The Irish Business Organization of New York (IBO) will bestow the 2025 Sean McNeill Award at its Annual Summer Party on Monday, June 23, starting at 6 p.m. at Tara Mór, 150 West 30th Street in Manhattan.
This year’s event, according to an IBO release, celebrates Consul General of Ireland in New York, Helena Nolan, and Deputy Consul General Gareth Hargadon, as they complete their distinguished service in New York and embark on their next assignments.
Both Helena and Gareth will be honored with the Sean McNeill Award in recognition for their extraordinary generosity, commitment to community, and unwavering dedication to diversity and inclusion — hallmarks of the late Sean McNeill’s legacy.
“Helena and Gareth have been remarkable ambassadors of the Irish spirit in New York,” said IBO President Janet Walsh.
“Their thoughtful, energetic leadership has inspired and enriched our community, forging deep and lasting bonds.”
According to the release guests can look forward to an evening filled with delicious food and drink in The Mezzanine, live music by Murphy’s Lawyer, and a silent auction featuring exciting items and experiences. Attendees must register in advance at ibonewyork.org/event-6203805.
Added the release: "Helena and Gareth will conclude their roles at the Consulate General of Ireland in New York this August, after which Helena will take up her new post as Ambassador to Morocco, Tunisia, and Mauritania, while Gareth will return to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin.
"Named for the late Sean McNeill — a three-term IBO President whose legacy of generosity, community-building, and inclusion lives on — the Sean McNeill Award recognizes individuals who inspire positive values and embody the IBO’s mission to 'Network, Communicate, Reciprocate.' First presented in 2019, past honorees include Siobhán Dennehy, Paul Finnegan, Ted Smyth, Turlough McConnell, Tami Ellen McLaughlin, and Hilary Beirne.
"The Irish Business Organization of New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nondenominational, and nonpartisan association that seeks to promote, foster, and advance the business interests of Irish and Irish American people. Founded in 1973, the IBO of NY has created vibrant networks across the tri-state area and globally, supporting, guiding, and enlightening waves of Irish and Irish American business leaders."
