Movers and Shakers Queried: They Tell Us About their Heritage in Honor of St. Patrick's Day and Comment on March in Manhattan
Peachy in Ireland. Possibly Galway here...
Peachy Deegan is incredibly proud to be Irish, and pride in her Irish ancestry was instilled in her since birth by her grandmother and her father, and she was the first in her family to go back to Ireland since the 1870s when she went to college for a semester in Cork. Her blood is even green. Our Movers and Shakers tell us why they are
proud to be Irish, and if they are not Irish, they are proud of their heritage because....and they tell us as a bonus why they
love March in Manhattan!
"I am proud to be Irish because, despite our undeserved reputation for over indulgence in liquid matters, we are one of the most easy-going, hard-working, witty, serious, fun-to-be-with, energetic and passionate varieties of humans on the planet earth!
I love March in Manhattan because, even though the oldest St.Patrick's Parade in the world (the one on Fifth Avenue) has everyone confused this year because it is on SATURDAY MARCH 16th, St. Patrick's Day is really a month long celebration of Irishness, which means a lot of great parties, events, concerts and festivities that cannot be missed!"
-Niall O'Leary
Niall O'Leary Architecture
Niall O'Leary Irish Dance
"I am proud to be an ethnic salad (Armenian, French, Lebanese, Assyrian, Greek) because I have had the good fortune to grow up in a home where multiple (and very different) cultural dimensions were ever present in the food, music, language, and arts. It was not uncommon for a story at the dinner table begin in one language - only to traverse through two or three others before coming to a conclusion! I
love March in Manhattan because I know that the green beer is a harbinger for the greens that arrive with spring.
We approach that perfect time of year for long walks in our favorite neighborhoods - perfectly nestled between the frigid days of winter and the scorching days of summer."
-John-Claude Hallak
Hallak Cleaners
2011 American Drycleaner National Plant Design Grand Prize Winner!
"I am proud to be a mixed breed of Puerto Rican and Filipino...lots of salsa
and Asian mystery all in one!
Loving March in Manhattan because one never knows what to expect...the
anticipation of Spring teases and within a blink of an eye, we can have a
snowstorm...love the unexpected!"
-Sandra Davidoff
Director of Corporate Public Relations
BACKFLIPS Inc / AQUA GREEN / MAINSTREAM Inc. / MIRACLESUIT
"I'm proud to have a smidgeon of Irish (on my Mother's side) in me because of their history, their culture, and their talent. I'm happy to be part of such an ebullient folklore, and tradition.
I love March in Manhattan because it does the literal: goes in like a lion, and comes out like a lamb. We see the first bulbs peeping through the ground all around the city, and New York starts to come alive! Colors are in every shop window, and in the street, people feel nicer, friendlier, happier. And, because of the Easter Parade!"
-Ellen Christine, President, Ellen Christine Couture
"I am proud to be an American because its the land of the free and NASCAR. I love March in Manhattan because it's when we say goodbye to Winter."
-Seaver T. Wang
"I am proud to be Swedish because my grandmother was 100% Swedish and was a strong, self-sufficient woman who was capable of anything. With her Swedish blood running through me, I feel I am capable of doing anything. I
love March in Manhattan because of the possibility of spring around the corner, and the buzz of people on the streets with anticipation for the new season."
-Shannon Gilley
Owner/Designer
"I am proud to love the Irish for their character, strength, humor and music.
I am proud to be Danish because the Danes have contributed amazing design to the world, such as Lego and furniture.
I love March in Manhattan because the crocuses start to come up around the trees and everyone gets excited for Spring!"
-Kim Donaldson
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Bottlenotes & The Daily Sip
"I am proud to be a WASP because there seems to be a certain elegance that was passed down through great grandparents etc. HOWEVER, I am possibly even more proud to be an 'adopted' Irish lass due to marriage. I am completely enamored of Ireland, of the beauty and steadiness of the Catholic faith and of the big, boisterous generations of O'Keefes. It's enlivened my life to be part of the Irish experience. And there's great elegance in the Irish heritage too. Lucky me!
Because of the budding of Central Park and the pretty spring fashions New Yorkers wear in the Spring. A break from black!"
-Carolyn O’Keefe
American Estate Jewelry
