Cowen Focused on Economy, Community

Irish Voice News

Cowen Focused on Economy, Community

July 16, 2008

By April Drew

TAOISEACH (Prime Minister), Brian Cowen arrived in New York Tuesday, July 15 for a number of meetings with business leaders and the Irish American community.

Cowen will address the Wall Street 50 awards dinner hosted by the Irish Voice’s sister publication, Irish America magazine, on Thursday evening at the New York Yacht Club. Cowen will be sharing the stage with prestigious members of the Irish American business community, including keynote speaker Brendan McDonagh, CEO of HSBC North America Holdings, Noreen Culhane from the New York Stock Exchange, and CEO of ING U.S. Wealth Management Kathleen Murphy to name but a few.

Founding editor of the magazine Patricia Harty said, “We are delighted to honor Taoiseach Brian Cowen on his first visit to the U.S. as Ireland’s new leader.

“The U.S. and Ireland have a long and lasting relationship and it’s fitting that this new era in Ireland is heralded in at our Wall Street 50 dinner, which honors Irish Americans in finance, many of whom have corporate as well as familial ties to Ireland.”

Cowen, who is visiting the U.S. for the first time as taoiseach, said before departing Ireland, “I will be bringing a clear message that Ireland is now a confident and successful European country, with a coherent strategy to maintain that success and build for the future.

“I look forward to meeting our many friends in the United States and listening to their advice on how we can continue to work together during a turbulent period for the global economy.”

Shortly after arriving in New York on Tuesday evening via the Irish government jet, Cowen visited the Irish Arts Center on West 51st Street, where he formally opened a photographic exhibition called “To Love Two Countries: Ireland’s Greatest Generation in America.” Renowned photographer John Minihan, most popular for his images of Irish writers and artists, presents an exhibition featuring senior members of the Irish American community.

Cowen will officially open Wednesday’s day of trading at the New York Stock Exchange by ringing the bell. Prior to ringing the Wall Street bell Cowen, who once spent a summer in New York as a student, will be the guest of honor at a breakfast organized by Enterprise Ireland which will feature approximately 200 representatives from Irish and other companies who have all marked out their territory in the U.S. market.

It is expected that Cowen will announce a number of significant new export contracts won by Irish companies recently in the U.S.

An early morning meeting is scheduled with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Following the meeting, Cowen will take a tour of the World Trade Tribute Center where he will experience first hand the personal stories, images and artifacts that expose the events of 9/11, the heartbreaking outcome and the passionate responses from thousands of people, many of whom were Irish-born and Irish American.

Following this, Cowen is expected to hold discussions with senior Irish and Irish American business leaders, including members of the Taoiseach’s Economic Advisory Board. Discussions are expected to center on the U.S. and global economies and how Ireland can preserve its current economic achievements during this complicated time internationally.

In the afternoon, Cowen is to meet with various community groups, including the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR), to discuss matters pertaining to the Irish community and specifically to address the issue of the estimated 50,000 Irish undocumented in the U.S.

Kelly Fincham, executive director of the ILIR said, “We are delighted that Mr. Cowen has taken the time out of a packed schedule to meet with us.”

She maintains by meeting with ILIR Cowen “clearly underscores” his commitment to the undocumented.

“We have seen a surge in new arrivals from Ireland over the past few weeks and we are confident that Mr. Cowen will bring new urgency to solving this issue so Ireland and America can again benefit from renewed and stronger ties,” she said.

Orla Kelleher, executive director of the Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers, will join other directors from the various Irish centers across the U.S. in a sit down meeting with Cowen.

“It will be an opportunity for us to outline the work that we do and the vital social, legal and educational services we provide to the Irish and Irish American community here, particularly in view of the fact that we are meeting new emigrants coming from Ireland every week who have suffered job losses and financial hardship due to the deterioration of the Irish economy over the past six months,” said Kelleher.

On Wednesday evening, Irish Consul General Niall Burgess will host Cowen and hundreds of guests at a reception at the Irish Consulate on Park Avenue in his honor.

Thursday morning, Cowen has a closed door meeting with the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Mid-morning he will attend a reception for the Gate Theatre (currently running plays at the Lincoln Center) and Abbey Theatre, which will shortly stage productions in New York.

Cowen, who hails from Co. Offaly, will then be guest of honor at a lunch hosted by the Industrial Development Agency (IDA). Thursday afternoon, Cowen will attend a Tourism Ireland event specifically for tour operators and airlines, and in the evening he will address Irish America’s Wall Street 50.

Before departing for Ireland on Friday morning, Cowen will meet with chairman of the Friends of Ireland in the U.S., Congressman Richie Neal, to discuss various issues, but most importantly on his agenda, according to Neal, will be the issue of immigration.

“This will be top of our agenda,” Neal told the Irish Voice on Tuesday. “We will also be discussing the peace process and the Assembly and self government in the North.

“One of the things the government has repeatedly urged us to do is to not quit on it,” he added. “It’s the old argument that once we reach our potential our potential expands.”

Share this story: digg this | Add to del.icio.us

Print Save Discussions

Discuss

Email a friend