After being active in the Irish Network Japan in Tokyo, Tom came to Korea for his second time in 2000. He and Des Scully were recruited by then Irish Embassy First Secretary Peter Ryan to stage Korea’s first ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2001.
Tom established the Irish Network Korea but was approached about a year later by two departing Irish-American expats who were the remnants of the old Irish Association of Korea, an expat group that put on the annual Emerald Charity Ball. Tom was asked to carry on the name of the Irish Association of Korea in exchange for the 7 million treasury that had been in reserve for donation to charities. Tom agreed and the Irish Association of Korea was given a second life.
Tom served as chair for the Irish Association of Korea through 2007, greatly assisted by Chun Byung Geun and Bernard Hughes, during which time there were hooleys, ceilis, St. Patrick’s parades and Irish Festivals. Exhausted, he was relieved to find other people willing to take over. Since then, beyond occasionally donating photographic services, he has served as a senior advisor.
Tom is a professional photographer and owner of Onsite Studios, a firm that specializes in on-site portraits and event photography. He originally came to Korea as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1975 and later worked at The Chase Manhattan Bank in Seoul until 1979. He came back to Korea in 2000 to establish the branch office of an American software company and later established his own market entry/sales training business, Soft Landing Consulting.
His mother is a McKenna whose family hails from Newbless in Co. Monaghan and his maternal grandmother was an Irish Moore with McQuillan family connections from Co. Cork.
Irish Association of Korea 한국아일랜드협회 