15th March, 2009

Chieftains Concert and Reception with Chris Matthews

Committee members of The American Ireland Fund and their guests attended the annual Chieftains concert at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, March 15.  The music and dancing were fabulous and everyone of the forty of us enjoyed the Irish humor and spirit. 

Following the performance guests gathered in the Kimmel Center’s Cadence Restaurant for a reception.  Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, and his wife Kathleen, joined us.  Mr. Matthews offered some comments on growing up in Philadelphia and his view on the current situation in Northern Ireland.

Dennis Durkin, chair of the Philadelphia Regional Advisory Board introduced Mr. Matthews and other special guests Rev. Bill Shaw of The 174 Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Patrick Meehan, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southeastern District of Pennsylvania.  Several members of the Regional Advisory Board were in attendance including former golf committee chairs Jim Lynch and Michael McCabe, current golf committee chair Jim Kane, and members Mike O’Neill and Ed Robertson.

Maureen Gillespie, AIF regional director for New York, offered greetings and presented a gift to Mr. Matthews.