Luck of the Irish: Why Ireland is One of the Most Globalized Countries

The Union League Club of Chicago will host a contingent of prominent Irish leaders at a luncheon featuring former Prime Minister Enda Kenny who will make remarks from a global perspective about Brexit, the booming Irish economy and other key issues. He will be accompanied by the Irish Ambassador to the United States, Daniel Mulhall, who will also speak. Members and guests will serenaded by internationally famous tenor, Anthony Kearns of The Irish Tenors. Their American guide and host, former Virginia Governor, Robert McDonnell, whose ancestors came from the same village as Mr. Kenny, will also attend.

The event will begin with an 11:30 a.m. reception followed by lunch and the program at noon. The price is $55 per person.

Please note that the Union League Club has a business casual dress code for this event. Dress denim is not permitted.

Biographical Highlights:

The Honorable Enda Kenny

Mr. Enda Kenny took office as Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland) in 2011 during the height of the fallout from the global financial crisis. In his own words, the country was 6 weeks away from ‘falling off the cliff’ and some difficult decisions had to be made and policies put into place. In the six years that followed he led Ireland out of the IMF-EU-ECB (Troika) bailout and unemployment dropped from 15% to 6%, and interest rates on Irish borrowing fell from 15% to zero, a truly remarkable turn-around. Ireland had also regained its position as the fastest-growing member of the European Union by the time he left office in 2017. He is most often requested to speak on geopolitical developments (with focus on trade), post-Brexit EU and Ireland, as well as his leadership insights gained from 40 years public service within Ireland and on the European and international stage. He is also often asked to focus on what it means to plan and execute a strategy and why it’s important that the people you are leading and who will feel the results of that new strategy can see that you are 100% engaged with making it a success. He’s dynamic as a speaker, excellent during Q&A.

Ambassador Daniel Mulhall

Daniel Mulhall took up duty as Ireland's 18th Ambassador to the United States in August 2017. He was born and brought up in Waterford and undertook his undergraduate and post-graduate studies at University College Cork where he specialized in modern Irish history. Before coming to Washington, he served as Ireland's Ambassador in London (2013-17). During his time in Britain, he was a regular speaker on political, literary and historical topics at Universities all over the country, including at Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Durham, King's College London and the London School of Economics. He also spoke at the Oxford Literary Festival, the Newbury Festival, the Liverpool Literary Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He was a regular speaker at the University of Liverpool's Institute of Irish Studies and is an Honorary Fellow at the Institute. Before departing for Washington, he was made a Freeman of the City of London in recognition of his work as Ambassador.

Anthony Kearns

World-renowned tenor Anthony Kearns took the American stage by storm in 1999 as the youngest member of the wild-popular musical group, The Irish Tenors, with whom he has 13 CDs and several television specials. American critics hailed Kearns as perhaps the most likely of all the three (Irish Tenors) to “achieve the level of tenor super stardom now enjoyed by Pavarotti and a handful of other singers.” Acknowledged as Ireland’s Finest Tenor at the Dublin National Concert Hall’s Silver Jubilee, Mr. Kearns is a respected ambassador of Ireland to the world and has presented the music of his homeland across the globe. As a soloist, Kearns performances draw from a wide variety of opera, folk music and international favorites. Mr. Kearns has performed in the world’s most prestigious venues, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. His flourishing international solo career includes high profile celebrity engagements, charity benefits, major television appearances, concert tours, and collaborations with the finest orchestras, including the Boston Pops, the Chicagoland Pops, the Grand Rapids [MI] Pops, and the National Symphony Orchestra. He has had the honor to perform for four U.S. presidents and, in 2015, for Pope Francis I at the pre-Mass Concert in Philadelphia. In 2016, he headlined the international launch of the Easter Risings commemoration in New York City and at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. http://www.anthonykearnsmusic.com

About the Union League Club of Chicago

The Union League Club of Chicago believes in the freedom to choose a lifestyle and in paving a path for a better city and a better nation. This freedom exists through the support of three foundations, maintaining a public affairs department that pushes for change in local, state and federal government, and collecting and showcasing some of the finest Midwest and American art in the country.

The Club is a timeless home away from home that opens the door to opportunities for members and their families. It provides the venue and creates the experiences that make up a member’s lifestyle. From health and fitness, to social and professional networking, to community involvement, to fine dining, to family programming and special interests—the Club is a diverse collection of people sharing similar values while accomplishing great things.