Out & About

The 73rd Annual United Restaurant and Tavern Owners' Dinner was held last Thursday at the Riverside Church (on 120th Street) which has a ballroom called 'Pasha'. I know what you're saying, "in a church?" Yes, it was, and it was fantastic too!

When I got the invite I thought the same myself; why the Hell is this in a Church? Well, to my surprise it was unbelievable as almost every bar owner and most of their staff were at the event and let me tell you, they weren't their to pray either!

Yes there were plenty of drinks available as all the brand managers were also at the dinner. It was a very nice area too. I might say it was a little bit out of the comfort zone, but easy enough to get to and the guests really enjoyed it.

The Guests of Honor were Hugh O'Lunney who was the U.R.T.O Man of the Year who is a very popular host and the proprietor of O'Lunney's Times Square Pub. He was there with his daughter Maureen and his son Emmet.

The other Honoree was Martin Silver, President of Star Industries and also Chairman of Black Prince Distilleries, Inc. who was the U.R.T.O.'s Industry Man of the Year.

I almost forgot to tell you: I was at the Ozzy Osbourne concert at Madison Square Garden last Wednesday and he was as crazy as ever! The music was superb as he had a great band and his singing was better than ever; sorry you missed it.

My very good friend Mike Gibbons, former President of the Ireland-US Council and 2009 Grand Marshal of the New York St. Patrick's Day Parade is out and about helping his friend Steve Fitzgerald with Rice High School. Mike is highly regarded for his work with non profit organizations, has chaired the last three Rice Golf Outings and stays involved with the school throughout the year. Steve was recently awarded the Knights of St. Patrick Community Service Award for his 12 years of volunteer service to the school.

The school currently has a serious financial shortfall as a result of the economy and the cost of maintaining a 110-year-old building. Rice was opened in 1938 by the Irish Christian Brothers. Look, they need your help so I am asking you to do whatever you can and we'd all be most grateful. You can call Steve Fitzgerald at (914) 319-1371.

The Irish Repertory Theatre's re-invention of Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales is adapted and directed by Charlotte Moore, who recently helmed Ernest in Love, The Irish... And How They Got That Way, White Woman Street and a concert version of Brigadoon.

The holiday classic is set to open on December 12th at The Irish Rep (132 West 22nd Street), with performances through January 2nd. The iconic piece, starring both Irish Repertory favorites and Broadway veterans, features both traditional and contemporary Christmas music interwoven within the classic story of the famous snowy Christmas Day in Wales.

Kerry Conte and Ashley Robinson star along with Broadway favorites: Victoria Mallory, Tony-nominee Martin Vidnovic, and Simon Jones. Musical Direction is by John Bell. A Child's Christmas in Wales features costume design by David Toser and lighting design by Mary Jo Dondlinger.

For tickets and information call the Box Office on (212) 727-2737.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan, newly elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will celebrate one of New York's most venerable Christmas traditions - a tradition nearly as old as the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. At noon on December 9th, the 65th Annual Archbishop's Christmas Luncheon will once again deck the halls of the

Waldorf=Astoria Grand Ballroom to benefit women and children of all religions served by the agencies and programs of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.

Anna Murdoch-Mann is the Luncheon's Honorary Chair, novelist Mary Higgins Clark is chair of the event, and Joseph E. Spinnato, president and CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. and former NYC Fire Commissioner, is corporate chair of the event. Rosanna Scotto, co-host of Good Day New York, will serve as mistress of ceremonies.

Catholic Charities, a federation of approximately 90 agencies and programs located throughout the 10 counties of the Archdiocese of New York, helps solve the problems of New Yorkers in need - non-Catholics and Catholics alike, with services that protect and nurture children; resolve family crises; assist the hungry and homeless; support the physically and emotionally challenged; and integrate immigrants and refugees.

Joe Hurley & The Gents will play their annual December concert at Joe's Pub on December 7th from 7-8:30pm!

All advance ticket buyers can enter a drawing to win copies of Keith Richard's new audio book, 'Life' voiced by Johnny Depp, Joe Hurley and Keith. This exclusive giveaway of Keith's 'Life' (a 20 CD box-set) is for advance ticket-buyers only. Other giveaways include the chance to win a signed copy of Hurley's recent literary andmusical project with National Book Award winner Colum McCann, their CD based on his novel 'Let The Great World Spin.' Winners will be announced onstage. Fordham University's Institute of Irish Studies will host the lecture 'The Irish Free State: Postponement or Foundations of an Independent Ireland' presented by Dr. John McCarthy, Professor Emeritus of History at Fordham University and current Executive Council member at 4pm on Wednesday December 8th. For more information, call (718) 817-4634.

Christmas Season at the New York Irish Center continues on Sunday December 12th when Santa Claus will continue his annual tradition of showing up with a small gift for each child! There'll be light snacks, refreshments and fun for the kids! All are most welcome. $10 per family. The center's located at 10-40 Jackson Ave in Long Island City, only one stop from Grand Central on the 7 train. Call (718) 482-0909 or visit www.nyirish.org for more details.

Next week on Thursday, December 9th at Glucksman Ireland House NYU they'll be holding their Airneal na Nollag - an evening of traditional music and song beginning at 7pm. They'll be concluding our Fall event series with a program of music and song to celebrate the holiday season hosted by Senior Irish Language Lecturer Pádraig Ó Cearúill. Join them for Irish-language students in song and musicians performing favorite traditional tunes. Admission is free. In order to ensure a seat, please RSVP to (212) 998-3950 (option 3) or email ireland.house@nyu.edu.

The Irish-Mexican Alliance will be staging an event in support of journalists' rights on December 8th with a concert in New York City to raise funds for the Committee to Protect Journalists, which is raising awareness of the plight of journalists who are being killed, intimidated and forced to seek asylum in the U.S. while reporting on the Narco War across the U.S. border in Mexico.

Along with its serious intent, The Irish-Mexican Alliance promises a raucous night of entertainment, as well as an unprecedented show of cross-cultural solidarity between the Irish and Latino communities.

There will be Celtic and Mexican music, Chicano and Irish poets, Mexican and Irish beer. The event will be held at Klub 45, upstairs at Connelly's Pub (121 W. 45th Street) from 7-11 pm.

Author and journalist Pete Hamill, who has lived in Mexico and written often about his deep bonds with the place, will be among the speakers, and musical acts will include the NY-area bands Celtic Cross, Joe Hurley's Rogues March, Larry Kirwan of Black 47, and Celtic singer/songwriter Ashley Davis. A Tex-Mex band from the borderland of El Paso-Juárez known as Frontera Bugalú (Border Bugalú) is coming all the way from Texas to take part in the evening. There will also be a full mariachi band.

"Certainly, there is a special connection between Irish and Mexican people that is well worth exploring and celebrating," Pete Hamill said. "And the issue of journalists being threatened and killed for doing their job hits at the heart of any functioning democracy."

The Irish-Mexican Alliance honors the spirit of the San Patricio Brigade, a group of mostly Irish Americans who fought on behalf of the Mexican people in the U.S.-Mexico war of 1845-48. Copies of the recent CD San Patricio by the legendary Irish band The Chieftains - a melding of traditional Mexican and Irish musical styles - will be auctioned off at the event, and a message of solidarity from Paddy Moloney, founder of The Chieftains, will be read by the actress Aedin Moloney, Paddy's daughter.

For more information on The Irish-Mexican Alliance visit the IAW&A website and blog page at www.i-am-wa.org. The suggested donation for the event is $30.

See you all next week.