By Paddy McCarthy
We celebrate the dedication and hard work of all workers who contribute to the success and prosperity of our communities on Labor Day, a time to honor the spirit of resilience, innovation, and teamwork that drives us forward. As we take a moment to reflect on the achievements of workers past and present, we also look to the future with optimism and a commitment to fostering a positive and supportive work environment. Your efforts make a difference, and we are grateful for each and every one of you. Wishing you a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable Labor Day!
Labor Day is our country’s most explicit way of recognizing the contributions of workers in this country and the history of labor in the US. The first celebrations were in the 1880s. They occurred locally and were organized by workers and unions. Yes, we here at The Irish Examiner USA acknowledge that and support it in any way we can.
What a great week it was as I was Out&About and got to meet some friends as well. Last Thursday topped it all with the Detective Barney Ferguson Emerald Legacy Fund’s 9th Annual Awards Dinner. The reception from 6 pm to 10 pm was held at Juliano’s restaurant (700 Main Street in New Rochelle). What an evening it was as the attendance was between 400 and 500 guests with some great awards with Jim Ferguson as the host, presenting the award for Irishman of the Year to Det. Peter Whalen, NYPD. The Integrity Award was given to Joseph Occhipinti, the Lifetime Achievement Award to Patrick Hendry, NYPD, the Man of the Year Award to Det. John Zerafa, NYPD and the President’s Award to the Pipes & Drums of Westchester, New York and the 9/11 Plaque Presentation by Gene West of Guardian Investigations.
Most of the guests were past and present members of the NYPD with their families and also friends like myself. I cannot forget to thank Brian Sharkey and Jim Ferguson for inviting me as I knew it was going to be a great evening and I was not disappointed.
I just got a bit of sad news on a great friend John Noonan from County Longford and who is very well known in the Irish Community. He has been working for Anheuser Busch/InBev for many years as a beer salesman in New York City. Please pray for John. The father of NYPD Sgt. Danny Noonan, John suffered from cardiac arrest and needs our prayers while he is hospitalized. Sgt. Danny Noonan as a police officer took care of Steven McDonald in the last few years of Steven’s life. John been a past bar owner in Long Island and bartender in the well-known late Fiddler’s Green in Manhattan for a number of years before working for Budweiser as a salesman. Please keep John Noonan in your prayers to get him back to good health.
The Irish Repertory Theatre has done it again with a blockbuster show coming up called The Beacon. They have one of the most profession teams of actors that will be playing on stage for this show. Kate Mulgrew plays BEIV, a renowned artist who has recently left her home in Dublin for West Cork, Ireland. Mulgrew was Emmy nominated for her performance as ‘Red’ Reznikov in “Orange is the New Black”. She also portrayed the first female captain of the Starship Enterprise, as seen on “Star Trek: Voyager”.
Nancy Harris is an award-winning writer from Dublin whose work has been produced in Ireland, the UK, Germany, the US, and New Zealand. Her plays include: Somewhere Out There You (Abbey), Two Ladies (Bridge), The Beacon (Druid, Gate), Our New Girl (Bush, Atlantic), and No Romance (Abbey). Harris is a past recipient of The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and the Stewart Parker Award. She is also the creator and writer of the BAFTA-nominated comedy/drama television series “The Dry”.
Starring Kate Mulgrew with Zach Appleman, Sean Bell, David Mattar Marten, and Ayana Workman The Beacon will run from September 11 to November 3. Buy Tickets via Phone at (212) 727-2737 or online at irishrep.org.
This show is going to be a huge sellout so book early. See you all again next week when I am Out&About again…