Denis and his brother Patrick emigrated to New York from Cork in 1962 and became policemen in the NY Police Department. They were horrified by the violence in Northern Ireland during the ‘Troubles’ and decided they needed to help. They reasoned that if they could help children from both Catholic and Protestant backgrounds spend time together in a safe and peaceful environment, the children would realise they were more similar than they were different, and this would lead to less violence in the future.

In 1975, they brought over six Catholic and Protestant children from Northern Ireland to spend the summer in America with volunteer families. The programme they started is called Project Children, and 49 years later, the programme has brought more than 23,000 children over to America to spend the summer. Today, it runs as an internship project for older students, who come to America to spend their time working, living, and giving back to the community.

Amongst many awards and accolades, as well as a documentary about the project called ‘How To Defuse A Bomb - The Project Children Story,’ Denis Mulcahy has been nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize for his and the team’s work contributing to the peace process in Northern Ireland. The documentary explored themes of division and reconciliation, which we delve into in our Key Stage 3 Religious Studies Curriculum. Though it provides a stark reminder of our divided past and details upsetting events from the Troubles, the message is ultimately one of hope and reconciliation.

We are proud that Campbell College is a diverse community and feel honoured that Denis Mulcahy chose our school to host the documentary. Denis answered questions from our students about his work and legacy for peace. It was a real privilege to hear from someone who played such a prominent role in trying to bridge the divide in the Northern Ireland Conflict.

In a wonderful coincidence, Hudson (Year 9, Price's) was able to share with Denis that his mum had been a participant of Project Children.

Huge thanks to Denis, Catherine and Linda from the Project Children team, and OC Colin Caughey (9114) for sharing their inspiring story, and to Mr McCurdy for organising such a wonderful event. To see more photos, please scroll to the gallery below.