Dolores McCall, a Board Director and longtime supporter of The Ireland Funds, and
Riverdance composer Bill Whelan, were honored by the Irish Arts Center in New York. Each
year, the Center celebrates the contributions made to the Irish and Irish American cultural
community by leaders from the artistic and business worlds. Previous honorees and
special guests include Bono, Ralph Fiennes, Jimmy Fallon, Jim Sheridan, Terry George, Pierce
Brosnan, Maureen O’Hara, Michael Flatley and Ronnie Drew. Longtime patrons and Irish
Arts Center Honorary Board Chairs Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne were on hand to present
the awards on an evening which raised over $500,000 to support programming in performance,
exhibition and education at the Center. The star-studded event was attended by over
350 supporters of Irish arts, including New York City Speaker Christine Quinn.