Out & About

Eileen O'Mahoney was manning the door with a 3-hour open bar and musical guest, Jimmy Lopez was on the congo/jembe. I am sure Terence Mulligan must have been happy with the turn out.

A little bit of news that you might be interested is that Enterprise Ireland  are holding Open for Business in the USA events. Enterprise Ireland Americas is also now offering incubation services to its clients at each of its three bases in the USA: New York, Boston and  their new offices in Silicon Valley.

Find out more details and get information on the services provided and the many strategic advantages to getting your US presence started with Enterprise Ireland Americas from their FaceBook page.

Now I thought you just like to know that there are other opportunities out there so I am passing on the information; is that okay?

Paul Hurley went back to Dublin on Friday as his mom is not too well. Hopefully she will make a quick recovery; we will keep her in our prayers as she was over in New York just a few weeks ago.

Last Wednesday Michael Gibbons had us out to lunch at Eamonn's Bar and Grill before he went in to hospital for tests and again Michael we hope everything was good. We always need you and I know you like to read this column every week.

It was a fun lunch and as you might know (though I'm going to tell you anyhow) that Michael Gibbons was the New York Saint Patrick's Day Parade Grand Marshal in 2009 and he was also the President of The Ireland-U.S. Council, which is a business organization based here in New York. Michael is retired as Executive Vice President of Estee Lauder who are  manufacturers and marketers of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products, I must get some samples.

Talking about The Ireland-U.S. Council, their annual program of Student Work Experience Scholarships for 2010 will be celebrated this year at an awards luncheon to be held at The River Club in New York City on Thursday, June 10th.

The Council's President Dennis D. Swanson, in releasing details of this year's scholarship awards, said, "We have operated this successful and admired Scholarship Awards program for the past 26 years. Opportunities are provided through the program to student undergraduates from third-level educational institutions on the island of Ireland to travel to the United States and to work temporarily in American corporations.

"The scholarships provide work assignments in business corporations of differing sizes in America. These assignments are linked to the fields of study and academic disciplines which the undergraduate scholars are pursuing in Ireland."

Typically, the Council's scholarship candidates are undergraduate university students in their penultimate or junior year of college - usually, the third year of their four-year bachelors' study programs.

The term of the scholarship runs from late May/early June through September each year.

The Council partners on this program with Fordham University for those Council Scholars based in New York City - these are accommodated in the residence halls of the Lincoln Center campus of the college during their time in Manhattan.

"The interest of the Council in managing participation in this program is to highlight the excellent educational infrastructure which has been developed throughout the islandof Ireland. Universities in Ireland, North and South, participate. This year colleges in Cork, Belfast, Dublin, Galway and Limerick will be represented in the program," Mr. Swanson noted.

He added: "The Council, for its part, provides a cash award toward each student's travel expenses. The project-oriented employment assignments, which the Council arranges for the students, enhance their learning experiences in America, linked as they are to their field of study. We are indebted to the Universities in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland for their support and assistance in managing this program."

Students selected by their colleges as the Council's 2010 participating scholars are: Seán Flynn who hails from Ennis, County Clare. He is studying for a Bachelor of Commerce degree in the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at the National University of Ireland Galway. He will work at Allied Irish Banks in New York; John McKenna is a native of Silverbridge, Newry, County Down and is a student at Queen's University Belfast where he is pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. John will travel from Northern Ireland to New Jersey to take up his work assignment at Council member-firm Merck and Company; Niamh Callaghan is from Lower Kimmage Road in Dublin and is enrolled at Trinity College Dublin studying Economics having finished the third year in a four-year degree course. She will travel to New York City to take up her appointment to work at Mutual of America in New York; Greg McSweeney, from Bishopstown, County Cork, is studying for a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Science at University College Cork. He has been nominated to work with Pfizer, Inc. in New York City; and Paul Constant, whose home is also in Bishopstown in County Cork, and has been chosen by the University of Limerick to participate as a Council Scholar this year. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Math and will travel to New York City where he will work in the world headquarters of News Corporation. Now where would yea get that? Only in America and congratulations to The Ireland-U.S. Council for a job well done.

The Irish Repertory Theatre which has been bringing Irish and Irish American works to the stage since 1988, will be presenting Brigadoon on Broadway on June 14 and yes, I will be there too.

Tune into Tommy Smyth live  as he will be presenting World Cup games on radio over the next month with the shows available on espnradio.com and Sirius XM radio.

I would like to finish off with the FIFA World Cup 2010 that begins this Friday (June 11th) and goes on to the Final on Sunday July 11th.

I am sure the bars and restaurants all over the city will be packed, especially for the one game that will be shown  early in the tournament, namely the England vs. USA game that is happening this Saturday at 2:30pm.

My advice is to go to your favorite bar or restaurant very early! If I was to mention all of them it would take up the full paper, so here is what I suggest: check out the ads that are in this week's paper and go along to one of them to support your team and have a nice cool beer, I know I will.

I had a great time at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. I did not make any money, but I had a few cold beers with Pat Burke, his wife Lillian, Karl O'Connor, Adrian Sinnott, Eugene Wilson and a few other bar owners and bartenders that you would not see for a while... only on this occasion.

See you all next week!