Connecticut festival puts Irish diaspora on display

NORTH HAVEN, Conn. - See the baseball-like sliothar hurled into the net or footballers kick and hand-pass on the pitch. Hurling and Gaelic football are part of a weekend celebration of sports, dance, culture, and music at the Connecticut Irish Festival, Feis and Agricultural Fair.

Sample traditional and contemporary Irish culture, from step dancing to scones and Irish bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches at the North Haven Fairgrounds June 21-22. Dancers in traditional dress take to the stage both days, with Sunday's competition expected to attract participants from as far away as Wisconsin and Texas.

That's also the day for a match between the New Haven Gaelic Football and Hurling Club and the Irish Sports Youth League of Boston. Learn Celtic lore from storytellers in 13th-century garb or run the 5-kilometer road race Saturday to benefit the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association.

Ireland's rural lifestyle is showcased in sheep shearing and herding exhibitions, and knitting, spinning, and weaving demos.

To be heard are tribute band U2 Nation, the Screaming Orphans, four Dublin-schooled pop rock sisters, and, with a blend of roots and folk rock, MacTalla Mor.

Connecticut Irish Festival, Feis and Agricultural Fair, June 21-22, Saturday 12:30-11 p.m., Sunday 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. North Haven Fairgrounds, Washington Avenue, North Haven, Conn. ctirishfestival .com. Adults $10, children under age 16 free.

MARTY BASCH