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The Ireland Funds supports history and controversies 💸💳🌍💵💰 #IrelandFunds #Charity https://wp.me/p3JLEZ-9qa
The Ireland Funds is a global fundraising network for 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 throughout the island of Ireland. The Funds exist in 12 countries around the world, the largest member of the network being The American Ireland Fund, and may be the largest non-governmental donor to Irish causes. The co-founder and for many years global chairman of The Ireland Funds, was businessman Tony O’Reilly. The funds have raised over $650 million for worthy causes in Ireland and around the world.
History
The Ireland Fund
In 1976, Dr. Anthony J.F. O’Reilly (Sir Tony O’Reilly), former CEO of H.J. Heinz Co. (as well as a former Ireland rugby union player), created The Ireland Fund with friend and fellow Pittsburgh businessman Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, who later served as the United States Ambassador to Ireland. With three goals, “Peace, Culture and Charity”, The Ireland Fund appealed for support for Ireland and its people from all Americans, especially those of Irish descent. Rooney himself stated it was established to counter the prominent militant NORAID (Irish Northern Aid Committee), which was routinely accused of using donations to purchase weapons for the IRA. He stated it wasn’t easy at first to persuade the American public already outraged at IRA atrocities to donate to the Funds: “[W]e often had to explain that we were not raising money for bombs.”
The American Irish Foundation and merger
During his visit to Ireland in 1963, United States President John F. Kennedy joined with Irish President Éamon de Valera to form The American Irish Foundation, with a mission to foster connections between Americans of Irish descent and the country of their ancestry.
On St. Patrick’s Day 1987, The Ireland Fund and the American Irish Foundation, then led by Arthur William Bourn Vincent, merged at a White House ceremony to form The American Ireland Fund.
Fundraising
In 1988, O’ Reily declared to The New York Times that the Ireland Fund was raising $4 million per year. By July 1993, the group was raising $6 million annually, holding 24 events in 12 American cities. This amount was in stark contrast to NORAID’s $3.6 million donations from 1970 to 1998 and equal to the IRA’s annual $2-10 million derived from criminal and legitimate activities across Ireland in the 1970s-1990s.
Chapters of The American Ireland Fund
The Ireland Funds, through The American Ireland Fund, formed a network of fundraising chapters in additional cities across the United States as including Boston, Chicago, Palm Beach, New York City, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco, San Diego, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Washington D.C.
International chapters
In parallel with expansion within the USA, Ireland Funds were established in a range of countries, from Ireland itself to Canada (launched 1978), Australia (launched 1987), Great Britain (1988), France (1990), New Zealand (1992), Germany (1993), Japan (1993), Monaco (1998), China (1998) and Singapore (2009).
Global headquarters
Shared world headquarters for The Ireland Funds were opened in Boston in 1994.
Today
With over 100 events annually in 40 cities around the world, attended by 40,000 people, and raising over $650 million since 1976, The Ireland Funds is one of the largest non-governmental organizations helping Ireland; it does most of its work by choosing and contributing to the work of other NGOs.
Although The American Ireland Fund (DBA The Ireland Funds America) remains the largest component of The Ireland Funds structure, there are also chapters still operating in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, Monaco, Singapore, New Zealand, and Ireland.
Organization
The Ireland Funds have their world headquarters in Boston, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Toronto, Dublin, London and Sydney.
Governance and staffing
The Ireland Funds are overseen by voluntary directors at various levels, and have regional and global staff. Each country or chapter has its own governance body, such as a Board of Directors, with operations led by a local regional or executive director.
Publicity
The organisation has had an active website since 1996, with four major relaunches since then.
Controversies
The “Ireland Funds” have faced several controversies, primarily related to governance, financial misconduct, and protests. These include allegations of fraud and embezzlement, as well as protests disrupting fundraising events.
Here’s a breakdown of the controversies:
- Financial Misconduct:
- The American Ireland Funds charity, has taken legal action against a former employee at its Dallas, Texas, office for the alleged embezzlement of funds. John Fitzpatrick, the New York-based hotelier and chairman of the board of The Ireland Funds, confirmed that the fund had filed a lawsuit in Dallas alleging that the former employee “stole” funds. Then he leave the organization after a decade in charge. Speaking to The Irish Times on 2018, Mr McLoughlin said: “It’s been my privilege to lead the Ireland Funds for 10 years. This year, we achieved a major milestone, having raised $300 million over that period, which was my personal goal and legacy. With my contract expiring in a couple of months, I had made the decision to step down. However, the Dallas incident did occur on my watch. As chief executive, I have to take responsibility for that. Leadership has consequences and this crystallised my decision to leave. I will continue to support the funds always.”
- Protests and Disruptions:
- On March 2025, Martina, Isaac and Ammi Burke, disrupted an Ireland Funds dinner in Washington D.C. shortly after Micheál Marin gave his speech, to protest the imprisonment of Enoch Burke. The members of this high-profile evangelicl Christian family shouted: “Enoch Burke in prison for 513 days for not accepting transgenderism” and accused Taoiseach Micheál Martin of “imprisoning” Mr Burke, and said that the Irish government was “stripping Enoch Burke of his salary”. Teacher Enoch Burke has been jailed repeatedly for continuing to attend Wilson’s Hospital School in Co Westmeath in defiance of a court order, after being suspended by the school in a row over transgenderism. Mr Burke says his suspension was unlawful. The Attorney General has said that he will ask the High Court to garnish Mr Burke’s wages to collect the fines – now increased to €1400 per day, and amounting to more than €80,000 thus far – owed by Mr Burke for continuing to turn up teaching at the school. Members of his family have been involved in several protests inside and outside Irish courts, arguing that he is being persecuted for his religious beliefs.
References
- Lindsay, Susan Getudis (2008), “American Ireland Fund”, in Byrne, James Patrick; Coleman, Philip; King, Jason Francis (eds.), Ireland and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History: A Multidisciplinary Encyclopedia, vol. 2
- Sanders, Andrew (1 September 2022). The Long Peace Process: The United States of America and Northern Ireland, 1960-2008. Liverpool University Press.
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