Out & About

Our roving reporter Aine Fox from Portadown, Co. Armagh is leaving us after a short stay here in New York.

She was over on an internship with Project Children, headed up by our very own Dennis Mulcahy from Cork, and while here she spent her time writing for the paper and helping out our editorial staff.

Notable highlights included an interview with the Saw Doctors, a review of The Irish Rep's production of 'Around The World In 80 Days' (to be found in this issue), a report from her work with Project Children in New Orleans and an interview of Gary Hanley from Invest Northern Ireland. She'll also have an interview with James Galway that will be appearing in the next few weeks.

I would publicly like to thank her for all that she has done for the Irish Examiner newspaper and the Irish Connections magazine; we will miss her, but hopefully she will continue to be one of our correspondents from Ireland on a regular basis.

I got to meet Shane Doyle recently after not having seen him for a while and he is doing just fine with his new wine store, Rosetta Wines which you can find in the 'The Shops at Atlas Park' shopping center at Atlas Park, 8000 Cooper Avenue, Glendale, New York.

Shane was a very well known tavern owner here in Manhattan in the 90s with Sin A and Arlines Grocery right in the East village.

Shane is also very good friends with Sinead O'Connor and U2 and anytime they were here on tour they always called in to meet him, hang out and just relax.

Check out his new wine and spirits store online at www.rosettawines.com or call (718) 326-7700. He will be more than happy to take your order.

We called in to see Patricia Sullivan Foley the proprietor of Celtic Crossroads unique Irish import store in the lobby of the Lincoln building on East 42nd Street (we are in the same building opposite Grand Central Station). The sad news however is that she is giving it all up because of the economy - the price of importing goods with the weak dollar just makes it too expensive

The store will close in October so if you have a chance, call in to see her and take advantage of the big sale - every item has to go, so now's the time to buy the present you were going to get me.

Niall Creamer, a great friend arrived from Cork, was in town too. He's the General Manager of United Guard Security, a company that supplies  security for businesses all over Ireland.

He did spend a few days down in Clearwater, Florida, but left it because it was too warm, and headed up to the Big Apple to cool down,

I'm not actually too sure if he can cool down in New York just yet though, on the other hand, maybe he,s right as it is cool in the bars and restaurants.

I had a pint with him in Eamonn's bar and grill and he seemed very happy to be in New York and to have a cocktail with the man himself, Eamonn Maher. Now that was not hard to do huh?

This week we are sad to repor the passing of another fine gentleman,  Denis O'Driscoll, a Veteran Member of the Cork Association of New York, who was a native ofLisheen, Skibbereen in West Cork.

Denis emigrated to New York in 1948 and was married to Mary Ellen Rabbitt, from Taum, County Galway. May he rest in peace.

We heard through the grapevine that there were a lot of big winners from New York over at the Galway Races. I wonder who they were; well, almost everyone I know seemed to be over there.

If you have not gone to see 'Around the World in 80 Days' at the Irish Repertory Theatre on West 22nd Street yet, you do not know what you're missing. It's superb, go and see it today!

Jack Keane is back from vacation at Nevada Smiths and you can guess that means the football season is starting again

You should also take time to visit Tonic East on Third Avenue - it has one of the best rooftop restaurants in the cit. Check it out and also check out all their big screens showing all sports you care about!

Hilton hotel on The Avenue of the Americas has one of the top banquet managers and he's all the way from Dublin. His name is Paul Gallen and he spent a long time working at the Waldorf=Astoria hotel before he became the manager of the Hilton.

Pat Burke, the proprietor of the Pig'N'Whistle on 47th Street, off Times Square, was seen coming out of Madison Square Garden last Friday night after watching the Walking with the Dinosaurs show with his family.

I am going back to Ireland for a few days but I'll back with all the gossip for you next week...