Upcoming annual 'Celebrate Irish Arts' festival on LBI

The fourth annual “Celebrate Irish Arts” festival, presented by members of Amergael and the Long Beach Island branch of the Ocean County Library, will be held at the Maris Stella Retreat and Conference Center in Harvey Cedars, on Saturday, March 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s theme focuses on the traditional Irish culture, as well as the many different interpretations of the devastating effects of Superstorm Sandy on the local area. Guest artists will include members of the Pine Shores Art Association and Southern Regional High School’s advanced-level art students.

Photo via Amergael
The 'Celebrate Irish Arts' Festival on
LBI explores the Irish culture with
talented artists, including talented
bagpipers and Celtic harpists.

“We do it as an outreach to bring authentic Irish arts to the local community,” said Amergael President Bernadette Callanan, who emigrated from Galway, Ireland to New York City when she was just 7 years old. “We like to do it in the beginning of March because it sort of sets the tone for St. Patrick’s Day, which is March 17.

“Everybody celebrates St. Patrick’s Day differently. In Ireland, it’s a holy day, as well as a celebration of the Irish heritage. In the United States, it’s considered a celebration of your Irish heritage and Irish culture. As you get closer to St. Patrick’s Day, there’s more parades that people want to go to. So this way, you start out the month of March with a great ‘Celebrate Irish Arts’ day,” she explained.

Festival-goers may explore a wide range of Irish music, dance and literary works, which will be offered inside the conference center. Participants will also be invited to peruse the art exhibit in the nearby bayside chapel, which will include a plethora of themed artwork in many different mediums from acrylic and watercolor paintings to photography.

The art exhibit will also be available for viewing during normal hours of operation at the Long Beach Island branch of the Ocean County Library, located in Surf City, from Monday, March 4 to Sunday, March 24.

In collaboration with the Friends of the Island Library, Amergael will be hosting a presentation on Ireland’s national composer, Tourlough O’Carolan, led by Ship Bottom residents Jim Curley and Celtic harpist Rosemary Sprouls. The event will take place at the Long Beach Island library branch on Wednesday, March 13 at 10 a.m.

Amergael will also partner with the Beach Haven Public Library on Thursday, March 14 for a special “Tears From a Stone” presentation, led by Jim Curley, which will explore the story of the Irish who were lost on the Titanic.

Admission to the programs is free. Monetary donations, which support Amergael’s charitable contributions to local food pantries and student scholarships, are welcome.

This article was published in The SandPaper.