Jay McManus is Director of the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts in Lynn, a legal aid program for low-income and disabled children. Recently, the agency was among a dozen that served as host sites for a group of Irish (from both the Republic and Northern Ireland) barristers, child advocates, and police who all arrived in Boston last spring for the “Rule of Law Program,” which was sponsored by Boston College and the US State Department.

Attorney McManus noted, “In the fall of 2014, some of us who directed the host programs in Boston were given the opportunity to visit Dublin and Belfast for the same, or similar, purpose.”

That purpose was, and is, to share and study approaches, techniques, support, and outreach to help children and teens from rough urban areas on both sides of the Atlantic avoid the culture of drugs and violence that surrounds and too often claims them. From that visit to Ireland and Northern Ireland came valuable insights and ideas for McManus and his colleagues
“Out of this exchange,” he said, “four host site staffers – myself, Colm Lydon of the Boston Police; Jason Owens of ROCA Inc.; and Jeff Richards of the Public Defenders’ office – became quite familiar and friendly with the staff and kids involved in a North Side Dublin-based youth program called SWAN Youth Servicethat serves youth from a severely depressed area.

Like inner-city American kids, these Dublin youth face serious hardships – extreme poverty, substance abuse, lack of opportunity – that impede their healthy development and safety as they approach adulthood. SWAN does a tremendous job of keeping the kids on the right track, but institutional and personal barriers are, as here in Boston, often difficult to overcome. SWAN itself faces tough funding limitations and operates on a shoestring budget.”

Over a year, two of the staff and five of the kids from SWAN raised enough money to travel to Boston. Tragically, one of the five was killed in a car accident in Ireland. Despite their grief, the others decided that they would still go to Boston. They arrived on June 22.

McManus, Lydon, Richards, and Owens escorted the visitors all around Boston and environs, “showing them a great time. It was the kids’ first-ever trip outside of Ireland,” McManus said.

Among the highlights was a fundraiser for SWAN at the Watertown Hibernian Hall. The organizing committee presented a plaque from “SWAN Supporters in Boston” that was dedicated “to the young man who was slated to join in on the trip but who lost his life.” To McManus, “It was a great evening, and many people contributed to its success. The proceeds will allow SWAN to return home with some money to help fund its activities.

“The kids were stunned by how generous people were here. We had lots of help from so many people, such as the Hibernians, the Aisling Gallery, and so many more. We also need to give a shout-out to Rob Morrow, of Boston College.”

“The whole purpose of the ‘Rule of Law’ Program,” said McManus, “is to share, learn, and develop best practices that work both here and in Ireland and the North. We have so much to learn from each other, and so much that all of us – lawyers, police, judges, social workers, and child advocates – can learn from the kids. Everyone deserves a chance. That includes at-risk kids. Too often they’re simply tossed aside.”

Readers interested in learning more about or making a donation to SWAN can contact the Children’s Law Center of MA, 298 Union Street, Lynn, MA 01901, 781-581-1977, www.clcm.org.