For more than 30 years, area Irish knew that to get their Celtic on, there was just one place to go: Baltimore's Irish Festival.
But this year it's an embarrassment of riches and quite possibly a dollop of confusion as two fests laying claim to the title of Baltimore's official celebration set up shop within two months.
There's the Baltimore Irish Festival. And there's the Irish Festival in Baltimore City.
FOR THE RECORD - An article in Monday's editions about Baltimore's Irish festivals incorrectly identified who gave the following quotes:
"I just don't get it. Baltimore City stops at Gittings Road to the north. Where's the other festival? Timonium. It's as simple as that."
"Why don't they call theirs the Maryland State Fair Irish Festival? I don't understand that."
Those comments were made by Deputy Mayor Dominick Murray.
The Sun regrets the errors.
One is established but no longer happening in the city proper. The other is smack on the waterfront, but with no history.
One boasts the Web address www.irishfestival.com. The other claims www.baltimoreirish fest.com. Both sites feature one particular Irish mayor rocking out, green guitar in hand, with his namesake band.
So which is which? What's what? And why are some folks in such a snit over the situation that they're flinging accusations and Irish literary quotes through cyberspace at one another?
"I don't know what the impetus is for either side but it will certainly confuse people," says Darby Simmons, a past president of Baltimore's St. Patrick's Day parade. He adds with a laugh: "I'll go to both though."
How did Baltimore wind up with two celebrations?
The organizers of Baltimore's longtime Irish festival, Irish Charities of Maryland, decided that for reasons of space and economics they were moving to the Maryland State Fairgrounds, a few miles beyond the city's northernmost limits. They kept the Baltimore Irish Festival name but gave up the traditional September weekend, settling for a November date.
Meanwhile in Baltimore, where officials such as Mayor Martin O'Malley take their Irish festival bragging rights seriously, they weren't about to go without. So Deputy Mayor Dominick Murray, a Celtic musician in his own right, launched the Irish Festival in Baltimore City, which will be in Canton this month.
When the dust cleared, the original festival had lost its place to the new one as the official Irish event for the city's well-advertised Showcase of Nations. And the new shindig replaced the original as the place to spot the now-elusive mayoral music vehicle O'Malley's March.
Harry Bosk, who did the original festival's public relations, is left scratching his head. Having another celebration that comes first with nearly the same name and premise isn't helpful. He's taken to sending out festival e-mail with the subject line "the other Irish Festival."
