James “Duke” Lynch

McCann’s Irish Oatmeal, Personal Injury Attorney Jim McGing, Fox’s Pizza, Tullamore Dew and the Cork and Kerry Irish Pub present the Hibernian Radio Hour. We continue on our Police Pub Tour back at The Cork and Kerry Pub on Western Avenue and this week we welcome back the legend himself, James “Duke” Lynch. The Duke is a U.S Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran and a 39 year Veteran of the Chicago Police Department.  He spent 15 years as a bodyguard to Mayor Richard M. Daley and he is a devoted fan of the ‘Duke’ John Wayne, hence the nickname! Fun fact: James had to repeat the 5th grade because he skipped school for a full month to go see “The Alamo” at the theater. He even took time off work to attend his funeral! The stories he shares from that day are great, especially those about meeting some of the big Hollywood names. He jumps straight into the most exciting stories from his time on the Force including the time he was shot during a robbery, the cemetery setup to catch a grave robber and finding creative ways to transport a dead body… Of course, it’s not a true interview with Duke unless he mentions The Red Sox and the conection he and his father shared with the team! He recites his favorite speech from one of John Wayne’s movies for Houli and he presented the same one in class when he attended St. Philip Neri School. Family, school and the “good old days” are just some of the many topics that these guys cover. The Duke brought a couple of mementos to the show including some family photos and ornaments and each piece holds a fascinating story.. This guy is a real character and we’re delighted to have him return to the show! Houli brings us up to date on this week’s obituaries followed by some great music from our musical guests, Jimmy Cloonan and Liam Durkin who play us out this week with an array of Irish tunes.