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/ Treasa Ní Chonchúir

A photo of my family at the Heroes of Irish America awards ceremony. My mom is in the center. She has a bright green jacket on, and is wearing a nametag that identifies her as one of the award recipients. To her left is my dad, looking very dapper in a blue suit. I’m to his left, in a black, red, and pink floral dress. Eryn is on my left, looking extremely pretty in a dark, shimmery dress. Immediately to my mom’s right is my daughter Erin in a light pink dress. To her right, my sister Kathleen and her husband Shawn complete the family.
L–R: Eryn, yours truly, my parents, EJ, my sister Kathleen, and her husband Shawn. Photo from the Irish Echo.

At EJ, Eryn, and I flew to Buffalo to see my mom receive the Irish Echo’s 2024 Hero of Irish America award for all of her efforts with the South Shore Irish Heritage Trail and the Scituate-West Cork Sister City Committee.

While there we visited Niagra Falls and ate too many Buffalo wings. I learned that there’s such a food as “boneless chicken wings,” and I doubt I can ever un-learn this frankly horrifying factoid.

Niagra Falls from the north.
Niagra Falls from the north. The American falls are on the left. Bridal Veil Falls are visible to the immediate right of the American falls, but you really have to know what you’re looking for—otherwise they just look like a part of the American falls. Horseshoe Falls are farther away and to the right. Some buildings on the Canadian side are visible to the right of Horseshoe Falls.