Flanagan for U.S. 1916 commemorative launch

Pier A is the venue for Thursday evening’s gathering

By Irish Echo Staff

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, will be in New York this week to launch the Irish government’s “2016 Commemorative Year in the U.S.”

Flanagan will be in the city from Wednesday to Friday for a series of engagements related to the 1916 centenary year.

On Thursday, January 7, there will be two launch events.

On Thursday morning, the minister, together with Ireland’s Ambassador to the U.S., Anne Anderson, will lead a media launch of the U.S. National Program, one which has the planned Kennedy Center festival in D.C. as its centerpiece.

Sign up to The Irish Echo Newsletter

Sign up today to get daily, up-to-date news and views from Irish America.

This launch will take place at the Irish Consulate.

On Thursday evening the minister will join what a release describes as “a celebration at Pier A to mark the beginning of 2016 in the New York Metropolitan Area.”

Those attending the invitation only event will be representatives of the Irish community in New York, New Jersey, Southern Connecticut and Philadelphia.

Pier A is a historic landmark which looks out on the Statue of Liberty and was built by the first Irish mayor of New York, W.R. Grace. In the late 19th century, it was the place of first arrival of immigrants coming from Ellis Island, including many thousands of Irish.

Businessman Danny McDonald, who is from Laois, restored Pier A in recent years and it opened in 2014 as a restaurant and venue.

As part of the Pier A event, Minister Flanagan will launch the “Greater New York Region 2016 Commemorative Program of seventy plus events in the coming months with Professor Maureen Murphy of Hofstra University, who chaired the committee behind the program.

Earlier that day, New York City Council Speaker, Melissa Mark Viverito, will host a reception for Minister Flanagan at City Hall. The reception will be co-hosted by Council Member Danny Dromm and the other Irish American members of the council.

On Friday morning, the minister will address the monthly "First Friday" community networking breakfast at the Irish Consulate on Park Avenue.

Later that day, the minister will have an exchange with Irish American community leaders over lunch, and will meet with a group from Digital Irish to talk about their work to support early-stage Irish companies and entrepreneurs in New York.

Minister Flanagan will return to Ireland on Friday evening.

 

Donate