Buncrana hosts US Democrat 10.10.07

A Democratic member of the New York State Assembly visited his father's hometown of Buncrana at the weekend.

Brian Kavanagh, accompanied by his father John and mother Eileen, was welcomed to the seaside town by Deputy Mayor, Cllr. Peter McLaughlin. "We were proud to welcome Brian home. He is a son of Buncrana and a great example of how the Irish Diaspora has made a huge contribution in America and around the world," said Cllr. McLaughlin.
John Kavanagh of Upper Main Street, Buncrana, emigrated to New York and became a senior police officer. He has been a regular visitor to his hometown since his retirement. His son now represents the 74th Assembly District, which is located on the East Side of Manhattan and includes parts of the Lower East Side, Union Square and Gramercy Park. A lawyer by profession, he was first elected to the State Assembly in 2006 and has worked for more than two decades in the public and community sector. Fine Gael's Cllr. McLaughlin said he raised the issue of the 5,000 Donegal people living illegally in the US during the recent visit and hoped to further pursue the matter with the NY Assemblyman in the future. As a memento of the visit, the Town Council presented the 40 year old with a tie bearing the official crest of Buncrana.
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