Parade 2015 Press Release

NEW YORK LAOIS ASSOCIATION

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Tuesday, March 17, 2015



New Assembly Time  The Laois Association will assemble this year at its usual location on West 48th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, but at a new time, 3:20pm.  We will march after Co. Meath and ahead of Co. Kildare. The later assembly time this year is to more accurately reflect the actual starting time of our unit, thus avoiding long periods of waiting before marching.

Laois Association Blog

Please see our Laois Blog at www.nylaoisassociation.com, which includes updates and photo galleries from previous years’ parades. We are hoping to develop a regular website in the near future.

Laois Grand Marshal

Congratulations to Vincent Simpson on becoming Laois’s 2015 Grand Marshal. For years, Vincent marched up Fifth Avenue with his mother, Peggy Drennan, who emigrated from Oldtown, Cullohill, Co. Laois.  Peggy inspired Vincent’s longtime love of traditional Irish music and dance, which explains his frequent attendance at Irish ceilis. The oldest of seven children, Vincent developed a deep appreciation for his Irish heritage and culture and says he proudly marches on St. Patrick’s Day with the spirit of his mom and all those who went before him. Up Laois! Pursuing his Laois heritage, Vincent has taken his daughter, Aisling, to visit Ireland and his mom's farm in Oldtown. He still cherishes the fond memories of his mom’s last trip to New York in 2007.  Vincent is currently an operating engineer in Times Square, and his three brothers are active or retired members of the New York City Fire Department. We are proud that Vincent will lead us up Fifth Avenue on St. Patrick’s Day.

Parade Controversy

We are pleased that the Parade Committee has taken the first step this year in moving forward to resolve the ongoing controversy over inclusion and getting everyone on board.

Dress Code

As usual, the Parade Committee has strongly urged each organization to adhere to the following dress code: “Sunday best” dress. “No sneakers, jeans or inappropriate attire.” The Committee would appreciate our cooperation.

Irish Foreign Minister Charles Flanagan

Our sincere congratulations to Laoisman Charles Flanagan on his appointment as Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Minister Flanagan is the son of O. J. Flanagan, TD, who represented Laois for many years and consistently topped the polls in Ireland. We are proud that Charles Flanagan marched
with our Laois Association a number of years ago when he was a TD for Laois. Our association posted congratulatory notices to him in both the Leinster Express and the Nationalist on the occasion of his appointment.

Bill McEvoy

Our senior Laois Association member, Bill McEvoy,  Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann founder in the US and Canada, and his wife Lily celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in February with Bill playing in his own band at the reception. Congratulations to Lily and Bill!  Bill, at 92 and possibly the oldest man marching in the parade, says he will join us once again on Fifth Avenue this year. He enjoys writing, playing in his band, traveling and, of course, his nine children, 25 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Tom Phelan

Congrats to Mountmellick native Tom Phelan on his sixth novel, Lies the Mushroom Pickers Told, which was published a month ago in New York by Arcade Publishing. Part human comedy and part mystery, Lies the Mushroom Pickers Told is a story about what holds a village together and what keeps people apart. Great reviews and it is available in bookstores and with Tom’s other books on amazon.com. It is also available as an eBook and in an audio version.  For information, see
www.tomphelan.net and www.facebook.com/tomphelannovels. Tom’s wife, Patricia Phelan, who is marching with Laois again this year, is serving aseditor of the award-winning Newsletter of the Irish Family History Forum (www.ifhf.org) and works as a professional genealogist specializing in Irish and U.S. family research.
She can be contacted at glanvil3@aol.com.

Mike Dunphy, President, (732) 292-0277, mike.dunphy@att.net

Larry McEvoy, Vice President, (917) 833-3218, larrymcevoy2@gmail.com

Please send us your email address to facilitate faster correspondence.

SEE YOU ON THE AVENUE

Parade 2014 Press Release

NEW YORK COUNTY LAOIS ASSOCIATION Happy St. Patrick’s Day Monday March 17, 2014 Good News: Early Formation this year. Laois has been moved up to the Honor Unit in the Parade with an early assembly time and place. • New Assembly Time: 12:15pm • New Place: Between No.1 and No. 60 on West 45th Street, and between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Laois Grand Marshal: We are happy to announce that Kevin Dunphy is the 2014 Laois Grand Marshal. Kevin, the son of Mike and Fran Dunphy, has marched with Laois for 31 years and has helped with the banner and flags many times. He loves his Irish roots and has frequently visited family in Ireland over the years. While at Boston College, Kevin spent a semester at University College Dublin. He also greatly enjoyed his trip to the first Dunphy Clan Gathering in 2012 where he socialized with over a hundred of his relatives. Kevin graduated with a BS in Finance from Boston College, and is currently Director of Distressed Debt Sales for Bank of America. Laois Visitor: Laois Councillor John Bonham from Durrow will travel to the U.S. to join us on 5th Avenue this year. He is Chairman of the Midland Regional Authority which covers Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath. The Authority adopts and implements Regional Planning Guidelines, has a key role in coordinating public services in the region, and secures and manages EU funding initiatives as well as participates in EU policy development. Dress Code: Dress code is of great importance this year since we will be marching early and thus will be part of the TV coverage. The Parade Committee has strongly urged each organization to adhere to the following rules: Business dress required. No sneakers, jeans or inappropriate dress such as weird hats. Please cooperate. Bill McEvoy: Our senior Laois member Bill McEvoy and Ceoltas Ceoltori na hEireann founder in the US and Canada celebrated his 64th Wedding Anniversary with his wife Lily this February. Congratulations to both of you. Bill at 91 years will join us again on the parade this year. He enjoys writing, playing in his band, traveling and, of course, his 9 children, 25 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He is also busy at present preparing for the forthcoming Ceoltas Convention this April. Tom Phelan: Originally released in Dublin, Tom’s novel, The Canal Bridge, a story of Ireland, love, and the First World War, will be published in the U.S. on April 1 by Arcade Publishing. It will be available in bookstores and online -- as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. Tom’s novels are all available for Kindle as well as in print. His next novel, Lies the Mushroom Pickers Told, will be published in 2015. He has recently written a series of memoir pieces for the Irish Echo and will be speaking at a number of venues in April including the Irish American Artists and Writers Salon, 338 W. 23rd St., between 8th and 9th Aves., NYC on Tuesday, 15 April at 7 p.m. Please see also www.tomphelan.net and www.facebook.com/tomphelannovels. Cormac McEvoy: Congratulations to Cormac on his illustrations for the new children’s book, “Basil Meets the King of Prussia”, which is now available on Amazon.com. Scholarships: The St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee conducts an annual scholarship contest for high school and college students. Scholarship application forms and rules can be found on their website at www.nycstpatricksparade.org Please click on "Scholarship" (at top of page) to receive the relevant forms and instructions. Entries should be postmarked no later than April 1, 2014. Web and Blog sites: • Laois Blog site: www.nylaoisassociation.com includes photo galleries from previous years. • Official website of NYC Saint Patrick’s Day Parade: www.nycstpatricksparade.org. Contacts: • Mike Dunphy, President, (732) 292-0277, mike.dunphy@att.net. • Larry McEvoy, Vice President, (917)833-3218, larrymcevoy2@gmail.com SEE YOU ON THE AVENUE ... LE CHONAIGH DE