Did we mention there will be Guinness?

Guinness will pair wonderfully with the Irish style cuisine provided by Kildare's (think Shepard's Pie, Guinness Stew, etc.).  Stop by and enjoy a pint while you watch the live entertainment.  See you later today!

Come for the films, stay for the events...or come for the events, stay for the films!

The upstairs room in The State Theatre will be transformed into a pub atmosphere this Saturday.  There will be a slew of acts coming in to entertain.

Here's the rundown:

3-4 PM ☘ Red Horse Tavern Session Players

4-4:30 PM ☘ Tir Na Nog School of Dance Performance

4:30-5: PM ☘ The Red Horse Tavern Session Players Ride Again

5-6 PM ☘ Storytelling and Balladeering by Louis Lynch

6-7 PM ☘ Louis Lynch and John Varner, Irish Duo

7-7:30 PM ☘ Dramatic Reading by Tempest Studios

7:30-8:30 PM ☘ The Collins Family, Irish Duo 

8:30-10 PM ☘ Will Mills, Irish Fiddler

And the musical, comical, and poetic stylings of Jay Murphy, authentic Dubliner and publican extraordinaire.

Get Your Tickets!

St. Patrick's Day may be over, but don't put your green away yet!  The Irish Film & Cultural Festival is quickly approaching, kicking off next Saturday at 1 o'clock at The State Theatre.  Get your tickets now (or at the door if you'd prefer)!  Tickets are available at The State Theatre box office or online if you click here!


Ticket Prices:


Festival Pass (the best deal!):  $15, $12 for Students & Seniors
Individual Film: $8, $6 for Students & Seniors


Children under 12 will be admitted for FREE to the first film, The Secret of Roan Inish, showing at 1pm!


Come for some of the festival or stay with us the whole day...everyone is welcome!  See you all in a week. Sláinte!


PS: If you're interested in all things Irish in State College check out this cool article from Town & Gown.

About The Films

For more information and a sneak preview of the films to be shown at the festival, please visit the following blogs, created and run by the students of Dr. O'Hara's English 145:


1 PM - The Secret of Roan Inish http://secretirishflimfestival.blogspot.com/
4 PM - Ondine http://ondine77.blogspot.com/
7 PM - Once http://onceirishfilmfestival.blogspot.com/
9:30 PM - The Commitments http://wegotsoul-auditions.blogspot.com/




Don't forget to stay tuned for updated news & events for the big day!  Sláinte!

Press Release

Irish Film & Cultural Festival to be held on Saturday March 26 at The State Theatre

            In the first event of its kind, the Penn State Irish Society, a student group on campus, will host the Irish Film & Cultural Festival on Saturday, March 26 at The State Theatre. The theme is "Music & Myth," and the day's events will feature four Irish film screenings, children's activities, literary readings, and traditional Irish music and dance. Ticket prices for students and seniors are $6 per film and $12 for a festival pass; for adults, tickets are $8 per film and $15 for a festival pass. Children 12 and under will be admitted for free into the festival's first film, The Secret of Roan Inish.  Kildare's Irish Pub is exclusively sponsoring the festival and will donate a portion of box office and fundraising proceeds to the Penn State English Department and School of Music in support of scholarships and programs to study Irish music, literature and culture.

            The movies will be screened in the main theatre, while The State Theatre's upstairs studio will be transformed into a traditional Irish pub atmosphere, with free entertainment ongoing throughout the day. Kildare's will serve Irish pub fare, and The State Theatre will be importing specialty Irish brews for the occasion.  Kildare's Irish Pub will also host Irish-themed events and offer specials throughout the day to benefit the cause.

            The slate of films reflects the festival theme: The Secret of Roan Inish, showing at 1 PM, treats the Celtic Fringe myth of the selkies, human-seal changelings, in a lovely film for children and adults alike.  Following at 4 PM, Ondine, a 2010 film directed by acclaimed Irish director Neil Jordan and starring Colin Farrell, brings the selkie myth into a contemporary Irish context.  Once, the beloved 2006 film hailed as a modern-day musical, shows at 7 PM.  Set in contemporary Dublin,Once follows the lives of a discouraged Irish busker and a young Eastern European immigrant as they spend the week together composing and recording music that tells their love story.  The Commitments closes out the festival at 9:30 PM.  Set in the late 1980s in a working class Dublin suburb, this rollicking film based on popular Irish writer Roddy Doyle's first novel chronicles the attempts of a motley group of young people to start a soul band.

            The Penn State Irish Society will help to coordinate the day's events along with their faculty advisor's English 145 Modern Irish Literature class. Dr. O'Hara's class will be handling publicity, booking the day's cultural events, creating websites to introduce the films, and hosting discussion sessions after each film. For more information about the Irish Film & Cultural Festival, e-mail PSUIrishFilmFest@gmail.com or Jessica O'Hara at jjo12@psu.edu.