subject: The Irish American Museum of Washington DC [print this page] The Irish American Museum of Washington DC
According to J.F.K. "A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers."
With the 250th St. Patrick's Day anniversary celebrations upon us Connecticut businessman Carl Shanahan and various other Irish American's are spearheading the most ambitious Irish-American venture yet; the creation of a national Irish American Museum in Washington, D.C., to honor Ireland's legacy in America.
With an estimated 37 million U.S. residents who claimed Irish ancestry the Irish-American population in the United States is more than eight times the population of Ireland itself. In the most recent 2010 US census Irish was the nation's second most frequently reported ancestry, trailing only German, so with this wide population in mind it is hoped that the Irish American Museum of Washington, D.C., will become a major cultural institution that will bring Irish-American history to life for visitors of all ages, from all ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds.
"The history of the United States is the history of Irish America," says Shanahan. "That history deserves its rightful place in our nation's capital." Shanahan is no stranger to the preservation of history: he co-founded The Wild Geese, a Connecticut organization that promotes Irish culture and Ireland's contributions to Western civilization.
"We believe that the Irish American Museum belongs in Washington to reflect the national character of our story, the Irish legacy is evident all across North America." This will be a museum of identity, within which the goal will be to explore the experience of a people's immigration and the evolution of its community, as well as to acknowledge their struggles and triumphs.
For generations Irish-American's have impacted every aspect of American life from the Arts to Sport, Science and Technology to Politics and many other professions besides. Hundreds of world famous names including Former President J.F. Kennedy, actor George Clooney, President Barack Obama, talk show presenter Conan O'Brien and performer Bruce Springsteen claim Irish roots. The Museum will be a state of the art facility housing traditional museum displays to preserve and present artifacts of Irish and Irish-American history, it is anticipated that it will have a genealogical research center, a library of books, articles, music and video on topics of Irish and Irish-American interest. The museum will have a recording facility to produce oral histories and a state of the art cinema to present audio/visual material produced by the Museum and by outside sources on topics of Irish-American interest, finally it will have a interactive and educational website of archive samples, video, audio.
Creative Executive James Dougherty, another founding member says "The museum will be a home for all of those of Irish and Scots-Irish descent. It will illuminate 250 years of Irish-American history through innovative exhibitions, education and cultural programs."
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