Limerick honours one of its own with Mayoral reception for leading NYC St Patrick's Day Parade
The reception is the third of its kind this year, following two sports-related Mayoral Receptions earlier in 2025.
Born in Limerick city in 1948 and a former student of CBS Sexton Street, the same school attended by Mayor Moran, Michael Benn emigrated to the United States at age 14.
He continued his education in New York and received an accounting degree from Mercy College, paving the way for a diverse career in civic leadership and business management.
He also served in the US Army from 1969 to 1972, achieving the rank of sergeant.
He served as president and chairman of the Queens County St Patrick's Day Parade in Rockaway Beach, and in March 2025, he led the 264th New York City St Patrick's Day Parade as Grand Marshal.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mayor Moran said: 'It's an absolute privilege to have welcomed Michael Benn and his family here to City Hall in the city of his youth, and to be able to recognise everything Michael has done to keep our Irish heritage alive and thriving in his new home of New York. His journey has been nothing short of incredible. Limerick is lucky to call him one of our own!'
Mr Benn added: 'This city, and Ireland as a whole, will always be home, no matter where life takes me and my family. The journey has been incredible, but the heart of it all has always been community. I'm beyond grateful for this recognition and excited for all that's ahead!'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
The ‘spacious' three-bedroom home in ‘charming village' on Irish market for €155k – and it's minutes from busy town
TAKE a look at this fabulous three-bedroom property that has entered the market for €155,000 - and it's in the heart of a charming village. Located in the beautiful and quiet residential area at Tubbercurry village, Co 6 The bargain pad has entered the market for €155,000 Credit: 6 The living room is spacious Credit: 6 The kitchen/dining room has access to the laundry room Credit: The village offers local supermarkets, a bakery, cafes, pubs, schools, and a And it's home to one of the top golf courses in Ireland, giving the new homeowner an opportunity to have a golf course right on their doorstep. The public transport is good, with the village offering connections to Boyle in Roscommon, where it provides routes to For those looking for more amenities and facilities, Sligo town is only a 30-minute drive and provides supermarkets, READ MORE ON MARKET Sligo also provides connections to Dublin, The charming pad is situated in the sought-after peaceful development due to its location and privacy, while being in the heart of the village with amenities and facilities on the doorstep. And there's a major perk for parents living at the development: there's a crèche conveniently located within the estate, making it easier for drop-offs and pick-ups. Entering the property, you are in the entry hallway with access to the living room, the kitchen/dining room, the laundry room with a downstairs bathroom and the stairwell to the first floor. Most read in Money The living room features beautiful wooden flooring, an open fireplace, a large window overlooking the property, a TV stand and built-in units. The kitchen area features gorgeous built-in wooden units, marble countertops, a tiled backsplash, integrated appliances, a pantry and large windows overlooking the garden. Inside three bed family home on Irish market for €170k on 'generous site,' in 'desirable location' And the dining area has a large round table that seats up to four people, but it can be easily expanded to seat up to six people. The laundry room has built-in units and a washing and drying machine and access to the downstairs toilet room. SPACIOUS BEDROOMS The first floor consists of a primary bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, two spacious bedrooms and a main bathroom. The primary bedroom features gorgeous fitted carpet flooring, built-in floor-to-ceiling wardrobes, a double bed, a large window overlooking the garden and space for a vanity table and storage. The ensuite bathroom is partially tiled and comes with a built-in electric shower unit, a washbasin and a toilet. The spacious bedrooms have gorgeous wooden flooring, built-in wardrobe units, a single bed, a large window overlooking the property and space for a desk or storage. One of the bedrooms is currently used as a home office, but it can also be transformed into a play room, a home gym or a movie room. The main bathroom is partially tiled and comes with a built-in electric shower unit, a washbasin with storage and a toilet. The rear yard is southwest-facing and low maintenance, with parking for two cars at the front and a garden shed for storage purposes. The BER rating for the property is B3. 6 One of the spacious bedrooms Credit: 6 The main bathroom is partially tiled Credit: 6 The rear garden has a garden shed for storage Credit:
Sunday World
an hour ago
- Sunday World
If McGregor has sights on becoming next ‘Mickey D', he'd want to start putting his away
Put it away, Conor – no nudes is good news If Conor McGregor genuinely has his sights on becoming the next 'Mickey D', he'd want to start by putting his away. Between frolicking on a beach with a mystery woman, whom even Stevie Wonder (despite recently being forced to dispel rumours he's not blind) could tell isn't his fiancée Dee Devlin, and confirming rumours of his planned UFC comeback at the White House next year, The Notorious has had quite the week. Yet, it was the rest of us who needed a bathtub-sized G&T by Friday, after images seemingly of the sportsman, with all his clothes Octa-gone, spread faster than chlamydia online in recent days. Less than four months after declaring this column a McGregor-free zone, after the disgraced slugger ridiculously teased his intention to run for the Áras, it galls me to temporarily lift that moratorium. But, casual racism aside, I'm with American rapper Azealia Banks who, having alleged the 37-year-old privately sent her unsolicited nudes which she then shared on X, asked: 'How are you really going to sexually harass me with the potato farmer d**k then threaten me not to tell?' I'm not sure who still needs to hear this, but no woman has ever woken up on a regular Monday morning, and while summoning the energy to get out of bed for work, stared at their phone wistfully and thought, 'You know what would really cheer me up right now…'? Floppy or at full mast (or even 'lifting weights' like McGregor), d**k pics, as they're more commonly known, aren't just the death of romance – they're the death of decency, so why do so many men still insist on sending them? One in four, if one YouGov survey of millennial males is anything to go by. Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin. Photo: PA What, precisely, is it that they're hoping to achieve by cold-calling women (or men) with close-ups of a body part widely agreed to be about as pretty as a newborn naked mole rat? Tragically, there is some science to suggest that, amid the digitisation of dating, some see full frontal photos as a genuine form of courting, though I prefer the good old-fashioned days of a box of Milk Tray. Other studies show how these modern-day flashers are, more simply, hoping to receive female nudes in return, and even Banks said it was a two-way street, claiming that she and McGregor 'have been sending each other unsolicited nudes since 2016'. From fallen US politician Anthony Weiner to American footballer Brett Favre, of course, the dad-of-four isn't the first to be accused of 'cyberflashing', with four out of 10 women aged between 18 and 36 also telling YouGov that they've received a d**k pic they didn't ask for. Some, it then follows, did solicit such snaps. Either way, if, for instance, you're a budding state or sportsman hoping to avoid controversy for more than a few hours, then to paraphrase Twink, it may be wisest to zip up your 'McG'.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Jake Paul slammed for 'disrespecting' Usyk with immediate in-ring challenge
Jake Paul has been at the centre of controversy after he was seen with Oleksandr Usyk following the Ukrainian's emphatic victory over Daniel Dubois. Usyk and Dubois squared off for a second time on Saturday evening, with a crowd of more than 90,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium. The Ukrainian had previously triumphed in their first bout two years earlier and definitively ended the rivalry with a brutal fifth-round knockout. With the undisputed heavyweight title on the line at such a prestigious venue, it was expected that numerous celebrities would be in attendance. Paul, who was seated in the front row, became a target for the crowd's jeers whenever his face was shown on the big screen. The 'Problem Child' didn't miss the chance to make waves as he renewed his challenge to Anthony Joshua. He told DAZN: "Yeah 100 per cent it's going to happen. We're going to do the unthinkable and create one of the biggest fights in the history of boxing. It's not even about it being realistic or not, it's gonna happen so fasten your seatbelts. And when I knock him out I'll go down in the history books forever." His trip to the UK would not be complete without facing off with Usyk - who he has called out multiple times over the last few months. The pair faced off in the ring immediately after the Ukrainian's win over Dubois. Neither man blinked in what was a tense and chilling stare down. Eventually, the pair shook hands and went their separate ways. In a post uploaded to X - formerly known as Twitter - Paul posted the video, captioning it: "Congrats to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time @usykaa on a huge win. I respect you a lot. Now we do an MMA match for the world @MostVpromotions." As expected, the footage quickly went viral online - with Usyk himself was quick to comment on the face off with the YouTuber-turned-boxer. "Jake Paul came to the ring for a face-off. I'm ready to fight with Jake Paul in MMA rules. I'm ready but I need to rest," he said. While it was maybe all fun and games, boxing fans were quick to flood the comments section, expressing their anger towards Paul. "Letting him in the same ring as Usyk is an insult," one fan wrote. A second commented: "It should never be sanctioned, Usyk will murder the YouTuber!" A third replied: "Please don't disrespect us and Usyk like this," while another posted: "This is absolutely ridiculous. Get Jake Paul out of there." A fifth replied: "Embarrassing shouldn't even be allowed in the same ring as Usyk." Paul - who signed with the PFL two years ago - is yet to make his MMA debut. Back in May, the American stunned the boxing world after he called out Usyk for a fight in the octagon. "Yeah, I want to be like Holly (Holm) here and test my skills in the cage," The Problem Child said, referencing the American boxer and MMA star. "That's something I'm super, super interested in, and I think it would be a very, very big spectacle. Nate Diaz is still ducking, but we would need to find the right opponent. [Oleksandr] Usyk, maybe." Paul's business partner Nakisa Bidarian then weighed in on the comments and raised expectations that a stunning bout between the two stars could take place. "Usyk has called out Jake multiple times in MMA," he added. "They've been in touch with us behind the scenes saying they want to do that fight in 2026. So it's something that we definitely want to pursue." When is Jake Paul's next fight? After defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr last month, Paul is set to fight once more before the year is out. The American can now fight for a world title after he was placed in the WBC's cruiserweight rankings following his win over the Mexican. The 28-year-old's manager revealed his business partner is keen on fighting for a world title 'as soon as possible'. However, he admits it is likely it won't happen next, given the current standings at 200lbs. "Absolutely [he will fight again this year]. November or December," Bidarian told Ariel Helwani when asked about Paul's next steps. "I'm seeing him tonight for dinner, and we will have a conversation [about his next opponent]. The only possibility right now is that Jake wants to fight for a belt as soon as possible. "I have to talk to him, I think it's tough this year [to box for a world title]. Badou Jack is who he wants to fight more than anyone, and he has a mandatory rematch with the guy he just beat [Noel Mikaelian] for the WBC. I don't know if this year is possible [for the title fight], but we'll see."
