News

Frank Kealy Chosen 2010 St. Patrick's Day Parade Grand Marshal

January 31, 2010

PRESS RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kevin Dowling
Parade Director
Assistant Director of the Great American Irish Festival
Email: [email protected]
Website: gaif.us/parade/

FOR RELEASE: Mon., February 1, 2010

Frank Kealy Chosen St. Patrick's Parade Grand Marshal

When Frank Kealy was informed that he had been chosen Grand Marshal of the 2010 Utica St. Patrick's Day Parade, he didn't immediately begin calling his friends and family. Not right away.
"I thought it might be a hoax, that someone might be playing a joke on me" explained Kealy.
Well, it was no joke. Kealy was chosen from among a list of worthy nominees to serve as Grand Marshal in recognition for a lifetime of devotion to his community and to his Irish heritage.
Frank Kealy has worked for the local Irish community in a number of capacities. He has been a member of the local chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians since 1995, serving at one time as secretary, and was the emcee/announcer for the McDonough-Hill School of Irish Dance from 1993-1999.
But his major contribution to local Irish affairs began in 2000, when he was approached to head up the Utica-based chapter of the Irish Political Prisoners Children's Holiday. The IPPCH was a joint Irish-American organization based in Belfast and Philadelphia which raised funds to bring children from embattled Northern Ireland for a month-long vacation in the United States. Over the next seven years the IPPCH raised over $100,000 and brought more than 100 children to the states, helping them escape for a short time from the war-zone that was Northern Ireland at the time. Throughout that time, Kealy played every role possible for the IPPCH, organizing fund-raising events, lining up host families, flying to Ireland to make arrangements, traveling to Boston or Philadelphia to pick up the children and bring them to Utica sometimes even driving the bus and invariably taking in a child or two when the original arrangements fell through for one reason or another. When the IPPCH went out of business in 2007, it was for a very good reason: all the children who were eligible under the program had already participated.
"The IPPCH didn't end because of failure, but because it was such a success," notes Kealy proudly.
In addition to his contributions to the local Irish causes, he has been an active member of the Frankfort Center Fire Department for 45 years, holding every elected and appointed office at one time or another.
A lifelong resident of Central New York, Frank has been married to the former Dawn T. Lee for 51 years. Frank and Dawn have three sons, Daniel, Michael and Patrick, and two daughters, Colleen and Maureen.