25 Feb 2021, 13:46
The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence has written to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney T.D. and to the board of the American Irish Historical Society to express its disappointment at its decision to sell its headquarters on 5th Avenue in New York.
The building has for the past 80 years been a landmark and emblem of the strong, historical and cultural links between the U.S. and Ireland.
Committee Chair, Charlie Flanagan T.D. said “Members of the Committee agreed to write to the board of the American Irish Historical Society to express our disappointment at the proposed sale of their building on 5th Avenue in New York and state our support for retention of this iconic building. The importance of the society and its headquarters in the heart of New York, to the Irish American community, cannot be under-estimated.
“The Committee has urged the board to work closely with the Irish embassy, the Irish consulate and the Irish community in New York and the entire U.S., to make every effort to ensure that this building, as one of the last great centres of Irish American history, artefacts and culture in New York remains available to people of New York, the U.S., Ireland and the world”.
Committee membership
Deputies