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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Vice President Joe Biden to be honored in Irish America Hall of Fame -- Biden set to be main speaker at annual Irish America event

Posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 07:06 AM

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Vice President Joe Biden

Our sister publication Irish America magazine is delighted to announce that Vice President Joe Biden will be the main speaker and an honoree at the annual Irish America Hall of Fame event in March in New York.

The Irish America Hall of Fame was founded in 2010 by Irish America magazine to honor the extraordinary achievements of Irish American leaders.

Biden is of Irish descent on his maternal side of the family. His great-grandfather, James Finnegan, emigrated to America from Carlingford, Co. Louth in 1850.

He traveled with his mother Jane Boyle Finnegan from Carlingford and they boarded the ship the “Marchioness of Bute” in Newry, Co. Down according to top genealogist Megan Smolenyak.

His great grandfather incredibly was a near blind musician who made the crossing with the family when he was very young, just 10-years-old.

Read more: Could Joe Biden be the next President? Prospects for 2016 never brighter

As Smolenyak writes, “I knew from my research to this point that I was looking for a James Finnegan who was born around 1840 with parents named Owen Finnegan and Jane (Boyle) Finnegan, who would have probably married in the late 1830s, since James was the oldest of their known children.

“After a lot of digging, I found James ‘Finegan,’ baptized on December 18, 1840 in Lordship Parish in Co. Louth with parents named Owen Finegan and ‘Jean Bail’ (likely a distortion of Boyle due to factors such as poor penmanship or transcription errors, as Griffith's Valuation shows no Bail families). Owen ‘Finigan’ and Jane Boyle had married on December 8, 1839 in Cooley Parish in Co. Louth.”

Biden’s story is the story of America. From humble beginnings and ancestry in Co. Louth to the vice presidency of the United States, it is an amazing story.

In addition to Biden the 2013 inductees include art collector, entrepreneur and benefactor Brian Burns, businessman and philanthropist Robert M. Devlin, hotelier and humanitarian John Fitzpatrick who is the new chairman of the American Ireland Fund, and former Congressman Bruce Morrison, an esteemed lawyer and immigration reformer.

“Our Hall of Fame honors those who have excelled in their chosen fields while acknowledging that we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors – those brave Irish who took the first steps into the unknown so that their children might have a brighter future in America,” said co-founder and editor-in-chief Patricia Harty.

Read more: Joe Biden fast becoming most influential VP in history

In addition, a special presentation will be made to former U.S. ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith, honoring her diplomatic work on peace in Northern Ireland and her furthering of the Kennedy family’s distinguished legacy of public service.

This year marks an important milestone in Kennedy history, as the 50th anniversary of both President John F. Kennedy’s seminal visit to Ireland, on which Kennedy Smith accompanied him, and of his tragic death.

The Irish America Hall of Fame celebrates its honorees’ diverse and significant contributions to American and Irish society, and their personal commitment to safeguarding their Irish heritage. The hall is housed at the Dunbrody Famine Ship and National Emigration Centre in New Ross, Co. Wexford, the ancestral town of President Kennedy.

Previous inductees include President Bill Clinton (2011), actresses Maureen O’Hara (2011) and Fionnula Flanagan (2012), dancer and choreographer Michael Flatley (2011), former Coca-Cola head Don Keough (2010) and executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. Bill Ford, Jr. (2011).

See more: Irish America Magazine , Irish in US Politics , Irish Democrats , Irish American

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Joe Glackin | Feb 22, 2013, 08:10 PM EST

Its great to see the Irish contribution being honored or publicized by whatever means.Its also good to see those claiming the same as a recognition and respect of their Irish roots. At times we here in Ireland could claim roots from the US as many of our ancestors emigrated.I had great grand Uncles who emigrated to San Francisco & 1880/90,s. That was it.

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porkheaven | Feb 22, 2013, 12:20 PM EST

I wouldn't waste my time going to listen that 1/2 brain nitwit.

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falconflash | Feb 21, 2013, 09:07 PM EST

Abortionist....Hall of Shame....true Irish don't kill babies.

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seanomelb | Feb 21, 2013, 07:46 PM EST

Ford was a graet athelete whoopy doo he was still a failed VP. Joe quoted someone else and Fox/GOP channel accuse him of plagiarism LOL. Go Joe

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southside77 | Feb 21, 2013, 01:27 PM EST

Joe Biden is an admitted plagiarizer ( he plagiarized a British politician of all people)What is a plagiarist? A plagiarist is a person is so stupid he has to steal other peoples ideas.To bottom line this, Joe is a stupid thief. The Irish American Hall of fame is an embarrassment to the Irish worldwide. Power to the People not the Politicians.

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southside77 | Feb 21, 2013, 01:17 PM EST

Remember Joe is a self admitted plagiarist ( he plagiarized a British politician of all people, this shows him as a collaborator). What is a plagiarist? A plagiarist is somebody that is so stupid that he has to steal other peoples ideas.So Joe is just a stupid thief. Apparently the Irish America Hall of Fame might want to update their screening process. Power to the People not the Politicians !!

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nosoupforU | Feb 21, 2013, 01:02 PM EST

We got rid of Agnew and for you to compare Ford and Biden is a real good insight into your head. Ford was a hell of a good athlete also.

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seanomelb | Feb 20, 2013, 07:29 PM EST

BooHoo! to all you loser teaparty drolls below. Biden,regardless of his heritage is probably the finest VP in a hundred years.REmember good old Spiro Agnew and trip over Ford.

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seanomelb | Feb 20, 2013, 06:02 PM EST

No kids shot in schools here fastmouth eddy you do the math(if you can)

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handsome68 | Feb 20, 2013, 04:37 PM EST

The only way I would agree that this is a good idea is that if he accepted the honor -- unworthy as he really is of it -- wearing a sock in his mouth and not being allowed to remove it for any reason.

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charlottenc | Feb 20, 2013, 01:02 PM EST

I agree with jamieLM. I would not vote for anyone for President if I thought he was not qualified and also would not if I disagreed with his ideology. I, personally, will not vote for Biden if he runs...he has basically rejected his Catholic faith with his stand on social issues and he is part of the Obama administration which I feel is destroying our country both economically and morally. I just subscribed to Irish Central but if "fluff" articles, such as the Biden one, is the usual read, rather than something with substance, I won't be a subscriber for very long.

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jamieLM | Feb 20, 2013, 11:27 AM EST

I refuse to fawn over someone just because they have Irish ancestry and are Catholic. I judge Biden on how he conducts himself, his political views, and on his record.

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mairint | Feb 20, 2013, 10:44 AM EST

There is nothing as sickening as an Irishman fawning over someone "important". Don't you realize you are being made fools of. To the likes of Biden (how embarrassing he is to Americans of substance...) and ilk it is all about getting votes and having a bit of craic on the way at the fools expense.

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hooligan6a | Feb 20, 2013, 10:41 AM EST

Bad choice. He is called "The dumbest person in the US Senate " And he is Irish too. All we can do, is pray for him.

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Nicopernicus | Feb 20, 2013, 10:35 AM EST

Irish Americans who attach themselves politically too fools because they are Irish prefer to suffer the fools because they are fools themselves.

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