Kingston Irish Folk Club

KINGSTON IRISH FOLK CLUB
ACTIVELY PROMOTES ALL FORMS OF IRISH CULTURE INCLUDING:

IRISH DANCE
Join a performance group of Irish Dancers. Classes are held regularly and beginners are welcome. Both hard and soft shoe dances are taught. (a partner is not required).
Or you can join a Ceili Dance group.– Ceili dance is a slower paced and easy to learn form of social dance. (a partner is not required).

TRAD MUSIC
Participate with other singers and musicians in a social gathering featuring songs and tunes from Ireland. Scotland and the East Coast of Canada. You don’t have to be a singer or musician to attend.
Or participate in our Celtic Cultural Festivals. These Celt Fests include various levels of workshops on ; tin whistle, bodhran, spoons, fiddle, harp, guitar, Uilleann pipes, Irish Language, Irish dance etc. They also include Celtic jam sessions and a Ceili Dance.

IRISH LANGUAGE WORKSHOPS
Basic conversational Irish language workshops (and periodically workshops on singing songs in the Irish language) are held regularly at the Celtic Cultural Festivals.

UILLEANN PIPERS WORKSHOPS
Kingston Irish Folk Club has already taken the lead in the promotion in Kingston of what is frequently refered to as “ the most difficult to play of all the traditional instruments ”. Kingston Irish Folk Club has already organized several workshops on various aspects of this instrument and will continue to promote its revival at every opportunity. We would like to acknowledge the assistance of Bob Gardener (Toronto) in helping us promote this instrument in this region.

Other Kingston Folk Club activities include:

An Irish Marching Band
St Patrick's Week Festivities
Irish Ceili Dances
History Related Lending Library
Musical Instrument Lending Library
Fleadh
Celtic Artists

LOCAL IRISH HISTORY
Kingston Irish Folk Club has taken the lead role in erecting a number of monuments in Kingston related to local historical events. These events, involving large numbers of Irish immigrants, were not given the recognition they deserved prior to Kingston Irish Folk club taking this initiative. These monuments include, but are not restricted to:
- A Celtic Cross monument erected in Doug Fluhrer Park (Wellington St ) in memory of the estimated 1000 Irish labourers and their coworkers who died building the Rideau Canal.
- A memorial drinking fountain, across from City Hall in Confederation Basin in memory of the estimated 1000 Irish labourers and their coworkers who died building the Rideau Canal.
- plaques to more than 1500 Irish “famine” victims buried at Kingston General Hospital.
- A Celtic Cross monument erected in Mc Burney (Skeleton) Park -Kingstons Upper Cemetery 1813-1865. (this site includes several hundred Kingstonians, victims of An Gorta Mor)

Ottawa’s Rideau Canal Celtic Cross was erected in response to a challenge from Kingston Irish Folk Club

Kingston Irish Folk Club Publications

FROM IRELAND THEY CAME
A pocket size booklet, written by Neil Patterson, crammed with interesting information on the role of the Irish in eg the building of the Rideau Canal. Costs $4 plus $2 s&h

KINGSTON’S CELTIC CROSS WALK
A booklet containing fascinating information on the Irish monuments in Kingston, including the many monuments recently erected by the Kingston Irish Folk Club. Costs $10 plus $2 s&h

TIN WHISTLE FOR THE CRAIC OF IT
A tutor for the beginner who tried the whistle before and gave up in disgust. This booklet will be available soon.

KINGSTON IRISH FOLK CLUB MUSIC CDS
AN GORTA MOR VOL 1 - a collection of Kingston’s best Celtic musicians. Produced by Rankin Sound, this popular CD is a keeper for those who love Celtic music. Cost $12 plus $2 s&h

Excellent Articles Available Online

A Brief History of Án Gorta Mór

Irish Labourers and the Rideau Canal

Skeleton Park

Kingston Irish Famine Victims


About the Founder & President

Tony O’Loughlin is Belfast born and reared. He worked as a youth and community worker in the lower falls road in Belfast in the early 70's. He then worked as a lay apostolate in the British Columbia interior for a number of years before moving to Kingston Ontario in 1989. Tony felt that the huge Irish history in the heart of Loyalist Canada was being ignored and founded the Kingston Irish Folk Club in 1989 and founded the Kingston Irish Famine Commemoration Associationin 1995 with the aim of promoting the visible signs of the Irish and promoting all forms of Irish culture. Tony remains the President of both organizations.