On Saturday, August 26th, The Ireland Funds America Board Director Harry Hartford and his wife Susan hosted The Beach Party at one of Los Angeles most stylish venues, The Beach Club in Santa Monica. This exclusive spot enjoys a fabulous setting on the sand, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The cocktail hour was abuzz with over 130 guests mingling and enjoying live music during a welcome reception on the terrace before dinner. It was wonderful to see so many families together, catching up with stories of summer fun, while children enjoyed crafts and a special magic show performance. It was also an opportunity for supporters to hear more about the work of The Ireland Funds and upcoming events.
During the Italian dinner, the Hartfords were welcomed by The Ireland Funds America VP for Development, Marjorie Muldowney, It was a pleasure to greet Gavin O’Reilly, son of Ireland Funds founder Tony O’Reilly, who was there with his wife Christina and children . They were joined by LA-based VP for Development Jonathan Loughran and Los Angeles Regional Advisory Committee members, Peter Culhane, Matthew Doran, Kaitlyn Kyle, and Conor Shalloe. Longtime supporters of The Ireland Funds included Adrienne Fontanella, Tom Flannery, Michele Shalloe, Jane & Sean Browne and the Tuohy family.
From the world of entertainment, we were joined by Oscar winner Michelle Burke and her husband Michael Winter, actresses Caroline Morahan and Olivia Tracey as well as Vanessa & Greg Schwenk of the Newport Beach Film Festival. Other guests included new friends Martha & Thomas Bane, Jennifer Cooney, Patrick Currall, Louise O’Riordan, Jennifer & Terry McCarthy, Louise Fitzpatrick, along with Irina & Tim Fitzgerald, Michelle Loughran, Cristina & Michael Monroe and Linda Thomas, Also in attendance were Fiona & Michael Corrigan, Cormac Doddy & Steve Sun, Robin & John Walsh, Michiko Kawakami & Kevin McCarthy, Lori & Peter Casey. and Janet & Michael Feeley.
After dinner, our annual tradition of a blazing bonfire with s’mores was hugely popular with everyone! The sun began to set as we wrapped up with dancing on the patio and the band provided a lively Irish beat.
Special thanks to Susan and Harry Hartford for a marvelous evening!
