| Newsletter September 2026 | |
A chairde,
As the summer comes to a close, we are pleased to share a few highlights from what has been another busy period for the Consulate.
In August, we were delighted to welcome Ben Headon to the Consulate team as our new Vice Consul. Ben joins us us following a posting in Ireland’s new Embassy in Pakistan and is looking forward to working with the Irish community in the Midwest over the next few years. You can read more about Ben’s arrival below.
We were also pleased to welcome Minister of State Seán Canney to the Midwest in August. During his visit, Minister Canney attended the Milwaukee Irish Fest and took part in engagements at Milwaukee City Hall and with the Port of Milwaukee, all of which provided excellent opportunities to explore ways that we can deepen the ties between Ireland and Wisconsin. Our thanks to the organisers and volunteers at CelticMKE for their warm welcome and support.
Minister Canney’s visit coincided with visits from a number of Irish city and county councils to the Midwest, including delegations from Galway City and Galway County led by Mayor Helen Ogbu and Cathaoirleach Andrew Reddington for programmes in Illinois and Wisconsin.
We are now looking forward to a busy autumn. Our friends at the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago will celebrate their 125th anniversary with former Taoiseach Enda Kenny on 17 September, while you still have time to attend Irish cultural festivals in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, andWisconsin throughout September.
This week, the Consulate will continue our USA250 programme with a talk from labour historian Professor Rosemary Feurer. Our USA250 programme will continue throughout the autumn.
More information on these events and other upcoming events can be found in this month’s newsletter. We hope to see many of you over the coming weeks. As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if we can be of assistance.
Le meas,
Pádraig Manning
Acting Consul General
Consulate General of Ireland, Chicago
| New Vice Consul Ben Headon joins the Consulate Team | |
We are delighted to welcome Ben Headon to the Consulate team as our new Vice Consul and Deputy Head of Mission. Ben originally studied International Commerce and a Masters in International Business in UCD and after a long period working in Financial Services in Ireland joined the Department in 2023. Ben worked on the US & Canada desk in Dublin, before embarking on his first posting to Ireland's Embassy in Pakistan in 2024.
Ben is looking forward to getting out and about to meet with the Consulate's partners throughout the Midwest and will present at many of the events listed below!
| UPCOMING EVENTS IN MIDWEST USA | Sep 4 | USA250: Celebrating the Irish community's role in the Labor Movement | |
In the early twentieth century, Irish American labor activists in Chicago and the wider Midwest – especially Mary Harris ‘Mother’ Jones – played an important role in promoting the connections between civil rights and labor rights, drawing from international, Irish, and American doctrines to imagine a landscape for a new kind of freedom and democracy.
Join us to mark Labor Day weekend at Ireland House with a talk on the Irish community’s role in Chicago’s labor movement from the past to the present. The event forms part of the Consulate’s programme of events to mark USA 250 and will feature a lecture from labor historian Professor Rosemary Feurer of Northern Illinois University and reflections from Mike Lafferty of the Chicago Roofers Union Local 11.
📍 Ireland House, 401 N Michigan, 1500, Chicago 60611
📅 Friday, 4 September
🕔 11.30am – 1.30pm
| Sep 15 & Oct 2 | Donegal Writer at Bookshops in Midwest USA | |
Charleen Hurtubise, a resident of Donegal and native of Michigan, is coming to the Great Lakes region with her new novel Saoirse. Set between Michigan and Ireland, the novel follows a young artist living in Donegal with her husband and two daughters. When she wins a major art award, it exposes her to media scrutiny and she fears her past may resurface, including the reason she fled from America.
Charleen Hurtubise's full schedule is featured in the event listings below, including events at Bookends & Beginnings, Evanston, IL on Oct 2 at and Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI on Sep 16.
| Sep 17 | 125 Years of the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago | |
For 125 years, the Irish Fellowship Club has engaged the Irish community of Chicago in fun, fellowship and charitable activities. The Fellowship Club will celebrate its 125th anniversary on September 17 from 6-10pm at Theater on The Lake. Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny will recognize this outstanding anniversary as the Fellowship Club's special guest and a special fireworks show will cap off the evening.
