History of the Dublin Irish Festival

An Excerpt from Dublin's Journey, by The City of Dublin,
with Peter D. Franklin and Elaine Kehoe

 

Celebrating All Things Irish

Volunteerism and extensive planning are no strangers to the Dublin Irish Festival. The Dublin Irish Celebration, which was then called the 1/1000 Committee, whose members included Terrie Conrad, Bill Denihan, Mary Margaret McLernon, Barbara Avery, Jack Eggspuehler, Bill and Noreen Hayden, Chuck Kranstuber, A.E. Wallace Maurer, Kay McGovern, Kitty Munger, Morton O'Kelly, Tom Murnane and Phil Price, worked for years to establish the roots of what is now one of the top Irish festivals in the United States. It all started with the merger of two ideas.

Dublin 1/1,000: Ties Across the Sea

Dublin , Ohio , resident Mary Margaret McLernon traveled to Ireland in 1987. That same year, in August, Dublin attained city status. During her visit, McLernon discovered that Dublin, Ireland, was preparing for its 1988 millennium celebration.

“I thought it would be great to establish a connection between the two Dublins, especially since we would celebrate our first anniversary as a city the same year that Dublin, Ireland, would celebrate its 1,000 th anniversary.” McLernon's idea resulted in a visit to Dublin, Ireland, by Mayor Mike Close, Chamber of Commerce President Bill Fearon, Chamber Executive Director Margie Amorose, McLernon and other Dublin, Ohio representatives who were cordially welcomed and entertained by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland.

McLernon also was interested in creating what would be a year long celebration to honor the anniversaries and to showcase Irish art, music and culture. The 1/1000 Committee was formed to host events that included a party at the high school where “Happy Birthday, Dublin” was spelled out with green, white and orange balloons, performances by actors form the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, and the first Central Ohio appearance of the Chieftains.

The Columbus Feis Comes to Dublin

Part of McLernon's idea was to bring the Columbus Feis, an annual Irish dance competition, to Dublin in 1988. After five years dancing outside at St. Charles Preparatory School in Bexley and then two years battling the heat and horseflies at the Franklin County fairgrounds, the Feis needed a new location. “When I was asked to be chair of the Feis, I told them, “I'll take it, but I'm moving it to a different location away from those horseflies,” laughed Kay McGovern. Treasurer for the Columbus Feis, Dublin resident Charlie Hicks suggested locating the Feis to Dublin High School. Dublin, with its Irish name, seemed like the logical new home fro the Feis.

The Dublin Irish Festival

Since the Feis concluded on Saturday evening, most of the out-of-town competitors stayed overnight in Dublin. They and the local dancers wanted to continue the camaraderie and competition with a dance-off between the championship dancers. The Dublin 1/1000 Committee and the Feis organizers worked together to secure Coffman Park.

Led by committee chairs Kitty Munger and Bill Denihan, a stage for dancing was set up on the tennis courts. The Greenfields of American, an Irish performing group that included Jean Butler, (the original female lead for Riverdance), came to entertain. Food was served. The Dublin Irish Festival was born!

McGovern remembers sitting on a bench in Coffman Park with McLernon, Conrad, Avery and Joe Regan of the Feis. They were brainstorming that “Someday we could use this whole park, bringing in arts and crafts and a storyteller, and filling it with stages for Irish entertainment,” McGovern said. “It is just amazing how it has all turned out.”

Former Council Member Barbara Avery was really instrumental in getting this event off the ground,” said McLernon. “Another great supporter of the Festival was (local businessman) Jack Eggspuehler, not because he was Irish, but because he realized that it was a great opportunity for Dublin ,” added McLernon.

McLernon also mentioned other community supporters, “former Council Member A.C. Strip, although always tough in his questions regarding spending bed tax money, was always supportive. As was (former Mayor) Chuck Kranstuber, who very quietly and generously donated his time to all things legal.”

By trial and error and the passion and dedication of countless people, the Dublin Irish Festival became an annual event.

The City Steps In

Munger remembered when the Dublin Irish Celebration decided that its small core committee couldn't continue to manager the Festival. At the invitation of the Dublin Irish Celebration, the City of Dublin assumed responsibility for the Festival in 1993.

With the Dublin Irish Celebration staying very much involved, Munger said that the Festival still reflects the founders' original intent. Morton O'Kelly agreed, “The Dublin Irish Festival features top-quality, real Irish entertainment, dance and culture.” And O'Kelly ought to know. He is a native of Dublin , Ireland , a musician, and a Dublin , Ohio , resident since the late 1980s. “Musically, I am thrilled that we're bringing in some of the top best-known bands.” O'Kelly said.

When choosing entertainment, we've provided a lot of variety over the years by rotating the performers. We look for a mix of international headliners, big regional acts and emerging local bands. The musicians rave about the hospitality here-the transport, the logistics, the hotels,” said O'Kelly.

“The original idea for the event was pure-to expose people to authentic Irish culture,” said Director of Community Relations Sandra Puskarcik. While maintaining that goal, Puskarcik, the Community Relations staff, and the Dublin Irish Festival committee have expanded the event greatly. The Festival has emerged as one of the top three Irish Festivals in the United States , while building municipal, regional, national and international relationships.

