GLASTONBURY, Conn. — Dating back to the 1940s, the Irish American Home is trying to keep its head above water in 2021.
Like so many organizations, the Irish American Home in Glastonbury – a hub for Irish heritage in Central Connecticut – has been hit by the pitfalls of the COVID-19 crisis.
The all-volunteer club is now looking to its members and community to stay afloat.
“We have approximately 16 hundred members and we’ve reached out to them,” said Lil Halleran, who among other roles, tended bar at the famed Irish club for 32 years. “I just don’t want to think about living in a world without the club."
Members have noted that losing the past two Hartford St. Patrick Day Parades – and losing business on St. Patrick’s Day itself – have been major factors in lost revenue.
Pat Whelan, a past president of the Irish American Home Society, and a well-known sight at parades across Connecticut with his pipe band said: “It's not been a good time from the point of finances, but if we respond properly we will get through this.”
The Irish American Home has turned to a GoFundMe campaign to help weather the storm that the pandemic has caused.
“I think the important thing is a positive attitude,” Whelan said, “We will survive.”
Halleran added, “I’d like to see it continue, that’s my wish, that’s my plea.”
To find out more, the Irish American Home Society has a GoFundMe page https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/irishamericanhome
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