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Leadership & Staff

The Irish Fair of Minnesota is led by a group of dedicated volunteer board members.

Board of Directors

woman with blonde hair and glasses in a raincoat in front of the Irish coast

Macy Ashby, Board Chair

Macy has been involved with the Irish Fair in a variety of capacities and now also serves on the board! She has long been interested in Ireland and Irish history, and has family roots in County Donegal.

Macy is a high school history teacher, currently working in Minneapolis. She travels when she can, and is always excited to see new places!

Ben Johnson, Treasurer

Adam Coolong, Secretary/Office Manager

Niall MacCafferty

Niall MacCafferty brings a wealth of hospitality industry knowledge to our board, and we're so stoked to have him!

Not only does he have decades of experience at the helm of some pretty popular local watering holes (O'Donovan's, Jake O'Connor's, most recently Doolittle's Woodfire Grill), but his Irish community "cred" is unparalleled, having been (among many endeavors in the local Irish community) a founding member and past president of the Twin Cities Robert Emmets hurling club.

Niall's Irish roots run deep, as his Derry-born father ran the legendary MacCafferty's Pub on Grand Avenue in St. Paul in the 1970s and 80s.

Sharon Austin

Sharon joined the board in 2025 and has been attending the Irish Fair since she moved to the US in 2016. Hailing from Cork, she grew up attending Irish dancing and surrounded by Irish sports, music and food.

Hans "Holiday" Horning

Holiday (a nickname he picked up in college) joined the board in 2024. A former Irish dance parent, he has been attending the fair for close to twenty years and wanted to become more involved, specifically with the family activities. Of dual heritage, Holiday enjoys his Irish and Scottish ancestry and as a history teacher, he has always enjoyed learning and teaching about Ireland and Scotland. He lived and taught in Ireland twenty seven years ago and has been able to return for a few visits since then. Holiday enjoys traveling, running, camping and gardening in his free time.

Mike Moriarity

Mike joined the Irish Fair Board in 2024 after years of volunteering in the Pub Tent and other locations. His love of Irish music and culture was accelerated when he studied at Trinity College in Dublin for his senior year of college. He met his wife Patty (who is even more Irish then he is) at the old MacCafferty’s on Grand Ave in St Paul. Mike is a retired attorney who spent 33 years working in the Minnesota court system in a number of parajudicial and administrative roles. He is looking forward to working with the wonderful volunteers we have every year.

Lucy Mullen

Danny Stockton

Growing up in an Irish household on the outskirts of London, Irish music and traditions were part of Danny’s upbringing. Whether it was playing the whistle or Irish Dancing, he embraced it all. Having volunteered at the Irish Fair for past 10+ years and more recently overseeing the VIP Area as Area Manager, joining the board was the next logical step. You will find him listening to Gaelic Storm or anything Irish even during the Holidays. And perhaps on occasion, even with a pint in his hand.

Mike Wiley

Mike has been involved with the Irish Fair if Minnesota for over 20 years. In those 20+ years, he has served as Board Chair, Entertainment Chair, Vice Chair and Dance Tent Manager.

Mike currently manages the main stage, along with booking our headline and featured entertainers. Over the years, Mike has built an extensive worldwide network of musicians, managers, agents and fellow festival entertainment directors which he taps into to bring the best entertainers to the Irish Fair of MN year after year.

In addition to serving on our board, Mike is on the Executive Committee of the Association of Irish and Celtic Festivals (AIFC), which is a collaborative of over 50 festivals across North America.

Staff

Sarah VanSickle

Serving as the Event Manager, Sarah brings extensive experience in event planning, community engagement, and cultural programming. With a deep appreciation for Irish heritage and traditions, Sarah plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the festival.