The public library in East Islip, Long Island, New York has something that no other library in the state can boast: an Irish Heritage Room.
The brainchild of longtime East Islip Irish community supporter and AOH Division Seven member Vic Vogel, the idea came to fruition in 2012 when the retired teacher approached the East Islip Library with a request for a section of the Local History Room to start a collection of books pertaining to Irish culture.
In the last 13 years it has grown by leaps and bounds to a collection of nearly 600 books, as well as showcases filled with Irish China and Waterford Crystal. The room additionally abounds with pictures of the Irish countryside, famous Irish authors and Irish family crests.
Vic Vogel is proud to put forth that the New York State Library System cites the Irish Cultural Collection in the East Islip Library as the only such collection in the state of New York.
“When we first started this project, we were blessed not only by the men and women of AOH Division 7 and other divisions in Suffolk County who donated books, but also by the generous donations of books by the Irish Echo. Also, a major family estate donated books.
“As the collection grew, the library director gave us a room to display the Irish Cultural Collection. With a newly formed committee of men and women from Division Seven, it grew to become the Irish Heritage Room.”
Committee members Sue O’Neill, Alice Faughnan, Nancy Esposito, Eileen and Bob Knockenhauer, Leslie Lanigan and Kathleen Ring were instrumental in the success of the project. Also, Vogel credits the staff of the East Islip Library, its directors and librarians, for their assistance in facilitating this endeavor all along the way, as they provided dedicated assistance in helping to build the Irish Heritage Room.
Long active in the Irish community, Vogel has been a member of the Roisin Dubh Irish Pipe Band for 44 years and is the band’s last original member. A member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division Seven, Our Lady of Knock, since 1984, he is also a Past President of the New York State AOH.
Vogel has also participated in numerous Bloody Sunday memorial marches in Northern Ireland as a result of serving as a host family for Project Children.
His mother’s father, Martin Dowd, has roots in County Galway. His paternal grandmother, the former Margaret Diamond, has roots in County Clare. The Vogel family maintains close ties with cousins in Galway, the O’Connors from Ballinasloe, as well as the Heaveys from Creggs. The family spent extensive time visiting Ireland when daughter Jennifer, a student at Boston College, spent her junior year abroad at University College Galway.
Vic’s son, Greg, was also a bagpiper in the Roisin Dubh Irish Pipe Band before moving out-of-state. The family keeps in touch with relatives in Ireland and makes frequent visits across the pond.
A graduate of St. John’s University, Vogel retired as a social studies teacher from Islip High School and an adjunct professor from Nassau Community College.
Through the extensive charitable works of the AOH Division Seven, which 15 years ago was the largest AOH division in the country, he thought that East Islip’s vibrant Irish community had a need for the Irish Heritage Room at their library, the primary objective of which would be to keep Irish culture alive for future generations.
The area’s Irish community has always been strong due to the rapid expansion of the Central Islip State Hospital from the late 1800s to the 1930s as advertisements were placed in Irish newspapers for workers to come to the U.S.
Generations of Irish families were known to have worked at the hospital as nurses, orderlies, groundskeepers, cooks, maintenance workers. The influx of Irish in the region led to East Islip becoming the home to many of these immigrants. As Long Island grew, many of the descendants remained.
Vogel said: “It was only natural for these people to participate in organizations like the Ancient Order of Hibernians that would preserve their history and culture.”
When the Irish Heritage Room was covered in a local newspaper, a source was cited that listed East Islip among the best cities in America for celebrating Irish culture, based on the high percentage of residents with Irish ancestry.
The members of AOH Division Seven wanted town residents, as well as people from outside East Islip, to be able to have books available to trace their history, customs, language, and overall culture.
Also, a compelling factor in the creation of this special collection was to aid students by assisting them in finding books to complete assignments and write reports, especially because so many aspects of Irish history are exemplified in other cultures, such as colonization, revolution, independence, and immigration.
The nearly six hundred books in the collection covers a broad spectrum in terms of fiction, history, politics, sociology, sports, and biography.
When each book is donated, it receives a Hibernian label, designed by Division Seven, that is placed in the book with the name of the donor or the name of the person the donor wishes to honor. Books are then given to the East Islip Public Library for placement in the Irish Heritage Room.
Vogel is in awe of how the power of social media has resulted in donations from far and wide. People have talked up the Irish Heritage Room on Irish social media sites, resulting in donations, which leaves the founder of this charitable endeavor most humbled.
Also, the Suffolk County AOH, Division Seven and a few individuals have made monetary donations which enabled Vogel to purchase books from Barnes & Noble.
Anyone wishing to make a donation of books can contact IrishHeritageRoom@gmail.com.
Reflecting on the creation of the Irish Heritage Room, Vogel stated: “I view it as a natural progression of the philanthropy of Division Seven. Our motto – Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity – is alive and thriving at Division Seven.
"There are so many programs and activities to promote these ideals. We sponsor an annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade that is attended by thousands of local residents. We have successful Junior Boys and Girls programs under the leadership of our outstanding Hibernians who advance our cultural principles and keep the memory of such topics as The Great Hunger, The Mass Rock, The Rising, The Bards and many others alive in the younger generation.
"We host an annual Christmas party for community children to ensure that they get a visit from Santa. We sponsor annual Thanksgiving and Easter Food Drives to assist the community. We prepare meals for a local soup kitchen on a regular basis.
"Our division sponsors charitable works all year round. The Irish Heritage Room was a natural succession and commitment for us and is there for the community to use during library hours.”
--
