A Statement From The Irish American Partnership on Racial Injustice

Ní neart go cur le chéile—we are stronger together.

It is a simple truth, but a powerful one. This principle has guided the Irish American Partnership’s work for over thirty years, but feels more significant now than ever before.

The Partnership strongly condemns racism in all its forms and stands with those working to eradicate systemic racial injustice in our communities. We recognize that racism is an insidious global issue that transcends borders—and Ireland is by no means an exception.

The Partnership renews our own commitment to build a more peaceful Ireland where all, regardless of race or background, have the opportunity to thrive. We remain steadfast in our mission to bring about a more inclusive, equitable, empathetic, and just society across Ireland, North and South. We believe in the transformative power of education and acknowledge the urgency of educating young minds and hearts to confront bias in order to bring about a society where all are truly loved, accepted, and valued.

As a part of this pledge, we are pleased to announce an additional grant of $10,000 to Educating the Heart—an impactful program in Northern Ireland that equips young people with the capacity and courage to stand up for local and global justice.

We remain incredibly grateful for our wonderful community across the United States and Ireland who are coming together to promote understanding, kindness, and compassion.

In solidarity,

The Irish American Partnership

St. Patrick's Day Celebrations - Cancellations Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

While the Partnership had hoped that our events could safely continue during the coronavirus outbreak, after consultation with public health officials and following the lead of the City of Chicago and the City of Boston, we have decided to cancel our St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast Celebrations on Friday, March 13th in Chicago and on Tuesday, March 17th in Boston.

This decision was made with deep concern for the health and welfare of our members. The Board and staff of the Partnership strongly feel that we must act in the interests of our community. We apologize for any inconvenience and invite anyone who has questions of concerns to get in touch at info@irishap.org.

We are deeply disappointed to cancel our annual celebrations. Please know that we appreciate your support. 

On behalf of the everyone at the Partnership, we wish you a happy and healthy St. Patrick’s Day.

Irish America Magazine honors Partnership Chairman Michael Clune with "Dreamers of Dreams Award"

Irish America Magazine honored Irish American Partnership Chairman Michael Clune with the inaugural Dreamers of Dreams Award at their annual Business 100 Luncheon.

In the magazine’s December 2019/January 2020 Business 100 issue, Editor-in-Chief Patricia Harty wrote, “We are pleased to give our Dreamers of Dreams Award (named for the Arthur O’Shaughnessy poem, “The Music Makers”), to an Irish-born builder, Mike Clune. We honor Mike, not just for building houses that take low-income families into account, but for building dreams, and through the Irish American Partnership, helping kids back home achieve an education so that they too can dream big.”

To learn more about how Mike honors his heritage by investing in Ireland’s future, read the January 2019/February 2019 feature on the Partnership “An Ocean Away Yet Close at Heart.”

View Mike’s acceptance speech below:

Michael Clune, chairman of Clune Construction and the Irish American Partnership, accepts the inaugural Dreamer of Dreams award at this year's luncheon.

Connecting the Donegal Diaspora to its Roots

The Irish American Partnership was featured in the April 2019 issue of “Donegal Connections” Ezine, a publication by the Donegal County Council to connect with the Donegal Diaspora.

Over 30 years ago, Former Donegal TD Paddy Harte Snr., a leading proponent of peace and reconciliation among divided communities, conceived of a supportive partnership between Irish America and Ireland. Having secured £50,000 in seed funding from the Irish government, the Irish American Partnership was formed, its mission—to empower the next generation of Irish leaders through education and community development.

Education has been the gift passed down from one generation of Irish to the next, allowing Ireland’s diaspora to thrive all over the world. The Partnership encourages the Irish diaspora to honour their heritage by giving back to the schools and community initiatives that made an impact on their lives, or the lives of their ancestors.

“Ní neart go chur le chéile.”

Read the full article on page 7