The Library Takes People on a Journey to Ireland

Library visitors took a journey to Ireland through Irish culture, music and dance Thursday night.

The staff at the held Irish Night, which was sponsored by the Irish American Home Society in Glastonbury. The event was part of the titled Novel Destinations.

Tim Moriarty, the majority leader on the Town Council and the president of the Irish American Home, hosted the evening, gave a history lesson on Ireland and talked about his first trip to the country. He became emotional when he talked about his grandfather's death, which was the reason for the trip.

The audience of over 50 people was treated to the vocal stylings of Paul Haddock, who left Ireland when he was 21. He was accompanied by Brendan McCann who played his bodhran, an old Celtic instrument made out of goatskin. Haddock and McCann performed five songs including “Rocky Road to Dublin,” “Danny Boy,” and “Three Drunken Maidens.”

The Irish step dancers from the Mulcahy Academy of Irish Dance in East Hartford also performed a few dances, the Hornpipe and a Slip jig.

Carol Fisher, the assistant director and head of programming at the library, said tonight’s program is within the library's mission to offer education to all ages free of charge.

“It is pretty nifty when you can just come to your library and go to Italy, Poland, or Ireland,” Fisher said.

Edward Polomsky, of Rocky Hill, finds programs like this “very practical and useful.” He thought it was nice that the library was promoting different countries and its customs.

Doris M. Watkins, of Rocky Hill, added Irish Night was a “nice informative program.”

The next Novel Destinations program will be at 7 p.m. Thursday. Library Director Mary Hogan, who recently went to Kenya to build a library, will be one of the presenters.