Out & About

The weather men love to tell us about the blizzard we are going to have and all the airplanes that are grounded as their job is boring with nothing else to do.

This is the Christmas Spirit as snow has been falling since humans came into this world and will still be falling when we are gone... had to get that off my chest. Now for some good cheer!

I bumped into Des O'Brien and he told to keep it quiet that ex-Governor Eliot Spitzer's  ex-penpal "Ashley Dupre" will be making a visit to Langan's Broadway Restaurant over the holidays, so if you're around then drop in for a "surprise" and, of course, a nice meal and a Christmas drink.

I met with Bruce Caulfield of Tracks  Raw Bar & Grill for cup of coffee and a chat last week and he was  telling me that he'd been awarded The Best Business Leader of 2009 by the Irish Voice. Good on you Bruce you are a total gentleman; maybe Michael next year or Pat you never know and I'll send in my vote.

Congratulations are due to Patrick Crotty, Martin Whelan, Paul Brennan, Mark Whelan and Paul Brady on the opening of The Long Room Bar and Restaurant which is at 120 West 44th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues)

Call in to to say hello to one of New York's great bartenders: Fintan Russell. I have been saying it all along that you can't beat the Irish for building and opening the best restaurants on this side of the Atlantic and with hospitality that you would notget anywhere else in the World.

Well, we all know that Tom Suozzi the Nassau County Executive lost out on his third election bid by only a few hundred votes. A little disappointing I'm sure but I am positive that bigger things are coming.

I had the privilege of having dinner with him in Morton's Steak House in Great Neck, Long Island with some very good friends who all traveled to Ireland with him to meet the Taoiseach Brian Cowan and the President Mary McAleese in Dublin for a visit. I hope I do not leave anybody out: Marty Glennon, Dermot Kelly, Dave Mejias, Tom Dwyer, Sean Crowley, Dan Deegan, Francis Ryan, Jim McDonaugh, Mike Kelly and Thomas Garry... and what a night we had.

I was also invited the the Consulate General of Ireland (345 Park Avenue) to celebrate the Christmas Season by Mr. Breandan O'Caollai and Mr. Alan Farrelly.

It was, once again, a great reception and we got to meet some old friends and some new ones  like Larry Sullivan, Jack McGrath (whose Fenian Dead feature can be found in this issue) Mary Power who is president of the Cork Association (where was Mae O'Driscoll?), Garrett Doyle from the Emerald Guild, Joe McManus - the president of the Irish Counties, Aine Sheridan, Lorraine Turner, representatives from IBO members and the New York Gaelic Association, Adrian Flannelly and Alfred Cooley - Chairman of the Irish-American Cultural Exchange - who was telling me he hopes to bring to Ireland two major NFL teams to play in Croke Park in Dublin... Now wuldn't that be something!

It was a great night with lots of other Irish organizations represented. Thanks to all at Ireland House; it was a very nice party and there was some very nice music too, let me tell you.

The Adrian Flannelly Irish Radio Show had two very special guests on Saturday: Ambassador Consul General Niall Burgess on behalf of the Irish Government and Joe Byrne, Executive Vice President, Tourism Ireland North America. Boy, he pulls only the best, maybe he will keep The Irish Examiner newspaper in mind or Irish Connections magazine which will be celebrating its Tenth Anniversary... you never know.

The Adrian Flannelly Show can be heard every Saturday in the New York and Tri-State regional radio broadcast area from  9am-10am on WNYE 91.5FM and from 10am-12noon on WVNJ 1160AM.

All his shows are also livestreamed and archived on his website at: www.irishradio.com.

Have a Happy Christmas everybody and a Great New Year as we will be off on our holidays until January 5th, 2010.

See you all next week.