Learn more about Celtic and Irish American culture and heritage
Read articles about the thriving cultural legacy of Celtic nations and the unique contributions of the Irish and Irish-Americans to music, literature, theatre, history, sports and the arts. Learn about the language and folk traditions, cooking, humor and more. Search or filter subjects at right.
Stream and watch Irish movies that were made by Irish film directors and Irish production companies, such as Kenneth Branagh, Lance Daley, and Cartoon Saloon!
With the current laws and tax/visa rules, it's causing artists to reconsider or even forego coming to the States to perform and tour. This article breaks down costs and barriers artists encounter.
Five castles to put on your bucket list of castles to visit in Scotland! From the oldest Scottish castle to the biggest, these castles are rich with history, beauty and stunning views!
This guide features small businesses from the Midwest that produce Irish themed products. Support small businesses this holiday season by shopping on their online stores!
Our frontline workers are our real life superheroes! Check out the new website called My Frontline Hero. It's a place to honor and recognize our brave frontline workers, and a place to see inspiring stories of people helping their communities. Visit the site to see more.
Founded in 1951 by a group of Westmeath pipers, CCE is the primary Irish organization dedicated to the promotion of the music, dance and language of Ireland. Ed Ward talks about the origin of the Milwaukee chapter.
Based on the groundbreaking blending of traditional and modern music techniques introduced by composer Sean O'Riada at the University College Cork in the 1960s, a number of new Irish bands emerged a decade later that revolutionized Irish traditional music, including De Dannan.
Tommy Sands is one of the most powerful songwriters and enchanting solo performers in Ireland today and will appear at both Milwaukee Irish Fest and Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School in August 2019.
November 1st was traditionally known as Samhain, literally translated, the "end of summer." Tradition has it that druids lit a huge bonfire on the Hill of Tlachtga...
The tin whistle is a humble instrument but can sound amazing in the hands of an expert musician. Listen and learn about 5 influential Irish whistle players.
One of the greatest achievements of the entire Milwaukee Irish Fest experience is the Ward Irish Music Archives. It is a tribute to the music and culture we share and in which we have built our community on.
Every song that we perform has a story. But how do you find that story? How do you choose a song and then make it your own? When you break it down to basics, the steps of song arranging are pretty simple.
Most people do not know that the American League was founded and incorporated in Milwaukee. The fact that four of them were Irish-Americans, as well as the man who initially brought them all together, Ted Sullivan, is even less well-known.
A colorful piece of sheet music cover art leads Ward Irish Music Archives director, Barry Stapleton, on a journey exploring the Fenian Raids of Canada in 1866.
To help make the most of your Irish music (or any style of music) practice time, we've compiled a few tips to help make getting started less daunting...
Enda Schaill, a banjo extraordinaire, talks with us about Irish Fest, the creation of We Banjo 3 and how he contributes his experience and skills to the infectious, high energy quartet.
In August 2016, the North American Hurling Team competed in the Etihad Airways GAA World Games in Dublin, Ireland, winning the Native Championships at the infamous Croke Park!
Halloween has its roots with the Ancient Celts. Discover the history and transformation on this centuries-old holiday and learn about the traditions some still practice today.
It's not what you play, it's the way that you play it. It's sometimes hard to believe this, especially when you're sitting in a session and you don't know all/any of the tunes being played. There are so many tunes to learn.
Derry Hegarty decided in 1975 that Milwaukee needed real Irish folk music and hired a Boston-based, four person group to appear in his pub, Derry's. The Bards, originally from Belfast, became a big hit on the local Irish scene.
The first New England Irish Festival, a two day event, ran inside the Patriots' Sullivan Stadium, in 1984. Michael Chamberlain, Stadium Manager at the time, hired none other than Milwaukee Irish Fest's Founder, Ed Ward to coordinate and run the event.
In 1977, Ed Ward submitted a request to the Shamrock Club to organize a concert featuring local Irish talent. The concert became the first ever of its kind, using SOLELY local artists. The lineup included a quartet of Irish bar owners, dancers, a fiddler, a ten year old banjo player, and more.
My generation's exposure to purple was Sheb Wooley's song, "The Purple People Eater." Well, that and finding out that purple crayons don't taste like grape. But you may be surprised to know that in the mid-1980s the color purple and Irish Fest had much in common.
After some discussion exploring issues of visual identity, color and an aspect of “fun” the Irish Fest Board selected the orange, white and green leprechaun image as the new logo.
The new CelticMKE brand embraces the larger and expanded musical world enabling us to better compete in a multitude of Celtic nations for funds, influence and new and innovative ideas.
The Irish have left their mark on Christmas across the world with their unique and catchy tunes. Listen to 5 holiday songs that range from 15th Century Ireland to the 21st Century.
Also known as Boxing Day and Wren's Day, this day commemorates the life of St. Stephen, known for his service to the poor and as the first Christian martyr...
With such a strong and vibrant Irish community, it’s important to remember what St. Patrick’s Day is really about. Here are seven things you should know about this special day.
Many Irish Americans are familiar with the song "MacNamara's Band" written by Shamus O'Connor and John J. Stamford and popularized by the likes of Bing Crosby.
The family of Tommy Makem has donated two rare and valuable letters to Milwaukee Irish Fest to be added to the existing Tommy Makem Collection in the Ward Irish Music Archives...
Our very own Irish Fest School of Music student Jonathan Schmidt was invited to speak to the young men at Marquette University High School during their "Spread the Word to End the Word" liturgy on March 19, 2015...
Ed Ward, Irish Fest Founder, Barry Stapleton, Director of the Ward Irish Music Archives, and Jeff Ksiazek, Archivist, represented Milwaukee Irish Fest at the 48th Annual Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) Conference this May in Chapel Hill, North Carolina...
Milwaukee Irish Fest board members were awarded this beautiful painting by The Institute of Study Abroad Ireland at the Transatlantic Connections Conference in Donegal in January in recognition of the work we do to keep Irish culture alive...
A celebration of the 35th Anniversary of Milwaukee Irish Fest, An Irish Night at the Museum, will take place Saturday, April 25 at the Milwaukee Public Museum...
The Milwaukee Irish Fest Song Circle had so much fun visiting the Riverview Village Assisted Living Center in Menomonee Falls on September 11, 2014 to celebrate "Halfway to St. Patty's Day" with the residents.
Each summer we invite students and recent graduates from across the globe to Milwaukee for a unique, behind-the-scenes look at how we run the world's largest Irish festival...
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