What’s Another Year as 2024 Comes to a Close!
As we reflect on the past 12 months, and look ahead to the Center’s 50th anniversary milestone, it’s clear this has been another excellent year for our beloved Irish Center. 2024 brought significant growth in culturally rich programming and deeper engagement with our members, supporters, and the broader community. Much of what is great about our Center solidifies my belief that there should always be an Irish Center in San Francisco. I can’t imagine where any of us would meet our Irish community friends and neighbors if it wasn’t for the Center.
While managing a 50-year-old building brings its quirks (yes, we’ve tackled our share of plumbing challenges!), the vibrant activity within these walls is undeniable. Our space continues to hum with activity, often operating at near-capacity levels after 3pm most days. The demand for meeting rooms and event spaces has grown, creating a welcome challenge that underscores the need for our future state-of-the-art facility.
Our First Class Passengers — To all who renewed their memberships or joined us for the first time in 2024, thank you! Your support sustains our efforts. If you are a lapsed member, we can still get your old number reactivated, or if your family had a number at one time and you would like that link to the past brought forward to the future, we have that in our archives also; just reach out to Center staff. Memberships make a great Christmas gift! A special round of applause is owed to our supporters: your belief in the future of the Irish community in San Francisco has been instrumental in advancing our vision for the new Center. Many thanks as well to all those who sent in donations throughout the year to help us with operational challenges.
A Banner Year of Activity — From music to language, from kids’ camps to community events, we facilitated many events that were highlights during the year and made 2024 so memorable. Weekly Irish Trad Music Sessions: Relaunched this fall, these Saturday gatherings have become a hub for local and visiting musicians; the lively tunes and camaraderie have brought the joy of Irish music to audiences week after week. Catch the sessions every Saturday from 4-7pm. Pop-Up Gaeltacht and Irish Language Classes: A new group of Irish language learners joined us for Saturday afternoon classes. We’re thrilled to see this growing community of gaeilgóirí thrive and look forward to more of the same in 2025.
Youth Music Scholarships — Hats off to the Cooley-Keegan branch of Comhaltas who awarded several Kevin Mallon scholarships this fall to our young musicians participating in our weekly classes, ensuring the next generation carries on our musical traditions.
Program Variety — Weekly offerings have expanded to include ballroom, swing, and line dancing; kids’ soccer; Irish music and step dancing classes; book talks with local authors; and Irish movie nights. These diverse activities engage participants of all ages and interests, and have drawn upon partnerships with other beloved community and neighborhood groups, further strengthening the Center.
Planning Approval for Our New Building — After an 18-month wait, on October 9th we received the green light for our much-anticipated new facility from the San Francisco Planning Department. This milestone brings us one step closer to building a Center that fully meets the needs of our thriving community.
2025 Irish Summer Camp — Next year’s summer camp theme is Ireland’s Got Game and the session kicks off June 9, 2025. With generous support from the Michael and Catherine Cremin Irish Cultural Fund, we’re thrilled to keep camp costs affordable for families while investing in top-notch teachers, materials, and programming. Registration opens January 1, 2025!
Annual Giving Campaign — At this significant time of the year, our Annual Appeal donation forms have reached the doorsteps of our valued members, inviting support for our year-end giving campaign. Your generous contributions are the cornerstone of our ability to keep the Center open and sustain and enrich our cultural programming activities. We rely on your philanthropic spirit to continue nurturing and promoting the vibrant cultural experiences that define and unite our community. Your support ensures that our programming remains robust, engaging, and accessible to all, fostering the celebration and preservation of our cherished traditions.
Holiday Boutique — Local artisans, vendors, chocolatiers, and crafts people will have plenty of Christmas gifts to offer at the annual Holiday Boutique on Saturday December 7, from 12pm to 5pm. Enjoy festive holiday music by David Austin. The Irish Shoppe will be fully stocked with a large range of Irish biscuits, chocolates, and other goodies. Dowling Library volunteers will be on hand to provide gift wrapping services to shoppers. Join in the seasonal spirit and cheer!
December Blood Drive — On December 11, from 8am to 12pm, the San Francisco Fire Department Union will host its Community Blood Drive at the Center. Recent drives have made a tangible difference; the 41 units of blood collected helped 123 people.
Rebel Cork Dinner Sold Out — The Rebel Cork clubs have sold out their annual dinner taking pace on Saturday, December 14 at the Center. This year’s honoree is Mary Jo Feeney. 2024 All-Star Cork hurler Daren Fitzgibbon from Charleville, Co. Cork will also be in attendance.
Holiday Social — Join us on Tuesday, December 17, in the St. Patrick’s Room for our annual Holiday Members Meeting and Party. Don’t forget to RSVP online. Come learn about how the Irish Center did during the year.
One Warm Coat Drive — Now through December 17, we’re collecting new and gently used coats for local organizations, including SF Smiles, Dolores Street Community Services, and St. Anthony Foundation.
Deepest Sympathy — We extend condolences to the families of Margaret McAuliffe and Julia Howard, who passed away last month. Both were founding members of UICC back in 1975 and ever present over the years at countless events on 45th Avenue.
Merry Christmas — As we look ahead to our 50th anniversary in 2025, let’s celebrate the successes of 2024, which have brought us closer as a community and reaffirmed our mission. Thank you for being part of this journey—here’s to another year of preserving and celebrating Irish culture in San Francisco!
Liam Reidy, President