The Irish American Partnership hosted a breakfast celebrating the Honorable Councillor Nichola Mallon, Lord Mayor of Belfast. The breakfast, co-sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Bureau, highlighted the importance of the Boston-Belfast Sister City connection. Mary Sugrue McAleer, Executive Director of the Irish American Partnership, Gary Hanley, Executive Vice President of Invest Northern Ireland, Eugene O’Flaherty, Boston Corporation Counsel, and Lord Mayor Nicola Mallon all gave remarks.
Corporation Counsel Eugene O’Flaherty spoke on behalf of the City of Boston, recapping the recent Boston delegation trip to Ireland and reiterating Mayor Walsh’s commitment to developing the Sister City relationship. O’Flaherty announced that Mayor Walsh and Lord Mayor Mallon agreed yesterday to create a committee comprised of 3 representatives of each city government in order to establish the specifics of the Sister City relationship.
Mayor Mallon spoke passionately about the importance of education in building a strong future for Belfast. She praised the Partnership’s direct grant program, which gave her primary school the funds to replenish its library, providing young avid readers like her the opportunity to read new books. The Lord Mayor also gave Belfast City Councillor Brian Kennedy and City Chaplain Reverend Bill Shaw an opportunity to speak about their peace and reconciliation work.
The Irish American Partnership works to empower the next generation of Irish leaders by supporting educational initiatives. In the past year, we have sent $690,000 to Ireland, North and South, funding direct grants to primary schools, science teacher training, university access scholarships, and employment learning programs. For more information, please visit www.irishap.org
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