New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli will host a farewell event for Irish Consul General in New York Helena Nolan on Monday evening, June 2.
DiNapoli will also honor two distinguished labor leaders, Mike McGuire and Eddie Boles.
The event will take place at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute in Manhattan.
Consul General Nolan, a Kilkenny native, is departing New York late in the year for a new diplomatic posting, that of Irish Ambassador to Morocco.
Honoree Mike McGuire is a 45-year member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) and, for 28 years, held the title of political director of the Mason Tender’s District Council of Greater New York and Long Island, an umbrella organization of five local unions of the Laborers’ International Union of North America. He is currently consulting for various entities on worker safety, workers’ rights and job creation issues.
According to the Comptroller's office release, "These local unions represent 15,000 men and women employed as construction laborers; mason tenders; plasterer tenders; demolition workers; asbestos, lead and hazardous waste laborers; recycling plant workers and Catholic high school teachers. Before going to work in the office, he spent sixteen years as a member of Laborers' Local 33, well known as "the Irish Local” of the Laborers in New York City.
"Mike is the son of two Irish immigrants, from Kerry and Longford, who were both fortunate enough to be union members. He credits everything he has on a good work ethic bestowed upon him by his parents, having a union book in his pocket, and seeing life through his parent’s Irish emigree experience. This is evidenced by the fact that most of the legislation he has authored is geared at protecting vulnerable immigrant workers.
"Over the years Mike has, at various times, served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center; and the governing board of the CUNY Institute for American-Irish Studies. He has also served as the State Treasurer of the Working Families Party; has been an elected Delegate to the Democratic National Convention; and currently sits as a member of the World Trade Center Health Program Responders Steering Committee and as a member of Citizens for the Extension of the Zadroga Act."
Again, according to the Comptroller's office "Edward (Eddie) P. Boles was appointed to the FDNY on May 9, 1993 and was promoted to Battalion Chief in the FDNY in April of 2019. Chief Boles is currently assigned to the 17 Battalion in the South Bronx and is the former company commander of Ladder 59 (The Blue Devils) in the Bronx and a member of the FDNY Ceremonial Unit. Eddie started his career as a firefighter in Engine 36 and Ladder 34, a Lieutenant in Ladder 55 and the Treasurer/ Lieutenant’s Representative on the Executive Board of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA), Local# 854, I.A.F.F for eight years. While serving on the UFOA Board, Eddie was also the UFOA’s Legislative Committee Chair, the Family Protection Plan Benefits Committee Chair and the District Vice President of the NYS Professional Firefighters.
"Eddie Boles is a first generation Irish-American born in Woodside, Queens. His mother, Kathleen (nee McGee) is from Fintown, Co. Donegal and his father, Christopher Boles is from Geevagh, Co. Sligo. A product of Catholic Education, Eddie graduated from St. Sebastian’s in Woodside and St. Francis Prep High School before earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Education from SUNY Cortland. He later attended Graduate School at Hunter College and Brooklyn College studying for an M.A. in Community Health. Before entering the FDNY, Eddie taught Health and Physical Education at Humanities High School in Manhattan for six years. He was also an Adjunct Lecturer at the Borough of Manhattan Community College for twelve years until he was elected to the UFOA Executive Board in 2005. In 2011, Eddie completed the prestigious Harvard Trade Union Program at Harvard Law School after receiving a scholarship from the International Association of Firefighters (one of two scholarship winners awarded annually).
"As an enthusiast of his Irish heritage and culture, Eddie is an active participant in many organizations in the Irish-American community that include: serving as a Vice President for the New York Friends of Ireland; Executive Board Vice Chair and President for the Emerald Isle Immigration Center; Executive Committee member of the County Sligo Association; and a member of the FDNY Gaelic Football Club, FDNY Rugby Club, FDNY Emerald Society, FDNY Holy Name Society, the James Connolly Irish-American Labor Coalition, the Irish Arts Center, and a band member of Celtic Blend. Retired from Gaelic Football and Rugby after playing for nearly four decades, Eddie is instrumental in helping to raise money for the Burn Center Foundations in New York, Dublin, and Belfast through Gaelic Football charity matches against the Dublin Fire Brigade and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. Additionally, Eddie has been involved in many community and charity events throughout the years and has always advocated the importance of giving back to those most in need.
"In 2007, Eddie received the Captain Timothy Stackpole Memorial Award at the Great Irish Fair in Coney Island, which was named for the Brooklyn hero firefighter who lost his life on 9/11. This award was in recognition for Eddie’s service and dedication to the citizens of New York City. He was also honored by the County Sligo Association in 2008 as their Guest of Honor; he was a 2011 Irish Echo Labor 50 honoree; he was the 2013 Man of the Year for the FDNY Holy Name Society; he was the 2014 Deputy Grand Marshal for the Queens St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Rockaway; an Irish Echo First Responder award recipient in 2014; a recipient of the Detective Barney Ferguson Emerald Legacy Award in 2017; the 2018 FDNY Emerald Society Man of the Year; the 2020 Grand Council of Emerald Societies Irishman of the Year and their Aide to the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal; the 2021 and 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Honor Guard representing the FDNY; the 2022 Willie Joe Cunningham Memorial Award for the County Donegal Association of New York; and the 2025 Irish-American Labor Coalition
"Eddie is happily married for thirty-five years to his college sweetheart Trish (nee Carroll) from Windsor Terrace in Brooklyn and they are blessed with four wonderful adult children: Conor, Micaela, Ceili, and Brendan."
Anyone interested in attending this farewell to CG Nolan and salute to Chief Boles and Mike McGuire can register online.
