Irish and Celtic concert and dance performances tonight

SUSSEX - Sussex County Community College’s “Thursdays on the Green” music series continues tonight, July 23 with Irish and Celtic music with performances by Ian Gallagher Duo, Kerry Dance NY, McElligott School of Irish Dance and Niamh Ni Charra and the Riverdance Alumni. The free concert series has been a summer tradition for hundreds of Sussex County residents for seven years. Ian Gallagher Duo will take the stage from 6:30 to 7 p.m. performing traditional Irish folk songs. At 7 p.m., Kerry Dance NY and McElligott School of Dance will perform traditional Irish/Celtic step dancing. Niamh Ni Charra and the Riverdance Alumni will begin at 7:30 p.m. Hailing from Killarney, County Kerry in the southwest of Ireland, Ni Charra had support gigs for The Chieftains, and Noel Hill under her belt before she reached her teens. She followed this with recordings for Irish radio and television, and performances with Riverdance. With Riverdance, she toured Europe, Asia and North America. Ni Charra performed with Riverdance until December 2005. Since then, she has been working as a freelance musician and teaching both fiddle and concertina. Each of the performances in the concert series will be held on the Connor Green or in the Lakeland Bank Pavilion. A dance floor has been added this year to the front of the stage and guests are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs. Refreshments are available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds benefiting scholarships at the ollege as well as a 50/50 drawing which was introduced last season. The show goes on rain or shine. Shuttle buses will be available in the parking lots to Connor Green during each performance as well as Handicap Parking on Connor Green. Call 973-300-2360 for more information.