American based Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan and the late Liam Clancy are to he honored at Ireland’s first official Fourth of July festival. They will be inaugurated into the Irish America Hall of Fame.
Los Angeles resident Flanagan and Clancy will be feted when the town of New Ross hosts its first Irish America festival to celebrate Independence Day.
Dublin native Flanagan is to be inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame at the Dunbrody Visitor Centre in New Ross. Irish America Magazine, our sister publication, created the Irish America Hall of Fame.
Previous inductees who attended at the New York leg included President William Clinton and Ford Chairman William Clay Ford.
Leitrim-born Clancy will be honoured posthumously at the same ceremony.
The Hall of Fame presentation is just one of a number of events to mark the American holiday in New Ross, the ancestral homeland of President John F Kennedy.
Organisers expect thousands to make the journey to the Wexford town to celebrate its close links with America.
JFK’s great-grandparents, Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy, both emigrated from New Ross, as did the grandparents of playwright Eugene O’Neill.
The Irish Times reports that events will include a flag-raising ceremony on the quayside followed by a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party at the Dunbrody famine ship.
A reading of the US Declaration of Independence is also scheduled before the day closes with a spectacular fireworks display over the river Barrow.
More information is available at irishamericaday.com.
6 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.EphraimKibbey | Jul 03, 2012, 12:24 AM EDT
It sounds like a fun event and it will help the local economy. WIN-WIN!
Bythebay | Jul 02, 2012, 03:22 PM EDT
Not on your life, this is NOT Ireland celebrating July 4th at all. This is New Ross doing an observance because of the Kennedys and giving US based actors born in Ireland the attention they crave. Flanagan is US based, left Ireland years ago. July 4th isn't a holiday in Ireland. Counihan, do you ever get it right? Where is your editor? Liam Clancy was born in Tipperary.
Murph46 | Jul 02, 2012, 11:32 AM EDT
Makem & Clancy & Christy Moore and believe it or not Sineads version of Foggy Dew with the Chieftan's-It don't get much better.Fionula was fab in Waking Ned Devine!
pilib04 | Jul 02, 2012, 10:50 AM EDT
Don't feel too badly Colleen. I mistakenly assumed Liam was from Keady, Armagh, like Tommy Makem. I would never have guessed Tipp or Leitrim (where one of my great grandmothers hails). Perhaps, he is like my family, Heinz 57. We come from Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Armagh and Down.
colleenbawn | Jul 02, 2012, 10:12 AM EDT
I am from Carrick -on Suir. Co Tipperary. I believe that is the birthplace of Liam Clancy....Not Leitrim
donal1951 | Jul 02, 2012, 09:35 AM EDT
I loved Liam Clancy, but then again, I like most trad musicians ranging from The Pecker Dunne to Luke Kelly to Christy Moore, who can be quite untraditional at times.