11th Annual Awards Michael Flannery Dinner

by NIFC - National Irish Freedom Committee Sat Jan 21, 2006 23:39 nifcmem at optonline dot net

Honoree Karen Lewis
Sr Sarah Clarke Human Rights Award



Karen's activism began in high school around the "Ban the Bomb" movement.
She spent her senior year in Denmark as an exchange student with the
American Field Service, which radically changed her orientation to
social/political issues and the theater.

Karen graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a B.A. in
Dramatic Art. Trained as an actor, she later performed at the Boulder
Shakespeare Festival, the American Conservatory Theater, the Magic
Theater, the Actors' Repertory Theater, and was a founding member of the
Berkeley Repertory Theater, where she acted in over 50 plays. At KPFA, she
frequently worked with Eric Bauersfeld on poetry projects and recordings
of local productions.

In 1979, she moved to New York City, was cast in Neil Simon's California
Suite with star Al Lewis --whom she later married -- and has never ever
been the same.

Supporting herself as an actor provided Karen with a clear view of the
world from the bottom, taking day-jobs too-numerous-to-mention, but most
notably, rolling croissants. Living in Los Angeles for three years, she
performed locally and got a role on Lou Grant. Back in New York, she wrote
performance pieces and short plays, taught kids acting and writing as a
teaching artist, and directed plays written by kids at the 52nd Street
Project, sponsored by the Police Athletic League. For five years she
taught playwrighting at the Roosevelt Island Cultural Center. In 1992, she
earned a Masters Degree from Hunter College in Theater History.

In 1987, Karen met Gloria W. Milliken, who had just founded her seventh
housing organization, Eviction Intervention Services, to serve low-income
tenants. They began working together and Mrs. Milliken groomed Karen for
the Executive Directorship, which she holds today.

In the mid-90's Samori Marksman, then Program Director of WBAI, invited Al
Lewis to develop a show. Thus, Al Lewis Live and Karen's co-producing
began, creating a social justice program, augmented by the prison pen pal
project, poetry and dramatic readings. They interfaced with the William
Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice, working with Randy Credico to
remove the Rockefeller Drug Laws from the books. In 1998, Al ran for
Governor of New York on the Green Party ticket with Karen by his side.
Karen then started the Roosevelt Island Greens Local which supported their
prison advocacy; the members assisted with the pen pal project, published
a newsletter including submissions from inmates, visited prisons, attended
demonstrations, and sent supplies to the black families in Tulia, Texas
incarcerated through a racist sting operation.

In 2003, when Al was suddenly removed from the airways for health reasons,
Karen began hosting their program, stressing prison issues, encouraging
volunteers to become pen pals with those living behind bars and reporting
on important prison news. In October, 2004, the Lewises received a
Humanitarian Award from HAD (Help Against Drugs). In December, Karen was
honored with an OTTY Award from Our Town Newspaper for her charity work at
EIS. In 2005, Karen presented the Sister Sarah Clarke Award to Father
Lawrence E. Lucas, noting among other things, that she had "fallen in love
with Sister Sarah."

Honoree Larry Kirwan
Micheal Flannery Spirit of freedom Award

Larry Kirwan was raised in Wexford town by his grandfather, Thomas Hughes, who had been initiated into the Irish Republican Brotherhood by no less a person than Sean McDermott. The weekly copy of The United Irishman newspaper and many books on Ireland's history were readily available to Larry as a youngster, and that along with many conversations and debates with his
grandfather made him quite knowledgable about Irish republicanism and
history despite his young years. Being a small business man, Thomas Hughes had little time for James Connolly, but through an early interest in Marxism, Kirwan developed a great admiration for
the Irish socialist leader.

Thomas Hughes' own father had escaped Ireland 's Great Starvation in Ireland by being granted a job as a stonecutter in the building of one of the great Ascenadancy houses. And it was through his grandfather that Kirwan first heard the dreaded words, Black '47. These words were and the tone of voice in which they were spoken were to have an enduring effect on the young boy.

Rock n Roll also made a lasting impression on Larry. He joined a
showband while still in his teens. Emigrating to America in the 70's with fellow Wexford man Pierce Turner, they formed the eclectic duo, Turner and Kirwan of Wexford.

Both Larry and Pierce would lend their talents to the recording of an "EIRE
NUA" album made in 1975 produced by the Eire Nua Association. The proceeds of the album went to help alleviate the financial burden of the dependants of Irish Republican political prisoners. Larry and Pierce would also form The Major Thinkers, a band that became a staple of the East Village "new wave" music scene playing such venues as the Mudd Clubb, CBGB's and Max's Kansas City. The group would later sign to Portrait records, a division of CBS/Epic and scored the radio and club hit, "Avenue B is the Place to Be."

In 1989 Larry met Chris Byrne and formed Black47. The New York music scene would never be the same. Mixing Irish folk influences with everything from punk to hip-hop, they continue to be a true original New York band. Most of the early shows were in the Bainbridge Avneue area of Bronx, a regular venue being the Village Pub. Within a year, in December 1990 they opened for The Pogues at the Brixton Academy in London and establised a vibrant residency at Paddy Reilly's in Manhatten. Word quickly spread and they soon became the house band of New York City and eventually, Irish America. On one particular afternoon, they shut down Hoboken, New Jersey, when an audience estimated at 30,000 crowded into the town to see them play. The New York Daily News called seeing Black 47 perform as "a rite of passage for all New Yorkers".

Honoree Mary Holt Moore
The 2006 Pearl Flannery Humanities Award is presented to Mary Holt Moore.


