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Mark your calendars for the 2009 Northeast Louisiana Celtic Festival! Join us the weekend of October 24-25 for the first festival of its kind and what has fast become one of the most popular festivals in the state.  Rich in music, art, dance, food, storytelling, athletics and more, the festival attracts not only world class artists, but visitors from near and far.  This community- and visitor-friendly festival has it all!

If there is a wee bit of Irish, Scottish, or Welsh in your family tree, you’re part of the fun loving people known as the “Celts” and in Louisiana you’re not alone.  “Over 70% of the Louisiana population has some genetic link to the Celtic line,” says festival founder Enoch “Doyle” Jeter. “Having a Celtic festival in Northeast Louisiana celebrates who we are.”

The heart of the festival is music, but around every corner there will be something new to discover.  See or participate in a sanctioned Highland Games competition, exhibitions of traditional piping, drumming and dancing, as well as workshops on Celtic language, instruments and genealogy.  The Celtic Children’s Pavilion features educational and fun games and crafts as well as performances by professional storytellers, musicians and dancers.  Food and beverage offerings include authentic Celtic tastes such as festival favorites, Scotch eggs and Guinness beer.  And then there’s the music.  Dozens of bands and artists are scheduled for the two day event and perform everything from traditional Celtic folk music, through the ages and exploring its vast influence, to modern Celtic rock. Whether you’re a “local,” a weekend traveler, or even a visitor from afar, we promise you’ll feel right at home. A great experience is guaranteed for all!

Letter From the Mayor

Dear Friends,

I am very pleased to welcome one of Louisiana’s premiere events - the Northeast Louisiana Celtic Festival - to the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe.  This venue brings an exciting combination of authentic Celtic music, food, and activities into one of North Louisiana’s finest all-weather venues.  The Ike is easily accessed off of I-20, with ample on-site parking for everyone and surrounded by restaurants, hotels and shopping.

Bring the whole family and enjoy a weekend of authentic celebration of the Celtic heritage.

I look forward to seeing you in October.

~ Mayor Dave Norris

Founder's Statement

Since St. Patrick’s Day in 1980, Enoch's Irish Pub has presented live music, especially Irish music, to North Louisiana.  It had always been our dream to promote a festival that celebrated our area, particularly our shared Celtic heritage.  In 2005, the Northeast Louisiana Celtic Festival was born and has grown tremendously. We've had a lot of help getting to this point, and I thank each and every person who has contributed to the cause! 

As founder of the festival, I am constantly asked why we feel a Celtic festival should be held in Northeast Louisiana.  More often than not, this question is asked by someone who has grown up in our region, and who has a surname like Kelley, Murphy, Collins, Whatley, McKeithen, Riley or Sullivan! My stock answer is: “Have you ever looked in a local phone book or visited one of the cemeteries in our area? Are you not aware, man, that your name is Irish?!"  After a bit of ribbing, I go on to explain that over 70% of our area can claim Scots-Irish, Irish, or Welsh heritage, and that Northeast Louisiana was actually listed on an 1851 map as "Celtic Louisiana."  Historically, folklorists list us as "Scots-Irish Louisiana," and we’re darned proud of it! A visit to a family cemetery in our region could amaze anyone with just the amount of Irish names found on the tombstones.   In Monroe, Louisiana, for example, one would discover a small cemetery on Highway 80, near the University of Louisiana at Monroe, which was once located on the Old Limerick Plantation. Within the fence of this cemetery, one would find no fewer than three graves marked with "Born in Ireland", "Born in County Galway", and "Born in County Mayo".  The County Mayo marker belongs to General John Hughes, born 1776, the first sheriff of the newly formed Ouachita Parish, circa 1812.

It is gratifying to see so many folks get turned on to their heritage via these conversations. Inevitably, they call us or drop by the pub to tell us stories they had forgotten about their grandparents or great-grandparents, the expressions they used, and the tales they’d tell. Most of them quickly find out, with a little digging, that a majority of the plantations in our region were owned by early Irish and Scots-Irish Settlers.   Names like Kilbourne, Kilarney, McMillan, Curry, Innisfail, Iona, Sligo, Armagh, Antrim, Kilbourne, and Limerick Plantations attest to this. Towns and Settlements with names like Cairn, Loch Auman, Kelly, Tullos, Kilpatrick, O’Hara’s Switch, Armagh, Harrisonburg, and so many others offer more proof of the love these early settlers had for the old country and the love they had for their adopted lands. 

One of the goals of our festival is to catalog more information on our early pioneers, their language, farming techniques, music, religion, dance, and love for the lands they left behind.   We will continue to celebrate the rich culture of our ancestors and the land they adopted so long ago. With your continued help, this will be a lifetime project, and surely will be the thrill of a lifetime.  To find out more about the Northeast Louisiana Celtic Festival, you are welcome to explore the pages of our Web site.  Or, if you just want to chat, stop by the pub.  I'm always good for a pint!

Cheers,
Enoch Doyle Jeter