Press Release

CT IrishFestival.com

 

2008 Connecticut Irish Festival, Feis, & Agricultural Fair

North Haven Fairgrounds, Washington Avenue (Exit 12, I-91)

Saturday, June 21, 12:30 – 11:00 pm &

Sunday, June 22, 8:30am – 7:00pm

 

THE BEST OF IRISH MUSIC, DANCE, SPORTS & CULTURE

 

One of the Largest Irish Step Dance Competitions on the East Coast

Music Line-up Featuring U2 Nation, The Screaming Orphans,

 and MacTalla Mor

Irish Traditional Music, 5K Road Race, Gaelic Football & Hurling,

Cultural Activities, Story Telling, 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 21 & 22

 

The Irish American Community Center presents The Connecticut Irish Festival, Feis (pronounced ‘fesh’) and Agricultural Fair.  The annual festival features a step dancing competition and demonstrations with hundreds of competitors in colorful traditional costumes and a mix of the best traditional and contemporary Irish music, Gaelic Football and hurling games, great food, a 5K-road race to benefit ALS, cultural, agricultural & children’s activities, rides, an Irish shopping and craft village, and a lively pub tent.   It is very much a family oriented event.

 

The food booths are always popular at the Connecticut Irish Festival, and this year will be an exciting culinary experience.  The Emerald Bakery of Milford will be providing the festival with the finest of Irish baked goods. Breakfast sandwiches consisting of Irish bacon, egg, & cheese will be available both mornings. A Tea House featuring 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, there will be performances by the Mulkerin and Lenihan Schools of Irish dance.  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. 

 

Other Feis competitions on Sunday include an Irish Football match featuring the youngsters from the New Haven Football and Hurling Club taking on their old rivals from Boston. Members of the Celtic Learning Project, dressed in 13th century Celtic garb, will be on hand to tell tales of Celtic lore.

 

For the sixth year, The Irish American Community Center is presenting the Annual Connecticut Irish Festival 5K Road Race to benefit the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association.  A .7-mile kids’ fun run at 10:30am on Saturday 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 wssac-ct@juno.com. Please go to our website to get all the information concerning the race at www.ctirishfestival.com

The musical line-up will perform continuously on both days.  It includes the legendary Irish rockers U2 Nation, MacTalla Mor, The Screaming Orphans, Morning Star with John Whelan, The Andy Cooney Show Band, Gaelic Highland Pipe Band, Liz McNichol Band, Joe Gerhard Trio, Celtic Interlude, Marty Swietek & RBO, The Rising, Music in the Glen, and The Curlews. 

 

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 $10; children under 16 free

No dogs allowed on the fairgrounds (except for those herding the sheep).

 

Advanced Ticket Sales $8 available contact Jody Whelan @ 203- 288-5586 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

 

For more press information call John Mackey at (203) 457-1130 or Dennis Regan at (203) 399-5107

For more festival information, call GENERAL CHAIRMAN: Anne Hines, 203-488-4902, ahsheep@aol.com

Clifford Lynch heads CORPORATE SPONSOR COMMITTEE.  Cliff’s committee has put together a fantastic package for Corporate Sponsorships.  If you can help out in this important area please call him at 203-410-3098.

Accommodation available Holiday Inn North Haven

Holiday Inn North Haven 2007, 201 Washington Avenue - North Haven, CT 06473 - Toll Free Reservations: 877-404-6835 - info@hinorthhaven.com