by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Jul 8, 2014 | Cleveland, Event Information, In The News
NEWS RELEASE
FROM: John O’Brien, Jr. (216-647-1144 john@clevelandirish.org)
RE: 32nd Annual Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival
July 18, 19, 20, 2014 Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Berea, OH
Ireland is Calling You … to Cleveland. The 32nd Annual Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival takes place at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea, Ohio July 18, 19 & 20, 2014.
Over 100 singers, dancers and performers on three indoor and five outdoors stages will fill 117 acres, with entertainers from Ireland, Canada and the U.S.
The festival offers a wide range of music from traditional to Celtic rock. Headliners include Ronan Tynan, of the Irish Tenors; Black 47, on the Final Tour; Dervish, celebrating their 25th year as a band of worldwide influence; Damien Dempsey, and The StepCrew, like Riverdance, only faster! Returning favorites include The High Kings, Scythian and original Riverdance fiddler Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul.
Scythian is described as “a pair of classically trained dueling fiddlers, a rhythm guitar and the occasional funky accordion, powered with the driving rhythm of a jazz percussionist. Their high-energy, adrenaline-peddling, interactive brand of music has one goal in mind: to get people on their feet and dancing.”
All-Ireland fiddle champion Eileen Ivers brings her Immigrant Soul Band to the Festival. The New Barleycorn, Brigid’s Cross, Marys Lane, Bernadette Ruddy, Malachi Cush, James Kilbane and Lost State of Franklin will also be there.
Others on stage include Dennis Doyle, Guaranteed Irish, Dermot Henry, Fintan Stanley and The Kilroys.
Presenting the very best of Ireland doesn’t stop with the music. The festival showcases championship dancing and food, pipe bands, and award-winning drama.
New to the Festival this year is Temple Bar & Museum – Modeled after the world famous entertainment district in Dublin city centre, our Temple Bar & Museum has loads of singing, dancing, sessions and carrying on. A story, a song, a bit of the Guinness, a set dance lesson, you’ll find it all in our brand new AIR CONDITIONED Temple Bar & Museum. Paired with the internationally recognized Celtic Heritage Hall, with over 200 exhibits, workshops, step dancing lessons and instrument demonstrations.
There are fourteen breeds of dogs native to Ireland. They will all be at the fest; the popular Dogs Native to Ireland are back. Plus there are over 50 Irish vendors with everything from Aran knits to delicious Irish chocolate. Books by Irish authors are also available.
The Tir Na nOg (Land of Our Youth) children’s area features continuous activities and live performances, T-Shirt painting, inflatables and much more.
Festival proceeds benefit The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Holy Family Home and ten other local and national charities. Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival has donated more than half a million dollars to charities since its inception in 1983.
Festival hours are 5:00 to 11:00 pm Friday; 1 to 11:00 pm Saturday; and 1 to 10:00 pm Sunday. General admission is $12.00. Children under 10 are free.
For additional details see www.clevelandirish.org.
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by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Jun 21, 2014 | Austin, Houston, In The News, Press Releases, Uncategorized
Gavin Glynn is a 4-year-old boy from Greystones, Co.Wicklow, Ireland who needs urgent life saving cancer treatment in Houston, Texas. He was diagnosed with cancer at just 17 months and has battled the illness for almost three years. Little Gavin suffers from Rhabdomyosarcoma, which is a rare cancerous tumour of the pelvic muscles. Tragically, after undergoing numerous treatments and surgery in Dublin’s Our Lady’s Hospital, Gavin’s tumour continues to spread and he has now been given just months to live. Gavin’s last hope is to travel to Texas for the pioneering surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The ground-breaking procedure called HIPEC, which is only available in Texas, is a procedure that involves open surgery to remove any tumors in Gavin’s pelvis. Medics will then insert chemotherapy drugs, heated to 42 degrees, into Gavin’s abdominal region to kill any microscopic cancer cells present. His family are trying desperately to raise the $450,000 that the treatment will cost.John said that “luckily Gavin likes airplanes and can’t wait to take off in a jumbo jet. We need your help to get there, we need your help to save my boy”.
For any further questions or assistance please call 214 535 9465.
