Galway Bay fm newsroom - Galway's Billy Lawless, who lives in Chicago, has won a Presidential Distinguished Service Award
He is among 11 people being honoured for providing a sustained service and commitment to Ireland and Irish communities abroad,
A former senator and Fine Gael city councillor Mr Lawless has been named an award winner by President Higgins in the Irish Community Support Category
The citation for his award says that Mr Lawless has had a serious and lasting effect on immigrants all over America, in his drive to secure greater rights and protections for the undocumented.
Billy is also widely respected in the business community in Illinois having held a place on the Illinois Immigration Business Coalition.
Together with his family, Mr Lawless owns a number of restaurants across Chicago, employing hundreds of people in the city.
