COUNTY LAOIS ASSOCIATION, NEW YORK
A Happy and Hearty St. Patrick’s Day to all our Members and Friends for the 251st Parade, March 17th 2012
Line of March:
County Laois will assemble at 2:40pm on Saturday, March 17th at our usual location outside 48 West 48th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues. We follow Co. Meath and are ahead of Co. Wicklow.
Laois Grand Marshal 2012:
We are delighted that Tom Lawlor, a distinguished past President of the Laois Association (NY) (1967 - 1985) as well as serving briefly as Chairman of the Laois GAA Club (NY), has accepted the honor of being this year's Co. Laois Grand Marshal to lead us up Fifth Avenue. Tom, who now resides with his wife Brigid (formerly Kennedy and a nurse also from Laois), in Abbeyleix Co. Laois, returned to Ireland in 1985 where he purchased and worked a farm until his recent retirement. Tom's story is an inspiring one. Born and raised in the Shanahoe area of Abbeyleix, he emigrated to New York soon after graduating from High School. On completing service with the army's 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, Tom joined the NYPD for the next twenty years before retiring in 1985 with the rank of Detective. In the meantime he also graduated from NYIT with a degree in Criminal Justice. Tom and Brigid's two children have followed all of their parents drive: Daughter Sheila is a Trinity College Law graduate who works in Dublin, and son Garrett is a UCD Medical school graduate who is now an Assistant Professor of Medicine at SUNY Downstate. Tom will receive the Laois Grand Marshal sash from Hugh McEvoy, last year's Grand Marshal, at the beginning of the Parade for the duration of the 2012 season. Congratulations Tom.
Scholarships:
The St. Patrick's Day Committee awards scholarships to High School and College students each year. For rules and application forms go to www.NYCStPatricksParade.org and click on "Scholarship" (lower right). The deadline is April 2, 2012.
Dress Code:
Once again Parade Chairman John Dunleavy requests that all marchers observe the appropriate dress code. That is, as he puts it, "our Sunday Best" with zero tolerance for sneakers or jeans.
More details on the Parade
(1) Saint Patrick's Day Parade official website: www.nycstpatricksparade.org.
(2) Also see the Co. Laois Association Blog site link: www.nylaoisassociation.com for updates and last year's photo gallery.
Contacts: Mike Dunphy, phone (732) 292-0277, e-mail: mike.dunphy@att.net.
Larry McEvoy, phone (917)833-3218, e-mail: lmcevoy@aol.com.
Please see over page:
Extra News:
Bill McEvoy, who is now in his 90th year, will once again join us on the parade. Is Bill the oldest marcher in the parade? Bill, a founding member and leading spirit of Ceoltas Ceoiltori na hEireann, will return to Long Island after the Parade to ring out the day’s festivities by playing in his band at two separate functions before calling it a day. Bravo Bill.
Laois Association member and Irish novelist Tom Phelan will be at the King's Lynn Fiction Festival in Norfolk, England, the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day talking about his latest novel, Nailer ,which targets decades of abuse of Ireland’s most vulnerable citizens. The novel is available at www.tomphelan.net and amazon .com among others. Books Ireland calls Nailer "a hard-hitting thriller," and the Leinster Express says it's "a compelling story." On Thursday, 29 March, at 9:30 a.m., Tom will speak about Nailer and read selections from it at the Hofstra University Irish Studies Program, Davison Hall (south campus), room 104. Many of his books are now available as e-books on the Kindle.
While the Association has its blog site (see over page) put together by Stephanie and Cormac McEvoy, we would like to have a web site again and thus would greatly appreciate it if anybody can help with their expertise.
The Lawlors are one of the "Seven Septs" or Clans of Laois and their web site is : www.oleathlobhair.com.
President Mike Dunphy has a limited number of Grand Stand tickets available if anybody is interested. He can be contacted at 732-292-0277.
Looking forward to seeing everyone on the Parade
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
