Leitrim County Council is sponsoring both a cultural event on Thursday April 6th and a business event on Friday April 7th leading up to the Leitrim vs NY Connacht Senior Football match at Gaelic Park on Saturday April 8th. Both events are at The Rambling House in Woodlawn, Bronx NY. The business event focuses on job and investment opportunities in Leitrim which is experiencing a post-Covid surge in popularity.

Details below are from irishecho.com. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Emer Connolly at: emer.connolly@leitrimcoco.ie

Team Leitrim sets sporting and business goals for New York trip

March 19, 2023 by Anthony Neeson

When Leitrim fans arrive in the Big Apple next month to take on New York in the Connacht Senior Football Championship, they'll be seeking more than just a victory on the field.

For in the vanguard of the Green & Gold travelling contingent will be a high-powered delegation keen to promote the county as the perfect landing place in Ireland for Americans investors and visitors. 

On the evening before the Easter Saturday (8 April) game, the group will stage a Leitrim showcase in The Rambling House on Katonah Avenue in the Bronx. 

"We are seeking to create a network of persons, including young people in business in the US, who are interested in hearing of the investment and job opportunities in County Leitrim," explains former IDA chief and Leitrim native Padraic White. 

Since the start of the Covid pandemic, Ireland's least-populous county has found itself on an upward trajectory, in part fuelled by an influx of professionals who are able to work remotely from Lovely Leitrim. Tourism Ireland's 'Hidden Heartlands' campaign has also attracted record numbers of tourists to the country's least-populous county.

Joining the business delegation to the Big Apple will be two of the county's premier businesses: software company Cora Systems and med-tech innovator VistaMed. Both are keen to lure professionals to take up positions in their growing companies - either Americans or Irish American returnees. 

Representing Cora Systems, which sells its software products in 53 countries and has 53 staff in the US, will be principal engineer Keith Dimmock — a Yorkshire man who married Leitrim woman Michelle Reynolds and then relocated to her home county where he joined the surging software company. However, Keith's duties will extend beyond pitching for Cora Systems at the investment reception for the next day he will be pitch-side in Gaelic Park fulfilling his role at kit-man for the Leitrim senior football team.  

Among the other speakers at the Leitrim reception will be Brian Conroy, Head of IDA, North America and Lar Power, Chief Executive of Leitrim County Council while facilitating the initiative will be Leitrim powerhouse in Yonkers, Caitríona Clarke of JP Clarke's. The event will run from 6-7pm at The Rambling House, 4292 Katonah Avenue, The Bronx, New York 10470. If interested in attending, please email Emer Connolly at Leitrim County Council.

Former IBO Executive Board member, Kathleen Power-Cronin, the Director of Cultural Communications and Outreach at the USAfrica Trade and Business Network is participating in its Spring 2023 Expo later this week. It's the first time the Expo is being held in NJ, at the Newark (Airport) International Liberty Marriott.

Over 100 are attending and counting. Irish investors, vendors, sponsors are invited this Friday, March 10th and Saturday, March 11th 9am to 5pm.

They have also added the USAfrica Retail Incubation Program starting with the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ, created to sell African products as part of their Small Business Success Program, as mentioned in FORBES and NJ Business Magazine.

More info: USAfricahub.com

Forbes: A Giant Mall Thinks Small: Westfield Property Pilots Program For Local Businesses

NJ Business Magazine: Small Businesses Gain Mall Foothold with SBDC Partnership

Niall O'Leary - IBO Past President and virtual IBO meeting MC extraordinaire - has announced his dance and music schedule for March 2023.  Please check out highlights below and for an updated list of where to find Niall O'Leary and his musicians and dancers performing, visit http://nialloleary.com/events-prelim/.

You can also follow Niall O’Leary on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

March 2, 2023 (Thursday)  10 pm -12:30 am

Irish Culture Night Trad Session & Dance Jam

Paddy Reilly''s Irish Music Bar is at 519 2nd Ave, at 29th Street, NYC

St Pat’s for All Benefit  

‘The bLAST of REELs’ hosted by Niall O'Leary!

• Featuring a brilliant percussionist, direct from Ireland!
• Also starring amazing percussive dancer Tyler Schwartz and fab tapper Maddie Rae Russo!
• Free admission

http://nialloleary.com/events/irish-culture-night-at-paddy-reillys-every-thursday/

March 4, 2023 (Saturday) 2 pm - 4 pm

Céilí 

Social dancing in a relaxed setting

Aisling Irish Community Center, 990 McLean Avenue, Yonkers NY 10704

Metro North to Woodlawn

• Music by Niall O'Leary (accordion)
• Dances called by Megan Downes
• Door fee: suggested donation $5
• All welcome, bring your dancing shoes!

