Season three of the Savannah Irish Podcast, brought to you by The Savannah Irish Festival, continues with a bonus episode previewing the Savannah Scottish Games, set for Saturday, May 2, 2026 at Bethesda Academy.

Host Tara Reese welcomes planning committee members Stuart Marshall (title sponsor Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty) and Chuck Bohannon (piping and drumming organizer) to discuss the Games’ 48th celebration, its history from the St. Andrew’s Society of Savannah (founded 1737), and the expanded Moon River site restoration after Hurricane Matthew.

They highlight year-round planning by 35 volunteers, entertainment (Seven Nations, Swamp Tooth, Colin Grant Adams, Lachlan), pipe band competitions (68 registrants), Highland dancing, heavy athletics, clans, sheep herding, hurling matches, genealogy and history tents, vendors, food, and whiskey tastings, plus online ticketing and wristbands for alcohol.

The Savannah Irish Festival isn’t just an event—it’s the heartbeat of Green Season, a vibrant, educational, and family-friendly celebration that honors Irish culture while uniting the community. It lights the path leading to Savannah’s iconic St. Patrick’s Day parade—a beloved tradition that transforms the city into a sea of green and welcomes thousands upon thousands each year. This unique blend of history, culture, and communal joy is what keeps Savannah’s Irish spirit thriving.

The Savannah Irish Podcast is proudly supported by The Irish Pub Company - the ‘Official Partner of the Guinness Irish Pub Concept’ which means that they are rated as the best in the world at creating the most profitable and authentic Irish Hospitality Concepts. They design, manufacture and fit out your venue from start to finish.

Learn all about the Savannah Irish Festival

MEET our SHOW SPONSOR - The Irish Pub Company

MEET our PRODUCTION CREW: Proudly produced by Dee Daniels Media

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Season Three Kickoff

01:03 Bonus Episode Setup

01:32 Games Atmosphere Preview

02:43 Meet Stuart Marshall

03:22 Music Lineup Highlights

05:59 Meet Chuck Bohannon

07:06 Origins of the Games

09:45 Bethesda Site Revival

12:58 Year Round Planning

15:01 Sponsor Irish Pub Company

16:40 Biggest Logistics Challenges

20:02 Dreaming of a Tattoo

24:14 Scotland Ties to Savannah

30:10 Food Drink and Favorites

31:38 Hurling and Field Upgrades

34:03 Family Roots and Heritage

35:51 Scottish Music to Bluegrass

37:54 Piping Styles Explained

38:46 Tradition Meets Modern

40:39 Women in Piping

42:18 Bagpipes at Home

43:37 Stewart Music Journey

45:24 Games Schedule Tickets

48:32 Vendors Dancers History

53:31 Whiskey Tasting Details

58:03 Clans Genealogy Military

01:00:47 Rapid Fire Favorites

01:05:41 Final Invites Thanks

The Savannah Irish Podcast, brought to you by The Savannah Irish Festival, host Tara Reese welcomes Ireland’s Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, to discuss Ireland’s national cultural strategy and how culture, arts, media, heritage, sport, and diaspora engagement strengthen Ireland’s international presence.

Speaking from Savannah during the city’s extended “green season,” O’Donovan highlights the deep Irish roots in Georgia, the global St. Patrick’s Week outreach by Irish ministers, and the role of the GAA worldwide. He shares his background from County Limerick, work in industry, teaching, and long public service, and outlines responsibilities spanning tech and broadband, online child safety, and Ireland’s upcoming EU Council presidency in telecom.

The conversation covers famine-driven emigration, modern two-way migration, tourism, trade links, the 1926 census release, USA 250 commemorations and stamps, sports diplomacy, misinformation and civic youth engagement, and future collaboration between Ireland and Savannah.

The Savannah Irish Festival isn’t just an event—it’s the heartbeat of Green Season, a vibrant, educational, and family-friendly celebration that honors Irish culture while uniting the community. It lights the path leading to Savannah’s iconic St. Patrick’s Day parade—a beloved tradition that transforms the city into a sea of green and welcomes thousands upon thousands each year. This unique blend of history, culture, and communal joy is what keeps Savannah’s Irish spirit thriving.

The Savannah Irish Podcast is proudly supported by The Irish Pub Company - the ‘Official Partner of the Guinness Irish Pub Concept’ which means that they are rated as the best in the world at creating the most profitable and authentic Irish Hospitality Concepts. They design, manufacture and fit out your venue from start to finish.

Learn all about the Savannah Irish Festival

MEET our SHOW SPONSOR - The Irish Pub Company

MEET our PRODUCTION CREW: Proudly produced by Dee Daniels Media

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Season Three Welcome

01:23 Savannah Diaspora Spotlight

02:52 Green Season In Savannah

03:48 Minister Background And Portfolio

07:41 GAA Worldwide And Hurling

11:01 Casual Banter And Setting

12:52 Diaspora History And Famine Roots

18:42 Visitors Trade And 1926 Census

22:43 USA 250 Plans And Irish Links

27:24 Sport Diplomacy And Soft Power

28:39 Ireland and Peace

30:45 Pope and Identity

31:24 Youth and Democracy

34:53 Misinformation and AI

37:06 Racism and Intolerance

42:13 Savannah First Impressions

43:10 St Patricks Day Diplomacy

44:33 Diaspora and Sacrifice

46:38 Future Collaboration

48:42 Closing Invite to Ireland

In this episode of the Savannah Irish Podcast, brought to you by The Savannah Irish Festival, host Tara Reese sits down with members of the historic Hibernian Society of Savannah to explore the organization’s deep Irish roots and its lasting impact on Savannah’s cultural heritage.

For more than two centuries, the Hibernian Society of Savannah has been at the heart of Irish life in the city. Founded in 1812 by 44 Irish immigrants, the society was created to assist Irish newcomers in need and help them build new lives in Savannah.

The organization would go on to play a major role in shaping the city’s Irish identity, including organizing the first St. Patrick’s Day parade in Savannah in 1824—a tradition that has grown into one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States.

Recorded on Saturday, March 8, just one day before the annual Celtic Cross Ceremony, this discussion also touches on the deeper traditions behind Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day observances and why the ceremony is considered by many to be the true beginning of the city’s Irish celebrations.

FEATURED GUESTS:

John (Jack) E. Jaugstetter, PhD – Honorary Member and Past President

John W. Jurgensen – Chairman, Historical Committee; Archivist

Charles Harvey Ferrelle III – Current President of the Hibernian Society; Chairman, Communications Committee; Newsletter Editor; Member, Historical Committee

The Savannah Irish Podcast is proudly supported by The Irish Pub Company - the ‘Official Partner of the Guinness Irish Pub Concept’ which means that they are rated as the best in the world at creating the most profitable and authentic Irish Hospitality Concepts. They design, manufacture and fit out your venue from start to finish.

Learn all about the Savannah Irish Festival

MEET our SHOW SPONSOR - The Irish Pub Company

MEET our PRODUCTION CREW: Proudly produced by Dee Daniels Media