The awardees of this year’s Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Awards have been announced.
They are Arranmore Island native Caroleann Gallagher, US based Billy Higgins and investor and entrepreneur David McCourt.
The awards ceremony which commemorates the birth of Tip O’Neill who served as speaker of the US House of Representatives will take place on September 27th.
Caroleann Gallagher grew up on Arranmore Island and is now based in Chicago. She launched The Coogan Gallagher Scholarship in recent years for Leaving Cert students from the Gairmscoil, Arranmore.
Billy Higgins, born and raised in South Boston Mass USA, is a businessman and community leader who is renowned for his charitable endeavours and the founder of the Southill Children’s Fund in Boston in 1985. He has done immense work in supporting the education of children with special needs both in Boston and Ireland and has donated to the Patient Social Fund of the Ballaghderg Pre-School for Children with special needs in Donegal.
Finally, David McCourt, the founder and Chairman of Granahan McCourt Capital and the Chairman of National Broadband Ireland which is working with the Government in the largest Public Private Partnership in European telecoms is to be recognised.
