Andy Stafford Named Grand Marshal in 23rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade

(Glen Cove, NY – January 14, 2011) The Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee has named Andrew Stafford Grand Marshal and James Burke and Carol McTigue Aides for its 23^rd annual march to take place on March 20, 2011.

Stafford, the former parade chairman and longtime member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, was a unanimous choice by the committee.

“It’s an honor to be a picked as Grand Marshal,” Stafford said. “After running the parade for so long, it will be so nice to be Grand Marshal.”

Stafford, 48, was born in County Wexford, Ireland, and emigrated to the United States and settled in on the North Shore in 1988. He has been a member of the Mike Moran Division 8 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians since 1996, serving as President, Vice President and Marshal during his tenure. He was chairman of the Parade Committee from 2001-2010. Andrew currently runs a landscaping business in Locust Valley and lives with his wife, Pauline, and daughters Aisling and Caoimhe in Locust Valley.

Burke, 70, is currently the New York State Secretary of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He has been a member of the Michael J. Hogan Division 15 in Massapequa, NY since 1986 and has served as President of the Division, Nassau County Board President, New York State District Director, New York State Organizer and New York State Treasurer before his current position. A U.S. Marine veteran, he served as Commandant of the Marine Corps League in Massapequa. He was an account executive for Noranpac for 20 years. He lives in Massapequa with his wife, Patricia, and has four grown children and nine grandchildren.

McTigue (nee Brink) is currently the New York State Secretary of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians. She joined the Catherine McCauley division of the LAOH in Lynbrook, NY in 1986 and has served as President of the Division, Nassau County President, Nassau County Feis Secretary, New York State Irish Historian, New York State Charities and Missions Chairperson and New York State Treasurer before her current position. Carol worked for 20 years as a student loan officer at Jamaica Saving Bank and taught religion at Our Lady of Peace parish in Lynbrook, currently running the RCIA program. For years she was heavily involved with the Boy Scouts, receiving the Silver Beaver Award from that organization. She lives in Lynbrook with her husband, Theodore, has six grown boys, has been a foster parent, and has two granddaughters.

About the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Founded in 1989 by the Mike Moran Division 8 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the parade is in its 23^rd year, celebrating Irish culture on the North Shore. Over the years, the parade has had politicians, celebrities and Irish dignitaries serve as Grand Marshal. It is currently put on as a joint effort of the Mike Moran Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the St. Dymphna Division of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians.

About the Mike Moran Division 8 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians: Now in its 60^th year, the Mike Moran Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians serves to promote Irish culture, history, music, traditions and charitable giving. Membership is open at all men age 16 and over, who are of Irish birth or heritage, and are practicing Catholics. For more information, please visit their website at www.glencoveirish.org or contact Division President Joe McDonald at 516-522-0741 or by email at joe@hiberniandigest.com.

About the St. Dymphna Division of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians: Founded in 2002, the St. Dymphna Division of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians serves to promote Irish culture, history, music, traditions and charitable giving. Membership is open to women age 16 and over, who are of Irish birth or heritage, and are practicing Catholics. For more information please contact them online at www.glencoveirish.org or contact Division President Lisa Forgione at 516-759-9481 or by email at lisaf22@optonline.net.

2010 Grand Marshal Thomas J. Lilly

Thomas J. Lilly, Grand Marshal of the 2010 Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade, is a native of the Flatlands area of Brooklyn, the youngest of three children born to Frank Lilly and Mary Ellen Kelly of Mary Queen of Heaven parish.  He attended Most Holy Trinity High School in Brooklyn.  Tom then spent three years at Maryknoll College and later graduated with a B.A. degree from St. John’s University.

After four years in the Navy, mostly aboard the aircraft carrier Coral Sea in the Near East, Mediterranean and Caribbean he resumed his educational career, earning a J.D. Degree at night from Fordham Law School, becoming a member of the Bar in 1961.  Later, also at night, he received an LLM at N.Y.U. Law School.

Tom was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.  He went on to start his own practice and is very sell known in the area of labor relations and employment law.  He has taught in that field as a professor at the Xavier Institute, C.W. Post, and at Cornell School of Industrial-Labor Relations.

