The newly re-opened American Irish Historical Society provided the backdrop to a beautiful evening that saw three legendary leaders in the Irish community in New York being inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame. Founded in 2010 in celebration of Irish America magazine’s 25th anniversary, the Irish America Hall of Fame honors the extraordinary achievements of … [Read more...] about 2024 Hall of Fame Awards
Hall of Fame
Denis O’Brien: Facebook Foe, Philanthropy Friend
By Niall O'Dowd
Hall of Fame Inductee and 35th Annual Keynote SpeakerAfter the 2010 earthquake in Haiti Denis O’Brien, Digicel’s founder enabled Haitians to make cash transfers to each other via mobile phones. Former president Bill Clinton called it one of the most innovative ways to fight poverty he had seen.The original idea was typical of O’Brien, a simple extension of his existing … [Read more...] about Denis O’Brien: Facebook Foe, Philanthropy Friend
Patrick Doherty
Patrick "Pat" Doherty – a fixture in New York politics and Irish American circles for four decades – played a central role implementing The MacBride Principles, which encourage investment and fight discrimination in Northern Ireland. Currently, New York State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s director of corporate governance, Doherty negotiated with figures on all sides of the … [Read more...] about Patrick Doherty
Thomas Kelly
Dr. Thomas Kelly has served as Head of School for over 15 years at Horace Mann, one of the top preparatory schools in America. For decades now, Kelly has brought an ambitious mix of optimism and determination to his work as an educator - from classroom teacher, to principal, to district superintendent, expanding educational access for students traditionally denied such … [Read more...] about Thomas Kelly
Pete Hamill in His Own Words
Pete Hamill was inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame in March 2016. In his acceptance remarks, printed here, he talks about being "an alloy," and what he owes to other cultures. Like all the others here in this room—not simply the people winning awards but all of us-- I could not be here without the help of others, especially Anne Devlin from Madrid Street in the … [Read more...] about Pete Hamill in His Own Words