Out & About

The Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) is now gearing up to present 'Molly Sweeney' by Brian Friel.

This production will be played on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage from January 19 - March 13. You can buy tickets now!

Brian Friel, Ireland's master storyteller (Dancing at Lughnasa, Translations, Philadelphia, Here I Come) has devised a riveting contemporary drama about the terrible consequences of a medical miracle.

Molly has sat in happy, capable, independent darkness since she was ten months old.

When her husband, a restless, unemployed enthusiast makes her blindness his latest cause, he consults a once famous star surgeon who, despite being half drowned in Irish whiskey agrees to attempt to restore Molly's sight.

When the bandages come off, remarkable revelations ensue. The privacy of blindness is assaulted. Can one "learn to see"? Or will the shock of realization overwhelm a beautiful woman who has never seen her face!

Friel's fascinating journey plunges deeply into the secrets and hearts of three extraordinary characters who lower the veil and allow us into their very private lives.

For tickets go to www.irishrep.org or call (212) 727-2737.

It is with a great deal of sadness that we share the unfortunate and sudden passing of Sarah Jones.

A long time member and dear friend of the IBO, Sarah was a generous supporter of all things Irish and has been referred to by friends as 'The Proudest Dubliner' they have ever met.

Funeral services were held last Saturday, January 8 at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Forest Hills.

The Annual Derry 14 Mass remembering those who were murdered on Bloody Sunday will be held on Sunday, January 16, 3pm at AOH Div. 2 Hall (on Locust Avenue, Babylon, just north of LIRR sta.)

This will be the first Mass since the Saville Inquiry declared what we all knew. The victims were innocent. Please try and attend.

The next Irish Business Organization's Evening Networking Event will be held on Wednesday, January 12 at 6:30pm in NYU Glucksman-Ireland House (1 Washington Mews (5th Avenue)).

Join them for a great evening of business networking. The featured speaker for this event is Loretta Brennan Glucksman. Please RSVP to irishbusinessorganization@gmail.com.

What a surprise it was for the Corresponding Secretary Hilary Beirne of the Saint Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday when a lot of his friends turned up for his 50th Birthday Party. Happy Birthday from all the staff of The Irish Examiner newspaper!

The New York St. Patrick's Day Parade Book launched at the Irish consulate last week and drew all the top names in the Irish-American community, who joined Consul General Noel Kilkenny and his wife, Honora Kilkenny, at the book launch and celebration of the annual New York St. Patrick's Day Parade.

This year's parade is especially noteworthy as New York City honors the 250th Anniversary of its St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The first parade was held on March 17, 1762, fourteen years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Present to launch Quinnipiac University Press' Celebrating 250 Years of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade, were noted novelist Mary Higgins Clark (the 2011 Grand Marshal), author-historian John T. Ridge and editor Lynn Mosher Bushnell.

Other notable New Yorkers attending included Cardinal Edward Egan, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Major Jim Gonyo, Commanding Officer of the 69th 'Fighting Irish' Regiment, Loretta Brennan Glucksman (Chairman of the American Ireland Fund), Frank Comerford (President of WNBC), Judge John Collins, Gerard McKeon of Black-Tie Magazine, model Kelsie McKenna, Andres Aquino (Producer of Couture Fashion Week), Entertainer Andy Cooney, John T. Dunleavy (Chairman of the New York St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee) and its Executive Secretary, Hilary Beirne.

"Recognizing the 250th Anniversary of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade is a momentous occasion worthy of great joy and celebration," said Mr. Dunleavy. "By publishing this signature book along with Quinnipiac University Press, we strive to preserve the history of the parade and the memory of all the wonderful years for future generations to enjoy and remember."

Mary Higgins Clark added, "To be invited as Grand Marshal to lead the parade in such a significant year as 2011 is a very high accolade and one that I will deeply appreciate forever.

"This is a book that is sure to be treasured by your family for generations to come. Now you can enjoy this wonderful keepsake of all those memorable parades through the decades."

Celebrating 250 Years of the New York St. Patrick's Day Parade is a full-color hardcover edition, 144 pages, lavishly illustrated history of the legendary New York City event, the oldest (and biggest) parade of its kind in America.

Published by Quinnipiac University Press, the book retails at $49.95, and is available now at www.250yearsparadebook.com.

The National Arts Club and Fallen Angel Theatre will be presenting the Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement in Music to the great Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains on Thursday, January 27 at a special dinner at 15 Gramercy Park South in New York City. For more information on tickets go to www.nationalartsclub.org or call (212) 475-3424.

We are told that Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson, Michael Flatley, Sting, Malachy McCourt, Colum McCann, Bill Whelan, Pete Hamill together with the Consul General of Ireland Noel Kilkenny will attend and your host for the night is Aedin Moloney... I wonder who she is, huh?

As you can see from my last Out&Abouts I have not been visiting a lot of establishments as I normally do as it has been very busy preparing the Winter edition of our sister publication the Irish Connections magazine so just to let you know I did make a New Year resolution to bring you more gossip in the future.

See you all next week.