By Paddy McCarthy
I will be heading back to Ireland in August as the Cork Association will be honoring a great gentleman: Denis Mulcahy, a native of Rockchapel, County Cork and founder of Project Children. Throughout the 40 years of the program, over 23,000 young Catholic and Protestant children traveled to the US for a summer holiday respite from the everyday violence and strife of their homeland. The intern program is both cross community and cross border and gives them the opportunity to work together, now isn’t that wonderful what this man has done.
Coming closer to the date I will be telling you more about it and how you should be interested in joining him for this celebration in Cork, Ireland so be ready.
Now for another bit of news from my trip back to my home town last week when I was Out&About. This time I am going to let know of something that was happening in Cork when I was back there. It was the first annual Cork Whiskey Festival ever held in the Republic of Ireland and what a great success it was too as I was there to see it happening and that was only the first one. I can tell you that, from my experience, this festival is going to be huge next year and it will be a big tourism attraction. I am so sure that Tourism Ireland will pick up on it as you could not ask for a better promotion than a whiskey festival.
With attendees attracted from all over Ireland, the UK, Europe, and even the United States, the inaugural year of Cork Whiskey Fest provided special focus on the Irish whiskey industry as a whole and the festival’s success was evident. The festival was run by co-founders Laurie and Sonya O’Dwyer and took place across the VQ area of Cork City, centered around MacCurtain St, which included 34 events over the weekend.
The Brand Expo and Social which was the opening event saw 290 attendees in the Ballroom of the Metropole Hotel for a night of exceptional company, exceptional liquids and great craic.
Speaking after the Expo, Laurie O’Dwyer said “the atmosphere throughout all three days was electric. The support we have received was absolutely phenomenal and we are too grateful for words.”
Events across the weekend included masterclasses, tastings, history talks, and a guided whiskey walking tour of Cork City’s distilling past. Each event was led by some of Ireland’s whiskey experts, distillers and brand ambassadors, offering a unique peek behind the curtain for not only whiskey enthusiasts but also newcomers to the community too.
The festival offered an opportunity for experienced whiskey fans to attend tastings with newcomers and to swap ideas and learn from each other. After the weekend’s success, Sonya O’Dwyer said: “Thank you to our festival sponsors, The VQ, and everyone who bought tickets to make each event so special. Your support means so much. I’ll guess we’ll have to do it all again next year!”
Laurie, who also has a very successful podcast ‘Whiskey Chats’ and has been a member of the Irish Defense Forces for over 21 years developed the idea for Cork Whiskey Fest with his wife Sonya last year on their return journey from a whiskey festival in Northern Ireland. After months of hard work and support, Cork finally enjoyed its own celebration of Irish whiskey last weekend. Plans are already afoot for Cork Whiskey Fest 2024! Yippee I know I will be there, will you?
Now this event is one of the most prestigious annual events that happens in New York City for great cause that should always be well supported and is, I might tell you. The Frances Pope Memorial Foundation started in 1982 with a small circle of friends in the basement of St. Stephen of Hungary Parish in a corner of New York City called Yorkville. They all came together not only to honor the memory of Franny Pope, but with the intent of helping other families who were facing the challenges of caring for a child with cancer. Forty years later, the Circle of Friends continues to work tirelessly and give selflessly to the name of our cause.
To date, they have distributed over one million dollars and have been able help over 800 families. There are so many who have helped them come this far. On Friday, April 21, they will honor Jackie Morriss as their 2023 Woman of the Year! Jackie has been a steadfast supporter of their mission for over 30 years. Her dedication to the cause of providing love, support and hope to their families and their kids is a big reason why they are able to continue our mission. Please join them on Friday, April 21 at The Lighthouse (Pier 61 Chelsea Piers) for the 40th Annual Friendship Ball to celebrate the work of Jackie and their amazing Circle of Friends. More information can be found at www.francespopefoundation.org.