For more information or to donate, click here.
by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Jun 6, 2014 | In The News, Press Releases
The Consulate General of Ireland in New York, Irish Network USA, William D. Johnston, Katie McCormick, Michael McDermott, and Ryan Newell will be hosting the Summer gathering of Irish Network Delaware on June 12, 2014, beginning at 5:30, at the offices of Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, Rodney Square, 1000 North King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.Deputy Consul General Peter Ryan said, “Very much looking forward to joining with the Irish Network Delaware for this special event which will bring together friends of Ireland in the historic city of Wilmington. Connections between Ireland and Delaware are deep and vibrant and I have no doubt that over time we will see great growth in business links arising from the work of the Irish Network Delaware.”
Irish Network USA (“IN-USA”), a Delaware charitable nonstock corporation, is the national umbrella organization integrating the Irish Networks that exist in various cities across the United States. It allows members of the networks to connect with their peers and to develop relationships that will foster success in their business, economic, cultural and sports ventures.
IN-DE Member, Katie McCormick said, “Many Delawareans are connected to Ireland historically through their heritage. Among other things, Irish Network USA serves as a way to connect Delawareans to present-day Irish events and causes. I am excited to be among the persons fostering this connection and know that the organization will be warmly received.”
“With renewed efforts to strengthen our chapter in Delaware, Irish Network USA is continuing to make sure the Irish Diaspora has an opportunity to exercise their commitment to Ireland in a tangible way,” Steve Lenox, Co-President, Irish Network USA. “Delaware may be small in geography but the voices of the Irish, Irish Americans and ‘friends’ of Ireland throughout their state are mighty.”
The mission of IN-USA is: to bolster business opportunities and economic development between the United States and Ireland; to support and encourage Irish Arts and Culture through film, literature, theater, dance and language; to encourage and promote the mission and expansion of Irish sports, throughout the United States; to support the efforts of local Irish organizations and associations; to serve as a conduit between newly arrived Irish immigrants and their communities in Member cities and states.
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Photo Attached: L-R. Michael McDermott, Kathleen McCormick, Ryan Newell, and Deputy Consul General, Peter Ryan.
by Steve Lenox | Jun 5, 2014 | Blog, In The News
Over the past several years, from the highest reaches of the Irish government right through to those that we might refer to as the ‘rank and file’ of the Diaspora, great effort has been placed on finding bright spots in an otherwise gloomy view of Ireland’s economic standing and future growth potential.
Many of us know the stats and the one-liners, and recite them as comfortably as we do the ABCs. Ireland ‘punches above its weight’ and ‘Ireland is open for business’ are now common phrases. What PowerPoint presentation is complete without reminding us that Ireland is home to nine of the world’s top ten medical technology companies, ten top ‘born on the internet’ companies, and so forth and so on?
One thing we know for sure is that Ireland continues on the road to recovery. A strategic combination of economic belt tightening, successful messaging, and good old fashioned ‘can do’ seems to have pushed Ireland well ahead of other nations that stood shoulder to shoulder at the precipice of economic disaster. Huge credit for this turnaround also belongs to the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, whose teams continued to do more with less, never lost sight of their objectives and never missed a day of giving 110% towards attracting record levels of inward investment and opening up new markets for indigenous Irish companies.
Perhaps most importantly though, this road to recovery has been largely paved by efforts to engage the Diaspora in a more significant way, seeking their input, inviting them to be a part of Ireland’s resurgence, and encouraging them to connect with their ‘home’ in a more meaningful way.
Since being formally established in 2010, Irish Network USA has been proud to be part of these efforts, and has made giving our members an opportunity to exercise their emotional ties to Ireland in a tangible way, a cornerstone of our mission.
By providing a national framework and support, Irish Network USA and its chapters are able to offer high quality networking opportunities for Irish, Irish-Americans and ‘friends’ of Ireland; increase business opportunities and economic development between the United States and Ireland; connect newly arrived Irish immigrants with their communities in member cities and states, promote Irish Arts and Culture through film, literature, theatre, dance and language, support the promotion of Irish sports such as hurling and Gaelic Football, and complement the efforts of pre-existing Irish organizations and associations in INUSA Member cities.
Prior to the launch of Irish Network USA, these efforts existed within individual ‘IN’ chapters, but now flourish at a national level, with chapters learning and building from each other’s success.
Irish Network USA, through our chapters, has been proud to offer a platform to reach the Diaspora in efforts to continue to strengthen business and cultural links between the United States and the entire island of Ireland. Our efforts to connect our members to Ireland as a whole are most evident in recent partnerships we have developed with government entities such as the Northern Ireland Bureau and Tourism Ireland.
