Ireland Funds to Honor Steve Cahillane & Fr Tom Hurley at Chicago Dinner 11-6

Chicago, 11 September, 2024 – over 450 guests are expected to gather on Wednesday, November 6 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago to raise support for the philanthropic work of The Ireland Funds. The evening will honor Steve Cahillane, Chairman, President and CEO of Kellanova with The Ireland Funds Distinguished Leadership Award, and Fr. Tom Hurley, Pastor Emeritus of Old St. Patrick’s Church (Old St. Pat’s) with The Ireland Funds Humanitarian Award.

The Chicago Dinner is one of the largest of The Ireland Funds’ numerous international events. The 2024 Chicago Dinner marks the 40th anniversary of this longstanding event and will be co-chaired by Terrence Brady, past CEO & President, Underwriters Laboratories and Devon C. Bruce of Power Rogers, LLP. The evening will gather supporters of The Ireland Funds from around the country as they join notable Chicago leaders from the areas of business, politics, philanthropy and the arts.

Ireland Funds Dinner


Steve Cahillane has spent his entire career in the food and beverage industry and has more than 25 years of diverse experience. Today he is Chairman, CEO and President of Kellanova.
One of four children born to a New York firefighter with roots in County Kerry and a mother who was born and raised in Donegal and immigrated to New York City at the age of 18, Steve holds a BA degree in political science from Northwestern University and an MBA from Harvard University.

Prior to joining Kellanova, Mr Cahillane served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Nature’s Bounty Co., the largest global pure-play manufacturer, marketer and specialty retailer of health and wellness products. Mr. Cahillane previously spent seven years with The Coca-Cola Company culminating as Executive Vice President of The Coca-Cola Company and President of Coca-Cola Americas. Prior to that, Mr. Cahillane served as President of various Coca-Cola operating groups and time working in the UK and Ireland.


Fr. Tom Hurley, the much-loved pastor emeritus of Old St. Pat’s Church in Chicago, will receive The Ireland Funds Humanitarian Award. Fr. Tom is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Born on the city’s southside in the Beverly/ Morgan Park neighborhood, Tom was ordained a priest in 1993. Between 1993 to 1997, Fr. Hurley served as Associate Pastor at the churches of Most Holy Redeemer and St. Cajetan. From 1997 until 2003, Tom joined the faculty of St. Joseph College Seminary at Loyola University as Admissions/Vocation Director, earned a Master’s degree in Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame, while serving as weekend associate at Chicago’s historic Old St. Patrick’s Church. From 2003 until 2021, Tom was both Associate Pastor and Pastor of Old St. Pat’s. Fr. Hurley presently serves at his alma mater, Marist High School, as Vice President for Advancement & Ministry.
Aine Mallaghan, The Ireland Funds Vice President of Development, Midwest, said, "For 40 years The Ireland Funds Chicago Dinner has gathered our friends and supporters together to give back and celebrate the special bond between Chicago and Ireland. This year, it is an opportunity to recognize two leaders who not only cherish their Irish ancestry but have made an impact for Ireland on both corporate and personal levels. We are delighted to honor the professional and philanthropic work of Steve Cahillane and Fr. Tom Hurley and to highlight The Ireland Funds' support of hundreds of nonprofit organizations working in communities across the island of Ireland."
Guests at this year’s dinner will also be treated to a very special performance by The Gardiner Brothers. The Gardiner Brothers are professional Irish dancers, social media personalities and influencers. Michael and Matthew Gardiner were born in Denver, Colorado and now live in Galway, Ireland. They have racked up over 800 million views on social media, have won over 40 major Irish dancing titles between them and have performed to audiences all over the globe at corporate events and with the world famous Riverdance cast.
This year, in keeping with the event’s tradition of supporting work not only across the island of Ireland but in the local community, a grant from the event's proceeds will also be made to support the work of Irish Community Services.

ABOUT THE IRELAND FUNDS
The Ireland Funds is a global philanthropic network. Established in 1976, The Ireland Funds’ mission is to harness the power of a global network of friends of Ireland to promote and support peace, culture, education, and community development throughout the island of Ireland, and among Irish communities around the world. With chapters in 12 countries, The Ireland Funds has provided support to more than 3,200 deserving organizations across the globe.
For more information on The Ireland Funds' work and the 2024 Chicago Dinner, contact Aine Mallaghan, VP of Development Midwest at 312-659-1995 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.