Out & About

Sorry for missing the Out & About column in last week's paper as I was on a break for the long weekend, but now I am back and thanks for all the correspondence and phone calls.

Yes! Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh   traveled to New York City last week where the Queen addressed the United Nations General Assembly, something she has not done for 53 years. I have to mention it because she is also going to Ireland next year as a guest of the Irish Government.

Also in New York is Cristiano Ronaldo, formerly with Manchester United and now Real Madrid. As you might all know by now, he had a son by a surrogate mother who was paid 12 million dollars we are told... how about that huh? 

Katia Ronaldo who is Cristiano Ronaldo's sister spoke for the first time since her famous brother announced a few days ago that he has a son with a mysterious woman.

Katia Ronaldo is the one raising his baby boy, who's also named Cristiano Ronaldo, while he is having fun in New York with his girlfriend Irina Shayk.

Talking about the Queen, the other Queens are  inviting you to the Astoria Amazing Race/Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, August 7 at 2pm (and ending at 12pm on Sunday). This event is sponsored by Maggie Mae's, Cronin Phelan and  few others who I hope to announce next week.

Where will the starting place be? None other than the Irish Rover Pub (3718 28th Avenue in Astoria; (718) 278-9372) so call in and say hello to Red and all the lads as this is a great spot to meet friends when you're out and about. 

The Adrian Flannelly Show had some very interesting guests again last weekend with John Timoney (who Esquire Magazine named "America's Top Cop"). John grew up in the Liberties, Dublin and has just released his autobiography 'Beat Cop to Top Cop: A  Tale of Three Cities' which documents his rise from his days as a tough street cop in the South Bronx to his role as police chief of New York City, Philadelphia and Miami.

He also spoke to Martin McGuinness, the Northern Deputy First Minister who gave the keynote address  at the National AOH and LAOH 95th Biennial Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio and discussed the Saville Report on Bloody Sunday and journalist and broadcaster Pierce O'Reilly, the producer of the hugely popular Westport traditional music show The Legend of Gráinne  Mhaol at the Hotel Westport, in Co. Mayo, who proves that traditional Irish dance and story-telling (Sean Nos) is alive and well in Ireland's tourism hot-spots!

The unique blend of music, politics, humor, current events, celebrity interviews, history, culture and the arts on The Adrian Flannelly Show has gained it a huge audience and it has become the central channel for those wanting to reach the American Irish community.

For more information on the show contact Adrian Flannelly Promotions Ltd., 515 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, call (212) 935-0606, fax (718) 261-1895 or  e-mail info@irishradio.com. The things I do for this man are way beyond...

Taoiseach Brian Cowen, T.D. arrived in New York on Monday (July 12th) and will have a round of meetings with business and community leaders on Tuesday (July 13th). A reception is to be held in Cowen's honor at the Irish Consulate, where members of the Irish community are expected to attend.

Later in the week Cowen is expected to visit Georgia where he is to launch another chapter of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Atlanta.

Well, sad to say, we are going to say goodbye to  to our Consul General of Ireland Mr. Niall Burgess and his lovely wife Marie Morgan-Burgess and his deputy Breandan O'Caollai and his lovely wife Carmel Callan who are headed back to Ireland.

We will definitely miss them and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for all the great work they have done for the Irish Community here in North America.

All I can say is the help that they have given with their hospitality at both the Consulate and the Consul General of Ireland's residence will be very hard to replace, so from The Irish Examiner newspaper and Irish Connections Magazine we thank you for everything you have done us and for all the Irish community. Thank you again, we will miss you.

What a night it was as The Irish Examiner newspaper had its 2nd Annual Woman of the Year Award party at Eamonn's Bar & Grill (9 East 45th Street in New York City).

The recipient of this years award  was Sheila Lynott who is the First-Vice President of the Irish Business Organization and well deserved it was let me tell you.

We had lots of guests who attendeded, just to mention a few they included the New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Consul General of Ireland Niall Burgess, New York City's Commissioner of Records Brian Andersson, Jeff Cleary, Ed Dowling (from The Padded Wagon), Greg McIntyre (John Duddy's Adviser), Pat Burke (Pig'n'Whistle) Dermott Kelly, Maureen McLoughlin (from the U.R.T.O.),  Noelle Clancy, and Jack Irwin and his wife Marian. All I can say in was a long and a great night. 

The Rockland Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) Club in New York will be having the 'Opening of our New Fields' this month. The new fields are located in Orangetown (in Rockland County) approximately 20 miles north of the George Washington Bridge.

This event is historic not only in the Gaelic sports world but it will also have an extremely positive effect on Irish Culture within the tri-state area.

The Field of Dreams will become a Center of Excellence for Rockland Gaelic Athletic Association. 

The official opening of their new fields in Orangeburg will be held over the weekend of July 23rd, 24th and 25th and all are welcome as this promises to be a great weekend.

For more information contact Noel O'Connell (Rockland G.A.A. Corresponding Secretary) on (914) 527-0254 or e-mail NoelAndy@msn.com, or Michael Healy (Public Relations for Rockland G.A.A.) on (917) 887-5752 or MHealy@StructureTone.com.

Another great event is happening at the  Bethel Woods Center for the Arts who have announced that the Irish music phenomenon, Celtic Woman, will bring their Songs from the Heart Tour to Sullivan County on Saturday, July 24th. There are tickets priced to meet every family's budget for this celebration of Ireland, with reserved ticket prices starting at just $20, and $29, $40, $49.50, $69.50 and $89.50.

General Admission Parking is free, and Premium Parking is available for $25 when you purchase your ticket.

This Pavilion-only performance begins at 8pm. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 22 at 10am and can be obtained online at www.BethelWoodsCenter.org, from the Bethel Woods Box Office, Ticketmaster or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

The Bethel Woods Box Office will be open on Monday, March 22nd from 10am to 5pm.

The not-for-profit Bethel Woods Center for the Arts' mission is to enrich, promote and improve the quality of life in our community through culture, education, history and the arts. Located approximately 90 miles from New York City at the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival in Bethel, NY, the state-of-the-art 15,000-capacity outdoor performing arts venue, intimate 400-seat Event Gallery, and award-winning Museum at Bethel Woods are set within a bucolic 2,000 acre campus.

Bethel Woods offers a diverse selection of popular artists, culturally-rich performances, educational and community programs, including the annual Harvest Festival, which broaden exposure to history and the arts, while fostering community collaboration and outreach.

See you all next week...