By Eileen Moon
On Saturday, March 23, the newly formed Monmouth County chapter of the Daughters of Ireland will be marching in the Highlands St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Like the Rumson St. Patrick’s Day parade, which took place last Sunday, the Highlands event offers the fledgling organization’s members an opportunity to spread the word about their mission as a social and philanthropic group dedicated to celebrating their Irish heritage while serving their communities.
The Monmouth County chapter is modeled on its sister chapter in Union County, which Monmouth County chapter founder and Lincroft resident Jessica Shea-Brown joined while living in Colonia.
“I was considered one of the founding members,” she said, serving as the organization’s social media strategist.
Founded in 2017, the Union County chapter has raised more than $46,000 for student scholarships and produced a series of service events, such as toy drives, food collections and blood donations.
After moving to Lincroft in 2020, Shea-Brown began to think about establishing a Daughters of Ireland chapter in Monmouth County.
“I wanted to make sure I had the time and ability to do it right,” she said.
“I come from a family in which we embraced being Irish. It was something everyone was very proud of,” she said.
With Irish heritage on both sides of her family, Shea-Brown’s Celtic roots were further nurtured by her family’s involvement in The Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh, a group her father, an uncle and an aunt were active in. After her father joined the Friendly Sons, the family took a trip to Ireland with the organization, further strengthening her connection to her ancestral roots.
In December, Shea-Brown organized a meeting at CJ McLoone’s restaurant in Tinton Falls to gauge community interest in forming a Daughters of Ireland chapter here. That meeting drew more than 50 people. Just a few weeks later, the organization had successfully transitioned from idea to reality. The group is now an official nonprofit organization with more than 70 paid members.
During its most recent meeting at the end of February, group members discussed ideas for philanthropic activities and formed committees to work on various tasks needed to move the organization forward.
Shea-Brown said the goal is to find ways to “get together socially while raising funds for our community.” There is an abundance of enthusiasm, she said, noting that at the last meeting, 27 women signed up for the community service committee.
While members may share Irish heritage, they are diverse in age, occupation and geographic location.
“They’re just an amazing group of women,” Shea-Brown said.
In addition to Shea-Brown, who serves as president, the new organization’s founding board members are Lorna Darcy O’Hara, vice president; Maureen Voccola, secretary; Tricia Sirico, treasurer; Stacey Cooney, communications strategist; and sergeant at arms Cathy Ryan.
The annual membership fee is $50; $40 for women 65 and older. All Monmouth County women over 18 are welcome to join.
The next meeting of the Monmouth County Chapter of Daughters of Ireland will be Wednesday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m. at CJ McLoone’s. To learn more, follow the group on Facebook and Instagram or email doimonmouth@gmail.com.
The article originally appeared in the March 14 –March 20, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
