Frank Durkan (13 August 1930 – 16 November 2006)Street Sign for Durkan Campaign
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Irish-American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...

attorney best known for having represented numerous members of the

Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...

(IRA), including avowed IRA gun-runner

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

, who stood trial, and was acquitted, in 1982. In another prominent case, which occurred the previous year, Durkan convinced a federal magistrate to deny the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

's request that Desmond Mackin - accused of shooting a British soldier- be extradited to British custody. Born in

Bohola Bohola () is a village in County Mayo, Ireland located along the N5 national primary road. It is in the barony of Gallen and gives its name to the parish of Bohola. The village's amenities include two pubs, a post office and a Catholic church ...

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

, Durkan immigrated to the United States in 1947, aged 17. He stayed with his uncle,

William O'Dwyer William O'Dwyer (July 11, 1890November 24, 1964) was an Irish-American politician and diplomat who served as the 100th Mayor of New York City, holding that office from 1946 to 1950. Life and career O'Dwyer was born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ire ...

, the eldest brother of his mother, Mary. "Bill" O'Dwyer was the

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...

at the time, while his uncle,

Paul O'Dwyer Peter Paul O'Dwyer (June 29, 1907 – June 23, 1998) was an Irish-born American politician and civil rights lawyer who served as President of the New York City Council during 1974–1977. He was the younger brother of Mayor William O'Dwyer, and t ...

, was an influential activist who would later become president of the

New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five Borough (New York City), boroughs. The council serves as a check against the Mayor of New York City, mayor in a may ...

. "The kid" was quickly whisked away to a small apartment in

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

to earn his way. In the meantime, he worked as a liquor store clerk, janitor and car park while being encouraged to follow in the "legal" familial footsteps. A graduate of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, 1951, he would earn his law degree from

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...

two years later, after which he would serve as a clerk for the law firm of O'Dwyer & Bernstein, where Paul O'Dwyer was the senior partner. He, along with Paul's son Brian, were the senior partners at the time of his death. In addition to representing accused members of the IRA he would also practice malpractice and negligence law, and - towards the twilight of his career- indulge in political campaigns aimed at legitimizing the cause of the new IRA within American political circles by lobbying the government on behalf of Irish-American republicans and

Irish nationalists Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cu ...

; he was ultimately unsuccessful by the 1990s when a client

Joe Doherty Joe Doherty (born 20 January 1955) is an Irish former volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who escaped during his 1981 trial for killing a member of the Special Air Service (SAS) in 1980. He was arre ...

was deported in 1992 after 10 years of litigation. He died on 16 November 2006, aged 76, in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...

from complications from RA-induced

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failu ...

. He was survived by his wife, Monica, two daughters, Mary Louise and Aisling, a son-in-law, Stead, and two grandchildren, Brian and Declan.

References

External links

Frank Durkan
New York Times obituary.
Friends Celebrate Durkan Landmark

Frank Durkan Papers
at Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University New York (state) lawyers 1930 births 2006 deaths Columbia University alumni Irish emigrants to the United States People from County Mayo People from Rye, New York Provisional Irish Republican Army 20th-century American lawyers {{Ireland-paramilitary-bio-stub