24th Annual St Patrick's Day Luncheon Toronto : 3.16.07

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The 24th Annual St Patrick's Day Luncheon was held in Toronto on Friday March 16th to a sold out number of 1330 people! The proceeds from our live auction and raffle were designated to go to Ireland Park Foundation. Ireland Park was installed to commemorate the Irish Famine of 1847 when between May and October of 1847, 38,560 Irish Famine immigrants arrived on Toronto’s Waterfront.  

The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance announced that the Canadian Government would be giving Ireland Park Foundation $500,000 and Mr. Dick Roche Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government - Ireland, announced that they would also be giving $500,000 to Ireland Park Foundation.

We would like to thank our Pillar Sponsor Guinness Diageo Canada; Live Auction Sponsors BMW Toronto, Chateau de La Ligne, Tourism Ireland, Transat Holidays and Carr Golf; Preserving the Moment Sponsor, Fenian Films; Savoury Sponsors: Priority Brands, Ice River Springs and Brian Martin Promotions. Our heartfelt gratitude to our many volunteers, Committee Members and a special thank you to Co-Chairs Philip Armstrong and Kevin Gallagher for being at the helm of this successful event.

We had a whose who of head tables:

Cathy Jones- This Hour Has 22 Minutes-Comedian
Jack Armstrong-Sportsnet
Jim McKenny-CityTV
Sean Murphy-Irish Person of the Year 2007
John Dunne- Patron and Co Founder of the St Patrick’s Day Luncheon
The Right Honourable John Turner
His Excellency Declan Kelly- Ambassador of Ireland to Canada
His Grace, Archbishop Thomas Collins, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto
Robert Kearns-Chair, Ireland Park Foundation
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance
Philip Armstrong, Director, Ireland Fund of Canada,
Co-chair St Patrick’s Day Luncheon
Mark Dailey, CityTV and Master of Ceremonies
Sue Storey, Chair, Ireland Fund of Canada
Mr. Dick Roche, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Mayor David Miller, Mayor of Metropolitan Toronto (GTA)
Nicholas Armour, British Consul General
Kevin Gallagher, Co-Chair, Ireland Fund of Canada
Walter Schauer, Sponsored by BMW Toronto
John Kennedy, Guinness / Diageo Canada
Dave Devall, Grand Marshal of the 2007 St Patrick’s Day Parade and CTV Weatherman
Ted McConnell, Patron, Honourary Consul General for Ireland
Mayor Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga

Also in attendance we had:
The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
The Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice & Attorney General of Canada
The Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism
The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and immigration
The Honourable Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage
The Honourable David Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure
Virignia West, Deputy Minister of Labour
Diane Ablonczy, MP-Calgary-Nose Hill
Mike Wallace, MP-Burlington
Fabian Manning, MP- Avalon
Gary Goodyear, MP – Cambridge
Mr.Niall Callan, Secretary General Department of the Environment heritage and Local Government
And his wife, Mrs. Mary Mc Aleavy
Ms Cathy Bruton, Private Secretary to the Minister
Mr. Sean Fitzpatrick, Press Officer
Mrs. Anne Kelly, wife of Ambassador Kelly
Mrs. Eleanor Roche, wife of Mr. Roche
Dr John Kelly, Ireland Canada University Fund, from Ireland
Senator David Smith


Photo Index
1. Susan Storey, Chair Ireland Fund of Canada
2. Mark Dailey, City TV Anchor, emcee
3. Robert Kearns, Chair Ireland Park Foundation and The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance
4. Mr. Dick Roche, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Ireland
5. Ambassador to Ireland for Canada, His Excellency Declan Kelly
6. Right Honourable John Turner
7. Archbishop Thomas Collins
8. Mayor of Toronto, David Miller
9. Nicholas Armour, British Consulate General
10. Cathy Jones, This Hour Has 22 Minutes - Comedian
11. John Kennedy, Guinness / Diageo Canada
12. Dancers
13-15 Sponsors

Photos courtesy of William C. Smith