2025 Inductees
Arts & Humanities
Mick Moloney
Mick Maloney (November 15, 1944 – July 27, 2022) was an Irish-born American musician and scholar, combining the careers of professional musician, musicologist, record producer, teacher and arts presenter, consultant and advocate.
He produced and performed on over 70 albums and served as advisor for scores of festivals and concerts all over the United States. He served on National Endowment for the Arts panels on folk, minority and community arts. He was the artistic director of several major arts tours and co-founded The Green Fields of America, an ensemble of Irish musicians, singers, and dancers which toured across the US on several occasions.
He was born in Limerick, immigrated to the US in 1973. He undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, obtaining a master's degree before being awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in folklore and folk life in 1992. He went on to teach ethnomusicology, folklore, and Irish studies at Penn, Georgetown University, and Villanova University. He was also global distinguished professor of music and Irish studies at New York University until his death.
In recognition of his work in public folklore, he received a 1999 National Heritage Fellowship from the NEA, the highest official honor a traditional artist can receive in the United States. Professor Moloney has taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Boston College, Villanova University and New York University.
Moloney published Far From the Shamrock Shore: The Story of Irish American History Through Song (Random House, 2002) and an accompanying CD on Shanachie Records.
He directed and coordinated major American multicultural dance festivals that toured West Africa and South and Central America under the auspices of the United States Information Agency. Professor Moloney has hosted, consulted, musically arranged and/or performed in numerous television and film productions, including Irish television’s ”Bringing It All Back Home,” the PBS documentary film “Out of Ireland,” and the 1998 PBS special “The Irish in America: Long Journey Home.”
Business & Industry
Joseph Ahern
Joseph (Joe) Ahern is the former CEO of the 100 Club of Chicago, having served 10 years leading this nonprofit organization that supports the surviving dependents of first responders who lost their lives in the line of duty. The 100 Club reaches out to all federal, state, county and local public safety personnel stationed in Cook and Lake Counties.
Previous to Joe’s leadership of the 100 Club of Chicago, he served as President and General Manager of CBS 2 Chicago (2002-2008); President and General Manager KGO-TV San Francisco (1998-2002); Managing Director of Disney Intl. Broadcasting Europe (1997-1998); President and General Manager of ABC 7 Chicago (1985-1997); and as a senior advisor on Chicago’s 2016 Olympics Committee.
Joe has a wealth of experience and dedication to other civic and charitable causes including the American Cancer Society, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago Central Area Committee, World Business Chicago, Loyola University Council of Regents and Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy (NIPSTA).
Joe and his wife Susan reside in Bluffton, South Carolina. Their daughters, Kate and Ally, live in Chicago and Barcelona, and Joe’s oldest daughter is also a Chicago resident.
Education
Dr. Eoin McKiernan
Dr. Eoin McKiernan (May 10 1915 – July 18 2004) was an iconic champion of Irish culture in America and, 50 years ago, was the founder of the Irish American Cultural Institute (IACI). Born John Thomas McKiernan in New York 1915, McKiernan adopted the old Irish form of his name, Eoin, early in his life. His parents were from counties Leitrim and Clare.
Inspired by his parents' love of their homeland, McKiernan went to Ireland to study Irish culture as a young boy. At 15, he won a scholarship to spend three months studying in County Galway, later moved to Lahinch, where he spent the rest of the year on his maternal relatives' farm, noting, "I learned from my grandmother a fund of stories and forklore that is with me still. His dedication to and influence of Irish Culture in both educational and political spheres transformed the image of Irish America. The Irish Times named him “The U.S. Champion of Irish culture and history.”
In addition to his work through the IACI, Dr. McKiernan held a Ph.D. in Literature and was Chair of the English Department at the State University of New York and College of St. Thomas, Minnesota. He was the curator of Irish Books and Media. He worked tirelessly to move beyond the stereotypes of the drunken, fighting Irishman and to illuminate the deep beauty in Ireland's Arts, Culture, and Traditions.
