Irish Network Boston is hosting it's biggest St. Patrick's Day celebration ever with their annual party to take place at the Massachusetts State House on March 13. The event which has become a firm favorite on the Boston Irish social calendar is also an opportunity to toast to the organization as it celebrates it's 5th Anniversary. The Irish Emigrant caught up with Attorney Sean P. Moynihan, the founder and principal of The Moynihan Group and President of IN Boston to talk about his role and the St. Patrick's day celebration.
How have you enjoyed your role as President of IN Boston?
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time so far as President of IN Boston. I did not appreciate, however, how time consuming it could become! What makes it easier is that we have a tremendous board of directors and very supportive Consul General and together we work very hard to meet and hopefully exceed the expectations of our members and of the Irish government. I think I enjoy the outreach the most – the opportunity to connect with people in Boston and beyond that share an interest in and a passion for Ireland. As we move forward, we are considering new initiatives such as a mentorship program and a volunteer/charitable program where we can have the opportunity to give back to the Boston community.
Your thoughts on the year ahead for Irish Network Boston
I am very excited about 2015 for several reasons. First and foremost, we turn 5 years old this year! The organization is still very young but it is nonetheless remarkable that 5 years have passed by.
Second, Boston will play host to the annual Irish Network USA National Conference in November of this year. This will be a great opportunity to showcase our incredible city to members of Irish Networks throughout the country - of which there are currently 20. Over a 3 day period, we will meet with our colleagues, Ambassador Anne Anderson, our Consul General Breandán O'Caollaí and many of our city’s leaders in business, government, education and the arts. Among some of the highlights will be a signature event in celebration of our 5 year anniversary where our members and guests can celebrate with their colleagues from our sister city Irish Networks. I have already spoken with colleagues from places like Seattle, Washington, DC and Chicago and they are very excited about coming to Boston.
Finally, we will be re-launching our website this year. The site is actually live now and members will get a sample of it when renewing membership and/or registering for the St Patrick’s Day party but we plan a formal launch for April/May time period. The site will have significant more content for members to enjoy and there will be an active “community” section where members can network virtually. We will have other fun content like Irish historical facts and a Member of the Month selection. We will be sending members a formal announcement soon on the website re-launch.
What can people expect from this year's IN Boston St. Patrick's Day Celebrations on March 13?
We have changed our venue again for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration which will be held at the Massachusetts State House. I am thrilled about this location as I spent 11 years working in the House of Representatives as an aide and an attorney. Given the historical significance of the building itself, which served as a model for the United States Capitol building, and that March 17th is also Evacuation Day - when the Continental Army held Dorchester Heights in South Boston and forced British troops to retreat and evacuate the city – we and the Consul General felt that a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the State House was long overdue.
We are excited this year to have two Irish craft brews for guests to sample. Dingle Brewing Company of Dingle, County Kerry will provide samples of their new craft brew – Crean’s (which will be distributed by one of our long time and generous sponsors Burke Distributing) and Carlow Brewing Company of Bagenalstown, County Carlow will provide sample’s of their stout O’Hara’s.
As always we will have our signature Guinness beef stew and our mashed potato bar – which was the brainchild of our first President Dave Greaney. This year we will be entertained by trad Irish band Hogan’s Goat and the Brady Kenny O'Brien Irish Dance Academy.
Purchase your tickets for this year's Irish Network Boston St. Patrick's Day Party or learn more about Irish Network Boston at www.irishnetworkboston.net
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