John P. McCarthy, Ph.D., emeritus professor of history at Fordham, was among six honorees at a celebration of Irish heritage and culture sponsored by the New York City comptroller’s office on April 15.

McCarthy was the founder and first director of Fordham’s Institute for Irish Studies, has written extensively on Irish, Northern Irish and Irish American subjects, and has made numerous media appearances commenting on the state of Ireland and the Irish Diaspora.

John P. McCarthy, emeritus professor Photo by Ryan Brenizer

The award ceremony comes less than a week after Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. announced a deal to invest $150 million in city pension funds in Northern Ireland. The investment, made to the Emerald Infrastructure Development Fund, will target projects in waste management, health care, and alternative and conventional energy.

At the celebration, Thompson credited McCarthy with strengthening ties between Ireland and New York City. “He has achieved notoriety as a prolific author of books, numerous articles and reviews across a broad array of journals and papers dedicated to Irish history and culture,” Thompson said.

The other honorees were: choreographer Darrah Carr, model and actress Karen Duffy, Mutual of America executive William J. Flynn, labor priest Brian Jordan, OFM, and Irish Echo publisher Máirtain Ó Muilleoir.

The event was co-sponsored by the Brehon Law Society and the Emerald Isle Immigration Center.