A time to celebrate Irishness

I was greatly honoured to be invited as Grand Marshall of the Cork St Patrick’s Day Parade. Little did I think, growing up as the son of Irish emigrants on Chicago’s south side, that I would be a future Grand Marshall for Ireland’s second largest city.

St Patrick’s Day is a fantastic celebration as it gives us a reason to celebrate our Irishness and reflect upon the innate and developed cultural richness that we have.

This national holiday is a reminder to cherish this culture and be proud of our heritage, whether we are Ireland born or part of the worldwide diaspora. We have some of the most talented musicians, dancers, artists, writers, and entertainers in the world with 14 Oscar winners and nine Nobel laureates.Many people think creating Riverdance was my first break, but for me, my big break was years before that, when I was invited to dance on stage with a truly iconic Irish band, The Chieftains.