Irish America

Hall of Fame

Denis O’Brien: Facebook Foe, Philanthropy Friend

By Niall O'Dowd

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Hall of Fame Inductee and 35th Annual Keynote Speaker After 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 … [Read more...] about Denis O’Brien: Facebook Foe, Philanthropy Friend

Patrick Doherty

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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

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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

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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

Photos from the 2013 Irish America Hall of Fame

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On March 21, 2013, Irish America magazine celebrated the induction of the 2013 Irish America Hall of Fame. Vice President Joe Biden, Brian P. Burns, Robert M. Devlin, John Fitzpatrick and Former Congressman Bruce Morrison were all inducted at this special ceremony and luncheon at the J.W. Marriott Essex House in Manhattan. Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, a 2011 Hall of Fame … [Read more...] about Photos from the 2013 Irish America Hall of Fame