Irish Festival Activities

Water Tower in Miramichi

Workshops / Information Sessions / Activities

Immerse yourself in Irish culture by signing up for a workshop or cultural activity while you attend the festival. Learn to play the Irish whistle, do research into your family's history, or enter a contest to display your Irish heritage.

Noted scholars, authors, genealogists and musicians make our workshops an unforgettable part of the week's festivities.

Vendor Booths

Outstanding merchandise will be found in the booths in the Lord Beaverbrook Arena throughout the weekend. Displays include; Celtic crafts and jewelry, Atlantic Pewter - jewelry with their Celtic designs and glass with pewter designs, Irish Family crested garments, Irish Family pins; Imported cheeses; Airbrush Tattoo artists; Irish paintings; Celtic gold & silver jewellery, home sewing crafts, quilts, pillows, bibs, placemats and more!

Miramichi Irish Festival St. Thomas University Alumni Gathering
President Dawn Russell invites you to a reception for alumni and friends on Saturday, July 16th, 2011 2:00pm - 5:00pm at the Bishop's Palace. Address: Howard Street Miramichi, NB. Our new President looks forward to meeting you. There will be a cash bar and finger foods.

Contact: Wanda Bearresto
Please r.s.v.p. at alumni@stu.ca or 506-452-0521

Bogside painting

Copy of actual mural painting

Cultural Events

Bogside Artists Murals

On Display at James M Hill July 15 and 16
These copies of the murals found in the Bogside in the area of Derry, Northern Ireland, known as Free Derry Corner. These murals depict key events of 'the Troubles' in the city since 1968. The artists have lived in the Bogside most of their lives and have experienced the worst of the conflict. This exhibition of their work is a chronicle of those events that they consider to have been the most significant during the last thirty years. In telling this story they have served a pressing need for their community and Derry people in general to acknowledge with dignity if not pride the price paid by those who became victims of the struggle for democratic rights. Their work therefore is essentially a homage.

Irish Fiddle Competition
Winner of 2008 Irish Fiddle Competition, Kathleen Gorley-McSorley, Frederiction.

At the 24th Irish festival, an Irish-made fiddle, a gift from the Inishowen Traditional Music Project, County Donnegal, Ireland was presented to both the Miramichi Irish Festival and the New Brunswick Irish Canadian Cultural Association. An annual competition to have the use of this fiddle will be held during the Irish festival.The winner of the competition will have the privilege of having the use of the fiddle for a period of one year. Competition for the use of the Inishowen-New Brunswick fiddle is intended to encourage young promising New Brunswick musicians aged 13-19 to continue to play traditional Irish music in New Brunswick. Competition forms are available at the Irish Festival Office 778-8810.

Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick will continue its annual tradition, inaugurated by Marian Beyea, the Provincial Archivist, and staff members, Denis Noel and Allen Doiron, in assisting the attendees who wish to research their Irish roots and New Brunswick heritage. The Archives will have census records, land grants information, historical photos and other research documents, which will be of interest to both the novice and experienced researcher.

A special digital film archive will be launched as part of the Provincial Archives exhibit. The North West Digital Film Archive created by Derry City Council’s Heritage & Museum Service, the Donegal Regional Cultural Center, Donegal County Museum & Archives and the Nerve Center will be available.
The EU Program funded the project for Peace and Reconciliation. It is a unique digital collection of materials from Counties Derry and Donegal. It is a collection of almost 100 hours of searchable material.

An on-line presentation by The Irish Canadian Cultural Association of New Brunswick of everything Irish in New Brunswick “ The Virtual Trail of New Brunswick “ will also be available for viewing.

For more information on their services, visit the website at: http://archives.gnb.ca/archives/default.aspx

Running of the Green Race
Lord Beaverbrook Arena - 5 km Run
Sunday July 17, 2011 11:00am - 12:00pm

The Red Hair Contest
This year the Red Hair competition will be held in the James M. Hill Theatre on Saturday July 16 at 9:00am.

Download the application form for the RED HAIR CONTEST and LEPRECHAUN CONTEST! click here

Miramichi Branch of New Brunswick Genealogical Society
Miramichi Branch of New Brunswick Genealogical Society will be on hand to help you research your family tree. Focusing on Northumberland County, we use the Census for the years 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901; transcriptions of every cemetery in No. Co. (over 130), thousands of obituaries (16,000), vital stats from local newspapers, some church records, complete family histories and much, much more. We also have several of our publications available for sale. Be sure to visit us at while attending the festival.

Knigths of Columbus Hall
Sponsored by ICCANB
Saturday, July 16, 2011 08:00pm - 12:00pm
Join us for a Sing-along and Dance with Jim Lawlor and Bob McCallum

Theatrical Performances

New Brunswick's Irish Theatre Company present:
"The Pride of Parnell Street"

An Amharclann took Saint John audiences by storm in July 2009 when the brand new theatre company launched its debut with Brian Friel's Faith Healer, a production that the Telegraph-Journal compared favourably to one that audiences could see on Broadway. In March 2010 we sold out two of our three performances of Martin McDonagh's hilarious black comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan. In 2011 we would like to include the Miramichi Irish Festival as part of a tour that will include Saint John, Fredericton, and the Acting Irish International Theatre Festival in Calgary. Our 2011 play will be the Canadian debut of Sebastian Barry's Powerful drama The Pride of Parnell Street, a gritty tale of love, betrayal, and redemption set in the slums of Dublin's north side.

James M. Hill Theatre;
Saturday July 16, 2011 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Admission is $5

Canada's Irish Festival on the Miramichi present:
"The Fiddler and the Tenor"
James M. Hill Theatre;
Saturday July 16, 2011   7:00pm
Tickets $18 in advance at - The Irish Festival Office, Bill's Kwik Way, Books Inn - Or $20 at the door

Irish Festival Parade
The Parade will begin at 10:00 am in the James M. Hill parking lot on Saturday July 16, 2011.

Irish Festival Parade Route

Parade Route - Click for Close-up

March with your clan in the Irish Festival parade.
Get your family together and hold your flag up high.