John Was Taughthis First Dance, the Waltz, at 17 and Started to Go to the Tower View Ballroom

BIOGRAPHY

John McGurrin was born in Kinaghabeg, Belturbet, County Cavan, the middle child of John and Margaret McGurrin nee Rehill. He has an older sister Margaret who went back to Belturbet to live and a younger sister Kathleen who is deceased, as are both his parents, RIP. He attended National School until 1955 when the whole family emigrated to New York. He remembers leaving his house at 3:30 a.m. and going to Cobh to catch the boat to New York. It was a great adventure on the boat with plenty of Irish music and dancing. Four months after the family arrived in the US, our mother passed away. It was very difficultfor our father to hold down a full-time job and take care of us but it made us grow closer. We gradually adjusted to life in the big city. Kathleen was a straight A student and won many scholarships to high school while Margaret was a beautiful singer. Dad would take the subway from Woodside up to Gaelic Park every Sunday to watch the matches even though itwas a 3 hour round trip and he became an active member of the Cavan Association.

John was taughthis first dance, the waltz, at 17 and started to go to the Tower View Ballroom and later to the Red Mill in the Bronx. His love of Irish music led him to take up ceili and set dancing which he taught for 10 years.

Margaret married Charlie Corrigan from Milltown and they moved back to Ireland and opened the Erne Palais in Belturbet while Kathleen completed high school and was looking forward to college when she developed MS and was confined to a wheelchair.

John continued school at St. Teresa’s in Woodside, then went to Rice High School, Iona College where he received a BA in Spanish and Education and Fordham University where he received a Masters Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Gerontology.

John worked as a social worker for 29 years with the NYC Human Resources Administration. His work included senior centers for 8 years, medical social work for 4 years and many years in the NYC Home Care Program. He retired as a social work supervisor in home care. He then worked for a number of years with the Visiting Nurse Service as a per diem social worker. He also taught Spanish and English. He presently works in Real Estate.

While employed with HRA, he organized health fairsfor the Spanish speaking community in Elmhurst on a voluntary basis. In addition, he did volunteer work at Elmhurst Hospital in the Domestic Violence Program, the Childrens and Adolescent Program and acted as a translator for Spanish speaking patients for 3 years. He volunteered as an ombudsman with New York State visiting a local nursing home weekly to resolve conflicts and problems between residents and the facility.

John has been a member of ComhaltasCeoltoiriEireann for over 30 years promoting Irish music, culture, dance and language. He was Chairman of the Killoran-Clancy-Whelan Branch for 15 years running ceilis on a monthly basis. He has been active in helping run the Echoes of Eireann Concert Tour, the Hall of Fame Ceili and the NY FleadhCeol.

John is an active member of St. Joan of Arc Church, ushering at Sunday Mass, is a member of the Holy Name Society, the St. Vincent DePaul Society and is president of the Irish American Society. He is a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernian Division 4, is a 3rd Degree in the Knights of Columbus and is a Cavan Delegate to the United Irish Counties. He has been an active member of the Cavan P&B Association for many years and has been chairman of the dinner dance for 5 years and runs the annual weekend in the Catskills.