www.aislingcenter.org

March 5, 2023 (Sunday) 1 pm - 3 pm

St Pat’s for All Parade

• Starting point: 43rd Street & Skillman Avenue, Sunnyside, Queens NY
• Sunnyside to Woodside, Queens NY
• This parade was the first inclusive parade in NYC!

www.stpatsforall.org

March 5, 2023 (Sunday) 5.30 pm - 8.30 pm

Trad Music Session with Niall O'Leary and Friends and Special Guests from Ireland

The Wicked Monk, 9510 3rd Ave., Bay Ridge, Brooklyn NY

• All musicians, dancers, singers, listeners welcome!
• Great Irish food and drink selections!
• R Train to 95th Street

www.wickedmonk.com

March 11, 2023 (Saturday)

Irish Language Mass & After-Party at OLD St. Patrick's Cathedral 

12 noon Mass

1pm-2pm after-party

• Live music 7 dance by the Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance - Mott St., between Prince and Houston Streets, Manhattan

https://www.irishnyhistory.org/irish-language-st-patricks-old-cathedral/

March 17, 2023 (Friday)

IBO St. Patrick’s Day March Afterparty

Until 5:30 pm

• Metropolitan Republican Club 122 E 83rd St, New York, NY 10028
• Afterparty to begin approximately at 2:30 pm
• RSVP at https://ibonewyork.org/event-5124116 
• IBO Members $50 / IBO Nonmembers $65

Big Apple Feis & Crossroads of the World Feis

Sheraton Crossroads, Mahwah NJ

Niall O'Leary (accordion) is one of the musicians for this feis!

www.bigapplefeis.com

For ideas of where to see other Irish Traditional Music Sessions, and for more fun events, visit murphguide.com.

We've mentioned Craicfest on these pages and we've been sent particular notice of one of the featured films, which might be of interest to members - 

IBO members and friends are cordially invited to the NY premier of a movie called Lakelands showing next Sat March 4^th @ The Village East Cinema 181-189 2^nd Ave at 3pm.  Written & directed by Robbie Higgins & Patrick McGivney both from Granard, Co. Longford who will be attending the screening Q&A afterwards.   The Movie has a GAA Theme about a player who gets hurt and actually won the Galway Film Fleadh last July: It’s a very exciting time for Irish movies in general!   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lakelands-ny-premier-craicfest-25-tickets-522025401027

We've had word about a special concert at Carnegie Hall - and IBO members can get tickets at a discount.

From the organizers:

The Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland presents an exclusive one-night-only concert in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City on St. Patrick’s Day, Friday March 17, 2023 at 7pm. Led by the internationally acclaimed conductor Greg Beardsell, the youth orchestra’s 140 players will be joined by the 100-voice Fairfield County Children’s Choir, and the Xaverian High School pipe corps of Brooklyn. The concert is the culmination of an 18-concert tour of Ireland marking both the 28th anniversary of the Orchestra, and the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended three decades of violence in Northern Ireland upon its signing on April 10 1998.

We are pleased to offer IBO members a discount code of 15%  on tickets for this special one-night only performance; Please use Code IRE39945 at checkout: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2023/03/17/Cross-Border-Orchestra-of-Ireland-0700PM

The event is being backed by the Irish Consulate, the British Consulate, and the Northern Ireland Bureau. Mayor Adams and a number of Irish dignitaries will attend. 

We've been sent word of this impressive event taking place on the evening of Tuesday, February 28th. From the notice: 

We would like to warmly invite you to our showcase and networking event in the New York Irish Centre on the evening of February 28^th.

This event has been organised to highlight the developing All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI; www.aicri.org) and also explore the opportunities presented by this exciting initiative to further promote collaborative interactions between the US and Ireland in the area of cancer research. The event will also talk in a significant way about the legacy of the Good Friday Agreement, which this year marks its 25th anniversary. 

The Ireland America Science Forum, University College Dublin Alumni, Queen's University Belfast Alumni and Consulate General of Ireland, New York, join AICRI as event co-hosts. The format of the evening will be largely based on our recent successful event in Boston, where we brought various leaders in medicine, science, industry, business and other areas together.

We anticipate a similar interesting evening of discussion and networking, with a stellar panel including Prof Mark Lawler (QUB), Dr Róisín O'Cearbhaill (MSKCC) and Dr John Greally (Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Centre), with Dr Geraldine McGinty (Weill Cornell Medicine) acting as chair.  

The AICRI Team would be delighted to have IBO members join, as we are keen to widen the scope of our networking base to also include leaders from outside the scientific arena. 

Find further details on the event registration page. 

The film fans among us will be delighted to hear that the Oscar-Nominated and multi award winning Irish Language film The Quiet Girl (An Caílin Ciúin), written/directed by Colm Bairéad will be released in theaters in New York  San Francisco, LA and Chicago on February 24th and expanding to select theaters throughout the US from March 3rd.