It was no accident that when the committee determined to honor the men of Easter Week, and to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the 1916 Rising, they chose Mary Holt Moore as Grand Marshal of the 230th New York Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in 1991. A native New Yorker whose heritage, activities and ideology reflect that watershed of Irish history, Mrs. Moore is one of five children born to Charles and Ann O’Rourke Holt. Charles Holt of Rathdrum, County Wicklow, a descendant of General Joseph Holt, Commander of the Wicklow Rebels in the Rising of 1798, served during the Easter Rising as a courier for Erskine Childers. After emigration to New York he became active both with Clan-na-Gael (Erin’s Hope) and with Conradh na Gaedhilge (the Gaelic League). In the course of several ocean-crossings, he saw to the safe transit of many good men and women on the run (including Liam Mellows, both ways); he served directly under Cathal Brugha, Minister for War of the Irish Republic. Ann O’Rourke Holt of Kiltyclogher, County Leitrim was an Ó Ruairc of Breifne and a cousin to Seán Mac Diarmada, one of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. In New York she was active with the Gaelic League and with the Friends of Irish Freedom; Charlie Holt worked with Ann’s cousin Rose McDermott (Seán’s sister), who as secretary in the Seaman’s Church near Castle Garden, facilitated getting the men on the run up to the safety of the Irish Carmelite Mission on 28th Street. Mrs. Moore’s uncle, Sam O’Reilly, whose father John Kevin O’Reilly wrote “Wrap the Green Flag ‘Round me, Boys”, was the last man to leave the GPO with Pádraic Pearse.

Nor was it any accident that her upbringing infused an appreciation of all things Irish into Mary, which she took with her, and enhanced in St. Anselm’s School, Cathedral High School, Hunter College, Columbia University and the College of New Rochelle. As a Special Education teacher for the New York City Board of Education, as well as instructing in Irish language, history and céilí dancing with the Bronx Gaelic League, Mrs. Moore shared her passion for all types of learning with generations of children and adults.

Thomas A. Moore, an Ó Mordha of Laois, born in Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, Tom is a retired Deputy Chief of the Fire Department of New York City and was a medic with the US Army’s 97th Infantry Division (WWII) in Europe. He and Mary Holt Moore have passed this love of education and of Irish culture to their eight children and twenty grandchildren. Seven of their children graduated from Iona College (Irish Christian Brothers) where they were involved in the Gaelic Society and the Iona Pipe Band. Their oldest son, Thomas, is disabled. Pipe Major Kevin O’Rourke Moore and his brothers Dermot and Patrick are co-founders of The Kerry Pipers.

Mrs. Moore is an active participant in the Irish community: former president, Bronx Gaelic League, and Council of Gaelic Societies; former VP, Bronx County Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Historian Div. 3 Rockland LAOH; member Emerald Society of the New York City Board of Education; County Leitrim Society. Her contributions have been recognized over the years: North American Feis Commission Irish Cultural Hall of Fame; Irish American Legislators’ Award; Bardic Award of the Irish American Cultural Center; Irish American Unity Conference Award for Leadership in Irish Culture. Mary Holt Moore has been named Irish Woman of the Year by: New York City Board of Education; Div. 3, Bronx AOH; Emerald Society of the Telephone and Communication Workers; Emerald Society of the Fire Department of New York; 2003 Woman of Distinction, New York State Senate. She has been honored by the Kerrymen’s P&B Assn, the Irish National Caucus and the American Irish Defense Fund.

In recognition of the continuity of her devotion to the bright dream of the Men and Women of 1916, of her untiring efforts for the propagation of Irish language and culture, and of her exemplary fulfillment of Thomas Davis’ injunction “Educate that you might be free,” The 2006 Pearl Flannery Humanities Award is presented to Mary Holt Moore.


The theme of the dinner will be remembering the hungerstrikers of 1981, in this the 25th anniversary of their deaths.

The key note speaker will be Robert W. White author of the soon to be released biography of Ruairí Ó Brádaigh titled:" Ruairí Ó Brádaigh The Life and Politics of an Irish Revolutionary ".

Robert W. White is Dean of the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts and Professor of Sociology at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. He is author of Provisional Irish Republicans: An Oral and Interpretive History and co-editor of Self, Identity and Social Movements.

for more information visit:
www.irishfreedom.net

by NIFC - National Irish Freedom Committee Sun Nov 20, 2005 21:41 nifcmem at optonline dot net

CUMANN NA SAOIRSE NÁISIÚNTA
THE NATIONAL IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE

SOUVENIR JOURNAL CONTRACT

THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL MICHAEL FLANNERY TESTIMONIAL AWARDS DINNER
ON
FRIDAY JANUARY 27th 2006
AT THE ASTORIA WORLD MANOR, ASTORIA, NEW YORK

This year’s honorees will be:

Mary Holt Moore
The Pearl Flannery Spirit of Freedom Award

Karen Lewis
The Sr. Sarah Clarke Human Rights Award

Larry Kirwan
The Michael Flannery Spirit of Freedom Award

Cumann Na Saoirse Naisiunta will produce a commemorative ad journal to mark the event. This ad journal promises to be a truly special collector’s item. It designed by the world’s foremost Celtic folk artist Brian Mór Ó Baoighill. Samples of the art will be posted on our website.
Please consider purchasing an ad. to mark this historic occasion

FULL PAGE $100.00 HALF PAGE $50.00

Please check the appropriate box

Authorized Signature: _____________________________________________________________
Organization /Business_____________________________________________________________
Telephone: _________________________Email: _______________________________________

For assistance in placing ads, please email; Patrick@Irishfreedom.net
Or visit www.irishfreedom.net

For ticket information, please call Bob at (845-354-2473)

The closing date for ads is Jan. 21st. 2006

Please send your ad, check or M.O. to
P.O. Box 1396 Laurence Harbor N.J. 08879
Please make checks or M.O. payable to Cumann Na Saoirse



www.irishfreedom.net