John
A.
Costelloe
(1961-2008)
 John
A.
Costelloe
aged 47
died at
his home
in
Brooklyn,
New York
on
December
18, 2008.
He was an
active
member of
Cumann Na
Saoirse
Náisiúnta
(National
Irish
freedom
Committee)
and the Ó
Donavon
Rossa
Society.
John was a
retired
New
York City
firefighter
and a
member of
the
‘Screen
Actors
Guild’.
He had
a number
of credits
to his
name and
became
well known
for his
appearances
on the hit
show
The
Sopranos,
especially
the
crucial
four-episode
arc in
2006,
playing a
short-order
cook and
Soprano's
Hunk, Jim
"Johnny
Cakes"
Witowski. John’s
credits
also
included
an episode
of Law &
Order, as
well as
roles in
such films
as Kiss of
Death with
Nicolas
Cage; Woody
Alan's Manhattan
Murder
Mystery;
Die Hard 2
and, most
recently,
the
current
Oscar-bait
release ‘Doubt’
starring
Meryl
Streep.
At the
time of
his death
he was
performing
as a
hustler in
a New York
theater
production
of “Gang
of
Seven”.
John
rarely
missed
a Cumann
Na Saoirse
Naisiunta event
in the
tri-State
area where
he read
the
speeches
of famous
Irish
Republican
Orators.
His
favorite
and most
revered
oration
which he
last
delivered
in October
of this
year at
the 2008
Flannery
Commemoration
was
Pádraic
Mac
Piarais’s ‘Oration’
given at
the grave
of Ó
Donavon
Rossa
on
August 1,
1915 in
Glasnevin
Cemetery
in Dublin.
He was
known to
those who
attended
commemorative
events as
an amiable
engaging and social individual.
He
attended
all recent
‘Michael
Flannery
Testimonial
Award
Dinners’
and could
be found
at the
first
available
table
inside the
door
engrossed
in
conversation and known
to all as
a most
welcome
member of
the
committee. His
warm and
humble
response
to the
many fans
of his
Sopranos
Fame was
remarkable.
John
was well
versed in
the
culture of
Ireland,
had a
great
affinity
for the
people and
was proud
to be of
Irish
stock. He
expressed
an
interest
in Gaeilge
(Irish)
and the
prospect
of
learning
the
language
did not
seem to
faze
him. At
an early
age he was
drawn to
Irish
Republicanism
and the
ongoing
struggle
for Irish
freedom.
He was
familiar
with its
heroic
figures
and
believed
that
the "ordinary
people
behind the
scenes" who
endured
great
hardships
for their
beliefs
should not
be
forgotten.
John was
one of the
first to
visit the
six
occupied
counties with
the NORAID
Tours.
John was
very
knowledgeable
of all
aspects of
the Cause
including
the ‘departures’
as he
called the
splits and
did not
hesitate
to join
Cumann Na
Saoirse
Náisiúnta
because he
believed
that its
guiding
principles
were on
the right
track. All
those
who knew
him found
him to be
a most
compassionate
person and
it was no
wonder
that he
consistently
supported
the
families
of Irish
Political
Prisoners
through
the IRPAS
Sustainer
program. His
most
recent
contribution
was for
32nd
Annual
Cabhair
Christmas
Swim held
on
Christmas
Day
2008, in
Dublin.
The
outpouring
of
sympathy
and grief
at his
wakes and
funeral
held in
his local
parish in
Brooklyn
was very
moving. It
seemed
that all
of New
York
City firefighters
were in
attendance.
The Uniformed
Firefighters
of
NYC maintained
a Guard of
Honor
throughout
the
mourning
period.
A Requiem
Mass was
held for
John at
St.
Michael’s
Church, in
Brooklyn. His
very close
friend Joe
Di Piatro
delivered
a most
moving and
passionate
eulogy.
Joe Di
Piatro will
be a live
guest on
the Radio
Free Erin
Program on
WBAI 99.5
fm 1:30
PM Saturday
Dec. 27,
2008.
During the
program he
will
redeliver
parts of
his
exceptional
eulogy for
John
Costelloe.
John
McDonagh
who will
host
the program
was also a
very close
friend of
John
Costelloe.
The full
text should
be
available
and will
be posted
on this
website
shortly.
John A.
Costelloe
was laid
to rest in
Greenwood
Cemetery
in his
native
Brooklyn,
the scene
of many
future
commemorations
for
Fenians
and Irish
activists
where John
would have
read
another
great
speech. John
always
said that
it was
very
important
to do this
commemoration
for
Fenians
and others
because
their
memories
and their
cause
would
never
die.
