R-FH Students Win Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Awards

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Jersey Shore have announced the awarding of 34 Brother Peter Mannion grants to area students, four of which went to teens from : Eileen Goepfert, Katherine Hake, Shannon McCarthy and Matthew Jewette.

The recipients, students of Irish descent honored for their achievements in their respective communities, received their awards at ceremony at Doolan’s Shore Club, Spring Lake. A crowd of enthusiastic parents, family members, relatives and friends as well as representatives of the board of trustees of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Jersey Shore cheered them on.

“Each year the Friendly Sons recognizes the achievements of students from our local community with Irish roots,” said Pat Scanlon, the association’s president. “There are 1.3 million New Jersey residents who claim Irish descent and Irish- Americans are found in every corner of commerce and community. This year’s honorees reflect both the breadth of the Irish in our state and the community spirit of the Friendly Sons.”

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Jersey Shore” grew out of a conversation between Jerry Burke and Ed Moran on the 1973 NJ Chamber of Commerce “train ride to Washington.”

Inspired by the success of the Friendly Sons in Essex County, the two wondered if the Hudson County transplants to the shore area might support a group of their own.

After two preliminary meetings to explore interest in the idea, a key meeting was called in the fall of 1973 at The Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank. With attendance by Jack Kraft, Jim Desmond, Joe McMahon, Denis McCarthy, Pete Morley, Burke and Moran, the decision was made to have a dinner in March 1974.

With the addition of James F. Feeney, the group became incorporated “to provide social and recreational opportunities for its members.” The first annual dinner was held at the Sea Girt Inn honoring Judge M. Raymond McGowan as “Irishman of the Year.”