LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Bridget McCready posthumously for
special recognition by the Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee
on March 28, 2010

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize those
individuals of preeminent character whose lives exemplified the highest
ideals of humanity and whose lifework and civic endeavor served to
enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great State of
New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Bridget McCready posthumously for special recognition by the Bay Ridge
St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee at its 17th Annual Parade to be held
on Sunday, March 28, 2010; and
WHEREAS, On February 27, 1972, Bridget McCready was born in Birming-
ham, England, where her parents, Cormac and Benetta, met and married;
Cormac, from Ballyshannon County, Donegal, Ireland and Benetta, from
Cheek Point County, Waterford, Ireland returned to Ballyshannon, Ireland
when Bridget was a year old; and
WHEREAS, While attending St. Catherine's National School in Ballyshan-
non, Bridget McCready developed a habit of bringing home stray animals,
leading her father to nickname her "Mousey"; she later attended Sacred
Heart secondary school, where she excelled in art and music; she was a
fantastic musician like her father, playing guitar and singing for a
folk group; she was loved by students and teachers and, as a senior, was
voted Personality of the Year; and
WHEREAS, In the summers, when not swimming at Rossnowlagh Beach or
attending the Ballyshannon Folk Festival, Bridget McCready worked at the
Holyrood Hotel and the Great Northern Hotel in Bundoran; during this
time, she was the representative of Ballyshannon/Bundoran in the Donegal
section of the Rose of Trallee; and
WHEREAS, Bridget McCready attended College Killybeggs where she
received certification in Tourism and Hotel Management; after college,
she retuned to Birmingham where she spent the next few years working and
studying; and
WHEREAS, In her early 20s Bridget moved to Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, New
York; she began working at Peggy O'Neill's on 5th Avenue where she met
many of her life-long friends; she loved Brooklyn and extended her
hospitality to all, accommodating countless friends and visitors in her
home; and
WHEREAS, In addition to working at Peggy's, Briget McCready worked in
Griswolds on 3rd Avenue, Eamonn Doran's on Montague Street, Earnonn
Doran's on 34th Street, the John Barleycorn in Stamford, Connecticut,
and the Ballybunion on 3rd Avenue; she had great compassion for young
and old and made friends everywhere she went; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her lifetime, Bridget McCready embodied the spirit
and the cherished ideals and values of Irish-Americans of this great
State and Nation; and
WHEREAS, A beautiful light in the lives of many, Bridget McCready is
survived by parents, Cormac and Benetta; her sister, Catherine; her
brother, Niall; her nephew, Johnny and her goddaughter, Simone, as well
as a loyal legion of friends; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Bridget McCready left
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all she served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Bridget McCready posthumously for special recognition by the Bay
Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee on March 28, 2010; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Bridget McCready.