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U.S. Ireland Fund announce new $100 million campaign to aid Ireland

Will commence immediate major fundraising drive to reach goal

JANE O'BRIEN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Monday, December 13, 2010, 4:31 AM

Updated Thursday, December 16, 2010, 2:19 PM

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President and CEO of The Worldwide Ireland Funds, Kieran McLoughlin

The Worldwide Ireland Funds today announced the launch of the Promising Ireland Campaign, a fundraising initiative with a goal of raising $100 million among its global network on four continents by 2013.

The campaign will help charitable and non-profit organizations across the island of Ireland and Irish communities abroad meet the challenge of increased demand for their services at a time of major reductions in resources.

Anticipating growing need, the Funds began a quiet phase in 2009 and have successfully raised over $40 million towards the $100 million goal. Today’s announcement represents the beginning of the public phase of the Promising Ireland Campaign.

Speaking on behalf of the twelve Ireland Funds around the world, President and CEO of The Worldwide Ireland Funds, Kieran McLoughlin said, “Irish charities are facing a difficult period along with increased demands on their services, yet they are doing so with great innovation and focus.

This campaign is a response to that intensified need and our donors have indicated they are ready to meet the challenge. The name of the campaign, Promising Ireland, reflects both our pledge to Ireland and our belief in her future.”

Chairman of The American Ireland Fund, Loretta Brennan Glucksman said, “This campaign is our call to action and reinforces our abiding commitment to the island of Ireland as a place and a people that hold great promise for the future. Needs are greater today and so the benchmark of our response must also be greater. The Worldwide Ireland Funds have represented the generosity and goodwill of the Irish diaspora and the Irish themselves. This campaign translates that goodwill into action that will truly help those most in need and funds will be distributed as they are raised over the course of the campaign.”

Fundraising for the campaign will be carried out across the Funds’ global network with chapters in the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, Monaco, Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore, Canada, France, Germany and Japan.

The Worldwide Ireland Funds are an international charitable network operating in 12 countries and have raised over $350 million for worthy causes in Ireland and around the world. The mission of The Ireland Funds is to be the largest worldwide network of people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland dedicated to raising funds to support programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development

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bunkerhill | Dec 19, 2010, 02:16 PM EST

This is a comment to glenties and a very legitimate question. What about the U.S. homeless? The Irish in American built their own schools and yes orphanages for the people who came here in the mid 1800's to escape the genocide that is so often referred to as a "famine." These poor people were so starved they often died young. There was plenty of food in Ireland but it was removed and shipped to England. The American Irish have always been in the forefront of charity for everyone around the globe so why not their own tiny island. One question I would ask you? Are there no homeless or poor in England? The average English family lives in 687 square feet of space while the royals owns hundreds of thousands of acres? Why are the royals given so much movie and TV publicity in the US and immune from any of the horrors they have perpetrated in their homeland and around the world. How hard was it to "CONQUER" the aborigines of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand or the British Virgin Isles. Did the royals even leave their palaces to claim all of these people and lands for their own. God Bless American and Ireland.

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bunkerhill | Dec 19, 2010, 12:52 PM EST

I am so happy to see this and not at all surprised. I don't know what it was about the beautiful little island of Ireland that has inspired such loyalty and love down through the centuries. This love was so often reflected in song. How many people have ever referred to their homeland as "a little bit of heaven" David McCullough in his book about President John Adams said that the concept "All men are created equal" originated in Ireland. I am already sending money to my favorite Irish hospital and will continue to send all I can. I had so much faith in the Irish in Ireland and around the world and I am so happy I was not wrong. You have all made my Christmas. I am also curious about what it was in our history that made us have such a sense of loyalty, love and cohesiveness.

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paricaliswishes | Dec 14, 2010, 05:34 AM EST

Ireland is a young nation and behaves like neuvoux riche we hav'nt yet got the hang of discipline with readies.We're stil tying to cope with Menus N Tings.Our pushin n shovin old ways don't mesh wit awl dis high felutin european stuff.Dem bleedin protocols zz drivin us nutz.

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seamusmac | Dec 13, 2010, 06:12 PM EST

Some facts instead of emotion, Thank you seamusmoore (Nancy f..king Pelosi??? Are you kidding me?)

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greenferrett101 | Dec 13, 2010, 11:45 AM EST

This is great. always happy to give Ireland a helping hand

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seamusmoore | Dec 13, 2010, 11:41 AM EST

A little background on the American Ireland Fund: it was co-founded in 1976 by Ambassador Dan Rooney (who inherited the Pittsburgh Steelers) and Tony O'Reilly, the former rugger who became CEO of Heinz, a Pittsburgh-based company. Dan Rooney visited Ireland for the first time in 1969 so pretty much all that he would know about Ireland comes from a man who now insists on being called Sir Anthony. While the American Ireland fund did alot of good for Ireland when it was suffering economically, during the Celtic Tiger years it continued to send money over there when Ireland should have been taking care of their own. I went to several of their galas in DC but stopped after they honored Nancy Pelosi with the Peace Award. Their justification was that she supported the Peace Process (duh!, in the words of Homer Simpson). Even better was her Irish bona fides (one of her son-in-laws is Irish I was told). This crowd is pretty much a bunch of wealthy Americans of distant Irish descent who desparately want to be Irish. Check out their website which includes The Wine Geese Society which holds events in such notably Irish locales as Nantucket and Monte Carlo

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oberlin | Dec 13, 2010, 10:34 AM EST

Glenties is correct.I went to a community center in Monaghan and this place is a multi million euro state of the art place. You would never hear a word about any American money going to this center.They will take your money but will not offer any thanks or acknowledge that it is American money. Keep your money --dont be suckers.

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Glenties | Dec 13, 2010, 09:51 AM EST

Perhaps I missed something here and I am misinformed, but I know that we have homeless and many, many people without work in the U.S. I am sure quite a few are of Irish descent. I am of Irish descent and I know why my relatives left Ireland. This is wonderful, but what about people in the United States who are also suffering? We always give aid to other countries, sometimes it has to be that charity begins at home. I know this comment won't be liked, but someone has to say it - what about people in the U.S.?

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