“One of my best friends lives here. And I had been back n’ forth. I was in Chicago for the first time thirty years ago, when it was one of the worst winters, and I said to her, ‘I’m never coming back here again!’
That was then.
“I absolutely love the city of Chicago; it just has a little bit of everything. Every time you come back you like it a little bit more.”
That was last week!
Her name is Dearbhla Meaney. She’s from Dublin and is the CEO of White Diamond Events and we met on the Ides of March at the Inaugural Irish Village Market on Pioneer Court on Michigan Avenue where they dye the river green for St. Patrick’s Day.
Dearbhla is pure class.
“I grew up in Dublin. I did move to the U.S., oh gosh in my early twenties. I got a green card like a lot of us did, lived in Boston and New Hampshire for a couple years, but then I came back home, as life takes different twists and turns.
"And my first job was with this new show called Riverdance, so yeah worked with them for a couple years in production. We did everything in production touring with the show, a cast of 200. So there was myself and two other people who were responsible. Every time that show moved, we moved them - from Millstreet in Cork to Radio City Music Hall to the Apollo Theatre in London. We moved them everywhere. That was learning on a very steep curve very quickly, but yeah, amazing experience working crazy days and hours, but fantastic experience.”
Working Riverdance was Dearbhla’s crucible, the intense trial by fire that formed her professional persona and prepared her for the road ahead producing events all over the world, whether in the USA, Ireland, Italy or Spain, for clients both big and small, non-profits and billionaire VIPs, handling scheduling, logistics, catering, media relations, and marketing. She does it all with an unflappable steady hand at the helm, and a delightful sense of humor and charm.
Dearbhla launched her company “White Diamond Events” in 2009 in Ireland and hasn’t looked back since. Globe-trotting with high society, A-List celebrities and sports stars. Her events are memorable, exclusive, and sophisticated.
In 2016 she founded Ireland’s first Mental Health and Well-Being Summit at Aviva Stadium, which it outgrew and then moved to Croke Park.
“It had an amazing impact in a very short period of time. I had no reason to do it except that I felt it needed to be done.”
The Summit was very popular with celebrity athletes, everyday folks, as well as gurus like Deepak Chopra sharing their views.
“We had everybody, prison officers, teachers, students, doctors; we had people from all walks of life attending, and that was the objective, so that everybody would be under the one roof talking about the same thing to make a difference.”
Making a difference is what Dearbhla does best.
Ireland Network founder Joe McKittrick says: “Dearbhla is certainly the ‘diamond’ in White Diamond Events. I highly recommend reaching out to Dearbhla and her team if you truly want a best-in-class experience. Hugely successful in Europe and Ireland for several years, Dearbhla is certainly turning heads in the industry now in the USA.”
Dearbhla officially moved to Chicago in February of 2024 and she and her White Diamond Events are already ambassadors for Chicago. She is constantly networking. Now she’s involved with bringing back international rugby to Soldier Field in Chicago this November, with a classic matchup between two international titans, Ireland and the New Zealand All Blacks.
I was lucky enough to be in the press box for the first match and look forward to the historic rematch, as the press release states: “The Rematch: Ireland v All Blacks” will take place at 3pm CST on Saturday November 1, 2025. This will be the second time these teams have met in Chicago, following an epic 2016 clash that resulted in Ireland defeating the All Blacks for the first time in their 111-year history. Since that moment, the teams have played each other 10 times, winning 5 each and establishing one of the great modern rivalries in rugby.”
Dearbhla is excited about her future in Chicago.
“There’s so many opportunities here, such an amazing city, it’s so diverse, so much happens, it’s an exciting place to live. So you’ve got to keep spreading your wings.”
Spreading your wings? Isn’t that what angels do?
