I spoke to a sold out audience in the New York Irish Centre and got a standing ovation for it. On the actual 150th anniversary date of The Catalpa boat returning to New York. People travelled from all over for the event.
With Greg O’Loughlin at the grave of John Breslin who was key to The Catalpa escape. We were there on the 150th anniversary of the boat landing in New York.
There were people who travelled from New Bedford, Connecticut, Springfield and Philadelphia Thanks to Ciaran Quinn and Greg O’Loughlin who got the event to happen on the exact date of the landing.
We had a particularly moving ceremony in Cavalry Cemetery at the grave of John Breslin and some of those associated with the escape. Chris and Stacie Donnelly who have set up their incredibly successful website on The Catalpa were there along with my friend Bill Newss.
Outside the New York Irish Center before my talk
With Kimberly Mescall who travelled from Connecticut
The traditional Irish musicians before and after the event were fantastic. Absolutely outstanding reaction yesterday.
Thanks to Friends of Sinn Fein USA for making it happen. A day I’ll treasure for a long, long time remembering the most amazing prison rescue in Irish history. We weren’t just remembering history but also making history by having the event on the very date it happened. And then I went out to the harbour the next day to see where the boat arrived.
This lady (I can’t remember her name) but she cheered me on all the way during the talk. She was brilliant!
With Stacie Donnelly who has become a wonderful friend and runs the website www.catalpanewbedford.com She is an inspiration and brilliant at marketing.
Stacie brought her parents, who also travelled from New Bedford to New York for the event.
In the zone!
Great shot of the venue.
The American flag. I had just bought an American flag at the World Trade Center the day before this talk.
To do this all on the actial date of the 150th anniversary of the boat arriving in New York is absolutely incredible. I really felt blessed to have been able to tell the story to the best of my ability. thank you to everyone I met who came. It was wonderful.
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