ERIN GO ‘BOKEN: Hoboken Irish Festival Brings an Authentic Celebration of Irish Culture to Sinatra Park — SATURDAY

Putting the “May” in “May the road rise to meet ye,” the Hoboken Irish Festival will take place Saturday, May 21 in Sinatra Park, with the New York City skyline providing a picture-perfect backdrop for authentic representations of Irish-American heritage—including a heavy focus on cultural offerings, such as music, dance and sport.

Irish Network NJ’s Steve Lenox

Background:
As we’ve reported in the past, the celebration of Irish Heritage in Hoboken can get a bit… um… complicated.

But it doesn’t need to be…

Yes—the Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade remains on indefinite hiatus. In an effort to keep the door open for its future return, members of the Hoboken Irish-American community have worked with the City of Hoboken to develop the “Hoboken Irish Festival.” Over the years, the event has now garnered the support of Irish Network New Jersey, Irish Network USA and the Consulate General of Ireland. The original intent of the organizers was for the event to serve as a placeholder, not a replacement for the Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The Festival:
This year’s live entertainment features Hoboken favorites Gold N’ Brown, as well as A Band of Rogues, Clan Suibhne and Colin Nisbet of the Hoboken Fire Department on Bagpipes.

For the Irish dance enthusiasts, Garden Street Irish Step Dancers/Emerald Fire will be on hand, plus the Aherne Sheehan School of Irish Dance, the Kerri Smith Academy of Irish Dance and more.

As for sport, the Hoboken Guards Hurling Club and Liberty Gaels Camogie Club will hosting a clinic from 12-1 p.m. on the field adjacent to Sinatra Park—offering demonstrations of Ireland’s ancient sport.

As a special addition to this year’s program, the Manhattan Gaels will serve as hosts to teams from the NYPD, Rockland County, Chicago and Boston for a seven-a-side Gaelic Football tournament, sponsored in part by Willie McBride’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, and Crunch – Hoboken.

Play will start at 4:00 p.m. and include six 20-minute preliminary matches and two championship matches.

This event is family-friendly with pony rides, a petting zoo and traditional Irish crafts—plus Irish-themed clothing and food vendors, and an Irish Soda Bread Contest.

New York/New Jersey’s Rose of Tralee representative Kristen Stack will also be on hand enjoying the festivities.

And of course, in the spirit of true authenticity, there will be a beer garden—presented by Finnegan’s Irish Pub. No green beer though, just the good stuff.

So come on down, for the craic…