West Caldwell Native Is 2020 ‘Young Irishman Of Year’

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — A West Caldwell native will soon join the company of former governors Brendan Byrne and Richard Codey as a “Young Irishman of the Year.”

Recently, The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Oranges announced that Brian McDonald will be honored as the group’s 2020 Young Irishman of the Year during its 119th anniversary dinner.

In addition to Byrne and Codey, the award has been given to notables such as state Assemblyman John McKeon.

According to the group:

“Mr. McDonald currently serves as a managing director at FTI Consulting Inc., a large, publicly traded financial advisory firm. In his current role, he leads projects for major clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to national hospital systems to rapidly expanding private equity backed clients. He is a proud alumnus of the University of Notre Dame where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and two minors in Irish studies and Irish language and literature, becoming the first student in Notre Dame history to graduate with both minors. A native of West Caldwell, Mr. McDonald currently resides in New York City.”

“We are thrilled to announce Brian as our 2020 Young Irishman of Year,” said Owen McNany, president of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Oranges.

“Each year, our esteemed board of trustees looks forward to honoring a young man with strong Irish roots who has made a significant impact in his career, community and beyond,” McNany said, touting the upcoming event at Mayfair Farms in West Orange.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to Project Children, which brings together Catholic and Protestant children from Northern Ireland on visits to the U.S. and to the Irish Way Program of the Irish American Cultural Institute, which awards scholarships to Irish American high school students for summer study in Ireland.

“We’re looking forward to a packed house to celebrate these fine individuals and our Irish heritage,” McNany added.

• See related article: Late West Caldwell Man To Be Honored At St. Patrick's Day Parade

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