About Us
The Irish Cultural Society of Arkansas (ICSA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, public service organization founded in December 1995 to educate Arkansans in aspects of the culture and history of Ireland. The Society provides Irish food and objects of Irish art for folk festivals and fairs, provides concerts of Irish music and dance, and participates in community service programs and events – all in an effort to reconnect Arkansans with their Irish heritage.
The ICSA was originally founded by a group of Irish nationals, many of whom had immigrated to Arkansas during the nursing shortage of the 1980s. Recruited by area hospitals, nurses from Ireland and Great Britain came to Arkansas originally intending to work here a few years and return to their homeland. Instead they married and settled in Little Rock and began to raise families.
As their children grew, they realized the importance of passing on their Irish culture and heritage to their American-born children. Together with their Irish-American friends, they formed the Irish Cultural Society of Arkansas.
Our Mission
• To develop and further enhance local interest in the culture of Ireland and its people.
• To publicize the presence of an active Irish community in the Little Rock area.
• To reacquaint Arkansans of Irish descent with their culture and ethnic history.
• To familiarize the general public with the culture of the Irish people and the richness of their contribution to America
The Irish Cultural Society of Arkansas Committee
Eimear Fuller, President & Parade Committee Co-Chairman – eimear.fuller@irisharkansas.org
Nikki Murphy, Vice President & Promotions Chair – nikki.murphy@irisharkansas.org
Gerri Spillane, Secretary – gerri.spillane@irisharkansas.org
Fiona Huston, Treasurer – fiona.huston@irisharkansas.org
Keith Melton, Public Relations Chair – info@irisharkansas.org
Tim Ryan, Parade Committee Chairman – tim.ryan@irisharkansas.org
Community Outreach
The Irish Cultural Society of Arkansas is best known as the organizer of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock. However, in addition to promoting Irish culture and history to the people of central Arkansas, the Society also volunteers time, effort, and resources to various organizations, charities, and causes in the area including:
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
Arkansas Department of Career Education
Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN)
Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission
Arkansas Rice Depot
Central Arkansas Library System
Children’s Protection Center
National Marrow Donor Program
North Texas Irish Festival
Salvation Army Central Arkansas