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Mayor Sheahan with members of the Kerry Association in the Kerry Hall in Yonkers.
THE Mayor of Kerry/Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr John Sheahan, has concluded a visit to New York as part of the St Patrick’s Day Parade celebrations.
On Saturday, he joined the Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, for an early morning reception at his official residence, Gracie Mansion. Among the other invited guests were the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and current Rose of Tralee Jennifer Byrne.
Later he joined Kerry Patriotic and Benevolent Association President, Frank O’Keefe, in leading the 1,500 strong Kerry Association down Fifth Avenue in the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade.
Continued below…
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On Friday last the Mayor laid a wreath in remembrance of the almost 3,000 victims of the World Trade Center and 9/11 attacks at the memorial site in New York . The inscription on the wreath reads: ‘In Remembrance. From the People of County Kerry, Ireland.’ One in six of those who died were either Irish born or of Irish descent.
Mayor John Sheahan and his wife Mairead with Rose of Tralee, Jennifer Byrne.
Mayor Sheahan and his wife Mairead, were welcomed by Jerry Leary, senior security supervisor at the Memorial, and given a guided tour of the 9/11 museum. The $3 billion Memorial and Museum were built at Ground Zero by Navillus, the construction company headed up by Donal O’Sullivan from Ballinskelligs.
The Mayor also met current members of the New York Fire Department of Kerry heritage. Queens Battalion Chief Stephen Sullivan, whose family comes from Cromane and Beaufort, recalled how a delay in getting to The Bronx Fire House that morning probably saved his life. All his colleagues in the Brooklyn Unit perished when trying to evacuate people from the South Tower when it collapsed on them.
On Monday (March 18th), the Mayor visited the Yonkers Fire House and the Kerry Hall, headquarters of the Kerry Association. He also had engagements with Tourism Ireland, IDA Ireland and the Consul General of Ireland, Mr Ciarán Madden, in Ireland House.
The Mayor was accompanied by Kerry County Council Tourism Officer, Mr John Griffin who took these photos…
Mayor Sheahan lays a wreath at September 11 Memorial.
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Mayor John Sheahan with the O’Sullivans from Cromane.
Mayor Sheahan and his wife with Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio.
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Mayor Sheahan meets his cousin at the parade.
Secretary of Kerry Association Mary Daly from Rathmore and her husband John from Killarney with the Mayor and wife Mairead Sheahan at the NYC Parade.
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The Kerry Association with the banner during the parade.
The Mayor at Yonkers Firehouse.
Kerry people among the crowd at the parade.
