LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Paddy McCarthy upon the occasion of his
designation as a Gael of the Year of the 37th Annual Queens County St.
Patrick's Day Parade, March 3, 2012

WHEREAS, St. Patrick's Day is a time for people of all nationalities and
generations to assemble and celebrate the rich culture and heritage of
the Irish people throughout these United States; and
WHEREAS, A St. Patrick's Day Parade reflects and records the ongoing
history of the United States and Ireland, and highlights the many
contributions and historical accomplishments of the Irish community in
this diverse land; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Paddy McCarthy
upon the occasion of being named a Gael of the Year of the 37th Annual
Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade, to be held on Saturday, March 3,
2012; and
WHEREAS, Edward Rice will also be honored as a Gael of the Year; and
WHEREAS, In addition, the 37th Annual Queens County St. Patrick's Day
Parade will honor Kevin O'Brien as Grand Marshal of the parade and
Thomas Flood and Eileen Long-Chelales as Honorary Grand Marshals; and
WHEREAS, Also being honored as Deputy Grand Marshals at this year's
Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade are Maureen Donachie, Mary Ellen
Murray, Maurice Landers, Ralph Reed, Richard Keane, Mark C. Edwards,
Laura Sporny, Sister Agnes White, C.S.J., Eileen McDonald, and Michael
Charles Schramm, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, All of this year's honorees are fittingly being recognized
for their service in their individual fields to the Irish and Irish-Am-
ericans throughout New York State; and
WHEREAS, Paddy McCarthy, Publisher of the IRISH EXAMINER newspaper and
the IRISH CONNECTIONS magazine, was born in Ballyphehane, Cork City,
Ireland into a family of seven boys and two girls; like most Irish fami-
lies of the time, the McCarthys lived a happy life, in humble condi-
tions; and
WHEREAS, On leaving school, Paddy McCarthy tried his hand at several
occupations, including shoe manufacturing and working for CIE on the
Cork docks; and
WHEREAS, In the era of the show band and crowded dance halls, such as
Enniskeane's Lilac and Cork City's Arcadia Ballroom, Paddy McCarthy was
energized by the buzz and excitement of it all; by age 17, he was a
professional drummer playing with various bands, including his mainstay
"Sunset" and, within a short time, the Ballyphehane boy was promoting
concerts around Ireland with the Chieftains, Dire Straits, Clannad and
Loudon Wainwright III just some of the well-known groups in his portfo-
lio; and
WHEREAS, By the early 1980s, the Irish economy had sunk into dire
recession, unemployment was in the double digits, and old mainstays of
Cork's work force such as Ford's, Dunlop's, Sunbeam and other entities
were crumbling; and
WHEREAS, Like many of his contemporaries, Paddy McCarthy set out on
the well trodden emigrant path to the United States; by 1982, he had
begun his New York career working as a bartender, behind the sticks on
Second Avenue; and
WHEREAS, It was around this time that the Ballyphehane boy came under
the wing of one of the godfathers of the Cork community in New York
City, Joe Murphy, a native of Cullen, and within a short time Paddy
McCarthy had been pressed into joining the then, County Corkmen's Asso-
ciation, at its headquarters on 58th Street in Woodside and the two have
remained close ever since; and

WHEREAS, In 1988, Paddy McCarthy joined the staff of the IRISH VOICE
newspaper, eventually becoming its Advertising Director; in the early
1990s, he left the IRISH VOICE to open his own bar, the thriving Nevada
Smith's in Manhattan; and
WHEREAS, Always one to simultaneously juggle many balls, Paddy McCar-
thy also took on the position of Advertising Director of the WORLD OF
HIBERNIA MAGAZINE; in 2000, Paddy, along with other business associates,
launched the prestigious IRISH CONNECTIONS magazine, which continues to
provoke and inspire and, in 2006, the boy from Ballyphehane, launched
yet another publication, a weekly Irish American newspaper, the IRISH
EXAMINER; and
WHEREAS, Paddy McCarthy is married to Patricia, who hails from East
Meadow, Long Island; they are the proud parents of Christina, who is a
graduate of Manhattan College, and son James, who attends Nassau Commu-
nity College in Garden City, Long Island, all of whom are proud to be
part of his life and rejoice in his many accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, Paddy McCarthy is a perfect encapsulation of the legendary
Irish immigrant, wit, initiative and perseverance; James Joyce once
described the necessary qualifications for an Irishman to succeed as
being "silence, cunning and exile"; in the case of Paddy McCarthy, some
might debate about the first qualification, but there is no doubt about
the other two; no matter how much success he enjoys, Paddy McCarthy will
always regard himself, first and foremost, as just a "Cork boy," proud
of his native city and county, even though as he says himself, his "feet
are now firmly planted here in the United States"; and
WHEREAS, Paddy McCarthy truly embodies the spirit and the cherished
ideals and values of Irish-Americans of this great State and nation; it
is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individuals of such
noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should
be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of the great State of
New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Paddy McCarthy upon the occasion of his designation as a Gael of
the Year of the 37th Annual Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade, to
be held on March 3, 2012; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Paddy McCarthy.