Clinton leads tributes to McCourt at NY event

FORMER US president Bill Clinton yesterday led the tributes to best-selling author, Frank McCourt, when he was posthumously honoured in New York by leading Irish and American philanthropists.

He was speaking at a function which is part of a $1 million (€725,000) campaign for the Frank McCourt Chair in Creative Writing at University of Limerick which has already secured $500,000. The chair in Creative Writing will have a particular focus on memoirs.

Leading literary figures, including Billy Collins, Tom Cahill, Colum McCann, Rose Styron, and Pete Hamill joined Franks’ widow, Ellen, and his brothers, Malachy and Alfie for yesterday’s event in New York to celebrate the memory of the renowned Irish writer.

Bill Clinton said: “Everyone has a story to tell in life but Frank wrote uniquely about his, and in doing so, has inspired many others to put their own stories down on paper. It is great that the University of Limerick will bring creative writing and storytelling back to Ireland in a fresh way through this chair.”

UL president, Prof Don Barry, recalled Frank McCourt’s commitment to the advancement of UL as a director of the UL Foundation.

Prof Barry said: ‘Frank McCourt was a true friend of the University of Limerick, and it is highly appropriate that we honour his legacy in this way.”

David Cronin, chief executive of the UL Foundation, said the continuous support of Irish-American philanthropists effects positive change in Ireland.

“The Frank McCourt Chair is a perfect example of how strategic targeted investment will impact a new generation of young aspiring writers.”