Irish American maritime leaders were the toast of Club 101 on Park Avenue last Thursday at the first Irish Echo Maritime Awards.
Among honorees were Bethann Rooney, Director Port of New York and New Jersey and Rich Davey, CEO of Massport.
Among event highlights was a salute to the Catalpa Rescue on the 150th anniversary — to the day — of the daring breakout of six Fenian prisoners from Freemantle Prison in Australia in an audacious plot involving a whaling ship which sailed from New Bedford, MA.
VIP Guest Sean O'Brien, President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and a director of Massport — the agency which oversees the port of Boston and Logan Airport — addressed the full house at Club 101 powerfully on the need for more transatlantic cooperation between "two great countries, Ireland and America". COOPERATION: Teamsters' Leader Sean O'Brien addressing the Irish Maritime Awards. Pic: Fred Nye.
In her acceptance speech as Maritime Leader of the Year, Bethann Rooney said she was honored to be the recipient of an award "that celebrates two things the Irish know very well: heritage and water".
"After all," she said, "if history teaches us anything, it’s that the Irish have always been near the sea—either sailing across it, working on it, or standing beside it talking about the weather."
The Port Director added: "The story of the Irish people is, in many ways, a story of discipline, endurance and teamwork. Countless men and women crossed oceans in search of opportunity, carrying with them little more than hope, faith, determination, and a deep love of family and community. Their strength helped build not only new lives, but new nations."
The SUNY Maritime College alumna said her ambition to become a sea captain was torpedoed by an eyesight problem.
"But like many Irish stories, what seemed like a setback turned into a different kind of journey. My career took me through many ports, operations, facility management, crises, and moments in history I never could have imagined. I happened to be at the World Trade Center during the 1993 bombing interviewing to join the Port Authority. I worked through the aftermath of September 11th. I helped build systems that kept our port running through blackouts, hurricanes, and then a global pandemic." FENIAN ESCAPE: A replica of the Stars & Stripes flown from the Catalpa was unfurled by Mayor Jon Mitchell of New Bedford, MA, Gov. Martin O'Malley and famed Irish sailor Enda O'Coineen. Pic: Fred Nye
Now managing one of the biggest ports in the world, Rooney said she was buoyed by the knowledge that her Irish forebears had also worked the waterways of Ireland. "No matter how big the port is, no matter how complex the system is, no matter how many containers are stacked up—it always comes back to people," she added. "And to connection. And to home. I accept this award not just on my own behalf, but on behalf of everyone I’ve had the privilege to work with—and on behalf of the generations who came before us, who crossed oceans not for awards, but for opportunity."
A full list of the 2026 honorees can be seen on our event web page. The Irish Maritime Awards were supported by lead sponsors Red Hook Terminals and Atlantic Salt with additional backing coming from APM Terminals, Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors Association, O'Donnell & Associates, MTC Transportation, Doyle Security Services and ILA Local #1235.
