
The Irish Arts Center will hold a free event all day offering classes in Irish language, theater, cooking demonstrations and children’s activities. (Photo courtesy of the Irish Arts Center)
By Sabina Mollot
St. Patrick’s Day is on Saturday, March 17. For those looking for a way to celebrate beyond the parade and local pub crawls, a number of businesses and organizations are offering concerts, plays and historic walks as well as Irish culture classes and family activities throughout the week. Read on for more information on events leading up to St. Patrick’s Day as well as the day of.
IRISH HISTORY TOURS–Merchant’s House, 29 East 4th Street, is a museum with a mission of educating the public about the domestic life of a wealthy merchant family and their four Irish servants from 1835-1865.
The house is offering several “ghost” tours, this month, including on St. Patrick’s Day. Tickets can be purchased online at merchantshouse.org.
On Sunday, March 11 at 12:30 p.m., there will be a walking tour, not in the museum, but the Noho area. In this “In the Footsteps of Bridget Murphy” tour, participants will learn about the world of Irish immigrants, who flooded into New York City in the 19th century to escape famine and hardship in Ireland. In 1855, approximately 24,000 Irish immigrants worked as servants for wealthy families like the Merchant’s House’s Tredwells. Tour is one hour and $15.