Louisville loves Ireland. Anybody familiar with our pub scene knows that there are a myriad of Irish-style watering holes from which to choose: along with Molly Malone’s, Shenanigans, and Ri Ra, there is a whole conglomeration of bars and restaurants owned by the O’Shea family. We have three Celtic Centers scattered across the city; and we have the Irish Fest at Bellarmine University this weekend, presented by the Irish Arts Foundation of Kentucky.
Irish Fest is a fantastic way to sample a taste of Celtic culture, literally: local restaurants O’Sheas, O’Connell’s, and Sully’s, to name a few will be offering authentic Irish cuisine, as well as drinks with Bailey’s Irish Cream, Bushmill’s Irish whiskey, and, of course, plenty of that velvety black nectar, Guinness.
There will also be entertainment in the form of song and dance on five performance stages. This year’s music headliner is Finn’s Fury: “New York's Celtic rockers, Finn’s Fury, add blues, punk, as well as lyrical vocals to a hard rock wall of sound creating ‘Urban Celtic Fusion Rock.’”
For those interested in Irish history, the Bellarmine campus Irish Cultural Center will host displays and discussions about the Irish Civil War, the death of Bobby Sands, and the Irish hunger strikes. Also presented will be information about Louisville’s Irish-American connection. A complete list of exhibitions can be found here.
Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12 and seniors. Children under the age of five get in free, as do active military personnel with ID. Bringing in a canned good gets you $1 off admission on Sunday. The Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday the 10th
and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday the 11th.
Photo courtesy of Louisville Irish Fest Facebook page.
