Irish American Cultural Institute
Rochester, NY Chapter
COVID-19 Info
Dear Friends of the IACI,
We have suspended all activities until further notice due to Covid-19 breakout. We will notify members of upcoming on-line events as they are announced. We hope you stay safe and follow established guidelines.
IACI Rochester Board of Directors
Greetings from the Rochester chapter of the Irish American Cultural Institute –
As you may be aware, we have a change in leadership of our chapter whereas Jack Callaghan, a long-time member, has assumed the leadership role. We wish Jack much success. We also thank Mike McCarthy for his guidance these past five plus years including years prior as a board member.
In addition, we thank Katherine Flynn, who has stepped down from the board, for her years and countless hours dedicated to the programing and success of our chapter. Likewise, we thank Mary Ellen Sweeney, who has resigned as treasurer after many years in that position. She will remain on the Board of Directors.
As you can see, we have vacancies on the board and in particular, we have a need for a treasurer. The duties include tracking our finances as well as paying an occasional bill(s). Anyone interested in being part of honoring our Irish-American history and culture either as treasurer or board member-at-large, please let us know at iacirochester@gmail.com. We would appreciate your interest.
The IACI Rochester Chapter Board
Yeats Now: Echoing Into Life
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early, the St. John Fisher College Irish Studies Program is pleased to announce a presentation on William Butler Yeats by Joseph Hassett, renowned Yeats scholar and author.
W. B. Yeats often has just the right words for important occasions. Joseph Hassett will discuss memorable lines from Yeats's poetry that help us articulate our thoughts about significant moments in our own lives. Inviting Yeats into our lives line by line turns out to be an easy point of entry into the work of this astonishingly vital poet.
The presentation will include a video of acclaimed actor Lisa Dwan reciting three of the poems to be discussed. Audience questions are welcome.
Joseph Hassett is a Washington trial lawyer and author. His newest book, Yeats Now: Echoing into Life can be ordered now from Book Depository at https://www.bookdepository.com/Yeats-Now.../9781843517788. Distinguished critic and Notre Dame Professor Declan Kiberd called it “one of the most beautiful and enjoyable books on Yeats” in his review in the Dublin Review of Books.
Hassett’s books include W. B. Yeats and the Muses (Oxford University Press, 2010) and The Ulysses Trials: Beauty and Truth Meet the Law (Lilliput 2016). He attended Canisius College, Harvard Law School, and University College Dublin (PhD).
Presented by the St. John Fisher College Irish Studies Program
Date and time: Wednesday, 10 March 2021 from 4:20-5:40 PM, Eastern Standard Time
Zoom link: https://sjfc.zoom.us/j/94511620945...
Passcode: St.Patrick (no spaces)
For further information, please contact Fionnuala Regan at fregan@sjfc.edu
Join the Rochester IACI to learn more about your Irish heritage
The Irish American Cultural Institute national organization was founded by Eoin McKiernan in 1962 and is a federally recognized 501c(3) not-for-profit group devoted to promoting an intelligent appreciation of Ireland and the role and contribution of the Irish in America. The IACI is strictly apolitical and nonsectarian, and is the only Irish American organization that has as its patron, The President of Ireland.
The Rochester Chapter of the IACI was started in the 1980s by Rev. John Cavanaugh, CSB, and Bob Kelly, who believed in the mission to support Irish culture. The chapter has been continued under the leadership of founder Eoin McKiernan’s daughter Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler, who remains President Emeritus.
The Rochester IACI is proud to be affiliated with St. John Fisher College, where many of its events are hosted. An advisory board of directors oversees all sponsored events and hosts an annual awards meeting that celebrates the wealth of Irish arts in the Rochester community.
Collaborations with other Irish groups include Comhaltas Ceoltori Eirann (Irish Music Society), the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) and LAOH, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the St. John Fisher College Irish Studies Program.
Membership
Rochester Chapter member benefits include:
-- Free admission to most programs
-- Email alerts to Irish events
-- 10% discount at Irish Import Shop
-- Support of Irish Cultural Activities
Visit our membership page for more details
Great Hunger Memorial at St. John Fisher College:
L to R: Ciarin Madden, Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler, Mike McCarthy, Deirdre Hickey, Tim Madigan
Irish Insider Archive
The IACI website now contains an archive of the Irish Insider newsletter, published in Rochester from 1992-1997
Click here to access the archive