The event will feature a mini “Taste of Chicago” with food from Gibson’s Restaurant, Vaughn’s Hospitality Group and the Dearborn along with desserts from Misericordia and an Anniversary Cheesecake from Eli’s Cheesecake. Guests will also be entertained with Irish and contemporary music throughout the evening including a special appearance by the Shannon Rovers.
| Sep 19 & 20 | Half Way to St Patrick's Day at Irish American Heritage Center | Join in the fun at the Halfway to St. Patrick's Music Festival at the Irish American Heritage Center when Chicago's Irish community comes together halfway to the favorite holiday of the year. Includes Thursday night concert with The Bow Tides (concert tickets sold separately); Friday Night Irish Comedy Showcase, and all weekend long enjoy live entertainment, Irish dancing, shopping from Irish vendors, bounce houses, face painting, outdoor games, all while supporting the Center's nonprofit mission to preserve and celebrate Irish culture. | Sep 25 - 27 |12th Annual Irish American Movie Hooley in Wilmette, IL | Movie Hooley is returning to Wilmette with four extraordinary films. The festival is sponsored by Hibernian Media’s Irish American Labor Alliance including Local 130 Plumbers Union led by President/Bus. Mgr. Jim Coyne, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council led by Kevin McLaughlin and Iron Workers Local 1 led by President/Bus Mgr. John Gardiner. The Movie Hooley is also thankful for support from the Irish Film Institute. Tickets can be booked at the Wilmette Theater. | Sep 28 | Ireland Network Golf Outing at Seven Bridges | |
Join Ireland Network Chicago's Annual Golf Outing at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge, IL on September 28.
Enjoy a day on the course with members, friends and partners of Ireland Network Chicago, competing in a four-person scramble format at one of the Midwest's premier public golf facilities.
Includes a Post-Golf Luncheon & Reception, with lunch catered by Roisin Daly of Donegal, drinks, prizes and plenty of time to connect with the Ireland Network community.
| Sep 30 | All-Ireland Alumni Networking Reception in Chicago | |
For the first time, alumni from universities across Ireland and Northern Ireland are coming together in Chicago for an evening of conversation, networking and reconnecting with the Irish university community.
The event will bring together graduates from universities across the island of Ireland, including Technological University of the Shannon, providing an opportunity to meet fellow Irish university alumni and make new connections.
The gathering will take place in a private residence in Chicago, with drinks, light bites and an indoor/outdoor setting.
| Oct 6 | Micheal O'Siadhail at Ireland House | |
Join us for a reading and conversation with renowned Irish poet and academic Micheal O'Siadhail.
For over 50 years, Micheal's lyrical mediations have captured relationships between humanity and nature, despair and faith, and courage and healing.
On October 6, he will read from his newest collection The Essential Poems, which complies selected works from throughout his career.
| Oct 6 & 7 | Study in Ireland Midwest Fairs | The Education in Ireland Fairs are coming to the Midwest! Explore world-class courses, meet top Irish universities and colleges. Free entry. Learn more and register today at the link below! | Dec 10 | Ireland Funds Annual Dinner | |
The annual Ireland Funds dinner will be celebrated in December this year.
We look forward to a wonderful evening with our friends in Chicago in support of The Ireland Funds’ vital work in communities across the island of Ireland.
More information is available at the link below.
| OUT & ABOUT IN MIDWEST USA | Minister of State Seán Canney in Milwaukee | |
Minister of State for Transport with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rails and Ports, Seán Canney, travelled to Wisconsin for a programme of engagement centred around the 2026 Milwaukee Irish Fest.
Minister Canney started his visit with a reception at Milwaukee City Hall hosted by Mayor of Milwaukee Cavalier Johnson to celebrate the Galway-Milwaukee sister city relationship and wider Ireland-Wisconsin ties.
The Minister also engaged with the Port of Milwaukee, which provided an opportunity to share learnings on port infrastructure and the development of our ports into the future.
A breakfast roundtable with Tourism Ireland and Aer Lingus partners, as well as a series of engagements with Ireland’s Emigrant Support Programme partners, cemented the strong relationships with Irish cultural, community and civic leadership in Milwaukee.
