Queens locals interested in exploring possible Irish heritage can enter a free DNA test competition.
The Action Network is offering 10 winners the chance to win a free Ancestry.com DNA test to discover if they hail from the Emerald Isle.
The competition closes on March 24. To enter, send contact information, including first and last name, mailing address, email, and phone number, to earnedmedia@bettercollective.com.
Many parts of Queens have a strong Irish-American presence, including the neighborhoods of Woodside, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, and Sunnyside.
Irish culture is studied and represented in various cultural and educational institutions throughout the borough.
Queens College, located at 65-30 Kissena Blvd, has an Irish Studies Program that includes courses on the history of Ireland from the 17th century to the present day and important works of Irish literature from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century.
Furthermore, within the past ten years, Queens College students and professors conducted the Irish In Queens Oral History Project, which celebrates the stories of first, second, and third-generation Irish immigrants in Queens and their contributions to their communities and preserving Irish heritage and culture.
Other social institutions promoting Irish culture include the New York Irish Center in Long Island City, which offers community events for residents of all ages, and the Aisling Irish Community Center, which offers free and low-cost mental health, social, cultural, and senior services.
