Congressman Brendan F. Boyle, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, received a warm welcome from the villagers of Easkey in Sligo, when he arrived with his father, Francis, a Donegal native, and his brother, State Representative Kevin Boyle, in mid-August.
More than 100 people gathered at the Easkey Community Center to welcome the Congressman to the village where his maternal grandparents were born and lived. Later that evening, a dinner honoring the Boyles, included members of the Easkey Town Council, the Sligo County Council and all four of the area’s TD’s.
“I was so moved by the generous hospitality of the people of Sligo,” Boyle said in a statement on his return to Pennsylvania. “Ireland is an incredibly special place to me and my family. I have fond memories of visiting Sligo as a child with my mom, who has now passed. I will certainly cherish the memory of this visit and look forward to one day sharing our family’s uniquely Irish story with my own daughter.”
Boyle left his own lasting impression on the village during his stay – he was invited to plant a tree in the center of town to commemorate the visit. ♦
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