Celebrating the Luck of the Irish: Gaelic Society Holds Irish Fest in Honor of St. Patrick’s Day

by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019


Campus


Irish Fest featured potato-based dishes and Irish soda bread.

Matthew Mazzella ’20

News Staff

The Irish celebrations at Providence College did not stop after St. Patrick’s Day this year, as the Gaelic Society hosted its annual Irish Fest in McPhail’s this past Tuesday to keep the festivities rolling. 

The event was a great way for students to come together and celebrate their Irish pride, all while enjoying food, live music, and performances.

President of the Gaelic Society, Camille Greaney ’19, was very excited about the event, saying, “The event is Irish Fest, and it is an annual event around St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate the holiday and the Gaelic culture in general. We will have food, live music, and a dance performance. We would love to have the PC community celebrate the Gaelic culture in a special way through this event, and, hopefully, people will be intrigued to learn more about it at our meetings.”

Greaney was not the only one who was very excited about the Irish Fest. Elizabeth Connor ’20 had a great time at the event and was very proud to celebrate her heritage, especially through her involvement with Irish step dancing on campus. 

“It is always great to celebrate different cultures here at PC. I am very excited that through the Irish Step Dancing Club I can celebrate my heritage in a way that is creative and fun. The Irish Festival is a great way to celebrate Irish heritage, and it was exciting for the club to perform!”

Thomas McMahon ’20 is a very proud Irishman on campus, and said he stopped by to check out the event and socialize with some of his fellow Irish descendants, as well as talk about his Irish traditions. 

McMahon prides himself on his family’s famous Irish soda bread recipe, which has been passed down from generations of McMahons. 

McMahon elaborates on his traditions by stating, “March is a very important month for my family and me, especially because of St. Patrick’s Day. We love to celebrate our Irish heritage, especially through our annual Irish soda bread making competition we have as a family using our treasured recipe. It was great to go to the Irish Festival in McPhail’s to try some more Irish food and continue the Irish celebrations, as well as meet some great people in the process.”

The event was a huge success for the Gaelic Society as more than 100 people showed up, but they hope the fun does not stop here. 

Julia Crowley ’20, a member of the club, thinks that students should consider coming to meetings if they thought this event was fun. Crowley said, “If you loved the event tonight, you should come to our meetings to help create more nights like these.”

Thanks to the Gaelic Society, Providence College got to showcase its Irish roots, all while having a fun night with plenty of food and live entertainment. Sláinte!