Charlotte Shields-Rossi | a&e editor

Maura Krushinski, director of the Pittsburgh Irish Festival, organized the first celebration with her sister, Norah A. Krushinski in, 1991. The sisters came from an Irish household and wanted to create a place where the Pittsburgh Irish community could share their heritage.

“Celtic and Irish culture is a culture that appeals to all ages. You will see little babies attending the event with their great-grandmothers,” Krushinski said.

Pittsburgh has a population of 43,000 Irish residents, which means 14.2% of the Steel-City bleeds green, according to the Census Bureau.

Although the usual forecast in Ireland calls for clouds and rain, this year’s Pittsburgh Irish Festival saw sunny skies. About 25,000 people dressed in green, tartan and Steelers gear gathered at Carrie Blast Furnace for a little taste of Ireland.

Maririn Petrone is the executive director of the Pittsburgh Irish Festival and Krushinski’s daughter.

“I’ve been coming since the very beginning. I was 3 years old, and then I became the executive director in 2016,” Petrone said.

The festival had numerous activities and events for all ages and interests.

At the entrance, attendees could shop around an Irish marketplace that featured vendors who sold traditional Irish wear, such as flat caps and kilts. Other shops sold Irish history books, souvenirs and trinkets.

In addition to the market, the event had live music. Performers played traditional Irish and Celtic music and instruments including the Highland bagpipe, the Scottish smallpipe, Irish whistles and Celtic harp. Some bands offer more modern interpretations of it. Gaelic Storm, a Celtic band, mixed traditional Celtic songs with a creative twist.

Food vendors served traditional Irish cuisines like corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew and of course, Guinness beer.

For the younger crowd, the park had bounce houses and lawn games.

The organization also does other events throughout the year to promote Irish culture. The organization has created the Irish Education Outreach Program, which brings cultural awareness to community groups, organizations and interested schools.

One of the more popular attractions at the festival was the genealogy tent. Attendees could talk to knowledgeable volunteers, sort through historical books and reference sheets and look at maps to learn about their heritage.

Rebecca Miller, a member of the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, started her personal genealogical journey over 50 years ago and found out that she had both Irish and Slovakian ancestry.

She also helps others trace their roots.

“I try to make connections for other people, so they have that connection. Everybody wants to know where they came from,” Miller said. “History is the biggest thing. Most people don’t realize how important knowing what was going on when your ancestors [were] in Ireland.”

Mary Margaret Populo, who has traced her Irish roots to County Kerry, a county on the southwest coast of Ireland has been attending since the festival’s genesis.

“[I enjoy] the cultural aspects of it, the music, just the community of the Irish coming together,” She said.

Populo and her daughter, Kalyn Populo, spent the day listening to music, exploring their genealogy and shopping at the marketplace.

“I like to see people that I know and bring new people. I have friends that are coming for the first time today. They are going to meet us here,” Populo said. “I like carrying on the traditions, cultures and music.”

Charlotte Shields-Rossi can be reached at shieldsrossic@duq.edu