By Carroll College hosted Irish Night on April 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Lower Cube, bringing students and the Helena community together for an evening of Irish culture, food and debate.
The event featured a performance by the Tiernan Irish Dancers, trivia competitions and a debate between visiting Irish champions and Carroll’s Talking Saints.
Activities began with a short arrival period from 6 to 6:15 p.m., followed by the dance performance from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. Irish trivia took place from 7 to 7:15 p.m., leading into the main debate from 7:15 to 9 p.m., with an additional trivia round between segments.
Kimber Koetekey is a freshman from Great Falls, Montana, and one of the lead planners of the event.
“Irish Night is meant to be a fun midweek break for students and the community,” organizers said. “It’s a chance to enjoy Irish culture, food and conversation.”
The event is part of a national tour featuring Irish Times debate champions, who are visiting nine colleges across the country. Carroll College was selected as one of the stops on the tour.
Kimber stated her planning for Irish Night began at the start of the spring semester in Brent Northup’s Event Planning class. Students were divided into four groups, each responsible for coordinating different aspects of the event.
“We worked together to make sure every part of the night came together,” she said.
Organizers said the event relied heavily on volunteer support, including assistance with housing, decorations and meals. Students said the event was educational and meaningful to those of Irish heritage.
Despite having no formal budget, organizers said the event came together successfully through community support.
“There really wasn’t a set budget.” Koetekey said. “A lot of it depended on volunteers and contributions to make it happen.”
Throughout the evening, the students and community guests had the opportunity to meet visiting students from Ireland, enjoy traditional food and refreshments, and connect with others in a welcoming environment.
Jose Vasquez, a junior business management and marketing major attended Irish Night just for educational purposes of learning and new culture.
“It was incredible and I love the music and dancing. It reminds me of home,” Vasquez said.
