AN AMERICAN businessman whose parents emigrated from a small Galway village is returning to their old school this month to see a special project created in their memory.
Bill Mulrow, who previously worked as a senior executive at Blackstone and was the chief aide to former New York Governor Cuomo, has funded the construction of an outdoor classroom at Clonbur National School.
The same school his parents Michael and Ellen Mulrow, first met exactly 100 years ago.
The project includes a plaque dedicated to the couple, who left Ireland for New York in 1950.
Mr. Mulrow, who grew up in the Bronx, said his parents never forgot their roots.
"Clonbur in Galway was their ancestral home, and they talked about their love for the place, but it was a very difficult place to grow up because it was very poor."
His father, Michael, was one of 11 children, and his mother, Ellen, was one of 10, both growing up in large farming families in the Galway village.
"My father was a sheep farmer, and it was a tough, hardy life," he said.
"It is a very beautiful place, and I asked my uncle years later, 'How could you leave such a place?' and he told me, 'You can't eat the scenery.'"
Although the move across the Atlantic was life-changing, Mr. Mulrow said his parents settled quickly into life in New York.
"Ironically, it wasn't that hard of a transition for them. The Bronx was a very Irish borough at the time, and two of my uncles were already living there."
His mother got a job as a waitress while his father worked as a machinist.
Michael and Ellen Mulrow (Photo from the Mulrow family)"My parents were extraordinary. For both of them, only having a sixth-grade education, they were insistent when they came to New York that I and my brothers really get the best education possible."
The youngest of three brothers, Mr. Mulrow graduated from Yale University. One of his brothers became a doctor, while the other became a lawyer.
"Even though my father passed away at 63 in 1978, I think he saw the fruits of his labor in us."
The family's first return visit to Ireland came after his father's death. The trip left a lasting impression.
"Coming back was a big deal, and the extended family was very close and loving, and we drank plenty of Guinness and had a lot of good hot tea. It was a great trip."
The idea for the school project came after the death of his mother Ellen in 2019 at the age of 96.
"After my mother passed, I took another trip with my entire family, and we stayed at Ashford Castle, and it dawned on me then that what I would like to do would be this tribute to my parents in this lovely village, Clonbur."
Approaching the school principal, he asked whether there was a project that could benefit the students and the school.
"The principal got back to me and said, 'We've always wanted an outdoor classroom.' I said if that's what you want, then I am happy to pay for it."
The Mulrow family on a recent trip to Clonbur (Photo from the Mulrow family)Mr. Mulrow said supporting the school felt like the most meaningful way to honor his parents' memory.
"For us to have enjoyed the best education and the best professional life, all because they made the sacrifice to leave their homeland to come here to the US."
He will travel to Clonbur on June 17 to see the completed classroom for the first time.
"I felt the school was the best thing to do philanthropically, to pay it forward for the next generation of Irish kids."
Despite building a successful career in America, Mr. Mulrow says his Irish identity remains an important part of who he is.
"It's the joy and the love of life that the Irish have. I don't think there's anyone alive who doesn't love his Irish heritage."
"To be able to go back to the school where they met 100 years ago and be a little bit helpful to the next generation is a great tribute, not just to them but to Clonbur and the Irish in general."
The outdoor classroom donated by Bill Mulrow in tribute to his parents Michael and Ellen (Photo by the Mulrow family)Everything from irishpost.com and the print edition is available on the Irish Post App — plus more! Download it for Android or Apple IOS devices today