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Minister Canney attended the Milwaukee Irish Fest, addressing a Tourism Ireland luncheon for the Association of Irish and Celtic Festivals, delivering remarks at the festival's Hedge School, and engaging with local authorities and tour operators from Ireland and local partners here in the Midwest.
The Consulate also hosted its pop-up Consulate at the festival, with the Consulate team on hand to answer questions about everything from citizenship and passports to studying in or returning to Ireland.
"One family told us that after visiting us here last year, they applied for Irish citizenship through a grandparent, and are now attending university in Ireland" says Eileen O'Reilly who coordinates the Consulate's presence at Irish Festivals in the Midwest . "The festival also offers the opportunity to engage with our partners in person," says Megan Grealy, who manages grant applications for the Emigrant Support Programme, "many of our community and cultural partners are here, from all across the Midwest."
The festival also provides excellent opportunities for many Irish artists who supported by Culture Ireland, expanding the reach of Irish music to more concert goers. Our thanks to the organisers and volunteers at CelticMKE for their warm welcome and support. .
| Galway Delegation in Chicago | |
The Consulate was delighted to support the visits of Mayor of Galway City Helen Ogbu, Galway County Council Cathaoirleach Andrew Reddington, and the visiting Galway City and County delegations to Ireland House.
The Galway delegation included representatives from Galway Chamber, University of Galway, Atlantic Technological University, Platform 94, Gaillimh le Gaeilge, Galway Technical Institute, and the Galway Convention Bureau.
The delegation had a series of engagements over the course of its visit to Chicago, including economic briefings, youth development meetings, cultural events, civic discussions, and a meeting with Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson (pictured below). The programme also included the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Galway Chamber and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, which establishes a structured framework for business engagement between Galway and Chicago for the years ahead.
Chicago & Galway will be celebrating their 30th year as Sister Cities in 2027.
| Irish company DECI opens North American office in Chicago | |
Pádraig Manning was pleased to join Irish company DECI at the official opening of its new North American office in Chicago – another demonstration of Irish innovation and the strength of the US-Ireland economic relationship.
DECI Ltd, a specialist provider of commissioning and testing services for mission-critical infrastructure, marked the occasion with a ribbon-cutting and reception at the new office, joined by clients, suppliers, and colleagues who have supported the company's growth in the region. The opening builds on DECI's growing on-the-ground presence in the U.S. and reflects sustained high demand from clients across the mission-critical construction community for independent, rigorous commissioning and testing to ensure projects are delivered safely and smoothly.
Congratulations to DECI Managing Director Colm Phelan and the DECI team!
| Working Holiday Authorisation Programme Outreach | |
Working Holiday Authorisation programme allows eligible US citizens to live and work in Ireland for a period of up to twelve months. This programme reflects not only the close historical and cultural ties between Ireland and the US, but also the vibrancy of the modern transatlantic relationship.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) have partnered on a specific programme for Working Holiday Authorisation applications with backgrounds in culinary or hospitality studies. A number of students and graduates from the Chicagoland area have already participated in this programme, with many more scheduled to take up roles in Ireland in the coming months.
You can learn more about the programme at the link below.
| DePaul University Irish Studies Students visit Ireland House | |
The Consulate welcomed freshman students from DePaul University as part of their Discover Chicago Immersion week, let by professor Dr Mary McCain.
Vice Consul Ben Headon enjoyed the engaging discussion and the balanced questions from students. Opportunities like this are an important component of our public diplomacy work to share Ireland's story, highlight our close ties to Chicago and to share the role of diplomacy in building connections between countries and communities.
| IRISH CULTURAL EVENTS - BOOK TOURS | |
'SAOIRSE' BY CHARLENE HURTUBISE
Sep 16: Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI 6.30 PM
Sep 17: 2 Dandelions Bookshop. Brighton, MI 6 PM
Sep 20: Schuler Books, Okemos, MI 2 PM
Sep 22 Serendipity Books, Chelsea, MI 7 PM
Sep 25-26 Harbor Springs Festival of Books.Wait list only.
Sep 30 Peter White Library, Marquette, MI partnership with Snowbound Books 6.30 PM
Oct 1: Milwaukee TBA!
