Palm Beach Emerald Isle Dinner Dance : 2.12.09

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Against many odds the 2009 Palm Beach Emerald Isle Dinner Dance was a huge success.

Under the chairmanship of Hillie Mahoney over 200 guests gathered for Cocktails in the stunning Mediterranean Ball Room of The Breakers Hotel.  There, they were entertained by the rhythmic jazz of Bob Merrill and the Sultans of Swing. The guests were then invited to the Crystal Ballroom for dinner and dancing and were treated to a magnificent musical interlude by Irish virtuoso violinist and Director of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, John Kelly. After dinner, the renowned Palm Beach husband and wife team of Angelo and Sandra Caruso danced a beautiful waltz and snappy foxtrot, inspiring everyone to dance.

Hillie Mahoney presented The American Ireland Funds’ unique award, “The Bird and Bell,” to this year’s honorees, Howard and Michele Kessler.  The Kessler’s are most generous philanthropists who give to a vast range of not-for-profit groups including The American Ireland Fund.  Michele sits on The American Ireland Fund National Board.  They spoke of their love of Ireland and the depth and extensiveness of the work of The American Ireland Fund.

The Ball was attended among others by The American Ireland Fund National Directors

1. Tom Quick
2. Lesley King Grenier
3. Brian Mulroney
4. Sheila O’Malley
5. Declan Kelly
6. Jim Higgins

Other special guests included Supporters from Ireland

1. Tom Ryan
2. Len O’Hagan
3. Tony Condon

Through the extraordinary generosity of the guests the event raised $400,000 exceeding last year’s total!  These monies will be donated to causes across the island of Ireland and the Palm Beach Hospice.

eCard Photos
1 – Bob & Suzanne Wright
2 – Michael & Pepper Jackson
3 – Bill & Rebecca Dunn
4 - Jean VanSinderen-Law, Tom Quick
5 – Jim & Jackie Higgins
6 – Bob Merrill
7 – Howard and Michelle Kessler with Brian Mulroney
8 – Hillie Mahoney, John Hegarty and Mila Mulroney
9 – Julia Kelly & Dick Phelps
10 – Howard and Michelle Kessler
11 – Hillie Mahoney, Dancing
12 – Guest, Peggy & Christopher 'Kip' Condron
13 – John Sharkey, Mary Higgins Clarke & John
14 – Bob Crowe, Lesley King Grenier, Howard Kessler & Bart Grenier
15 - Tom Quick & Lore Dodge

