May 5, 2005 : 30th Pearl Anniversary New York Dinner Gala

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The American Ireland Fund today celebrated its 30th “Pearl” Anniversary New York Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, raising $3.1 million and making this the biggest and most successful event in the history of the worldwide organization. These monies will be used to support some 200 projects in the most demanding circumstances across Ireland.

Since the first New York dinner in 1976, which launched the American Ireland Fund, this single event has raised over $20 million for worthwhile causes across Ireland, North and South.

The event was a sell out with 1,400 guests including philanthropists, writers and many of Wall Street’s business leaders, including:
Christopher “Kip” Condron, President & CEO, Axa Financial, Inc.
Robert J. McCann, Executive Vice President, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Chris Quick, CEO, Banc of America Specialist, Inc.
John Duffy, Chairman & CEO, Keefe Bruyette & Woods, Inc.
John Murphy, Chairman, President & CEO, Oppenheimer Funds, Inc.
Tom O’Neill, Principal, Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.
Mary Higgins Clark, Author
Colum McCann, Author
Eugene Hutchinson, Irish Consul General

There was a strong contingent from Ireland, including the heads of Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, University College Cork and The National Gallery of Ireland.

The following awards were made on the night:

• Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Chairman, The American Ireland Fund, was presented with The American Ireland Fund Humanitarian Award for leading the Fund’s successful five-year $100 million campaign.

• Philip J. Purcell, Chairman & CEO, Morgan Stanley, was presented with the Leslie C. Quick Jr. Leadership Award.

• Ronan Tynan, renowned Irish tenor, was presented with the Performing Arts Award.

Ronan delighted the crowd with his performance, which included children from Opus 118, the Harlem based musical group which Mr. Purcell has personally supported.

Message from 2005 Dinner co-Chairmen

Welcome to the Pearl Anniversary New York Gala Dinner. It is our pleasure to Co-Chair the dinner, especially in this 30th Year. It is also our pleasure to honor three outstanding individuals who are a tribute to Ireland and Irish America.

Phil Purcell is a giant, in every sense, in the world of finance. Phil is also a great and generous philanthropist who has supported Ireland for years. Loretta Brennan Glucksman headed up the AIF’s successful $100 million Hope and History campaign and has been so generous, along with her husband Lewis, to scores of Irish projects. Ronan Tynan continues to charm audiences worldwide and, as the resident tenor at Yankee Stadium, he really is one of our own.

Each has achieved great things. Each has contributed highly to life here and in Ireland, and it is our privilege to honor them.

It was a privilege also to work with our colleagues on the dinner committee. Since we launched the appeal for this dinner in January, they have worked extremely hard to reach our very ambitious goal. As we write this message in mid April, we are confident of reaching that goal. And it is important that we do so to support the critical work of The Ireland Funds in the country we love so well.

Through The Ireland Funds, many of us have seen another Ireland, the Ireland that the media is not interested in, the Ireland that has not shared in recent success or progress. It is this Ireland, scarred by unemployment, poverty, inequality and suicide, that The Ireland Funds are concerned with and which you are doing so much to help.

As the only city with the scale and scope to reach the goals we have set for ourselves, New York has once again delivered because of your generosity. We are so grateful to you for being here, for your support and for your response to our appeal. 30 years on, the dinner just gets bigger and better and, as Co-Chairs, we are proud to be part of it.

Message From AIF Vice President & Director Of Development
Kieran McLoughlin

New York is the capital of the world. And so it is fitting that the New York Dinner should be the biggest, socially and financially, of the 60 events in 11 countries The Fund organizes around the world.
This year’s Dinner, of course, is particularly special because it marks the 30th anniversary of the event. The first New York Dinner in 1976, here at the Waldorf, launched The American Ireland Fund. Unfortunately it was such a financial flop that the only reason a dinner was held in 1977 was to pay for the first one!
The 1976 Dinner was addressed by a young up and coming Irish attorney named Mary Robinson. How Mrs. Robinson’s career and this event have flourished since. She became President of Ireland and the Dinner now raises millions annually for inspiring projects in Ireland. And despite the perception, tremendous need persists in Ireland among those who have been excluded or left behind by the Celtic Tiger.
There is a tremendous need in Northern Ireland also to support those who have the courage and vision to reach across the sectarian divide to bring Catholic and Protestant communities together. It is these people, those who need your help most, that you are supporting tonight and I thank you.
Tonight’s success would not have been possible were it not for the extraordinary work of our Dinner Committee under the dedicated leadership of John Murphy and Tom O’Neill. All the members of the Committee expended many hours, and probably friendships, to generate revenue for the event. Their commitment and energy was boundless and I thank them, most sincerely, on behalf of The Fund.
Of course, part of the allure of this event is the honorees. Tonight we recognize and celebrate Phil Purcell, Ronan Tynan and our own, Loretta Brennan Glucksman. Their achievements are a tribute to the success and talent of Irish America and we are grateful that they are allowing us to honor them tonight.
Finally and again my special thanks to all of you for your attendance and support. You are making a real and profound difference in Ireland – for that have wonderful night and enjoy this 30th birthday party.

