More than $24 million has been raised towards the building of a new Irish Arts Center in New York.
The new state of the art facility, which is scheduled to open in 2016, will replace  the current Hell’s Kitchen building.

The announcement was made at the annual Irish Arts Center Spring Cocktails in New York last Tuesday night, when actors Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne welcomed over 100 donors and friends of the Irish Arts Center.

Speaking during the event, honorary IAC Chair Gabriel Byrne announced that more than $24 million has been raised towards the building of a new Irish Arts Center.

One of the center’s main annual fundraising events, Irish Arts Center Spring Cocktails raised over $150,000 this year towards programming award-winning theatre, music, dance, film, literature and visual arts.

Celebrated Irish artists in attendance included Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard,  National Book Award winner Colum McCann, recent IAC artist-in-residence and Choice Music Prize winner Julie Feeney and author Peter Quinn.

Founded in 1972, the Irish Arts Center is a New York-based arts and cultural center dedicated to projecting a dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America for the 21st century, building community with artists and audiences of all backgrounds, forging and strengthening cross-cultural partnerships, and preserving the evolving stories and traditions of Irish culture for generations to come.