By Paddy McCarthy
I was on a family road trip over the last weekend visiting Connecticut and Massachusetts to see my daughter Christina and my son James. It all started on Friday evening getting the Ferry from Port Jefferson across to Bridgeport Connecticut, by car of course. It’s a nice way to go as it only takes about one hour rather than driving from New York all the way up to Connecticut, with the way the traffic is these days it would take me hours.
Our destination was Norwalk to stay one night which is a very nice place and some fabulous restaurants as well, and yes. of course we visited one or two and I am happy to say they were fabulous.
We left there Saturday morning and drove to Springfield, Massachusetts to visit my son James with his partner Sophia and two lovely daughters Mia and Parker. What a time we had as we went to Brown’s Harvest Fall Festival in Windsor, Connecticut on Sunday afternoon. The kids loved it. It had a barrel train, 5 acre-corn maze, a mini ride-on tractors on track around the farm, live music, face painting, Spooky the Square pumpkin story trail, vendors, food trucks and lots of games with fun things to do for kids. Of course I joined in the fun and there plenty of pumpkins to buy and wow it was great fun. Now that is what I was doing out and about last weekend, well somebody has to do it and I really loved it.
A very good friend of The Irish Examiner USA, Coleen Fay sent me another reminder to tell you of this event. It is time to celebrate! “On 9 March 2024, we will be commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the White Plains St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which celebrates the contributions of those who trace their lineage back to the Emerald Isle. Our hope is that this Anniversary Celebration will bring together generations of families and friends to celebrate the growth and success of the parade over the last 25 years and reflect on those special individuals who have made lasting contributions to the Parade. Please mark your calendars to also celebrate with us on November 30 at Fenway Golf Club, starting at 6:30 pm.
“We will be honoring all past Grand Marshals for their commitment to the success and mission of the WP St. Patrick’s Day Parade at this event. Tickets, Sponsorships and Journal Ads are now available via the website www.wpsaintpatricksdayparade.com. All tickets must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets are $150 pp or $1,250 for a table of ten. We look forward to celebrating this special 25th Anniversary with you! Slainte, The White Plains St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, to all you golfers this is one you should not miss.”
Here is another big event that should not be missed at the Irish American Society of Nassau, Suffolk & Queens, Inc. (297 Willis Ave, Mineola; (516) 746-9392; www.irishamericansoc.com . Here we go, the Irish American Society’s annual Fall event, The Harvest Moon Ball.
The Harvest Moon Ball will celebrate the 92nd anniversary on Saturday, October 21. There will be dancing to the music of a great band Tommy Flynn and Friends, with Tony Jackson performing Master of Ceremonies duty, and performances by The Golden School of Irish Dance. Honorees for the evening are Finola McCabe, Maureen O’Neill-Regan, Victor Cunneen and Denis O’Sullivan.
Cocktail hour kicks off at 7:30 pm, followed by dinner and dancing, and an open bar all catered by Elaine. Tickets are $100.00 per person though reservations are required, Black Tie is optional. This is another event that you should not miss.
I recieved a little bit of sad news from a well-known gentleman from the Irish community for a very long time in the music and bar restaurant business. The Irish Examiner USA would like to send our condolences to Steve Duggan, the famous owner of Paddy Reilly’s music bar in Manhattan on the passing of his son David after a long illness, RIP.
This came to me from the Origin Theatre Company to let you know about their Gala that will be held on Monday October 30: “We are thrilled to announce Origin’s Honorees for this year’s Gala event on October 30th at the magnificent Manhattan Penthouse in New York City. The Tom Moran Business to Arts Award will be presented to Consul General Helena Nolan and her husband Sami Dahdouh for their exceptional contribution to Irish arts, culture and theatre in our community in New York. The George C. Heslin Artistic Leadership award will also be presented to Irish American actor Roger Clark, aka Arthur Morgan, for his outstanding work in the theatre, film and motion caption industries.
Finally, Caroline Regan sent me this “What a joy it was to reconnect with so many familiar faces a couple of weeks ago for a fantastic fundraising event for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust! The first of its kind, ‘FLOCK’ as it’s come to be known, took place on a beautifully-warm summer’s evening on Stone Street in Lower Manhattan.
“Guests from across New York’s Irish community mingled comfortably on the cobblestones while enjoying delicious canapes and beverages which were generously provided by local bar owner, Ronan Downes.”
The idea behind ‘FLOCK’ was inspired by the old Irish concept of ‘Meitheal’ — which refers to a group of people coming together to provide support and assistance when needed, according to businesswoman, Caroline Regan who spearheaded the event with the support of a committee of co-collaborators which included Sean Minogue, Sinead Naughton, Gavin Manley, Ian Watchorn, Jack Hennessy, John Murphy, Rory McCreesh and many others.
“This event was about bringing people together from various communities to support what has become such a vital organization for so many Irish people here in New York,” Caroline said.
“It’s clear that the KBRT holds a special place in the hearts of so many — a fact reinforced by the sheer volume of raffle prizes that were donated to support this very special — and equally worthwhile — event.
“Ní Neart Go Cur Le Chéile – There’s No Strength Without Unity.”
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Out&About and I’ll see you all again next week.