BIO: Carolyn McCarthy, U. S. Congresswoman, NY, beginning in 1996, has a 3rd generation connection to Ireland. Her family emigrated in 1890, their county of origin was Cork. Her family's surname was Carey. It has been said that the greatest crusaders for justice are born from tragedy. And thus Carolyn McCarthy, a nurse for three decades, was transformed into a political activist. On Dec. 7, 1993, her son, Kevin, and husband, Dennis, were gunned down as they rode home from work on a packed commuter train. Among those killed in the incident was Dennis, while her son suffered serious injuries, some of them permanent. In the face of this horror rose Mrs. McCarthy's inner strength, which propelled her to Congress three years after the shooting. She credits her Irish background with giving her the ability to continue. "I am extremely proud of my Irish roots. We are a people who have not only coped with life's adversities, but triumphed over them. In a way, my story is! not different from the hundreds of thousands of Irish-Americans who came before me." Having come to Washington a political neophyte, McCarthy brings a much-needed outsider's perspective to Congress. Yet, despite her relative newcomer status, she has made it very clear that when McCarthy "gets her Irish up" - look out! -- Excerpt, "The World of Hibernia" (Summer/1998)