Irish fest features youth choir

An outdoor Mass will take place Sunday morning.

YOUNGSTOWN — The 12th annual Irish Festival and Cultural Celebration sponsored by the Gathering of the Irish Clans will be Saturday and Sunday at St. Maron’s Pavilion and Recreation Area, 1555 S. Meridian Road.

A special highlight at this year’s festival is performances by the Omagh Community Youth Choir, which is currently touring the United States.

The Omagh choir was formed after the bomb explosion in Omagh, Northern Ireland, 10 years ago. Its objective is to provide a vehicle for young people from various religious, cultural and social backgrounds to join in song, performance and travel.

The choir will perform at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 3:45 p.m. Aug. 10. Anyone who would like to donate to the choir can contact Sally Murphy Pallante at (330) 533-7542.

The choir was organized by Daryl Simpson, who is a member of the Irish Tenors. It has performed for the Queen of England and the Prince of Wales. It has recorded with Andrew Lloyd Webber, has sung at Ground Zero in New York after the Sept. 11 attack.

The Omagh choir will arrive in Youngstown Friday night and will visit nursing homes Saturday morning. It will sing at 5:30 mass Saturday at St. Columba Cathedral.

The festival also includes traditional Irish music, dance, poetry, foods and cultural displays. Performances and services are under roof, so the weather will not be a factor.

Gates open Saturday at 5 p.m. Saturday with Homeland taking the stage at 6 p.m., followed by Ceann. Homeland is from the Springfield area and fuses new rock with old Celtic music. The band has performed in Ireland and Scotland, but is new to the Youngstown area.

Ceann, a six-member band, has performed frequently in the area.

Molly’s Kitchen will serve shepherd’s pie, Irish stew, Limerick potatoes (a combination of Irish potatoes, cabbage and cheese), banger (Irish sausage) sandwiches, O’Pepperoni Rolls, Celtic cheese and cracker plates and Bailey’s Brownies from 6-10 p.m. The Shamrock Pub will serve Irish and American beverages throughout the two-day event.

Sunday, the gates will open at 10 a.m. with the traditional outdoor Mass at 11 a.m. County Mayo will kick off Sunday’s entertainment at 12:15 followed by Homeland, the Theresa Burke Irish Step Dancers, Ceann and Cahal Dunne.

Corned beef sandwiches, hot dogs, scones and rice pudding will be added to Sunday’s menu at Molly’s Kitchen, all of which will be served from noon until 7 p.m. The land of the Little Leprechauns will provide entertainment and activities for children on Sunday only. The Shamrock Pub will be open until 7 p.m.

Daily admission is $ 7 (children under 14 free), and parking is free. Bring lawn chairs if you wish. Coolers and food bought outside are strictly prohibited.