Eleven years ago, a small committee of friends of what was then known simply as the Irish Center put together an awards program to honor a very special group of 10 women, from a local TV meteorologist to a highly respected nun to a beloved princess. Proceeds of the hugely successful event benefited the Irish Center.
Now also known by its formal name, the Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center, its home is a sprawling building at Carpenter and Emlen Streets in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. As with so many institutions, the Irish Center closed its doors for many months during the pandemic, but it is gradually coming back to life as more and more restrictions are lifted.
And that means more opportunities to live up to its mission, says Lisa Maloney, Irish Center board member and vice president. Case in point: a special exhibit of the portraits painted by artist Pat Gallagher, whose parents met at the Irish Center.
The 10 women whose portraits Gallagher painted in 2010:
- Sister Mary Scullion, co-founder of Project H.O.M.E.
- Sister Kathleen Marie Keenan, senior vice president of Mission and Sponsorship of Mercy Health System, the largest Catholic health care system in southeastern Pennsylvania.
- Rosemarie Timoney, founder of Timoney School of Irish Dance, longtime promoter of Irish culture in the Delaware Valley.
- Kathy McGee Burns, Realtor, president of the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame and former Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade grand marshal.
- Kathy Orr, Emmy Award-winning Fox 29 meteorologist and supporter of several local charities.
- Emily Riley, executive vice president of the Connelly Foundation.
- Denise Sullivan Morrison, senior vice president and president, North America Soup, Sauces and Beverages Division of Campbell Soup Co.
- Siobhan Reardon, first woman president and director of The Free Library of Philadelphia.
- Liz Kerr, R.N., longtime member of Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Div. 25, member of the Heart Transplant Team at Temple University and director of the Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship.
- Rosabelle Gifford, winner of the Rose of Tralee Centre’s first Mary O’Connor Spirit Award in 2009 for her lifetime of courage in the face of adversity and personal advocate for abused women.
- Princess Grace of Monaco, Academy Award-winning film star, mother, and founder of The Princess Grace Foundation which serves the needy in Monaco and supports the arts in the U.S.
“We’re going to be looking for opportunities to present the arts,” says Maloney. “We’re an arts and cultural center, and we want to make sure we’re not missing the ‘arts’ part of that. We’ve been so focused on the music and dance—and of course, we want to continue to do that—but now we’re looking at all the aspects of what we can do. It’s a natural evolution.”No special arrangements are required, but a good recommendation is to drop by The Commodore (hours here), the Irish Center’s in-house restaurant, which is open Wednesday through Sunday, and check it out then.