A bright thread running through the tapestry of Tom’s life is his resolve to put into practice Christ’s teaching of service to our brothers and sisters, especially to the “least among us”.  This dedication led him to devote his legal career to the protection of the rights of working people to organize to defend themselves and promote their interests.  It led him to unswerving advocacy on behalf of the unborn and their mothers and his position as a board member of Momma’s House.  That dedication is also the impetus for his tireless efforts in support of our neighbors who need assistance in hard times.  Tom has had a lifelong devotion to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, emulating his father as a longtime member.  He has served as President of the Nassau-Suffolk Central Board and is currently President of the St. Boniface Conference of that Society.

The principle of service to community also led Tom to political involvement as the local Democratic leader in Sea Cliff.  In the 1980’s he spearheaded the presidential campaign of Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson on Long Island and former DA Denis Dillon has credited Tom as the first person to encourage him to run for public office.  Tom, himself, has also run for office.

In 1958 he married Marge Doherty of Park Slope.  They later moved to Sea Cliff, where they have resided for over forty years.  They have of four children, Thomas and Joseph, (both attorneys), Mary Jo and Sean (both teachers), and are the grandparents of Thomas, Eileen, Sarah, Jones and Catherine Lilly.

Tom and Marge are active members of St. Boniface Martyr Parish in Sea Cliff.  He served as President of the Parish Council, was fundraising captain for the parish, taught Religious Education classes and belonged to the Nocturnal Adoration Society.  A parish publication in 1973 declared that “the name Thomas Joseph Lilly has become synonymous with St. Boniface School”, where he served as Chairman of the School Board for many years.

Tom would likely attribute his dedication to the working person, to the less powerful members of society, to church, community and family to the influence of his Irish ancestry and heritage.  It’s no coincidence that Tom has had a long interest and involvement in the struggle for religious, civil and national rights in his ancestral homeland.  He is a dedicated member of the AOH having served as President for three terms and as Historian for many years and he is a founding member of the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee.

The women and men of Glen Cove Divisions 8 of the LAOH and AOH will never be prouder and can follow no better lead than when we follow our brother, Grand Marshal Thomas Joseph Lilly, Grand Marshal of the 22^nd Annual Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

2010 Aide to the Grand Marshal – Gerard M. Herbert

Gerard Martin Herbert was born in July 1966 in Ballyconneely Connermara County Galway, Ireland to the late John and Bridget Herbert. Gerard is the youngest of five children. He was educated in Ballyconneely National School and Clifden Community School.

He was raised on the family farm where he helped with the chores. In the summer months, he went fishing on the Atlantic Ocean with his father and brother for Salmon, Lobster, and Crab.

He then attended the National Fishery training Center in County Donegal where he trained to be a commercial fisherman. After the two years of commercial fishing, he left and went to work in construction. Ironically that’s when he got the biggest catch of all; he met his wife to be, Susan. And together, they emigrated to the United States where they now live with their three children Stephanie, Keith, and Noeleen.

Gerard worked in various fields before entering the air conditioning and heating field, in 1993. He installed and serviced various systems, to serve everything from single family homes to forty story buildings in Manhattan.

Today Gerard with the help of his wife, Susan, owns and operates Twelve Pins Mechanical; a full service, heating and air conditioning company.

2010 St. Patrick’s Day Parade – March 21st

The 2010 Glen Cove St Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on March 21st at 1 p.m. This year’s Grand Marshal will be Tom Lilly.

The Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade The Parade has taken place annually since 1989.  The parade has grown to be the largest annual parade in Glen Cove and a civic celebration that is eagerly awaited each spring by all residents of the North Shore and the entire Irish community of Long Island.

Past and Present Grand Marshalls

It is our custom each year to honor a person as “Grand Marshal” of the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and one or more additional individuals as “Aides to the Grand Marshal:

