Event

St. Patrick's Day Celebration

The final date for ticket sales is March 16, 2014!

This year's event will feature two bands,a dance group and a catered Irish dinner.

--The Tanzania Ceili Band will perform featuring guest players Peter Fitzgerald and John Walsh on banjo,Billy McComiskey on button accordion, and Norm Myers on bodhran drum. The band plays traditional Irish music and recently performed in the 2013 Maryland Irish Festival as well as the annual Deer Creek Fiddlers Convention. The Tanzania Ceili Band has performed in numerous fundraising events and is the official fundraising band for the Tanzanian Children's Project. (www.tanzaniaceiliband.com)

--Dileab Phriseal (JEE-lip FREE-shil) is a local, Columbia ensemble. The band's name in Scots Gaelic means "Precious Heritage", and as the name implies, the band plays traditional music of Scotland, Ireland, and other Gaelic lands. Many of its tunes are sung in Scottish or Irish Gaelic, and the band has been known to mix in standard pub songs, too! Its two CDs the debut CD "Dileab Phriseal" and "One More Round" will be available for sale during the concert. Dileab Phriseal has played a number of festivals in the area including the Maryland Irish Festival and the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

The Broesler School of Irish Dance was opened in 1986 in New York by its founder and director Kevin Broesler. Kevin is a former national and world champion and is assisted by Megan Harper, TCRG, and Eileen Paulson, TMRF. In 2004, Kevin Broesler was honored by Irish American Magazine as one of its top 100 Irish Americans. In 2005, The Broesler School was named The Top Irish Dancing School in the USA by Irish Dancing and Culture Magazine. Several of Kevin's dancers are currently touring with Lord of the Dance, Riverdance, and Feet of Flames. Kevin's dancers have won regional championships, National Championships, International Championships, and the World Championships.

Net proceeds from the St. Patrick's Day celebration will be donated to the Tanzanian Children's Project a 501 (c) 3 company founded by the Columbia Council and devoted to providing financial support to enhance the quality of health care and education in small community in Tanzania. Orphans in particular will benefit from these services. TCP supports the Mahida Catholic Church located in the Rombo District of Tanzania under the leadership of Reverend Emmanuel Lyimo who is responsible for the daily operations and management of the projects being funded.

The long term goals of TCP are to provide:

Health care for the local community
A guaranteed education for all children
An orphanage for the most vulnerable orphans
(www.tanzaniakids.org)