I now understand that Denny's will officially apologize to the Irish American community for their incredibly insensitive television advertisement which featured free pancakes in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the end of the Irish Famine. They will also pull the advertisement.

An Irish American community leader who has been in touch with Denny's say they are “backpedalling faster than a circus clown” and the company has begun to realize just how wrong headed the advertisement appeared.

“They are being flooded with calls“ he reported. “They have no idea what they have set off here.”

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There's a lot of competition for the title of best Irish American event but for me, head and shoulders above them all, is the annual 40 under 40.

For uniquely among our many celebrations of the wealth, depth, genius and generosity of Irish America, the 40 under 40 has its eyes firmly on the future.

And important as our past and heritage are - without roots we would be hopelessly adrift - it's the next generation which will define the Irish journey in America.

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President Mary McAleese has launched a major competition with the potential to create thousands of jobs.

The brain-child of her husband, Martin, the on-line competition is looking for the public to submit ideas to the 'Your Country, Your Call' campaign.

Two winners will each receive‚£100,000 in prize money and up to‚£500,000 each to develop their ideas.

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SIX DECADES after Hollywood came to Connemara, a fictional film about the making of The Quiet Man is to be made in the village where the 1952 classic was filmed.

Former James Bond actor Sir Roger Moore, Aidan Quinn and Geraldine Chaplin have signed up for the "romantic comedy", based on the impact of director John Ford's arrival in Cong, on the Galway-Mayo border.

Moore, returning to the screen after a 10-year gap, is also executive producer of the film, Connemara Days , which is to be directed by Kevin Connor and produced by Belfast company Causeway Pictures with support from Ireland.

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Age 36 Place of Birth Dublin Where you live Philadelphia First Job Selling gold-plated chains by the inch at the Ideal Home Show. What it taught me That I want my work to have meaning. I love the Immigration Center because I get to help people directly and see the impact of my daily actions, while also promoting broader long-term discussions about the importance of citizenship and what it means to be Irish in a global context. Status Single Three things people would be surprised to know about me 1. I started trapeze lessons a year ago. I'm terrible, but I can climb up a rope and hang upside down by my knees - very ungracefully. 2. I had a baby goat called Stampy in Kenya. I won him in an auction and convinced my Dad to let me keep him. 3. I finally got my driver's licence last year at age 35. But don't ask me to drive anywhere; I'm dreadful (but not bad at parallel parking). Best advice you could give someone starting out Follow your folly. The world changes so fast, you can't predict where your career will take you. But you can make sure you have fun along the way. My CV is quite eclectic and, for a long time, I worried that I appeared unfocused. Now I think that my varied experience helps me do a better job - and the customer service skills that are such a focus of working in retail never go out of fashion.

Siobhan Lyons is the executive director of the Irish Immigration Center, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting immigrants and promoting citizenship. Born in Dublin, Lyons moved to Philadelphia in 2006 to work for the World Affairs Council. Prior to moving to the United States, she served as a diplomat in the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. She is involved in several nonprofit organizations, including International House Philadelphia, Quest for Tech, the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts and Philadelphia Young Nonprofit Leaders. Lyons is a graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, where she specialized in Arabic literature.

Margaret Ritchie is the new leader of Northern Ireland's Social Democratic and Labour Party.

Miss Ritchie, the Assembly's Social Development Minister, replaces Mark Durkan, who remains MP for Foyle.

She defeated South Belfast MP Dr Alasdair McDonnell in a vote at the party conference. She is the first female leader of a major NI party.

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A House Resolution Declaring March “Irish American Heritage Month” in Pennsylvania unanimously passed the state House of Representatives on Monday. The resolution was authored by state Rep. Brendan Boyle.

“From the Revolutionary War to the present, Americans of Irish descent have made an enormous contribution to American society. It is only right that this contribution is recognized,” said Rep Boyle, whose father and grandparents were born and raised in Ireland.

Rep. Boyle will present the House Resolution at a ceremony at City Hall on Thursday, March 11. For more information, contact Rep. Boyle's office at 717-787-3055.

As the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic begin to recover from the record snowfalls, businesses need to be mindful that insurance coverage can play an important part not only in recouping the costs of physical damage resulting from the storms, but also in providing a valuable source of recovery for the disruptions to your business associated with these storms.

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IABCN board member Bob Beaty and his architectual salvage company Provenance are featured on pg 20-21 in the March edition of Philadelphia's Sustainable Initiative Magazine, Grid.

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ICON, THE largest provider of clinical research for drug makers in the State, has reported an 8 per cent increase in first-half operating profit, which rose to $48.1 million (33.7 million).

Turnover rose by 4.8 per cent to $439.8 million for the six months to the end of June, with just under half its revenues coming from the US.

Direct costs rose 5.5 per cent to $249.9 million, primarily due to higher wage costs for staff employed on projects and a rise in laboratory costs. Over the period, the percentage of turnover accounted for by direct costs rose two percentage points to 56.4 per cent, compared with the first half last year.

Icon also booked a $13.4 restructuring charge in the second quarter as it reorganised its operations in response to the “globalisation of clinical studies and its attendant impact on resources in existing and emerging markets”.

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The Irish Independent says that Ireland's pharmaceutical and ICT sectors could be badly affected by the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano. Both industries dominate the airborne export sector -- the trade of which makes up EUR21 billion a year, or EUR400 million a week. The Irish Exporters' Association said it was not in crisis, but that critical deliveries could be missed if the ash cloud failed to disappear before Friday. Although 98 percent of the volume of trade to and from Ireland is carried by ship, air-dependent exporters make up a sizeable portion of the value of overseas trade. The sector is dominated by human science exporters, such as Pfizer and Wyeth, which export to the US and Asia.

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TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has promoted two junior ministers to the Cabinet and moved four current Ministers to different departments in the long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle. No Ministers were dropped and the Green Party was given another Minister of State.

Five Government departments were also reconfigured, with the Taoiseach saying the changes were designed to support the core objectives of economic recovery, job creation and support for those who have lost their jobs.

The Dail approved the reshuffle, after a three-hour debate, by 83 votes to 75.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness met senior political and business figures in Chicago yesterday at the start of their US visit for the St Patrick's Day celebrations.

The Ministers also met Tom Wilson, chairman of investor Allstate and mayor of Chicago Richard Daley

ÒChicago-based companies, including Caterpillar and Allstate, already have a history of investment in Northern Ireland. It is clear from our meetings today that there is considerable potential to build upon that foundation,Ó Mr Robinson said.

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