Pittsburgh Irish Festival, in the shadow of the Carrie Blast Furnaces, offers a celebration of roots

Stephana Ocneanu / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Carrie Blast Furnaces in Swissvale turned green Sunday as several hundreds packed the historic site for the 34th annual Pittsburgh Irish Festival.

The three-day event, which began Friday, has grown into one of Pittsburgh’s signature cultural festivals, drawing thousands each year with its mix of live performances, educational lectures, imported Irish goods and family-friendly activities. 

Before the air was filled with the sounds of bagpipes and fiddles, Sunday’s events began with a morning Irish Mass at the Celtic Spirit Stage, near the main entrance.  

“I think it’s very fitting that it is a feature of this Irish festival because the Catholic faith and Mass were very important to the people of Ireland,” said the Rev. John Fogarty, who led Sunday’s Mass. “Over many, many centuries, they kept them together as a community.”

History of the Irish festival

Founded by Irish sisters Maura and Nan Krushinski, the Pittsburgh Irish Festival was born in 1991, during a time when “Pittsburgh could claim no world class Celtic gathering of its own,” according to the festival’s website.

For its debut, the festival mainly featured local performers and vendors at Station Square on the South Shore. But as it grew and the event began to gather more than 25,000 visitors each year, the entertainment lineup showcased renowned performers from around the world. 

Eventually, the event was moved to the Riverplex, a park setting along the Monongahela River in Homestead. It was there that the festival was held for 12 years until it went under water during a flood in 2018.

Today, the festival is hosted at the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark, where it has been held the past three years.. 

While the new location offers a bigger space, some longtime attendees miss the scenic views of the event’s previous locations.

Among them was Von Holmes, 70, of Steubenville, Ohio, who came to the event dressed head to toe in green — green charm bracelets stacked on her arms, a freshly painted green manicure and a shamrock patterned blouse peeking from under her green jacket.

She and her husband, John, have been attending the festival for more than a decade — long enough to remember all three of its locations.

“We liked the first venue because there were so many trees and grass,” she said. “I have to admit, I’m not really fond of the blast furnace in the background.”

While Conor Farren, 25, of Monroeville, preferred the Riverplex’s natural beauty, he said he was pleasantly surprised to discover a personal connection to the Carrie Blast Furnaces. 

“My great grandpa worked here, like 80 years ago, so I think it’s pretty cool I get to see it,” he said.

Festivalgoers interested in the history of the iron-making industry can take a tour, where they’ll learn about the process and the people who worked there — many of whom were of Irish descent and “played a large part in the development of the industry and the region,” according to the festival’s website. 

The festival is now led by Maura Krushinski’s daughter, Mairin Petrone. 

Celtic canines, Irish travelers and more

After the morning Mass, a lineup of musical artists filled the festival grounds, including American Celtic band Gaelic Storm from Santa Monica, Calif. and Screaming Orphans, a pop and folk band from Bundoran, County Donegal, Ireland. 

Festivalgoers could move between stages to catch performances from bagpipers, fiddlers and drum circles, while cultural tents offered sessions on Irish history and genealogy. 

“It seems like it allows people to access parts of their roots and background, which I really like, but it also allows others to get a taste of things that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get,” said Sydney Nguyen, 22, of the South Shore. 

For families, the event offered hands-on experiences, such as cooking classes for Irish soda bread, Irish apple cake, Irish stew and shepherd’s pie.  

Attendees who didn’t want to cook their own shepherd’s pie lined up outside the food stalls, where they could find delicacies such as Irish tea, stew and bangers and mash.

Other highlights included a meet-and-greet with Irish dogs, or “Celtic Canines,” and a raffle booth for a chance to win Irish gift items, tickets to local events and a private tour of Ireland, among other things.

Near the festival’s gates was also a marketplace, which served as the hub of Irish craftsmanship. Visitors browsed stalls selling knitted sweaters from Dublin, Celtic leather bags and jewelry and crafts from the Celtic Exchange. 

At the Celtic Clothing Company, Belfast-native Charlie Lord represented his Irish heritage with imported wool tweed vests, flat caps and rugby jerseys. Now living in Philadelphia, Mr. Lord said he sees these festivals as an important part of introducing people to Irish culture.

“It’s about building those bridges between Ireland and the United States,” Mr. Lord said. “Through distance, space and time, it’s keeping those connections alive.”