Dane County Shamrock Club
*Social *Cultural *Charitable
We welcome everyone to join us in celebration of our Irish roots and the love we have for our culture and history of our ancestors.
3rd Annual Essay Contest Open
Any 4th or 5th grader in Dane County is very welcome to submit their creative work for our annual essay contest, which runs through February 19, 2026.
The prompt is: Write a story set at one of Ireland's natural wonders, Giant's Causeway. The fictional story may relate to the landmark's origins, its unique geology, or any adventure you imagine happening there.
Be original and create your own story with a beginning, middle, and end that's less than 500 words. The top two writers will win cash prizes of $75 and $50 (respectively) and will be honored at our club's Flag Raising Ceremony at the State Capitol on March 15, 2026 at 12 noon.
Irish Person of the Year 2026
Steve Goldberg is our 2026 Irish Person of the Year. Congratulations to him!
Steve Goldberg
Steve Goldberg is not Irish, but he qualifies as our Irish Person of the Year for his steadfast and generous support of the Dane County Shamrock Club and his love for Irish dance and song. Steve’s stepmother was Irish (Patricia McKenney) and she raised him to embrace the magic of Irish song, music, and dance. Little did she know that Steve would learn more than 60 Irish songs and dance every year at Milwaukee IrishFest for more than 25 years.
Steve is a longtime, active member of the Dane County Shamrock Club. He attends most of the Club’s events, participates in the Shamrock Book Club, and dreams of going to Ireland for TradFest someday.
Steve lives in downtown Madison with his partner, Toni Sikes, whom he met at an Irish music concert. It was love at first dance! When he’s not dancing, he’s helping school districts throughout Wisconsin raise money for their student mental health programs.
Recent Events
We held our annual Christmas Party at Vintage on Whitney Way on Sunday 12/7 with about 35 people in attendance. Nollaig shona!
We had a book club discussion of John Banville's The Sea (quite a mixed reaction!) on Wednesday 11/12 at the Gallagher house.
We co-hosted a planetarium show at Memorial High School in Madison on Tuesday 10/28
The show was titled "Skies Over Ireland."
We hosted a céilí dance at the East Side Club in Madison on Thursday 10/16 from 7-9:30 pm
Music was provided by The Currach and our caller was Heidi Hakseth.
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Become a member today!
Membership to the Dane County Shamrock Club includes a monthly newsletter and an invitation to all of our events, including our annual St. Patrick's Day Dinner and Celebration, Flag-Raising Ceremony at the State Capitol, marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Half-Way to St. Patrick's Day celebration, Summer Picnic, and various other events throughout the year!