Eire Society Honors Padraig O’Malley for International Peace Work

Padraig O'Malley received the 2008 Gold Medal award from the Eire Society of Boston for his peace and reconciliation work in Northern Ireland, South Africa and, most recently, Iraq. (photo: irishemigrant.com/boston)

With the divisions is today's world, Democrats versus Republicans, haves versus the have nots and us versus them, it's no wonder people are left befuddled and asking what it all means.

Enter Padraig O'Malley, this year's recipient of the Gold Medal at the Eire Society of Boston's Gold Medal Dinner. O'Malley, a distinguished professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, was honored during the organization's gathering, held at Boston's Omni Parker House earlier this month.

He is chiefly known for his peace and reconciliation work in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Iraq.

The Dublin-born O'Malley is hailed as a peace negotiator and also as a published writer.

Those honoring O'Malley at the April 3 dinner included local activist Jim Brett, Irish Consul David Barry and Boston Globe writer Kevin Cullen. Cullen served as toastmaster at the dinner, which was held in the hotel's Rooftop Ballroom.

The Eire Society's Gold Medal is awarded annually to a person of who has made significant contributions to benefit society and to their chosen fields of expertise.

Barbara Fitzgerald, a member of the Eire Society's Board of Directors, said the award for O'Malley was well deserved.

"It's because of the peace talks with Northern Ireland and South Africa and now he's in Iraq," she said.

Previous Gold Medal recipients include filmmakers John Ford and John Huston, Irish actresses Siobhan McKenna and Maureen O'Hara, Irish poet Seamus Heaney, U.S. ambassadors to Ireland William Shannon and Jean Kennedy Smith, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John McCormack and President John F. Kennedy.

For most of his professional life, O'Malley has been involved with the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Working with all the political parties to the conflict, he convened the Amherst Conference on Northern Ireland (Massachusetts, 1975), the Airlie House Conference (Virginia, 1985) and co-convened the Arniston Conference with the government of South Africa (Western Cape, 1997).

In 1987 O'Malley initiated a meeting with the dissident Northern Irish hosted by Nelson Mandela in South Africa known as the Great Indaba. In 1992, he participated in bringing some of the South African figures in that transition to Boston for a meeting with representatives of the factions in Northern Ireland.

Most recently, O'Malley helped arrange a 2007 conference at a resort in Finland, where 16 Iraqis met with experienced negotiators from South Africa and Ireland who described the processes toward peace in their countries.

The society's Karen Ann Thornton described O'Malley as a charming man who is able to gather together a range of interested parties, often those with differing viewpoints.

"He's been involved in the Irish community for years," she said. "He's bringing all these different factions together."

BORN IN DUBLIN

O'Malley was born in Dublin in 1942. He was educated at University College, Dublin, and at Yale, Tufts and Harvard universities in the United States.

O'Malley has authored many books, among them the award-winning Uncivil Wars: Ireland Today, Biting at the Grave, and, most recently Shades of Difference, Mac Maharaj and the Struggle for South Africa. He is recipient of the International Association of University Presidents Peace Award (1985) and the Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Scholars (1985).

The Eire Society will hold their annual general meeting on May 15 at Boston College's Burns Library. The meeting will review past events and achievements of 2007-2008 year, review constitutional amendments and elect new members to the Board of Directors.

This event is for members only and the cost for the dinner is $15 per person. Members are asked to RSVP by telephone at 866-560-1050 on or before May 8.

Source: IrishEmigrant.com/boston

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