Pauline Turley

Irish Arts Center (IAC), based in New York City and renowned for presenting dynamic, inspiring, collaborative experiences of the evolving arts and culture of Ireland and Irish America in an environment of warm Irish hospitality, will open the doors to its long-heralded new home, a 21,700 square foot hub for the arts at 726 11th Avenue, with a monumental inaugural season of programming, from December 2021 to December 2022.

Actor and IAC Honorary Chair Gabriel Byrne; Corey Johnson, Speaker of the New York City Council; Congressman Joseph Crowley; Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer; New York City Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl; Ciaran Madden, Consul General of Ireland; and other City and State dignitaries joined the Irish Arts Center board, staff, and supporters as they broke ground today on the New Irish Arts Center, a heralded multidisciplinary center that will bring people of all backgrounds together through the excellence and dynamism of Irish arts and culture. The ceremony marked the start of construction on Phase One of the new facility, a state-of-the-art new building at 726 11th Avenue, now fully funded and scheduled to open in late 2020.

Even before breaking ground on their new home, IAC will welcome audiences into the existing Cybert Tire site for Rooms, a site-specific theatrical installation by the great Irish playwright Enda Walsh (May 3-28). IAC will present Rooms alongside St. Ann's Warehouse premiere of Walsh's new play, Arlington (May 3-28), making for a season of Walsh works in New York, supported by Culture Ireland.

Irish and Broadway stars came out Saturday night for Bill Whelan's first in a series of 4 concerts at the Irish Arts Center. Among the attendees: five-time Tony Award-winner Angela Lansbury, Emmy Award winner and two-time Tony Award nominee Andre De Shields, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, award-winning author Colum McCann, Consul General of Ireland Noel Kilkenny, Malachy McCourt,Chief Executive Eugene Downes of Culture Ireland, Aidan Connelly Executive Director Irish Arts Center, Pauline Turley, Vice Chair Irish Arts Center and many more. Whelan conducted the nine-piece orchestra, played the piano, told stories and sang along with special guests world-renowned fiddler ATHENA TERGIS, Irish singer MORGAN CROWLEY and Irish Dancer and former RIVERDANCE star MICK DONEGAN.

The Irish Arts Center (Pauline Turley, Executive Director), Georganne Aldrich Heller, Tom Kibbe, and Naked In The Wings present HOWIE THE ROOKIE written by Mark O'Rowe (writer of Intermission, the recently acclaimed film staring Colin Farrell and Colm Meaney,) opening May 12th at The Irish Arts Center (553 West 51st Street - between 10th and 11th Avenues). This production stars John O'Callaghan (We Were the Mulvaneys) and Mark Byrne (Gangs of New York) and is directed by Nancy Malone (Judging Amy, Dawson's Creek). HOWIE THE ROOKIE begins previews on May 5th. .