Group Unveils Plans for First U.S. Irish Living-History Museum in New
York State
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
NEW YORK – At a press conference today at Glucksman’s
Ireland House at New York University in Manhattan, The Michael J. Quill
Irish Culture and Sports Centre, Inc. kicked-off the official New York
City announcement for their historic plans to build the first Irish living-history
museum in the United States. The Irish living-history museum will be built
in New York State and detail life in 19th-century Ireland.
The museum will be called the Irish Village East Durham
with a goal to be completed by 2007. The $17 million project will be similar
to a smaller Irish version of Colonial Village in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The press conference was highlighted with the unveiling of a model of
an authentic Irish cottage coming all the way from County Donegal, Ireland
to become the first cottage in the historic Irish Village East Durham. The cottage
is coming all the way from Ireland by ship to New York and will be rebuilt
on the site of the museum in East, Durham, New York late this spring.
East Durham is located only 90 minutes from New York City in the northern
Catskills. The master plans for the site were also shown to the press
in New York City for the first time. The announcement hopes to reach New
York City’s large Irish-American community, as well as Irish-Americans
and supporters across the country to embrace the project and help the
organization with needed fundraising support.
“The Irish cottage is a gift from Gerry Laverty,
an Irish architect, who is also serving as a consultant on the project,”
said Ken Dudley, president of The Michael J. Quill Irish Culture and Sports
Centre, Inc. “The Irish Village East Durham will be a wonderful destination
for all those of Irish descent, as well as all New Yorkers and tourists
from around the world,” Dudley continued.
The project has received excellent support from a number
of important sources including the Governor’s office, local and
state legislators like Assemblyman John Faso and State Senator John Bonacic,
as well as local tourism and economic development organizations. “New
York State is proud that the Irish Village East Durham, the first Irish living-history
museum in the United States, will be built right here,” said Jack
Irwin, special assistant to the Governor for Irish Affairs.
“The Irish Village East Durham will eventually include 32
cottages representing each of the 32 Irish counties in Ireland,”
said Dudley.
The Irish Village East Durham – The First Irish Living-History
Museum in the U.S.
The grounds for the museum will also include a World
Trade Center memorial that will be unveiled Labor Day, 2002 to honor police,
firefighters and EMS workers that courageously gave their lives during
the September 11th attack. In addition, a two-week summer vacation to
the northern Catskills has already been donated by The Quill Irish Cultural
& Sports Centre, Inc. to the family of a NYC firefighter killed in
the 9/11 tragedy.
The museum site will also include the Irish Park. The
Irish Park is a two-acre site which is shaped as a map of Ireland with
bricks denoting the various 32 counties with flagpoles denoting each individual
county. The Irish Park is also part of the fundraising campaign for the
Irish Village East Durham. Those interested can buy a brick for $100 and have their
name or a message inscribed on the many bricks which will make up the
map of the Irish Park. The Quill Centre has already raised over $300,000,
mainly from the support of the large Irish-American community in the northern
Catskill region. They hope to sell many more bricks with the help and
support of those in New York City and around the world. For more information
about buying a brick or making an important donation to the first Irish
living-history museum in the United States, called the Irish Village East Durham,
please call 1-800-434-FEST.
The Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre,
Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with an objective to preserve
and promote Irish cultural and artistic heritage. The Quill Centre hosts
and sponsors several large festivals and events in the Town of Durham,
Greene County that promote this heritage. It currently owns a 108-acre
site that includes festival grounds, sports fields, the Weldon House,
a historical house that is used to host events, as well as the site for
the historic Irish Village East Durham and Irish Park.
Contact The Michael J. Quill Irish
Cultural & Sports Centre
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