One of the region’s oldest and most well-known annual traditions continued Friday night as the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County celebrated its 120th anniversary dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple.

The event featured U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle as the keynote speaker. Scranton police Detective Kyle Gilmartin, who was shot in the head on duty in 2024, was presented with the President’s Award, and Friendly Sons President Michael Brown passed the torch to his successor, Terrence R. Nealon Jr.

Other prominent guests who gave brief remarks included U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti — who aims to unseat Bresnahan in the 8th Congressional District — and Bishop of Scranton Joseph Bambera.

Irish roots

Boyle, 49, who was born in Philadelphia and is the son of an Irish immigrant, touched on the history of the dinner and the prominent keynote speakers who have appeared in previous years.

“This event truly has a proud history that is second to none. It was here Robert F. Kennedy delivered his first address after his brother President Kennedy’s assassination. Other speakers have included Presidents Clinton and Biden, Taoiseach Enda Kenny and so many other prominent figures,” Boyle said.

Boyle graduated from Notre Dame University and received a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard. He was elected to the House in 2014 and serves on the House Budget Committee and Ways and Means Committee. His 2nd District includes parts of Philadelphia and stretches out into areas of Montgomery County.

Boyle reflected on how his speaking at the dinner was a full-circle moment for him and his family.

“So, tonight is obviously a special occasion for me, but it also happens to mark a wonderful coincidence, perhaps divine providence, because this date, March 13, has always been special in our family, for it was 56 years ago tonight that my father left County Donegal for the last time to come to America,” Boyle said. “My dad immigrated to America when he was just 19 years old. Over the next half century, he worked in all sorts of tough, blue-collar jobs in order to provide for our family.”

Boyle made the connection between his family’s experience and the experiences of other Irish immigrants.

“My father’s Irish immigrant journey, like that of my mother’s parents, was both simultaneously remarkable and not unique, because my family story is your family story,” Boyle said. “It is the story of so many Irish men and Irish women who came to our state and to our country. They worked in the factories, built the railroads, policed the streets and did so much more. They came here to build a life, and in doing so, they built a nation.”

Boyle also spoke on the contributions the Irish made to the American Revolution, the historical struggles of famine and poverty among Irish immigrants, and the cultural pride that has been passed down from generations of Irish Americans in Pennsylvania and across the country.

He concluded with another full-circle family story.

“One of my vivid, vivid memories from childhood was my parents writing letters to my grandfather in Donegal, telling him that in two weeks’ time, on a certain day at a certain time, we would call him on one of the few phones that existed in the village so that he would be there waiting for the call,” Boyle said. “Well, today, my father sits at home watching Gaelic football games on an app on his cellphone while simultaneously texting with his sisters in County Mayo.”

Local hero honored

Michael Brown, president of the Friendly Sons and owner of Andrew Brown’s Drug Store and Home Health Care Center on Pittston Avenue in Scranton, honored Gilmartin with the President’s Award. Gilmartin was shot twice at point-blank range on Jan. 11, 2024. Although he has had to relearn how to do specific tasks and still deals with daily pain, he was able last month in court to face and address his shooter, Aiden Deininger, and another man who had a role in the attack, Jeremiah Cleveland; they were sentenced to 25-83 years and 20-36 years in prison, respectively.

Gilmartin’s introduction was one of the most notable events of the evening, as he received a thunderous standing ovation from the crowd that lasted about 30 seconds, followed by a few seconds of silence and then another 15 seconds of applause.

Gilmartin walked to the stage and addressed the crowd. He spoke only briefly but talked about how thankful he is for the love and support that he has received from the community.

“You know, we’re afloat because of this community, and that’s what’s most important,” he said. “And I learned that this community supports its police officers, and wants the police here, and they have our back. … I can’t thank this community enough, and … I’m forever in your debt.”

Gilmartin ended his remarks with an allusion to the importance of his faith, which he summed up with one of his favorite quotes, from the late basketball star Kobe Bryant.

“He said, ‘Until you have to pick up that cross that you can’t carry, and he picks it up for you and carries you on the cross, then you know.’ And my faith has never been more pure or stronger in my life. God bless everybody. Thank you,” Gilmartin said.

Historical Significance

A mainstay of local St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, the Friendly Sons dinner has featured many high-profile speakers over the years:

• Native son and former President Joe Biden, as a senator in 1973 and as vice president in 2015.

• Robert F. Kennedy in 1964, following the assassination of his brother, President John F. Kennedy.

• John Mitchell, legendary union leader, in 1909.

• Former President Harry S. Truman, in 1956, 13 years after his first appearance at the dinner when he was still a U.S. senator from Missouri.

• Vice President Hubert Humphrey in 1968.

• Former President Bill Clinton in 2024.

• Various members of Congress, governors, leaders of Ireland, military leaders, church leaders and celebrities.

Founded in 1906, the dinner had been held in downtown Scranton into the early 1980s, first at the Hotel Jermyn (1906-1910), then at the Hotel Casey (1911-1974), and then at St. Mary’s Center (1975-1983). Its growth over the years prompted a move from St. Mary’s to the Midvalley at Genetti Manor in Dickson City, where the annual dinner took place from 1984 until 2022.

After Genetti Manor closed, the Friendly Sons held the 2023 dinner for the first time outside of Lackawanna County, at Mohegan Pennsylvania in Plains Twp., Luzerne County. In 2024, the dinner came home to Scranton, held for the first time at the landmark Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple, where it has been since.

Attendees to the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner mingle before the event at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)Attendees to the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner mingle before the event at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Attendees to the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner mingle before the event at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)Attendees to the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner mingle before the event at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Friendly Sons of St. Patrick President Michael Brown introduces speakers during the organization's dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)Friendly Sons of St. Patrick President Michael Brown introduces speakers during the organization’s dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti speaks during the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti speaks during the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
State Rep. Rob Bresnahan closes a binder labeled "Friendly Sons Speech" after finishing his remarks during the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)State Rep. Rob Bresnahan closes a binder labeled “Friendly Sons Speech” after finishing his remarks during the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
State Sen. Marty Flynn speaks during the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)State Sen. Marty Flynn speaks during the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle serves as the keynote speaker for the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle serves as the keynote speaker for the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle speaks during the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle speaks during the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton on Friday, March 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)