2018’s Irish Citizen of the Year is an entire family
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A well-known Irish family in Indianapolis is being recognized as the Irish Citizen of the Year.
Past Irish Citizens of the Year in connection with the organizers of Indianapolis’ St. Patrick’s Day celebration have announced that the family of John and Ann McGinley are the 2018 Irish Citizen of the Year.
John and Ann McGinley moved to Indianapolis from Ireland in 1925.
“Although they didn’t really know one another, they lived in two little farming communities. They were only separated by three miles, but my mother went to one church and school, my father then went to another. But being in a small community, they heard of the McGinley family and she was McNulty. And so they met here in Indianapolis and through the course of dating, they all worked six days a week and then Sunday was a day when the Irish tried to get together for dances and so they courted one another and they were married in 1933,” said Chuck McGinley.
The next year his parents opened the Golden Ace Inn on the city’s east side.
“It’s such a nice meeting place. My friends come here, the friends that have been here for years,” said McGinley.
Chuck McGinley and his siblings were raised a few blocks away from the Inn, a place they still spend much of their time.
“The values that my parents instilled in us, we still carry in us today. As one of my nieces said, ‘I’ll always be proud of my Irishness’ and I said, ‘That’s a new word for me.’”
Their family’s “Irishness” worthy of being named Irish Citizen of the Year.
“I’ll tell you it was really a surprise. I received the phone call and I was kind of really surprised, but the way I look at this is a testimonial to our parents that they came to this country. They worked hard, started a business, made a lot of friends,’ said Chuck.
Friends both inside and outside the Golden Ace Inn.
This year the McGinley’s will be marking their 85th St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the Golden Ace Inn. For more information, click here.