The 14th annual American Ireland Fund Philadelphia Golf Classic took place on Monday, October 19th at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Golfers were fortunate with a mild and sunny fall morning, perfect conditions for a great day of golf while supporting some tremendous Irish charities.
The event honored Patrick Murphy, who will soon be named Undersecretary of The United States Army. He is the first veteran of the Iraq War to be elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional district from 2007 to 2011. He is now the anchor of Taking the Hill on MSNBC. He is also a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP.
Supporters had the opportunity to try their luck at the hole-in-one contest, sponsored by Jameson. The winner would receive a VIP trip to Ireland, however, the course proved to be a challenging one with no one getting even close. Everyone will have another chance to try next year. Congratulations to Matt Walsh who won the long drive competition.
On conclusion of the golf and competitions, supporters gathered on the patio for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction followed by dinner and a greeting from National Director of The Young Leaders, Pat Tully. Pat thanked the generous presenting sponsor, Michael Gallagher and Pepper Hamilton LLP along with the other sponsors. Pat then started the live auction, raising funds for The Promising Ireland Campaign with a luxury trip to Ireland.
Following the live auction, Pat introduced honoree, former Congressman Patrick Murphy, who delivered a warm speech about his involvement with The American Ireland Fund and referencing his Irish heritage, saying, “It’s important that we connect to our heritage and help Ireland. The American Ireland Fund does that for us every day.”
Congratulations to the overall winning foursome – Pat Ward, of Penn Liberty Bank and his colleagues P.J. Stapleton, Jim Quinlan and Jim Clark.
Special thanks to the day’s sponsors including: Pepper Hamilton LLP,
The American Ireland Fund looks forward to seeing supporters at other local events and of course at next year’s 15th annual Philadelphia Golf Classic on October 17th, 2016.
