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Irish celebrations continue past St. Patrick’s Day

West Milford has a history of Irish musical merriment.

| 15 Mar 2022 | 10:15
    Lynn Berry of Clan Na Vale is the drummer at Westbrook School in 2001.
    Lynn Berry of Clan Na Vale is the drummer at Westbrook School in 2001. ( Photos contributed)
    Westbrook School teacher Annie Darling (center) does step dancing with students in 2001. With her are Katy Dotson, Kathleen Best and Cassandra Corkhill.
    Westbrook School teacher Annie Darling (center) does step dancing with students in 2001. With her are Katy Dotson, Kathleen Best and Cassandra Corkhill.
    Playing the bagpipes was demonstrated by Clan Na Vale members in 2001.
    Playing the bagpipes was demonstrated by Clan Na Vale members in 2001.

St. Patrick’s Day has passed, but celebrating has not! West Milford has long been filled with people talented in providing Irish music. Prominent today is the Claddagh Pipe Band of West Milford, an active affiliate of the Eastern U.S. Pipe Band Association.

The mission of the band is to promote appreciation for Irish Highland bagpiping as well as to represent the North Jersey area in the competitive piping community. The band was founded on the ideals of friendship and passion for good music.

It is under the direction of Pipe Major Joseph Smolinski and Drum Sergeant Sam Lauritano. Having been scheduled to perform in the Morristown and Greenwood Lake, NY, parades earlier this month they are scheduled to appear in the Ringwood Borough Parade on March 26. After that, on May 29, they will be in a parade in Totowa Borough and on June 5 in Monmouth Feis in Oceanport.

Earlier groups are certainly remembered too.

How about The Irish Wave, born on a long ago St. Patrick’s Day at Dennis’s Restaurant in Hewitt? Matt and Sara Galmann met John and Dan Kelly for the first time to play their gig. (The restaurant had several names after that time and has been closed for awhile.)

Between Matt and Sara’s repertoire of traditional instrumentals and ballads, John and Dan’s Clancy Brothers favorites, they filled the evening with Irish cheer.

The Kelly kids, John, Dan, Owen Mary Ann and Jeanne, were singing with their parents Frank and Mary Kelly from the time that they were very young students at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parochial School. Mary was soloist at Masses at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church and the West Milford Lakes Clubhouse Saturday evening shows bring memories too.