Essex Shillelagh Club to honor Mark Moran of West Orange

The Essex Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh are planning their 52nd Annual Dinner Dance for Saturday, May 9th 2020 at Mayfair Farms in West Orange. The event will begin at 6:00 with a cocktail hour, and dinner and dancing to follow at 7:30 p.m. Among this years honorees is long time West Orange resident Mark Moran, who has been named as one of the 2020 Shillelagh Men of the Year.

Mark is lifelong resident of New Jersey, and graduate of Parson's School of Design in New York City. As co-publisher, writer and photographer of Weird NJ Magazine, Mark has spent the last 27 years wandering the back roads, back alleys and back woods of the Garden State, seeking out and exploring all our state’s local legends and best kept secrets.

He's the co-creator of the bestselling Weird N.J. and Weird U.S. series of books published by Barnes & Noble. He has co-authored more than 40 books, 60 magazines, and has been the star of TV series on the History and Travel Channels.

A member of the Moran and McCauley clans hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Mark grew up in the town of Livingston. He’s been a resident of West Orange for 30 years, and a member of the Shillelagh Club for about half that time. He and his wife Barbara have raised two wonderful daughters here, Maizie and Dixie, who both attended West Orange’s public schools.

For the past ten years Mark has helped coordinate the musical acts presented at the Shillelagh Club, both for our weekend entertainment and our charity fundraising events, like St. Baldrick’s and the Irish Sports Expo. For the past several years he has also proudly served as a Trustee of the Club.

Also honored this year are fellow Shillelagh Man of the Year, Thomas Malkinski of Parsippany and Friend of the Shillelaghs, Kay Slattery of Caldwell. The Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh are widely recognized as one of the premier Irish organizations in the state. They have a large clubhouse in West Orange with a bar open to the public, which is known for its hospitality, welcoming atmosphere and its diversity of entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Shillelagh club is host to many Irish groups in the area including the Ancient Order of Hibernians; the Women of Irish Heritage and The Essex County Police and Fire Emerald Society. Additionally, the Friendly Sons support various charitable organizations including St. Baldrick's Foundation to find a cure for childhood cancer, Luck ‘O The Pup Pet Adoption, Local Food/Coat/Toy Drives, Annual Blood Drive and many others. They also sponsor scholarships to several very deserving young adults to assist with their High School and College educations.

Tickets to the event are available for $100 and include cocktail hour, 5 hour open bar, dinner, dancing to The Eamonn Ryan Express, and performances by The Shillelagh Pipe Band and the DeNogla School of Irish Dance, Verona. There will also be commemorative Ad Journal highlighting sponsors of the event. It is not too late to support the organization or the honorees with an ad or by purchasing tickets and joining them for an evening of exceptional Irish entertainment.

When: Saturday, May 9, 2020 from 6:00-11:00 (Featuring the Eamonn Ryan Express)

Where: Mayfair Farms, West Orange NJ 07052

For tickets or to place an ad in the journal please email

shillelaghevents@gmail.com or call Chris Coughlin (201) 532-6503

or visit our website at shillelaghclub.com/dance/