tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206380617235471991.post4151414283118053299..comments2023-10-26T09:58:01.275-04:00Comments on The Bowery Boys: New York City History: Mayor Thomas Gilroy: printer's devil, and Tammany's, tooThe Bowery Boys - Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973633888975286268noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206380617235471991.post-89482726888075217302013-02-21T22:54:15.025-05:002013-02-21T22:54:15.025-05:00Art,
I don't know if my first reply got to you...Art,<br />I don't know if my first reply got to you--I'm new to this, but you are a cousin of mine as I too am a great-grandson of Thomas F. Gilroy through his son Eugene, who was a respected judge in Queens in the nineteen-oh's and Eugene's oldest child Elizabeth, my mom. My branch of the family's view of the mayor is similar to your grandfather's. I'm sure he had his "Tammany moments", but from what I've read, he seems like he was open to compromise rather than blindly follow Richard Croker's (not William Crocker) orders, despite the Lexow Scandal. Mom remembered him as a kindly old grandfather and he was occasionally called "Honest Tom"--maybe an overstatement-- around our house. The only artifacts, besides a few photos, we have of him, is a set of Franklin spoons, monogrammed with his and his wife's initials.<br /><br />I don't know if you've seen Joey Meehan's website (another cousin of ours), but there'sa fair bit of info about him there. I guess the Mulqueen branch has a family tree, too.<br /><br />Dr. Paul Johnston, Professor of English, Western Michigan UniversityAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206380617235471991.post-74624159948200225942013-02-21T22:41:09.129-05:002013-02-21T22:41:09.129-05:00Donal,
And I too am a great-grandson of Thomas F. ...Donal,<br />And I too am a great-grandson of Thomas F. Gilroy, and so, a distant cousin of yours. I know about the mayor's parents, Thomas and Mary Geraghty Gilroy from Joey Meehan's site, and have heard there are a whole lot of us around the Sligo area. Like a lot of Irish-Americans, I'm interested in visiting the area at some point (I've been to Ireland three times, but not to Sligo) and finding out more about those who were "left behind."<br /><br />My mom knew the mayor as a kindly old grand-dad, bouncing her on his knee when she was a wee girl. Our branch sometimes called him "Honest Tom", stressing that he was only a mayor for one term, and seemed more inclined to compromise rather than bow entirely to Richard Croker's will. I'm sure he wasn't completely "clean", but I'd like to think he wasn't completely "dirty" either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206380617235471991.post-67898573310036785422012-11-06T15:03:48.974-05:002012-11-06T15:03:48.974-05:00Art.
I am one of the Gilroys lft behind in Ireland...Art.<br />I am one of the Gilroys lft behind in Ireland I believe My Great Grandfather was a first cousin to your Great Grandfather. I would like to promote his birthplace which is in the area where I live.<br /><br />Donal Gilroy<br />www.gilroyenergy.ieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206380617235471991.post-60609652281953511572011-11-30T18:27:06.318-05:002011-11-30T18:27:06.318-05:00I am great grandson (on my mother’s side) of New Y...I am great grandson (on my mother’s side) of New York Mayor Thomas F. Gilroy. <br /><br />In my young years, during late 1950’s and early 1960’s, Arthur Gilroy (my grandfather... one of Thomas Gilroy’s eleven (11) children) would recount many tales of how his father, Thomas, tried in earnest to clean up Boss Tweed’s hugely successful and very corrupt democratic political machine in NY. I believe Mayor Gilroy has been improperly depicted as himself being corrupt in this review of his many years of service to New York City. Although often stated incorrectly in other reviews as Thomas serving as NY Mayor from 1893 – 1894, in actuality Mayor Gilroy served from 1890 – 1894. I have an invaluable Sterling Silver beautifully detailed and embossed full size brick trowel and a miniaturized shovel; both hang on my office wall. Each has beautifully sculpted and fastened whale tooth handles and both surround a picture of Mayor Gilroy at his ornate NY mayoral desk signing documents. Additionally, on the rear of the shovel is an engraved likeness of the actual Indian Chief Tammany, name sake of Tammany Hall that Boss Tweed utilized as a front – probably the only engraving of Chief Tammany in existence! <br /><br />Following is the only piece of this review that brings back accurate recollections of what Mayor Gilroy’s son Arthur Gilroy related to me regarding his father’s years of service trying to correct the improper actions of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall (words between [ ] are added by me): “Gilroy tried desperately to turn the tide [inside Boss Tweed’s Tammany Hall] by appointing a 'bi-partisan' board of police directors, Democrats and Republicans.”<br /><br />Art Burtis<br /><br />W. Arthur "Art" Burtis, Founder, Chairman, CEO <br />Solar Air Power CorporationAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com