St Tiernach's Park in Clones will host an unusual fixture on Tuesday 13 October, when the New York Police Department's Gaelic football club takes on An Garda Síochána's Louth-Cavan-Monaghan Divisional team. The free exhibition match is part of a four-day programme of Project Children Legacy Events organised by Monaghan County Council through Monaghan County Museum and the Peace Campus.
What Project Children was
The council describes Project Children, which created friendships, connections and opportunities for thousands of young people over five decades, as one of the most significant peace-building and humanitarian initiatives to emerge from that period. This autumn's events build on last year's 50th anniversary commemorations and the council's ongoing cultural partnership with Project Children.
Tuesday in Clones
The afternoon begins at 12 noon with a cross-community children's blitz, bringing young people together through sport. The NYPD team then plays the Garda divisional side at 1pm. The council says the event is free and open to everyone.
Superintendent Pat O'Connell, of the Monaghan community engagement area, described it on Northern Sound as a historic GAA fixture and part of a festival of football at the county ground.
The rest of the programme
The events began on Saturday 10 October with "A Place for Everyone", a community day at the Peace Campus in Monaghan Town. It included art workshops, sensory activities, a "Rossmore in Minecraft" exploration lab, live music and museum tours, with gardaí and Monaghan Fire Service in attendance. Foróige used the day to mark World Mental Health Day with its "Wear Green to Be Seen" campaign.
On Sunday evening, Iontas in Castleblayney screened the documentary How to Defuse a Bomb, presented with Blayney Blades. On Monday 12 October at 7.30pm, the Peace Campus hosts The Unfinished Broadside, a free performance by Bready Ulster Scots with Monaghan County Museum. It tells the story of John Dunlap, the Irish-born printer who played a part in producing the US Declaration of Independence, and is grant-aided by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport as part of marking America's 250th anniversary.
A new book
The programme ends on Tuesday with the launch of Project Children: The Legacy by author Jane Buckley. The council says the 600-page book is based on four years of interviews with former participants, parents, host families, co-ordinators and volunteers, and features more than 150 photographs. From 4.30pm, readers can buy copies and meet the author at Monaghan Library in the Peace Campus. The official launch begins at 7pm.
"These events recognise not only the impact Project Children had on individuals and families, but also its contribution to building understanding, friendship and lasting relationships across communities and generations," said Robert Burns, Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council.
All events are free, though some require registration. The full programme is on the Monaghan County Museum website, and guided tours of the Project Children Stories exhibition continue at the museum.
