The Georgetown Irish American Society (GUIAS), a student group dedicated to celebrating Irish culture, will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with an Irish dance showcase March 17. 

GUIAS’s Irish Dance Team, a branch of the club, participates in global Irish dance competitions, sending dancers last spring to compete in the All Scotland Championships competition in Glasgow, Scotland. The team’s members will perform twice at neighborhood restaurant Martin’s Tavern for the holiday. 

Margaret Hartigan (CAS ’24), president of GUIAS, said the holiday presents the opportunity to share her Irish ancestry and favorite traditions with her friends on the Hilltop.

“To me, St. Patrick’s Day is a time to celebrate my Irish heritage, listen to Irish music (Tell Me Ma and Rattlin’ Bog are some favorites), and do some dancing,” Hartigan wrote to The Hoya. “It’s also a time to share the things I love about Irish American culture with others — it’s a time to teach others a jig or two and spend time with my teammates on the Irish dance team.”

Meghan McGorty (CAS ’26), co-social chair for GUIAS and co-choreographer of the Irish Dance Team, said that campus appreciation of Irish dancing has enriched her Georgetown experience. 

“I grew up Irish dancing and a ton of my classmates and friends had no Irish heritage at all,” McGorty wrote to The Hoya. “I love that Georgetown brings all students together to celebrate and students can (and should) get involved in whatever way they find most fun and enjoyable.”

In the past GUIAS has celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in a variety of ways, including selling green spirit gear and booking the Irish Dance team for club events. 

Hartigan said that this year’s celebration of St. Patrick’s Day involves a host of dance performances throughout the weekend, but centers around the dance team’s performance on St. Patrick’s Day at Martin’s Tavern.

“This year, we will be dancing at various informal events throughout the day on Saturday, and performing at Martin’s on Sunday at 6:30 and 9 p.m., so I encourage students in the area to come watch us dance,” Hartigan said.

McGorty said that St. Patrick’s Day is poignant for Irish Americans such as herself because it marks a day of visibility for the community on campus.

“I feel especially seen during the holiday at Georgetown because I’m known for being on the dance team, I wear Irish jewelry, and I tell a lot of people about my background dancing,” McGorty wrote.

Hartigan said that, although St. Patrick’s Day is particularly enjoyable for the members of GUIAS, the club does not limit their celebration to the Irish American community, as Irish heritage is not a requirement for celebrating Irish culture.

“Anyone can come to our events, regardless of whether they have Irish heritage!” Hartigan wrote.

Shrutha Venkatesan (SFS ’26) does not have Irish ancestry but said that she enjoys celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, as it represents the strength of the Georgetown community.

“It’s so cool to me that we all collectively come together to celebrate a different culture in such a unique way,” Venkatesan wrote to The Hoya. “I love to see how committed everyone is.” 

While St. Patrick’s Day marks GUIAS’s most notable event, the society also hosts Irish Dance workshops with dancers of all experience levels.

Hartigan said that the club also hosts a wide range of events beyond dance showcases and workshops.

“In the past, the Irish dance team has performed at Martin’s Tavern, tabled in Red Square, and done performances at various events throughout campus, including GAAP weekend events,” Hartigan wrote. “We’ve also hosted ‘Tea and TV’ events (during which we drink tea, eat snacks, and watch Derry Girls) and put together trivia events.”

Hartigan said that regardless of how students celebrate or their Irish ancestry, St. Patrick’s Day festivities are open to all.

“I often say that you don’t need to have Irish ancestry to be Irish — you just need to be Irish in your heart,” Hartigan said.