The “Secret Millionaire” series, beginning September 19 on Ireland’s RTÉ One, will feature The Fitzpatrick Hotel Group’s North America CEO John Fitzpatrick, who will go undercover as a documentarian in some of the most disadvantaged parts of Dublin, Cork and Dundalk and find ways to support local Irish charities.
Fitzpatrick, who is also celebrating his company’s 20th anniversary in New York City and actively engaged in his third term as chairman of the Hotel Association of NYC, is using the TV show to continue his 18-year commitment to the Eithne & Paddy Fitzpatrick Memorial Fund, which benefits underprivileged communities in Ireland. His philanthropic work, for which he was recently awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Queen’s University in Belfast, has also put him in the TV spotlight.
Airing September 26th, the episode shows Fitzpatrick swapping his New York life for the streets of Dundalk. Undercover as a returned immigrant making a documentary about the recession, the show follows him as he visits some of Ireland’s most disadvantaged areas to find children’s charities in need. He finds a number of excellent projects run by local heroes dedicated to keeping kids off the streets including a boxing club run entirely by volunteers and a youth center run out of a corporation house.
“My parents believed in the importance of supporting your local community and I am working to honor and carry on their legacy,” said Fitzpatrick. “There are so many struggling families in Ireland right now and there are people in every neighborhood who quietly do great work each day. Hopefully this series will help shed light on areas most in need and motivate people to get involved in their own community.”