April 2014

Aibrean

Emerald Society Officers

President

Sean P. Hayes

(305) 592-5022

1st Vice-President

Donald F. Harrington Jr.

2nd Vice-President

Richard C Welch Jr.

Treasurer

John P. Doherty

Historian

Daniel L. Fitzgerald

Recording Secretary

Kassandra “Kassie” Doyle

Immediate Past President

Hugh A. Ryan

Directors

Blair Brogan

John P. Doherty

Kassandra “Kassie” Doyle

Ann Eustace

Sean Ferrell

Daniel L. Fitzgerald

Sean Glynn

Johnette Hardiman

Donald F. Harrington Jr.

Christopher P Kelley

Meghan Knol

Joseph W. McManus

William O’Brien Jr.

Hugh A. Ryan

Judi Tierney Sherry

Noel McManus Stillings

Richard C Welch Jr.

Editors

Joe & Barbara McManus

561-338-8848

Upcoming:

Sat Apr 5 7pm BASEBALL Marlins Stadium Miami

TBD April Social

Sun Apr 27 4pm CelticCulturalSeries: The Quiet Man JohnMartin’s CG

Thur May 1 6:30pm SFES Board of Directors Meeting Miami Yacht Club

Member : (305) 949-8400 E-mail: emeraldsocietysfl@gmail.com

www.emeraldsocietySFL.com

What a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day celebration it was on March 8

past. We were blessed once more with blue skies and sunshine—

thank you, St. Pat! Congratulations to the St. Patrick’s Day Commit-

tee who worked so hard under the leadership of Charlie Davis to

make this a day when we were proud to be Irish. And on this Great

Day, everyone is Irish!

The Breffni Dancers at the St. Patrick’s Day Festival March 8 at Hartnett Park in Coral

Gables. From left to right: Carly Davis, Fiona Killian, Bryanne Gatewood, Meaghan Lint-

ner, Jessica Ryan, Delaney Davis, Valerie Escobar, and Victoria Molina .

Photo: John Kane

T’was a Great Day for the Irish!

Batter UP! Play BALL!

Chris Kelley will lead the

Emeralds, as the surprising

Marlins behind Ace Pitcher

Jose Fernandez face the

San Diego Padres at 7:05

pm Saturday night April 5

at Marlins Stadium

Celtic Cultural Series

Remember John Wayne

and Maureen O’Hara in

John Ford’s 1952 Classic

“The Quiet Man”? Come to

JohnMartins at 4pm Sun-

day April 27 and see it

again. Photographed in

County Mayo village of

Cong, is an uproarious

comedy complete with a 20-

minute fight scene. Total length: 2 hours, 8

minutes, so we will have a 10 minute break in

the middle. Free to all; open to the public;

parking available on Miracle Mile and park-

ing garage entering from Aragon.

Gangs of New York

Host Ed Cooke dis-

cussed the novel/movie

“Gangs of New York”

at JohnMartins on Sun-

day March 23 with the

following participants:

Marie Smith, Mary

Jane Holland, Mark

Doyle, Sean Hayes,

Billy and Carroll

Cameron, Anne Re-

billard, Donna Car-

rick, Pat Villacorta,

Bill O’Brien, Jane

Thompson, Molly

Harris, Natalie Smith,

and Gloria Cooke. 2

Installation Dinner May 21

Chair Judi Tierney Sherry announced that

the Emerald Installation Dinner will be held

at Jungle island at 6:30pm Wednesday May

21; tickets are $40 per person. Invitations will

be mailed to all Emeralds in two weeks. Emer-

alds, this is one of the premier events of our

Society.

Emerald Board

At the April Board meeting, the 2014

budget was discussed. Income is project-

ed at $24,312; expenses are projected at

$34,763 for a projected deficit of $10,451

Pay your annual dues by April 15 to as-

sure that your name will be listed in the

Emerald Directory. Ninety members have

paid their annual dues; 42 have not paid.

If you are behind, please send a $50

check to:

The South Florida Emerald Society, Inc.

