Friends of St. Patrick in Seattle

Mike McQuaid
2010 President

Friends of St. Patrick President Mike McQuaid is the owner of the Seattle public relations firm McQuaid & Co. Strategic Communications. A third generation Seattleite of Irish heritage, Mike is actively involved in the community. In 2009, he was appointed by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to the Seattle Sister Cities Coordinating Council. He is also a trustee of the National Historical Landmark Virginia V Foundation. He also contributes his time to Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Auction of Washington Wines, The Center for Wooden Boats, and serves on the advisory board of the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in Boise, Idaho.

Mike studied at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. As a competitive rower, he was named to the All Pac-10 Rowing Team while at WSU and won a National Championship for Philadelphia's Vesper Boat Club.

In his spare time, Mike races sailboats on Puget Sound and is an avid skier. Mike and his wife Shannon make their home in Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill neighborhood.

The Society of
The Friends of St. Patrick in Seattle

70th Annual Banquet
7 pm, Saturday, March 13, 2010
in the historic Northern Lights Dome Room, Arctic Club Hotel,
700 3rd Ave at Cherry, Seattle

2010 Guest of Honor
The Rt. Hon. Desmond Guinness

The Rt. Honorable Desmond Guinness, the great, great, great, great grandson of Arthur Guinness who founded Guinness Brewery in Dublin over 250 years ago, will be Grand Marshal of Seattle's St. Patrick's Day Parade and a Special Honored Guest at the Friends of St. Patrick Banquet on Saturday, March 13, 2010. Click the photo above for more information.

The Banquet location, the Arctic Hotel Dome Room, offers Rococo gilt and original artistic frescos, ornamental cornices and stained glass dome ceiling with the effects reminiscent of the Northern Lights.

Tickets for the Black-Tie (optional) dinner and dance are $100 per person or Table of Ten for $900. To order tickets via email or telephone, contact 2010 Friends President, Mike McQuaid, at 206-262-7301, email Friends@irishclub.org, or

Purchase Tickets Here

To order tickets by mail, write:
Friends of St Patrick
11616 NE 134th St
Kirkland, WA 98034
Please make checks payable to "Friends of St Patrick".
See Photos from The 2009 Friends of St. Patrick Banquet held at the Washington Athletic Club, Seattle. Special Guest: Ireland's Attorney General Paul Gallagher

Special Guest at the 2009 Banquet was Ireland’s Attorney General, Paul Gallagher, shown above with US Congressman Jim McDermott. Attorney General Gallagher is the legal adviser to the Irish Government and the chief law officer of the Irish State. Click photo for more pictures.

Ireland's Attorney General Paul Gallagher, US Senator Maria Cantwell, State Senator Ed Murray, at the 2009 Friends of St. Patrick Banquet. Click photo for more pictures.

2009 Banquet Entertainment:

Entertainment will include stepdancers from the
Baile Glas Irish Dancers and music and singing by The Muses.
To see more photos or to listen to a sample of The Muses' music,
click on the photos above. For more information,
go to www.baileglas.org or www.themusesmusic.com.
2008 Special Honored Guest:

His Excellency John Bruton,
European Union Ambassador to the United States,
and former Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister).
Click here for more information.
Also in attendance as honored guests in 2008 were Seattle Archbishop Alexander Brunett, Irish Government Minister John McGuinness, T.D., and Irish Consul General Una Fannon.

Photos from the 2006 Banquet:

At the 2006 Banquet, St. Patrick's Day Parade Grand Marshal
and travel guru Rick Steves (left), with Fr. John Madigan (center) and
Seattle Auxiliary Bishop Joe Tyson.

At the 2006 Banquet, US Senator Maria Cantwell with
Seattle Archbishop Alexander Brunett.

From left, Acting Irish Consul General Úna Fannon, Irish
Government Cabinet Minister Noel Dempsey, T.D.
and Friends of St. Patrick Officer John Keane,
converse with US Senator Maria Cantwell.

For more pictures from last year's Banquet, go to
2006 BANQUET PHOTOS.

For pictures from the 2004 Banquet, go to
2004 BANQUET PHOTOS

Friends of St. Patrick History
Originally named The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the Society was founded in Philadelphia on March 17, 1771. At its first meeting were George Washington’s Irish-born aide-de-camp General Stephen Moylan, along with John Dickenson and Robert Morris who signed the US Declaration of Independence. George Washington himself later became an Honorary Member.
The Friendly Sons started in Seattle in 1941 and was a male only organization until 1989 when it welcomed women and changed its name to The Society of the Friends of St. Patrick. The change came under pressure from Seattle Archbishop
Thomas Murphy who kidded that otherwise he would start supporting the Angry Daughters of St. Brigid! Carol Costello in 1999 was the first female President of the Seattle organization.

DOUBLE CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE
Picture from 1978 Sunset magazine, taken at Seattle's 1977 Parade. Three Dailey boys are carrying the banner, sons of Jim and Mary Colette Dailey. Behind them and to the right are Bruce Cosacchi's daughters: L-R Maureen, Sheila and Laura. Bruce is on the extreme right. Diane Hackett is in the center, back, wearing a bandana.

Following are some pictures from previous banquets. The names and years are listed where they've been identified.

DOUBLE CLICK ANY PICTURE TO ENLARGE

1. 2 3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

1. 1948 BANQUET, Crowd picture
2. 1963 BANQUET, Archbishop Connolly, Pat Barry, Bob McGrath,
Seattle City Councilman Wing Luke
3. 1964 BANQUET, Don Sullivan, Jim Murphy, Bill Lukoskie, Bob Murphy
4. 1963 BANQUET, Bob McGrath, Mike McCay, Councilman Wing Luke
5. 1962 BANQUET, Jim Dore at piano, brother Fred at left,
and cousin John Dore on right
6. 1966 BANQUET, Ben Maslan, John Miller, James McAteer (President)
7. 1964 BANQUET, Bill Lukoskie, unknown, Jim Murphy, ? Powers,
Gene Cheevers, Judge John Wilson, Bob Murphy, Don Sullivan
8. 1965 BANQUET, Friends President Thomas Geraghty on left,
Seattle Mayor Dorm Braman on right.
9. 1965 BANQUET, Tom McMurray, Thomas Geraghty,
Society President Jim McAteer on pipes,
with the Blanchet HS Gaelic Pipe Band.

1955 - Then Senator John F. Kennedy regretfully declines an invitation
to speak at the 1956 Friendly Sons Banquet

1960 - Mike McKay, Charles P Moriarty, Fred Dore, President

1965 - Irish Consul General Charles V Whelan was the principal speaker

1965 - The Seattle P-I mistakenly identified him as "British Consul General"