An Evening with Celtic Chefs
The twelfth installment of WIP’s annual Evening with Celtic Chefs will feature fantastic Chefs from the DC area offering delicious samples of their signature preparations served with an Irish flair. The Chefs will showcase their creativity alongside stars of Washington’s political and media firmament for a bipartisan celebration honoring Tim Driscoll, President of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers. Our celebrity Chefs will be joined by an exciting lineup of VIP Celebrity Sous Chefs hailing from the fields of politics, journalism, business, and the Irish American community.
"A bit of blarney, some bipartisan peacemaking and some seriously swoonworthy food – the best of all of DC’s worlds collide in An Evening with Celtic Chefs"Jean Schindler, DC On Tap
All proceeds benefit the Washington Ireland Program, a 501(c)(3) organization. See below for sponsorship packages and information.
Date: Wednesday June 5, 2024
Location: 905 Black Lives Matter Plaza NW, Washington D.C. 20006
VIP Reception 6 – 7pm (by invitation only)
Main Event 7 – 9pm
Honoring
Timothy J Driscoll
This year WIP will be recognizing and honoring Timothy J. Driscoll, President of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC). The 30th Anniversary of the Washington Ireland Program offers an opportunity to reflect on the vital role that the Bricklayers have played in supporting our work from the very earliest days.
Driscoll is a 39-year member of BAC, a bricklayer by trade, and resides in the Washington DC area with his family. He was elected to the Office of the President in 2020. Driscoll is a second-generation bricklayer. His father Nicholas Driscoll emigrated to the United States from Co Cork, Ireland in 1949.
Throughout his career Driscoll has established himself as a leader committed to advancing workers’ rights and improving the lives of BAC members.
SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
VIP Sponsor ~ $25,000
Covering the costs of our Student Scholarships in 2024.
- Naming Rights for the VIP Reception
- 10 tickets for the VIP Reception and 5 additional tickets for the Main Event.
- Special logo/listing recognition during the event.
- Invitation to special events hosted by WIP in Washington, D.C.
Culinary Sponsor ~ $15,000 (4 Available)
Covering the costs of Residential Leadership Training Programs in Ireland in 2024.
- Naming Rights for at one of our Celebrity Chefs stations at the event.
- 6 tickets for the VIP Reception and 6 additional tickets for the Main Event.
- Special logo/listing recognition during the event.
- Invitation to special events hosted by WIP in Washington, D.C.
Distillery Sponsor ~ $10,000 (6 Available)
Supporting our new WIP Academy Program for Emerging Leaders.
- Naming Rights for one of our Irish Whiskey or Bar Stations at the event.
- 6 tickets for the VIP Reception and the Main Event.
- Special logo/listing recognition during the event.
- Invitation to special events hosted by WIP in Washington, D.C. in 2023.
Brewing Sponsor ~ $5,000
Supporting our Alumni Programs in Ireland in 2024.
- 4 tickets for the VIP Reception and 2 additional tickets for the Main Event.
- Logo/listing recognition during the event.
- Invitation to special events hosted by WIP in Washington, D.C. in 2023.
Baking Sponsor - $2,500
Supporting our WIP Forums Project across Ireland in 2024.
- 2 tickets for the VIP Reception and 2 additional tickets for the Main Event.
- Logo/listing recognition during the event.
Ambassador Tickets - $1,000
Covering the flight costs of one student in 2024.
- 2 tickets for the VIP Reception and the Main Event.
Event Tickets - $200
- 1 ticket for the Main Event.
Our Sponsors
meet our celebrity chefs
NIALL DUFFY
Two and a half irishmen
Niall Duffy has been part of WIP’s Celtic Chefs since 2014.
Niall Duffy is the owner and lead baker at Two and a Half Irishmen in Richmond, Virginia. Originally from Ireland, Duffy moved to the states in 2009 with his wife and sons, and soon after opened his home bakery in Richmond’s West End selling the same scrumptious and savory treats his mother taught him to make as a child back in Ireland. He now shares these recipes with his two sons, who make up the “half” Irishmen in the business’ catchy moniker. Duffy is known throughout central Virginia for his scones and variations of the traditional Irish soda bread, which are all prepared with organic, locally sourced ingredients and preservative free. Duffy bakes in home and travels throughout the week to sell his treats at local farmer’s markets in the Richmond area.
CHEF TRACY O'GRADY
Willow
Tracy O’Grady has participated in every Celtic Chefs event since 2010!
Tracy has earned local renown with over twenty years of restaurant experience in the D.C. area. She received high acclaim for her restaurant Willow in Arlington, VA, where she served as Executive Chef and owner for ten years. Following its closure, O’Grady was Executive Chef and managing partner of Campono Restaurant in The Watergate. She acquired a unique culinary education, spending several years working under Chef Yannick Cam as well as James Beard Award-winning Chefs Roberto Donna and Bob Kinkead. Tracy was the Executive Chef at the Green Pig Bistro in Clarendon and has recently become the Executive Chef at Clarity, one of the most exciting new restaurants in Northern Virginia.
