by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Sep 30, 2014 | All Chapters, In The News, News, Press Releases, Uncategorized
Irish Network USA would like to add our voice to the chorus of congratulations on the swearing in of Kevin F. O’Malley to serve as the US Ambassador to Ireland.
Mr. O’Malley embodies the very best traits of so many Irish Americans that still instinctively refer to Ireland as ‘home’. His willingness to listen to all sides, combined with an ability to make an informed and definitive decision, will serve him well in Dublin. With his appointment and swearing in, Ambassador O’Malley joins a long line of top notch diplomats that have served in this prestigious post, and there is no doubt that he will bring the same honor to it, and to the US, as those before him.
We look forward to working with Ambassador O’Malley throughout his time in Dublin to further strengthen the already unbreakable bonds, in business, culture, education or sport, that already tie our two great nations together.
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 | May 19, 2014 | Blog, In The News, Uncategorized
Irish Network USA is proud to once again play a key role in the now annual New York-New Belfast Conference which will take place this year on May 29-30 at Fordham University in New York City. A special 30% discount off the regular registration rate is available to all members of Irish Network USA, click here for more information.
Once again, Steve Lenox, Co-President of Irish Network USA, will serve along with Andrea Haughian of Invest NI and Paul McErlean, Managine Director of MCE Public Relations in Belfast as Conference Moderators. Additionally, Deirdre Woodbyrne, Executive Director of Irish Network USA, will help lead a panel discussion on using networking to engage the Diaspora.
Conference Organizer, and long time friend of Irish Network USA, Mairtin O’Muilleoir, offered his thoughts on the importance of this conference:
“The New York-New Belfast Conference is the largest annual business gathering celebrating and cementing links between the great cities of Belfast and New York. It is the pre-eminent initiative by any community in Ireland to link into Irish America.
The conference was born from the desire of Irish America to build the peace in Belfast with partnerships of commerce, culture and community.
The venue for the summit which attracts between 150-200 leaders from both cities and showcases exciting developments, is Fordham University Lincoln Campus, New York City.
Previous contributors have included architect Daniel Libeskind, NI Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, Congressman Richie Neal, head of Friends of Ireland on Capitol Hill, Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Chair Ireland Funds, author Peter Hamill, US Economic Envoy Declan Kelly and Speaker of New York City Council Christine Quinn.
The conference ranges over an opening evening and full day of exciting events, discussions, debates and presentations, including a luncheon honoring 50 companies with operations in the US and Ireland, a reception at the residence of the Ambassador of Ireland in New York, and the presentation of the Irish American of the Year Award. While the first evening focuses on culture and arts, the day-long plenary concentrates on business linkages between both cities.
The 2014 conference will take place on 29-30 May where speakers will include NI Minister for Justice David Ford, New York State Representatives Brian Kavanagh, Alex Brook-Krasny, Mike Cusick and Mike Fitzpatrick, Andrea Haughian of Invest NI and Alison Metcalfe of Tourism Ireland.
We invite you to come rub shoulders with leading representatives of companies with strong operations in both the US and Ireland: HBO, Citi, NYSE, Aer Lingus, Tourism Ireland, Invest NI, KPMG, Broadway.com, Squire Sanders Dempsey, Bombardier, First Derivatives, Almac, Randox, Concentrix, Magners, UNITED, and Moet-Hennessy, to name just a few.”
To register, go to www.irishecho.com/nynb
by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Apr 30, 2014 | In The News, New Orleans, Press Releases, Uncategorized
Two Local High School Students to Attend University College Dublin High School Summer Program
New Orleans, LA– Irish Network New Orleans (IN-NOLA), a chapter of Irish Network USA (INUSA), announced recently that local high school students Helene Lovette and Holly Smith were this year’s winners of IN-NOLA’s annual scholarship contest. Selected from more than 20 applicants, Helene and and Holly will now have the opportunity to attend University College Dublin’s (UCD) High School Summer Program free of charge. Funds for the scholarship were raised by IN-NOLA members through membership funds and various events held throughout the year. The scholarship includes full tuition, travel and accommodation.
“We are so proud to be able to offer these two outstanding young students an opportunity to travel to and study in Ireland as part of this exclusive program this summer,” stated Adrian D’Arcy, President, Irish Network New Orleans. “Since launching Irish Network New Orleans in 2011 it has been our mission to strengthen the connections between the City we have chosen to live in and raise families with the place that we all will always call ‘home’. We believe in using the power of education to help accomplish this and are grateful to all who participated in its success.”
Dr. Laura Kelley, Chair of the Scholarship Committee, commended all of the students that participated in this year’s contest and noted that “the ability of Helene and Holly to so eloquently connect the events surrounding the Irish Famine and the much more recent and local disaster of Hurricane Katrina with the strength of community really moved the scholarship committee. We look forward to hearing how their experience in Dublin this summer shapes their outlook on the communities around them.”
This year’s scholarship contest was opened up to high school juniors from throughout New Orleans with applications coming from a diverse range of students. In response to the City of New Orleans being selected by the Irish Government to host the 2014 International Famine Commemoration applicants were given the theme “The Great Famine and Hurricane Katrina, How Disaster Defines Us” and asked to consider the similarities and differences between these two events, consider the survival strategies employed by these communities and to consider how these disasters defined both places. Essays had to be 500 to 1000 words in length.
“Through this contest and scholarship award made possible by an all-volunteer organization, Irish Network New Orleans is showing that they are part of the very best the Irish Diaspora has to offer,” stated Deirdre Woodbyrne, Executive Director, Irish Network USA. “As we look forward towards out first annual conference later this year, and the launch of our 18th and 19th chapters, we use what IN-NOLA has done as a guide to the sort of impact our chapters can make in their local communities as well back home.”
Irish Network USA is the national umbrella organization integrating the Irish networks that exist in various cities across the United States. Currently, Irish Network chapters can be found in Seattle, Bay Area (California), San Diego, Nevada, Phoenix, Colorado, Austin, New Orleans, Chicago, Minnesota, Cleveland, Washington DC, Delaware, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City, Delaware and Boston. An 18th and 19th chapter will be launched later this year in Buffalo, NY and Houston, TX.
About the winners:
Helene Lovett:
Helene attends Lusher Charter School. She loves creative writing and science and is interested in establishing cross-cultural connections with teens from different backgrounds. She makes these connections locally with through art by serving on a board of high schoolers to create arts opportunities for a diverse group of New Orleans teens, and internationally by skyping Jordanian students about cultural perspectives on climate change. She can’t wait to learn about Irish culture this summer!
Click here to read Helene’s Essay.
Holly Smith:
Holly is a junior at Metairie Park Country Day School. She runs cross country, track, and plays a little bit of soccer. Holly is the editor of the school magazine, Eh, La-Bas!, an inductee of Country Day’s first National Honor Society Chapter, and has participated in two of Country Day’s exchange programs: one to Paris, France and the other to Cape Town and Bulungula, South Africa. Over the summer Holly has worked at Mr. Fish Swim School where she teaches young children swimming. Holly’s interests include reading, movies, and hanging out with her friends.
Click here to read Holly’s Essay.
Click here to learn more about UCD’s program.
Contact:
Adrian D’Arcy
(504) 701-8466
Deirdre Woodbyrne
(201) 669-0720
