Almost every language has a word for “goodbye,” but none were uttered by the gathering of 18 friends that took place in Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant on East 47th Street on a beautiful July 20 evening. The prospect of having a unique, multi-talented and highly valued member of New York’s Irish community leaving, returning to her beloved County Mayo after 68 years, was to step onto an emotional roller-coaster nobody wanted to experience until the last possible second.
Maura Mulligan needs no introduction in New York cultural circles but the long list of many lives and institutions she has graced, changed, joined, founded and enriched is impressive. A native of County Mayo, she sailed here at 16, alone, on the MV “Britannic” in 1958. Retired now after many years teaching in the New York Catholic and public schools, she is a member of the American Irish Teachers Association, honored as Irish Woman of the Year in 2018 by the Irish American Heritage & Culture Committee, Inc. Department of Education, and in 2021 received the Irish Echo’s Arts and Culture Award. A prize-winning Irish dancer, she has appeared on TG4 (Irish-language television station) and taught dance classes for all ages (this is how this writer met her in the early 1980s). Maura taught Irish language at New York’s Irish Arts Center in the 1980s, founded a language school, An Scoil Gaeilge from 1986-1996 and taught at the New York Irish Center. She wrote the memoir “Call of the Lark,” a play, “Brigid,” and is a member of the Irish American Writers & Artists.
Her creative genius brought this celebration to Connolly’s, as this is where an idea was born, on Jan. 6, 2015, among a group of friends meeting on “Nollaig na mBan, (Little Christmas or Women’s Day), to celebrate the role of women in Irish life. Originally a day for women to leave house and family work to the men, to meet friends and enjoy a meal, it is celebrated today with events for charity and special restaurant deals in Ireland. Maura imagined reviving the 4 Celtic “fire festivals” - Imbolg (Feb.1), Bealtaine (May 1), Lughnasa (Aug. 1) and Samhain (Oct. 31), bringing an array of talent together to share and perform Irish stories, music, dance and crafts for a modest donation destined for a worthy women’s cause. A few years earlier Maura’s language and dance students had celebrated Samhain, but to expand the events to a wider audience and bring in other artists was eagerly received. Today nine members of Nollaig na mBan New York organize and pilot all the fire festivals at New York City venues, even continuing on Zoom when Covid temporarily blocked in-person celebration. Originally those donations helped the Dwelling Place, a women’s shelter in Midtown Manhattan where Maura had volunteered and been impressed both by their mission and the administrator, Sister Joann Sambs. The shelter closed, sadly, after Covid and instead the group has been aiding the New York branch of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA) with their refugees and urgent medical needs in Ukraine. Representatives from both charities cheerfully came to our festivals, taking part and updating us all on the situations they are trying to alleviate. The Irish Echo published our accounts of each festival and inspired Karen Daly to compile a scrapbook along with photographs taken by the participants as a memory of all Maura had done to organize, inspire, cajole and cheer Nollaig na mBan New York in garnering a remarkable range of skill and participation.
Founder Maura Mulligan was presented with a Nollaig na mBan New York scrapbook.
At each event, we enjoyed live music from the wealth of singers and instrumentalists Maura counts as friends and colleagues. On Monday evening, Mary Courtney, John Kearns and Ryan Cahill serenaded us with songs such as Mary’s version of the patriotic poem/song “The West’s Awake,” John (and Mary) with “The Green and Red of Mayo,” and Ryan’s “Siúil a Rúin” (Walk, My Love), chosen because the chorus was the first Irish Maura had taught her. The beauty and meaningful words were entrancing. Mary Courtney described Maura as “a standard-bearer for our proud Gaelic heritage and traditions”.
Sheila Houlihan shared a story about an encounter with the actor Gabriel Byrne at a poetry event she and Maura attended. Maura dared her to sit next to him and she took the challenge, even greeting him in Irish which she had learned from Maura’s class. He autographed her program! Dee Nolan brandished an unusual pair of eyeglasses Maura had given her where one lens is missing, enabling the wearer to apply eye makeup more accurately. Every time Dee looks in the mirror wearing these she is reminded of Maura. A ring hidden in the Båirîn breac served at one Samhain has become a favorite piece Dee wears to many Irish events. Such small nuggets glitter in our memories, more potent than the many awards from the larger world.
Ryan Cahill was among those paying tribute to Maura.
A magnificent cake from Amy’s Bakery in Hells Kitchen appeared at the end of the meal with the Irish words “Le gach rath, a Mháire” (With good luck, Maura), written in green. Maura cut the first slice and we enjoyed the treat. What party is complete without a cake after all!
Maura told us she had been thinking of moving back to Ireland for 15 years, but that all the cards fell into place last year. Maura read a poem written by a close friend, Ethna Johnston, a participant in writing classes on Achill Island that Maura attended for many years. Its title, “Steadying Back on Dancing Feet,” refers to a dance instruction to remain straight-backed when waiting or moving back into place. This phrase reminds Maura to wait patiently for the right forward movement without losing her determination. An Irish proverb assures us: “An áit a bhuil do chroí, is ann a thabharfas do chosa thú” (Your feet will bring you to where your heart is).
We lingered long after the greetings, the stories, words and music had slowed - Connolly’s excellent menu, arranged by the friendly, accommodating owner Ardell Reilly and served by their terrific staff, was thoroughly enjoyed. The atmosphere was relaxing and no-one wanted to be the first to step away from this very special assembly. To turn away was to leave a part of our history behind, a warmth and a glow that had burnished the hours together. And instead of “Slán agus beannacht’, (Goodbye and blessing), we should rather say to our honoree “Slän go Foill” or “Goodbye for now.”
