Jim Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), the meeting and convention industry’s most
significant and influential organization. Headquartered in Chicago,

PCMA has 16 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. Rooney’s appointment to the 20-member board was made at the 55th PCMA’s annual meeting in Las Vegas. “It is indeed a personal and professional honor to be appointed to the PCMA board,” said Rooney. “But beyond that, holding a seat among my peers on the PCMA board reflects the
Commonwealth’s and Boston’s elevated status in the international convention and meeting industry. I pledge to represent our destination well.” Rooney will be one of only three convention center executives on the 20-member board, sitting with convention center heads from Scotland and Hawaii.
“We are delighted that James Rooney will be joining the PCMA Board this year,” said PCMA
president and CEO Deborah Sexton. “He brings a wealth of experience to the table and is well known
in the meetings industry for his leadership and vision. He has been very active in PCMA,
participating in both the North American Advisory and CEO Summits, and we look forward to the contributions he will make in his role as a board member.”

Sheila Gleeson Bids Adieu
Longtime immigrant activist Sheila Gleeson has stepped down from her post at the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, and friends and supporters from the coalition, the Irish Immigration Center, and the Irish Pastoral Centre are planning a “Thank You Sheila” party on Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Green Briar Restaurant & Pub, 304 Washington St., Brighton. See related story in this edition’s report from the IIC on page 8.

New Look at Neponset Circle
That new three-story building you may have seen rising last month along the Southeast Expressway at Neponset Circle is the work product of Norwood-born billboard advertising guy John T. Carroll. The project, called the Neponset Circle Professional Building, will house first floor retail space as well as executive and professional offices. Revealing his family’s lineage in the West of Ireland, between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay, Carroll is offering a month’s free rent to prospective tenants with roots in Connemara. Contact him at 617-872-1777 or by e-mail at john@carrolladvertising.com.

ICC Seeking Volunteers
The Irish Cultural Centre has sent out word that it is recruiting additional committee members for the Centre’s first Annual Charity Casino Night, now planned for May 21. “We potentially need about five more people to join the committee,” says the ICC’s Vanessa Leite. “This event will serve as one of this year’s major fundraisers for the centre and will definitely be a fun-filled night with a Vegas style feel. If you are interested in being a part of the committee or need more details please e-mail me as soon as possible at vanessaleite@irishculture.org or call 781-821-8291.”
Leite also will host a volunteer club meeting at the centre on Wed., Feb. 2, at 6:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to e-mail Jacqui Ryan at jryan@irishculture.org. Meanwhile, on Feb 19, the ICC will host a screening of the film “Michael Collins,” part of its “Look Back Series.” The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with appetizers, lecture, full buffet dinner and a screening of the movie. Tickets are $25 for ICC members, $30 general admission.

Irish-Look Design: Online Offer for Images
A specialized house sign and memorial company in the west of Ireland that makes unique Irish product by engraving Irish limestone with Celtic images and Irish themes has launched a website, skatwinengraving.com, on which you can design your own or add text to pre-made images,” says company owner Patrick Tully. “We also offer a free service where you can e-mail your ideas and we will help you make your own unique house sign or memorial and we will e-mail you back an image of your own unique sign to make sure you are happy before you order.
“Our limestone is quarried in Kilkenny, Galway, Roscommon ,and The Burren” says Tully, “then crafted in County Mayo. Irish history is rich with imagery ranging from Neolithic spirals found in Newgrange to intricate Celtic ornamentation and extraordinary manuscript like the book of Kells. We draw on these rich sources to design signs and plaques and other engraved products with authentic Irish character and pedigree.
Website Tracks Munster Ancestors
A Kerry business is helping American families trace their Irish roots. Munster Ancestors is an online genealogical service that traces family history throughout Ireland. “We recently helped an American lady trace her roots and walk the very farmland her relatives had left during famine times,” said Catriona Dunlea of Kerry, who, with Mary Howard and Rachel Foley, set up the site.
“We offer local knowledge and come from a strong oral tradition. Combining this with genealogical research and the Internet is what makes our service unique,” said Howard, mentioning accessing census records, Griffiths valuation, church and civil records, townland maps, landlord records, tithe applotment books, and local journals as ways the trio uses a hands-on approach to delving into the past for their clients.
“Munsterancestors.com has been inundated with requests from Americans wanting to trace their Irish roots,” said Foley. “Just provide us with some family background information and you may be surprised by the outcome.”
Other Upcoming Events
ArtsEmerson’s highly anticipated Irish Festival kicks into full swing this month with an eclectic program of plays, readings, discussions, and films. See stories and a calendar of events in this edition. … The 12th annual Boston Irish Film Festival will take place next month, March 24-27. … Cumann na Gaeilge i mBoston will be holding a Lá Gaeilge on Feb. 5 (Feb. 12 snow date) at Catholic Memorial High School, Baker Street, West Roxbury. … The Boston North East Divisional Board (the governing board of the GAA in New England) will be holding its annual general meeting on Sun., Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. at the Irish Cultural Center in Canton. For more information, check bostongaa.org.
There will be a celebration of the Feast of St. Brigid of Ireland at Dorchester’s St. Brendan Parish on Sun., Feb. 13 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. All events will take place in Father Lane Hall. St. Brigid was born circa 450 AD at Faughart, Co. Louth. One of the country’s patron saints, she is known as “The Mary of the Gael” and her feast day is Feb. 1, the first day of spring in Ireland and the beginning of Imbolc, one of the cornerstones of the Celtic calendar. Events will include a crafts workshop for children (1- 3 p.m.), Mass at 3 p.m. celebrated by Rev. John McCarthy, chaplain at the Irish Pastoral Centre, and between 4 and 8 p.m., supper, refreshments, and a traditional ceili dance.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children, with Under 5’s free. To get tickets in advance, call the Pastoral Centre at 1-855-479-2471, St. Brendan’s Parish Center at 617-436-0310, or Maureen McNally at 781-871-1247. Proceeds will benefit the Pastoral Centre. The event is being organized by the IPC; C.A.R.E.; Cumann naGaelige; CCE, Ceol trad na hEireann and friends; and LAOH.