In the years since our formal launch countless artists, companies, academic institutions, non profits and others have worked through the Network’s 19 chapters to develop strong bases of support here in the US.
New York City raised, but very much trained in her art through summers at her Grandmother’s side in Donegal, Tara O’Grady, a singer whose unique sound and stage mastery inspired an impromptu duet with none other than A-list actor Bruce Willis; Dublin filmaker Alex Fegan, Director of “Irish Pub”; Antrim based Randox, a global leader in healthcare diagnostics; and Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, produced at the oldest licensed distillery in Ireland are just a few examples of those that have successfully utilized the Irish Network to further their ambitions while helping tie chapters and members back to Ireland in an intimate way.
And once again in 2014, Irish Network USA, through our chapters in New York City and New Jersey, are proud to be partners in the New York-New Belfast Conference. One of the premier events on the Irish American calendar this conference provides participants from both sides of the Atlantic with unique opportunities to rub shoulders with acclaimed artists, key policymakers, and corporate leaders whose efforts to build bridges between New York and Belfast have paid great dividends in continuing to build unbreakable bonds between two world class cities.
In short, all of these efforts described above, relate to an uptick in efforts among the Irish to use effective networking as a means to build meaningful relationships that lead to increased business opportunities and a greater understanding of how we can all work together to help each other advance our interests. Whether we choose to subscribe to ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’, ‘in unity there is strength’ or any other philosophy, it seems clear that out of this economic downturn the Irish have learned, perhaps more than anything else, that our successes and failures are intrinsically tied together, and that by harnessing the strength of our individual networks for a greater cause much can be achieved.
Our good friend Mairtin O’Muilleoir is perhaps the best example of how the art of networking can be used to tear down walls that have kept us from reaching the heights we aspire to, and even with a year of wearing the prestigious Mayoral Chain for the City of Belfast, has shown us how working together, for each other, can make the difference between simply moving ahead and rocketing to levels previously thought unattainable.
For Irish Network USA this networking happens in a variety of forums- film screenings, happy hours, fundraising galas, etc. The common thread though, and the real key to networking success, is our commitment to making sure our members are meeting face to face. Emails, tweets, and the occasional phone call are all modern conveniences that keep us connected when the miles separate us, and we of course take advantage of our robust social media and web presence to keep members connected, but it is evident that there is no substitute for making direct connections.
As the gavel comes down to open the third annual New York-New Belfast Conference we once again are proud to welcome our friends from near and far, and recommit ourselves to not only using this time to build our own set of contacts and advance our interests, but also to help those that sit on our right and our left during the proceedings build theirs, with the knowledge that together we can achieve anything.
By Steve Lenox • Co-President • Irish Network USA • May 2014
This piece also appeared in the New York-New Belfast Supplement of the Irish Echo.
by Steve Lenox | Jun 5, 2014 | Blog, Chicago, In The News, News
Invited by University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy to deliver the 2014 King Abdullah II Annual Leadership Lecture on May 12, President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins laid out a holistic approach to addressing complex global challenges, emphasizing specifically the interconnectivity of economics, ethics, immigration and the environment.
“Ireland Network Chicago was proud to participate as a Sponsor Partner for this highlight event of the President’s visit to the Midwest” said Seamus Byrne, past President of Ireland Network Chicago and a board member of Irish Network USA. The lecture was hosted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs at The Drake, an historic hotel in downtown Chicago. At a later reception hosted by Consul General Aidan Cronin and attended by over 800 guests from the Chicago Irish community, the President spoke optimistically on the future of Ireland, the momentum of the economic recovery underway, and the critical role played by the Diaspora in that future.
Also attending the reception hosted by the Consulate was Mary McFarland Brooks, IN Minnesota representative to the INUSA Board. “Becoming part of the INUSA Network has offered our members the opportunity to more fully exercise their support for business, cultural and sport initiatives that tie us back to Ireland in a tangible way,” said Brooks. “I was honored to represent IN Minnesota at this special event and look forward to continuing to build valuable relationships with INUSA chapters and members across the country.”
