Under the direction of Edward J. Ward, the first Irish Fest premiered in 1981 on a shoestring budget. Volunteers spent months planning the event, incorporating an extensive lineup of musical entertainment and cultural programming. Based on the event’s success and overwhelming interest by those in attendance, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Folk Life program called Milwaukee Irish Fest “the largest and best Irish cultural event in North America.”

The Ward Family have a long association with Bangor. Viscount Bangor, of Castle Ward, in the County Down, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1781 for Bernard Ward, 1st Baron Bangor, who had previously represented Down in the Irish House of Commons. He had already been created Baron Bangor in 1770, also in the Peerage of Ireland.The ancestral seat of the Ward family is Castle Ward in the County of Down but Bangor Castle was locally called Ward Castle, when I was a boy at Ward House in Bangor Grammar School. This imposing building was built for Robert Edward Ward and his family in 1852. It is presently the headquarters of North Down Borough Council who use the mansion’s spectacular grand salon as the council chamber. Although the castle is not accessible to the public you can still admire this building from its beautiful grounds.

Based on the continued interest in the festival, Irish Fest established a summer school program at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The summer school, which provides a week of courses prior to the festival for adults and children, offers a showcase of workshops in Irish dance and music, crafts, lectures, Gaelic language instruction and a historical overview of the Irish heritage. The school continues to draw hundreds of individuals from all over the world to teach and participate in this annual favorite prior to the festival.

Led by the year-round opportunities of running the world’s largest Irish festival, Irish Fest hired a full-time executive director and opened its first office in 1992. As the festival continued to grow in popularity during the 1990s, so did the continued demands for additional office and workspace. In 1998, the festival opened its doors at the Irish Fest centre to provide a year-round facility dedicated to Irish-related activities, including concerts, workshops, rehearsals and Gaelic language lessons. The Irish Fest School of Music began in 2002 offering lessons in traditional Irish instruments and song at the centre.

In addition, the centre also houses the Ward Irish Music Archives, a collection of more than 40,000 sound recordings and other music items related to Irish and Irish-American music. Named after the late father of the festival’s founder, Ed Ward, the Ward Irish Music Archives promote, preserve and celebrate Irish music in all forms.

In early 1993, Irish Fest established the Irish Fest Foundation to support the organization’s philanthropic efforts. Financed by a portion of the festival revenues, the Irish Fest Foundation provides grants to organizations to promote the development of community service, excellence in Irish music and drama, and to support the special needs of the Irish community in the United States and Ireland. Since the foundation’s inception, the Irish Fest Foundation has provided more than $250,000 to civic, cultural and educational organizations. From attending internationally acclaimed workshops to furthering education in Irish history and other cultural activities, the foundation continues to promote the Irish heritage.

Each year, Irish Fest presents new themes, new performers, cultural exhibits and special events at its annual festival.
Through the continued popularity of the festival, Irish Fest has developed its own entertainment group. The Irish Fest Choir is a group of more than 25 young adults performing traditional Irish and Irish American songs. The group recently performed with the Omagh Youth Choir in the United States and Ireland. The groups have embraced this collaboration and Irish Fest has welcomed the Omagh choir as part of the 2001, 2003 and 2008 festivals.

Known as a family-friendly festival, it’s been said that Irish Fest truly is a taste of Ireland. In addition to promoting and preserving the Irish heritage, the organization also regards itself as a community contributor through several outreach efforts. The festival has developed an award-winning recycling program encouraging festival guests and vendors to maintain the beauty of the Milwaukee’s lakefront. These efforts have truly earned the festival the right to be named “The Green Festival.”

While the festival only lasts four days each year, the commitment to promote and preserve Irish culture throughout the year has earned Milwaukee Irish Fest national and worldwide acclaim.

To be continued