01 July 2009

Fort Benton honors Irish hero at festival

From The Irish Emigrant Online: http://www.irishemigrant.com/ie/go.asp?p=story&storyID=4612

FORT BENTON, Mont. – Fort Benton’s Summer Celebration will take on a new Irish theme this year in honor of the dedication of the city’s latest statue; a $40,000 bronze bust of Thomas Francis Meagher, Montana’s Irish former governor and Civil War hero.

The festival begins Friday night with a performance by the Montana Agricultural Center of "The Coroner's Inquest Into the Death of Thomas Francis Meagher," a play based on a book by Paul Wylie that attempts to solve the mystery surrounding Meagher’s death.

Saturday will be a day full of Irish dancing, foodstuffs and bars serving exclusively Guinness. The festivities will conclude with the statue dedication ceremony at 1 pm on Sunday.

Local band the Shamrockers will perform all weekend long, and even wrote a new song specifically for the beloved Meagher.

The green theme is expected to draw the biggest crowd the Fort Benton Celebration has seen yet.

1 comment:

t_mork said...

Fort Benton Historian,

I appreciate seeing blogs such as your's even though I am away from my Home State of Montana! Keep up the great work you are doing in the Fort Benton community and such! I wish I could do more as far as community involvement, but I will have to settle to learning more about my State until I return.

I would love to get involved and if you know of any way that would be possible, please let me know!

Trevor

Feel free to check out my blog as well, www.bigskymtimages.com