US-Ireland Alliance

US-Ireland Alliance is a non-partisan and non-profit organization focused on strengthening the ties between the United States, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.

Basic information
The Alliance was founded by Trina Vargo in 1998. According to her, the future of the relationship between the United States and Ireland is tenuous. The original purpose of creating this organization was to take advantage of this dynamic period.

The Founder
Trina Y. Vargo is the founder and president of the US-Ireland Alliance, she created the organization in 1998. In that capacity, she created the George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program which is recognized as one of the most prestigious scholarships for study abroad for future American leaders. She also created the annual Oscar Wilde Awards that honors the Irish in the film and entertainment industries.

From 1987 through April 1998, Vargo served as a Foreign Policy Adviser to Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) in Washington D.C. During her years with Senator Kennedy, she worked directly with political leaders in Northern Ireland, the Clinton Administration, and the Irish Government, serving as a key behind-the-scenes player in the Northern Ireland peace process. She was instrumental in negotiating a visa for Gerry Adams to visit the United States in 1994. That visit led to the historic IRA cease-fire declaration in August 1994.

In 1993, Vargo assisted Ambassador Madeleine Albright in preparation for her Senate confirmation hearings for the Cabinet post of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She also helped prepare Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, for her June 1993 confirmation Senate hearing. She briefed several subsequent US Ambassadors to Ireland, Democrats and Republicans. In a personal capacity, from 1988, Vargo has advised U.S. presidential campaign teams on Irish issues, she served as the Obama campaign’s adviser on Irish issues.

Arts and Culture
The Alliance supports collaborations between the US and the island of Ireland in the creative industries, including holding a variety of events such as the annual Oscar Wilde Awards in Los Angeles.

Oscar Wilde Awards
The Oscar Wilde Awards are for cinematic contributions by the Irish, British, and Irish-Americans in the entertainment industry. These honors have been awarded by the US-Ireland Alliance since 2006. The event is held on the Thursday before the Academy Awards and has a variety of celebrities in attendance. The event has been held at director J. J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production company in Santa Monica since 2012. The Oscar Wilde Awards led to Abrams filming of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Ireland.

George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program
As part of its mission of educating the American public and encouraging future American leaders to learn about Ireland and Northern, the US-Ireland Alliance created the George J. Mitchell Scholarship program.

Scholarship Criteria
According to the official website of George Mitchell Scholars [14], 12 recipients are annually selected for one year of postgraduate study at institutions of higher education in both Ireland and Northern Ireland. The main criteria for selection are scholarship, leadership and service.

Vargo has written about the challenges of creating a major scholarship without the funding of a founding donor.