Irish Children's Program

Prodigals Headline Irish Children’s Program Benefit Concert April 1st

-Tickets on Sale Now for Six Hours of Live Music, Irish Dance and Food -

The Irish Children’s Program announces its 25th Anniversary Benefit Concert and Silent Auction, Sunday April 1st from 1:00 until 7:00p.m. at Water Street Music Hall (doors open at 12:30). This year’s headline performance will be New York City-based Irish group The Prodigals. Four other bands, Wild Geese, Everheart, Dady Brothers, and the Feadán Ór Pipe Band will perform.

Discounted tickets are currently available for purchase on-line at www.irishchildrensprogram.com via PayPal, or by calling 225-8550. Ticket prices are $10 for adults ($15 at the door), $5 for children ages 5 to 12 ($6 at the door), and children under 5 get in free. A special family pack (2 adults/3 children) is available for $30 ($35 at the door). All proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction benefit the Irish Children’s Program of Rochester.

“All of the money that we bring from this event is used for travel arrangements and summer activities for children that we bring over from Belfast, Northern Ireland to the Rochester-area,” says Bryan Kindlon, President of the Board of Directors. “Events like this support our ability to bring over Belfast children to our area and spend four to six weeks with host families.”

Area dance schools will also perform Irish dances during the event. In addition to a silent auction that will take place all afternoon, food and drinks will also be served.

“We are grateful to the bands and the dance schools who are offering their talent and time to this effort,” says Kindlon. “I know that our community will respond and make it easier for Belfast children to escape the violence, at least for that summer time period, that plagues their country and enjoy what our area and community have to offer.”       

The Irish Children’s Program of Rochester is an ecumenical, non-profit, non-political organization created in 1982. For 25 years, the goal of the I.C.P. has been to “Promote peace through understanding.” Providing a peaceful alternative for children from the demonstrations of violence that increase during the summer months, the I.C.P. sponsors the visitation of children from Belfast, Northern Ireland to the greater Rochester area for a four to six week period each summer.  The I.C.P. is administered by a 25-member all-volunteer Board of Directors who works each month to raise the necessary money to bring Belfast children to the United States. For more information visit www.irishchildrensprogram.com.