PO Box 836225

Miami, FL. 33283-6225

To pay for publishing the Directory, Ann

Eustace is asking for business card-size

ads which are available for $25. Please

send your business card and $25 check

to John Doherty at the above address.

.

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Appreciation The 2014 Festi-val was a hugh success! Our thanks go out to all who worked to make this Festival so successful: Clodagh Michel, John & Linda Doherty, Bill O’Brien, Judi Tierney Sherry, John Kane, Ann Eustace, C. L. Conroy, Dan & Dolores Fitzgerald, Hugh Ryan, Melissa Davis, Sean Ferrell, Johnette Hardiman, Henry & Carmen Kissane, Thelma Hayes, Mary Ann & Oliver Kerr, Jan Paris, Ed & Rosie Hart, Bob Fried-lander, Barbara and Catherine McManus, Noel McManus Stillings, Chuck Daley, Sean Glynn, Sean Hayes, Ken Pines, Paul Reilly and Richard Welch, Jr. The next Festival Committee meeting will be held at 6:30pm on Tuesday, April 8 at the Sports Grill located at N. Kendall Drive and SW 97 Ave. The fu-ture of the 2015 Festival will be dis-cussed.

St. Patrick’s Day Committee Inc.

The St. Patrick’s Day Committee is a not-for-

profit 501 (c) 3 organization affiliated with

the South Florida Emerald Society, which, in

turn. Is a 501 (c) 7 fraternal organization in

the IRS Code. We are devoting a separate

section of the Shamrock News to the activi-

ties conducted under the umbrella of the St.

Patrick’s Day Committee Inc.

Charlie Davis, President

Poetry Corner

Dylan Thomas, (1914-53) was from Wales, but wrote in

English. He toured the United States extensively but drank himself to death

at age 39 . In this poem, a fixed-form 19-line villanelle, written in 1952 dur-ing his father’s illness and in anticipa-

tion of his death, exhorts his father to

affirm life in his dying.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sig ht

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas

4

The night of Monday March10th, 2014 will

go down in the annals of our Emerald Society

as historic and most memorable. All of the

able-bodied local Past Presidents gathered in

the Library Room at JohnMartins Irish restau-

rant in the Gables to not only honor each other

but also to especially honor the military ser-

vice of every Emerald Society member who

served our country.

Lt. Col. Donald Slesnick, of multiple terms as

St. Patrick’s Parade Chairman and as Coral

Gables Mayor, was the Guest Speaker. His

chronicle of the bravery of Irish-American sol-

diers and sailors in all of America’s wars, was

highlighted by his story of George Washing-

ton ordering a celebration of St. Patrick’s Day

in appreciation of the bravery of his Irish re-

cruits. The presence of almost entire regiments

of Irish-born soldiers in both the armies of the

North and South during the War between the

States (Civil War) was especially revealing.

The Guests of Honor for this night of recogni-

tion were: Col. John M “Jack“ Thomson

and U.S. Navy Captain Jon Lindeman, who

represented all our brothers-in-arms. Dr. Claire

E. MaDan, U.S.Navy Petty Officer , repre-

sented the Women in WW II. Other veterans

recognized were: Wayne Olivie, Gerry Jones,

Michael O’Connor, Peter O’Connell, Billy

Cameron, Leo Cook, Richard Doyle, Tom

Dunn, Sean Hayes, Joe Healey, John Kane,

Henry Kissane, Tom Lynch, Dick O’Con-

nell, John Wright, Tom Wilson and Bill

O’Brien.

Our Speaker formally installed Dan Fitzgerald

as Chief Gael. Attending in order of their year

as Emerald Society President: Wayne Olivie,

Chris Kelley, Dan Fitzgerald, Don Harring-

ton Jr., John Kane, Bob Meyer, Gerry

Jones, Bill Gregory, Ed Cooke, Carroll

Cameron and Hugh Ryan. The incoming

new Emerald Society President, Sean Hayes,

was introduced and spoke briefly about his

coming year's plans and expectations. The full

capacity crowd vigorously applauded.

