By Paddy McCarthy
I am beginning my Out&About to pay my respects to a friend of mine who passed away last Saturday, aged 58. His name is Paul Hurley, RIP. The owner of O’Casey’s on 46th Street just off 8th Avenue, he was known the length and breath of New York City as he has been in the bar and restaurant business for over 30 years.
Paul was a dedicated supporter of anything GAA and played a crucial role in establishing the Dublin GAA team in New York. Paul held positions as past president of the United Restaurant and Tavern Organization, as well as the IBO and various other civic groups. He was also an Aide to the Grand Marshal for the 2013 St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
He went thought some very hard times and a lot of us did not know of all his heart breaks as he always had that smile as he fought to get back up and he was almost there this time. To all who knew him please say a prayer for him and remember he was one of us and I am sure he will need them to get past the man above.
By the time you read my Out&About I will be getting ready for my trip back home to Ireland. Now that should be something as I get to meet all my family and friends that I have not met since early this year and yes, I will I am sure get all the gossip on who’s doing what and who’s doing this and that, ahh I love it.
I did come into Manhattan on Friday hoping to see the Rugby World Cup game between France and New Zealand at the Pig’n’Whistle on 36th Street. I opened the door to get to the bar but I couldn’t as it was packed out so I had to leave as I was meeting my Editor there. So, I called him and told him we can meet at Stout on 33rd Street right across from Penn Station to see the game there. Lo and behold that was also packed but we stayed as the Guinness was flowing very nicely and we watched the match.
I did try to make over to Malone’s on 3rd Avenue to say hello to the owner Peter O’Connell and the bartender Eoin Stack. As you know, I raved about the place in my last column and I meant it as well, so go and patronize it as it’s a real Irish pub.
I got this announcement in from a great friend of The Irish Examiner USA, Niall O’Leary: “Here are two events of interest: September 15, 16 and 17 is a big weekend for Irish Dance in New York City: Celebrate Half-Way To St. Patrick’s Day with us at these two fun events on Friday 9/15 AND Saturday 9/16, from 5 pm to 11 pm both evenings where The Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance presents the Manhattan Dance Marathon 2023 #MDM23, where we’ll be dancing in all the REAL Irish bars in Manhattan and raising money for the costume and travel fund for the dancers in the school. No cover charge and all are welcome!
“On Sunday September 17 from 12 noon to 6 pm, there’s the New York City Irish Dance Festival #NYCIDF23, in association with the Irish Arts Center. This annual celebration of Irish dance features traditional and contemporary Irish dance from notable professional and student talent from around the region. Audiences can immerse themselves in Irish arts and culture with participatory workshops, music sessions, Irish language conversations, and social dancing for all ages, among many other offerings. The evening ends with a lively céilí for all, with live music!
“The venue for this year’s festival is Slattery’s Midtown Pub (8 E 36th Street between 5th and Madison Avenues) in Midtown Manhattan! They’ll be serving delicious drinks and a full food menu all day with two floors of LIVE Irish dance and music, with talks, performances, workshops, and general excitement! No cover charge…All Welcome!”
You can get more information on both events at nialloleary.com/events-prelim. Also the Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance is now accepting new students in New York City and Philadelphia for new classes for children and adults.
I have to give it to Niall he has covered everything from dancing, music, gigging and designing, I have to say well done Niall!
This notice came to me from the President of the Irish Business Organization of New York Paul Finnegan who’s announced that Tami Ellen McLaughlin is the IBO’s 2023 Sean McNeill Award Recipient.
McLaughlin is a third-generation Irish-American marketing communications professional, has been an IBO-NY member since 2017, served on the IBO Executive Board as Membership Officer, and is a founding committee member of the Women’s Networking Committee.
The award will be bestowed at the IBO’s monthly member’s meeting on Wednesday September 13.
Her passion for the not-for-profit sector led McLaughlin to become the first-ever Executive Director of Sober St. Patrick’s Day® Foundation, Inc., which she joined in 2020, not too long after the start of the pandemic.
The mission of Sober St. Patrick’s Day® is “to reclaim the true spirit of St. Patrick’s Day by changing the perception and experience from an occasion for binge drinking and other misuse of alcohol or other drugs to a celebration of the richness of the Irish and culture and the legacy of St. Patrick.
“The Sean McNeill Award annually celebrates people who exemplify the values of three-term IBO president Sean McNeill: his extraordinary generosity, his commitment to community, and his support of the IBO ‘Network, Communicate, Reciprocate’ ethos. Every year the IBO executive board considers an impressive list of Sean McNeill Award possibilities, but for 2023, Tami Ellen McLaughlin was the perfect choice,” IBO president Paul Finnegan said.
“It was a pleasure to serve with Tami Ellen on the IBO Executive Board during the global Covid-19 pandemic; the Board quickly pivoted to an online forum to keep in touch with members and share valuable Covid-19 resources — both health- and career-related.
“Although Sean was not alive when Tami Ellen joined Sober St. Patrick’s Day®, I do believe he would be very proud of her joining an organization dedicated to celebrating the beauty and uniqueness of Irish culture with its marquee alcohol-free, family-friendly festival of world-class Irish music and dance.”
McLaughlin has a master’s degree from Iona College and an undergraduate degree from the University at Albany. She honed her leadership skills and broadened her social impact network via the Institute for Nonprofit Practice Core Certificate Program, Muck Rack Academy, and NYU School of Professional Studies.
“I am truly honored to join previous honorees — Emerald Isle Immigration Center Executive Director Siobhan Dennehey, Shantalla Founder & CEO Paul Finnegan; Glucksman Ireland House at NYU Advisory Board President Ted Smyth; and Turlough McConnell Communications President Turlough McConnell – as the 2023 Sean McNeill Award recipient. I have seen firsthand and have benefitted from what the strong and engaged IBO networking community provides to legacy members as well as newcomers. And I am proud to continue to contribute curated women’s networking programming. I do believe Sean would be very pleased that IBO Women’s Network just celebrated its 5th anniversary,” McLaughlin said.
Founded in 1973, the Irish Business Organization of New York works to promote, foster, and advance the business interests of Irish and Irish Americans in the tri-state area and beyond through its networking events, speakers’ program, online communication, and community engagement.
It celebrates its 50th Anniversary Jubilee on October 24. For more information visit ibonewyork.org/event-5404375.
Well there you have it as I said I will be traveling to Ireland on Aer Lingus so you will read all about my trip, with a little bit of gossip, in next week’s Out&About.