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ICS Celebrates St. Pat’s Day
March 15th, 2001
By Harry Metzinger
The Irish Cultural Society (ICS) began their celebrations leading up to St.
Patrick’s Day with an Irish Music Festival, highlighted by Blackthorn’s
performance on Tuesday night. The popular Irish rock band from Philadelphia, accompanied
by The McDade School of Irish Dance, performed in the Villanova Room of the Connelly
Center.
ICS Student Advisor Jon Casano came up with the idea to bring Blackthorn to campus two
years ago. He and a number of other University students were disappointed that there
wasn’t a campus-wide celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Through the efforts of
Casano, ICS President Sean McGeehan and others, the celebration has developed into a
two-week extravaganza.
With Blackthorn’s large fan base in the area, it was not difficult to convince both
students and non-University fans to take part in the event. The band has a website and a
mailing list consisting of approximately 8,000 fans.
Between 250-300 people turned out for Tuesday’s performance. Blackthorn played a
variety of music, ranging from traditional Irish reels to popular songs such as
“Sweet Caroline” and “Come On Eileen.”
This event, the first of many planned by the ICS over the next two weeks, has taken
place since the start of the society in the fall of 1998.
The success of the performance has shown encouraging signs, according to McGeehan.
Although McGeehan and other members have yet to discuss plans for next year’s
celebration, they anticipate bringing Blackthorn back for a fourth year.
On top of having entertainment value, Tuesday’s performance also benefits a good
cause. A portion of the proceeds will go towards a Habitat for Humanity trip this summer
in which students plan to work toward building a “free town” in Belfast,
Northern Ireland.
According to McGeehan, a free town has a mix of Catholics and Protestants living in
the same town. The free town is being set up “in an attempt to expedite the peace
process…on a trial basis,” said McGeehan. He continued, “If Catholics and
Protestants can live together in one town, that sheds a lot of hope on the peace process
as a whole.”
In the days following Blackthorn’s performance with The McDade School of Irish
Dance, the festivities set up by the ICS will continue with a bus trip to New York City on
St. Patrick’s Day. Next week the ICS will wrap up its festivities with a formal as
well as the appearance of a playwright, Matthew Wurdeman, who will give one person’s
experience of the Irish Civil War.
The Colarado College senior will be presenting in the Belle Aire Terrace.
These will take place on Friday and Saturday.
  
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