John Myers

Donnybrook is the name of a Dublin neighborhood near where John Myers lived and went to school.  Donnybrook is also a word used to describe a political free for all.

Myers is the youngest of six kids and grew up in the Westshore area of Cleveland. He is married and raised his children in the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland.

Myers graduated from Miami University and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and has practiced law in both the private sector for over a decade in the law offices of Robert Emmett Sweeney, and in the public sectors, such as the public defender, the prosecutor’s office and Cuyahoga County.

While in college, John was active in Amnesty International, founded by Dr. Sean McBride. This led to involvement in the human and civil rights struggle in the North of Ireland and eventually a commitment to promote the McBride Principles of Fair Employment and as an activist with Irish Northern Aid. John has worked on dozens of political campaigns at the local, state and National level. He was a voting member of the U.S. Electoral College in 1996 and has attended most of the Democratic National Conventions in the last 30 years.

Myers assisted in adding an “Irish Plank” to some of the DNC Platforms and has been a national board member of the Irish American Dems PAC, based in Washington, D.C. for many years.

Myers is an Ohio State Director for the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America and also serves as Immigration Chair. He was recognized by the Ohio Irish Bulletin for his contributions to “The Cause” and was selected as Outside Co-Chair of the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee by the United Irish Societies of Greater Cleveland.  Myers was also selected as Hibernian of the Year in 2023.

In 1998, Myers attended the reconvened Sinn Fein Ard Fheis, where the Good Friday Accord was approved by Ireland’s oldest political party.  Members of the Balcomb Street 4 were released during the meeting as a gesture of good will towards the astounded Nationalists. Leading up to the GFA, Myers was invited to the Whitehouse to meet with Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith and members of the National Security Team to push all sides during negotiations.

Through the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, Myers has worked over the years encouraging business development in Ireland; assisted the IDA, Ireland Chamber of Commerce USA, Enterprise Ireland, Mayo County Council and the Atlantic Corridor USA;  initiated the secondarily naming of East 22^nd Street in honor of Irish Immigrant and co-founder of Alcohol Anonymous, Sr. Ignatia Gavin Way; helped raise funds for and siting of the Irish Hunger (Famine) Memorial in the Flats; traveled with Mayor Campbell and the official delegation to Ireland for the “Twinning” of Achill Island/Co. Mayo with Cleveland; advocated for direct Aer Lingus flights to Cleveland; Co-authored “Irish Cleveland,” a short history of the Irish in Cleveland; is a columnist for iIrish newsmagazine; co-anchored TV20’s parade coverage, is a United Irish Societies (UIS) Delegate; Chaired an annual Irish Good Fellows Luncheon; organized several Irish Film Festivals and served as a long time board member of the Irish American Archives Society.