The Celtic Junction Arts Center’s (CJAC's) Eoin McKiernan Library celebrates the legacy of Irish Studies pioneer and prolific promoter of Irish culture Eoin McKiernan. Founded on the McKiernan family’s gift of 3000 items from Dr. McKiernan's personal library, CJAC's collection reflects his deep passion for Irish history and politics, the Irish language, folklore, literature and Irish arts. In his memory, the McKiernan Library works to serve and enrich the Irish cultural community of Minnesota. McKiernan was a pioneer ahead of his time.
Public Service
James Hickey
James B. Hickey is a retired U.S. Army Colonel. In December 2003, he led Operations Red Dawn, the U.S. military effort that captured Saddam Hussein near Tikrit, Iraq. Hickey is the second of six children born to Jim, from Clare and Anne Marie, from Mayo. He was raised in the Chicago suburb of Hickory Hills and attended St. Laurence High School.
He is a 1982 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. Growing up in both a house and area strong in Irish culture, he gained an appreciation of the uniqueness of his upbringing, and the strength of the values that come from people like his parents. Their sense of humanity and right and wrong he says "has definitely influenced me over the years." Hickey was commissioned into the U.S. Army in 1982.
His first assignment was as a cavalry platoon leader, troop executive officer and squadron adjutant. He also had a secondary career field, Foreign Area Officer (Russian linguist). In April 2003, Colonel Hickey deployed to Iraq and on June 13, 2003 he took command of 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. Colonel Hickey, supported by Special Operations units, led the raid that captured Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003.
Decorated for gallantry, valor and merit, Colonel Hickey's decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star for Valor, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Iraq Campaign Medal, Four Stars and the Valorous Unit Award.
After retiring from the army, Colonel Hickey served as vice president for ACADEMI's Security and Professional Services Business Unit (formerly Blackwater), worked for Senator John McCain as his senior military advisor. In 2019, Colonel Hickey served as a vice president with Raytheon Intelligence and Space and then as Senior Advisor at Palantir in 2024. He has been married to Maureen Kelly Hickey since 1983.
Religion
Fr. Joseph Mulcrone
Fr. Joseph Mulcrone has been a priest of the archdiocese of Chicago for 64 years and has served as the Chaplain to the Deaf of the Archdiocese for 48 of those years. He continues in that ministry even though he could retire. Fr. Mulcrone is the grandson of immigrants from County Mayo, Peter and Ellen Mulcrone, and 1st generation Irish grandparents, Lawrence and Josephine Fay, who were deaf. Both sets of grandparents influenced his life greatly.
In the course of his priesthood, Fr. Joe has championed many causes and worked on many committees to benefit people with special needs. Beside being a fierce advocate for the deaf and hearing impaired, he has worked closely with organizations that care for marginalized and abused children, especially the Childrens' Advocacy Center. More than anything, he is nationally and internationally recognized for his work with the deaf community. He co-founded The Deaf Catholic Youth Initiative for the Americas which brings together deaf teens from North, Central, and South America, many of whom have no support systems in their countries. The Vatican has taken note of this and is supporting this venture.
Fr. Mulcrone has another love -- his Irish heritage. In 1966, he began researching his roots and ancestors, this at a time when there were very few genealogical resources available for this work. Through interviewing family members, especially his grandparents, and the good fortune to have gained access to the Newberry Library, he compiled a significant history of the Mulcrone/Mulchrone and Fay/Fee families. Over the ensuing years he has traveled to Ireland to stay in touch with his many cousins there. Most recently, he has been leading trips to the homeland to expose his nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews to their Irish roots and the people and places so important to his family.
Science
Dr. Joseph Murray
Dr. Joseph E. Murray (April 1, 1919 – November 26, 2012) was an American plastic surgeon best known for performing the world’s first successful kidney transplant. Raised in a large Irish-American family, Murray developed a strong work ethic and an early interest in medicine. After earning his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1943, he served as a surgeon in the U.S. Army during World War II at Valley Forge General Hospital in Pennsylvania. His experience treating soldiers with burn injuries inspired his career in reconstructive surgery and organ transplantation.
