Photos Courtesy of Blinn College District
When the Blinn College District launched its Performing Arts Series in 2015, it sought a debut act to capture the community’s attention.
The college selected The Young Irelanders, a group of Irish performers who had showcased their skills worldwide. The show was a hit, delighting the audience and launching a Performing Arts Series that continues to grow in popularity.
Five years later, The Young Irelanders will close out the 2019-20 Performing Arts Series with a special St. Patrick’s Day performance on Tuesday, March 17, at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center on the Blinn-Brenham Campus. Showtime is 7pm.
Todd Quinlan, head of the Blinn Performing Arts Department, still remembers the Young Irelanders’ performance in 2015.
“This group was some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet, and they put on a fantastic show to open our Performing Arts Series season that year,” says Quinlan. “I had the privilege of taking them to the airport the morning after their performance and even at 3:30am, they were still incredibly friendly. I know our community is looking forward to having them back.”
Performers for The Young Irelanders are selected each year by the Irish Cultural Academy. Their shows incorporate traditional Irish music, song, and dance.
Each show member, still in their 20s, is an Irish national champion in their discipline. Members have performed in international venues such as the Beijing Opera House, the Sydney Opera House, The Kennedy Center, and The Lincoln Center.
Individual show tickets are $35, $30 for groups of 10 or more and for Blinn employees, and $15 for children ages 10 and under.
The Young Irelanders’ March 17 concert at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center will be performed by their North American troupe instead of the original Irish cast.
For more information and tickets, visit www.blinn.edu/performing-arts-series or call (979) 830-4024.
