Daughters of Ireland Debuts New Chapter for Monmouth County Women at Local St. Patrick’s Day Parades

The Daughters of Ireland, a social and philanthropic organization for women in New Jersey, has debuted its new Monmouth County chapter this March with appearances in county parades. With more than 80 active women already committed since the first meeting in January, the organization has quickly established its founding group of members that will lay the foundation for the organization in the county.

Daughters of Ireland offers women who live and work in the respective counties to unite to cultivate friendships through civic projects and commitment to social work in their communities, all while honoring the Irish heritage that unites them. Founding President Jessica Shea-Brown brought the chapter to Monmouth County after seeing firsthand the impact that the founding chapter in Union County had on its members and their community.

Founded in 2017, the Union County chapter has served businesses, organizations and communities throughout their county with initiatives like toy drives, food drives, and blood drives, and has raised over $46,000 in scholarships for Union County students.

“As one of the more than one million New Jersey residents of Irish descent, I was inspired by the work being done in Union County and saw a need for the same opportunity for women in Monmouth County to give back while building connections with likeminded women,” said Shea-Brown. “I am blown away by the number of women who have already stepped up and committed to building this chapter.”

The Monmouth County Daughters of Ireland made their first appearance at the annual Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade and will be marching in the Highlands St. Patrick’s Day Parade later this month.

The organization meets monthly at different locations throughout the county to connect women and identify service projects, fundraisers and social events. The founding executive board includes six members: President Jessica Shea-Brown, Vice President Lorna Darcy O’Hara, Secretary Maureen Voccola, Treasurer Tricia Sirico, Communications Strategist Stacey Cooney and Sergeant at Arms Cathy Ryan. Women interested in learning more about becoming a member can follow the organization on Facebook at Monmouth County Daughters of Ireland or Instagram @daughtersofireland_mc.