By Paddy McCarthy
Welcome to my first full Out&About of 2026. Can you believe it that we are now heading into the middle of January? I could not wait for Christmas and the New Year, plus the snow, and now they have all passed already, where does the time go? I have the answer to that, it is that we are all getting older and do you know what, who cares so long as we are all healthy and happy, that’s my motto anyhow.
Now the good thing is that we have a lot going on this year and just as good as every year I might tell yea. There will be lots of events and social dinners happening over the next 12 months and I am now going to introduce you to three of them.
With my Out&About I get to meet a lot of people from all communities that I would not get a chance to meet regularly, sometimes for over a year or two. As you might know, this is what I love to doing and it’s not work but a great pleasure to be doing it, ah, somebody has to do it.
So here we go starting with the Grand Council of United Emerald Societies’ Irishman of the Year Dinner which will be held on Wednesday, January 21st at Antun’s of Queens Village (96-43 Springfield Boulevard) from 7 pm to 11 pm. The guest of honor will be Patrick J. Ryder who will serve as the GCUES Aide to Grand Marshal Robert J. McCann in the 2026 New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Grand Marshal McCann has graciously accepted an invitation to attend this year’s gala. The dinner subscription is priced at $130 per person or $1,300 for a table of ten.
In conjunction with the 2026 Irishman of the Year dinner, the GCUES will release a commemorative souvenir dinner journal. Full-color page ads are priced at $275 (please note that all covers and centerfold pages are sold). The deadline for submitting journal advertisements and ticket requests is January 11, 2026.
The United Irish Counties Association of New York, Inc. has also announced that their 122nd Anniversary Dinner Dance will be held on Friday, January 30, also at Antun’s. This year’s festive occasion will begin with a deluxe cocktail hour at 7 pm followed by dinner and dancing from 8 pm to 1 am to the music of Rumor Has It. Tickets are $125 per person or a table of ten for $1,250. Their ‘Gael of the Year’ is Colin Bell. Colin was born in Newry, Co. Down in 1953. Colin attended St. Colman’s Abbey CBPS and the Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School. He qualified as a PE Specialist Teacher from St. Joseph’s Training College in Belfast. In July 1984, Colin married Eithne (Morgan), with twins Sean and Ciara being born in 1985. This was closely followed by twins, Kevin and Brendan in 1986, Eamon in 1988, Conor in 1990, and lastly Maeve in 1991. Following the tragic death of their son Kevin in a hit and run incident in New York in June 2013, Colin, alongside his wife Eithne founded the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (KBRT). Eight months later, their nephew Paul was killed, also in a hit and run, in San Francisco.
Following this second family bereavement, Colin retired after 40 years of teaching, and focused on the Trust full-time. The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust aims to alleviate the financial hardship of bereaved families repatriating the body (bodies) of loved one(s) who have died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances back to Ireland.
This year’s Mary Mc Mullan Distinguished Service Award winner is Michael O’Reilly. Michael was born in Cavan, Ireland the fourth of six children. He attended Mullahoran National School, then Conuc Mhuire secondary School Granard. In October of 1983 he immigrated to the USA, where he continued to be an active member within the Irish communities in New York City. In 1987 Michael met his lovely wife Rosie and they married in May 1990. They were blessed with three wonderful children Cailean (RIP) Oisin and Slaine.
Throughout the years Michael has been involved in various different forms, including as past President of the Cavan P & B Association, the Emerald Guild Society, the Hibernia Provident Society, and the United Irish Counties Association. I hope you will support them and help make this special night a success by attending the dinner dance and/or advertising in their journal.
The Queens County St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Cultural Committee will have their Dinner Gala at the famous Antun’s on Saturday, February 7. It will be their 51st Parade celebration to introduce the Grand Marshal The Hon. Michele Cusack, CFO at Northwell Health.
I hope to see you all again next week when I am Out&About again…