Samhain is a Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or "darker half" of the year. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October, since the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals along with Imbolc, Beltaine, and Lughnasa. Historically it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, Galicia, and the Isle of Man. A similar festival was held by the Brittonic Celtic people, called Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall, and Kalan Goañv in Brittany.
Irish dance refers to a group of traditional dance forms that originate in Ireland, encompassing dancing both solo and in groups, and dancing for social, competitive, and performance purposes. Irish dance in its current form developed from various influences such as earlier native Irish dance, English country dancing and later possibly French quadrilles, as it became popular in Britain and Ireland during the 19th century. Dance was taught by "travelling dance masters" across Ireland in the 17th and 18th centuries, and separate dance forms developed according to regional practice and differing purposes. Irish dance became a significant part of Irish culture, particularly for Irish nationalist movements. From the early 20th century, a number of organisations promoted and codified the various forms of dance, creating competitive structures and standardised styles. Irish dancers who compete for competitive reasons dance in a dance style that is more modern than traditional Irish dance. It is mainly done solo, but there is some team dancing in groups of 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 16 and even numbers onwards.
Lughnasadh, Lughnasa or Lúnasa is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season, and an official holiday in Ireland. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Traditionally it is held on 1 August, or about halfway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. In recent centuries some of the celebrations have shifted to the Sunday nearest this date. Lughnasadh is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Samhain, Imbolc and Beltane. It corresponds to the Welsh Gŵyl Awst and the English Lammas.
A cèilidh or céilí is a traditional Scottish and Irish social gathering. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit. In contemporary usage, it usually involves dancing and playing Gaelic folk music, either at a home or a larger concert at a social hall or other community gathering place.
The Fleadh Cheoil is an Irish music festival run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ), a non-profit organisation. The festival includes live music events as well as competition. Each year a single town or city hosts the Fleadh: it has been held in Mullingar, Sligo, and Tullamore, among others.
FBD Semple Stadium is the home of hurling and Gaelic football for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. Located in Thurles, County Tipperary, it is the second largest GAA stadium in Ireland, with a capacity of 45,690 and named after Tom Semple, famed captain of the Thurles "Blues". He won All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship medals in 1900, 1906 and 1908.
Festál is a free series of annual ethnically-related festivals that take place on the grounds of Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington. A major cultural program of Seattle, these festivals aim to celebrate and connect the city to its varied ethnic and international community. Most festivals contain various arts performances, dances, marketplace and other programs. These have also come to be the annual gathering place for ethnic groups of the community. Both older and younger people attend, especially the dances and musical concerts.
German Fest is an ethnic festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US at the Henry Maier Festival Park, on the Lake Michigan lakefront. The genesis of German Fest occurred when Mayor Henry Maier challenged the local German-American community during a speech on May 20, 1980, at the 20th anniversary of the German American National Congress (DANK) to organize a German festival. Shortly thereafter, Walter Geissler, then President of D.A.N.K., chaired a committee of five members that laid the foundation for the Fest. The charter of German Fest was subsequently written in January 1981. The first German Fest was held in August 1981. It is billed as the "Largest German celebration in North America" and "A Milwaukee Tradition". It currently occurs during the last full weekend in July. As of 1993, 52% of Milwaukee's population claimed German descent, which is the largest European percentage in a major U.S. metropolitan area.
A Feis or Fèis is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival. The plural forms are feiseanna and fèisean. The term feis is commonly used referring to Irish dance competitions and, in Scotland, to immersive teaching courses, specialising in traditional music and culture. In Scottish Gaelic, the accent is important because there is a difference of meaning and pronunciation between feis and fèis — the word feis means sexual intercourse.
St MacDara's Community College is a secondary school situated on Wellington Lane in Templeogue, South Dublin. It is run by a board of management appointed by the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board and the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin, and including community representatives, and is a non-fee paying school.
The Celtic and Irish Cultural Society promotes and supports awareness of Irish and Celtic culture in Crawley, West Sussex and throughout the southeast of England.
The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin is the oldest and largest Irish American membership organization in the State of Wisconsin. It was founded on March 17, 1960, in Milwaukee. Currently there are chapters in Milwaukee, Fox Cities, Green Bay and Northeast Wisconsin, South Central (Baraboo), Dane County, (Madison), New London, La Crosse, and Lafayette County, (Darlington). The Rock County chapter folded in 2007.
The Dublin Irish Festival is an annual music and cultural festival held in Dublin, Ohio. It takes place during the first weekend of August, attracting over 100,000 visitors to eight entertainment stages on 29 acres (120,000 m2) in and beyond Coffman Park. Activities include Irish and other Celtic music, genealogy, food and drink, dance, cultural exhibits, games, sports, arts and crafts, and children's activities. The Dublin Irish Festival Academy offers a variety of classes led by DIF performers highlighting Irish music and culture.
Scór is a division of the Gaelic Athletic Association charged with promotion of cultural activities, and the name of a series of annual competitions in such activities.
St Peter's GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Warrenpoint, County Down, Northern Ireland.
Kansas City Irish Fest celebrates Celtic pride in Kansas City dedicated to promoting the culture, music, character and history of Ireland and of the Irish people who call Kansas City home. Voted by visitors as the "Best Ethnic Festival" in Kansas City in 2011, 2010 and 2009, and the "Best Festival" in Kansas City in 2008 & 2007,
North Texas Irish Festival is an annual three-day ethnic festival held at Dallas' historic Fair Park the first weekend in March. Started in 1983, the festival is the second oldest Irish festival in the country and the largest in the southwest.
GAA 125 refers to several events which took place during the 125th year of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in 2009. The organisation was founded at Hayes' Hotel in Thurles, County Tipperary on 1 November 1884.
The Niagara Celtic Heritage Festival & Highland Games is a Celtic cultural festival held at the Niagara County Fairgrounds in Niagara County, New York. It is run by the not-for-profit Niagara Celtic Heritage Society. The festival takes place during the third weekend of September, and attracts about 13,000 visitors in two days to Krull Park. Activities include Celtic music, genealogy, food and drink, dance, cultural exhibits, games, sports, arts and crafts, and children's activities. The main performances play at four stages located throughout the grounds, including The Fireside, The Dragonfly and the Celtic Arts Theatre. The society also hosts a Celtic College, with various lectures and classes during the event.
