2013 Ambassador of Ireland Award announced

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - The Holyoke St. Patrick’s committee announced Wednesday night the recipient of the 2013 Ambassador of Ireland Award.

Christine Kinealy was chosen because of her work and teachings of the great Irish hunger. Kinealy is a professor of Irish history at Drew University in Jersey.

She's also authored 18 books and 29 articles dealing with the great Irish hunger and Irish history.

According to Kateri Walsh of the St. Patrick’s committee, “We just feel that Dr. Kinealy, with her lecturing and her books and her continued interest in speaking on the great famine and explaining its a famine not a hunger actually, personifies all the criteria of our award.”

The ambassador award is given to a person who has furthered the relationship between the people of the United States and Ireland.

Kinealy will be presented the award on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day.