1989 	 John F. Sweeney               Former Postmaster, City of Glen Cove
1990 	 P.O. Stephen McDonald         Hero Police Officer
1991 	 Hon. Denis Dillon             District Attorney, Nassau Co.
1992 	 Sr. Janet A. Fitzgerald       President, Molloy College
1993 	 Joseph V. Buckley             Restaurateur
1994 	 Rep. Peter King               Congressman
1995 	 Jack Ryan                     President, SEIU Local 74
1996 	 William V. Whelan             President, Emerald Society, FDNY
1997 	 Brian Fitzpatrick             Councilman, City of Glen Cove
1998 	 Michael McCormick             National Historian, AOH
1999 	 Jack Irwin                    Governor’s Assistant for Irish Affairs
2000 	 Hon. Thomas R. Suozzi         Mayor, City of Glen Cove; Nassau County Executive
2001 	 Patrick J. Lynch              President, NYC Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association
2002 	 Mary Gilroy-Doohan, M.D.      Director, Emergency Services NSUH Glen Cove
2003 	 Tony Jackson                  Irish radio personality WRHU-FM Radio, Hofstra Univesity
2004 	 Mary Ann Holzkamp             Mayor, City of Glen Cove
2005 	 James McCabe                  Hibernian Activist
2006 	 The "Fighting 69th"
2007 	 Jack McDougal                 Police Sergeant
2008     John W.C. Canning             Attorney and Public Servant
2009     Robert P. Lynch
2010     Tom Lilly

St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance, March 6, 2010

Save the date! On Saturday, March 6, 2010 the LAOH will hold it’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance, in the Parish Hall of St. Patrick’s Church. More details to follow.

2010 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sash Ceremony

The 2010 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sash Ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 1 P.M.  in Page One Restaurant, Glen Cove.  Join us as we honor Grand Marshal Tom Lilly and Aid to the Grand Marshal Gerry Herbert. Stay tuned for more information…

Glen Cove 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Pictures and Video

Here are the pictures of the 2009 Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade, with the Division’s own Robert Lynch as Grand Marshal and Barney Lough as Aide. The parade ran for almost an hour, followed by a division lunch at at Page One in Glen Cove.

After Parade Ceremony from Joe McDonald on Vimeo.

2009 Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Parade – March 22nd

The Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade The Parade has taken place annually since 1989.  The parade has grown to be the largest annual parade in Glen Cove and a civic celebration that is eagerly awaited each spring by all residents of the North Shore and the entire Irish community of Long Island.

Past and Present Grand Marshalls

It is our custom each year to honor a person as “Grand Marshal” of the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and one or more additional individuals as “Aides to the Grand Marshal:

1989 	 John F. Sweeney               Former Postmaster, City of Glen Cove
1990 	 P.O. Stephen McDonald         Hero Police Officer
1991 	 Hon. Denis Dillon             District Attorney, Nassau Co.
1992 	 Sr. Janet A. Fitzgerald       President, Molloy College
1993 	 Joseph V. Buckley             Restaurateur
1994 	 Rep. Peter King               Congressman
1995 	 Jack Ryan                     President, SEIU Local 74
1996 	 William V. Whelan             President, Emerald Society, FDNY
1997 	 Brian Fitzpatrick             Councilman, City of Glen Cove
1998 	 Michael McCormick             National Historian, AOH
1999 	 Jack Irwin                    Governor’s Assistant for Irish Affairs
2000 	 Hon. Thomas R. Suozzi         Mayor, City of Glen Cove; Nassau County Executive
2001 	 Patrick J. Lynch              President, NYC Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association
2002 	 Mary Gilroy-Doohan, M.D.      Director, Emergency Services NSUH Glen Cove
2003 	 Tony Jackson                  Irish radio personality WRHU-FM Radio, Hofstra Univesity
2004 	 Mary Ann Holzkamp             Mayor, City of Glen Cove
2005 	 James McCabe                  Hibernian Activist
2006 	 The "Fighting 69th"
2007 	 Jack McDougal                 Police Sergeant
2008     John W.C. Canning             Attorney and Public Servant
2009     Robert P. Lynch

