The annual Irish Festival was held in honor of Saint Patrick from 5 -10 p.m. Friday, March 8, at St. Augustine’s Church in Platteville.
“The festival was held at St. Mary’s for the last three years, and this is the first year at St. Augustine’s,” festival volunteer Carly Judehood said.
Food and entertainment provided at the festival are used to help raise funds for the Catholic Newman Community.
The activities of the night centered around the Irish band Keane Machine. Lead singer and band founder Kathleen Keane is originally from Ireland.
Keane began her musical career at age six. At age 18, she joined an Irish rock band and went on from there to create The Keane Machine. Keane has toured in countries in Europe and North America including the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. The other two members of Keane’s band Jackie Moran and Jimmy Moore, also from Ireland, have made music with her since they were 10 and 14 years old.
“I like playing for people you wouldn’t play for normally,” Keane said.
Keane said that touring around to all of these places has given her and her band a wide variety of audiences to play for.
Keane Machine’s music has appeared on multiple movie soundtracks including “Backdraft” and “Cinderella Man.”
Other activities going on throughout the night included dinner and an intense dart tournament. Nick Wire, sixth-year senior and electrical engineering major at University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was in charge of running the dart competition. Wire has helped with the festival and the dart tournament since it began four years ago.
John Del Priore, the priest at St. Augustine’s since 2011, moved to Platteville during 2010. Del Priore said he has been involved in this type of festival at every parish he has been at so far.
“I’m most looking forward to the band,” Del Priore said. “A small church gig is a better experience live.”