A Half Century of Service to the Irish in Wisconsin
The Shamrock Club is the oldest and largest Irish American membership organization in the State of Wisconsin. It was founded on March 17, 1960, in Milwaukee. Currently, there are chapters in Milwaukee, South Central, Dane County, New London, and Lafayette County. Statewide chapters hold monthly meetings, organize St. Patrick's Day parades, change the city of New London to New Dublin for the week, raise the flag over the State Capitol, as well as other Irish related activities. Our chapters are involved in fund-raising and have donated thousands of dollars to numerous causes over the past four decades. Membership includes the printed version of our monthly publication,the Emerald Reflections. Our website - http://shamrockclubwis.com , our parade site, http://www.saintpatricksparade.org , our Facebook site, http://en-us.facebook.com/people/Milwaukee_Shamrock/15276143 84 , or our Bebo site, http://www.bebo.com/shamrockc5
The Shamrock Club has been a part of Milwaukee's cultural life since 1960. What had started out as a desire to sharer our Irish life in a city dominated by German and Polish culture has helped to change the landscape of Irish life in the United States. We also instituted charter flights to Ireland in the 1960's, giving Irish-americans a chance to see a country that their ancestors had left generations earlier.
The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin had a hand in what has become much of the bedrock institutions of Wisconsin and the Midwest. Some of the highlights of the past half-century have been:
Charter Flights to Ireland - 1962
Irish Dance in Wisconsin -Shamrock Club Dancers- 1966- Founded by Nina Nash Robertson, succeeded by Mary Eileen Geary
Saint Patrick's Day Parade - 1967
Easter Rising Mass - 1969Irish Studies Scholarships - 1974
Milwaukee Irish Fest - 1978
Mass in Honor of Saint Patrick - 1984
Irish Cultural and Heritage Center - 1990
Milwaukee's Original Green Tie Affair 1994
Celtic Women International - 1996
Other groups we have given funding to include the Milwaukee Hurling Club - Yearly Team Sponsorship - the Griffins Milwaukee Celtic Soccer Club - Yearly Team Sponsorship Glencastle Irish Dancers Milwaukee Feis Kinsella School of Irish Dance Milwaukee Gaelic League
As The Shamrock Club enters its fiftieth year, we are still a strong and vibrant organization. We are a sponsor of the Milwaukee Irish Fest Gaeltacht each year. We have given $25,000 in our Irish Studies scholarships sincde 1974.
Join our celebration of Irish American life - join the Shamrock Club.