NIGHT LIFE

Sean Kirwan

I arrived at the Great American Irish Fair and Music Festival at the

Orange County Fairgrounds with high expectations.

A little more than two months ago while on a family vacation to Dublin,

Ireland, I had the chance to experience the culture of the Emerald Isle

and the incredible warmth of the Irish people.

Although my ancestry is half Irish, before the trip my closest ties to

that portion of my heritage was an affinity for Guinness and a deep love

of mashed potatoes.

My brief visit to the island lasted only a week, but in that time I was

astounded by the beauty of the Irish countryside and the depth of the

cultural history. From the Celtic burial mounds older than the pyramids

of Egypt to the energy of the traditional dancers and folk musicians,

Ireland had me mesmerized.

As I passed through the gates of the festival I could already hear the

pleasing sounds of old Irish pub songs and almost everyone I passed was

carrying a dark cup Guinness or Murphy’s Irish Stout.

The festival was spread out with two stages for music and dancers and

plenty of things to occupy you in between.

I wandered over to the sporting area first to watch as large men in

skirts threw even larger logs.

The friendly gentlemen were members of the Scottish American Athletic

Association and they were practicing the sport of Caber tossing. The

sport dates back more than 1,000 years and was originally practiced as

military training, along with the traditional boulder heave and hammer

throw, when the British forbade the Scots from carrying weapons.

Now I’ve always had an affinity for the middle ages; sword fighting, big

suits of armor, riding around on horseback saving damsels and drinking

mead -- so wandering around the festival’s medieval village gave me a

chance to let my imagination run wild.

I perused booths selling everything from Celtic artwork with its

intricate knots and swirls to nasty-looking knives and morning stars --

medieval weapons that consist of a spiked iron ball attached to a length

of chain.

A couple of thoughts crossed my mind as I wandered through the “village”

area. First of all I would have never made it as a medieval warrior. I

could barely lift the authentic, coal-forged sword that Mike Cassidy and

Dagny Anderson let me feel. The guys throwing boulders and logs could

have crushed me without a second thought and my brief attempt at archery

left the target completely unscathed.

All of this led me to another question -- what happens if a fight breaks

out in the village?

The medieval area was populated with Renaissance Fair-types. Dressed in

authentic-looking medieval garb from head to toe, they gave the area a

real rustic feeling. Each and every one of them was carrying some sort of

knife, sword or other sharp weapon attached to their belt -- each and

every one of them. Now every one was very friendly, but still, you gotta

wonder.

After spending a bit more time in the village I decided I should enjoy

some of the more Irish elements of the fair.

From the McCurtan Tea Booth and Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub to the Los Angeles

Police Emerald Society, the grounds were alive with the culture of Irish

Americans.

As shade began to creep over the fairgrounds I made my way to the main

stage to take in some of the music.

The crowd was dancing and singing along to the Fenians mix of old Irish

drinking songs and rock music and after a while, I found that I was

joining in on the choruses and tapping my toes.

It was my second taste of Ireland and I can’t wait for more.

FYI

For information on other Irish Festivals, music and special events call

the Shamrock Hotline 714 284-9558.