Oct 2 2026 The Bookstall,Winnetka, IL 3:30 - 4 PM
Oct 2 Bookends & Beginnings, In Conversation. Evanston, IL 6 PM Doors and minibar open at 5.30 PM. Come celebrate the last stop along the Great Lakes tour!
'THE ESSENTIAL POEMS' by Micheal O'Siadhail
Oct 5 at 5 pm DePaul University
Oct 6 at 6 pm Ireland House Chicago
Oct 7 at 5 pm Northwestern University
Oct 8 at 12 pm American Writers Museum
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See below for an up to date list of what's happening in your neck of the woods:
ILLINOIS
Sep 5-7 Long Grove Irish Days Irish Festival at Long Grove, IL
Sep 10 at 7 pm The Irish in America Tickets, Thursday, September 10 • 7 PM - 8 PM | Eventbrite
Sep 18-19 West Suburban Irish Fest, Naperville, IL
Two new bands from Ireland will play at Riot Fest in Douglass Park:
Sep 18 Cardinals - from Cork at Riot Fest Chicago
Sep 19 Gurriers - from Dublin at Riot Fest Chicago
Oct 8 Chasing Abbey Bottom Lounge Chicago
IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CHICAGO
View events here
Sep 2, 16, & 30 Wednesday Bingo Nights, Fifth Province Hall
Starting Sept 15 Writing & Journaling Class Series, IAHC Library
Sep 16 Calligraphy & Cocktails: Exploring the Neuland Hand, Fifth Province Pub
Sep 17 Halfway Fest Kickoff Concert: The Bow Tides, Mayfair Theatre
Sep 18 Halfway Fest Irish Comedy Showcase, Mayfair Theatre
Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Music Festival Fundraiser, Sept 19 & 20 @ Noon. $30 Adults | $25 IAHC Members | $20 Seniors (65+) | FREE Children (12 & Under)
Sep 19 Golfing Fore Green, Billy Caldwell Golf Course & IAHC
Starting Sep 26 Traditional Irish Singing Classes, IAHC
CHICAGO GAELIC PARK
View events here
INDIANA
Sep 18-19 Circle City Irish Festival, Indianapolis
IOWA
MICHIGAN
Sep 17-20 Michigan Irish Music Festival Muskegon
Oct 10 Chasing Abbey Lager House Detroit
MINNESOTA
Events at Celtic Junction Arts Center, Minneapolis St Paul, MN
Sep 5 Upcycled Market, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Sep 7 Monday Night Square Dance, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Sep 11 Sean Gavin & Colm Gannon in Concert, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Sep 21 Monday Night Square Dance, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Sep 25 Skye Consort & Emma Björling, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Sep 26 The Triskele Trilogy: A Staged Reading, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Oct 2 Hounds of Finn, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Oct 3 Soul Trouvère + Ukrainian Village Band: A benefit for Unidos MN, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Oct 5 Monday Night Square Dance, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Oct 6 Chasing Abbey at the Turf Club, The Turf Club, St. Paul
Oct 7 Education in Ireland - Twin Cities, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Oct 10 Celtic Junction Fall Fundraiser, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Oct 13 Round Table, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Oct 16 Sorcha Costello in Concert with Brian Miller, Center for Irish Music at Celtic Junction, St. Paul
Oct 19 Monday Night Square Dance, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
Oct 23 Approaching a Celtic New Year: Irish Song and Poetry of the Soul, Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Irish Fest School of Music Fall Semester - Enrollment Now Open for Online and In-Person at CelticMKE Center, Wauwatosa
Sep 12 | CelticMKE Monthly Céilí Dances, CelticMKE Center, Wauwatosa
Sep 16 | The Great Irish Open Golf Outing, Ironwood Golf Course, Sussex
Sep 30 Gadan at Atwood Music Hall, Madison, WI
Oct 09 Chasing Abbey at Falcon Bowl, Milwaukee
Oct 10 | CelticMKE Monthly Céilí Dances, CelticMKE Center, Wauwatosa
Oct 23 | Rory Makem: Irish Songs, Stories & Samhain, CelticMKE Center, Wauwatosa
Dermot Kennedy Tour Sep 4-12
Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Chicago, Michigan
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