SO we got to New York and we were met by our great friend Ancient Order of Hibernians Vice President Sean Pender, who drove us to Albany.
 
Mark Thompson, CEO of RFJ, has been many times to Albany but this was very very exciting for me, travelling on US motorways for the first time. I kept humming the theme tune to The Sopranos!
 
For all that joy, after 23 hours travelling time, we were very grateful to check into the motel and sleep.
 

BRONX AOH HONOURS: Michael Shanley (representing supporters of the 1981 Hunger Strikers), Congressman Eliot Engel, AOH National President Danny O'Connell, Nuala Purcell, President, County Tipperary N&B Association/Photographer, guest speaker Andrée Murphy, Deputy Director, Relatives for Justice, and AOH Bronx County Board President Martin Galvin, who is also AOH National Chairman of the Freedom for All Ireland committee.
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BRONX AOH HONOURS: Michael Shanley (representing supporters of the 1981 Hunger Strikers), Congressman Eliot Engel, AOH National President Danny O'Connell, Nuala Purcell, President, County Tipperary N&B Association/Photographer, guest speaker Andrée Murphy, Deputy Director, Relatives for Justice, and AOH Bronx County Board President Martin Galvin, who is also AOH National Chairman of the Freedom for All Ireland committee.

The next morning, I opened the curtains to the blue-skied morning and Albany, the capital of New York State, sitting on the Hudson and at the foot of the Adirondack mountains. A few houses still had their Halloween decorations up and few others had Christmas trees in their windows as the beloved Thanksgiving holiday approaches.
 
But as much as my heart was a tourist I was there to speak and lobby on behalf of victims and survivors as we face the prospect of the introduction of amnesty laws and the usurping of the rule of law. The Albany Ancient Order of Hibernians were honouring the Ladies’ AOH Vice President and Freedom for All Ireland Vice President Dolores Desch and I was honoured to speak at this national event. As we walked in Mark Thompson was greeted as a returning brother.
 
The Hibernians have taken the cause for truth and justice for families to their hearts, and they welcome with open arms those who stand up for rights.
 
Don’t mistake the reception in Irish America as sentimental Paddies waving shillelaghs, though. From the minute we arrived and over the coming four days we were flat-out being quizzed about ECHR response to the legacy legislation, the prospect of triggering Article 16 and the Protocol and how the British government bad faith on both the Brexit Agreement and on the Stormont House Agreement will impact the Good Friday Agreement. The GFA belongs to Irish America every bit as much as us.

Back in the Bronx we were asked to be guest speakers at the annual AOH dinner dance.
There they take the opportunity to honour those who have contributed to Irish American life. Honourees included Irish American photographer Nuala Purcell, AOH President Danny O’Connell, Noraid stalwart Michael Shanley and Congressmen Eliot Engel.
 
Of course, I was utterly star-struck meeting Congressman Engel. This legend of a man has been the first port of call, letter, email and text message for hundreds upon thousands of Irish people facing discrimination and injustice. His offices have been a key and critical part of building the contemporary political influence of Irish America in Washington. And that in turn has been a critical element of British government accountability. He is every bit the giant I thought he would be.
 
We were in back-to-back briefings with dozens of Congressional and Senate representatives and staffers. These guys are utterly engaged in every complex nuance, US foreign policy is completely live to the rights of victims in Ireland.
 
The content of speeches and lobbying conversations will be reported on in more detail to come – but here is the takeaway: the sleeping giant of Irish America has not abandoned the Good Friday Agreement or justice in Ireland, and we will be hearing far more in the coming days from them.