A Brief History
of the Irish-American
Cultural Center
Blauvelt, NY
In the early 1970’s the Irish American population of Rockland County had no place to call their own. Meetings and Irish functions were held in rented halls, bars and restaurants. On January 25, 1977 a group of men and women who had the foresight and a vision to promote Irish culture in their community came together to change this. On that day, a meeting was held at the New City Ambulance hall, attended by over 100 interested people. It was agreed by the majority present, that they needed to obtain a building and it was to be named the Irish American Cultural Center.
But to have an Irish Center, money was needed. A decision was made to ask for a pledge of $300 for a family membership, with a deposit of $100 per family. This motion was proposed by Sean White and second by Ray Sheridan Sr. The motion was carried.
At a second meeting at the New City Ambulance hall $2,200 was received from 20 families. With this commitment made, a slate of Officers and Directors was elected that night. The ultimate goal of this group was to find a building with a function hall to be used for dancing, music, meetings and a variety of Irish cultural events.
But to have an Irish Center, money was needed. A decision was made to ask for a pledge of $300 for a family membership, with a deposit of $100 per family. This motion was proposed by Sean White and second by Ray Sheridan Sr. The motion was carried.
At a second meeting at the New City Ambulance hall $2,200 was received from 20 families. With this commitment made, a slate of Officers and Directors was elected that night. The ultimate goal of this group was to find a building with a function hall to be used for dancing, music, meetings and a variety of Irish cultural events.
After three years of searching, a vacated restaurant was found in Blauvelt.
After three years of searching, a vacated restaurant was found in Blauvelt. With the help of Sligo man Bill Burke, President of the Bank of Ireland, NY, a loan was secured. Eight People negotiated and guaranteed the loan which secured the building as the first home of the RIACC. Those eight people were: John Cawley, John Coleman, Margaret Finucane, Mike Halpin, Thomas O’Riordan, Cornelius O’Sullivan, Ed Shanley and James Sutton.
Additional funds were also raised by the initial 100 RIACC club members. Finally in January 1980 the property located at 284 Convent Road Blauvelt, NY was purchased and it became the permanent home of the Rockland Irish American Cultural Center.
The members immediately rolled up their sleeves and got to work. With the help of so many members, volunteer craftsmen, laborers and a great deal of donated materials, the building was refurbished and completed a few short months later.
It was fitting that the Rockland Irish American Cultural Center opened its doors on March 16, 1980, the eve of St. Patricks day. The Center had its official grand opening and installation of officers that night. Mass was celebrated and the Center was blessed by the late Father Lapin. What started out as “Only an Irishman’s Dream”, but in this case the dreams of several Irish men and women, finally became a reality. Many fundraisers ensued and the final payment of the mortgage to the Bank of Ireland was paid on March 24, 1982.
The popularity of the RIACC grew and it was apparent parking was becoming a problem. To solve this issue, in 1983 the Center purchased the lot across the street for additional parking.
Over the next few years the membership grew. Charter membership was closed at 150 families. A plaque now hangs on the wall honoring those initial families. From then on new members became Associate members.
Over the years the building has been in demand by so many Irish organizations who did not have a place to call home for meetings, cultural activities, social events and fundraisers. To name a few the RIACC was used for Irish Step Dancing schools, Ceili Dances, Set Dancing, Irish Music schools, the Rockland County GAA, the Celtic Golf Club, Division 5 AOH, the Feis Committee, the Irish Arts Forum, The Political Education Committee, the Brian Pearson Committee, Bag pipers, Project Children, visiting artists from Ireland, Irish language classes, Friday night card games, RIACC club socials, Seniors lunches, private rentals and so much more. It continues to support local Irish affiliated groups that promote Irish culture and heritage.
Because the Center was in great demand, in 1993 plans were drawn up to extend the Center and add a second floor . Rather than obtain a loan it was decided to issue a $500 bond at a 5% interest rate over 5 years. This proved to be very successful and about $140,000 was raised. All the bonds were redeemed within 5 years.
Many people played a significant role in the realization of the initial dream. There are so many individuals to thank for keeping the dream alive. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the members who have spent countless hours maintaining the building and volunteering endless hours to perform the various, often mundane tasks, that make the Center run smoothly. Many of the original Charter and Associate members who were an integral part of building and maintaining the Center have passed on. We fondly remember their memories and dedication to this organization and have an annual memorial Mass in their honor.
Today the Rockland Irish American Cultural Center has a membership of 500 families. Memories are made and lifelong friendships have flourished. Many of the original members continue to use the Center to celebrate their Irish culture and heritage. The Center continue to serve the Irish American Community of Rockland County and continues to be used for a variety of cultural and social events that promote our heritage.
Our 20 First Members
John Cawley, John Coleman, John Dickson, John Finucane, John Flynn, Martin Fogarty, John Foody, Mike Fox, Martin Gill, Mike Halpin, Hugh Kelly, Mike Mason, Tom McNamara, Thomas Mulvey, Nick Murphy, Thomas O’Riordan, Cornelius O’Sullivan, Ed Shanley, Jim Sutton, and Sean White.