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This year’s Nantucket Celebration took place at a new venue, The Whaling Museum at 15 Broad Street. This year’s venue was an exciting alternative to previous garden parties and some 200 guests were free to roam and view the exhibits throughout the museum while enjoying the light buffet and drinks. The informal atmosphere of this warm, late July evening was enhanced by the Celtic music which could be heard throughout the museum.

Guests who attended included Nobel Peace Prize winner, John Hume who was also this year’s honoree at the event and his wife Pat Hume, Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley and her husband Smith Bagley, Bruce Percelay, Senator John Kerry, Jack Manning and his wife Lyle Howland, Lieutenant-Governor Kerry Healey and her husband Sean Healey, Christopher Drake and Lee Bierly, State Senator Therese Murray, Bob and Suzanne Wright.

As the evening progressed and the celebration was in full swing, Bruce Percelay took to the podium with welcoming words and spoke for a few moments on The Whaling Museum. He then introduced Kieran McLoughlin, Vice President for Development with The Ireland Funds. Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley spoke of the recent progress made in Northern Ireland how instrumental John Hume’s efforts were in getting the Peace process to where it is today.

John Hume and his wife Pat had travelled from Ireland to be at the event this year. He spoke of Ireland both North and South. He outlined how there is an ever existent sectarian divide in the North and how the work of The Ireland Funds is helping in many different ways. Also in the South he uses the example of the high rate of illiteracy which The Ireland Funds works to combat through supporting different programmes. He stressed how all conflict is due to difference. Differences such as race, colour of skin, religion and country of origin, happen at birth so for this reason we cannot control our own differences. He added that people need to respect each other’s differences. In this way, there is the prospect of worldwide Peace.

Quote: "I’m very honoured to be invited by The American Ireland Fund to come to the gathering on Nantucket. They are an organization that does great good for the people of Ireland, both north and south, particularly the more deprived people. They do a lot to fund cross-community organizations and projects in Northern Ireland."

John received a whole hearted round of applause from the crowd at the end of what was both a passionate and memorable speech.

As the celebration began to draw to a close, people filtered out into the Nantucket night clearly having enjoyed their evening at The Whaling Museum.