Line of March for 2009 Parade

Order in Line of March	GLEN COVE HIBERNIANS ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2009 Andrew Stafford, Chairman NAME OF ORGANIZATION	Assembly Location
	Glen Cove Police Motorcycles	For Ave West of Sunrise driveway
	Glen Cove Police Color Guard	For Ave West of Sunrise driveway
	Nassau County Police Color Guard	For Ave West of Sunrise driveway
	Nassau County Police Mounted Unit	For Ave West of Sunrise driveway
	Irish Wolfhound Club of Long Island	AREA A Front of basketball court
	BANNER – Avalon Bay
	Tara Pipes and Drums	AREA A Front of basketball court
	G.M. Robert Lynch	AREA A Front of basketball court
	St. Martin de Porres TIN WHISTLE CLUB	AREA A Front of basketball court
	Matinecock Irish Brigade	For Ave close to Dosoris Lane
	Aide to G.M. Barney Lough	AREA A Front of basketball court
	County Executive, GC Mayor and other dignitaries	AREA A Front of basketball court
	Division 8 LAOH and AOH	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Car carrying Division 8 member/s	For Ave behind Irish Brigade
	BANNER -King Kullen/Friends of Tom Suozzi
	GLOR NA GAEL PIPE BAND	AREA B – Basketball Court
	AOH John P. McGuinness Div. 14	AREA B – Basketball Court
	AOH Nassau County Board + Divisions	AREA B – Basketball Court
	LAOH Nassau County Board	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Ryan Academy of Irish Dancing	AREA B – Basketball Court
	INNIS FADA PIPE BAND	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Irish/American Society of NassauSuffolk &Queens	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Sunrise Assisted Living	ForAve east of sunrise driveway
	The Regency At Glen Cove	ForAve east of sunrise driveway
	Glen Cove Senior Center	For Ave east of sunrise driveway
	Atria Senior Residence	For Ave east of sunrise driveway
	Family & Friends of Dustin Hill Motorcycle Club	For Ave east of sunrise driveway
	Glen Cove Beautification	For Ave east of sunrise driveway
	M.T.A. Police Color Guard & Cruiser	For Ave West of Sunrise driveway
	Glen Cove Downtown Ambassadors	AREA B – Basketball Court
	G.C. Assoc. of Girl Scouts & Boy Scouts	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Brownie Troop 78 – Glen Head	AREA B – Basketball Court
	St. Paul’s Dance Academy -Irish stepdancers	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Pre-School YMCA	AREA B – Basketball Court
	CYO Track & Field Team	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Knights of Columbus – James Norton Council	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Loggia Glen Cove 1016	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Kiwanis of Glen Cove	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Glen Cove Road Panthers	AREA E – Middle School Lot -W. side
	American Red Cross of Nassau County	For Ave East of Sunrise driveway
	Flotilla 22-07 US Coast Guard Aux Band	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Glenwood Landing American Legion - Post 336	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Howard A.Van Wagner American Legion Post 962	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Gold Coast Cruisers	AREA E – Middle School Lot -W. side
	John Deere Tractor c/o Tom Savage	ASSEMBLY AREA D(horseshoe)
	O Boys 4 by 4 Race Team	ASSEMBLY AREA D(horseshoe)
	Model T Ford Club	ASSEMBLY AREA D(horseshoe)
	Long Island Brass & Percussion	AREA B – Basketball Court
	St. Edwards Twirlers	AREA B – Basketball Court
	La Fuerza-St. Patrick’s Hispanic Community	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Gold Martial Arts	AREA B – Basketball Court
	Long Island Roller Rebels	AREA B – Basketball Court
	CLAN GORDON HIGHLANDERS PIPE BAND	ASSEMBLY AREA F(Dosoris Lane)
	Glen Cove Vol. Fire Dept	ASSEMBLY AREA F(Dosoris Lane)
	Glen Cove Vol. EMS	ASSEMBLY AREA F(Dosoris Lane)
	LONG BEACH BRASS BAND	ASSEMBLY AREA F(Dosoris Lane)
	Locust Valley Vol. Fire Dept.	ASSEMBLY AREA F(Dosoris Lane)
	COMMANCHE RAIDERS BAND	ASSEMBLY AREA G(Dosoris Way)
	Bayville Vol. Fire Company	ASSEMBLY AREA G(Dosoris Way)
	WANTAGH PIPE BAND	ASSEMBLY AREA G(Dosoris Way)
	Sea Cliff Vol. Fire Dept.	ASSEMBLY AREA G(Dosoris Way)
	Glenwood Fire Company	ASSEMBLY AREA G(Dosoris Way)
	K-Joy Radio Station Van	For Ave East of Sunrise driveway

2009 Grand Marshal – Robert Lynch

Robert P. Lynch was born in Queens, New York, the first of seven children born to Robert B. and Mary Anne Hyland Lynch.  He resides in Glen Cove, Long Island with his wife Síghle and their children, Kieran, Aidan, Conor and Maura.  He is a graduate of St. John’s University, where he received a BA in history in 1977, and of St. John’s Law School, where he received a Doctor of Laws degree in 1980.  Robert is a practicing attorney, with offices located Glen Cove and Williston Park.

