Dearbhail and Simon were joined by a panel con- sisting of Ireland Funds Young Leader Kelly Jones, former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, and The Ireland Funds America Board Members Shaun Kelly and Tom Quick. A wide range of topics were explored including the opportunity for The Ireland Funds to act as a force of integration, the legacy of Dan Rooney, the importance of cultural institutions in keeping the next generation of Irish diaspora con- nected to Ireland and The Ireland Funds. The floor was opened to donors who asked excellent questions of the panel around segregated education, how the infrastructure of The Ireland Funds can benefit from “skill” donations from donors and the role of media in promoting philanthropy. The philanthropic impact of The Ireland Funds was recognized at the event’s Gala as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco celebrated the generosity of donors to projects across Ireland. Addressing the Gala event, His Serene High- ness Prince Albert II said: “It’s always a great joy for me to be with The Ireland Funds. You contribute to furthering the influence of Irish culture and Irish values for your country, which you know I have such strong feelings and such strong ties with.” Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that the impact of The Ireland Funds goes even beyond the giv- ing. “As everyone here knows so well the generos- ity and goodwill of members in 12 countries have raised over half a billion dollars but in addition to that, it has provided a really important network for the Irish diaspora to connect right across the world. In total 3,000 organizations have benefited and your record speaks for itself; 41 years of unbroken support and service to Ireland and its peoples.” John Fitzpatrick, Chairman, The Ireland Funds America said, “This is the time when we all meet, worldwide. We all have our chapters all over the world but this is where we come together and actually see where the investment is going. When you see the projects it energizes you to just go back and do more.” Kieran McLoughlin, Worldwide President and CEO, The Ireland Funds said: “It’s been a very rewarding four days for our donors. We finished it with tonight’s gala but the lasting piece for our benefactors is undoubtedly getting to see projects that they have funded and the incredible impact it is having.” connect 2017 • 60 2 4 6 8 10 12 3 5 7 9 11 13 14