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On Sept. 23-25, downtown Bethlehem will again come alive with all things Celtic as we host the 35th Annual Celtic Classic. 35 years! How is that possible? And yet it’s true. For 35 years, Bethlehem has celebrated the Celtic culture through various activities, competitions, music, food, performances, and crafts. From the beginning, Donegal Square has […]

Lughnasadh: Start of the Harvest Season In the Celtic year, August 1 is the holiday of Lughnasadh (pronounced loo-NAS-ah), also known as Lammas Day or Loaf Mass Day. Set between the summer (Litha) and the fall equinox (Mabon) during ancient times, Lughnasadh was, and still is, one of the most joyful festivals. In addition to […]

Celtic Classic and the Braemar Gathering Muiskfest hath ended. And now, here at Donegal Square and McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub, we have our eyes set on the next great festival in the city of Bethlehem- CELTIC CLASSIC! This festival is a weekend of celtic fun- featuring many traditions from each of the celtic nations. It […]

LET’S ‘FEST, LADS AND LASSIES! It is the most anticipated two weeks of the year. Besides Christmas, it is the city of Bethlehem’s claim to fame. It is time for MUSIKFEST! “The Best Music Festival in North America” according to USA Today, and certainly the largest, Musikfest, established in 1984, hosts hundreds of thousands of […]

Another month, another celtic ritual! Welcome, lads and lassies, to today’s Celtic history lesson. This month of August marks the pagan holiday Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah), also known as Lammas. This feast day is in and of itself a feast of history, folklore, and rituals. Lammas is derived from an Old-English word that means “loaf mass”. […]

Orangemen’s Day: The Orange and the Green As the 12th of July approaches, we at Donegal Square reflect on Irish history and what “The Twelfth” means to us.  “The Twelfth” is known as “Orangemen’s Day”. But…what is Orangemen’s Day? Some of you reading this may know that the answer to that is a little complicated. […]

BLOOMSDAY Ireland is home to some of the greatest creative minds in the history of the Western World. I’m talkin’ Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and William Butler Yeats, just to name a few. The legendary Irishman I would like to tell you about today is named James Joyce. Ireland is so proud of this guy […]

ST JOHN’S EVE  Tonight is the night, beloved readers! Tonight is St John’s Eve. For those of you who are not familiar with this Celtic tradition, today’s post will equip you with all the knowledge needed to recreate your own St. John’s Eve, if you so choose. Get ready to leap over open flames and […]

Summer is here, lads and lassies! Donegal Square and McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub are excited to be a part of “Tunes at Twilight”, happening every Thursday this summer through July 22nd. Hosted by the Downtown Bethlehem Association, “Tunes” has undergone a renovation post-pandemic. Instead of live music every Thursday in the Sun Inn courtyard alone, […]