Irish Eyes Are Smiling In Queens This Fourth of July

" The rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air . . ."
These words from the "Star Spangled Banner" will have a dual meaning for young Christine Milligan as she spends this 4th of July weekend in Queens Village.
Christine is visiting the city’s most diverse Borough from distant war-torn Belfast to spend the summer stateside as part of Project Children which gives young Irish lads and lassies a six week summer holiday from the religious turmoil in their homeland.
"I like it so far. I plan to see New Jersey and Massachusetts, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty," said the wide-eyed 11 year-old as she sat in the family area of the Hodgins family home on 220 St.
"We also plan on going to see N’Sync in concert with a group called Five, who are really big in Ireland," added Colleen Hodgins whose front door was open wide with anticipation for Christine’s arrival.
Soft-spoken Christine did make it clear that she is as eager as any other kid to enjoy herself during the upcoming weeks and with the Hodgins’ as her hosts, summer fun should be no problem.
"We have been taking part in this program for four years now," said Colleen about her and her husband William’s experience and involvement with Project Children as she focused her eyes across the shamrock adorned living room at Aislinn Mackin.
No stranger to the Hodgins home, Aislinn, a 16 -year-old native of Northern Ireland’s County Down, spent the summer with this Queens family last year as part of the program.
"It was good, I enjoyed Six Flags and the City," Aislinn said recounting her stay here last summer.
This year Aislinn’s visit is not a part of Project Children — she came to Queens on her own ( with permission from her parents)to spend some time with her adopted American family.
Aislinn explained that the summer months at home aren’t as filled with conflict as during the month of March, or "marching season," when the streets are filled with barricades, bomb threats are common place and children are ordered by their parents to get indoors and stay indoors.
"They view police officers here in a much different way," Colleen stated explaining that during an outing with her guests to the recent St. Gregory’s Festival, a certain uneasiness was noticeable on the children’s faces when they became aware of a police presence.
According to Colleen and her husband, who have three children of their own, — William Jr., 1 and a 1/2, Katie, 4, and Christina, 12— accepting more young people into her home is a labor of love.
"My father was an Irish musician who played with Paddy Noonan’s band," the mother and lifelong Queens resident explained.
When her father died a few years ago she missed the living connection with her Irish heritage that her father provided.
"I’ve probably learned a lot more about respect, freedom and empathy through this program than anything else," Colleen said adding "my husband is stuck on it (the program) and he probably enjoys it most of all.
Project Children began in the summer of 1975 when New York City Police officer Denis Mulcahy organized a holiday to New York for six boys and girls from Belfast.
Since the program’s inception nearly 14,000 Irish children have visited the United States as part of the program.
Most of the children, Catholic and Protestant alike, come predominantly from Irish towns marred by violence.
Altogether, close to 600 children are expected to spend their summer here as part of this year’s program.