A NEW book was launched this week reflecting on 50 years of the groundbreaking Project Children scheme.
Founded by Denis and Patrick Mulcahy, both Cork natives who emigrated to USA and worked for the New York Police Department, they believed that if Protestant and Catholic children could spend time together in an environment that was not toxic with war that they would be less likely as adults to hurl bombs at each other – thus Project Children was born.
In 1975, they brought six children, three Protestant and three Catholic, to spend the summer in New York State.
The project went on to bring 23,000 children from Ireland to spend their summers with 16,000 host families across the USA before being brought to an end in 2015.
In 1995, The Project Children Internship program was started, initially bringing ten mature students each summer to the USA to work, live and volunteer, and it still continues today.
The book was launched on Wednesday evening at St Gall's GAC.
'Project Children – The Legacy' by Derry-born author Jane Buckley is a permanent record of what the programme achieved and a thank-you to everyone who helped make it possible.
Monica Culbert was a dedicated volunteer with Project Children and was the main coordinator in the Belfast area.
Speaking ahead of the book launch, she said: "The book is a celebration of Project Children, of Denis Mulcahy who started it but also the children who went and their parents who trusted us enough to let them go away.
"It also celebrates the families who volunteered to become second families to the children for six weeks every year.
"The book is full of individual stories from volunteers as well as children.
"When I look back, it is quite unbelievable what we did. It was a real success story.
"What started as an idea, over 23,000 children availed of it. It was of huge benefit to the children, offering them an escape from the worst of the conflict here and they were able to broaden their horizons and brought back new ideas home.
"I am really looking forward to Wednesday night. It will be reunion of people in many ways. Denis will be there along with other volunteers and children who were part of the project. "
Copies of the book will be available on the night. You can also order online at www.projectchildren.com.
