New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. with honorees and co-sponsors at his Irish Heritage and Culture celebration at Surrogate’s Court on Tuesday, April 15, 2008. Pictured (back, l to r) are: William J. Flynn, Chairman Emeritus, Mutual of America; Thompson; Karen Duffy, American Model, Television Personality, Actress and Author; Máirtin Ó Muilleoir, Chief Executive Officer and Publisher, Irish Echo Newspaper; (front, l to r) Father Brian Jordan, OFM, Immigration Counselor and Labor Priest, Church of St. Francis of Assisi Parish; John P. McCarthy, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of History and Former Director, Institute for Irish Studies, Fordham University; Siobhan Dennehy, Executive Director, Emerald Isle Immigration Center;  Sister Regina Murphy, Property Director, Sisters of Charity; Irish Consul General Niall Burgess; and, Robert Dunne, Incoming President, Brehon Law Society. Photo Credit: Marla S. Maritzer
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New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. last night honored six city leaders at his Irish Heritage and Culture celebration. The event was co-sponsored by the Brehon Law Society and Emerald Isle Immigration Center.

“There is no New York without Irish New York,” Comptroller Thompson said at the event at Surrogate’s Courthouse in downtown Manhattan. “The histories of this city, and the history of the Irish American community here, are deeply entwined back to the earliest days of New York.”

“Our honorees this evening are wonderful examples of the living history of Irish New York. They have excelled in a wide range of professional and civic pursuits. They are leaders in academia, the church, the entertainment field, business and journalism. They are advocates and activists,” Thompson added.

You can view photographs of the event at www.comptroller.nyc.gov.

Addressing attendees, the Comptroller spoke of the changed political landscape in Northern Ireland, and how recent advancements towards peace have spurred attractive opportunities for investment.

Last week, Thompson was joined by Northern Ireland leaders Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness to announce a new $150 million pension investment that will target projects in sectors such as waste management, health care, and alternative and conventional energy.

Next month, the Comptroller will be attending the Northern Ireland Investment Conference to continue to build on this initiative and explore further investment opportunities created by the dawn of a new era of peace and stability in the region.

“That spirit of cooperation and support between this great city and the people of Ireland, north and south, is central to the idea behind this evening’s heritage event,” Thompson said.

Thompson presented the first award to performer, actress and author Karen Duffy. After taking roles in a handful of films, she was diagnosed with the rare illness sarcoidosis, a neurological disorder that left her partially paralyzed.

Despite this, Duffy nevertheless went on to become a correspondent for Michael Moore’s television shows TV Nation and The Awful Truth, and she currently hosts House of Tiny Terrors on The Learning Channel. She also penned an autobiography about her illness and career.

“For her tremendous contributions in the field of entertainment and in recognition of her perseverance, her optimism and courage in the face of a serious medical obstacle, it is my pleasure to present this Irish Heritage Award to Karen Duffy,” Thompson said.

William Flynn, Chairman Emeritus of Mutual of America Life Insurance Company, received the second award. The Comptroller praised Flynn for his “tireless efforts” to foster peace in Northern Ireland.

“Mr. Flynn’s many honors speak to his compassionate commitment to his community and to those in need,” Thompson said.

The third honoree was Immigration Counselor and Labor Priest for the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Father Brian Jordan, OMF. Next month, Fr. Jordan will celebrate his 25th anniversary as a Roman Catholic priest.

In the late 1990s, he served in the office of the Commissioner at the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington, D.C., which led to his work as founding director of the Franciscan Immigration Center at St. Francis of Assisi Church here in Manhattan.”

The next honoree was Darrah Carr, Artistic Director and Choreographer of Darrah Carr Dance. Irish American Magazine named her one of the ‘Top 100 Irish Americans of the Year’ recently.

“Ms. Carr has been active for over a decade in both the Irish and modern dance communities,” Thompson said. “A respected scholar of Irish Dance, Ms. Carr has twice presented her research findings at conferences of the Congress of Research on Dance.”

John McCarthy, PhD, Professor Emeritus of History and Former Director of the Institute for Irish Studies at Fordham University, was the next honoree. He is a member of the American Conference on Irish Studies and is a founding member of the Columbia University Faculty Seminar on Irish Studies.

“He has achieved notoriety as the prolific author of books, numerous articles and reviews across a broad array of journals and papers dedicated to Irish history and culture,” Thompson said.

The final honoree was publisher Mairtin O Muilleoir, who serves as Chief Executive Officer and Publisher of the Irish Echo Newspaper.

“Throughout his life, Mr. O Muilleior has been actively engaged with his West Belfast community,” Thompson said. “As a language activist and advocate, he developed the concept of the Gaeltacht Quarter in West Belfast and in 1994 was the founder of Forbairt Feirste, the first economic agency for Irish language.”

Mr. O Muilleior currently serves as deputy chair of the cross-community West Belfast and Shankill Enterprise Council, which is building peace with jobs in the most disadvantaged areas of Belfast.

Darrah Carr Dance performed at the event.

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