By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

The sounds of the Emerald Isle will be spreading from glen to glen the month of March, with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations planned all over the region so that those with green blood and those without can celebrate the music and culture of the country.

The big event annually is the Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which takes place in Corktown, this year set for Sunday, March 14; it has been sponsored by the United Irish Societies for more than 50 years.

Corktown is significant to the Irish population because it was home to many early arriving immigrants, and it gets its nickname from the region in Ireland from where many hailed.

The event is an all-day affair, with the parade as the focus, but celebrations take place at local bars and restaurants, including the Gaelic League, a private club that opens its doors to the public for this special day.

“The founders of the Irish American Club of Detroit were Irish immigrants, and they thought that establishing this facility would help the immigrants incorporate themselves into the American way of life,” said Jesse Anaya of Livonia, treasurer of the organization. “Now, with less and less Irish immigrants coming to America, we need to maintain that culture here — to give (those who are here) a sense of belonging.”

Among those performing at the Gaelic League during the event and also on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, is Lynne Reid of Windsor, who plays the harp and the keyboard with The House Party. She is also a member of the Celtic Harpers of Detroit.

“It’s going to be a variety,” Reid said. “We do medleys of Irish music, and then we have people who sing. We’re getting some dancers to dance to the music, too. It’s a combination of singing and dancing and music.”

On the other side of town, Michigan’s own Irish band Blackthorn will be performing three shows at the Farmington Players Barn at 7:30 p.m. on March 11, 12 and 13 in Farmington Hills, among other planned stops.

“We’re so lucky to have Blackthorn perform — it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without them,” said Nancy Coumoundouros, cultural arts supervisor for the city of Farmington Hills. “It’s quite a gift, because they’re one of the highest in-demand bands in the state, if not the most. The great thing about Blackthorn is that they’re not only great Irish music performers, but they’re real entertainers. They do quite a mix of Celtic music — traditional music, but also fun-filled songs, bar songs. They interact with the audience like no other band I’ve seen. Everybody just has a great time.”

The barn seats about 230 people, and interested concert-goers are encouraged to buy tickets ahead of time, $19 for adults and $17 for students and senior citizens, by calling (248) 473-1848.

“Some of their pieces are haunting melodies, and they just make you tingle,” Coumoundouros said. “And then other times they’re very funny, very energetic jigs and reels. It’s always entertaining. You can tell that they love what they’re doing; they love playing at the bar; and people always walk away with a smile on their face.”

Mick Gavin, 64, of Redford, will be performing with his band, Crossroads Ceili, at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Westland, which is hosting an Irish festival 3 p.m.-midnight on St. Patrick’s Day. A fiddler, Gavin also teaches lessons to interested musicians through the Detroit Irish Music Association, and has worked in Birmingham and Troy, he said.

“We have a lot of young people learning fiddle,” he said, adding that the association also provides lessons for the accordion, penny whistle and guitar. “We have more young people playing Irish music now more than ever before. … It’s very nationalistic. It’s very emotional. It’s also very energetic, and it has a heartbeat.”

For more information about the Detroit Irish Music Association, visit www.detroitima.org.

For more information about The House Party or the Celtic Harpers of Detroit, visit www.detroitirish.org.

For more information about the Detroit St. Patrick’s Day parade, visit www.detroitstpatricksparade.com.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennie Miller at jmiller@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1108.