Keeping the Tradition Alive®
Our Mission
The mission of the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Centre is to serve as a center of Irish culture by preserving and promoting Irish/Irish-American cultural and artistic heritage. While dedicated to preserving the symbols of our past, the Centre will present to the public, state and nation, a variety of Irish cultural programs, both historic and contemporary, in fine arts, language, literature, theater, music, dance, and folk arts. Its mission is to promote and preserve the cultural and artistic heritage of the Irish and those of Irish descent.
We are also active in encouraging and promoting the development of younger artists who will carry their heritage with them into the next century.
While dedicated to maintaining the traditional aspects of our past, the Centre will present to the public a variety of Irish cultural programs, both historic and contemporary, in fine arts, language, literature, theater, music, dance and folk arts.
Our Vision
Celebrating the Emerald Isle of the Catskills
Near the northern border of Greene County, New York, the hamlet of East Durham has been a summer destination for Irish gatherings since the 1950s. Since those early days, our shared heritage has drawn visitors to find comfort and comradery away from city neighborhoods in the natural splendor of the Great Northern Catskill Mountains. Here, grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren celebrate their ancestry, explore their history, and make lasting memories across the generations.
Supporting Our Community
By serving as a center of Irish culture with traditional Irish artistic and sporting events, MJQ ensures the economic vitality of the Durham business community. Here, the many resorts, restaurants, craft stores, and import stores create our community’s visible ethnic character and continue to thrive. The community looks to MJQ for its leadership in bringing together the many cultural, civic, and tourism organizations that draw visitors and drive our economy. Support of MJQ initiative by local businesses is essential to making East Durham a top destination for Irish enthusiasts.
Going Beyond our Own Backyard
The impact of the MJQ has been felt by artists, audiences, and organizations in the Catskills, Hudson Valley, Capital District, and throughout the east coast. Catskills Irish Arts Week has reached an audience from California to Alaska and Florida to Maine. Irish communities in all corners of the world have looked to MJQ as a center of Irish culture with programming in Irish traditional arts, music, and sport.