News
Leading transatlantic charity for education, the Irish American Partnership, granted a $10,000 gift to local national school Scoil Eoghain in Moville, in honor of Ambassador Cronin’s forebears who hailed from the Inishowen Peninsula.
Moville, Co. Donegal, May 14, 2024 (irishap.org) – It was a homecoming of sorts for the U.S. Ambassador, who spent a celebratory morning in Moville, Co. Donegal on Tuesday, alongside Principal Liam McDermott at Scoil Eoghain National School. The Ambassador was delighted to meet with 240 pupils and the teaching staff, as part of a presentation by U.S.-based charity the Irish American Partnership (the Partnership).
Ambassador Cronin’s grandfather Hugh McLaughlin was born on the Inishowen peninsula in 1886, and he emigrated to the United States in 1912.
The Partnership honored the American diplomat, who previously served as the first female Majority Leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, at their annual Nollaig na mBan Women’s Leadership Celebration in Washington, DC earlier this year. The Ambassador enjoyed a lively interview with BBC America’s Caitriona Perry and pledged to present the school grant in person.
President and CEO of the Partnership Mary Sugrue said of the occasion, “Our mission is to connect our members directly to their heritage through grassroots, targeted giving, and we are proud to partner with our friend Ambassador Cronin today in giving back to her homeland of Moville, and to help with resources for Scoil Eoghain.”
Ambassador Cronin toured the school, enjoying Irish dance, choral, and poetry recitations by the Scoil Eoghain pupils. Said Ambassador Cronin,
“It is wonderful to be back on the Inishowen peninsula, the home of my grandfather. The Irish American Partnership builds upon the vital connections between the United States and Ireland through generous donations that empower Ireland’s young people. I am delighted to see the partnership’s impact across the island, and today in Donegal with this grant to Scoil Eoghain in Moville.”
Principal Liam McDermott proudly accepted the grant from Ambassador Cronin saying, “The Partnership’s work funding schools, communities, and scholarships across Ireland is inspirational. We in Moville are honored at the Ambassador’s visit and are delighted to welcome her home to Donegal.”
Partnership Chief Executive Mary Sugrue and Vice President Clodagh Boyle also visited schools who had received recent funding in Donegal, including Scoil Mhuire, Cresslough, Scoil Naisiunta Glasain, Craosloch, and Scoil Colmcille in Letterkenny. The Partnership has raised more than $53 million for education, community development, and peace initiatives across the island of Ireland, providing targeted grants to schools, university access scholarships, homeless youth education centers, supporting shared and integrated education initiatives in Northern Ireland, and more. The grant to Moville’s national school is part of the Partnership’s hallmark O’Neill School Grants program, which has supported more than 600 Irish schools.
ABOUT AMBASSADOR CLAIRE CRONIN
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. nominated Claire D. Cronin to be United States Ambassador to Ireland on June 23, 2021. After confirmation by the United States Senate, she was sworn in by Attorney William Bonaccorso on January 19, 2022, and presented her credentials to the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, on February 10, 2022.
Prior to her appointment, Ambassador Cronin served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and was the first woman to serve as House Majority Leader. During her service as a legislator, Ms. Cronin was also Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary, where she was the architect of significant pieces of legislation, including major criminal justice and police reform. Ambassador Cronin dedicated much of her legislative career to advocating for increased education funding. She worked extensively on improving access to mental health and substance abuse services, increasing protections and services for victims of domestic violence, and advancing civil rights.