Washington : 15th National Gala : March 14, 2007

Send any photo as an ecard to your friends!

On Wednesday the 14th of March, 800 guests filled the National Building Museum in Washington for The American Ireland Fund’s 15th Annual National Gala. The evening brought together business and political leaders and friends of Ireland in splendid surroundings.

An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, The Prime Minister of Ireland was among those who spoke. Other speakers on the night included Prime Minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair who addressed the guests via a video link, and Kingsley Aikins, CEO and President of The Worldwide Ireland Funds who announced a $1 million plan to provide a new school building for Rowallane Integrated College in Northern Ireland, where children from both communities are brought together to learn in a non-sectarian environment.

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives, was the recipient of The American Ireland Fund Peace Award and Senator Mitch McConnell was the recipient of The American Ireland Fund Leadership Award

The night was a great success and raised in excess of $800,000 that will go towards helping The American Ireland Fund’s programs of Peace and Reconcilliation. In celebration of the event's 15th Anniversary, a portion of the proceeds from The American Ireland Fund National Gala will be donated to programs that are unique to our nation’s capital including:

• The Washington-Ireland Program For Service And Leadership
www.wiprogram.org
• PeacePlayers International
www.playingforpeace.org

This success was in no small part aided by the great effort of our Gala Chair, Gerald S.J. Cassidy and the Dinner Chairs: Hon. Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, Phillip D. Brady, Thomas A. Corcoran, Susan A. Davis, John P. Feehery, Ginny Grenham, Dennis M. Lucey, John J. McDonnell, Jr., Eugene M. McQuade, George G. Moore, Hon. Jack Quinn, Paul S. Quinn, Mark H. Tuohey. Our thanks to them and all those who helped make the evening such a resounding success.

Guests were beckoned to the dessert and pub receptions by the sight of decadent deserts and the lively sounds of Scythian. It was not long until many had lessons and Irish or not everyone was dancing a jig!

Photo Index
 
1. Gerald S. J. Cassidy, Kingsley Aikins and the Honorable Richard Neal, Congressional Friends of Ireland Chairman
2. The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives -Peace Award Recipient
3. Norah O'Donnell, contributing correspondent for NBC News's Today program and chief Washington correspondent for MSNBC
4. An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, The Prime Minister of Ireland
5. The Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate – Leadership Award Recipient
6-8. National Building Museum
9. The Dinner Chairs gather with some of the evening’s notable guests
Back Row Left to Right – Eugene M. McQuade, Dinner Chair; John J. McDonnell, Jr., Dinner Chair; Gerald S.J. Cassidy, Gala Chair; Susan Ann Davis, Dinner Chair; George G. Moore, Dinner Chair; Hon. Elizabeth Frawley Bagley; Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate & Honoree; Dennis M. Lucey, Dinner Chair, Gov. Martin O’Malley; Paul S. Quinn, Dinner Chair
Front Row Left to Right – Thomas A. Corcoran, Dinner Chair; Kingsley Aikins, The American Ireland Fund CEO; An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern; Loretta Brennan Glucksman, The American Ireland Fund Chairman, Kristin Silverberg, Department of State.
10. The Honorable Richard Gephardt, Kingsley Aikins, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Norah O’Donnell
11. Kingsley Aikins; Hon. Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor; Norah O’Donnell; Republican Leader Mitch McConnell
12. Mark H. Tuohey, Dinner Chair; Senator Patrick Leahy; Hon. Martin O’Malley, Governor of Maryland
13. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and John J. McDonnell, Jr., Dinner Chair
14. Denny and Paul S. Quinn, Dinner Chair and Speaker Nancy Pelosi
15. Caitriona Fottrell, Vice President, The Ireland Funds, Speaker Nanci Pelosi, Kieran McLoughlin, President, The American Ireland Fund