By Paddy McCarthy
I said farewell to a great gentleman – Joe Murphy – on Friday at Gleason’s Funeral Parlor in White Stone, Queens and I do mean a gentleman, someone who guided me when I landed in New York. I did write about him in last week’s Out&About with a lot of sadness. When I went there, I was with another former college of his and mine, Marc Tumin who is now the circulation manager with the Newsday organization. I got to meet Joe’s wife Judy to give my condolences and to tell her how much I respected her late husband.
Joe was an inspiration to the Irish community here in New York and never had a bad word to say about anybody. We will honor him with future awards in his name by this publication to show how much he will be missed, RIP.
I took a trip up to Danbury, Connecticut for the weekend and as you know the weather was just fabulous and the scenery is just beautiful with the lakes and trees; ah, it reminded me of home. I went to see some old friends who were in the bar and restaurant business here in Queens, New York who moved up there many years ago – John Riney and Paudie O’Connor, two great Kerry men and what a great Ceade Mile Failte we got as if we never seen each other for that long. It was just fabulous.
The name of their establishment is called Molly Darcy’s Irish Pub and Restaurant right in Danbury that you have to visit. I also got to meet John’s wife Ainya and son Mark who also takes care of the business. When I was there on Saturday night the place was packed and they also had a big band who were playing all the hits and the atmosphere was just brilliant. All I can tell yea is Molly Darcy’s Pub is a lively Irish joint which serves delicious burgers and several beers on tap. The pub also has a spacious dance floor where you can shake a leg to the beats of the DJ or a live band. Molly Darcy’s is located at 39 Mill Plain Rd, Danbury, CT and you can reach them at (203) 794-0449. Tell them The Irish Examiner sent yea and the welcome mat will be out.
Here is some very good news for you. The Emerald Isle Immigration Center has announced new dates for their public immigration information sessions for the community at their Bronx and Queens offices, continuing to offer free assistance with green card lottery applications and general consultations.
The annual diversity visa lottery registration period opens once again on October 2 and runs until November 5 for those who are eligible to apply for a green card to reside permanently in the United States. Only entries submitted during this period will be accepted and considered for selection in the lottery. Applications will only be accepted online via the US Department of State official website at www.dvlottery.state.gov.
In recent years there has been an increase in online scams promising green cards or quicker service for a fee. EIIC’s Immigration Attorney and Director of Immigration Legal Services, John A. Stahl, Esq., urged those interested in applying to note that “[t]here is still no fee to apply and there is only one official website to register.” He advises individuals to ignore any email offers to help complete or expedite the application process.
Please call either of their offices if you need assistance with your application. Alternatively, if you have questions about any immigration matter, please note the dates and places of our upcoming public meetings from 6pm to 8pm: Tuesday, October 15 in Queens (59-26 Woodside Ave, 2nd Floor, Woodside) and on Thursday, October 17 at the Bronx office (4275 Katonah Avenue, Woodlawn).
Tickets are available for the The Emerald Isle Immigration Center’s 2019 Fall Fundraiser which will be held on Monday, October 28, 2019 from 6 pm to 8.30 pm at Rosie O’Grady’s Manhattan Club (201 West 52nd Street on the corner of 7th Avenue).
This years honorees are Shelley Ann Quilty Lake, Partner at Meenan & Associates, LLC and Brian T. Coleman, CEO of Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center (GMDC). For more information or questions on donations, events and possible sponsorships please contact their Executive Director, Siobhan Dennehy at (718) 478-5502 ext. 206.
The Gaelic Players Association Awards and Dinner Gala will be held on Friday November 15 at Capitale (130 Bowery) and for those who are interested please contact Carla Capone at (212) 213-1166 or email events@carlacapone.com or go to the website www.gaelicplayers.com for additional information.
See you all again next week when I am Out&About again and come on Ireland in the Rugby World Cup!