2023 Awardees: John Philip Foley, Leslie MacWeeney, & Denis Moynihan

Charitable Irish Society will hold its 22nd Silver Key Awards Reception at Boston's Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. 

The 2023 honorees are Attorney John Philip Foley, Leslie MacWeeney, and Denis Moynihan, each of whom has been instrumental in assisting immigrants in a variety of ways, thereby exemplifying our motto “With Good Will Doing Service.”

In memory of his Irish immigrant grandmother who arrived in the United States with 25 cents in her pocket, John Foley’s legal practice is focused on immigration law.  He has received numerous compliments and awards for his wide-ranging knowledge of this very technical area of law that affects so many people who are trying to establish themselves and their families in a new country and for his sensitivity to the many concerns and fears of his clients.  He has been an active volunteer and Board member of the Irish Cultural Center of New England in Canton and other organizations.

Leslie MacWeeney is a Dublin-born artist and illustrator who came to the Boston area over 50 years ago.  Her all-volunteer program, Living Art, is dedicated to building community through visual art. She is passionate about using art to enable students to express themselves visually and to develop self-confidence.  Most notable is a program in which police officers, fire fighters, veterans, EMT’s, and other emergency workers pose for portraits painted by young people with whom they build bonds, and initiate conversations about health, civics, and public safety.  This is truly a violence prevention program.

Denis Moynihan and his late wife Teresa came to Boston from County Cork in 1971.  Denis has been a long-time faithful volunteer, most notably with the Irish Pastoral Centre where he has been helping Irish immigrants in Massachusetts since 1996.  In addition, Denis helped citizenship workshops at St. Mark’s parish in the 1980’s and has been Santa for the IPC’s mother and toddler groups and has served as regional coordinator for Premium Sports.

The Charitable Irish Society, established in 1737, to assist Irish immigrants, has been honoring individuals who have been extraordinarily helpful to new immigrants since 1997.  All of the funds raised at this reception will be used by the Society to assist immigrants from Ireland and other countries in need of emergency financial support.

For more information and to register for this event, see our website, charitableirishsociety.org or contact Sandra Moody, Keeper of the Silver Key, 617-304-1076.