Consul General of Ireland Unveils Map

Saturday October 18, the Consul General of Ireland Mr. Niall Burgess accompanied by his wife Marie visited Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh Hall in Old Bridge to attend the official unveiling of the newly restored Worlds Fair Map of Ireland. The Map, originally in the Irish Pavilion at the 1964 New York Worlds Fair was unveiled by our own Robert Arthur and Dennis Murphy.The key note speaker for the evening was Keynote speaker Brian Andersson: New York's Commissioner of Records displays a flag from the WTC that was taken by astronauts on a 15 million mile space shuttle mission. Flanking Brian are John Wagle, Friendly Sons President and Charles Donnelly, Master of Ceremonies.

Photos and Article by Mike Callaghan

Historic Map Back On Display

The highly anticipated unveiling of the newly restored map of Ireland at the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh took place on Sunday, October 12, 2008.  The map which originally went on display at the 1964 New York World's Fair, as acquired by the Friendly Sons in 1985 and has been on display since its arrival and installation.  It had fallen into disrepair when Charlie Donnelly chaired a committee to have the map restored  and reinstalled in the main hall.  Many people were involved with the restoration and all were honored to see it unveiled to the public on Sunday Oct 12, 2008.
 
The ceremony started off with the FSOS Pipes and Drums kicking off the event with several tunes  It was then followed up by club members Chris Finnegan and Ron Keaveney singing the American and Irish national anthems.  
 
Guest speaker, Al Meredith, author and club member, gave a delightful talk on Irish history and his book, Inishannon.  The public was then invited to view the map and trace their Irish roots back to their respective counties and provinces.  Many people stepped up to take advantage of the opportunity.
 
The evening continued on with a seisiun of Traditional Irish music which was broadcast live on The Voice Of Ireland show on WRSU-FM.  A grand time was had by all.

Photos and Article courtsey of Mike Callaghan

It's a Long Long Way from Fair to Here.

1964, The Worlds Fair is hosted in New York and the Irish Pavillion is the centerpiece for all things Ireland. Prominently displayed in the entrance hall of the Pavillion is a 10 by 12 foot Map of Ireland commissioned just for the occasion. The map consists of 4 handcrafted panels representing the four provinces of Ireland. Each province is detailed with county and family names. That very same year The Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh is formed and becomes the center for all things Irish in Old Bridge.
After the World's Fair the map finds a home in the New York pub, Molly Blooms. There it stays for 18 years until one evening in 1982 members Bob Arthur & Dennis Murphy approach the owner regarding a new home for the map. The owner agrees and the Map is moved to it's present location at FSOS Hall where it has been displayed proudly every since.
Nearly 5 decades have passed since it hung in the Irish Pavillion and as with the rest of us the map had acquired it's own wrinkles. In 2007 a restoration committee was formed & led by Charlie Donnelly who with the help of Jaime O'Kane obtained a grant from the Middlesex Cultural and Heritage Commission. The job or restoring the map fell to Bob Miller, the owner of Bobs Signs, and what a job he did in returning this beautiful piece work to it's former glory.
The FSOS extend a warm invitation to all to come join in the celebration of the World's Fair Map of Ireland and see it as if for the first time in 1964. The celebration begins on Saturday, October 12 from 3-7pm. We'll have traditional Irish Music and a special broadcast over WRSU, Rutgers Radio. All are welcome.