Greetings to our ICC Patrons, families and to our many friends! We at the ICC wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year.
This year has been one of excitement, changes and growth for the ICC. We finished the year with our annual month-long holiday celebration of eight Christmas Caroling dinners, ending with our traditional New Year’s Eve From Ireland. These mostly sold-out events were a huge success, and also a big undertaking.
There are many people to thank for the smooth operation of these productions, including Events Coordinator Conor Driscoll, Irish House Restaurant General Manager Mike Ratte, Laurette Ratte and Chef Anthony Padilla for their hard work in planning, preparation and management, and Katie Doe for online prep and promotion. West Springfield’s Bev Browne always does a magical job of decorating our restaurant and pub for the holidays, creating a warm, joyous and comfortable atmosphere. Lenny and Lisa keep the restaurant in tip top shape.
Exciting improvements have been happening with the building all year. With concerns for creating a building with long term energy efficiencies and reducing operational cost, the ICC undertook two big improvements. The very old and compromised roof was replaced by a new membrane roof with energy efficient insulation. A sustainable and renewable solar energy system was installed – the 190 solar panels with all the required electric wiring cost around $300,000. The system was made operational on December 31.
The Community Performance Center ceilings and walls are in the process of completion. This work is being funded by a $200,000 grant from the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund Council and our matching $200,000 in ICC funds raised as part of the Capstone Capital Campaign. Thanks to our grants writer extraordinaire, Joanne Dooley for her work on this and other grants that she has successfully applied for. A big thank you to all our generous Patrons and Capstone Capital Grant donors.
The ceilings and walls were designed with the talents and dedication of ICC board member Will Carey and Bev Browne with Dan McGrath’s guidance. This performance venue is going to be a gorgeous space that we can all be proud of for decades to come. We are looking forward to the ICC becoming part of the performance circuit of Irish entertainment that travels between Boston and New York. You are welcome to visit the ICC and ask for a tour of the in-progress fourth floor space.
Throughout the year, our Events Committee planned and presented cultural and educational programming. From history lectures, music performances and family-focused celebrations, to arts & crafts nights, Irish language workshops and rugby excitement, these are events for the whole community to enjoy. The ICC Book Club has been a huge success in bringing people together and engaging them with Irish-American literature. The club is open to all and managed and promoted by ICC board member Caroline Morrissey and Kathy Kelly. We look forward to even more events in the coming year. Our Events Committee is steered by Conor Driscoll and Katie Doe; supporting the efforts are Mary Ellen Lowney and ICC board member Rose Boyle.
So many volunteers make the ICC’s efforts and programs work, keeping the Irish arts and culture alive. There are too many to mention here but know that everyone’s contributions are greatly appreciated.
A huge thanks to Administrative Director Ellen Gallivan, who is on top of the day-to-day operations here at the ICC and keeps everything together running smoothly.
The New Year will present new challenges, opportunities and changes for the ICC, including the significant undertaking of a strategic plan. Our board members will be taking on new projects, and we are all excited to start 2025 at the ICC. Lots of good things have happened over the years – indeed, the ICC celebrated its 25th anniversary this year – and many more good things are to come!
Sean Cahillane
President, Irish Cultural Center of Western New England
About the Book
About the Book
