Out & About

What a sad week it has been as we just lost a great friend, and I do mean a great friend, DJ Carey - one of the most colorful Irish American people I ever came across in my whole life.

DJ became a great friend of mine - I do not know why, but he did; he must have seen something in me, what, I don't know.

He was the life and soul of every party and I can say that because every party or cocktail reception I was at he was at too and I'd always get this bow from him when I entered, as if to say, here we are again.

He would call my office sometimes and ask me am I going to such and such event and sometimes I would say I did not get an invitation and he would say "I'll call you back," and five minutes later he would tell me, "yes, you're on the guest list."

The best part of going to a reception and meeting DJ was the question of where were we going after because that is when most of the fun happened with lots of laughs and slagging if you don't mind.

Why am I going on so much? Well because he was a pillar of the Irish Community and will be sorely missed by all. May he rest in peace.

At the church I can only say again that everyone and their mother was there, though it's sometimes sad to say again that you get to see people you have not seen for a long time... Of course it had to be DJ's funeral see as I said he always made sure that the party goes on and on.

Mike Sheehan, who we all know from 'Crime Stoppers' on Channel 5 is one of the most decorated police officers of the NYPD for all the good things he has done for the New York community.

Well, you might know that all of us Irish like to go for a little drink to talk about the old days after a funeral and to catch up on what is happening and that is exactly what Mike, Jeff Cleary, (the next Governor) Chris Callaghan  and I did.

At the Church, Father Pete did a perfect job in describing DJ's life to all his family and friends and Cardinal Egan provided some nice word on what DJ had done in his very short life.

Jimmy Neary was looking good in his robes (gee, that man looks like a saint) but as I said everyone who is anyone was at the church, including Tom Moran, Bill Flynn (who has himself just lost his son Jimmy), Adrian Flannelly - Ireland's Radio Host, Doctor Paddy Boland from Sloan Kettering Hospital, Sheila Clancy, Mary O'Dowd (a great singer and looking good too), Joe Ruane (what ever), James Clare and his wife Ouna, David O'Sullivan, and Barry Lynch. I could go on and on as to who was at the mass, that's how popular he was!

I took a trip over to Broadway to the Hilton Theatre on 43rd Street to see the preparations for the Spiderman show that will be opening in February 2010. All the construction work at the theatre is been done by an Irishman named Michael O'Brien from Tipperary

Wait until you see the show and see again what we Irish people can do nice and quietly. Michael also does all the work for Disney for their show in Central Park; now how about that huh, give him a hand.

What a show they put on at the Avery Fisher Hall  Lincoln Center. I am talking about the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland who brought down the house with music that makes us so proud of where we come from.

I was at the Dublin Association Dinner at the Manhattan Club in Rosie O'Grady's on 7th Avenue which honored the Consul General Niall Burgess and had a great crowd with lots of dancing.

I went to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Madison Square Garden on Friday night and let me tell you it was spectacular as Bono and Van the Man were in top form. Are they getting old? Sheeeeeee.

I was told that the Emerald Isle Dinner was a great success and why should it not be with Siobhan Dennehy as the backbone of this organization and all the hard work she puts in. Sorry I missed it.

See you all next week.