Announcing the Founding of The St. Brigid Center!

Songs have always played an important role in the life of Irish culture. One song in particular, Finnegan’s Wake, promotes an image of the Irish that is more derogatory and unreal than representative. However, we all love to sing the song that tells the story of the rowdy events surrounding the wake of a man who suffered a concussion after falling drunk off a ladder and was presumed dead. During the antics of his Irish wake, a splash of poteen hits Tim Finnegan and thanks to “a drop of the craythur” he rose again to the amazement of everyone in the room. He wasn’t dead after all!

Another song, more serious and more recent, describes the history of a boat: The Mary Ellen Carter. The lyrics of the song relate how a group of men devised a plan to save a boat that had sunk in a storm, a boat that had been their home and safeguard for many years. The lyrics of the song go beyond a single project of saving a sunken boat. Instead, the words encourage all men and women to stand firm in the face of adversity, to reject the idea that what appears to the world around them to be a permanent loss, and to see instead the presence of a ray of hope. The song ends with an inspirational message "to whom adversity has dealt the final blow" to never give up, and "like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!"

Sometimes our efforts and God’s grace combine to reverse what looked like a funeral into a real cause for celebration. Thanks to the hard work of the board of the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, a buyer has been found who desires to sustain the traditions of the Center and help supply the means to propel those traditions into the future. You may read more information about us.

May St. Brigid look kindly on our efforts as we “rise again” as so many of our ancestors did in the past who faced adversity and challenge.

Look for more information in the near future about our new programs and how you might be able to get involved with our new direction. Thank you for your interest!