The Peru Gazette

L-R Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Garry Douglas, Assemblyman Billy Jones, Barrie Finnegan, MC Matt Boire, State Senator Dan Stec

Plattsburgh – (3/17/2023) | The North Country Chamber of Commerce has hosted the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast for over 60 years. We were thrilled to host our breakfast to a sold-out crowd this morning at the West Side Ballroom, with more than 380 attendees. The event played off a “Tonight Show” format. With Matt Boire, CDC Real Estate, at the helm and channeling his best talk show host character, he commanded the room for more than an hour of merriment and malarky. 

This special event honors the Irish person of the Year, a tradition based on dedication to volunteerism, whether in business, community, civic activities, or a combination of any of these. This Year we honored Barrie Finnegan, Director of the North Country Honor Flight.

Barrie Finnegan has been an incredible nonprofit leader in our community for ten years. He is the Executive Director of the North Country Honor Flight. This organization honors those men and women who left their homes and families to fight a foreign enemy on foreign soil and gave so much in service to us all. The priority for the North Country Honor Flight is to give World War II, Korean War, terminally ill, and Vietnam Veterans the opportunity to fly to Washington, D.C., to visit their National Memorials at no charge to them.

Barrie’s name is synonymous with the North Country Honor Flight. He has spent countless volunteer hours reviewing applications, booking flights, fundraising, and coordinating a proper take-off ceremony for each honor flight. Tasks have not gone unnoticed by those of the North Country.

Janet Duprey, a longtime supporter and volunteer with the Honor Flight and last Year’s Irish person of the Year, states, “Working side by side with Barrie is a total pleasure. We always discuss issues to ensure we make the best decisions for our Veterans. Barrie puts in more hours, travels more to collect fundraising money, and meets with organizations or veterans on request than anyone I know. It’s a privilege to call him a great friend, and North Country Honor Flight is fortunate to have Executive Director Barrie Finnegan. And we are delighted to both be Irish!!”

Beyond his Honor Flight Service, Finnegan is a lifelong North Country Resident who grew up in Keeseville and graduated from Suny Cortland. His day job as a New York Life Insurance agent keeps him busy too. He is married to his wife, Lisa. He has three children, Christopher, Ben, and Elizabeth, and one granddaughter, Mae, who he adores.

“The Honorary Irishman of the Year Award has become one of the most singular honors in the North Country each year,” says Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. “The list of past honorees is a litany of people who have left a lasting impact on our area, from leading officials to extraordinary volunteers. Barrie Finnegan is a perfect addition to this list, providing inspiring leadership with the North Country Honor Flights, demonstrating real appreciation for our region’s veterans, and, in a very real way, continuing this area’s long and special relationship with our armed services. Congratulations and profound thanks to this eminent and deserving citizen. Onward and upward!” 

To learn more about his work and the work of countless volunteers, you can visit northcountryhonorflight.org or follow them on Facebook @NYnorthcountryhonorflight.