Here in NY, there will be three special Q&A's with Colm Bairéad and cast members Catherine Clinch, Carrie Crowley and Andrew Bennett

• Thursday, February 23 7pm— Theatrical advance screening Q&A - Angelika Film Center
  

• Friday, February 24 7.40pm — Theatrical screening Q&A - Angelika Film Center OPENING DAY

• Saturday February 25 7.40pm — Theatrical screening Q&A - Angelika Film Center

Tickets are available NOW https://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/nyc/film/the-quiet-girl

Our friends over at CraicFest have sent word of CraicFest 25, kicking off on February 24th with a Craic Concert at Rockwood Music Hall. 

From their press release: 

Twenty-five years ago, the CraicFest began with a vision from Oscar Nominated director Jim Sheridan (In the Name of The Father, My Left Foot, The Field) and native Irish New Yorker Terence Mulligan. Jim met Terence while working as a doorman at Club Macanudo in 1999. Craic Fest is the brainchild of Mulligan, but it was Sheridan who helped shape the cultural identity of the festival over the past 25 years.

Sheridan still serves on the board member along with Liam Neeson, Denis Leary and Aidan Quinn.

On Friday Feb. 24th, the Craic Music Fest will host an all-star lineup of Irish and IrishAmerican performers. The concert will be a star - studded lineup of actors, performers, comedians and musicians. MC/Host John Connors (Love/Hate), comedian Siobhan Fallon Hogan (SNL, Seinfeld, Men in Black, RUSHED), musician Brendan O’Shea and local comedians Craig Geraghty & Katie Boyle. More special guests TBA.

Craic Film Festival, on March 2nd, will feature the NY premiere of The GHOST OF RICHARD HARRIS. Oscar nominated director Jim Sheridan and acclaimed actor Jared

Harris will host the screening with Q&A to follow. Director Adrian Sibley will be in attendance. The Friday March 3rd Craic Fest Gala will host the NY premiere of SHELTER IN SOLITUDE written by Siobhan Fallon Hogan and starring Robert Patrick (The Terminator, Yellowstone 123), Peter Macon (Orville) and Fallon Hogan. Fallon Hogan and cast will be at the Q&A to follow the screening.

For students and young children, Saturday March 4th, Kids Fleadh will host the best of Irish shorts and Irish step dancing. We will have the NY premier of LAKELANDS directed & written by Robbie Higgins and Patrick McGivney.

Also there’s a special screening of documentary AMERICONNED by Irish filmmaker Sean Claffey who will be present for Q&A. Closing night, Saturday March 4th, hosts the NY premiere of BLACK GUELPH written by and starring John Connors (Love/Hate & Cardboard Gangsters) Q&A to follow and closing reception.

Festival Director/founder Terence Mulligan commented: “The impetus of the festival was at the Galway Film Fleadh in 1999 over a pint with Jim Sheridan. Jim was the one who suggested that we focus on the New Irish Cinema and Irish New Yorkers would embrace a festival like this every March. Jim also opened the door to our first sponsor, Fitzpatrick Hotel, who has been with us since 1999. After 25 years we are still pushing the envelope. The concert has a stellar lineup with a few surprise guests. Film fest is going to be very special as well with John Connors, Jared Harris and Jim Sheridan in attendance."

See all the details at www.thecraicfest.com

We've had a query in from a journalist at a new Irish-American news outlet seeking to profile Irish people working in NY - she thought our members would be interested and surely some of us would be! The request is simple, with just an email q and a - if you're interested, drop a line to communications@ibonewyork.org and we'll forward it on. 

We've launched a new monthly email to connect J-1 Visa Holders with job opportunities - if you're on our list you should have received the information below. The 1-Year Graduate USA Visa Program is designed for Irish passport holders recently graduated from an Irish college. J-1 Visa Holders have 90 days after arrival in the U.S. to find employment anywhere in the country.

Given the IBO’s extensive network of professionals across an array of industries, we believe we can be of assistance to J-1 Visa Holders currently looking for employment.

Please review the list of J-1 Visa Holders below, which has their credentials and the industry/sector that they are interested in.

If either you or someone you know has an opening within this industry that you believe would be appropriate for a J-1 Visa Holder with these credentials, please let us know by emailing us at info@ibonewyork.org.

We can then make the introduction between yourself and the student and let the dialogue go from there.

Degrees/Accreditation: MSC, International Business, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School; Bachelor Degree, Commerce International with French, University College Cork
Industry/Job Desired: Marketing, Digital Marketing, Advertising

Degrees/Accreditation: Bachelor of Business Administration Exchange, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin; BA in International Business, University of Limerick
Industry/Job Desired: Business/Finance

Degrees/Accreditation: B.S. in Computer Systems, University of Limerick
Industry/Job Desired: Technology

Degrees/Accreditation: DCU, BSC Biotechnology
Industry/Job Desired: Healthcare

Degrees/Accreditation: BSC Biology and Bioprocessing, DCU
Industry/Job Desired: Healthcare