Diocesan News

The Great Irish Fair (with slideshow)

For two days, Sept. 14 and 15, the Irish returned to Coney Island for the celebration of the 32nd annual Great Irish Fair, which benefits Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens. Auxiliary Bishop Paul Sanchez was the main celebrant and homilist of the opening Mass. He told the fairgoers about his Irish ancestry on his maternal side. Conducted by the Irish American Building Society, the fair honored James P. Cullen, a founder of the Brehon Law Society of New York, as Chief Brehon, and Fontbonne Hall Academy, Bay Ridge, senior Caroline D’Emic as the Colleen Queen. The honorees and their awards: Father Dennis Farrell, the Father Mychal Judge Award; Judge Michael Brennan, the Thomas More Award; Jack Ahern, Irish Man of the Year; Ann Dolan, the Kathleen Slattery Irish Woman of the Year; Mary Beth Keane, Bard of the Fair; NYPD Inspector Charles McEvoy, P.O. Edward Byrne Memorial Award; Firefighter Robert Fraumeni, the Capt. Timothy Stackpole Award; Joseph R. Byrne, Round Tower Award; Margaret Keaveney, the Paul O’Dwyer Award; and Pat McGowan, the Jerry Forest Memorial Award. Co-directors of the fair are Martin Cottingham and Chris Hannan.