Ambassador Award

For over 30 years, he has been named to The Best Lawyers in America, having been chosen best in his field by other lawyers repeatedly and selected as Best Lawyers’ “Lawyer of the Year” award. Fred has also been repeatedly named to the esteemed Irish Legal 100, a network of distinguished and accomplished lawyers of Irish descent in the legal profession. This honored recognition is given to 100 lawyers of Irish ancestry by the Irish Voice Newspaper. The award is annually bestowed by Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States in a gathering held at the Irish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C.

Since joining the St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke in 1974, Fred has dedicated over 50 years of service to the Committee, including several leadership roles such as Chair of the Board of Directors and President for the 1990 Parade. Over thirty years ago, Fred was instrumental in collaborating to create the Ambassador’s Award, working directly with the Republic of Ireland. Prior to this award, Fred had also been honored with the O’Connell Award and was the Parade’s Grand Marshal in 2006. The Ambassador’s Award sets Fred apart as the first Committee member to receive this honor.

Establishing the Ambassador’s Award in 1992, Dermont A. Gallagher, then Ambassador to the United States from Ireland, designated that the award would be presented through the St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke. The Holyoke Parade is the only St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country to have been selected by the Republic of Ireland to hold this distinct award. The Ambassador Award has since become a symbol of mutual respect, cultural enrichment, and goodwill celebrated by diplomats, cultural leaders, and policymakers alike. The prestigious international award is presented annually by a representative of the Republic of Ireland on the day of the Parade. The award itself is a medallion resembling that of the medallion worn by the Lord Mayor of Dublin. Fred’s work to create this award is a tribute to not only honor his Irish heritage but to promote the relations between the United States and Ireland. It highlights the importance of collaborating in not only government but in culture and society as well.