New York AG intervenes over American Irish Historical Society building

New York’s attorney general has intervened in the controversial proposed sale of the American Irish Historical Society building in Manhattan by announcing a “thorough review” of the sale.

In a statement on St Patrick’s Day, Letitia James said that under state law, the sale of a property by a nonprofit organisation is contingent on approval by the attorney general or the New York Supreme Court. Her office will now review the sale.

“The American Irish Historical Society building on Fifth Avenue has been a focal point of the Irish experience in America for decades, and I take the recent concerns regarding the future of the building seriously,” the attorney general said.

“We are vigilantly monitoring the situation, and I want to reassure Irish communities here and abroad that any potential transaction would not move forward without consent from my office or consent from the courts.”

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The Irish-American society, which has been located at its current headquarters across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1940, put its building on the market for $52 million (€42.5 million) earlier this year.

The Irish Government, which has given almost $1 million to the society in recent years through the Emigrant Support Fund, opposed the move, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney had called for the decision to be reversed.

Last month a group of high-profile Irish artists and Irish-American figures, including actor Liam Neeson and and authors Colm Tóibín and Colum McCann, wrote to the attorney general of New York, calling on the proposed sale to be stopped.

The office of the attorney general said it had not received a formal request from the American Irish Historical Society building regarding the sale of its building, but it noted any sale must be approved by the office or the Supreme Court.

“Like so many New Yorkers, I know the importance of honoring the spirit of our cultural institutions. The American Irish Historical Society building on Fifth Avenue has been a focal point of the Irish experience in America for decades, and I take the recent concerns regarding the future of the building seriously,” Ms James said.

“Irish Americans are an integral part of the fabric of our nation, and we are better off because of their hard work, strength, compassion, and resilience. I firmly stand in support of the Irish-American community and this historic landmark, on St. Patrick’s Day and every day.”