Out & About

The entertainment on board the ship The Spirit of New York was just superb and the boat was rocking from the time we left the dockside with The Cunningham Brothers kicking it all off followed by Celtic Cross all on the center deck of the ship. On the top deck The Shay Mac Band performed as did Tom Casey with Chris Kelly.

On the bottom deck there were no slouches either with The Singing Websters getting dancers to the floor - all in all the entertainment was fabulous. Captain Tom Slattery was at his best making sure everyone was ship shape as he roamed around deck checking that everyone had a drink and that no one left the ship before we docked! Thanks Tom.

The after-party was at the Madhatter bar and restaurant on 3rd Avenue at 26th street and it went on to the wee hours,

Paul O'Hara could be seen making gestures to the bartenders - it looked like some sort of sigh language! - for drinks.

Some very famous people turned up for the party - one very noticeable addition was actor Eddie Cahill from CSI-NY the hit TV series presently on NBC and all around the World.

Next year make sure you put the date on your calendar as it was sold out to capacity this year. Dermot Kelly should do another one again sooner as it was the highlight of the year so far, a great Irish night out as everyone had a smashing night. Keep it quiet that James Higgins was seen running down to the boat as they were lifting up the gangway! The photographer was left on shore as he got held up in traffic and that is why we do not have the pictures....

The Ireland-US Council scholarship awards lunch was held Thursday last at the Metropolitan Club with awards presented by President of the council, Michael Gibbons. The 2008 Council Scholarship award winners who came over from Ireland were all girls: Nathalie Ennis from Midleton, County Cork who takes up her appointment at Mutual of America, Helena Keenan from Letterkenny, County Donegal who will work at Allied Irish Banks in New York, Anne Byrne of Naas, County Kildare who will work at the world headquarters of News Corporation in New York, Sarah Conmy from Loughrea, County Galway who got a work assignment at Merck & Company New York and Elaine Stack from Youghal, County Cork, has been selected to work at Pfizer Inc. in New York City. Them Cork girls have all the brains, what do you think?

Bloomsday celebrations were held on Monday last, June 16th and it was a great day to celebrate at the residence of the Irish Consul General in New York, Mr. Niall Burgess who treated us to brunch.

There were a host of celebrities in attendance; the famous Malachy McCourt who performed in his bathrobe with a reading from James Joyce's Ulysses and was followed by Ciaran O'Reilly of the Irish Repertory Theatre. Also at the podiumwere Kitty Sullivan (missing was her man Milo O'Shea who was not feeling well on the day). We also heard from Frank McCourt actress Fionnula Flanagan - appearing this Thursday and Saturday on TNT at 8pm playing Mark Wahlberg's mother in a movie called Four Brothers check it out) and Jim Norton from the Broadway smash hit, The Seafarer. Jim won a Tony Award on Sunday last for his role in the play - congratulations Jim.

Not forgetting Brenda Carmichael of the Irish Consulate who had her retirement party at the Irish Consul's residence last Friday night. She received a rousing farewell from all her friends and colleagues. I thought she was to young to retire! All I can say is what a night. Have a wonderful retirement Brenda, all of us at the Examiner and Irish Connections Magazine will miss you.

See you all next week.