Annual Irish Night and St. Patrick's Day Dinner Dance Saturday March 17

The Middletown Lodge #771 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has announced plans for its annual Irish Night / St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance celebration to be held Saturday, March 17, 2018 at the Middletown Elks Lodge on Maynard Street.  The cocktail hour will begin at 6:00 PM, with the Middletown PBA Pipes & Drums and Irish Step Dancers from the Griffith Academy of Irish Dance performing at 7:00 PM.  A traditional Irish corned beef dinner will follow at 7:30 PM with music and dancing until 11:00 PM.  Tickets are available from Gerry Daley at (860) 347-9315.

As it does every year, the Elks have selected someone to be honored as their Irish Member of the Year.  

Middletown Elks Irish Member of the Year – Captain Sean Moriarty

Middletown Lodge #771 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has announced the selection of Captain Sean Moriarty as 2017 Irish Member of the Year. 

Sean Moriarty moved to Middletown in 1980 and graduated from Middletown High School in 1984. He attended Middlesex Community College and has earned his Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

Sean began his public service when he joined the U.S. Army Reserves in 1985 as a Military Policeman. He then served in the Middle East during the Persian Gulf War in 1990.
Following in his family’s occupational footsteps, Sean has been enjoying a 30-year-career in law enforcement. His grandfather Cornelius Moriarty was a police officer in New London from the 1930s to the 1960s. His father, Thomas was a captain in the Connecticut Correctional system. Sean’s uncles and cousins were also New York City police officers.

Sean was hired at the Middletown Police Department in 1987 and rose through the ranks from Patrolman, Sergeant, and Lieutenant. He was promoted to Captain in 2011. He currently manages over 80 officers on three shifts and various police units. Sean has experience investigating major crimes, overseeing the SWAT team and scuba unit, and reconstructing major motor vehicle accidents.
Recently Sean worked with Middletown Elks Lodge 771, bringing the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program ® to the Middletown school system. It teaches children in pre-K to 4^th grade four easy steps of what to do if they find a gun: “Stop, Don’t touch, Runaway, Tell a grown up.”  He is currently working to bring the program to a new generation of students.

Sean has served as a basketball coach for the Haddam Recreation Department and referee for its soccer league. He also coached boys and girls Haddam-Killingworth Travel basketball teams.
Sean has been involved in town politics since 2007 in his hometown and is currently on Haddam’s infrastructure committee.  He currently serves as a Trustee at his church.

Sean is a proud American/Irish citizen, having just earned his dual citizenship in Ireland.  He has traveled extensively to his families’ homeland and maintains relationships with friends and cousins in Dublin, Killarney, and Ballinskelligs.  His father’s side comes from County Kerry and his mother’s side is from County Antrim and County Cork.

Sean is married to Tanja Buzzi Moriarty and is the father of two grown children, Erin and Christopher.  We honor Sean Moriarty as Irish Member of the Year not only for his rich Irish heritage, but for his service to the Lodge, his distinguished public safety career, his community service to both Middletown and Haddam, his good humor and friendship, and his commitment to family.   Those are the qualities that make him a true Irishman!