Influential New York professor honoured in his parents' native Mayo

Mayo County Council has honoured Professor John Feerick, New York, for his contribution to his parents' native county's diaspora wellbeing and engagement.

Mr. Feerick, whose father and mother came from Foxford and Ballinrobe, was named as an award winner at the council's inaugural Cathaoirleach's Awards.

The adjudicators said they were were particularly struck by his nomination.

Their citation stated: "John was primarily responsible for the composition of the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

"This amendment specifies how a president can remove himself from office temporarily or be removed from office by the Vice President with a majority of the Cabinet. He was 25 years of age at the time.

"John is a two-term Dean of Fordham University Law School and has received many awards throughout his life.

"He was involved in the Northern Ireland Peace Process with John Hume and, in 1999, developed the Fordham Belfast/Dublin Program with Queen’s University and UCD which has brought hundreds of law students to Ireland to take courses in conflict resolution as well as to work as interns.

"He also was founding director of Fordham’s University’s Feerick’s Centre for Social Justice which helps members of the Irish Diaspora, the undocumented, the marginalised and homeless in NYC with pro-bono legal advice."

Members of the Mayo Genealogy Group also received a diaspora wellbeing and engagement award for their work.

The judges noted that during Covid, more and more people looked for their Irish roots, for a sense of belonging, and that lockdown gave them time to reflect and to research.

The citation outlined: "Some reports suggest that there was up to 25% increase in searches to genealogy services between March 2020 and March 2021.

"Mayo Genealogy Group was one of those free, volunteer-led services. They answered questioned, helped with searches and were there every Wednesday online helping their 9000 members find their Mayo ancestors.

"This has resulted in people now making concrete arrangements to visit Mayo in 2022 for Home To Mayo.

"Led by Dympna Joyce, this group is based in the National Museum Of Country Life, Turlough, and meet there once a month (pre-Covid), and their aim is to provide information on sources of genealogy based on the members’ experiences to those looking for their Mayo heritage."