When she arrives, 214 days will have passed since she last set foot in the Electric City. But on Friday, March 17, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returns to Scranton.

The former presidential candidate, who often summered in Lake Winola as a child and whose late father, Hugh, grew up in the city and is buried in West Side, was announced Wednesday evening as the 2017 keynote speaker for the Society of Irish Women's 19th annual St. Patrick's Day dinner celebration at Hilton Scranton and Conference Center, 100 Adams Ave.

The information was shared with a few dozen society members at a regular business meeting and received a raucous reaction from those present. The speaker remained a closely guarded secret, even among event organizers, until Wednesday as part of an agreement with Clinton's staff.

"I am so, so excited for Hillary to come back to our city to motivate women as she has done for years," said Mary Clare Kingsley, moments after she delivered the news with her sister Jane Duffy Shrive, with whom she shares co-president duties this year.

"My first reaction was, ‘Oh my God.' We couldn't have gotten a better speaker," said Carol Thomas, a past president of the society who was shocked at the announcement. "She just exemplifies everything we stand for as strong women in (Pennsylvania)."

Clinton's last Scranton appearance was Aug. 15, when she stumped at Riverfront Sports Complex during her campaign against Donald Trump. On that day, she also toured the city with then-Vice President Joe Biden, who was born and raised until the age of 10 in Scranton's Green Ridge section. She made another stop in the Scranton area on April 22 during a rally at Dunmore High School.

Since she lost the Nov. 8 election, Clinton has held a relatively low public profile. Following her concession speech, she all but disappeared from view until the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, when she appeared on the main stage beside her husband, President Bill Clinton, and other former presidents and first ladies.

In 2017, Clinton has been spotted at a few Broadway productions in New York, most recently in the audience for "Sunset Boulevard," on Feb. 15. She also spoke of her personal friend, Oscar de la Renta, at an unveiling ceremony Feb. 16 in New York for a new U.S. Postal Service stamp collection that honors the designer.

News of other Clinton speaking engagements have been trickling out, including a commencement address May 26 at her alma mater, Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Clinton graduated from the school in 1969 and also spoke there in 1992.

She's expected to speak March 8 at an International Women's Day event sponsored by Vital Voices, which she co-founded in 1997 with then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, as well as April 20, when she accepts the Trailblazer Award from the LGBT Community Center in New York.

Clinton also is working on two books set for publication this year. A tome of personal essays based on her favorite inspirational quotes will be released by Simon & Schuster in the fall, and a reissue of her 1995 book, "It Takes A Village," will be published with illustrations for younger readers, with proceeds going to charities.

Organizers of the St. Patrick's Day dinner anticipate a sell-out event, thanks to Clinton's involvement.

"For her to come to Scranton and recognize women here — 500 women like her — (when) she could be anywhere in the world, it's just incredible," said Tracy Doherty, one of the society's founding members.

Times-Tribune wire services contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: pwilding@timesshamrock.com, @pwildingTT on Twitter

If you go

What: Society of Irish Women's 19th annual St. Patrick's Day dinner celebration featuring keynote speaker Hillary Clinton

When: Friday, March 17; cocktails and entertainment begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7, then

program

Where: Hilton Scranton and Conference Center, 100 Adams Ave.

Details: Tickets are $75 and include open bar and dinner. For reservations, call Mariann Moran at 570-969-1061 or 570-947-5814.