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WELCOME TO OUR SITE
IRISH CULTURE SALUTE
Cork and Kerry Irish Pub
10614 S. Western Ave., Chicago
7:30 PM to 11:30 PM
$40 per person includes bottled beer, wine and soda
For ticket purchase please contact:
Ann Bourke at 708.446.8342
Traditional Session Featuring:
Paddy Homan and the Four Courts
Accoustic Contemporary Rock and Blues:
Paul and Dan Cassanto
The ANNUAL PICNIC was held on August 30th, 2009. The food was masterly prepared by Pat Murphy and his handy crew of assistants. Alice Gill once again found us the finest Irish musicians available. Ann Bourke supplied us with a variety of raffle and door prizes. Father Frawley was there as always to lead us in service, of which we are very grateful. Kate Lynch was our faithful Bingo mistress and as always had a great following. Tom Lynch had everyone racing while running the egg toss. We had a great turnout and are always looking for new faces to join us.
This year's $1,000 winner was Brendan Doorhy. The $100 winners were Joe Sabia, John F. Brogan, Father Jack Gavin, Cliff Kohler and June Maddrell.
As always, the club is already in discussions for next year's picnic with making attendance our #1 priority.
The WHITE SOX game was held on September 18, 2009 and got clobbered, however the members of the club who hopped on the bus or drove to see them, didn't seem to mind. The parade was great fun, with all of our members receiving their Green and White Sox hat for the 2009 season.
For the fourth year in a row, the IAA hosted it's Annual Fall GOLF OUTING which was held on September 26, 2009. Twenty-two foursomes gathered at the beautiful Water's Edge Golf Course in Worth, IL. Jerry Doorhy, our golf chairman, did another wonderful job with the turnout. However, without our generous hole sponsors, none of this would have been possible.
Our thanks to the following sponsors: NETRIX, LLC, CONNOR & GALLAGHER, KEEFE, CAMPBELL & ASSOCIATES, SIEGFRIED INVESTMENTS, THE LAW OFFICES OF THOMAS W. LYNCH, P.C., ODELSEN & STERK LAW OFFICES, CRANGA CONCRETE, DONEGAL EXCAVATING, DONEGAL DISPOSAL, RISK PLACEMENT SERVICES & SARA WITRZ, OAKLEY STEEL, CURLEY FUNERAL HOME AND IRISH CASTLE PAVING.
The winners of the day in the male foursome were: Mike Sullivan, Mike Dolezal, Joe Flowers and Steve Lavefer.
The ladies winners were: Anne Doorhy, Jill McGrath, Megan Collins and Elizabeth Sterk.
The winner of the longest drive event was: Mike Stone.
The winner of the longest putt event was: Dan Dorgan.
Check back for info on the next upcoming event or click a link below.
The entire membership of the Chicago Irish American Alliance was deeply saddened at the loss of one of our first members and 1993 Woman of the Year, ELIZABETH (BETTY) LEEN.
We had a pre-St Patrick’s Day Membership Drive and gathering at T.R.’S Pub on February 19th. It went over quite well, with many faces from the past renewing long forgotten memberships, and new members signing up. On the heels of our Membership Drive our Club began it’s 18th Annual March down South Western Avenue in participation in what has always been known as the South Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Our participation in the parade has always been an annual highlight and this year it clearly was the best year ever. There was a sunny sky and the temperature was 70 degrees and when our St. Patrick, John Brogan, a man who is the “Featured St. Patrick” in many parade photos and renderings began the march.
Through the years this event has meant a lot to our members. We have hosted a variety of dignitaries through the years including the the Irish Council General, the Mayor of Galway, (courtesy of Mike Doorhy) and Democracy Organizers from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (courtesy of my neighbors the Dougherty’s). We have hosted innumerable friends visiting from England, Ireland and other Countries. We have also hosted our own relatives and friends. In addition we have sponsored numerous Organizations and Clubs on behalf of the Parade Organizers (remember marching with the Iberian Celtic marching band and the Irish Boxing Team, for instance.)
We have had members dressed as Monk’s, always had a St. Patrick, usually an Uncle Sam, (George Reig) an occasional clown. We have had music (Jerry Haughey), a Leprechaun, (Ginger Ripple), the Gavin Family Tumblers, the Great Irish Wolfhounds (courtesy of Joe Mahoney and others), and other forms of amusement, always on a well decorated float. We even had our own version of “the pet parade” with some members leading the way with their dogs on leash.
Most importantly we have always had our members and their families, from the little babies to our octogenarians, walking, riding, skipping, handing out material, candy and otherwise enjoying the float and the day.
The Parade has grown to an event of international renown. Presidents and others of great standing have participated. A record 340,000 men, women, children and dogs all seemed to wave and smile at the largest parade to date. We enjoyed it, but we guess that was too many.
The best we can ascertain was that there were problems, problems we either couldn’t see from our vantage points in the Parade, or problems which were generated after our group members had moved on to our homes and parties. The Parade Committee has decided to put the event “on hold for a year or two”. It seems that it will be a hard event to get back.
The Irish American Alliance has always had a wonderful relationship with the folks at the South Side Irish Parade Committee and we have always supported their events. They are volunteers from many walks of life who are giving a lot. We understand they are working on the matter and/or on alternatives. It cannot be easy and we hope their efforts are rewarded. We will keep the membership updated by newsletters, and of course our website, www.chicagoiaa.com
We do have some pictures of the 2009 parade are on the website, and would love to post more.
Email them to newsletter@chicagoiaa.org and we will post them as soon as we can. Again, we could not have been as successful for all of these years without our float sponsors, past and present.
Acme Refining
O’Connor & Gallagher Insurance
Shannon Imports
Law Offices of Thomas W. Lynch
Davoren Residential Appraisals
Risk Placement Services
State Bank of Countryside
Indiana Insurance
Irish Castle Paving
Killary Marketing
McNally’s Tavern