Connies fourleaf crover

An embodiment of the Irish immigrant success story and the realisation of the American Dream, instead the Ballinagh native has gleaned the best traits of all three, while cannily developing his business empire over the years. Most recently, he invested significantly in the picturesque Crover House Hotel by the banks of Lough Sheelin.
From the comfort of the foyer, Connie outlines the future five-year-plan for the stately pile, which includes increasing the number of hotel rooms, extending the Lakeview Bar, an extra function room with pleasure gardens and a traditional bar also. The plans are all part of phase two of a major multi-million euro revamp of the hotel’s facilities, which has already seen the addition of extra accommodation, a health spa and golf clubhouse.

Vision for Crover
With son Dereck now taking over the family interest in running the hotel, the father-of-five says: “I feel it’s important there is an O’Reilly presence here.
“What I’d like most is for it to become one of the most prestigious country manor estates in Ireland. If I were to compare it to anything I suppose, something like a smaller version of the K-Club, or Mount Juliet. We have a vision for the place and we’re determined to make that happen.”
Connie’s ambitious eye, however, derives from humble beginnings. Raised by his aunt and uncle at their Garrymore homestead, he describes with seriousness how, at only aged 12, he committed to himself to one day owning Crover House. “I’d fallen in love with the place, the old house, the history of the place. I then had to go off and get the money to come back. That’s where America came in.
“I wanted to be a footballer too, but I was missing the requisite talent. So I said I’d better go out and work instead,” he said.

School of life
Connie travelled to America, via Dublin age-16 where he worked for the Finnegan family (Lacken) and Andy Cronin (Cronin’s Bar, Ballinagh), and to London also, where he continued to cut his teeth in the bar trade.
“I use to listen to stories from my uncle about his own time in New York, St Patrick’s Day parades, the Irish in Chicago and rivers running green. It intrigued me. Also, what attracted me was how influential and how positive the Irish in America were. I wanted to see it, be a part of that.
“So, in a way, it was easy for me to leave. I needed to see the dream I had in my head. Although I missed home, I fully embraced my new world and this new way of Irishness, as an Irish-American.”

Gael of the Year
Connie, who chaired the committee responsible for the first visit of the Cross Border Orchestra to Carnegie Hall in 2005, was honoured by his fellow Irish in New York when bestowed the title of ‘Gael of the Year’ at the United Irish Counties of New York Association annual dinner dance earlier this year.
Connie describes Irish America as “a sleeping-giant”.
“Don’t upset it. It can be very influential, if need be,” pointing to how a drive from across the Atlantic lit the touchpaper in instigating change from all sides on in the Northern peace process.

Undocumented Irish
Another example, is how Irish-America is attempting to push the agenda on undocumented persons living in the US.
“When you push, everything gets pushed. But it’s process. It’s not the fault of the undocumented people, it’s that the immigration services in the US have been a failure for so long. I think they’re getting there now because these people need to see there is a path to legalisation and ultimately citizenship.”
Connie’s proudest moment? He thinks, before reaching and pulling from his inside jacket pocket his American passport, for which he applied only just over a decade ago.
“It was always something I meant to do and I let it go on for so long. But the day I got that was great for me. It was a moment when I felt a great sense of pride and belonging - a sense of ownership.”

Seize the day
His advice to anyone following in his footsteps, Connie simple states: “Carpe Diem- seize the day! Save some money and take every opportunity that comes your way. If it comes, go!”
Those words of wisdom have placed Connie in good stead throughout his career from the time he opened his first bar O’Reilly’s on 21st Street and Broadway in 1973, age 22 year. In the ensuing years, he worked hard educating himself in all aspects of the restaurant business and went on to open five more establishments: O’Reilly’s on 35th, Niles, Brendan’s, Greybar and Finn McCool’s.
Aside from serving some of the best Guinness in New York state, Connie’s establishments have played host to remarkable milestones, none more than the now infamous New York Mets’ 1986 World Series winning after-party at Finn McCool’s in Port Washington, close to where Connie now lives with wife Geraldine.
Pitted against the American League champions Boston Red Sox, the Mets won the Series in the seventh game, after overcoming a nearly hopeless deficit in Game 6.
“The players would come into Finns after games. Lenny Dykstra, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden were all here back then. After they won the World Series in 1986, they came back to Finn McCool’s and drank Dom Perignon. I didn’t realise it was going to be so big. When I arrived I couldn’t get near the place. The police had the street closed off. There were thousands of people there, some trying to get their way into the bar through the air events in the windows, others pushing at doors.
“It was a crazy night, but incredible to look back on.”

GAA fanatic
A keen golfer also, GAA though remains Connie’s first sporting love, having played for Ballinagh and New York when he first arrived in the city.
He was a member of the Executive Committee who organised the visit of the Cavan and Kerry teams to New York in 1997 to mark the 50th Anniversary of Cavan’s victory over Kerry in the 1947 All-Ireland final at the Polo Grounds and Cavan’s return in April this year to play New York teams in Gaelic Park.
The famed Polo Grounds site is set to be preserved as a listed Irish historical site by the authorities in New York, and Connie says: “We won the game, we were underdogs and it’s an All-Ireland that’s still talked about 68 years later. When Cavan return to New York, I would like to unveil the plaque to commemorate that. We need to make that mark – this is ours, this is who we are. It’s hugely important to Cavan but it’s also important to Irish culture in America in general,” he says.