Robert cherishes his Irish roots and heritage.  He has from his youth been an activist in Irish causes and follows a long family practice of love and support for both the countries of their origin and adoption, keeping one foot firmly planted on each side of the Atlantic.  While he is “first generation” on his mother’s side, from Kiltimagh, in Mayo, the same County, along with Kerry, produced his earliest American ancestors, in 1820, followed by his maternal grandfather who arrived here from Westmeath in the early 1900′s.  He has traveled to his ancestral homeland many times for family, political and musical activities.

Robert follows in the footsteps of his brother, Patrick J. Lynch, President of the NYC Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), who served as our Grand Marshal in 2001.

Robert has been a proud Hibernian all his adult life, being a Charter Member of Div. 13 in Queens and serving Glen Cove Division 8 as Corresponding Secretary, Vice President, with two terms as President in the 1990′s and two terms just ended.  He is also former Chairman of our Parade.

Ten years ago he devised the idea of a consortium he called Cairdenet, (invoking in loose Irish translation the idea of a “net of friends”) to allow Irish, religious, charitable and cultural associations he was involved with to establish and maintain a presence on the internet, something they had hitherto been slow to do for financial and technical reasons.  As part of this arrangement Division 8 was able to establish one of the first and largest Hibernian websites in the Metropolitan area.

Robert is well known as a traditional Irish piper.  Robert has been active for many years in a wide variety of efforts in support of Irish freedom and is a member of Friends of Sinn Fein and a founding member of the Brehon Law Societies in both NYC and Long Island.  He is an outspoken and active supporter of the Irish peace process, being a member of a delegation which met twice with the International Monitoring Commission (IMC) monitoring the Irish ceasefire and of the first Irish American delegation to meet with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to encourage the formation of the present coalition government between that party and Sinn Fein.

In addition to his legal practice, Robert works as Supervisor of the after-school recreational and tutoring program at St. Martin De Porres School in Uniondale, where he also instructs students in the Irish tin whistle and pipes.  He is an active member of St. Boniface Parish in Sea Cliff, where he is a Eucharistic Minister the webmaster and instructs parents in the Baptism program.

He is a member of the County Tyrone and County. Mayo Societies, the Co. Tyrone Pipers, the Long Island Uilleann Pipers and was a founder of the North Shore Irish American Cultural Society and the St. John’s University Irish Society.

Address by Robert P. Lynch at the Grand Marshal’s Sash Presentation Ceremony, February 22, 2009

About thirty years ago I read an article in the Sunday NY Times about a young Jewish man from New York, Bill Ochs.  Bill had become fascinated by Irish music and especially the Irish bagpipes.

He sought out the few pipers left on Long Island and the Northeast and set out to revive that instrument, even though most Irish people seemed to have abandoned it.

He went to Ireland and sought out elderly traditional musicians to teach him.  They made the point to him that being an Irish piper was not only about being a proficient musician but also involved another special job.  That job was to preserve and tell the story of the people who had produced this musical tradition, and not to let it die.  It meant telling the people their own story.

I was reminded of Bill’s lesson a few years ago when Barney Lough and I attended a big annual St. Patrick’s dinner in Manhattan.   It was addressed by the acclaimed Irish actor Gabriel Byrne.

Gabriel asked those gathered to contemplate what purpose is served by getting together for these St. Patrick’s Day events.

He reminisced of how, as a child in Dublin, he listened to his relatives from Galway sit at home in the kitchen and tell stories.  That was how he learned of and developed a love for his culture.

Gabriel answered his own question by suggesting that St. Patrick’s Day events serve some of the same purpose for Irish Americans that those kitchen gatherings did for him:  they give us the chance to think about and share our story.

I agree with Gabriel.  The value of events such as our parade is that the give us the chance we might not otherwise have to ask ourselves “who are we” and “what is our story?” It gives us the opportunity to tell that story to our children and to our neighbors.

