OUR HISTORY

The Murphy Irish Arts Center was founded in 1978 by Sheila Murphy Crawford. Sheila is a Certified Irish Dance Instructor and Adjudicator of An Commissum, the world governing organization of Irish Dance.  Besides her commitments to Murphy Irish Arts Center, Sheila is very active in the Cleveland Irish Community, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the Irish Cultural Gardens

The dance school is comprised of dancers, boys and girls, ranging in age from 5 to 55.  While most of the dancers who attend the Murphy Irish Arts Center have some Irish heritage in their families, it is not required and the school is open to all who wish to participate.

The Murphy Irish Arts Center is dedicated to preserving Irish culture and the art of Irish Dance and to sharing their heritage with audiences everywhere.  The Murphy Irish Dancers march and dance down Euclid Avenue every year in the St. Patrick's Day Parade and have performed at countless folk festivals, nursing homes and organizational events such as the Tattoo at the State Theater, the International Folk Festival at the Palace Theater, and Cleveland's Unity day.