Established 1916

Search ogb.wfu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

University Press set to celebrate Irish Festival
By Natalie Bonomo
Old Gold and Black Reporter

The Irish Festival is bringing Irish culture, dancing, music and movies to the university and surrounding community March 16 - 21. The events are sponsored by the Wake Forest University Press, which is celebrating its 26th anniversary this year.

Candide Jones, the manager of the university press, said the Irish Festival began as an attempt to make the press better known. "The whole thing started with trying to raise the profile of the university press," Jones said. "What we do is publish Irish poetry, we are so tiny of a press but are the major publishers of Irish poetry in the world."

"We have a lot of events on campus. We wanted to take the university out of the gates and into the community."

The festival begins on March 16, the day before St. Patrick’s Day, and continues through March 21. This first day of celebration, taking place when most university students are away on spring break, is geared more toward the public. "The community day is more of a fun festival with Irish food, Irish bands, Irish step dance, with even music, food and books of poetry for sale," Jones said.

Community Day will be held outdoors at the Reynolda House Museum of American art rain or shine from noon to 3:30 p.m. No admission will be charged and last year approximately 3,600 people attended.

The event includes performances by the Irish Trade Union, which features traditional Irish music. Rince na h’Eireann, also known as the Triad Irish Dancers will perform. The Morris Family Musicians will bring Celtic and Appalachian music to the festival. There will also be storytellers, a bagpiper, children’s arts and crafts activities, as well as delicious Irish food such as scones, smoked salmon and pub ham sandwiches.

On St. Patrick’s Day the Irish Festival is presenting "Across the Ocean, into the Mountains: Celtic/Appalachian Connection" at Eelia’s Café, which is located at 5391 Shattalon Drive. The event will explore the links between Appalachia and Ireland through dance, stories, and music.

"We thought it would be fun for St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate the Irish-Appalachian connection because so many Irish settled in Appalachia," Jones said. "When you hear old time fiddlers they had their roots in Irish music and when you see Appalachian clogging you can see it is similar to Irish step dancing."

Admission for the event on St. Patrick’s Day is $5.

Two Irish films will be shown in Pugh Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on March 18 and 19. The films are Rat and The Matchmaker.

"Rat is absolutely hysterical. A guy wakes up one morning and he is turned into a rat. It’s like Kafka’s Metamorphosis set in working-class Dublin," Jones said. "The Matchmaker is a ... love story for people who don’t do cute. It has an edge to it."

Shorty’s will also be hosting two events for the Irish Festival. On March 19 there will be an Irish dance demonstration from 11 a.m. to noon.

An Irish poetry recitation contest will be held on March 21 from 11 a.m. to noon in Shorty’s as well. Free pizza will be offered to anyone who will recite an Irish poem from one of the books provided. Judges are still being selected and a prize will be given to the winner of the contest.

"It is a bold-faced attempt to get students to participate," Jones said. "Usually we do this competition but this is the first year we have bribed students with pizza. We are going to see if Wake students will succumb to bribery."

Junior Sarah Wilcox works for the press and is involved with the Irish Festival. "It is a great thing to stop by during lunch. Nobody has class then anyway," she said. "I hope the students will take advantage of it, it’s a great experience."

Wilcox sees the events as an exciting opportunity for students. "I think it’s something different than what is usually available ... in Winston-Salem. I hope a lot of people will show up," she said.