Families and friends of the Irish Social Club of Boston at 119 Park St. in West Roxbury came together on St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate their Irish heritage and community. This celebration, which used to charge a $10 admission, was open for free to everyone who entered the club’s doors, which appeared to create a welcoming atmosphere for the night.

Club president Sean Staunton, a member of the club for 45 years, and event organizers positioned the celebration as an alternative to pubs by having no cover charge for attendees.

“People can come and go as they want,” he said.

Additionally, the day’s celebration contained two separate events: One from 2-6 p.m. that was geared towards families with children, and an evening event from 6-10 p.m. that was attended by people of all ages and backgrounds.

Attendees celebrated in the club’s main hall, which was decorated with green tablecloths, shamrock centerpieces, and shamrock wall decorations. Additionally, the four-person Black Velvet Band played live music to encourage attendees to dance on the floor in front of the dining area. Guests enjoyed drinks from the in-club pub, and several tables shared pizzas with each other.

West Roxbury residents Julie Moran and Kathy Kelly, appreciated the family-friendly atmosphere.

“I have two daughters, aged two and seven,” noted Moran. Both said they appreciated the opportunity to celebrate among like-minded people and other families. Kelly and Moran later took their children to the dance floor to join in a group dance as the band played traditional music and covers of more modern songs.

The celebration inspired other attendees to celebrate their heritage, such as Deirdre Madden of West Roxbury.

“St. Patrick’s Day to me means a celebration of Irish heritage,” Madden said. Madden noted she reinforced this idea with her family during the celebration as she and her friend Erin Voght of Roslindale enjoyed the festivities with their families.

Another attendee, Kevin Connelly of West Roxbury, added he enjoys socializing with others and hearing family stories that emphasize connections with the community on St. Patrick’s Day.

“People share where in Ireland they and their family are from.”

Kevin also noted that these stories reinforce values of hard work and a positive outlook to listeners.

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“St. Patrick’s Day is the marquee event in West Roxbury. Other events celebrate different counties of Ireland, but the social group locally is here in West Roxbury,” he added.

Other attendees were curious about the celebration and visited the club, such as Lydia Leech of West Roxbury, who said she was very impressed with the event and gave it a “10/10” due to its friendly atmosphere, dancing, and “great drinks from the bar.” Leech, along with friend Mosey Connelly, also found the event reminded her of why she’s proud to be Irish.

Mosey noted, “Irish people are gritty, tough and strong in Massachusetts.”

As the St. Patrick’s Day celebration was held on a school night, the families with children left the social club, but the spirit of the celebration lived on as attendees remained to dance on the floor. However, the adults hope they inspired their children to continue the club’s celebrations into the future.

“The kids are the future of the club,” noted Staunton.

The afternoon celebration aligned nicely with after-school schedules for families. Kelly also said that in the afternoon celebration, children were running around the dance floor.

“The younger generation will be brought in because of community,” she added. “It’s important to keep the next generation coming back.”

Learn more about the Irish Social Club of Boston’s facilities and upcoming events at https://irishsocialclub.org/.