O

Welcome These New Emeralds

Ann Eustace and her Membership Commit-

tee has recruited and the Board has approved

the following new members:

Meghan Clarke is of Ir ish descent and

lives in Coconut Grove with her spouse

Rudy. Sponsor: Sean Hayes.

Duane Cunningham is a nurse practi-

tioner at Homestead Correctional Institute.

His family is from Dublin. He is married to

Carolina and they have three children.

Sponsor: Ann Eustace

Molly Harris is a homemaker and stu-

dent of Irish descent from Derry, Claire

and/or Kerry, who lives in South Dade with

Larry, her spouse. Sponsor: Ann Eustace.

Ken Quinn, of Ir ish descent, is marr ied

and lives in the Kendall area. Sponsor:

Mary Ann Kerr.

Christina Ramos is a Fr iend of the Emer-

alds who lives on Miami Beach. She is

Manager of Marketing and Promotions at

the Orange Bowl Committee. Sponsor:

Sean Glynn

Linda Von Cannon who lives in Coconut

Grove and whose maternal ancestry is Irish.

Sponsor: Jon Lindeman.

Ruby Whelan, whose maternal ancestors

are from County Cork, lives in South Dade.

Sponsor: Ann Eustace.

Woody Woodside Sr. has decided to re-

join the Emeralds after a long absence.

Welcome back, Woody.

5th Annual Dinner of the Emerald Society’s Council of Past Presidents (COPPs)

he

‘

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Health and Welfare

Our genial Irishman Oliver Kerr, Past

President and Past Editor of this Newslet-

ter, is now in residence at Palace Gardens

Assisted Living, 1351 N. Krome Ave.,

Homestead FL 33030. If you wish to visit,

please call Mary Ann (305) 251-6208

ahead so you can be sure he will be there.

Gerry Jones has been in-and-out of hospi-

tal care over the past year; John Sorgie is

entering medical care.

Emerald David McCoy testing a Belgian Police Officer

at a golf challenge. Photo: Sean Hayes

Emeralds Accept IPA Invitation

Ten Emeralds and guests enjoyed the Interna-

tional Police Association Annual Picnic March

29th at the U.S. Coast Guard Station in South

Dade. This was a Saturday afternoon family

outing. Those attending were: Sean and Thelma

Hayes, David McCoy, Thomas Linehan and

Lesley Drudge, John “Mike” and Judy

Linehan and Ed and Gloria Cooke. This In-

vitation was arranged by Sean Hayes; the Em-

eralds received a rebate off the admission.

Helen’s Quiz

1. Name Ireland’s four Nobel Laureate-

Nobel Prize winners in Literature.

2. What Irish architect designed Parlia-

ment House in Dublin, now the Bank

of Ireland?

3. What German architect designed Lein-

ster House in Dublin, now the home of

both houses of the Irish Parliament ?

4. What Irish architect supposedly copied

Leinster House in designing the White

House in Washington D.C. ?

5. Name the five longest rivers in Ire-

land.

(Answers on page 6)

Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

And rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

The South Florida Emerald Society, Inc.

PO Box 836225

Miami, FL. 33283-6225.

Board Happenings

The Board of Directors will meet at 6:30pm

Thursday May 1 at the Miami Yacht Club

to discuss the 2014 Budget.

At the April meeting, President Sean Hayes

made the following appointments:

Social Chair: Hugh Ryan;

Asst. Social Chair: Blair Brogan

Quartermaster: Richard Welch Jr.

Public Relations Chair:

Noel McManus Stillings

6

1. William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) in 1923;

George Bernard Shaw (1865-1950) in 1925;

Samuel B Beckett(1906-1989) in 1969; Sea-

mus J Heaney (1939-2013) in 1985.

2. Edward Lovell Pearce(c1699-1733)

3. Richard Cassels (1696-1751)

4. James Hoban (1762-1831

5. Rivers: Shannon 386 km; Barrow 192

km; Suir 184 km; Blackwater 170 km;

and Nore 140 km

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Answers to Helen’s Quiz on p. 5