At the hour of writing, the New York Rose, Róisín Wiley, has just been named the 62nd International Rose of Tralee for 2023.  She was a worthy winner, even if it is instinctively hard for me to congratulate a New Yorker.  Over two nights, after in-depth interviews with a three-member judging panel, 32 Roses from across Ireland and throughout the world took part in a nationally televised program of entertainment and conversation with co-hosts Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas, both well-known Irish media personalities.

Brian Donnelly, the Lower Mills guy from St Gregory’s parish who served six years as a Dorchester state rep and fourteen years as a member of Congress, will be memorialized this month when the Irish Cultural Centre gathers to present the first “Brian Donnelly Award for Leadership in Public Service” at a reception on Sept. 21 at the Omni Parker House in downtown Boston.

The event will honor Donnelly’s legacy, with proceeds to support the cultural programs at the centre in Canton, say the organizers.