Out & About

Kenny was the keynote speaker at the Irish Chamber of Commerce USA Dinner, honoring Brian O'Dwyer in the Waldorf=Astoria on Thursday evening. Congratulations to Brian from all at The Irish Examiner newspaper.

Enda also met with immigration reform advocates and addressed the Ireland Fund Leadership Forum during his 2-day trip to New York.

The Knights of St. Patrick will honor Jim and Rosemary Lombard with their prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award this week in New York City.

For a half century the couple have been the cornerstone of numerous Irish American organizations. Jim's Irish roots are Mayo/Cork and Rosemary's Mayo/Sligo. Now how does Adrian get such great guests every week... must check that out.

Now that the long hot summer is over and we are all back to normal (well most of us anyway I should think) of course some of you like the sun so much you headed down south. Yes, that's right Florida; lucky for some huh?

Of course the rest of us will just keep working, which is really not too bad considering how the economy is at its lowest ebb in a very long time, but like everything else what goes down will always come right back up... we hope...

Called in to O'Brien's Irish Pub on 46th Street (just off Times Square) on Thursday night and had a couple of pints with Cormick McComack, the manager, and the Coffeeman Pete Scalley and let me tell you, you could not be in a better place as it was raining cats and dogs outside.

I was across the street  first in Rosie O'Grady's on 46th to meet Ed Dowling and the IBO's 1st Vice-President Sheila Lynott and 2nd Vice-President Gregory McIntyre as we were all invited at a lecture on buying a little bit of Ireland for only $49.99 for one square foot! I am not kidding you... a plot of land in rural Ireland... I know you're laughing, but it's true and there was about 30 people at this event held downstairs in Rosie's.

I'm not to sure who purchased what as I had to leave, but it was rumored that Sheila was very interested. I might have more on it next week when I get more information, alright? In the meantime you can check it out by going to the website: buyireland.com or call  toll free on 1-888-8-buy-IRL. Now what will they think of next I wonder? 

I'm thrilled to announce that Darrah Carr Dance will return to the Irish Arts Center stage (553 West 51st Street) for their annual New York season from November 12th to 14th. 

They'll be performing on Friday, November 12th at 8pm; Saturday, November 13th at 11am (a 1-hour family show); Saturday, November 13th at 8pm; and Sunday, November 14th at 3pm.

They are especially pleased to be featuring live music by James Shipp's innovative group Nós Novo!

For more information on tickets go to irishartscenter.org  or call  (212) 868-4444. This is not to be missed!   

The Ancient Order of Hibernians New York State Board Freedom For All Ireland Committee's Christmas Appeal Benefit and Social will be held at O'Reilly's Pub (31st Street and Broadway) on Thursday October 28th from 6pm until 10pm.

Entertainment will be provided by Tom Casey. The Christmas Appeal benefits various groups in the North of Ireland, including Relatives for Justice, Bloody Sunday Trust, Pat Finucane Center, Coiste, Caidre and cross-community groups.

Your support is needed in this continuing effort for truth, justice and a United Ireland!

The suggested donation is $20. There's a cash bar and light buffet. For more information contact NYS AOH Chairman Tim Myles at (516) 660-7456 or by e-mail at timtam614@aol.com.

If you cannot attend but would like to make a donation, then mail a cheque, payable to 'NYS AOH" to Tim Myles, 19 Howard Pl., Lynbryook, NY 11563.

Next Thursday (October 21st) at 7pm, Glucksman Ireland House NYU will be presenting 'Boxes of Irish History'  with Sinead McCoole of the Jackie Clark Archive in Mayo.

Sinéad McCoole, Curator of the Jackie Clarke Library and Archive in Mayo, will discuss the extraordinary yet reticent man who built a collection of over ten thousand items spanning four hundred years.

In 2005 a private archive and library of Irish history was revealed in County Mayo, a collection amassed during the lifetime of one man, Jackie Clarke (1927-2000) of Ballina.

In accordance with his wishes, his widow Anne Clarke gave the Jackie Clarke Library and Archives in perpetuity to Mayo County Council on condition that the collection remains permanently in Ballina.

The material spans 400 years. The earliest item dates from 1617. It includes many important and rare books on the history of Ireland, manuscripts, photographs, legal papers, pamphlets, hand-bills, film, political autograph books, letters, cartoons, maps and proclamations.

It will be an important resource for scholars and writers and a significant addition to the cultural tourism of Mayo.

Historian Sinead McCoole is also the author of Hazel: A Life of Lady Lavery and Guns and Chiffon: Women Revolutionaries and Kilmainham Gaol, and Vincent Virga, picture-editor, author of Cartographia: Mapping Civilizations and co-author of Eyes of the Nation: A Visual History of the United States.

As always admission is free to members of Glucksman Ireland House and to all students/faculty with a valid NYU I.D. card.

For non-members there's a of $10 donation at the door.

In order to ensure a seat at events, please RSVP to (212) 998-3950 (option 3) or mail ireland.house@nyu.edu.

The New York Irish Center  in conjunction with the Cill Cais Players will be presenting two one-act plays. In the first, 'In the Shadow of the Glen' by John Millington Synge, a farmer's wife appears to have little remorse after her much older husband dies.

In the second, 'Peggy O'Reilly's Purse' by Seamus Burke, Willie O'Reilly has a deathly fear of work.  Both are directed by Pat Rooney.

For reservations call Cailin on (718) 482-0909, Jim O'Brien at (718) 347-0879,  Evelyn Byrne (516) 887-2775, or Pat Browne on (917) 846-3779. Admission is $35 (Seniors $30), food and beverage included.

On Sunday October 24th doors will open at 3:30pm.

The CRAIC Festival is expanding to an Irish Comedy (aka Craic Comedy) Festival in November of this year. An inaugural Craic Comedy Festival is scheduled for November 4th in association with the Irish Arts Center.

The CRAIC which is mostly known for its film and musical events year round is tapping into new ground.

Festival Producer Terence Mulligan commented, "We have been doing Irish film and music events successfully for 12 years now in New York City and the time is right to expand to comedy!"

An all-star line-up of local performers are on board including  Morgan Murphy (Jimmy Fallon Show), Liam McEneaney (VH-1 & Comedy Central), Christian Finnegan (VH-1) and and Paul Byrne.

Special Guest MCs like Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) are expected to pop in.

A pre-reception is planned before the show from 6:30-8pm. The show itself runs from 8-10pm!

The organizer, The Fleadh Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization in New York City. Its honorary board members are Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Kevin Dillon, Denis Leary and Ed Burns to name a few.

For further information on the lineup and event details contact Terence Mulligan  at (917) 805-3100.

I am going to leave you with a sad note that Bob Kennifick - the man who launched Murphy's Stout here in the USA, passed away last week in Youghal, County Cork, after a long illness.

Bob was also voted  the Corkman of the Year a few years ago and was very well liked here on this side of the Atlantic, especially in New York where he always paid a visit to the Cork Association on his visits and was a great friend of Joe Murphy. May he rest in peace.

See you all next week.