For over 38 years, the Buffalo Irish Center, located in the Irish Heritage District, has celebrated St. Patrick's Day and welcomed the WNY community to enjoy Irish music, dance and food.

The celebration begins with the annual Civic Luncheon on Friday, March 12.

The event features music by Kindred, Blarney Bunch and the Rince na Tiarna Irish Dancers.  The honorary Chairman of the 2010 Luncheon is Patrick Byrne, a long time supporter of the Center and the Irish American community.

The evening festivities feature Penny Whiskey at 8pm in the Emerald Room and Clannna Cara dancers at 9pm.  Saturday begins with Kevin McCarthy in the pub at 3pm followed by the Dustmen at 7pm.  Stone Row will perform in the Emerald Room at 8pm with a performance by Rince na Tiarna Irish Dancers at 9pm.

Music begins at 3pm on Sunday, March 14 with Penny Whiskey and the Leftovers at 3pm, Rince na Tiarna Irish Dancers at 5:15pm and O'Sullivan dancer at 7:30pm

On March 17, St. Patrick's Day, the Center begins the day with Mass at 10:45am followed by a traditional Irish Breakfast including bangers and black pudding.  Tickets for the Breakfast are available pre-sale only for $15.00 and may be purchased at Tara Gift Shoppe at 250 Abbott Road.  The annual soda bread contest will be held.  Entries must be wrapped in clear plastic, labeled with name and phone number and delivered to the Buffalo Irish Center between 9 and 10am.  Prizes will be awarded for the top 3 places.

Music will begin in the pub at 1pm with musicians and singers from WNY's local traditional music chapter of Comhaltas followed by Kevin McCarthy at 2:30pm.   The evening kicks off with Penny Whiskey at 7pm in the Emerald Room and McCarthyizm in the Pub.  Rince na Tiarna Irish Dancers will perform at 8pm.

Upcoming concerts include EMISH (March 27) and CHULRUA (April 2):

The Center is home to more than a dozen Irish American organizations and features a Library dedicated solely to Irish books.

For further information on the center or any of its groups, www.buffaloirishcenter.com.

The website also hosts the bimonthly publication - the Buffalo Irish Times.

Buffalo Irish Center
245 Abbott Road
Buffalo, NY
(716) 822-6275