News

GAIF Director Honored by Irish Echo

February 18, 2008

Great American Irish Festival Director Matthew Sullivan has been chosen from a list of hundreds of applicants to be honored as one of the "40 Under 40" top Irish-Americans by the largest Irish/American newspaper in the country, the Irish Echo. As a recipient of the Irish Echo's 40 Under 40, Matt will appear with all the honorees at a reception presented by the Consul General of Ireland on Wednesday, February 27th from 5 to 7 pm at the Manhattan Club in New York City. Under his leadership, the Great American Irish Festival has, in just five years, become one of the Top 10 Festivals in the country, according to the U.S. Irish Festival Promoters Group. The 2007 GAIF was attended by 40,000 people and had 600 volunteers, and both numbers are expected to increase for this year's festival, scheduled for July 25-27 at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in Frankfort. "Under Matt's leadership and vision we have become not only the fastest growing Irish event in the country, but have established a grass roots Irish culture, arts, and music community in Central New York," said GAIF Assistant Director Kevin Dowling. "We, too, acknowledge and thank him for his tireless efforts and look forward to building on the past five years." The Echo award is just the latest in a line of honors for the GAIF founder. Sullivan was the recipient of the Utica Observer Dispatch's Accent on Excellence Award in 2007 and the Great American Irish Festival received the Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce Best Promotional Event of Year Award in 2006.