Flying the Monaghan flag proudly in Boston

A County Council delegation led by Chief Executive Robert Burns and Cathaoirleach Cllr P J O’Hanlon (FF) will fly the Monaghan flag in Boston, Massachusetts on St Patrick’s Day.

Council members gave the green light to the proposed March 12-18 visit at their February meeting.

An itinerary is being prepared accentuating tourism and business promotion opportunities, akin to the 2025 visit by a Monaghan local authority delegation to Nashville, Tennessee for the national holiday period and previous March trips to New York.

“It is a big commitment of time, but an honour to do it,” the Cathaoirleach told the meeting. “I could stay at home and look at Cheltenham and throw my feet up, but this is about the county that we love and live in.”

Cllr O’Hanlon said he had learned the value of such trips in building up relationships and connections as a member of the East Border Region Committee, which he currently chairs, recalling a recent visit to Brussels he had made as a committee delegate with his Vice-Chair, Cllr Tim McClelland from Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

The Cathaoirleach also saw as a motivation for the trip the visit by a large delegation from the New York-based Project Children charity to County Monaghan last year to coincide with events marking the housing of the charity’s archive in Monaghan County Museum.

“They were good enough to come over here for four or five days and we can reciprocate this through our Project Children connection. We also need during the visit to promote the potential of the BioConnect Innovation Centre being developed in Monaghan Town.”

Cllr O’Hanlon said he knew there might be “a small bit of controversy” about the trip, but he felt they had to “look at the macro, the bigger picture”.

“This is about the people we represent, and my belief is we need to make this trip,” he added.

Cllr Colm Carthy (SF) said that every time an opportunity came to promote their county abroad, he supported it. The outcome of such trips in recent years had been further encouragement to continue them, and he believed going to Boston this year would advance the promotional work done by the Council in Nashville in 2025.

“There are so many Bostonians of Irish descent that if we can encourage some of them to come here as tourists it will pay for this jaunt in no time,” stated Cllr Carthy, proposing that the visit be approved.

Seconding, Cllr Seán Conlon (SF) said he had always been an internationalist in mind and a strong proponent of the “think locally, act globally” philosophy.

“If you were to obsess and fixate on certain issues, you would never go,” Cllr Conlon continued, “but you must rise above that because, at the end of the day, we are all of shared humanity.”

The SF representative added that the delegation was not going to Boston to “treat people like an ATM” – the trip was all about them as representatives of the Irish nation reaching out to their cousins.

Cllr Aidan Campbell said the Fine Gael group on the Council was also in support of the visit. Many Irish people who emigrated over the years ended up in Boston and he had no doubt the team representing the Council would do Monaghan justice. Many other local authorities sent representatives to different parts of the world at this time of year.

“It is cultural networking,” declared Cllr Sean Gilliland (FG).

He said there could be Boston-based businesses with County Monaghan links and he was in full support of flying the Monaghan flag there.

Cllr Peter Conlon (FG) said there had been positive benefits from last year’s Nashville trip.

Cllr Seamus Coyle (FF) wished the delegation travelling to Boston good luck and safe travel.

“It is very important we have people flying the Monaghan flag there on St Patrick’s Day,” he stated.

Cllr Noel Keelan (SF) said there were members of the Irish Diaspora right across the globe and it was very important County Monaghan’s premier local authority conducted this outreach. He requested the delegation to be conscious of the issue of the undocumented Irish in the USA and to raise this when the opportunity arises.

“It is a difficult time to be in the US if you don’t have your paperwork,” he added.

Cllr Raymond Aughey (FF) said he had lived in the US for many years and he was confident the welcome the delegation will get in Boston will be second to none.

Cllr Paul Gibbons (SF) asked the delegation to reach out to the members of the Aidan McAnespie GAA club in Boston, remarking: “They will be delighted to see you.”