By Joe Stewart

The Irish Cultural Centre (ICC) in Canton will transform its 61-acre campus into a hub of celebration for its annual St. Patrick’s Day weekend events, offering families a chance to experience a “little piece of Ireland” close to home.

According to the ICC, the two-day event on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15, will be filled with food, vendors, entertainment, and activities for all ages. The celebration serves as a first-hand introduction to the centre’s broader mission, which is “to preserve and promote Irish culture and heritage through music, dance, arts, history, language, sports, festivals and other cultural events and activities.”

Founded in 1989 and partially funded by the Irish Government, the Canton centre is one of the largest in the United States. The campus, built mainly by Irish and Irish American volunteers, features athletic fields, a marquee tent, and a main building complete with a resource library and a pub restaurant. It is also the home field for the Gaelic Athletic Association.

Newly elected ICC board member Tom Boyle, a longtime Norfolk resident, described the centre as a place to engage in all things Irish, from fiddling and dance to literature, language, and even ladies’ tea and card competitions. Boyle’s own introduction to the ICC began when his wife, a retired professor at Dean College and violinist with a burgeoning interest in Irish fiddling, decided to visit on a Friday evening. According to Boyle, that first visit led to a near-weekly tradition for the couple.

Martina Curtin, Board Chairperson for the Irish Cultural Centre, emphasized the inclusive spirit of the upcoming festivities.

“Our St. Patrick’s Day calendar of events is designed to welcome everyone from our Boston celebration at the UMass Club to our family gatherings at the ICC where we want every visitor to feel they’re experiencing a little piece of Ireland as they step onto our 61-acre campus,” Curtin said.

The weekend schedule at the ICC is as follows: 

• Saturday, March 14: The St. Patrick’s Family Breakfast will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Sunday, March 15:  The St. Patrick’s Family Lunch will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit the ICC website at www.irishculture.org.