Cumann Na
Saoirse
Náisiúnta
wishes to
extend our
deepest
condolences
to John
Costello’s
family and
friends.
A
commemoration
will be
held for
the late
Seán Ó
Coisdealbha
(John
Costelloe)
at
Greenwood
Cemetery, Brooklyn,
NY on
Sunday
Dec.
20, 2009.
Ar dheis
láimh Dé
go raibh
anam uasal
May he
rest at
the right
hand of
God
Eulogy for
John
Costelloe
Delivered
by :
Joe Di
Pietro
- 12/12/08
St.
Michaels
Church,
Brooklyn,
N.Y.
I’ve been
thinking
about what
I’ve been
saying
today ever
since I’ve
heard the
news of
John’s
tragic
passing.
Somehow
deep
inside I
knew it
was going
to be me
who would
be doing
this.
I’ve
decided to
truly
honor my
best
friend,
partner,
and
occasional
bane of my
existence,
was to
give it
just as he
would have
wanted
it. So,
in his
spirit and
memory a
few ground
rules
before we
begin.
I plan on
rambling
this
morning as
long as I
damn well
please and
I can only
promise
you that I
will be
finished
as soon as
I am done
speaking,
and not
one moment
longer.
There will
be
occasions
when some
of you may
not
understand
what I am
saying.
Unfortunately,
that’s a
problem
you’ll
have to
deal with
on your
own. Take
notes and
ask
questions
later on.
Finally,
if for
effect, I
feel the
need I’ll
reserve
the right
to chain
smoke
camels; or
for no
apparent
reason
storm out
of here in
disgust.
But I’ll
try not to
stay too
true to
form.
Today we
celebrate
a life as
well as
mourn a
passing
and sadly,
with that
passing,
every
human
being on
the planet
at long
last
possess an
e mail
address
and the
last known
functioning
rabbit ear
TV
antennae
is now the
stuff of
legend.
There is
also the
passing of
my best
friend, my
confidante,
almost
ironically:
my rock;
and I’m
furious
with him
right now
because I
feel
cheated. I
want to
kill him,
but he’s
even
managed to
screw that
up for
me.
In these
past days
of
mourning I
have
sensed the
tremendous
out
pouring of
emotion
that
seemed to
affect
every
person at
the wake.
I spoke
with many
of you and
I somehow
came away
feeling
that aside
from the
obvious
sadness
and shock
that comes
with the
tragedy of
a sudden
death, it
was
betrayal
and anger
and a
sense of
abandonment
that most
expressed.
John
Costelloe
had no
acquaintances
– only
friendships.
That’s
because he
profoundly
touched
everyone
he met.
And now
he’s gone
and every
one of us
will have
to manage
something,
whatever
that
something
may be,
without
him in
their
life. John
lived one
speed:
full
throttle
on fumes -
living,
loving,
and
working.
And yet
anyone who
truly knew
him also
knew that
despite
his
unbridled
compassion,
he was
careful to
only allow
you to get
so close,
but no
closer. I
think now,
it was
because he
could
never
really
surrender
that part
of himself
that would
render him
that
emotionally
vulnerable.
He was far
too
sensitive
and
intensely
compassionate
to put
himself in
that
position.
Many of us
are aware
of the
relationship
I
personally
had with
John.
Above all
else, John
gave me
the most
important
gift
anyone can
give. I
owe him my
life, as I
know it.
While he
never
dragged me
out of a
burning
apartment,
my 15-year
friendship
with him
enabled me
to
discover
the person
I truly
am. To
wake me up
after 40
plus years
of
creative
hibernation
and show
me that I
am a
writer, an
artist and
a lover of
life. He
had more
of a
profound
effect on
my life
then
anyone
including
my
parents.
He is and
always
will be my
role
model.
And the
lessons he
taught me
from a
life lived
by
uncompromising
principle
and
compassion
each and
every
waking
moment of
his life.
I will
never
betray
those
lessons.
If ever a
man walked
the
walk…..
I’ll miss
the late
night
phone
calls. The
ones I’d
make when
there was
no one
else I’d
imagine
could help
me. The
times I
needed to
know I
wasn’t out
of my
mind.
I’ll
always
remember
that he
was there
for me at
some of my
lowest
moments,
and got me
through.
Many of
you have
told me
that I was
always
there for
him, that
I stuck by
him
through
thick and
thin and I
appreciate
it but I
tell you
this now -
it was
always
John who
took
better
care of me
then I did
of him.
But then
again,
wasn’t
that just
like him?
What I’ll
miss most
are the
countless
hours
writing.
