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For 25 years, the Irish American Heritage Museum, the only one of its kind in the country, has been sharing and teaching the story of Irish heritage and the contributions of the Irish here in America with families of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds in a summer-only seasonal exhibit center in East Durham, New York. In 2011, we closed this facility.
The Museum tells the story of the contributions of the Irish people and their culture here in America, inspiring us all to examine the importance of our own heritage in providing a cultural and historical foundation to our children and grandchildren and future generations of Americans.
— Renown Coach Tom Coughlin
In January 2012, we opened our new year-round Museum to meet more completely our mission of education. Our new home is the historic Meginniss Building located at 370 Broadway in downtown Albany, New York, the state’s 325-year-old capital city that the Irish helped build starting with the historic charter in 1686 under Thomas Dongan, a Royal Governor who was Irish. We have created a state-of-the- art, year-round exhibit and educational facility that will feature expanded exhibit space, room for lectures, presentations and films, and our Paul O’Dwyer Library. The Irish American Heritage Museum is now located at a cultural crossroads of major transportation and tourism on the route between New York City to Montreal and Boston to Syracuse/Buffalo/Cleveland/Chicago. The new Museum will provide greater potential for educational programs and exhibit development for the public, especially school children throughout the year.
Almost 40 million Americans claim Irish ancestry. The saga of the Irish in America is a story not only unique in its cultural impact, but also similar to the experiences of those of other heritage and native groups in this great land. It is a story the Irish American Heritage Museum works to celebrate and perpetuate, passing it on to future generations. The Museum’s mission of educating others about Irish heritage helps inspire adults and children of all backgrounds to inquire about their own heritage journey.
Our new, year-round Museum is attracting many visitors of all heritage backgrounds to much acclaim. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please join others in supporting The Irish American Heritage Museum and our mission to educate and inform the public about the importance of keeping family heritage alive. We are all so connected to each other in this internet world – help us all stay connected to our heritage.
Please donate now to help preserve heritage and to pass it on!