née Healy), who was born in 1911 and passed away in the US in 1986, hailing from Gneeves in Boherbue.
Mr Crawford’s grandfather, Jeremiah Healy, was born in Glashakinleen and was the son of John Healy and Ellen Donohue. Many locals in Boherbue will also remember Ambassador Crawford’s aunt, the late Cecilia Healy from Gneeves, who passed away in 1996.
Boherbue rolled out the red carpet for Mr Crawford when he paid a visit to the town in July of 2019 during a trip to Cork.
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Thomas P O’Neill (74) is the eldest son of the late Thomas ‘ Tip’ O’Neill, who held the position as House Speaker from 1977 to 1987.
Having earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Boston College (where he now sits on the board of trustees) he earned a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard John F Kennedy School of Government before following his father into politics.
Having served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1973 to 1974, he took up the role of Lieutenant Governor in 1975, remaining in the position until 1983.
During his time in office, he served on the US State Department Ambassadorial Screening Committee and is known for his work on the ‘Big Dig’ in Boston.
In 1991, he founded O’Neill and Associates, a public-relations and government-affairs consulting firm and still holds the position of its CEO overseeing all aspects of the firm’s operations.
He is actively involved in numerous community and philanthropic organisations around the Boston area; is a member of the Irish American Fund and sits on the board of the Catholic Democrats.
According to distant cousin Michael O’Neill, a member of the Mallow Heritage Group, Thomas O’Neill inherited his late father’s passion for Ireland and in particular Mallow, the ancestral home of his paternal great-grandparents, Patrick O’Neill and Julia (née Fox).
“I have been in communication with Thomas over recent days, and he confirmed to me that he is very interested in the role of US ambassador to Ireland,” said Michael.
“He is a great friend and close supporter of President Joe Biden, so I would be confident that he would stand a very good chance of getting the nomination, particularly given his Irish roots and keen interest in Irish affairs,” he added.
Figures from the ICRR showed it was tasked to 490 incident across 13 counties during 2020, its first full year in operation.
July was the single busiest month, with the Air Ambulance being tasked a total of 59 times. Road traffic accidents account for the most incidents, with a total of 94 taskings throughout the year.
Among the other incidents responded to were:
* 81 cardiac arrests.
* 74 general trauma calls. * 73 general medical calls. * 46 farming accidents. * 29 falls from heights.