It's a party!
When the opportunity arose to expand the digs of the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby, the organization’s board had one question.
“We wanted to know how much was this going to cost us,” said board President Liam Hegarty on Friday night, at a “grand re-opening” party at the new, larger offices that have spread into what was once an adjoining apartment. “So, in the great Irish tradition, we looked for volunteers.”
They got plenty. Volunteer workers knocked down and rebuilt walls, laid flooring, patched, painted, and built a custom frame around a large map of
Ireland marked with family names that now dominates the room. “We could have had more people,” says Hegarty, as the 50-some guests milled around the center, enjoying homemade beef stew, Irish bread, and drinks in the meeting area, which can now accommodate several round tables—not to mention a band and even dancers.
The Center was founded in 1998 to meet the needs of the region’s Irish immigrants. Today, it provides a broad range of services, from legal advice on immigration issues to, once a new social worker arrives from Ireland, outreach to the area’s many seniors. Some of those seniors meet every Wednesday for lunch. A genealogy group also uses the center for monthly get-togethers. The Philadelphia Gaelic Athletic Association is also a regular “customer.”
Musician John Byrne—himself an immigrant from Dublin—brought band member Rob Shaffer to entertain for the evening. We have photos—check them out.