Kylemore Abbey’s Third Annual Spirit of Kylemore Awards will be held on Wednesday, May 10 at Club 101 (101 Park Avenue in Manhattan) with a cocktail reception and awards program running from 6 pm to 8.30 pm.
This special evening hosted by the Friends of Kylemore Abbey will celebrate the achievements of the Irish community when Kylemore Abbey will honor three outstanding individuals whose lives and achievements echo the “Spirit of Kylemore”.
For over 100 years the Benedictine nuns have made Kylemore Abbey into one of Ireland’s most iconic landmarks and a place of heritage, education, and faith. Their values of peace, service, hospitality, and community are reflected in the Spirit of Kylemore awards. The awards will be presented at an awards benefit and reception to three individuals recognizing their contribution to society and improving the lives of others.
This year’s honorees are His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop Of New York, who will receive the special Buan Chara Award, for his continued advocacy and support to the Benedictine nuns of Kylemore; Adrian Flannelly, Chairman & CEO, Irish Radio Network for his lifelong commitment to building relations between Ireland and the USA; and Christine McGuiness, Co-Managing Partner, ArentFox Schiff NY for her commitment to public service and contribution to society, benefitting the lives of others in accordance with Benedictine values of service, peace, hospitality, and community.
All funds raised for this event will go towards the building of a purpose-built monastery at Kylemore Abbey.
The evening includes food and drink, entertainment by the Northwell Health Nurse Choir, a live auction, and an awards program.
The evening will also highlight the ongoing campaign for the new monastery at Kylemore. Monastery fundraising efforts have been in place in the US since 2016. Ground was broken in October 2019, but construction was halted abruptly on March 12, 2020, due to Covid restrictions. Please join them in helping the community make this a reality.
Cardinal Dolan was named Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 and appointed to the College of Cardinals in 2012. Ordained to the priesthood in St Louis in 1976, he served as an associate pastor until 1979 when he went to The Catholic University of America, graduating with a doctorate in American church history. In 2001, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis by Pope Saint John Paul II.
In 2013, he completed a three-year term as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He recently completed a term as chair of the Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life activities and is currently chair of the Bishops’ Committee on Religious Liberty. Cardinal Dolan served as chairman of Catholic Relief Services and is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America. He is also a member of the Vatican Offices of Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, the Congregation for Eastern Churches, and the Congregation of Catholic Education.
Born in Attymass, Ballina, Co. Mayo, Adrian Flannelly emigrated to New York in 1959 and has been the voice of the Irish in New York for more than 50 years. During that time, he has been a tireless advocate for all things Irish, including immigration reform and the crisis facing the undocumented Irish in the US.
He was a leader in establishing a memorial to Irish Famine victims on the New York City waterfront within sight of the Statue of Liberty. The Irish Hunger Memorial was shipped from his native parish, Attymass, Co. Mayo and is in Battery Park City, close to Ground Zero, and is a major attraction for millions of visitors to NYC since 2001. In 2021, Flannelly was inducted into Irish America Magazine’s Hall of Fame. The same year, Flannelly was honored for his leadership and commitment to New York’s Irish community for six decades and received the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award from President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins.
Christine McGuiness is a seasoned business lawyer, with over 30 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, she was named one of Crain’s New York Business “Notable Women in Law: in 2022. In addition to her client work, Chris is dedicated to the wellbeing of others, serving as Chair of Habitat for Humanity NYC and pro bono counsel to numerous nonprofits, including The Leviticus Fund in connection with the financing of low-income housing and day care centers; the Disability Opportunity Fund, a nonprofit provider of loans to organizations that service the disabled community: and Habitat for Humanity’s NYC Community Development Fund, which provides low interest loans to support and preserve affordable housing.
Last year, she was named Volunteer of the Year by Habitat for Humanity NYC. Chris graduated with a BA from Fairfield University and a JD from Fordham Law School.
Tickets for the event are $400 and Sponsorship levels are available. Visit www.irishap.org/events/spiritofkylemore-newyork-2023 for more information.
See you all again next week when I am Out&About again.