Glucksman Ireland House at New York University hosted a luncheon to celebrate Ireland’s 50th Anniversary as a member of the United Nations at the UN Private Dining Room on November 30. Loretta Brennan Glucksman, who together with her husband Lew, founded Glucksman Ireland House, introduced Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan (pictured above with Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern), saying, “We are delighted to commemorate this anniversary by helping to further the understanding of Ireland’s role in shaping the world in which we live.” Annan was effusive in his praise of Ireland’s participation, saying he didn’t know what the UN would have been like over the past 50 years without the contribution of Ireland. Minister Ahern spoke at length about Ireland’s history, and its commitment to the United Nations, which he said was “the cornerstone of Ireland’s foreign policy.” Guests received commemorative postage stamps issued in Ireland to mark the anniversary. The stamps show a soldier, a policeman, a doctor and a diplomat — illustrating the various facets of the UN’s work.
Since its inauguration in 1993, Glucksman Ireland House has evolved into a thriving center for Irish and Irish-American studies. ♦
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