On the edge of Lough Erne, friends old and new gathered to celebrate the 90th birthday of Dorothy ‘Dot’ Leonard, a proud Irish-American who travelled over 3,000 miles from her home of Maryland, to mark her special milestone in Fermanagh, the county believed to be the birthplace of her grandfather.

Second-generation American-Irish Dot was born on August 30, 1932, in Newark, New Jersey, to Joe and Charlotte Leonard.

Her father Joe was born in 1901 in Staten Island, New York, to Aloysius ‘Alec’ P. Leonard and Catherine McCullough, both of whom emigrated to the United States in the 1890s, with Alec appearing to have emigrated from Fermanagh around 1896.

Dot’s connection to Fermanagh grew through her friendship with Mary McInerney and Jørn Bjerknes, owners of the Lovely Leitrim Barge Tapas Bar and Restaurant, who have made the lakeland county one of their homes.

Hosted by Mary and Jørn, the birthday celebrations began on the evening of Tuesday, August 30 at the couple’s barge, which was moored at Knockninny for the special occasion.

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter during her party, Dot explained why Fermanagh was the perfect place to celebrate her 90th birthday.

“Well, number-one, my grandparents are from this area and when my DNA was [tested] recently, it’s like 95 per cent Fermanagh [derived],” said Dot.

“So I thought about my 90th birthday, and [considered] where I really wanted to be and what really meant something to me, and it was coming back to Ireland. It was like coming home.

“But then it kind of grew into this major festival,” she added with a laugh.

And a festival it was, with live music at every stage. The party began with Jazz music from Anne O’Brian and Chris Small on the barge. The festivities continued at Knockninny Country House with Irish stew and music from acclaimed Traditional musicians, Gaby McArdle, Pat McManus, Jim McGrath and Conor Magee.

The party concluded with a lively performance from Frankie Lane and Paul Kelly, who had guests dancing the night away.

The party also had a few extra-special details, such as a specially commissioned ocean-themed cake and an oyster shack, an ode to Dot’s pioneering career in shellfish restoration. It was through this work that she first met Mary.

“They call me ‘The Oyster Lady’. I cherish that title, as the simple oyster is a hero in the protection of our ecosystems,” said Dot.

After achieving a BA degree in political science from Syracuse University, New York, and raising four children, Dot began her career in land use planning, focused on coastal zone management.

She worked her way up to the federal government at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries.

“I took over management of the National Register of Shellfish Growing Areas and, after 15 years of analysing data, I concluded that the losses in shellfish had to be reversed, and became a proponent of shellfish restoration,” said Dot, who has chaired the International Conference on Shellfish Restoration (ICSR) since 1997, and has met many people in the shellfish community.

“That’s how I met Mary McInerney, my dear friend for 24 years. When Mary arrived in Charleston, South Carolina she made instant friends among our shellfish community. Mary and Jørn have visited me in Maryland, and this is my seventh trip to Ireland. I always feel as though I am home the minute I get off the plane, and even more so when I see Mary and Jørn and their fantastic friends,” she added.

Invited guests journeyed from across the world to celebrate with Dot, some from as far away as Australia.

“[They came from] Canada and Scotland. My friend from New Zealand couldn’t come, but she sent the cake. And then a lot of people came from the United States, from California and Nashville, Tennessee and North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, all over,” said Dot.

Commenting that she had a “blast” celebrating in Fermanagh, she added: “It’s just been so much fun.”