Paul O'Dwyer

Paul O'Dwyer (June 29, 1907 – June 23, 1998) was an Irish-born American politician and lawyer and the younger brother of Mayor William O'Dwyer and father to New York City lawyer Brian O'Dwyer.

Life

O'Dwyer was born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland, and emigrated to Brooklyn, New York.

During World War II he was a staunchly vehement opponent of American involvement in the war and traveled the United States (until Pearl Harbor) to speak with and rally like-minded pro-neutrality (particularly Irish-American) groups.

As a lawyer — he was a founder of the firm O'Dwyer and Bernstien in Lower Manhattan — he made a reputation for himself as a defender of progressive causes, from striking workers to African Americans struggling for civil rights. Some of his more renowned cases were those involving people accused of Communist activities. Active in the National Lawyers Guild, he became its president in 1947 and served on its national board from 1948 to 1951.

O'Dwyer also took a passionate interest in his home country and supported both constitutionalist and physical force Irish nationalist initiatives. His influence protected several Irish Republican Army gunmen from deportation, including "The Fort Worth Five" and Vincent Conlon.