Press Release
CT IrishFestival.com
2009 Connecticut Irish Festival, Feis, & Agricultural Fair
North Haven Fairgrounds, Washington Avenue (Exit 12, I-91)
Saturday, June 27th, 12:30 – 11:00 pm
Sunday, June 28th, 8:30am – 7:00pm
THE BEST OF IRISH MUSIC, DANCE, SPORTS & CULTURE
North American Irish Dance Competition
George Sweetnam Memorial Belt
Music line-up Featuring the one and only original Wolfe Tones with
MacTalla Mor, U2 Nation, Highland Rovers, Cliudan, Kitty Kelly, Fergus
Irish traditional music, 5K Road Race, Gaelic football & hurling games,
cultural activities, children’s activities, and more…
North Haven CT - The Connecticut Irish Festival, Feis and Agricultural Fair will once again highlight the best in Celtic dance, sports, music, and culture at the North Haven Fairgrounds on June 27th & 28th.
This year’s festival features the North American Minor Irish Dance Championship on June 28th. The winner will receive the George Sweetnam Memorial Belt reserved exclusively for world-class Irish dancers. There will be hundreds of competitors in colorful traditional costumes in a marvelous spectacle of grace and skill.
The Wolfe Tones head the musical line-up. Currently celebrating 45 years on the road, these legendary Dublin balladeers continue to be one of Ireland's biggest box office attractions, having sold out prestigious venues during the past year across Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe and the U.S.
There is something for everyone at the festival. Experience a mix of the best traditional and contemporary Irish music, set dancing, cultural exhibits, Irish shopping village, great food, a 5K-road race to benefit ALS, cultural and agricultural displays, children’s activities, rides, and an Irish shopping and craft village. There will be Gaelic football and hurling matches with teams of all ages from New Haven, Boston, and Philadelphia all weekend long. Members of the Celtic Learning Project, dressed in 13th century Celtic garb, will be on hand to tell tales of Celtic lore.
Expect plenty of good food, including the finest of Irish baked goods. Breakfast sandwiches consisting of Irish bacon, egg, & cheese will be available both mornings. The Tea House features tea, scones, and soda bread. In addition, there will be an international flavor to the festival with Italian and Thai favorites, as well as summer festival favorites: hot dogs, burgers, chicken, kettle corn, and ice cream.
Talented Irish step dancers from all over the region will take part on both days of the festival. On Saturday the O’Keefe, Mulkerin, and Lenihan Schools of Irish dance will perform. On Sunday, hundreds of dancers will participate in a competition that prepares many of them for world-class events. Some of the dancers will come from as far away as Texas, Wisconsin and Canada.
The festival will sponsor its Annual 5K Road Race to benefit the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association on the Saturday. A .7-mile kids’ fun run at 10:30am is followed by the road race and 2-mile fitness walk at 11:00am. Sign-ups for all begin at 9:00 a.m. The Race Director is Joe Riccio (203) 481-7453 or e-mail . More information on the race is available on our website www.ctirishfestival.com
The musical line-up will perform continuously on both days. In addition to the original legendary Wolfe Tones, performers include Irish rockers U2 Nation, MacTalla Mor, Kitty Kelly, Fergus, Cliudan, The Highland Rovers, and the Gaelic Highland Pipe Band.
The festival will also include children’s activities and rides, including games & races, petting zoo, pony rides and agricultural activities such as sheep herding and sheep shearing.
Admission: adults $12 ($8 in advance) children under 16 free
No pets or coolers please
Advance Ticket are available by contacting or at the Irish American Community Center Venice Place East Haven or The Playwright Restaurant 1232 Whitney Ave. Hamden.
Note: An electronic version of this press release is available on our web site:
www.ctirishfestival.com
Principal Contacts
Festival Chair:
Anne Hines 203-488-4902
Feis Chair:
Mary Williams 203-265-4142
Feis Secretary:
Karyn Gallagher 203-387-7999
Press Information:
Dennis Regan 203-399-5107
John Mackey 203-457-1130
Corporate Sponsorship:
Brittany Lipsett 203-627-7214
Accommodation:
Holiday Inn North Haven201 Washington Avenue - North Haven, CT 06473
Toll Free Reservations: 877-404-6835 -
The Connecticut Irish Festival organized and presented by the Irish American Community Center. The IACC actively seeks new members who are interested in Irish culture regardless of background or ethnicity. Learn more about the club at www.iacc-ct.com