They were
some of
the most
precious,
fulfilling,
painful,
exasperating,
and
euphoric
hours of
my life.
I’ll say
this about
our
writing
process,
if I
brought
the heart
of a scene
to the
table,
John would
never fail
to
sprinkle
his
stardust
on it and
give it
soul.
Last night
I mustered
up the
strength
to page
through a
screenplay
we
co-wrote.
It was
very
difficult
because I
could hear
him
talking to
me again,
yet
despite my
sadness it
gave me
great
solace to
know that
when I
need his
voice it
will
always be
there to
get me
through.
I’d like
to share
that voice
with you.
It’s a
scene that
was
written by
him and I
think it
says a lot
about whom
he was and
his take
on the
senselessness
of death.
(
Weissgarten
pp
94.95.)
I remember
once some
time back
John and I
were
having a
discussion
about the
acting
profession.
It was
while
driving
relief
supplies
down to
the
hurricane
ravaged
Gulf
region
back in
‘05. I
commented
that it
must be a
great
charge for
an actor
to get an
opportunity
through
film to
experience
the
adventures
of
characters
both
fictional
and real
and have
the
opportunity
to be a
Musketeer
or a super
hero. He
said
something
to me I’ll
never
forget.
And I’ll
leave this
with you.
John said,
“it’s one
thing to
be in a
movie but
it’s an
entirely
different
thing to
LIVE A
MOVIE”.
That,
he said
was true
exhilaration.
And now I
realize
that’s
exactly
what John
did every
day of his
life,
whether in
is his
work
ethic, his
art, or
his
beloved
political
causes,
with
unbridled
passion.
So where
do we go
from here?
How do we
make sense
of such a
tragic
loss? For
one, I
believe we
can heal
somewhat
by making
it count.
First off,
we have to
stay
connected.
We can
take more
time to
care about
each other
and above
all we
should
never
forget a
man who
lived his
principles
unconditionally.
We would
always kid
each
other.
John would
say I was
his
Kerouac.
And he my
Cassady.
And I’d
like to
close with
a passage
that sheds
a lot of
light on
who John
was:
The
following
are
excerpts
from a
poem
written by
Katrina
Plotz
and is
inspired
by the
following
lines from
Jack
Kerouac:
The Mad
Ones
by Katrina
Plotz
(written
11/12/05)
“The only
people for
me are the
mad
ones,
The ones
who are
mad to
live, mad
to talk,
mad to be
saved,
The ones
who never
yawn or
say a
commonplace
thing,
but burn,
burn,
burn, like
fabulous
yellow
roman
candles
exploding
like
spiders
across the
stars.”
The only
people for
me are the
mad ones
the ones
who are
mad to
speak, mad
to give,
mad to be
alive
the ones
who never
turn their
heads or
shrug
their
shoulders
but burn,
burn, burn
an
unquenchable
fire
love
leaping
like
flames
across the
dark
the ones
who give
until
nothing
left
then find
more love,
more truth
a deeper
desire
that
unfolds
the soul
from the
inside out
and says
we shall
be free
no longer
slaves to
institutions,
inquisitions,
insecurities
but relax
release
the pain,
anger,
desire
The only
people for
me are the
rebels,
the saints
of
resistance
the heroes
and
martyrs
for
justice
and love
how sacred
and
blessed it
is
to reclaim
the self
and the
soul of
humanity
from the
masters of
misery and
deception
Oh Lord,
let me be
among the
ones
who bring
healing to
the broken
places
love to
the
hateful
places
justice to
the places
of
oppression
and
despair
let me be
one with
the mad
ones, the
unafraid
the
willing
ones who
sacrifice
and live
on courage
Teach me
to listen,
breathe in
the wind
and the
water and
the light
be one
with the
creatures
of nature,
the day
the night
the mad
ones, the
ones who
are mad to
be one
with the
Spirit
that
sustains,
guides,
moves
through
and among
us
the
singers,
the
dancers,
the
lovers,
the poets,
the
artists
the
Believers
in Love
the mad
ones, the
sad ones
the ones
who ache
and cry
out
the ones
mad to
shout
to give
voice to
the
voiceless
and sight
to the
blind
amplify
for the
deaf
those
indifferent
and numb
to a world
teeming
with hope
and
triumph,
death,
destruction,
laughter,
tears, and
questions
The only
people for
me are the
mad ones
the lovers
and livers
of life to
the
extreme
the mad
ones,
extremists
for love
high on
passion,
high on
the holy
energy of
love and
spirit
the gifts
of the
Creator
and the
created,
the mad
ones, the
holy ones,
the one I
long to be
and the
ones
touched by
me
|
