Twenty Years of Show Biz for Irish 'Celtic Woman'

By Bruce Chadwick
originally published: 03/14/2024

Irish entertainment became very popular in the United States about fifteen years ago. A friend of mine's teenage daughter became so fascinated by it that she became an Irish dancer and joined an American company of Irish dancers and performed all over the U.S. Dance and music companies from Ireland have performed to sold out crowds all over America. Each has it its own style of singing and dancing and one if the most successful is the all-female Celtic Woman, which will be at the State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick on Saturday, March 16, 2024.

This year is, in fact, the 20th anniversary of Celtic Woman, which has performed all over the U.S.  to roaring crowds over the years.

“It is a huge milestone for the group,” said Muirgen O’Mahony, one of their lead performers. “No one could have imagined, when we started, the path that the group would take” added O’Mahony, who has been with the group now for ten years.

Celtic Woman does many popular Irish songs, music and dance, but has added a number of musical ballads to give itself a certain uniqueness. The group has also recorded many of its songs in outdoor settings, such as British and American urban parks and squares, giving many of its songs that “outdoor” feel and giving the men and women in it the chance to see interesting places, both here in the U.S. and in Ireland and Europe.

As an example, the group staged one outdoor concert in Bethel Park, New York. That’s where the historic Woodstock concert was held years ago. “Performing there gave us a chance to be a part of American music history,” said O’Mahony.

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At that concert, as at all of their concerts, the performers felt something special. “The joy that we feel at the end of a show is the same all over - it is electric” she said.

O’Mahony, who loves to perform, thinks the group has had a number of important shows in the U.S., of which the event at the State Theatre is one.” “I’ve been here ten years, but some of the people in Celtic Woman have been here since the beginning 20 years ago. They, in particular, are a very dedicated group. They have experienced the joy of performing all this time and continue to do so,” said O’Mahony.

She thinks the secret to the group’s success is not only its 20-year consistency, but it’s changes. “We are the same now and yet we are different,” she said.

She added that the lengthy history of the group has given it strength.

“We (gain) strength not from just our own work, but from all those in the group who came before us,” said O’Mahony, who is from County Cork, Ireland.

She said that two theaters stand out in their 20 years in America.

“Oh, the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. We had a wonderful time there – beautiful theater and great crowds, Also, we did a Christmas Symphony at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, D, C. that was special, too,” she said.

Their audiences, no matter where they perform, seem to be identical.

“I think overall, audiences in Europe and America are the same, although I must say that Americans are far louder. They are…more boisterous.” she said.

The group, which has won dozens of awards over the years (six-time Billboard World Music Group winner) has certainly not written the end of its story. “I wonder what we’ll be like twenty years from now….” Ms. O’Mahony said.

Celtic Woman performs at State Theatre New Jersey (15 Livingston Avenue) in New Brunswick on Saturday, March 16 at 8:00pm. Click here for ticket information.

About the author:

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Bruce Chadwick worked for 23 years as an entertainment writer/critic for the New York Daily News. Later, he served as the arts and entertainment critic for the History News Network, a national online weekly magazine. Chadwick holds a Ph. D in History and Cultural Studies from Rutgers University. He has written 31 books on U.S. history and has lectured on history and culture around the world. He is a history professor at New Jersey City University.

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