By April Drew

THE Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) was back in action last Wednesday night in Yonkers and last Monday in Queens. Both meetings were exceptionally well attended.

“We were over the moon with the turnout at the meeting. We got a great mix of people from business owners to ordinary people. They are really coming out of the woodwork to support us,” says Mary Brennan, who chaired the Yonkers meeting.

Brennan said the main purpose of the meeting was to “remind people that we are no more than two weeks away from the town hall meeting in St. Barnabas on December 1. All we need now is a huge turnout at the meeting in December to show all the officials present that we are not going away until we get our visas,” says Brennan.

She urged people who are coming to the meeting at St. Barnabas to do their best to bring five supporters of immigration reform.

“If you have friends or family over from Ireland, stick a t-shirt on them and bring them along. I can't stress it enough that we need a packed house,” Brennan said.

Kelly Fincham, executive director of ILIR, is currently looking for people to volunteer in the Woodlawn area on Wednesday evenings to distribute ILIR leaflets and information regarding the upcoming meeting. Interested persons are to meet at the Heritage Bar on McLean Avenue at 8 p.m.

“We need to get the word out there about this meeting quickly. Thanksgiving Eve is always a busy night in the bars so we are going to take this opportunity to notify people where we stand and how they can assist in getting their green cards,” says Fincham.

Steve Sweeney, who chairs the Queens meetings, told the Irish Voice on Tuesday, “We were out in force on Monday night hitting all the bars with the posters and flyers about the meeting on the 1st, and we are getting a great response,” he says.

The New York Ladies GAA gave a ringing endorsement to ILIR last Saturday night at their annual dinner dance in the Westchester Manor. Chairperson Nollaig Cleary urged everyone present to attend the town hall meeting, saying the future of GAA and the future of Woodlawn was on the line.

Her sentiments were echoed by the newly re-elected New York GAA President Seamus Dooley, who said that he would be requesting all clubs to send delegates to the town hall meeting.

Both Cleary and Dooley referred to the fact that ILIR have come a long way in the past year and that reform is on the way.

Every Monday ILIR has its weekly Queens meeting at Saints and Sinners on Roosevelt Avenue at 8 p.m. The Yonkers meetings are held every Wednesday at the Heritage at 8 p.m.

The town hall meeting on December 1 will take place at 7:30 p.m. at St. Barnabas. There will be other such meetings across the U.S., with the dates to be announced.

On December 23, the Heritage will host an ILIR fundraiser evening called Culchie of the Year. More details to follow.

On March 2 of next year, ILIR will host its first dinner dance at Ricardo's in Astoria. Tickets are $100 per person or a table of 10 for $1,000. Guest of honors on the night will be queen of fundraising Joan Henchy, Irish Consul General to New York Tim O'Connor and boxing icon John Duddy. Call 914-886-2063 or 718-798-3212.

As far as the ILIR rally in Washington at the start of the New Year, Fincham said that ILIR would be keeping a close eye on the new Congress to see what their next move on immigration is going to be.

“We are waiting to introduce ourselves to our friends in the new Congress!” concludes Fincham.