Membership in the Brehon Law Society of Nassau County, N.Y. gives you the opportunity to participate in human rights-related projects and to work on them in conjunction with highly skilled and principled colleagues. We also provide a venuoue for very informational speakers and presentations about Irish projects, culture and history. Here are descriptions of some our recent activities:
McGuinness Principles – The Brehon Law Society has been in the forefront of efforts, locally and internationally, in support of the McGuinness Principles. The McGuinness Principles are designed to promote the full implementation of the Irish Peace Process.
Support for Malachy McAllister – The Society has been outspoken in its advocacy against the threatened deportation from the United States of Malachy McAllister and members of his family.
Remembrance of Martin McGuinness – The Brehons hosted a moving retrospective of the life of the late Martin McGuinness, a principal architect of the Irish Peace process.
Easter Commemoration – the Brehon Law Society has been instrumental in the organization and promotion of the annual Easter Monday Commemoration held at the 1916 monument in Mineola, Long Island, New York.
CPat Finucane Conference – On January 15, 2009 we held a cocktail party in Manhattan in support of the Pat Finucane Conference.onsul General Tim O’Connor – Our May 22, 2006 Meeting was addressed by main speaker Tim O’Connor, Consul General of Ireland, and by Malachy McAllister, political refugee who continues to fight deportation, and by Paddy O’Hanlon, a veteran civil rights campaigner.
DUP Discussions – On April 5, 2006, a small delegation of Brehon members had the opportunity to meet with Democratic Unionist Party MPs Peter Robinson, Jeffrey Donaldson and Iris Donaldson during their trip to New York. The two hour conference provided a rare opportunity for a frank and wide-ranging exchange of views between that party’s representatives and members of the Irish American community.
Meeting with Gerry Adams – Brehons met on March 14, 2006 with Gerry Adams, following a presentation by the Sinn Fein leader on the relevance of the lessons of the Irish peace process to other international conflicts around the world.
Call for Restoration of Good Friday Institutions – In January, 2006 we joined other Irish American organizations in demanding that the British government restore democratic institutions in the north of Ireland.
Adams Visa Restrictions – In November, 2005 we were prominent in criticizing the Bush Administration for imposing visa restrictions on Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams to the detriment of the Irish peace process. more>>
NYS Attorney General Eliot Spitzer joined us for lunch and an update on Irish issues on May 3, 2004. more>>
Sean Mackin was the featured guest at our May, 2004 meeting. He is a well known Irish republican, originally from Belfast and has for many years been a resident of New York City. He is an American citizen who won political refugee status in a landmark decision a number of years ago in the US courts. Seán was arrested and detained while visiting his family in Belfast during the Easter weekend in a blatant attempt to chill Irish American activism and to derail the Irish peace process.
St. Patrick’s Day Party – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was our guest of honor at our St. Patrick’s Day party in Manhattan on March 19, 2004
Eamonn Dornan and Malachy McAllister – On December 9, 2003, Eamonn Dornan Esq. and Malachy McAllister updated us on the struggle of the McAllister family to remain safely in the United States as political refugees from Northern Ireland.
Police Reform after the Good Friday Agreement – Potential Unfulfilled? – On November 10, 2003, Patrick J. Lynch, President of the NYC Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association reported to us on the current status of police reform in the six counties. Click here for Photos
John McNicholl – In July, 2003, we lent our support to protest the deportation of political refugee John McNichol. >
Jeanie Johnston Reception – On July 10, 2003 The Brehon Law Societies of the NY Metro area sponsored a cocktail party on board the Jeanie Johntson, a replica of a 19th Century Famine ship when it called into New York harbor, during its historic visit to North America.
Eyewitness Parades Report – On June 23, 2003, we hosted a presentation by Dorothy Bukantz and Sean Cahill, veteran Observers in Northern Ireland and the primary authors of the extremely impressive and well received report Parading Paramiltarism.
History of the Orange Order – May 19, 2003, historian Christine Kinealy presented an address covering both the history of the Orange Order and of the Great Hunger of the 19th Century
Short Strand – April 21, 2003, eyewitness report from the Colombia Three trial and a resident of Belfast’s beleaguered Short Strand.
Northern Ireland Roundtable – On April 5, 2003, we hosted a symposium led by Sen. Clinton, Reps. King and Crowley of NY and and Sen. Dooley of Co. Clare at Nassau C.C.
Presentation by Martin McGuinness – On January 27, 2003, Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA addressed a gathering hosted by the Nassau and Suffolk Brehon Law Societies and Friends of Sinn Féin.