For all their trouble and expense, these are opportunities not to be missed.  The fact is that, for a people who are supposed to be great storytellers, we don’t practice that art very well when it comes to our own story.  We don’t value the concept of contemplating who we are and telling others about it.

There are many reasons for this.  It has been argued that this is the result of a subconscious lack of esteem for our own culture, coupled with a fear of expressing it openly, possibly the legacy of generations of colonial oppression.

Whatever the reason, the fact is that many of our immigrant ancestors didn’t tell us their story.  We, the Irish Diaspora in America, remains very Irish, indeed more than more Irish than most of us know, on what might be called an unconscious level, even many generations removed from “home”.

The fact that we don’t have a highly conscious level of awareness of who we are and where we come from leaves us somewhat inarticulate in describing ourselves.  Outsiders like the musician I spoke of earlier can often be more eloquent in explaining who the American Irish are than we can ourselves.

It has been said that the beautiful stained glass in venerable European church buildings were first developed to aid people who weren’t full literate enough to learn about their faith by reading Scripture and the written works of the church.

It might be said that events that surround St. Patrick’s Day in Irish America serve somewhat of the same purpose for our people.  We of the Hibernian Divisions of Glen Cove have been blessed with a veritable Parthenon of personalities whom we can view for a personification of who the Irish in America are.

They include not only our long list of distinguished Grand Marshals, but also the Aides to the Grand Marshal (for as is the case this year the Aides are often just as worthy or more so of recognition as the person with the top billing), Hibernians of the year and Presidents.

They include:

• John Sweeney, Mike Moran, Charlie Phillips and John Whelan, who before they passed on taught us the love of our culture and pride in our Ancient Orders.

• Andy Stafford, Paul Long, Patsy Furlong and Eamonn Beck, our very own “Boys of Wexford” who, along with likes of Bill Doherty, Vic Sackett and Martin Mannion, have kept that legacy alive.

• LAOH members such as my wife, Sighle Lynch, Mary Moran, Shelia Zeineth, Pauline Stafford, Marylynn Johnson and Sioban Rack, who show us who really gets things done in an organization supposedly dominated by men;

• Steve McDonald, the terribly wounded police officer who went on to quadruple his initial heroism by becoming a missionary of God’s mercy and forgiveness;

• Denis Dillon who epitomizes the streak which runs through Irish life of fearless insistence on protection and justice for the weak and threatened;

• Sister Janet Fitzgerald who embodied the Irish love of learning and the dedication of the generations of consecrated religious men and women who dedicated their lives to teaching;

• Peter King, who put his career at risk, and honorary grand marshals Joe Doherty, Malachy McAllister and Gerry Adams who put their lives and freedom on the line, as did our own Patrick Webster, Danny Lane and Tony Deignan all to remind the world that for nearly a millennium the most passionate thread of the Irish story has been our struggle for national sovereignty;

• Tom Suozzi, Brian Fitzpatrick, Maryanne Holzkamp and John Canning told us the story of Irish public service; it is not surprising that they are involved with the same Hibernian Divisions which once welcomed as a member Sen. Robert F. Kennedy during his brief time with us;

• Jim McCabe, Eddie Doohan, Al Baker, Jeff Moore and Cardinal John O’Connor demonstrates the truism that the Irish male cherishes his faith just as much as the women do;

• Joe Buckley, who embodied for us the ancient Irish tradition of hospitality;

• Jack Ryan, Tom Lilly and my brother Patrick Lynch bring forward to our time the unparalleled Irish tradition of support for the right of working people to organize to protect their interests, even in the face of fierce opposition by the powers that be;

• It is Dr. Mary Gilroy who is our most beloved exemplification of the Irish women’s reputation for healing and compassion;

• Jack McDougal and the Fighting 69^th teach us to “never forget” the courage of the Irish in uniform who clear the way for the rest of us when our lives are threatened;

• Our Order’s real-life seanachie, Michael McCormick, who finds joy in telling our story in print, as does this year’s Aide to the Grand Marshal of the NYC parade, John O’Connell, while Tony Jackson and Patti Ann Brown do the same on the airwaves.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let us go forward with these models in mind to continue to tell the story of who we are.

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