Impact at Home and Abroad

“The Festival is a morale-builder for the entire city staff, a chance for employees from every department to all work together, a chance to expand their skills or to apply their skills in a new way,” said Puskarcik.

Attendance at the Festival has increased significantly over the years from a total of 12,000 in 1995 to 75,000 people in 2003. The visitor impact to the local economy in 2003 was estimated to be more than $4.2 million.

Ten year Dublin residents, Jack and Jackie Mask and their children Andrew and Elizabeth, have a special place in their hearts for the Dublin Irish Festival. “Coming from large Irish Catholic East Coast families, it has been interesting to us that we settled in Dublin, Ohio,” they said. “Over the years the Dublin Irish Festival has been the venue for our own extended family reunion. Our families look forward to this time of Irish music, dance and culture, and are always impressed by the number of volunteers who strive to welcome visitors to Dublin. It is a grand event.”

Purkarcik also noted the contribution to the Festival by Dublin volunteers, “One of the things we've seen change dramatically in the last couple of years is the number of Dublin residents involved through volunteering at the Dublin Irish Festival.” Community groups from civic associations to sports boosters and Irish cultural organizations also have taken an active role in the Festival. By serving beverages, groups have raised more than $140,000 from 1999 through 2003 to support their organizations.

In addition to the beverage program, The Dublin Irish Festival provides a venue and gathers support for groups who have a tradition of fundraising for their communities in both the United States and Ireland. In 2004, Interdenominational and Catholic Sunday services raised $6,000 for the Children’s Friendship Project in Northern Ireland, which promotes understanding by having Catholic and Protestant teens travel together to the United States for six weeks. Also in 2004, the Festival celebrated Irish-American history by premiering its reenactment of the role of Irish people in the civil war, which is just one of the entertaining ways it educates guests.

Dublin Irish Festival’s biggest education initiative started in 2005 with the opening of the Dublin Irish Festival Academy. By enrolling in the Academy, Festival participants of all ages immerse themselves in the heart of Irish culture by taking master classes in both Irish music and dance from world renowned teachers and performers. They also explore the intricacies of Irish lineage by studying genealogy and Irish language. The Academy, however, was not the only attraction for the Irish Festival in 2005. The wildly popular performers Bad Haggis, Ashley MacIsaac, and Flogging Molly performed for the first time helping to draw record breaking Sunday crowds, and reaffirming the Festival’s tradition of high quality entertainment. In 2005 the Dublin Irish Festival received five awards from the International Festival and Events Association.

In 2006, Dublin Irish Festival leadership implemented new ways to accommodate its growing number of guests, by adding two full acres to its grounds. That new space was designated to and is still occupied by demonstrations of Celtic Sports such as Hurling as well as more familiar games like Corn Hole. Irish whiskey tastings were also introduced and the Irish Festival established an annual college scholarship program to recognize talented students and long-time volunteers from the local area. The scholarship program is funded by the Festival which, since being established in 2000 has become a venue for local sponsors and dignitaries.

Though the Festival remained the same physical size in 2007, growth continued as Celtic Sports expanded to feature the first ever Gaelic Football (soccer) Championship that now, in addition to Hurling, brings clubs nationwide to Dublin. The entertainment acts got bigger as well as the Columbus Symphony appeared for the first time and favorite performers returned to the loud cheers of Irish music fans. The biggest event at the 2007 Festival, however, was the World’s Largest Irish Jig as determined by the Guinness Book of World records. Festival guests, 10,036 to be exact, danced their way
into world history. As the Dublin Irish Festival grew and continues to grow its fundraising efforts are able to make larger and larger contributions as was the case in 2007 when the festival returned $85,000 to the community.

Through the years, visiting the Dublin Irish Festival has become a yearly tradition for many families. In 2008, it marked the beginning of a new family as John Tack and Melissa Bethel were the first couple to get married at the event. The happy husband and wife started a popular trend that year and in 2009 three couples honored the Festival with their ceremonies. New unions were not the only thing toasted in 2008, however, as Dublin Irish Festival Stout was premiered after a ceremonial keg tapping at the annual Dub Crawl.  The stout now reappears each year at the Festival, granting participants a taste of local Irish culture. When the Spoken Word Stage premiered that same year, it began the Festival’s tradition of including literature into the guests’ experience of what it means to be Irish.
In 2009, the Dublin Irish Festival decided that it was time to start going green in more ways than just its cultural colors. To reduce environmental impact, bike parking was introduced as an option for those considering alternative transportation to the event. By adding this new alternative, it was estimated that 447 cars were not used for attending the festival based on the number of bikes and the statistic that 21 percent of the 102,000 guests who attended were Dublin residents. The Festival’s environmental efforts and the programs it has been adding through the years have not gone unnoticed as it continues to be an award-winning event. In 2009, the Festival won 10 Pinnacle Awards from the International Festival and Events Association for everything from Best Radio Promotion to Best Individual Sponsor Program. What is more important, however, is how successful the Dublin Irish Festival is among its residents and guests.  Surveys consistently show that 97 percent of those who attend the Festival rate it as “terrific” or “good.”