All Photos
380 Bart and Lesley Grenier with Kingsley Aikins
381 Mary Bryant & and David McCord
385 Kieran McLoughlin & Hillie Mahoney
386 Kieran McLoughlin Annie and Jim Ryan
390 Anne & Jim Ryan, Robert Brown and Ellen Tansey
393 Janet and William O. Matthews
395 Bob & Suzanne Wright
398 Joseph & Carol Flannigan
400 Dale Millner , Bill Von Dresser & Tina Flaherty
402 Pepper & Michael Jackson
405 Joseph & Sheila O'Malley Fuchs
407 Jim & Barbara Cleary
410 Cynthia & Michael Gibbons
412 Bob Crowe & Colleen Bain
413 Alexandre & Robin Gaudieri
415 Rebecca & Bill Dunn
418 Anne Fuchs & Jim Harpel
419 Danny Murphy & P.K. Murphy
422 Hiliary & Wilbur Ross
423 John Kelly, Susan Anable, Jack McCarthy
425 Manny & Mary Ourisman
427 Jean VanSinderen-Law, Tom Quick
429 Bill Finneran & Carol Rohrig
432 Jim & Jackie Higgins
434 Jim & Jackie Higgins, Kieran McLoughlin
436 Mary Ourisman, Lore Dodge
437 Gail Hilson and Wally Rogers
439 Bill Von Dresser,tina Flaherty, Dale Millner,Loy Anderson
443 Sheila Palagian & Jean VanSinderen-Law, Danielle deBenedictis
446 Baron Clifford Klink & Alyne Massey
448 Brian & Mila Mulroney
450 Hillie Mahoney & Bob Merrill
452 Dragana & Richard Connaughton
455 Joan Allen & Armando Vega-Perez
457 Buddy Palmer and Pat Patterson
458 John & Etsuko Morris
460 Stephen DeAngelis & Mai Harrison
462 Mrs. Henry Ford II & Frank Chopin
466**Private- Enriquello deRosario
472 Melinda & Tom Hassen
474 Sam & Mary Boykin
477 Sally & Dick Phelps
485 Peter karlson & Danielle DeBenedictis
486 Tiffany and George Cloutier
488 Howard Kessler & Brian Mulroney
491 Hillie Mahoney ,John Hegarty , Mila Mulroney
498 Paul Haran, Mike Beckerich, Sharon Bush, Laurence Crowley & Tony Condon
505 Peggy Davies & Jay Sullivan
511 Kate Ford , Wilbur Ross & Guest
514 Hiliary Ross , Frank Chopin
517 Katherine Bryan , Bill Flaherty & Pat Patterson
521 Jean VanSinderen-Law & John Dodge
523 Talbott Maxey & Lee Hanley
525 Allie Hanley & Tom Quick
528 Guest & Dick Phelps
530 Bob Merrill
532 Dale Millner & Loy Anderson
536 Bart & Lesley Grenier
539 Fred McCarthy & Dragana Connaughton
548 Stephen DeAngelis & Mai Harrison John Hegarty
551 Gabriella , Carla & Francesca Capone
559 Jean VanSinderen-Law & Talbott Maxey
563 Jean VanSinderen-Law , Tom Quick & Talbott Maxey
565 Sheila Palandjian , George & Tiffany Cloutier
568 John Dodge & Allie Hanley
581 Anne Fuchs
589 Manny Ourisman
596 Carol Garvy
597 Hillie Mahoney
605 Kieran McLoughlin, Hillie Mahoney , Michele & Howard Kessler
609 Howard & Michele Kessler
628 Alyne Massey & John Bailey
630 Jim Harpel & Anne Fuchs
632 Carol & Bob Garvy
635 Tom Quick & Lore Dodge

Press Release
The American Ireland Fund’s Annual Emerald Isle Dinner Dance took place on February 12, 2009 at The Breakers and marked the organization’s 19th season in Palm Beach. Hillie Mahoney served as Dinner chairman.  The week began with a kickoff cocktail reception at Mahoney’s Palm Beach house, and concluded with a WineGeese dinner for top donors at the home of AIF board member, Tom Quick. 

The gala evening, which drew more than 200 guests and raised $400,000, began with a cocktail reception in the Mediterranean Ballroom, followed by the dinner dance which was held in The Circle Ballroom. Kieran McLoughlin, president and CEO of The American Ireland Fund, welcomed everyone, acknowledged the special guests who had traveled from Ireland, and thanked Mahoney.  He then introduced Mahoney and asked her to come to the podium. After welcoming and thanking the guests for their support, Mahoney presented the evening’s honorees, philanthropists, Michele and Howard Kessler of Palm Beach and Boston, with The American Ireland Fund’s Humanitarian Award.  Award-winning Irish actor, Gabriel Byrne received the Performing Arts Award.  The program included a special musical performance by violinist, John Kelly of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, who has become known as one of Ireland’s leading cultural ambassadors in Ireland and abroad.

The evening bore the chairman’s distinctive stamp with the selection for the entertainment -- the music of Mahoney’s son, Bob Merrill and the Sultans of Swing Orchestra.  A student and aficionado of dance, Mahoney arranged a special ballroom dance performance by her teacher, Angelo Caruso and his wife, Sandra of Caruso DanceSport Palm Beach, which inspired the guests to follow in their footsteps.  Mahoney also provided her own home-made mustard sauce for the corned beef entrée.

Proceeds from the Emerald Isle Dinner Dance will support Northern Ireland’s youth with programs developed to eradicate the prejudices of the past, such as Integrated Education, Sesame Street Northern Ireland and PeacePlayers International.  In addition, a portion of the dinner’s proceeds were donated to a local charity selected by Mahoney, Hospice of Palm Beach County, which has received a portion of the proceeds from each of the dinners in 2001, 2002 and 2005.