On December 23, 1954, Murray and his team made medical history by successfully transplanting a kidney from one identical twin to another at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (now Brigham and Women’s Hospital) in Boston. This groundbreaking procedure proved that organ transplants were possible and laid the foundation for modern transplant medicine. Murray’s pioneering work in transplantation and immunology earned him the 1990 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Throughout his career, Murray remained a trailblazer in reconstructive surgery, refining techniques for craniofacial and hand surgery. His contributions to medicine, particularly organ transplantation, have saved countless lives and advanced the field of surgery. Murray was also known for his compassionate care of patients, always focusing on improving their quality of life through his innovative procedures. Murray’s family roots trace back to County Clare, Ireland.
Raised in an extended Irish-Italian American family, he was instilled with values of humility, faith, and service to others. In later years, he maintained close ties to Irish-American communities and was honored for his achievements by various Irish organizations. His groundbreaking accomplishments in kidney transplantation not only transformed the field of medicine but also continue to impact patients and physicians globally.
Sports
Kevin McHale
A Minnesota native, Kevin McHale, is a former professional basketball player, head coach, front office executive, and television analyst. Kevin played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics where he won three NBA championships. He earned the nickname "the Torture Chamber" for his exceptional footwork and post skills that consistently overwhelmed opponents. He is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and is regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.
He attended the University of Minnesota, where he was named to two first-team All-Conference teams and set many team records that still stand today. He was selected third overall in the 1980 NBA draft by the Celtics and spent his first six seasons as a valuable bench player, being twice named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, awarded each season to the league's best bench player.
He won three NBA championships with the Celtics. Having already played in an NBA All-Star game as a bench player, he played in an additional six All-Star games as starter and was named all-NBA Defensive team six times. After injuries forced his retirement following the 1992–1993 season, he was later named to both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
McHale began working for the Minnesota Timberwolves immediately following his retirement in 1993 (until 2009) and at different times, as a TV analyst, general manager, and a head coach. He was the head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2011 to 2015.
Beyond basketball, McHale proudly embraces his Irish heritage, which comes from his father's side of the family, tracing their roots to County Mayo. Throughout his life, McHale has actively promoted Irish culture and supported the Irish-American community. He has made numerous trips to Ireland, connecting with distant relatives, and exploring his family’s history.
He is also a key advocate for organizations fostering ties between Ireland and Irish-Americans. A standout example of McHale’s involvement is his work with the Irish American Partnership, an organization supporting education and economic development in Ireland.
Hometown Hero
James Sweeney
As President of Local 150, James M. Sweeney is the chief executive of the union. James the eldest of four born to the late Martin and Kathleen Sweeney, who emigrated to Chicago in the fifties from Mayo and Galway. As a child, James spent his summers working on the family farm in Ireland and has gone back each year to visit family and friends.
As a Union member since 1978 James also serves on the Board of Directors of Amalgamated Bank. James has has been extremely influential supporting Irish Union workers not only in Chicago, Illinois but across the United States.
James also started the annual "family" Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade and is now Chicago’s longest continually running St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This is a neighborhood parade of police officers, firefighters, and city workers. The parade started with four floats, and last year had 86 participants celebrating the Irish and their community. Revenue from parade is donated to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s (CPMF)“Get Behind the Vest” Program. Last year, CPMF received $110,000 in honor of fallen Chicago Police Department (CPD) Officers. The year before that, $100,000 was raised for Danny Golden, a Southside CPD Officer who was wounded in action and paralyzed. CPMF also received $100,000 in honor of fallen CPD Officer Ella French in 2022. James Sweeney also runs his annual “Sweeney Classic” golf outing donating to our armed forces.
The James M. Sweeney Golf Classic benefiting the SEAL Family Foundation began donating in 2016 raising over $6 million through 2024. As the beneficiary, SEAL Family Foundation is extremely grateful to James and Local 150 for their generosity.
Today, James stands tall representing the Irish community in Chicago well. James has been the recipient of numerous awards from organizations like the Irish American Labor Council, Peggy Browning Fund, Illinois State Crime Commission, Irish Echo, Italian American Labor Council, Marist Contractors Association, and more.