5,000 attend Erin Feis festival

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By Tamara Fudge | Monday, September 22, 2008 11:04 AM CDT | () comments

Members of the Mullane Healy O’Brian Irish Dance Academy perform Sunday at the 24th annual Erin Feis. (Jeff Cook/QUAD-CITY TIMES) Buy this Photo

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Where else could you find a red hair and freckle contest but at the 24th annual Erin Feis Irish Family Festival held Sunday in The District of Rock Island?

About 5,000 people attended the family event sponsored by the St. Patrick Society of the Quad-Cities.

“It is always a beautiful day filled with Irish laughter and fun for the entire family,” event co-chairwoman Jan Foley said.

The more than 125 volunteers were easy to spot in T-shirts emblazoned with “saoírse,” which means freedom in Gaelic.

Entertainment was plentiful with lively Irish dancing provided by students of the Mullane-Healy-O’Brien Academy, a variety of professional Celtic bands and wandering bagpiper Derek Grant.

Twenty Augustana College students from Athletes Giving Back managed face-painting and games for the wee ones. The group included members of the women’s soccer, softball, and track and field teams and men’s football and basketball.

“It’s a good opportunity to have an impact on little kids,” said Matt Pelton, a junior from Bloomington, Ill., Athletes Giving Back co-chairman. “It’s not just about the day but reflecting on it after,” he said.

The U.S. Army National Guard also was there with a 20-foot-tall rock climbing wall.

“We’ve had all ages,” said Sgt. Robert Cummins, who pointed out a button to press at the top and awards for those who made it there. He and his fellow soldiers assisted climbers and talked to event attendees interested in joining the National Guard.

Festival-goers could buy T-shirts, jewelry, books, tam o’shanters and other Celtic memorabilia, and another table hosted a raffle for a trip to Ireland. Kelly’s Irish Pub and Eatery sold food and drinks, while the Atlante Trattoria offered a break from the late-summer heat with gelato.

A busy Guitar Hero 3 video tournament sponsored by Video Games Etc. was tucked between buildings. Beginners and experts alike were welcomed, and gift certificates were given to the top contenders, with the entrance fee donated to the Erin Feis event.

“We do a lot of tournaments and events,” said Moline store manager Mike Eshelman, “and this is very popular with the kids.”

Another booth provided information about a local memorial for which the St. Patrick Society is gathering donations.

“There are about 30 memorials in the U.S. for the Irish,” said John Scally, a board member and past society president. “Most are in major cities. We feel that the Quad-Cities deserve a memorial, too.”

In the United States, 14-16 percent of the total population “has Irish blood,” Scally said. “The Irish built the railroad coming out here,” he said, adding that Cork Hill near Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and the Patch, a stretch of Davenport’s Federal Street, were some of the first concentrations of Irish residents. The Greenbush neighborhood in Rock Island also has boasted many Irish residents and Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Scally said the society also sponsors the Irish Heritage Days, the only interstate St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country and other events.

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.