The 37th Great Irish Fair of New York, presented by the Irish American Building Society (IABS), is a family-friendly event celebrating faith, history and culture. The Fair will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Ford Amphitheater, West 21st Street and the Boardwalk in Coney Island. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased here.
Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio will open this year’s Fair by celebrating 9:30 a.m. Mass on the main stage. An award ceremony recognizing Irish-Americans who have made great contributions to society will follow. This year’s honorees are profiled in the pages of this special section.
Several thousand attendees typically gather at this annual event to see old friends and make new ones, enjoy traditional and contemporary Irish music and dancing, and discover the offerings of participating vendors, including American Irish Luck, Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Parade, Board of Elections of the City of NY, Curry’s Claddagh Gift Shop, Donegal Importers, FDNY Merchandise, Fireball Designs, Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur, Gavin’s Irish Country Inn, Ireland on the Road dba Humicon, Ireland Shirt Company, NYPD Emerald Society, Reclaimed & Recycled NYC, Shirts of the World and St. Saviour High School.
Wee ones will enjoy face painting, 2-5 p.m.; a magician, 3:30-4:30 p.m.; and cotton candy, 3-4:30 p.m. A Fire Dog Mascot will be walking around for pictures.
Proceeds from the Fair support Catholic education in Brooklyn and Queens so that Catholic schools not only survive, but also thrive, and so that those in need of scholarships receive them.
Colleen Queen: Mackenzie Iburg
Irish Man of the Year: Thomas Duffy
Kathleen Slattery Woman of the Year: Sheila O’Hagan McGirl
St. Thomas More Award: Paul A. Michels
Thomas Cuite Memorial Award: Mark C. Edwards
Bard of the Fair: Kassie Bracken
Al O’Hagan Community Leadership Award: Ed Wilkinson
The Round Tower Award: The Phelan Family
Paul O’Dwyer Memorial Award: Eileen Flannelly Mackell
St. Bridget Award: Sister Kathleen McKinney, C.S.J.
Father Mychael Judge, O.F.M., Memorial Award: Brother Leonard Conway, O.S.F.
Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Award: Msgr. Joseph P. Nagle
PO Edward Byrne Memorial Award: NYPD Det. Patrick Donohue
Captain Timothy Stackpole Memorial Award: FDNY Battalion Chief Joseph Duggan
The Celtic Cross Award: Dr. Margaret Minson
The Jerry Forrest Memorial Award: James McDonagh