Out & About

What is going on with the New York City's Health Department? They are running around closing places and fining them, and by them I mean Irish bars and restaurants who are getting no breaks at all.

Now, Christine Quinn, the New York City Council Speaker, and Mayor Bloomberg, you must put a stop to this soon as you are putting employers, employees and their families at risk with what you are doing.

First you give an A rating and then you come along and close the restaurant, now what is that about?

Some of these bars and restaurants have been around long before you ever got into office and now you're putting hard working owners out of business... what is the point?

I have been talking to a lot of owners and some of these inspectors have not been fair and it's about time it stops.

I know for a fact that every Irish bar and restaurant in New York City tries to do their best as far as cleanliness goes, but they are not getting a break from your inspectors, so can you please look into it as they are all trying to provide a good quality environment from top to bottom and closing and fining is not the answer. It's help they need.

Why not have a sit down with the owners and the inspectors and let's try come to some understanding as it looks like a shake down and as you know things are hard enough  with the economy as it is.

Okay, time to move on to talk about what is happening around town. On Friday April 22 to May the 2011 New York International Auto Show is at the Jacob Javits Center (on 11th and 12th Avenues between 34th and 40th Streets; the hours are Monday-Saturday 10am-10pm and Sunday from 10am-7pm). For tickets go to autoshowny.com or call (800) 282-3336. I wonder will the health inspectors be there to check the food huh?

I paid a visit to the IBO's Evening Networking event last Wednesday that was held at O'Lunney's Times Square Restaurant (145 45th Street) where the featured speaker was Diarmuid Hogan, Chief Executive of Global Excess Partners, LLP. He gave a great speach to a full house.

I am sure Niall O'Leary the President was happy and of course Sheila Lynott (and boy, can she talk let me tell yea; good on you Sheila).

The IBO will also be hosting a Business Networking Breakfast on Tuesday, April 26 at 8am in Fitzpatrick's Manhattan Hotel (687 Lexington Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets). You do not need to be a member to attend.

The event will feature informal networking first, then everyone talks for a minute about themselves, the featured speaker goes last followed by questions and a business card exchange!

You can RSVP for this event to   info@ibo-ny.com. The featured speaker this time is Robert Ballagh. The cost is $25 for IBO current members who RSVP before 2pm on Monday April 25 and $30 for all others.

The IBO Golf Classic will be held on Thursday May 5, beginning at 11.30am at the Pelham Bay & Split Rock Golf Course. The golf will be followed by a cocktail hour from 7pm, then dinner, with an Open Bar and Award's Ceremony.   

You can register online at www.ibo-ny.com or by contacting one of their committee members:  Sheila Lynott:  (917) 345-977; Martin Dunne:  (917) 224-4096; or  Sean Murphy:  (212) 717-9955... well my job is done.

Many of you will know my Irish friend, the author and humanitarian, Don Mullan, whose book 'Eyewitness Bloody Sunday' is recognized as a primary catalyst for the Bloody Sunday Inquiry which led to the historic apology last June by Prime Minister David Cameron.

The book was also the inspiration behind the Sundance and Berlin Film Festival award-winning movie, 'Bloody Sunday', directed by the Oscar nominated director, Paul Greengrass.

As you are aware, President Obama is going to Ireland next month and will unveil the Fredrick Douglass monument that was created by another of Don's friend,  Andrew Edwards. 

These events will permanently commemorate Frederick Douglass and his impact on the Irish.   

Don has developed  a major project around the great Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave whose first memoir, 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - An American Slave' played a seminal role in ending slavery in this country.

It was first published in 1845, after which he was advised to leave America and spend two years in the Irish and British Isles. 

That same year Frederick Douglass sailed to Ireland and Ireland was to be the first country in the world to publish his Narrative outside the USA.

What many people don't realize is the transformative and very positive role that Ireland played in Douglass's political development.

The great Daniel O'Connell welcomed Fredrick Douglass as a friend and left an indelible mark on his thinking and worldview.

To commemorate the forthcoming visit to Ireland by President Obama, Don has decided to republish an extended edition of Douglass's 1845 Narrative, the first time it has been re-published in Ireland since that historic year.

I've just heard that the Houndstooth Pub is the Citysearch Winner for Best American Food 2010 (520 8th Avenue; (212) 643-0034; kat@houndstoothpub.com). Congratulations boys on your award... any problems from the Health Department?

Jeff Cleary was in town last week down from Albany to tell me all the latest news from New York's State Capitol. On the morning of April 25 at 11am, The Irish American Heritage Museum will be holding a press conference at the Meginniss Building (370 Broadway, in downtown Albany) to announce the new Museum facility. 

This will be a low-key event to make the public aware through the media of the plans.

They are inviting the Mayor, a few State Legislators who are members of the American Irish Legislators Society, a few County and City officials, the building's owners, the architect (Marilyn Kaplan), the General Contractor (Debrino Caulking), and the contractors who will be doing the work.

Now that is great news as it's been on the cards for a while. This is a very worthwhile project and I'm told it will be spectacular and well worth a visit when it is finished. For more information call (518) 783-8286.

See you all next week...