The Irish Cultural Center of Western New England has received a $100,000 grant from the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation. The grant will support the center’s $2 million Capstone Campaign, which aims to create a Community Performance Center at its Morgan Road facility. The center will serve as a hub for concerts, events, meetings, and private functions, hosting local, regional, national, and international performance groups. The space will be able to accommodate major Irish cultural groups, such as Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, as well as regional performers of all ages.
The Community Performance Center will be a full-scale regional base for Irish heritage and culture, as well as a center for cross-cultural collaboration. The space will provide a home for local, regional, national, and international performance groups, offering arts and cultural opportunities for the residents of Hampden County.
The center is located in a former Elks Lodge that had been vacant for five years before the center took possession of it through a partnership with the city of West Springfield. The center has since made improvements to the facility, including developing a vibrant, Irish country-style restaurant, pub, and meeting and gathering place for the community.
Sean Cahillane, chair of the board of directors and the Capstone Campaign, expressed gratitude for the grant, stating that it will be instrumental in completing the renovation of the performance center. Paul Belsito, executive director of the Davis Foundation, highlighted the foundation’s pride in supporting the project, which will significantly enhance the region’s cultural landscape.
