Irish legacy of a princess celebrates 25

Prince Albert II hosted an evening to celebrate 25 years of the Princess Grace Irish Library

Board members, Mme Paul Gallico, Mme Anne-Marie Boisbouvier, HE Philippe Blanchi and Mr Mark Armstrong, joined staff and friends of the Library for the evening which had a strong musical element. Irish composer and pianist, Tom Cullivan performed “Fáilte Uí Cheallaigh” (The Welcome of the Kellys of Mayo), composed specially for the occasion and dedicated to Prince Albert II. He was followed by Thibaut Trouche and Cyrille Levy from the Prince Rainier III Music Academy and Theatre Foundation who played Irish nocturnes by John Field and other European classics.

Financed by the Princess Grace Foundation with generous support from the Ireland Fund of Monaco (IFM), the Library organises regular lectures by speakers brought over from Ireland and is at the centre of activities for Saint Patrick’s Day. It also works closely with English teachers, Suzanne d’Aumale and Jean-René Fonquerne at the Lycée Albert Ier (high school). Writing workshops, informal talks with the lecturers, and breakfast and film debates are on the programme.

In 2001 the IFM established a fund to bring Irish authors over to Monaco for a month to work on their project in the library. Those who have taken up the offer include Eoin McNamee, Angela Bourke, Molly McCloskey, Fred Johnston, Leontia Flynn, Justin Quinn, John F. Deane, Gerry Smyth, Anne Fitzgerald, Mary O’Donnell, Bryan Lynch, Fintan Vallely, Martina Devlin and Gréagóir Ó Duill. The library has over 9,000 books on Irish history, art, culture and fiction, including the Princess’s own collection and American-Irish music scores.

Princess Grace’s grandfather, John Kelly, was born in Drimurla in County Mayo in 1857 and emigrated to America at the end of the 19th century.