Nantucket Celebration  :  7.26.08

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Nearly 200 American Ireland Fund supporters gathered on Nantucket on July 26 at the home of Bruce Percelay to enjoy a beautiful summer evening, Irish music and friendship.

The evening honored Nantucket native and author, Robert F. Mooney. Bob told the crowd the story of his great-grandparents who, in the process of immigrating to America, were shipwrecked off the coast of Nantucket. While all the other shipwreck victims got on another ship and continued their trip to New York, the Mooneys stayed on Nantucket and the family has been there ever since.

Guests also heard from Professor Padraig O'Malley of UMass Boston who played an important role in bringing about peace in Northern Ireland and is now applying the lessons of the "Troubles" to other areas of conflict around the world.

Recently he convened a remarkable conference of Iraqis in Helsinki which was attended by 36 Iraqi leaders from across the country's sectarian divide - Sunni, Shia and Kurd. There they spent 3 days in discussion and debate about the lessons of the Irish peace process with leaders from both sides in Northern Ireland as well as leaders from South Africa.

AIF CEO Kingsley Aikins used the Nantucket gathering to announce the formation of a journalism scholarship in memory of the late Tim Russert. Tim and his wife, Maureen Orth, have long been supporters of AIF’s Nantucket Celebration, chairing the event in 2006.

We would like to thank everyone who supported the Nantucket Celebration this year.

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Photos

1. Honoree Bob Mooney
2. Bruce Percelay, Andrea Culliford
3. Richard & Alison Vietze, Maureen & Jim Connolly
4. Crowd Shot
5. Padraig O’Malley, Joe Corcoran, Bruce Percelay
6. Lyle Howland, Jack Manning, Kingsley Aikins, Bob Crowe
7. Guest, Chris & Kathleen Matthews, Guest
8. Prof. Padraig O’Malley
9. Lee Bierly, Lisa Dunfey, Chris Drake
10. Traditional Irish music
11. Dr. Bob Arnot, Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley
12. Mariellen Scannell, Guest, Eileen O'Connell
13. Guest, Jill Ramalaho & Ryan Qoeller
13a. Chris and Ann Quick chaired the event
14. Lauren Janes, Dr. Bob Arnot, Ali Quade
15. Guests
16. Guest, Vera Gibbons, Guest
17. Guest, Guest, Diana Reuson, Lesley King Grenier
18. Xavier St. Clair, Karen Muse & Chris Muse, Christine Sweeney, Patrick Sweeney
19. Jay Koster & Rebecca Hanley
20. Jack & Lisa Dunfey
21. Jenn, Rose, Gayle & Joe Corcoran

Thanks to Plum TV for use of photos 19-21
Thanks to Fifi Greenberg, The Nantucket Magazine for use of photo 13a