On Saturday, July 31, 2010, The American Ireland Fund hosted more than 200 guests including business, government, and media leaders at its annual Nantucket Celebration. The Nantucket Celebration was held at the home of Lesley King and Bart Grenier and featured a cocktail reception with spirited, live traditional Irish music and an appearance by upcoming Irish soloist Julie Lavery of The Berklee School of Music. The Celebration raised funds for The American Ireland Fund’s support of arts, cultural, educational and community development programs to further the goal of a peaceful, prosperous Ireland.
This year’s Nantucket Celebration was co-chaired by Bob and Laurie Monahan and the honored guest was retiring United States Congressman William D. Delahunt. Among the guests attending were Senator John Kerry, Bank of America’s Anne Finucane and her husband Mike Barnicle (MSNBC), Putnam Investments President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Reynolds and his wife Laura, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and his wife Kathleen, Jack Manning (Boston Capital Corporation) and his wife Lyle Howland, The American Ireland Fund Executive Director Steve Greeley of Scituate and Dave Greaney of Boston-based Synergy Real Estate Corporation along with his wife Kathy Greaney, both of Cohasset.
Past honorees of the Nantucket Celebration include, among others, President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews, Special Olympics President and CEO Tim Shriver, the late author Frank McCourt and the late journalist Tim Russert.
