b'THE WORLDWIDE IRELAND FUNDSDAy oNE WEDNESDAY 2120 delegates gathered in Belfast from 22 cities around the1globe. The Conference began with a welcome dinner held athistoricHillsboroughCastlewithNorthernIreland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers. She welcomed delegatestothebeautifulcastleandgardensandthankedThe Ireland Funds for their work in Northern Ireland. KieranMcLoughlin,President&CEOofThe Worldwide Ireland Funds and John Fitzpatrick, Chairmanof The American Ireland Fund addressed those gatheredand officially welcomed them to the 2014 Conference. A highlight of the evening was a recital by pianist ClaireBowes.At15,Clairewasblindedinthe1998Omagh bombing. She had benefited from services provided by The Ireland Funds after the tragedy and now had the 4opportunity to thank donors for their commitment and thedifference they had made. 3 5connect2014 | 53'