Semblances of Irish culture exist everywhere on our planet. Why? The Irish diaspora. The diaspora, broadly interpreted, contains all those known to have Irish ancestry. The estimated figure is north of one hundred million people. That’s over twenty times the population of Ireland today. The Irish, like the Scottish, and many British people, are descendants of The Celts – a collection of peoples who lived during the Iron Age (600BC – 43AD). They settled mostly in Ireland, Great Britain, France, and Spain.

I have lived in America for almost 35 years. Most of those years have been spent in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. If I had a dollar for every American who bored me to tears with stories about why they identify as “Irish” or “Scots Irish” during that time, I would have my own Playboy Mansion by now, and you would never see me wearing anything other than silk pajamas. Alas, I never charged these people for the bending of my ear but, I’ve always thought it would be great to start a Celtic social group where like-minded folks could share their stories and experiences. Well, it’s finally happening.

Based out of Fayetteville, North Carolina, The Sandhills Celtic Society is an organization dedicated to engaging and educating individuals who are interested in Celtic traditions but may not actually be of Celtic origin, and/or individuals who have Celtic ancestral roots. We aim to educate by means of sharing traditions such as Celtic cuisine, history, music, arts and crafts, and fashion. We plan to engage the local community by means of getting involved with city events and/or creating events that are open to the public. Our monthly meetings will occur, for now, at Paddy’s, on the second Wednesday of every month (6pm). For more information, find us on Facebook and join our group. We would love to have you, unless, of course, you’re a wanker.

Written by: Patrick Gibney