Irish Culture Society of Virginia Works to Preserve Irish Heritage Through Dance, History, and Public Memorials

The Irish Culture Society of Virginia is working to keep Irish heritage visible, meaningful, and alive across the Commonwealth through cultural programs, public art, and historical education.

The organization is a designated IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its board of directors and advisors serve as volunteers, and the group operates without a central office or paid staff. Its mission is to promote Irish culture and traditions while honoring Irish and Irish American historic figures through lasting public memorials.

“We promote Irish culture and traditions and honor Irish and Irish American historic figures with visible, tactile memorials,” said Bill Halpin, president of the Irish Culture Society of Virginia.

One of the society’s recent efforts has focused on Irish dance in Fredericksburg. After the Muggivan School closed in 2024, a group of young Irish dancers was left without a program. Halpin said the society worked with their parents to help rebuild an Irish dance association in the area.

Now, the Butke Irish Dance School in Warrenton is providing an instructor and the operational support needed to help the group move forward. The ensemble is expected to perform publicly for the first time during Irish American Heritage Month and Virginia’s VA250 commemorations.

The society has also worked to honor Irish contributions to early American history. On Dec. 6, 2025, the organization delivered and dedicated a bronze raised-relief sculpture honoring Colonel John Fitzgerald, an 18th-century Irish emigrant who became a major figure in Alexandria and the American Revolution.

Fitzgerald was an entrepreneur, civic leader, and mayor of Alexandria. He was also a Revolutionary War hero who was wounded while serving as George Washington’s aide-de-camp. He later helped found the first Catholic parish in Virginia.

“The list of Fitzgerald’s accomplishments is long,” Halpin said, noting that historians often point to Fitzgerald’s role in helping protect Washington’s command by exposing the Conway Cabal.

The society’s next major project is planned for Fredericksburg and will honor the Irish Brigade, one of the most storied units of the Civil War. The brigade fought in every major Army of the Potomac campaign and became especially remembered for its courage during the Battle of Fredericksburg.

As the brigade prepared to assault Marye’s Heights, its commander reminded the troops that “the Americans are watching us today.”

For Halpin and the society, that moment carries meaning beyond the battlefield. The proposed memorial would recognize the valor and sacrifice of Irish immigrants who fought for the United States after escaping hardship and famine in Ireland.

The planned life-size bronze statue would depict an Irish Brigade infantryman. Organizers say it would help tell the story of how the brigade’s service challenged prejudice and showed that Irish immigrants, fighting alongside native-born American soldiers, were loyal Americans.

“The Brigade’s action dispelled prejudices and proved the Irish, fighting side-by-side with native-born U.S. soldiers, were true and loyal Americans,” Halpin said.

At present, the Irish Brigade is marked in Fredericksburg by a small, flat marker located in a less prominent area of town. The society hopes a full-size bronze statue will give the brigade’s story a more visible and accessible place in the community’s public history.

The estimated cost of the statue is about $135,000.

Through its work, the Irish Culture Society of Virginia seeks to connect the past and the present. Its projects highlight the role Irish immigrants and Irish Americans played in shaping Virginia and the nation, while also supporting living traditions such as music, dance, and community storytelling.

For Halpin and the society’s volunteers, the goal is not only to remember history but to make it visible for future generations.