GREENWICH HIBERNIAN - Key Persons
A native of Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Ms. Cordon is a past president of the Greenwich Ladies Thomas Davis division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Treasurer. Her responsibilities for the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee have included treasurer and chairperson. In 1987, she became the first named "Woman of the Year" of the Pipes and Drums Corp of the Firefighters Emerald Society of Westchester.
The oldest of four children of Thomas and Lois O'Connor whose ancestors hailed from County Kerry. Mr. O'Connor graduated from the University Connecticut School of Law and was an associate and partner at Greenwich law firm, Ivey, Barnum and O'Mara from 1969 to 1983. Subsequently, Mr. O'Connor and five other attorneys formed the Stamford law firm, Diserio, Martin, O'Connor and Castiglioni. Mr. O'Connor is a 46 year resident of Greenwich and has been involved in numerous civic and charitable organizations including The Wild Geese, Stamford United Way, Interfaith Council of Fairfield County, Kolby Cathedral High School and Business Council of Fairfield County.
Job Titles:
- Honorary Chairman
- 43rd Annual Parade on March 19, 2017
Grandparents, George and Catherine Kelly, emigrated from County Cork in the late 1800's. Ms. Lavaty graduated from Berkley Business School in White Plains and subsequently went to work for NBC in New York for 38 years. At NBC she worked in the news division as program manager. Ms. Lavaty is involved with her church, St. Mary of Greenwich, where she is the head of the Social Concerns committee. She is also a board member of the NBC New York Employees Federal Credit Union and the Today Show Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Job Titles:
- 23rd Annual Parade March 16, 1997
A native of Belfast, Mr. Curran was the President and Director of Bank of Ireland Asset Management. He started his career with the Irish Development Authority and became Director for North American investments into Ireland. Mr. Curran accepted the role as Grand Marshal to help promote a Belfast employment based organization called Flax Trust whose board he sits on. It is a center for both Catholics and Protestants entrepreneurs seeking to start a business.
Grandparents were from County Cork and County Kilkenny. A native of Valhalla, N.Y., Dr. Walsh came to Greenwich in 1967 where he completed his residency at Greenwich Hospital in 1970. He then served in the U.S. Army as chief of medical services at Kenner Army Hospital in Virginia and returned to Greenwich in 1974. Dr. Walsh has served on the boards of directors of Greenwich Hospital, the Kidney Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, the Greenwich Medical Society and various local charities.
Great grandparents emigrated from Ireland during the 1850's settling in Rye, N.Y. Mr. Kelly is a 33-year veteran of the Greenwich Police Department where he was a founding member and later president of the Greenwich Police Emerald Society. He was also drum sergeant in the Emerald Society Pipe Band. Mr. Kelly is also a member of the Greenwich Hibernian Association, The Knights of Columbus Orinoco Council #39, The Navy League Western Connecticut Council, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, The Ninth District Veterans Association, Byram Shore Boat Club, Greenwich Boat & Yacht Club, and the Retired Police Officers Association.
Job Titles:
- President
- Master of Ceremonies
Mother was from Roscrea, County Tipperary. Judge Nigro was a lifelong Greenwich resident who served on the boards for United Way, the Greenwich Advisory Council on Youth and Drugs, the Drug Liberation Program and Community Return of Stamford. He was also active in governance for the Town. Upon his graduation from Yale University School of Law, Judge Nigro served in the United States Army for three years.
Great-great grandmother from County Tipperary brought seven children to the United States in 1851, after her husband died in the Irish Famine. Mr. Tierney has a long line of ancestors serving the public from the family settled in the United States. His great-grand uncle was Bishop of Connecticut; great grandfather, Jeremiah Tierney, a judge, fought in the civil war; grandfather, William L. Tierney, Sr., was a Congressman; and Mr. Tierney' father, was a Judge of the Town Court, a Superior Court Judge and Grand Marshal of the 5th Greenwich St. Patrick's Day Parade. Mr. Tierney has followed a family tradition as a Superior Court Judge and serving in numerous civic organizations ranging from the U.S. Army Artillery to public governing committees to the Greenwich Kiwanis club.
Paternal grandparents from County Kilkenny and County Waterford. His maternal grandparents were from County Tipperary. Judge Lewis served two terms as first selectman from 1971 to 1975. In 1982, he was appointed state Superior Court judge by Gov. William O'Neill. After graduating from Notre Dame, he went on to serve 3 years in the U.S. Air Force.
Ancestors came from County Tipperary. Judge Tierney is a retired Superior Court Judge. Lt. Brian M. O'Donnell blew the whistle signifying the official start of the parade.
Irish ancestry is on all sides of his family with Dougherty, O'Brien, Dehan, McGahey, McCabe, Comber and other Irish ancestors. The Dougherty side of the family came out of Inishowen in County Donegal. He is a local attorney who has served on the Boards of numerous local non-profit organizations and on the Town of Greenwich Commission on Aging. He was President of The Wild Geese, an Irish American cultural organization and is a founding director of The Irish American Museum of Washington, DC.
