Solas Nua fondly remembers longtime supporter and Board Member Anne Mitchell
On June 4, 2024, Solas Nua Board Member and longtime supporter Anne Mitchell passed away peacefully in the care of family and friends. Anne was a passionate member of our Irish community here in Washington, D.C. and beyond, and she will be greatly missed.
A native of Belfast, Anne was an immigration attorney with her own practice where she facilitated the journey to the U.S. for many. Anne studied at Trinity College, Dublin, where she earned a BA and JD. She was later awarded an MA (Oxon). Like many before and after her, she began life in America working in, as she said, “a (different) bar”. But she soon graduated to the law firm of Wasserman Mancini where she worked as an associate for five years. She left in 1989 to co-found Mitchell & Dunn, which is now based in Alexandria, VA. Throughout her practice, she was a loved and valuable mentor to young women working with her.
An ardent bibliophile with a particular interest in new women writers from Ulster, she had a great yen for Northern poets Heaney, Longley, MacNiece and more. As a Solas Nua Board Member, she was instrumental in efforts to professionalize staff and advocate for all contemporary Irish artists and their supporters.
She is survived by her loving husband, Conor Howard; stepdaughter, Natalia Howard; and her sister, Mary Davies.
In her memory, Anne and her family have requested support for Solas Nua's ongoing Norman Houston Project, an initiative dear to her heart. These donations can be made at the link below; please indicate the dedication to Anne and/or the Norman Houston Project.
