This is the 34th Great Irish Fair of New York – and that means quite a number of distinguished men and women have served as Chief Brehon and Colleen Queen.
How many Chief Brehons can you recall by name? Which Colleen Queens left you in awe of their grace and beauty?
All eyes will be on Kenneth Daly and Grace Sullivan this year. But here’s a look back at the men and women who have led the fair in these notable roles.

Former Chief Brehons
1981 – Elwin Larson, Brooklyn Union Gas
1982 – Judge James Comerford
1983 – Mayor Robert Wagner
1984 – Michael Mann, AFL-CIO
1985 – Congressman Thomas Manton
1986 – Staten Island District Attorney Bill Murphy
1987 – Bill Burke, Bank of Ireland
1988 – Judge William Bellard
1989 – James Moriarty, Moriarty and Sons
1990 – Paschal Mc Guinness, District Council of Carpenters
1991 – Neil Walsh, Knights of St. Patrick
1992 – Robert Golden, Prudential Financial
1993 – Jim Ryan, Fox-5 TV
1994 – Bill Gallagher, NYS Court Officers
1995 – Dorothy Hayden Cudahy, radio personality
1996 – Brian O’Dwyer, NYC Human Rights Commissioner
1997 – Joe Crowley, Assemblyman from Queens
1998 – Father Colm Campbell, Diocesan Irish Apostolate
1999 – Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan
2000 – Ed Wilkinson, The Tablet
2001 – John T. Comer, NYC Board of Education
2002 – NYPD Deputy Chief Michael Collins
2003 – Frank Comerford, NBC
2004 – Bishop Thomas V. Daily
2005 – Denis M. Hughes, AFL-CIO
2006 – No Fair
2007 – Patrick Lynch, PBA
2008 – Michael Benn
2009 – Kevin Burke, Consolidated Edison
2010 – Brendan Dugan,
St. Francis College
2011 – William Hogan, NetApp
2012 – Bob Benya,
iNDEMAND Networks
2013 – James P. Cullen,
of counsel Anderson Kill
2014 – James C. McKenna,
Hunter Roberts Construction Group

Former Colleen Queens
1984 – Jean Ann Groake
1985 – Cathy Burns
1986 – Terri Ann Manno
1987 – Ann Marie Moloney
1988 – Ann Marie Ward
1989 – Maura Lennon
1990 – Kathleen Rodgers
1991 – Linda Gallagher
1992 – Kristin Pryor
1993 – Jeanne Murphy
1994 – Lorraine Bellard
1995 – Margaret Kelly
1996 – Patricia O’Driscoll
1997 – Elizabeth Cann
1998 – Julie O’Shea
1999 – Elizabeth Creane
2000 – Lenore McFall
2001 – Mairead McInerney
2002 – Kaitlyn Stackpole
2003 – Kimberly Muldoon
2004 – Mary Elizabeth O’Regan
2005 – Kathleen Nihil
2006 – No Fair
2007 – Katie DeFonzo
2008 – Ciara McCone
2009 – Kerry Dineen
2010 – Siobhan McGirl
2011 – Elizabeth Flood
2012 – Taylor Powers
2013 – Caroline D’Emic
2014 – Tara Muldoon