Father is from Roosky, County Roscommon, and his mother is from Edgeworthstown, County Longford. Chief Heavey serves on the boards for the Greenwich Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross. He is a member of the Greenwich Police Emerald Society and Connecticut Critical Incident Stress Management Team and is Cubmaster of Pack 35. Chief Heavey was Chief of the Glenville Volunteer Fire Company and served as a Military Police Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve for over 20 years.
Father was from Schull, County Cork and his mother from Carlinford, County Louth. Mr. Leahy was co-founding president of the Wild Geese. He was director of the Irish American Cultural Institute, vice president and director of United Way and founding president of Chimney Cove Tax District.
Great-grandfather from Ballylarkin, Parish of Freshford, County Kilkenny came to the United States in 1852 with his great-grandmother from County Waterford. Mr. Larkin was founding Executive Member of Cooperation-Ireland which was dedicated to peace in Northern Ireland through student exchanges between Protestants and Catholics. He was Vice-President of the Irish Club in London and as Trustee, Executive Committee and Treasurer of 160 year old N.E. Historic Genealogical Society (Boston) where he was instrumental in establishing 1st Irish Family History Program. Mr. Larkin was also Vice-Chairman of American Express International and a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps with 14 years Reserve.
Grandparents from County Cork and County Galway. His wife was from Druny, County Donegal. Mr. Fahey was executive director of the Greenwich Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He was also president of the Men's Club at St. Mary Church and president of the Rotary Club.
Job Titles:
- 33rd Annual Parade on March 25, 2007
A native of Ardagh, County Longford, Mr. Halpin emigrated to the United States in 1961. He began working in Arnolds Bakery while studying computers at night. Afterwards, he ran IBM tabulating machines and retired as a supervisor at Brinks in information management. John Halpin is a founding member of the Greenwich Hibernian Association and served as parade chairman for 28 years. He is a drum major for the Greenwich Pipe Band.
Father from Ballinamore, County Letrim and mother from Castleisland, County Kerry. Mr. Kavanagh was a member of Representive Town Meeting, Greenwich Board of Parks and Recreation and the Selectmen's Golf Advisory Committee. He is also a lay reader and member of the Parish Council at St. Mary Church. For more than 25 years, he coached Knights of Columbus teams in the Greenwich Babe Ruth Baseball League.
Father and maternal grandparents all emigrated from County Roscommon. After serving in the National Guard from 1967 to '70, Mr. Gavin joined the Greenwich Police Department, retiring as a Youth Division officer in 1993 to help open the Horseneck Tavern. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, Greenwich Police Emerald Society, Retired Greenwich Police Officers Association, Glenville Veterans Association, Byram Veterans Association and the Umbrella Club of Fairfield. In past parades he played the bagpipes in the Emerald Society's Bagpipe Band. Police Sgt. Michael Brian O'Connor blew the whistle signifying the official start of the parade.
Dr. Conboy's father is a native of County Offaly, and his maternal grandparents were natives of County Tipperary. Dr. Conboy is a member of the Greenwich Medical Society, Fairfield County Medical Association and the Connecticut State Medical Society. Since 1994, he has been chairman of the Credentials Committee at Greenwich Hospital and is past chairman of the Coronary Care Unit Committee. At the hospital he has served on the Executive Committee, the Utilization Review Committee and the Board of Censor of the Greenwich Medical Society. Dr. Conboy is known for his knowledge, gentleness, caring and concern.
Job Titles:
- 19th Annual Parade March 14, 1993 Deceased
Great grandfather from Portlaoise. Mr. Dunne was chairman of the Selectmen's Committee on Parking and Traffic. He was also chairman of the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce from 1985 to 1990 and served on the boards of the Greenwich Hospital Association, United Way, Brunswick School, Putnam Trust & Co., Wild Geese and the Exchange Club of Greenwich.
Parents are both natives of County Clare. Monsignor Guinan was ordained into the priesthood on March 17, 1945 in the St. Joseph Cathedral in Hartford. During his service in Connecticut parishes, he led the forming of basketball and baseball teams for the youth and the building of St. Michael Church Greenwich in addition to his other initiatives. Monsignor Guinan was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Wild Geese, AARP, Golden Age Club and many other civic and charitable organizations.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Treasurer
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Retired Public Accountant and Former Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration for the Bessemer Group Inc
Mr. Waide's parents, natives of Ireland helped organize the parade in its early years. Mr. Waide, a retired public accountant and former executive vice president of finance and administration for the Bessemer Group Inc., sits on a number of nonprofit boards, including the American Federation for Aging Research, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the Hartford School of Arts.
Father was born in County Carlow and his maternal grandfather and grandmother were born in County Cork and County Galway respectively. Mr. Connolly's service to the local community includes being a Greenwich Time paperboy, a pants presser in his father's tailor shop, a clerk and butcher at Quinn's Market, an altar boy at St. Mary Church and a drummer in the Greenwich Police Pipes & Drums Band. Mr. Connolly served in the United States Marine Corps and is a self-taught artist.