County Roscommon native honoured in New York by Irish Business Organisation – News – Roscommon Herald

County Roscommon native and Seanad candidate Hilary Beirne was recently honoured by the Irish Business Organisation of New York.

The Boyle man was presented with the 2024 Sean McNeill Award by President Paul Finnegan in New York City. “This award is given to those who exemplify and inspire the positive values, and behaviours that Sean possessed: extraordinary generosity, giving and sharing of their time and abilities, with a sense of community and pursuing a mission to network, communicate, reciprocate, and Hilary Beirne is that and more,” said Mr Finnegan.

In accepting the award, Mr Beirne said he was so appreciative to the Irish Business Organisation for the kind recognition and for the support over the years. “This award is so important to me, as we seek a seat in Seanad Eireann for 20% of Ireland’s population who live abroad. They need to have at least one person to represent their interests in the land of their birth, where they grew up and where their friends, relatives and families live, and I hope to be that person.

“If elected in the National University of Ireland constituency, I will be the only senator in the Seanad who will actually advocate for resources for NUI universities, for NUI graduates at home and abroad, and for all Irish citizens who live abroad and in Ireland,” said Mr Beirne.

Mr Beirne grew up on a farm outside Boyle. His father was the local veterinary surgeon, and he is from a family of ten. He attended St Mary’s College, Boyle, for secondary education, and attended University College Galway, University College Dublin, Atlantic Technology University (Mountbellew Campus), and Hunter College at the City University of New York. 

He has a Certificate in Agriculture, a Bachelors Degree in Agricultural Science, and a Masters in Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. He is well known across the world as the face of New York City’s St Patrick’s Day Parade. He is the chairman of the Foundation and chief administrator officer. Since emigrating from the West of Ireland, he has been an educator in New York, and prior to emigrating he worked as an agriculture advisor with farmers in the West.