The Irish of Maine have been paying tribute to former State Governor Joesph E. Brennan who passed away at the weekend, aged 89.
A son of Irish immigrants from Carna, Co Galway, Brennan entered the Maine Legislature as a fresh-faced 29-year-old but went on to serve two terms as Governor and two terms in Congress.
Reported PBS: "Brennan died with his wife at his side a few blocks from the third-floor tenement housing on Munjoy Hill where his Irish immigrant parents raised a family of eight children."
At celebration of the arrival of the Joseph E. Brennan archives at the Maine Irish Heritage Center. pic.twitter.com/X07pinSTPA
— Dustin Wlodkowski (@DWlodkowski) September 21, 2016
The Maine Irish Heritage Center added its voice to the many tributes paid to the late Governor.
"All of Maine and the Nation have lost an outstanding leader and public servant," said the Center in a statement. "We mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Governor Joseph E. Brennan, the son of Irish Immigrants, who dedicated his life to his core belief that government should be used to improve the lives of its citizens.
"Maine is a better place, its children healthier, its educational system stronger, its workforce more vibrant, and its land and water cleaner due to the vision and leadership of Joseph E. Brennan.
"Our hearts go out to his wife Connie and his family. And we extend our deepest gratitude for his five decades of public service—for his own accomplished career and for all those he helped along the way."
The Maine Irish Heritage Center in the former St Dominic's Church in Portland, ME, sounded its bell at noon tomorrow, Sunday April 7th, in his honor. The Center created several videos celebrating the life of Brennan, including the video above, and hosts his archives.
