Irish hotelier John Fitzpatrick has been awarded an honorary OBE by the Queen of England, it was announced today.
The award, announced by Sir Alan Collins, the British consul general in New York, is in recognition of his contributions to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
In memory of his parents, he founded the Eithne and Paddy Fitzpatrick Memorial Foundation in 1993 to raise funds for Irish charities.
To date, the foundation has raised over $1.3 million for distribution to charities through the American Ireland Fund.
Mr Fitzpatrick has been involved with the American Ireland Fund for 17 years and has been a board member since 1995.
“I am of course delighted and very proud to receive this special recognition. It is an honour that I share with all of the wonderful people who contribute time and financial resources to the foundation. The good things we support in Northern Ireland could not happen without them,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.
The British embassy in Ireland said Mr Fitzpatrick will receive his award from the British ambassador, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, at a ceremony in Washington in the near future.