Spotlighting Stella O’Leary – AAIDN Board Member and the US Observer to the International Fund for Ireland

“What is happening in Northern Ireland is a mirror image of what is happening in the US—or, indeed, any place where people who might perceive themselves as ‘different’ live separately. Segregation or separation can lead to a fear of ‘the other’ and, at worse, actual conflict. Breaking down barriers between people is the key to peace.”

—Stella O’Leary, US Observer to the International Fund for Ireland

The International Fund for Ireland was established as an independent organization by the British and Irish Governments in 1986 with one aspiration: achieving lasting peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and the southern border counties.

Its founders believed then—and its principals now continue to believe—that the path to lasting peace in Ireland requires both encouraging communication and dialogue between people of all political identities—particularly between those who identify as either nationalist or unionist—while, at the same time promoting growth socially and economically.

The Fund has sponsored over 6000 projects in its 38 years of existence—many designed to tackle sectarianism and promote cross-community and cross-border relations. Some examples include its Peace Impact Programme, Peace Barriers Programme, Communities Partnership Programme, and Personal Youth Development Programme.

With that background and the Fund’s impressive record, it was both a great honor and a great responsibility for AAIDN Board member Stella O’Leary to be appointed in March 2022 by President Joe Biden to be the US observer to the Fund. O’Leary previously served for seven years as the US alternate observer during President Barack Obama’s term in office.

“The peace is fragile and the peacekeeping role of the International Fund is crucial,” O’Leary said at the time of her appointment. “With paramilitary groups actively recruiting disaffected youth, Brexit, the pandemic, and an election looming, this is a precarious time for Northern Ireland.”

Two years into her role, O’Leary remains concerned that peace is precarious; yet, she is committed to the importance of the Fund’s work, particularly its community-based programs focused on young people.

“Young men, in particular, might leave school at age 16, with no job or even job training,” she says. “In this situation, bleak prospects can too often lead to addiction to alcohol or drugs, depression, or interest in joining paramilitary organizations.

“On the other end of the spectrum,” she continues, “Northern Ireland has top universities; yet, if business is not thriving because of an unsettled political climate, highly educated young people leave. When the political situation is shaky, how can youth be assured that they have a future in a prosperous society?”

The Fund’s programs and outreach efforts are funded by the British and Irish governments, as well as the governments of the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

In addition to meetings three times a year in Belfast with the Fund’s principals and fellow observers, O’Leary’s responsibilities include reporting to Congress on its activities.

“The US contribution to the Fund is significant,” O’Leary says. “Congress has allocated more than half a billion dollars of US aid to support its peace projects over the years.

“Given that magnitude of funding,” she continues, “it is important to report to Congress on what exactly is being funded and how effective the programs are.” 

This year, O’Leary can also report to Congress on a major new development: Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government was revived in early February 2024 after two years of a political stalemate.

“Having Stormont back in session is an important signal to both citizens and the business community that structures and infrastructures in the North are in place and stable,” she says.

Continuing its strategy of reaching out to business is on the Fund’s agenda for St. Patrick’s Day week—an effort with which it has found a dedicated partner in U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs Joseph P. Kennedy, III.

Currently, about 230 U.S. companies including Citi, Microsoft, and Allstate have established business operations in Northern Ireland. More are needed.

“During the week of St. Patrick’s Day, the Fund has laid the groundwork for the Special Envoy to meet with business leaders in Northern Ireland,” O’Leary relates. “The Fund’s Chairman, Paddy Harte, will be an integral part of those meetings.”

As for her own plans for marking St. Patrick’s Day, O’Leary has a packed calendar in her home city of Washington, D.C.—meeting with members of Congress early in the week, attending Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason’s celebration midweek, and joining festivities at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day itself.

At all those events, she will be advocating for Ireland and the importance of the Fund’s continued efforts for peace, reconciliation, and prosperity.