October 16
Gabriel Byrne’s attendance as Honorary Chair of this event has been confirmed by Irish Central :
Special guest and honorary chair Gabriel Byrne will also join for the Gala evening . . .
Irish Arts Center (IAC) is set to host their 20th A Spirit of Ireland Gala, at Cipriani’s in Manhattan, honoring music legend Elvis Costello, and marking the midpoint of construction of their new building. IAC is a multidisciplinary center dedicated to bringing people of all backgrounds together through the excellence and dynamism of Irish arts and culture.
As the new Irish Arts Center takes form and the organization realizes its full potential for the presentation of vital, dynamic, multidisciplinary work, IAC celebrates an artist whose output across the years reveals limitless breadth, depth, and ceaseless musical exploration.Irish Arts Center Executive Director Aidan Connolly said, “Elvis Costello is iconic, innovative and independent, with an astounding catalog of songs fueled by a palpable artistic freedom and a lifetime of exhilarating artistic collaborations. The path that he has forged is completely aligned with the environment we seek to provide artists at Irish Arts Center. We’re so thrilled to have the chance to welcome and pay tribute to him.”
Also, a fun fact:
I have discovered that Elvis Costello really IS Irish, being of Irish descent on his father’s side. His birth name is Declan Patrick MacManus.
Stay tuned for more about this stellar evening and of course we hope, as always, for lots of pics from the event!
Congratulations to the Irish Arts Center! heart
tour the IAC Building Project in New York City on September 30, 2019
September 21
It’s that time of year again!
The 20th Annual Spirit of Ireland Gala will be held on Friday, October 18, beginning at 7:00 pm. at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.
This year’s Gala honors musical legend Elvis Costello, who will perform at the Gala, along with several others.
As an Honorary Chair of the event, we expect Gabriel Byrne to attend.
The Gala is always a festive affair, designed to support the Irish Arts Center and its programs, including the Capital Campaign for the new building, which is making incredible progress and expecting a Fall 2020 opening date.
Also coming up is this year’s Irish Arts Center PoetryFest, November 1 – 3, the annual three-day festival of contemporary poetry, with a special tribute to Seamus Heaney, as well as a special event: A Celebration of Edna O’Brien, on November 13.
Gabriel has always supported the Irish Arts Center in New York City, working as one of its ambassadors for many years now. We hope to see him at this year’s Gala! heart
Sorry, but I didn’t know Elvis Costello was Irish. Sounds like a good time tho.
They’ve honored other people who are not Irish. Steve Martin comes to mind. I don’t always understand the rationale for choosing honorees, but as you say, sounds like a good time. :-)
[A month later, we learn that Steve Martin does claim Irish ancestry, so that is nice: https://www.irishpost.com/entertainment/steve-martin-martin-short-irish-roots-173176%5D
Update: I’ve recently discovered that Elvis Costello’s birth name is Declan Patrick MacManus and he is of Irish descent on his father’s side. So now we know he IS Irish. I think I will add this to the article above. <3