The Kerry County Council honoured Kathy Hochul for her accomplishments in public life on the Maharees, the seaside town where her paternal ancestors were born and raised.
The first female governor of New York, Ms Hochul, was greeted by Kerry County Council Cathaoirleach Jim Finucane. The government was represented by Minister for Education Norma Foley, and Kerry Council CEO Moira Murrell was also there.
More than a century ago, my grandparents left County Kerry with nothing but lint in their pockets and fire in their bellies.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) May 19, 2024
As a proud daughter of Kerry, it was the honor of a lifetime to return as governor of the State of New York. pic.twitter.com/vZphKM6qes
The cosy gathering took place in Spillane's Pub, which is located close to the homesteads of her paternal ancestors on the northern extremity of the Maharees peninsula.
Before coming to America in 1919 to get married, John Courtney and Mary Browne were both raised in Maharees.
Numerous relatives from the close-knit seaside community attended the event.
English