Ryan Mahoney will assist with planning and exhibition of IGHM collection from Quinnipiac University.
Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield, Inc., established by members of the Gaelic-American Club in Fairfield, CT, is excited to announce that longtime museum professional Ryan Mahoney will be joining the association as an advisor.
Mahoney most recently served as the Executive Director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University from 2017-2021 where he provided general management and oversight of all administrative operations of the museum, while managing all aspects of the collection’s care and maintenance. From 2013-2017, Mahoney was the Executive Director of the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, NY and he currently works at Springfield Museums in Springfield, Mass., where he helps develop gallery and exhibition themes and supervises installation of exhibition areas.
Mahoney has a dual bachelor’s degree in history and political science from St. John Fisher College and a master’s degree in public history from the University at Albany. He brings over 15 years of professional experience in the museum field to the team at Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield, Inc. Mahoney also has served as a national board member of the Irish American Cultural Institute, as well as a board member of the United Irish Societies of the Capital District, Inc. In 2016, Mahoney was named an Irish “Top 40 Under 40” by the Irish Echo.
“To say I am excited to have the opportunity to continue to work with this collection and help in the development of its new home would be an understatement,” said Mahoney. “This collection is powerful. Not only does it tell the story of Ireland in the 19th-century, but it also draws parallels to many contemporary issues that we see worldwide. The artwork here inspires conversations and provokes questions. It makes a topic like the Great Hunger more accessible to visitors of all ages.”
Mahoney added: “The Gaelic-American Club should be commended for the work that they have done to keep this collection together and home here in Connecticut. Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield, Inc. is assembling an impressive team of professionals to make sure this project is done correctly. This joint effort will secure the future Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum collection and ensure that it will thrive for generations to come.” (For more information visit https://www.ighmf.org/)
About the Gaelic-American Club of Fairfield
The Gaelic-American Club was founded in 1948 in Bridgeport by a group of Irish immigrants for the purpose of maintaining and celebrating Irish culture. By promoting social, civic, and cultural activities, the GAC continues long held Irish traditions and educates future generations. Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) and operates as an association of the Gaelic-American Club.