As March progressed, the thoughts of Irish culture began to turn to the celebration of St. Patrick's Day. To that end, the American Red Cross Adirondack Saratoga Chapter hosted their second annual Celtic Festival in Glens Falls on March 5. The festival featured a wide variety of entertainment, such as crafts, and games for kids, Red Cross demonstrations, storytelling, and raffles. Several authentic Celtic vendors were on hand, as well.

"My boss is very Irish. He wanted to do a family-oriented fundraising event," says Cheryl Murphy, who coordinated the event, on why the ARCASC decided to start this tradition. Last year, the festival featured the live music of The McKrells, a group of accomplished artists who have put out several albums. There most recent one is “Cosmic Highway,” which was released in 2005.

Murphy credits The McKrells with some of the original Celtic Festival's success. "They're a local Irish group, and they have a pretty big following in the Saratoga area," she says. The McKrells returned this year, which was even more successful. "We did a lot more advertising," Murphy says, "so there was a bigger attendance. The weather was better, too."

Murphy anticipates the Celtic Festival will grow bigger and better each year, due to the support of Robert A. Regan, the mayor of Glens Falls. "The new mayor is very much behind it," Murphy says of the festival. "He's helping to make it a city-wide event."

All proceeds from this event went to the ARCASC, a group very rich in history, particularly in the form of charity. In 2005 alone, the Red Cross ran 650 aquatic courses and 950 first aid and CPR courses, while collecting over 14,000 units of blood. They also delivered 275 emergency messages for members of our armed forces, and assisted more than 250 neighbors who were affected by local disasters.

The Adirondack community is also filled with Irish history, with Irishtown serving as a prime example. "Irishtown is basically a little hamlet of the greater town of Minerva," says Edward Healey, a member of the Minerva Historical Society.

Irishtown has been known as a mining town since the 1840s, when Irish people came to the Northeast to escape the potato famine in Ireland. "In the Adirondacks, Vermont, and New Hampshire, there were a lot of lumbering and cottage industries, mills, and panneries," says Healey.

In 1864, Irishtown Iron Mining opened. The original enterprise was very unsuccessful, as the iron value depreciated by 50 percent after 10 years, causing the mines to be closed not long afterwards. In addition to the iron mine, the town also had a quarry and mines for gold and silver in its early stages. Irishtown is also known for its cornucopia of dams and mills; the town is the location of shingle, lumber, and saw mills.

The town also has an interesting school history. In 1847, the Town Board approved $14 for a school to be built from logs. Back then, school was only held for four months out of the year. In 1860, a newer, more modern school was built to replace the log cabin. The new school was placed in town, just east of the church and cemetery. In 1878, 38 children ranging from five to 19 years old were students at the Irishtown School. During the 19th century, Irishtown teachers made an annual salary of $70-106.

In 1931, a Central District was formed in Minerva. Afterwards, all of the students went to a much larger school in Olmstedville as the Irishtown School was closed. As of late, The Minerva Historical Society has acquired the Irishtown School and is in the restoration process to preserve the only one room school left in town.

Irishtown has several churches with illustrious histories. St. Mary's Church was built in 1848 with a surrounding cemetery. A larger St. Joseph 's Catholic Church was built in Olmstedville in 1871. St. Mary's has been repaired multiple times and a memorial Mass is held there every May as well as the occasional baptisms and weddings. The church still stands today as a major tourist attraction.

Even though the Celtic Festival has since passed, but If you still can immerse yourself in Irish culture. Just get yourself over to Irishtown, where you can see all these landmarks first hand. Besides, what better way to prepare for next St. Patrick's Day?

How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Who Helped the Festival Along?
The American Red Cross Adirondack Saratoga Chapter did a lot of work to put the Celtic festival together, but they couldn't have done it alone. They had the help of many corporate sponsors, including:
100.3 The Point
Celtic Treasures
Curtis Lumber Company, Inc.
Glens Falls Hospital
Six Flags Great Escape
Froggy 107.1 FM
Niagara Mohawk
The Post Star

The Minerva Historical Society
The Minerva Historical Society was formed on March 22, 1955. It is a non-profit, educational organization, which formed to promote public interest in area history and folklore of Minerva and Irishtown.

The Old Methodist church building in the center of Olmstedville, New York was obtained by the Society in 1979. In 1981, the new museum was opened to the public.

Some of the museum's exhibits include The Tree Of Life, with charts and files for researching ancestry of the original settlers of the Minerva and Irishtown area, and a complete set of Winslow Homer's artwork done in the Minerva area. Each year, the museum has a different theme and display.