THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF UNION IN THE COUNTY OF UNION WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE KATHLEEN MARIE MATTHEWS HOLMES FOR BEING NAMED ADJUTANT OF THE 19TH ANNUAL UNION COUNTY ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE. THE PARADE WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 AND REPRESENTS THE SENSE OF PRIDE AND DEDICATION THAT CITIZENS OF IRISH HERITAGE SHOW IN THEIR CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.
KATHLEEN WAS BORN ON MAY 4, 1966 TO PATRICK J. MATTHEWS OF SHERCOCK, COUNTY CAVAN AND GRACE (NEE SHERIDAN) MATTHEWS MCDERMOTT OF GLEN CROSS (RATHMULLAN) COUNTY DONEGAL. KATHLEEN’S STEPFATHER, JOHN (“SEAN”) MCDERMOTT WAS BORN IN CAVAN TOWN, CO. CAVAN. KATHLEEN IS THE FOURTH OF FIVE CHILDREN. A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF UNION, NEW JERSEY, KATHLEEN GREW UP WITH SEVERAL FAMILY MEMBERS LIVING WITHIN BLOCKS OF HER HOUSE. SUNDAY WAS HER FAVORITE DAY, BECAUSE AFTER MASS, THE FAMILY GATHERED AT HER HOUSE AND THE “SESSIONS” BEGAN. HER LOVE OF FAMILY, HERITAGE, CULTURE AND HUMOR WERE DEFINITELY FOUNDED IN THESE MOMENTS.
KATHLEEN MARRIED JOHN J. HOLMES IN OCTOBER, 1991, A FIRST GENERATIION, IRISH-AMERICAN, LIKE HERSELF. JOHN’S FATHER, JAMES HOLMES, WAS BORN IN BALLYMACHAHOLA, COUNTY MAYO, AND HIS MOTHER, MARGARET (NEE FAHY) WAS BORN IN NEW QUAY, THE BURREN, COUNTY CLARE. KATHLEEN AND JOHN STARTED A FAMILY OF THEIR OWN AND HER PROUDEST MOMENTS WERE THE BIRTHS OF HER THREE SONS (AS WITH ANY IRISH MOM), JAMES PATRICK, DAMIAN JOHN AND RORY MATTHEW. KATHLEEN, JOHN AND THEIR BOYS CONTINUE TO LIVE AS THEIR PARENTS DID WITH AN “OPEN DOOR” POLICY AND CONTINUING ON WITH THE “SESSIONS”.
KATHLEEN HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE UNION COUNTY ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE FOR MANY YEARS AND SHE THANKS HER LATE COUSIN GRETA SHERIDAN AND HER UNCLE, THE LATE BRENDAN J. VESEY FOR GETTING HER INVOLVED. SHE NOT ONLY SERVES AS THE ADJUTANT OF THE 2015 PARADE, SHE IS ALSO THE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. KATHLEEN IS ACTIVE IN THE IRISH AMERICAN SOCIETY OF UNION AND SERVED AS AN OFFICER WITH THE ORGANIZATION FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. SHE WAS HONORED BY THE IRISH AMERICAN SOCIETY AS IRISH WOMAN OF THE YEAR IN 1999. SHE IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE CRYAN ASSOCIATION AND THE NUGENT ASSOCIATION.
KATHLEEN IS A GRADUATE OF KATHERINE GIBBS SCHOOL OF MONTCLAIR. SHE WORKED AS A LEGAL ASSISTANT FOR MANY YEARS IN NEW YORK AND NEWARK BEFORE LEAVING TO RAISE HER BOYS. WHILE AT HOME WITH THE BOYS, KATHLEEN ATTENDED REAL ESTATE SCHOOL AND OBTAINED HER NEW JERSEY STATE LICENSE TO SELL RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE. SHE CONTINUES TO HOLD HER LICENSE WITH COLDWELL BANKER. CURRENTLY, KATHLEEN WORKS FOR THE TOWNSHIP OF UNION IN THE CLERK’S OFFICE. SHE ATTENDED RUTGERS CENTER FOR CONTINUED GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND OBTAINED HER CLERK’S CERTIFICATION IN OCTOBER, 2012. SHE WAS NAMED GENERAL CHAIRMAN OF THE TOWNSHIP’S BICENTENNIAL PARADE IN 2008. KATHLEEN IS ACTIVE ON SEVERAL COMMITTEES, INCLUDING ONE OF HER FAVORITES, THE TASTE OF UNION. SHE IS A MEMBER OF HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH IN UNION WHERE SHE TAUGHT CCD FOR FIVE YEARS. SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD FOR THE UNION LITTLE LEAGUE AND FIFTH-QUARTER CLUB AND HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN MULTIPLE SCHOOL PTAS.