How a Donegal TD's inspiration became $68 million for Irish classrooms
Taoiseach marks 40 years of the Irish American Partnership, a charity the State helped found, backed early by Chuck Feeney and championed by Tip O'Neill
Forty years later, former Donegal TD Paddy Harte’s Irish American Partnership has generated millions for schools across the country.
The idea was born in 1986, when Harte had an idea of turning the goodwill of successful Irish Americans into lasting investment in Ireland.
With a grant of £50,000 from the Government, a group of Irish educators, officials, business leaders and politicians from North and South founded the Irish American Partnership.
The grant was approved by the Government of Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, who endorsed the work of the Partnership from its inception. The Partnership's early backers were among the most influential figures in Irish America.
Philanthropist Chuck Feeney provided funding to sustain its first years of operation, and former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Tip O'Neill became its spokesman in 1990.
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD joined the Partnership at the RDS to mark the journey and the impact of over $68 million raised for more than 750 schools, universities and community organisations across the island.
The evening was hosted by Cork-born journalist and media executive Samantha Barry, the former Global Editorial Director of Glamour, who last week helped showcase Ireland to millions of American viewers on NBC's TODAY show.
From Ballincollig to the top of New York media, Barry acts as an ambassador for the Partnership, and embodies the modern Irish success story in which the organisation has spent four decades investing.
Speaking at the 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner, the Taoiseach said: "For the past four decades, the Irish American Partnership has made an incredible contribution to Ireland’s education and community sectors. Its remarkable contribution is a powerful testament to the enduring generosity of Irish America and its commitment to young people across our island. The Government was proud to support the Irish American Partnership from the outset, and we look forward to seeing their incredible work continue for years to come.”
Forty years on, the Partnership's model remains deliberately direct: 100% of funds raised go to education and community programmes for young people. Its grants have put literacy and science resources into primary schools, funded university access scholarships for students from disadvantaged areas, and, for more than thirty years, it has supported integrated education in Northern Ireland, where Catholic and Protestant children learn side by side.
Martin J Walsh former US. Secretary of Labor and 54th Mayor of Boston, also spoke, reflecting on Irish America’s enduring commitment to Ireland and the cultural ties that bind the two nations.
Guests included U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh, former U.S. Ambassador Claire D. Cronin, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and former Tánaiste Dick Spring, and early directors of the Partnership in Ireland, Padraic White (IDA) and Dr Ed Walsh (University of Limerick).
Mary Sugrue, President & CEO of the Irish American Partnership, said: "In 1986, the State awarded us £50,000 and a vote of confidence. Forty years on, we hope we have repaid that faith a thousand times over, in classrooms across this island. And as the next generation of Irish in America remain as connected to their heritage today, we look forward to creating further impact for the next forty years and beyond.”
The Gala capped a four-day Leadership Mission, during which Irish American business and civic leaders distributed annual funding to schools, universities and programmes in Dublin and Belfast, with a total of $3.5 million in grants being disbursed in 2026.