Philadelphia Rose of Tralee
Celebrating 10 Years
2002-2012
Philadelphia Rose of Tralee
Philadelphia, PA
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Mary O'Connor Spirit Award
The Mary O'Connor Spirit Award was established in 2009 by the Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Centre. Named after the original Rose of Tralee, the award is given to Irish-American women who embody O'Connor's strength, humble spirit, courage, demonstrated service to the community, and who are truly role models for the younger generation of Irish-American women.
Patricia Bonner
Frances Duffy
Serena White
2011 Mary O'Connor Spirit AwardeesWe are proud to announce our 2011 Mary O'Connor Spirit Awardees. While we have traditionally had only one awardee per year, it would be hard to separate these three remarkable women, who been long-time volunteers in our community and tireless advocates for Irish causes. Often working as a team, they have exemplified a spirit of friendship and camaraderie in all of their undertakings. Countless events, benefits and projects in Philadelphia's Irish community have ran smoothly and been successful because of their "behind the scenes" work. Each has her own story of strength, sacrifice and courage, and we are honored to recognize their significant contributions to the Irish-American community in Philadelphia.
Bios coming soon. Please join us in celebrating Pat, Frances and Serena at the 2011 Philadelphia Rose Gala on April 2nd!Attracta O'Malley
2010 Mary O'Connor Spirit AwardeeA native of County Mayo, Attracta O'Malley is well known in Philadelphia's Irish community as a tireless volunteer and organizer for many charitable pursuits. Attracta became the first woman president of the Mayo Association of Philadelphia, an organization whose membership had traditionally only been open to men. One of Attracta's most notable accomplishments was spearheading a fundraising effort which raised $30,000 for a 1 year-old Dublin girl's bone marrow transplant (and costs incurred by traveling to the USA for the life-saving surgery).
When receiving the Mary O'Connor Spirit Award at the Philadelphia Rose Gala in 2010, Attracta offered the younger generation of women a piece of advice, which served as a simple but powerful reminder of why she was chosen for the award: "All you need in this world is enough. If you have more than that, share it. Share it with those who have less."Rosabelle Gifford
2009 Mary O'Connor Spirit AwardeeRosabelle Gifford was the recipient of the inaugural Mary O'Connor Spirit Award in 2009. A mother of five originally from County Donegal, Rosabelle escaped war-torn London and an abusive marriage in the 1950s to bring her children to Philadelphia for a better life. Five decades later, she is an inspiration to the Irish community in Philadelphia; a longtime member of the Donegal Society, a staunch supporter of Irish affairs, and an avid advocate of educational opportunity for all and programs to combat domestic violence. She presides over an extended family of 13 grandchildren (all college graduates) and 21 great-grandchildren.
Click here to read an article about Rosabelle in irishphiladelphia.com (6/25/09).
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Philadelphia Rose of Tralee
Philadelphia, PA
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