Bunratty Castle, County Clare, Ireland.
 
The Ladies of the Irish Cultural Centre will hold their annual High Tea and Spring Fashion Show at the Centre on Sunday, April 21st at 2pm. The fashion show will be dedicated to Margaret Geraghty this year, a longtime member and supporter of the ICC whose assistance was a great part of fashion shows past. Each year, the fashion show features a designer, jewelry, and a central theme for the room’s décor. Past themes have included “Notable Irish Women” such as Maude Gonne and Catherine Hayes, and the “Claddagh Ring” symbolizing love, loyalty, and friendship. This year’s theme is “Castles of Ireland”, spotlighting 17 of Ireland’s most breathtaking castles and their home counties. Dressbarn and Silpada Jewelers have graciously offered their clothing and jewelry services for the show’s usage.
 
The afternoon will begin with a selection of tea, scones, assorted lunch items, and desserts as mimosas for those interested. After appetites have been satisfied, the models will begin showcasing this spring’s latest designs. Friends of the ICC may spot some familiar faces amongst the models: Gertrude Doherty, Jane McGuire, Lorraine White, Sarah Joyce, Hannah Lapuck, and Lauren Lapuck will represent the Centre this year. Throughout the afternoon, raffle tickets will be available for purchase, with prizes available for the winners! Prizes may include a coveted free entry into the Boston Irish Festival held June 7, 8, and 9th 2013
 
Ireland is home to hundreds of castles, with some estimates putting the number at well over 500. Castles includes earth and timber castles, in addition to the more familiar stone castles common throughout Ireland. Fashion show attendees will be assigned a table with a corresponding castle name and handout detailing its history. Bunratty Castle, Ross Castle, Ashford Castle, and Birr Castle are a few of the castles represented in this year’s show—17 in all. Did you know that Hollywood luminaries such as Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Greta Garbo once vacationed at Glenveagh Castle, located in Glenveagh National Park in Co. Donegal? Or that Enniscorthy Castle in Co. Wexford is one of the longest inhabited castles in Ireland, having been built in the 1230s? Co. Cork holds the record for most castles in Ireland, however, and with Dublin and Clare coming in a close second and third. Many of Ireland’s castles have been restored from ruins into livable, modernized hotels that have become popular with visiting tourists from around the world.
 
Tickets for the High Tea and Spring Fashion show are $25 and are available for purchase by calling the ICC at 781-821-8291. Tables of 8 or 10 are available for reservation upon request. This event tends to sell out in advance, so we advise you to purchase your tickets early!