As a boy growing up in the East Falls section of Philadelphia in the early 1960's, I was well aware that the famous, beautiful actress, Grace Kelly, lived but a few blocks from where I lived--or at least her family had a house there. And though there were a few train tracks between the housing project I lived in and the stately mansion the Kelly family called home, I was, as an Irish American, more than a bit proud to call Grace Kelly my neighbor. I can even remember one early Sunday morning attending mass at the local church, St. Bridget's, and spotting Grace Kelly and the rest of the Kelly family sitting in the front pew. I was transfixed by her beauty, and not knowing at the time that she was already a princess--thought she had the beauty of one.

Then, one day, many years later in the early 80's, while living and working in New York City, I heard that Princess Grace, the princess from East Falls, had died in a car accident. My sadness felt as if I had lost a close friend.

Recently, I had the mance to visit Monaco, where Grace Kelly was a real princess, and very much loved by the people of this principality. It was there while visiting the palace she called home for many years, that I found out about the Princess Grace Irish Library. After getting directions to the library, the group I was traveling with found ourselves wandering through the pretty old town of Monaco-ville, with its winding streets and beautiful shops. Soon, we were standing in front of a handsome building, with a small, discreet sign simply saying, Princess Grace Irish Library. Taking an elevator up to the second noor, I stepped into a world that made me feel like I had returned home to everything Irish.

My first impression of the library was that it felt like I had stepped back in time to an old Irish parlor. An upright piano sat in the corner of the first room I entered with Irish sheet music opened ready to play, and large comfortable chairs beckoned me to pick up one of the thousands of books that lined the walls and loiter awhile.

The library occupies three floors of the building, and is adorned with balconies, a marble fireplace in the French style, and has a main reading room with a painted ceiling in the Baroque style as well as a book-lined auditorium where many of the top Irish writers lecture and read from their works.

When Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956, she had a strong desire to pay homage to her Irish roots, so she began collecting Irish literature and music. This beginning collection now forms the core of the Princess Grace Irish Library, created in 1984 by Prince Rainier in loving memory of his late wife. The collection, now 8,000 books strong, plus 2,000 sheets of Irish music, is one of the finest collections in the world of Irish books and music. The book collection consist of literary works, including an impressive selection of first editions, and some very rare books. The signed first edition of James Joyce's Ulysses in French, stopped me in my tracks. Other literary works by Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, William B. Yeats, George Barnard Shaw, and Seamus Heaney are on display as well. There is also an indepth reference collection of books covering English and French encyclopedias, specialized dictionaries, dases, and directories. There is also a collection of literary periodicals, and other collections that cover Irish geography, history, art, sociology, politics, genealogy, poetry and music. Many of the books in the library are collections that have been donated or purchased by the library's well-funded acquisition policy.

Over the years numerous cultural programs have been developed to honor and promote Irish art, including an international symposia organized every three years to study the works of a well-known Irish writer. Past symposiums have covered the works ofJoyce, Beckett, and Yeats. There is also a monthly reading series where many of the top contemporary Irish writers come and read from their works. In recent years Edna O'Brien, Seamus Heaney, William Travor and others have addressed the library. There are also play readings and theatrical performances, musical evenings of Irish folk songs, and a film series of the top Irish films.

Last year, on October 7th, 2000, the Princess Grace Irish Library took a big step into cyber-space and went on-line. The launch of the library's website, http://www.pgil-eirdata.org. was inaugurated by Prince Albert of Monaco, the son of Princess Grace, and by Mrs. Mary McAleese, President of Ireland. The website has up-to-date commentary on more than 4,300 Irish authors.

Spending an afternoon in this marvelous library, I cBuld not help but think back to when I was a boy in Philadelphia, and how the name of Grace Kelly made me believe that I too, as an Irish American, could do great things. I'm sure Princess Grace would be very happy to see what she started when she began collecting Irish literature and music so many years ago. Visiting the Princess Grace Irish Library made me feel proud. It's a place' well worth visiting, no matter if you are Irish or not.