By Paddy McCarthy
As I was Out&About last week I happened to walk into Malone’s Irish Bar and Grill at 692 Third Avenue, not too far from Grand Central Station. As they say, it’s just around the corner, just walking distance to this great Irish establishment.
So, I was meeting my Editor Grahame, if you like to call it a meeting, to discuss the latest issue of The Irish Examiner USA and how it turned out for you, our readers. Yes. we did have a libation, we were again so happy with another great issue under our belts.
I did get a call from a Dermot Kelly, to tell me he will come and meet me there and he will have some very good friends with him. That he did, as who came in was Catherine Flood of Catherine Flood Recruitment Consultants and Linda Croston of Savvy Consulting Inc. and as you can imagine I was very happy to meet them all. All three of them do unbelievable work behind the scenes for charity with no fuss at all.
I nearly forgot to mention that the bartender at Malone’s Irish Bar and Grill is none other than Eoin Stack, ah yes, a Tipperary man I might tell yea, and what a great host he is to work for the owner of this fine establishment, Peter O’Connell who is also the owner of Molly’s Pub and Restaurant Shebeen (287 Third Avenue). Peter was relaxing at home after a minor operation on his knee and recovering very well too I’m told.
Now that I got that off my mind here is something that I have to tell you about, and again, I just have to give it to George Heslin as he never stops creating events especially for The New York Irish Center. When George took over from Paul Finnigan who is now President of the Irish Business Organization of New York he had big shoes to fill and yes, he did and is a total professional at what he does.
The New York Irish Center, a hub for culture and community enrichment serving diverse constituencies in Long Island City, marks Ireland’s newest national holiday, St Brigid’s Day, with a special cocktail reception with entertainment honoring and celebrating prominent and influential New Yorkers.
“Women of Ireland – A New York Celebration” takes place at the New York Irish Center (1040 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City) on Thursday February 1, at 6:30 pm.
The evening’s emcee will be the reigning Rose of Tralee, Róisín Wiley. The Westchester native was the New York Rose before being selected last August to represent Ireland in its high-profile, international festival for young women of Irish descent from Ireland and around the world. The event was televised on two nights by RTE from the Rose Dome in County Kerry.
Leading a brief panel talk with special guests will be Irish Consul General Helena Nolan. Her panel guests will be Invest Northern Ireland’s Executive Vice-President Andrea Haughian; New York City Council Member Julie Won, and the author Yvonne Cassidy.
Three distinguished New Yorkers will receive special recognitions – American Express Global Business Travel Planner Corina Galvin (Women of Ireland Community Leadership Award); Sinead Naughton who owns and operates a number of hospitality establishments (Women of Ireland Business Leadership Award) and the comedian, actor, writer and music producer Fiona Walsh on whom will be bestowed the Women of Ireland Cultural Leadership Award. These are the first recipients of these awards.
After receiving her award, Walsh will segue into spinning discs for a little extra revelry to cap the evening. Event sponsorship is courtesy of Tourism Ireland and Lash Star Beauty. “Women of Ireland” hosted by the NY Irish Center is a by-invitation free event. For more information on the NYIC, please visit www.newyorkirishcenter.org.
The New York Irish Center is a hub for culture and community enrichment serving a broadly diverse audience from its base in Long Island City. The Center programs a wide variety of cultural events spanning film, theater, comedy, books and traditional and contemporary music. NYIC’s social support programs include classes, networking and outreach for LGBTQ+ individuals, seniors and children.
When it was founded in 2004 by the late Father Colm Campbell and Paddy Reilly, NYIC was primarily an Irish immigrant service organization and community center. Now it produces close to 100 events a year.
Among its community enrichment programs are its Wednesday Lunch Club – one of the most popular active retirement gatherings in New York City – and “The Story Continues” – NYIC’s quarterly LGBTQ+ networking event, featuring prominent voices from the community and a safe space for conversation and advocacy.
NYIC also houses Solace House, a provider of free, confidential suicide prevention counseling for one-on-one, group or family mental health support. Solace House’s services are available for anyone seeking help.
As you can see the New York Irish Center has come a long way and is now a big part of the Irish community and again I am so happy for George Heslin, all the way from Limerick, who deserves all the credit that comes his way, well done.
The Irish Arts Center sent in some great news just as we were going to press last week too: “[Tuesday] night in Dublin, President Michael D. Higgins presented our Executive Director Aidan Connolly and Vice Chair Pauline Turley with the Presidential Distinguished Service Award at Áras an Uachtaráin.
“Aidan and Pauline were honored for their role in developing the new Irish Arts Center, ‘one of New York’s most dynamic multidisciplinary arts institutions and a world-class flagship home for the global Irish diaspora.’
“We know that everything we do is only possible thanks to you—our incredible artistic community, and our loyal audience and supporters. We are grateful for you all, and look forward to seeing you during our 2024 season!”
I have to finish with some sad news of the passing of a well-known figure in the Irish Community, Timothy Hegarty who I knew very well and had been very supportive of me since I immigrated to America back in the early 80s. This came to me from the President of the Cork Association, Tom Browne: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our esteemed forty-seven-year member and 2013 Corkman of the Year – Timothy ‘Tim’ Joseph Hegarty. Tim passed away peacefully on Friday, January 19, 2024 after a long illness.
“Tim was a native of Dungourney, Co. Cork. Many of our members will remember Tim as a partner with the late Denis Forde in the Cork Lounge. He was a familiar figure at all our Cork meetings and all Cork events until his failing health prevented him from doing so .
We extend our condolences to his wife Maureen and his five children, Mary, Elizabeth, Valerie, Timothea and Timothy, his thirteen grandchildren and his siblings, Sheila Fildes, Sean Hegarty, Kathleen Finn and Billy Hegarty and to the extended Hegarty family in the US and Ireland. May Tim rest in heavenly peace.”
Funeral Arrangements: Visiting hours: 3 pm to 8 pm on Thursday, January 25 at Yorktown Funeral Home (945 East Main Street, Shrub Oak, NY).
Please Join the Co. Cork Association as they pay their respects. They will assemble on Thursday, January 25 at 7 pm. Mass will be celebrated on Friday, January 26 at 10am at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church (1577 East Main Street, Shrub Oak, NY).
I hope to see you all again next week when I am Out&About again.