That’s Soooo Cincinnati

If you find yourself strolling along Yeatman’s Cove, you’ll encounter a historical marker noting Cincinnati’s strong Irish roots and heritage. Yes, Irish, not German. The Irish landed here heavily in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and the city hasn’t given up Guinness and corned beef sandwiches since (ask anyone at Jack Quinn’s, Hap’s, The Dubliner, Crowley’s, Murphy’s and Claddagh). Mount Adams was once the Irish center of Cincinnati.

This month, of course, there are more things going on than usual in honor of St. Pat and the Emerald Isle. Here’s hoping you already caught the sixth annual Celtic Lands Culture Fest at Cincinnati Museum Center and the Cincinnati St. Patrick’s Day Parade downtown.

Other options include Cincinnati Folk Life presenting the Celtic band Lunasa Sunday at 20th Century Theater in Oakley. Tickets are $20 day of show. Or kick up your heels March 27 at the 23rd annual Irish Ceili at Music Hall Ballroom, where you can join the McGing Irish Dancers for a rousing evening. Music is courtesy of Ged Foley and Tessera. Tickets are $15. Cincinnati Folk Life then presents Ged Foley and John Carty March 28 at Jack Quinn’s Emerald Ballroom in Covington. Tickets are $18.

There’s more than just March events, though. The 24th Annual Tartan Day Ceilidh showcases off-kilt entertainment April 3, with performances by the likes of the Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes and Drums Band, Cincinnati Highland Dancers, McGing Irish Dancers, Royal Scottish Country Dancers and harpist Nancy Bick Clark. There’s a Scotch Tasting Room and Guinness and Tennants on tap. It’s at Old St. George Church, next to the UC campus. Dancing at Lughnasa follows the five Mundy sisters and their lives in a small Irish village. College-Conservatory of Music presents the play April 22-25 at the Corbett Theater on the UC campus.

Celebrating the Old Country with music, food and alcohol. That’s soooo Cincinnati.

This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2004.