After the Green Beer – Irish Heritage Month has more to offer

By Lethbridge Herald on March 19, 2026.

Herald FILE photo Dancers in the premier class perform during the 42nd annual Lethbridge Highland Dance Association Open Competition in this file photo. Highland Dancing and Irish step dancing share common Celtic roots, with each showcasing intricate footwork shaped by their own separate cultural traditions.

By Joe Manio

Lethbridge Herald

If St. Patrick’s Day is the headline act, consider the rest of Irish Heritage Month the encore worth sticking around for.
By March 18, the green hats are wrinkled, the shamrock shakes are gone, and even the most enthusiastic “honorary Irish” have traded pub songs for coffee. But beyond March 17 lies a deeper story; one that stretches from famine-era migration to modern cultural exports, and right into communities like Lethbridge.
Irish heritage in Canada runs deep, shaped by waves of immigration during the 19th century — particularly the Great Famine of the 1840s. More than a million people left Ireland, many arriving in Canada. Those who stayed helped build the country in lasting ways.
They worked on canals and railways, established farms, and contributed to growing cities and institutions. Irish influence remains visible in politics, labour movements, and storytelling traditions; a legacy of wit and resilience that still resonates.
In Alberta, Irish immigrants were part of the broader wave of settlers moving west in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In southern Alberta, including Lethbridge, many found work in agriculture, coal mining, and on the railway. Their imprint remains in family names, community roots, and the quiet persistence that defines prairie life.
That legacy is also etched into local landmarks. St. Patrick’s Church, one of the city’s oldest Roman Catholic churches, dates back to 1887, with the current structure built between 1913 and 1952. It has long served as a cornerstone for generations of immigrants who helped shape Lethbridge’s faith community.
Irish heritage isn’t just preserved in history…it continues to evolve.
For many, that connection comes through music and performance. Boyzone, a hugely popular 1990s boy band, helped bring Irish pop to global audiences, while internationally renowned artists like Enya have become some of Ireland’s most recognizable voices worldwide.
Groups like Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder continue that tradition today. Riverdance, which first burst onto the scene in the 1990s, transformed Irish step dancing into an international phenomenon and continues to tour worldwide decades later.
In fact, Irish step dancing is arguably the most recognizable cultural export of Ireland; a fixture of St. Patrick’s Day parades and Irish cultural events wherever the Irish diaspora gathers, especially across North America. Its sharp footwork and unmistakable rhythm have become a visual shorthand for Irish identity.
Of course, not all exports are performed on stage…Guinness remains one of Ireland’s most recognizable global products, enjoyed in pubs and homes around the world — including plenty poured right here in southern Alberta over the weekend. At the Coalhurst Legion, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations featured green beer and hearty bowls of Irish stew, offering a taste of tradition close to home.
That energy carries into Lethbridge. The Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge offers Irish dance classes for ages four and up, welcoming beginners and experienced dancers alike.
A broader network of local groups including Bhriomhar School of Irish Dance in Okotoks; The Bash and Lethbridge Irish Dance Association continues to keep the tradition alive through performance, competition, and community connection.
Closer to home, Irish heritage often shows up in quiet, familiar ways. It’s in a family recipe, a fiddle tune; or even a last name. Surnames like Walsh, Mason, and Sullivan trace back to Ireland, while prefixes like “Mc ” or “Mac” (“son of”) and “O’” (“descendant of”) link families to generations past.
Today, those names remain a subtle but lasting reminder of Irish identity in communities across Canada, including southern Alberta.
That may be why Irish heritage resonates so widely, even beyond those with direct roots. It’s a culture that balances hardship with storytelling, and history with celebration.
So while St. Patrick’s Day has passed, Irish Heritage Month still has more to offer. Whether it’s exploring history, revisiting a favourite song, or trying a few dance steps, the invitation remains.
Because if March 17 is about celebration, the rest of the month is about connection and that’s something worth carrying forward.