Mary Kilgarriff says she grew up in a service-minded family in Ireland. "When I moved to Japan in 1990, I was struck by the absence here of the type of community service that I took for granted. I approached the Irish ambassador at that time, Jim Sharkey, and his wife, Sattie, and with their support began the Emerald Ball. I was the first chairperson of that first non-Japanese event in Japan to have as its mission the sponsorship of community projects," she said.
The 11th annual Emerald Ball will take place March 7 at the Westin Hotel, Tokyo, and Mary is again chairwoman. "I am proud to chair what has become a prestigious event," she said. "I am increasingly involved in helping to expand the role and the visibility of The Ireland Fund in Japan, and to forge links between Japan ad the Ireland Funds internationally."
Mary grew up in the west of Ireland, where her father was the headmaster of the local primary school, and chairman of the county council. She said: "I remember my home being the gathering place for all kinds of people, from national and local politicians making their stops during election years, to town leaders discussing community issues. My home also drew local residents, from small farmers to business owners, who wanted my father's support. He also served on several national committees, and the family often accompanied him to conferences in Ireland and across Europe. That was how I developed my love of travel. My sisters and I as exchange students spent every high school summer in France."