Irish Dance Schools and Irish Heritage Organizations in Rochester, NY
Goodwin Irish Dance
Irish dancing classes for children ages 4 and up, with small class sizes and an emphasis on culture, tradition, fitness, and fun. Centrally located with opportunities to participate in annual performances, parades, and other activities!
Young School of Irish Dance 
The Young School of Irish Dance has been operating throughout Western New York since 1997. The school takes great pride in being family owned and operated under the direction of championship dancers Charles Young T.C.R.G., Rachel Young, and Paula Burke. Our dancers have achieved great success competing at local, regional, national, and world competitions. The school has also performed for Dignitaries of State such as Former First Lady Senator Hillary Clinton, and in prestigious productions such as The International Marine Tattoo.
McMahon School of Irish Dance
The McMahon School was established in 2001 by Champion Irish Dancer, Moira McMahon. In 2005, the school started competing in local Feiseanna, Regional, National & World level Competitions; and has brought home numerous awards in solo and team dancing for all levels of Irish dance. It is the McMahon School’s goal to keep Irish culture alive through music and dance and to pass it on to new generations of dancers.
Rochester Academy of Irish Dance
The Rochester Academy of Irish Dance is dedicated to training dancers of all ages from beginner to open champion in traditional and contemporary forms of solo and ceili (group) Irish Dancing. Dancers have opportunities to enjoy Irish dance through dynamic classes, community performances, and/or competitions. As the leading Irish Dance school in Rochester, Rochester Academy is home to numerous world qualifiers and regional/national podium placers including dancers who are now touring professionally. Rachel Burke, Paula Burke, and Kathleen O’Keefe provide unparalleled instruction and work closely with each dancer to help them achieve their personal goals. The school is one big family in which older, more advanced, students help to mentor our younger beginners. Trial classes, showcases, and open houses are held throughout the year.
Rince Na Saor
Since 1997, Rince Na Saor ("rinka na sayer") has provided an alternative to the typical competition-based Irish dance school, offering children and adults the opportunity to learn traditional Irish dance in an environment focused exclusively on recreational students. Rince Na Saor's unique curriculum was developed specifically to meet the needs of the recreational student, which include lower costs, a smaller time commitment, and a more relaxed learning pace.
Drumcliffe School of Irish Dance
The Drumcliffe School of Irish Dance is one of Upstate New York’s premiere dance schools. Since its founding nearly 20 years ago, the Drumcliffe School’s reputation for offering precise dance instruction, combined with creative choreography has attracted both recreational and competitive dancers alike. Over the years, the School has produced dozens of national and international championship solo dancers and teams, while also offering its students the opportunity to dance at more than 100 public performances throughout the year.
Irish Heritage Organizations
St Patrick’s Day Parade
Parade begins at East Ave & Scio Street and ends at Main St & Plymouth Ave. The Celtic Family Faire is a yearly event held during the parade, upstairs at parade headquarters - The Rochester Radisson Riverside. A specific schedule of events will be posted here in the near future but will contain Irish dance, crafts, pipe bands and many other family oriented activities. 100% of all proceeds are donated to a local charity.
Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, Inc. was organized in New York in 1836. It is the oldest Catholic lay organization in the United States. The original organization dates back to the 16th century in Ireland...more
The Ancient Order of Hibernians - Monroe County, NY Division 7 was organized in Rochester, New York in 1896.The Division was organized to assemble Irish Catholic men of the area in a spirit of Brotherhood and to foster a spirit of Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity.
Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians
A Sisterhood of Irish-American, Catholic Women, The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians is a National organization officially recognized in Omaha, Nebraska in 1894 as the "Daughters of Erin."The primary purpose of the Ladies was to protect young immigrant Irish girls coming to the United States, to assist them in securing employment, to give them the opportunity to be with their own kind, and to keep them from becoming homesick and discouraged.
Irish American Cultural Institute
Programs are presented by the Rochester IACI throughout the year and include authors, performers and speakers from Ireland and the United States. A typical set of annual programs includes discussions of Irish literature, theater excursions to Irish plays, movies with Irish themes, and lectures on Irish history.
Irish Children’s Program of Rochester
Since our creation in 1982, The Irish Children's Program of Rochester has sponsored the visitation of an equal number of Catholic and Protestant children trom Belfast, Northern Ireland to the greater Rochester area each summer. We hope to foster our guiding principal of "peace through understanding."
Our program has touched the lives of generations of Northern Irish and their American host families. The bonds that are made between the two last a lifetime and provide the seeds for more tolerant generations to come.
Rochester Celtic Festival
Our Mission is to provide a cultural celebration of the Irish culture. This is a very family friendly event and the proceeds of the festival are being split between 3 participating Irish organizations: The AOH, The St. Pats parade committee, and The Irish Children’s Program.
Music will be joined with food, vendors, performances from local Irish dance schools, awards, and other activities – a mass will be held at St. Mary’s church at 4pm Saturday night and a small parade will march people back to the festival site.
Rochester Irish Arts
rochesteririsharts.comOur mission is to preserve and nurture the heritage of Irish traditional music and dance in the Rochester, by organizing classes, concerts and other events; through public outreach; and by presenting Rochester Irish Arts Week, a yearly week-long gathering of learners and teachers of Irish traditional music.
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (Rochester Irish Musician's Association)
CCE, also known locally as the Rochester Irish Musician's Association is a branch of a larger non-profit cultural movement dedicated to preserving and promoting Irish traditional music and dance.
We host weekly music clubs, sessions of varying levels, ceili dance workshops and more.
Upcoming St. Patrick's Day Events listed here
