By Paddy McCarthy
Here I am starting with my Out&About column with some great news that I recommend you check out as soon as possible, and it’s all about one of Ireland’s major airlines, Aer Lingus. Here it is: you can fly to Ireland starting from $399 return fare, now where would yea get it?
As I said, I just got word that Aer Lingus have a January sale on! “Unlock unbeatable savings on roundtrip flights to Ireland. Fly Aer Lingus and experience our welcoming hospitality.” My advice is to go to the Aer Lingus app and you can check out all the fares and when you can travel dates in 2026 as there is a lot of flexible dates and fares that are well worth checking out.
The Irish Business Organization’s January Evening Event took place at the Bank of Ireland NYC Hub (2 Grand Central Tower, 140 E 45th Street, 41st Floor) on Wednesday. It was billed as ‘A Fireside Chat with Gerald Angley, Consul General of Ireland in New York and Tony Dunne, Bank of Ireland’s US Country Manager’. Here I will give you an introduction to both of the guests on the evening.
I am going to give you a little gossip in my Out&About starting with the Consul General of Ireland for New York. Gerald Angley serves as Consul General, based in New York City with responsibility for New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. He leads a dedicated team at the Consulate General and works closely with Ireland’s trade, investment, and tourism agencies, all of which are co-located in the new Ireland House at 200 Park Avenue in the heart of Manhattan.
He relocated from Ireland to New York in late August 2025 for his fourth diplomatic posting, having previously served at the European Union in Brussels, in Paris, and most recently as Deputy Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Before joining Ireland’s diplomatic service in 1999, he worked in banking and insurance after earning a business degree from University College Dublin.
Born in Dublin to parents from Munster, with family roots in Tipperary and Cork, he also spends considerable time in the West of Ireland.
Tony Dunne is Bank of Ireland’s US Country Manager; he joined the Bank in 2011 after moving to New York. Bank of Ireland Group operates in the US through its branch in Stamford, CT and representative offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. As Country Manager, Tony has overall responsibility for all the Group activities in the US. He is based in Stamford and holds the positions of the US Branch’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. At a Group level, Tony is part of the Specialist Lending executive management team.
Tony has almost 30 years of global banking and financial services experience in the US and Europe, having previously worked for DZ Bank, Merrill Lynch, and Halifax Bank of Scotland. Tony is a qualified accountant (FCCA) and CFA charter holder and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Dublin.
Tony is the vice-chairman of the Institute of International Bankers, as well as serving as chair of the US Advisory Board of Barretstown, a residential camp based in Kildare, Ireland, which runs therapeutic recreation programs for children with serious illness. Tony lives in Manhattan with his wife Andrea and their two daughters, but originally hails from Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
I just got this sad news from the Cork Association here in Queens, New York that said, “We are deeply saddened to share the news of the untimely passing of Yvonne M. English, beloved wife of Patrick English and devoted mother of Patrick Jr. and Mollie. A native of Newbridge, County Kildare, Yvonne immigrated to New York at the age of eighteen. She was a proud and active member of the County Cork B.P. & P. Association, alongside her husband and children. She was predeceased by her mother-in-law, Mary English, and her father-in-law, John English.
“Our heartfelt condolences are extended to her loving husband Patrick and her cherished children Patrick Jr. and Mollie. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 11 am at St. Sebastian’s Roman Catholic Church (58-02 Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside). Final Resting Place will be in Calvary Cemetery (49-02 Laurel Hill Boulevard, Woodside, New York). Our deepest condolences go out to the English families at this time of great sorrow. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”
My deepest condolences to the English family from myself and those at The Irish Examiner USA.
I hope to see you all again next week when I am Out&About again…