The American Ireland Fund Humanitarian Award
Loretta Brennan Glucksman

A third generation Irish-American, Loretta Brennan Glucksman grew up in an Irish community in Pennsylvania. She is a noted philanthropist and, together with her husband Lewis, they have raised millions for Ireland. She has served as Chairman of the Fund since 1995 and spearheaded the Fund’s successful “Hope & History” $100 million campaign.
She is Co-Chair of Glucksman Ireland House, the center for Irish Studies at New York University, which she and Lewis established in 1993. Mr. & Mrs. Glucksman also established the Glucksman Chair of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen. Last year, University College Cork saw the official opening of the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, a wonderful new space for visual art in Ireland.
She was appointed by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, to the Board of the Industrial Development Agency. She also serves on numerous other boards including the Abbey Theater, the National Concert Hall, The National Gallery of Ireland, Trinity College, University College Cork and the Royal College of Surgeons.

Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Leadership Award
Philip J. Purcell

Philip Purcell has been Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Stanley since May 1997. He served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Dean Witter Discover from 1986 to May 1997. Mr. Purcell is a Director or trustee of many registered investment companies for which Morgan Stanley Investment Advisors Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, serves as investment manager or investment advisor. He has been a Director of AMR Corp. since January 2000. He was one of the founding members of the Financial Services Forum and served as its Chairman for three years. He served six years as a Director of the New York Stock Exchange and held the elected position of Vice-Chairman in 1995 and 1996.
Mr. Purcell has distinguished himself as a leader and a visionary in the corporate community and is known for his business acumen. In 1999, Mr. Purcell ranked 17th in the May issue of Worth magazine’s The 50 Best CEOs. He has recently joined the Fund’s Board of Directors and is very active in the New York and Chicago Dinners. He supports numerous other charitable organizations such as the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, the University of Chicago, the University of Notre Dame and tonight’s musicians from Opus 118 Harlem School of Music.

Message from Senior Vice President, Invest Northern Ireland
John Haran

It is an honor and a privilege for Invest Northern Ireland to be associated with The American Ireland Fund, and we are very glad to be able to sponsor this publication.
The creation of opportunity and the depth of new experience brought about by the work of The American Ireland Fund have been of tremendous value to the people of Ireland, North and South.
In Northern Ireland in particular, the prodigious support received from the United States has been an inspiration to us, as we build a new era of peace and prosperity. And we’d like to spread that prosperity by showing you, the influential members of the US business community, that we in Northern Ireland can create real value for your business if you set up an operation in the region.
You will be in good company: many prestigious US and international companies have chosen Northern Ireland as a location for research and development, service support or complex manufacturing operations. Liberty Mutual, Allstate Insurance, Seagate Technology and most recently Citigroup, have all established important strategic operations in Northern Ireland.
Indeed, in the last ten years we’ve benefited from nearly $6 billion of global inward investment in Northern Ireland, with almost 50% of that coming from the US. The companies that have invested and re-invested have not been motivated by altruism alone – though of course, they are helping. They have made the location decision based on solid business principles.
In economic terms then Northern Ireland has much to offer and the flow of Foreign Direct Investment into the region reflects an impressive business proposition. Our job at Invest NI here in the United States is to sell that proposition to US corporations - thereby ensuring that the phenomenal young talent coming out of our universities and colleges have challenging career opportunities and the prospect of building a bright future for themselves. Of course we cannot depend on foreign investment alone and Invest NI is also the primary agency for the support and promotion of domestic business growth, particularly in the encouragement of entrepreneurship.
We’re here to show you that your business can profit from a location in Northern Ireland and at the same time, we can demonstrate the benefits that your investment will also make to our society as a whole. I and some of my colleagues are in the room this evening and we’d like to tell you about our offer face-to-face, so I hope to meet you now or at some stage in the future.
Finally, Invest NI congratulates The American Ireland Fund for all of its great work and I hope you all have a pleasant evening.

2005 Performing Arts Award
Ronan Tynan

Ronan Tynan came late to a career in singing. After initially training as a doctor, he began his musical studies at the age of 33 at The College of Music in Dublin. In 1994, Ronan made his debut in Ireland’s National Concert Hall. He was introduced to international audiences when he joined The Irish Tenors in 1998. Now his voice has led him to strike out on his own with a solo career.
He has performed for President and Mrs. Bush in Washington, D.C., and was also one of the performers at the September 11 Memorial Service at Yankee Stadium. He has performed a widely acclaimed rendition of “God Bless America” at Yankee Stadium at several regular season games as well as the Division Series and the World Series. Most recently he performed “Amazing Grace” and Schubert’s “Ave Maria” at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan at the personal invitation of Nancy Reagan. Ronan has become a much sought after public speaker, travelling throughout the world sharing his inspiring story and lust for life.