The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on Long Island will host its annual Taste of Ireland event on Monday, April 17 at the David S. Mack University Club on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, Long Island.
This year’s honoree is Tony Jackson, the popular master of ceremonies and radio host who immigrated to the United States in 1964 from County Cavan. Jackson, a U.S. Army veteran, has served in many organizations over the years including the AOH in Nassau County where he was the past national coordinator of the Freedom for All Ireland Committee.
He was treasurer for the New York Padraig Pearse Commemoration Committee 1978/’79, and a founding member of Nassau County’s American Irish Congress, the Irish National Caucus and the original Mineola Irish Monument Committee. He is a member and past president of the Irish American Society of Nassau, Suffolk and Queens and is a lifetime honorary member of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.
Jackson’s work in broadcasting, first at WBAU and then over 30 years at Radio Hofstra University, has afforded him the opportunity to promote and help many causes including Project Children where he and his wife of 57 years Maureen, a native of Co. Galway, hosted families from Northern Ireland and helped raise funds.
His master of ceremonies work has taken him near and far, from the streets of Long Island’s St. Patrick’s parades to the world’s greatest stage, Carnegie Hall, and 30 years hosting the Gertrude Byrne all-star Irish cruises to the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Alaska.
As one of the sponsors of the Nassau County Games for the Physically Challenged, the Friendly Sons have used proceeds from the Taste of Ireland event to help support the young athletes participating in the games, which will be held from June 1-3 at Mitchell Field in Nassau County.
Tickets to the event are $60 and include food, beer, wine and soda, with live Irish music by Jimmy Walsh and the Black Velvet Band, and the Nassau County Police Emerald Society Pipe Band.
For more information contact Dom Lavin at 516-426-3556 or Sean Murphy at 917-627-0858.
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