Contact - Irish American Society of the Jersey Shore

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Monday, January 11
Society Meeting

Program: The Irishman Who Designed and Built the White House

by Maureen Brady

Society member Maureen Brady will trace the remarkable life of James Hoban from his humble beginnings as the son of a tenant farmer in rural Ireland to his emergence as one of America's most influential architects. Discover how Hoban came to design the President's House, explore the Irish architectural traditions that inspired his design, hear about his decades-long work on the construction and restoration of the building, and gain a deeper appreciation for the enduring Irish legacy behind one of the world's most recognizable symbols of democracy.

Maureen has a Master of Arts from New York University’s Graduate School of Arts & Science in Irish and Irish-American Studies, including coursework and research at Trinity College Dublin. She is an Instructor at the Lifelong Learning Programs of Rutgers University (OLLI-RU) and Brookdale Community College.

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Saturday, January 30
Special Event

St. Brigid Cross Making Workshop
with Patrick Gallagher

1:00 - 3:00 pm at FSOS clubhouse in Belmar

Just in time for St. Brigid’s feast day on February 1, make your own St. Brigid’s cross! A fun activity open to all including families.

Patrick Gallagher is a professional artist who whose expertise is in the Book of Kells style of Celtic Art. He has taught Celtic studio art at hundreds of venues including three Summer Celtic Art Workshops at the Oideas Gael School at Glencolumkille in Ireland.

Free for Society members

Guests $5 and $10 for families

Advance registration required (info coming soon)

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Thursday, March 11
Society Meeting

Program: Frank and Al

by Terry Golway

Author Terry Golway will present based on his critically acclaimed book about Franklin Roosevelt and Al Smith, who were allies and rivals in the 1920s and '30s. One was an upper-class, to-the-manor-born rural Protestant "country squire" from Hyde Park, New York and the other a Lower East Side Catholic and proud product of the urban Tammany Hall political machine. The two men bridged the gap between rural Protestant and urban Catholic factions within the Democratic Party. Terry will also share a bit about “Terror from America,” his book published in 2026 and has Sherlock Holmes in New York investigating the Fenian movement in the 1880s.

Terry Golway has a PhD in U.S. history from Rutgers University and is author of more than a dozen book and a journalist, having served as a columnist and editorial board member for The New York Times and a long-time editor and writer at The New York Observer.

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Saturday, April 10
Special Event

Symposium: The Irish-American Experience in New Jersey and Metropolitan New York

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

FSOS Clubhouse in Belmar

We are pleased to welcome three contributors from this 2015 collection of essays who will share their learning about the local Irish-American experience both historically and today. Joining us for this symposium are:

Dermot Quinn, Professor of history at Seton Hall University and author of The Irish in New Jersey: Four Centuries of American Life
Alan Delozier, Humanities Librarian at Seton Hall University and New Jersey State Historian for the Ancient Order of Hibernians
William B. Rogers, Professor history at Drew University and author of an essay in Ireland’s Great Hunger: Silence, Memory and Commemoration

A detailed agenda for this event will be available in early 2027.

This will be a ticketed event with limited seating and advance purchase required. Ticket and price info will be posted in the near future.

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Wednesday, May 19
Society Meeting

Program: The Writing Irish of New York

by Colin Broderick

Colin Broderick is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and playwright originally from Northern Ireland. In 2018 he edited a collection of essays that is a compelling exploration of how generations of Irish American authors overcame struggle to shape the literary and cultural landscape of New York City. We are fortunate to have Colin living at the Jersey Shore and look forward to welcoming him at our meeting.

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Saturday, September 25
Special Event

Performance by Brendan Dolan

A multi-instrumentalist, excelling in the piano, Irish flute and tin whistle, Brendan was a member of the legendary New York Ceili Band and has performed with well-known musicians such as John Whelan and Itzhak Perlman. He teaches at the Irish Arts Week in East Durham, New York and maintains a vibrant school of Irish music for children in the New York City area. He has a Master’s degree in Irish and Irish-American Studies at NYU, where he works as an archivist on the Mick Moloney Irish-American Music and Popular Culture Collection.

This will be a ticketed event and information on price and purchasing will be posted when the venue has been selected.

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Monday, November 8
Society Meeting

Program: I Called Her Mary

By Thomas Gorman

Thomas Gorman transcribed the notes of his mother-in-law’s story of how as a teenage girl in 1950’s Ireland was forced to give her baby up for adoption, a decision that haunted her for the rest of her life. Fifty years after the birth of Mary, she received a phone call leading to their reunion in American.

Thomas has a PhD and has worked in public education in NJ as a teacher and administrator for over 25 years. He has been a participant on education discussion panels and authored several professional articles.

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December TBD
Society Christmas Celebration

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