Irish Institute of New York.

The Irish Institute of New York, originally known as the American Irish Feis Institute, is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and philanthropic endeavors since 1950. It maintains a small but extremely influential membership in matters of the local Irish American community. Established by County Mayo native Paul O’Dwyer, the Institute’s building on West 48th Street was the best known address in New York City from 1952 until 1982, serving as the headquarters for scores of Irish organizations. Since 1960 the Institute has distributed more than one million dollars to non-profit organizations both here and in Ireland.

The American Irish Feis Institute was created in 1950 to establish a center for Irish activities in New York. The founders included Paul O’Dwyer, Sean Keating, Joseph F. McLoughlin, James FitzPatrick, Patrick Corley, Michael Mullvaney, William B. Burke, John Niblo, and Dorothy Hayden Cudahy, as well as other prominent members of the New York Irish community. Their goal was to promote Irish culture and provide financial support for fledgling projects both in America and Ireland. The organization officially changed its name to the Irish Institute of New York, Inc. three years later. In 1952, under the leadership of its board chairman, Paul O’Dwyer, the Institute purchased a building at 326 West 48th Street in New York City to serve as their Irish center. For almost thirty years, this building was headquarters to hundreds of Irish American organizations who paid little or no rent.

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