“Irish Network USA is honored to be able to be a part of these events that do so much to keep the Diaspora engaged with Ireland in a meaningful way,” state Steve Lenox, Co-President of Irish Network USA. “President Higgins offered inspiring words during his time in Chicago and is certainly always welcome to come back and visit with members of any one of our 19 chapters!”
by Deirdre Woodbyrne | May 29, 2014 | Blog, In The News
Irish Network USA is proud to have the support of a great company like Randox and look forward to working with them as a platform for their continued growth in the United States. Randox has some great positions available in the US which might be of interest to our members. Click here to find out more.
By Dr. Peter Fitzgerald • Founder & Managing Director of Randox Laboratories • May 2014
As an all-Ireland, world-class biotechnology company, Randox have a great deal to offer to US healthcare. With extensive facilities in Co Antrim and Co Donegal, Randox has expanded over three decades into one of the world’s leading developers and suppliers of diagnostic products and services for healthcare. Our commitment to the US market is evidenced by our 2010 acquisition of a new North American Headquarters in the West Virginia panhandle, close to Washington DC.
Randox is rated within the top 20 diagnostic companies in the world, and last year 350 million patients, or 5% of the world’s population, were diagnosed using our technology. Employing almost 1300 people including over 300 research scientists and engineers, we trade in 145 countries across the world. Working at the cutting edge of science and discovery means innovation is at the heart of Randox, and each year we return around 20 percent of turnover to our research and development activities.
It was this desire to improve diagnostics that saw over a decade of research, and around $330m invested in developing Randox’s patented BioChip Array Technology. This multiplex technology (undertaking multiple tests simultaneously) is transforming how the world performs diagnostics.
But what drives this innovation? Ultimately it is the desire to improve health and save lives.
Our expertise at developing tests for particular biomarkers, help those involved in frontline healthcare identify conditions and diseases faster and with more accuracy. For example 382 million people currently live with diabetes across the world, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles means this figure is predicted to rise by 55% by 2035. Our recently launched Adiponectin test assesses an individual’s risk of developing diabetes, and allows resources and treatment to be focused on those most at risk. Our Heart type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (h-FABP) test greatly improves the management of those at cardiovascular risk, allowing early, preventative action to be taken. Lives are saved as a result.
One of our key business divisions is focussed on laboratory Quality Control, helping to ensure that laboratory results are reliable. The quality of Randox products meant we recently secured a supplier agreement with Novation – the largest health care supply chain, analytics and contracting company in the US, with 100,000 members.
Randox is also one of the leading suppliers of clinical chemistry analysers in the world and we are proud that the accuracy of our RX branded technology means they are trusted by America’s leading research scientists at Ivy League institutions, including both Harvard and Yale universities.
And our expertise in diagnostics means we have been able to diversify beyond healthcare, into the veterinary, research, forensic, and food safety sectors.
For example, in recent years a Russian, Chinese and EU ban on US meat products has caused significant difficulties for US exports, with the US Ambassador to Moscow estimating US losses of between $5-6m per annum from Russia alone. As the only USDA approved supplier of screening technology for the beta-agonist growth promoter Ractopamine, Randox Food Diagnostics technology helps US exporters demonstrate residue-free products and re-access key markets.
Our expertise also means we are at the vanguard of one of the world’s key health challenges, testing for drugs known as ‘legal highs’. By way of example, Randox are the first company in the world to develop a commercially available test for the synthetic cannabinoid ‘Spice’ and this allowed our Toxicology Division to assist the US Army with a widespread study on the use of legal highs by armed service personnel.
These examples of Randox innovation and expertise mean we are growing at pace within the US market. Our revenue increased by 25% last year, and we have grown our number of US-based staff by a similar margin to fuel and sustain this rise.
As an all-Ireland company with firm roots in the US, Randox is proud to be part of the Irish Network USA. Over 40 million people in the U.S. claim Irish ancestry so it is unsurprising to find many have risen to the top of the American biotechnology sector.
This week, I am delighted to join Belfast Lord Mayor Cllr Mairtin O’Muilleor to participate in the prestigious New York – New Belfast event, celebrating the business and cultural links between these two world famous cities. Similarly we appreciate that both the work ethic, and the value Irish-American’s place on education, provides a strong skills pool as Randox seeks to develop in key regions. Randox has excellent career opportunities available right across the United States, from the Atlantic coast to California, from Illinois to Texas.
At Randox our vision is ‘Revolutionising healthcare through improving diagnostics’. We look forward, and with Irish-American talent, to strengthening our presence in the US – improving healthcare and saving lives.