CAROLINE JOHNSTON
GreenIsland Bakery
Caroline is an International Business Executive with over 15 years of successful managerial and business development experience in various sectors in Europe and the Americas. Caroline completed her MBA in Spanish at EUDE in Spain. She also obtained a BA in Management from ESC Business School in France and an MA in International Business and Languages from Heriot Watt University, Scotland. Caroline is multilingual and is a certified Coach with a specialist focus on leadership for women and positive psychology. In 2019, she established Caroline Sarah Ventures LLC , which provides consulting & coaching services that focus on motivating and developing customized pathways to success. Most recently, Caroline launched a new venture GreenIsland Bakery, an Irish & European Specialty Bakery in DC. Partnering with Union Kitchen, she launched a shortbread range in multiple retail stores and has set up various partnerships with nonprofit organizations to serve the local community.
Alex Vasquez
RARE STEAKHOUSE & TAVERN
Growing up in a family that loves food, Alex found himself wanting to pursue a career as a chef from an early age. Upon graduating from a culinary school and working as a chef in several fine-dining restaurants, Alex joined RARE Steakhouse & Tavern as a Chef De Cuisine in 2019. Thanks to his vast professional experience and a huge passion for cooking, it was not too long before Alex was promoted to the rank of Executive Chef. Year after year, Alex has ensured that his prominent culinary program stood out from the rest, helping to establish RARE Steakhouse & Tavern as one of the premier dining experiences in the center of downtown, Washington, D.C.
CHEF MATTHEW HILL
Ruthie’s All Day
Matt Hill graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York in 2000 and has worked at several distinguished restaurants such as, Craft, Theo, Aureole, Charlie Palmer Steak, Range, and Liberty Tavern Group (Northside Social, Liberty BBQ, Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall). Matt is also involved in many philanthropic events and charitable organizations, including Share Our Strength, Heart’s Delight, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, American Cancer Society, Virginia Hospital, and Doorways for Women and Families. Matt lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife Jeanne Choi, and their two sons, Calder and Harrison.
Karl Durnin
Embassy of Ireland Chef
Embassy of Ireland's Chef Karl Durnin graduated from Cathal Brugha Street College of Catering in Dublin. Karl worked all over Ireland in Restaurants, Country Houses, Hotels, Industrial Catering, Private. Karl worked in Irish Ambassadors' Residences in Prague and Geneva. He moved to DC in 2013, and has been the chef for 3 Irish Ambassadors in the Residence.
Washington Ireland Program
OUR IMPACT
For three decades, the Washington Ireland Program (WIP) has played an important role in post-conflict Northern Ireland and Ireland by bringing together leaders from a wide range of communities and backgrounds for outstanding leadership and skills-development programs. WIP’s aim is to support, inspire and develop leaders who are committed to building a future of peace and prosperity for Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Each year, 30 full-time Higher Education students are chosen to take part in our year-long Emerging Leaders Program. With a focus on personal development, policy debate, public discussion and community service, the program includes a high-profile eight-week work placement in Washington DC, as well as a week-long study visit to New York City.
Operating since 1995, over 950 Alums have graduated from the Emerging Leaders Program. Bringing powerful new voices and vigor to the debates, challenges, and issues facing a post-conflict society, the WIP graduates have gone on to make their mark in many fields, including politics, business, the arts, the community sector, media, and science.
We are supported by a generous community of partners and a committed Board of Directors. From our work placement partners on Capitol Hill to our host families, and donors, we are immensely grateful for their continuing support and belief in inspiring and developing new generations of leaders, and in embodying our core principles of service and leadership.
Maria Ni Fhlatharta
Founding Member – Disabled Women Ireland and Director – Disability Rights Fund.
“WIP gave me a sense of what was possible, allowed me time to reflect on what was important, and to learn about different ways to achieve meaningful change.
It clarified my own views and gave me insights into perspectives I’d never before considered.
WIP ignited my love of Northern Ireland, a part of this island I’d previously only read about has now become my other home.”
Finn Murphy
Partner, Frontline Ventures
“WIP gave me the confidence and the ambition to start my own business and dive full on into my passion for startups & technology.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my career before WIP and being on the program taught me that having options is nice but if you want to really make a dent in the universe you need to commit to something, whatever that might be.”
Claire Sugden
Member of the Legislative Assembly for East Londonderry. Previously appointed as Minister for Justice at age 29.
“WIP showed me that by bringing people together, we can move on from the animosities of the past and drive on as the leaders of tomorrow.”