Project Children founder Denis in Belfast to see groundbreaking play

THE founder of a trailblazing peace project which took over 23,000 children to the US during the worst years of the conflict travelled to Belfast at the weekend to attend a gala night of theatre in his honour.

Former NYPD police officer Denis Mulcahy, who founded Project Children along with his brother Patrick in 1975, attended a Brassneck Theatre Company production 'Project Children’ on Saturday, as part of its run at the Lyric Theatre.

Mr Mulcahy was able to meet some of the Project’s past participants during his visit.

Denis Mulcahy said: “I’m delighted to be coming over to Belfast to see Project Children, the play, after hearing about its success last year when it premiered in Féile an Phobail. It will also be a brilliant opportunity to meet and chat to previous participants on Project Children who I haven’t seen since their time in America.”

Tony Devlin, Director 'Project Children'; Fionnuala Kennedy, writer; Mary-Kate Page, actor 'Project Children'; Denis Mulcahy

When the Project Children initiative ended in 2015, Denis set up the Mulcahy Scholarship. The scholarship aims to provide American high school students the opportunity to travel to Ireland and experience Irish culture.

Belfast Playwright, Fionnuala Kennedy, has captured the story of Project Children from host families to the passionate volunteers in both Ireland and the United States, who gave up their time so that young people might have the opportunity to see a world outside of the conflict and perhaps ponder a better future for us all.

Recently, it was announced that images, interviews and footage from Project Children’s work over the last 50 years have been gifted to Monaghan County Council by Denis Mulcahy, for the newly constructed Peace Campus in Monaghan town, set to open in 2025, as part of a series of exhibitions and events to mark the 50th anniversary of Project Children in 2025.