By Paddy McCarthy
As we are now officially in autumn after a very nice summer, we can manage it I’m sure. You can look forward to lots of special days starting with Halloween, then Thanksgiving Day and of course Christmas; now don’t get excited as there are lots more holidays between now and the New Year. Just to let you know that these are the one’s I look forward to and celebrate as well. I need to know when there will be a National Pub Day though, ah, you like that don’t you?
I have been invited to the Ireland Chamber of Commerce-USA’s Celtic Ball on Thursday October 27th at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan that promises to be a super evening. The organizers have told me it is almost sold out with only a couple of tables to be filled. So, if you like to attend and get to meet me, ha ha, just give the event planner Victoria Kamouh a call at (908) 286-1300 and tell I told you to call and you can buy a ticket or a table, so go on.
I was not able to make this charitable golf outing that I am assured was a great success, so who needs me? The winner of the John Browne Memorial Cup Golf Tournament held last Saturday was Bernard Reilly with the prize presented by Donie Carroll. All proceeds benefited Mercy Center Orphanage Bangkok that Donie Carroll and the late Mick Maloney, RIP, strongly support.
The following announcement came to me from Sean O’Dowd of the Irish American Writers & Artists that of course I support. It says: “Please find below a link to our Silent Auction website for the Eugene O’Neill Awards next Monday, which is now ;open;. Please note, that when you first access the site, it will require you to register before you can start bidding with an exciting list of items including the following: ‘Paradise Square’ 5 Points Walking Tour with Larry Kirwan, An Hour-Long Interview/Meeting with Malachy McCourt, ‘Water’ oil painting by Illustrator Tim O’Brien, Celtic FC Jersey Signed by Neil Lennon, ‘Angela’s Ashes’, ‘Tis’ and ‘Teacher Man’ all signed by author, Frank McCourt and many more…” Visit www.iamwa.org for more information.
I also got this announcement that I have to let you know about as he is one lovely man. “Dear Friends of the Ireland-U.S. Council, You may have heard that Roddy Feely is retiring from the Ireland-U.S. Council after 21 years with us. It is with great pride in his notable accomplishments in his work for the Council and with much sadness that we celebrate his time with us through a Special Recognition Award at our 59th Annual Dinner in New York on Thursday, November 10 at the Metropolitan Club in NYC. We hope to have as many Members as possible from Ireland and the United States with us to recognize and celebrate Roddy’s long tenure with the Council – and it is not too late to get tickets and join us in New York!”
“Roddy is widely loved by the staff and membership of the Ireland-U.S. Council, we salute his tireless energy, peerless enthusiasm, and indomitable spirit. He will be greatly missed.” We here at The Irish Examiner USA also wish Roddy a very happy retirement he will be very much missed for his friendship and generosity and thank you again.
The Irish Repertory Theatre presents the world stage premiere of “Jack was Kind”, written and performed by Tracy Thorne and directed by Nicholas A Cotz on the W. Scott McLucas Studio Stage.
Previews begin on November 9, with an opening night set for November 17 and a limited run through December 18. Tickets to Jack Was Kind begin at $50 and are available now for Irish Rep members from www.irishrep.org. Tickets will go on sale to the public on October 11 at 1 pm ET and will also be available on their website.
The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesdays at 2 pm & 7 pm; Thursdays at 7 pm; Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 2 pm & 7 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Exceptions: there is no matinee performance on Wednesday November 9, and no performance on Thursday November 24. There will be an additional performance on Tuesday November 22 at 7 pm.
This man is a great friend of mine and The Irish Examiner USA, even though he is a columnist with another Irish newspaper called the Irish Echo. Ah, just kidding as we are all doing the right thing in promoting Ireland. I am so happy for Larry Kirwan as he always keeps the flag flying and also for everything he has accomplished. Here is a little piece on Larry.
IAW&A will present their prestigious Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award to Larry Kirwan at a reception at Rosie O’Grady’s Skylight Room in the heart of Manhattan on October 24.
Named for the playwright who embodied the highest level of artistic achievement, the O’Neill Award recognizes Larry Kirwan’s exemplary contributions to the arts.
As founder and lead singer of the rock band Black 47, Wexford-born Kirwan played 2,500 gigs and released 16 albums. He has published three novels and a memoir, Green Suede Shoes. A political activist, Kirwan writes for the Irish Echo and hosts Celtic Crush on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
Kirwan has also written or collaborated on 19 plays and musicals, including Broadway’s Paradise Square which he originally conceived as “Hard Times” and for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Book. Malachy McCourt, an IAW&A founding member, notes: “From the Bells of Hell bar to Broadway is no easy jump but Larry landed.”
The O’Neill Award is a must-attend party in New York’s Irish American arts and creative communities. The cocktail reception includes hors d’oeuvres, buffet dinner, and open bar. They are looking forward to welcoming members and friends and Larry’s many fans. For tickets: https://oneill2022.eventbrite.com and for ads in the event program, please contact Anita Daly.
Hope to see you all again next week when I am Out&About again…