Pat Gallagher, the Chairman of the Gallagher Group that quarries Kentish ragstone near Maidstone in Kent, has become the first non-New Yorker to be Guest of Honour at the Leitrim Society of New York’s annual dinner in the organisation’s 123-year history.

Pat joined 500 guests with origins back to the Irish county of Leitrim for the event at Antun’s, in Queens Village, New York, on 9 March. He was invited to be the special guest at the event just ahead of St Patrick’s Day (17 March) in recognition of his successes as a businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Stone Federation Great Britain placed a congratulatory message for its member in the Society’s brochure for the event.