Boston Mayor Marty Walsh Named "Irish American of the Year" in 2014 by Irish America Magazine

-

Congratulations to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who has been named the 2014 "Irish American of the Year" by the New York-based publication, Irish America Magazine.

Mayor Walsh accepted the award at a luncheon held on Thursday, June 26, 2014 at the Seaport Boston Hotel, hosted by the non-profit group, the Irish American Partnership.

Patricia Harty, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Irish America Magazine, praised Walsh for his empathy and for overcoming challenges early in his life, saying, “Who better to embody the tough, tireless, tender trajectory of our Irish story than Mayor Marty Walsh, son of immigrants and champion of the working class. We are thrilled to honor him as our Irish American of the Year.”

Mayor Walsh, who was profiled in the February/March 2014 issue of Irish America Magazine, is the son of Irish parents who emigrated from Connemara in County Galway to Boston in the 1950s and settled in the city's Dorchester neighborhood.

Upon accepting the award, Mayor Walsh said, "John F. Kennedy spoke of an 'emerald thread' running through the history of the Irish and surviving in all their descendants around the world, and this pattern runs deeply through the fabric of Boston. Irish-American identity is not something that survives without some effort. It has to be cultivated and encouraged, or else it can fade away into a distant memory.

"This award is about gathering together and recognizing that the heritage we share is meaningful and worth preserving," the mayor continued. "It's a great honor to receive this award."

Also speaking at the awards ceremony were Ireland's Consul General for Boston, Breandan O Caollai, and Mary Sugrue McAleer, executive director of the Partnership, who said that "Mayor Walsh has been a long-time supporter of the Partnership's efforts to honor our Irish heritage by supporting education and community programs in Ireland, North and South."

State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry and  State Representative Brian Honan, along with Jim Brett, president and CEO of the New England Council, and Joe Leary, president and CEO of the Partnership, also attended the event. 

Walsh is the twelfth Boston Mayor of Irish descent to hold the office, which began with the election of Hugh O'Brien, an immigrant from County Cork, who served from 1885-88.

For more about Boston's Irish heritage, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Declan Crowley is new Cultural Programming Manager at the Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston

-
Image
The Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston (ICC) has announced the appointment of Declan Crowley as its new Cultural Programming Manager. Declan's primary role will be to curate a diverse lineup of Irish, Irish-American, and Celtic artists to perform at the Centre throughout the year, from musicians, singers and dancers to writers, filmmakers, historians and artists, while catering to a wide audience of people who cherish Irish culture. Crowley brings a wealth of experience and artistic vision to his new role.  Originally from Burnt Hills, NY, he is an eight-time Regional, two- time National, and All-Ireland Champion Irish dancer, as well as a two-time silver and bronze medal holder at the World Championships and a NFAA youngArts™️ Silver Medalist in World Dance, Crowley began touring internationally with Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” in 2009, where he played the principal role of ‘Don Dorcha, the Dark Lord’ until 2013. While completing his B.A. in English at the College ...
Read more

General Edward L. Logan, Namesake of Boston's Logan International Airport

-
Image
General Edward L. Logan (1875-1939), namesake of Boston’s Logan International Airport , died on July 6 1939 from a sudden 'heart ailment.'  His brother, Reverend Leo J. Logan, presided over the funeral mass at the Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston, with tributes by leading politicians like Senator David I. Walsh , former Massachusetts Governor and Boston Mayor James M. Curley and former Mayor John F. Fitzgerald .  Logan is buried at the Calvary Cemetery in West Roxbury.  A first generation Irish-American, military leader, civic leader and municipal judge with family roots in Galway and South Boston,  Edward was the oldest of nine children of Lawrence and Catherine (O’Connor), according to Michael Cummings of Milton, an expert on the Logan Family. Edward’s father Lawrence immigrated to Boston from Ballygar, County Galway, in 1858, and became a successful businessman at a young age when he became president of the Boston Brewing Company in South Boston.  The ...
Read more

Boston's Irish International Immigrant Center now called Rian Immigrant Center

-
Image
The Irish International Immigrant Center, one of Boston’s leading immigrant advocacy groups for over three decades, has changed its name to  Rian Immigrant Center . Rian (Ree-Ann), the Irish word for path, honors the groups Irish roots while reflecting its inclusive mission of empowering immigrant and refugee families on the path to opportunity, safety and a better future for all. The Center’s new logo is inspired by the Giant's Causeway on the north coast of Ireland, natural hexagonal stones formed 60 million years ago by cooling lava. The symbol represents how the Rian Immigrant Center provides the support to chart a pathway forward. “Our work has never been in higher demand,” said  Ronnie Millar,  executive director of the Rian Immigrant Center. “In recent years that path has grown more difficult. Legal obstacles, bureaucratic thickets, even physical barriers obstruct the path to legal status and citizenship. Together with our public and private par...
Read more