Wisconsin Mayor volunteers for Alliance’s Patrick Brown in Stormont Election Trail
Irish-American Mayor Dennis McBride of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA, has spent a holiday fortnight in Downpatrick as a volunteer in the Saint Patrick Centre.
As a long-standing member of the Friends of the Saint Patrick Centre, Mayor McBride has worked as part of a series of charities set up across America and Canada to support the work of the Saint Patrick Centre and help people learn more about Saint Patrick and Northern Ireland.
The City of Wauwatosa has a population of 50,000 and Dennis McBride is its 17th Mayor. Dennis has spent many years as a councillor in his beloved city.
He has a prominent legal background including 24 years as a Senior Trial Attorney and Supervisory Trial Attorney for the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He has won some notable gains for minority groups and on Human Rights issues, and was named a Fellow of the Wisconsin Bar Foundation for his professional ethics and legal ability.
Mayor McBride said: “This was my first real holiday since before Covid-19. It is a pleasure to spend time amongst old friends. The last few years have presented a challenge for me as a Mayor in everything from C-19 to managing the fall-out of the Black Lives Matter protests in Wauwatosa, and a tragic Mall mass-shooting in November 2020.
“I have holidayed in Ireland on three previous occasions, but this was my first opportunity to be here for Saint Patrick’s Day.”
Mayor McBride has also been canvassing evenings and weekends for Downpatrick-based Councillor Patrick Brown who is in the running for a seat in Stormont in May 5th Assembly election.
Dennis said: “Patrick Brown came over to help me as a volunteer on President Biden’s election campaign last year. So, it was a pleasure to return the favour. I am accompanied by my 26-year old daughter Gilly and some of her friends, and we have all been out canvassing evenings for Patrick with his Downpatrick team, led by local independent Councillor Cadogan Enright.
“This has turned the holiday into a bit of a busman’s holiday, but we are enjoying the experience and learning much from local people at the doors.”
The Friends of Saint Patrick are active in many North American cities including Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Albany, and Toronto. They send Young Ambassadors from their regions every summer to learn about the Centre and Northern Ireland. They organise lectures and represent the Saint Patrick’s Centre at Irish Festivals and events.
