For nearly four decades, the Irish-American Society (IAS) has been developing a rich history of friendship and fellowship seeped in the Irish culture and heritage of its members.
The IAS was formed in 1975 by a group of people who were interested in enriching their lives through fellowship, fun and their shared love of Irish culture. The Society was originally called The Friendly Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick. It was patterned after The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, an organization that dates back to a group founded in 1771 by John Barry, “The Father of the American Navy”. The current name, the Irish-American Society, was adopted in 1987, and the following year the organization was incorporated as a Texas non-profit corporation.
Left to right: Sharon Jaeb, Margaret Baillargeon, Gail Costello, Joan O’neill, Gloria Powers and Phyllis Wells. It was the third year of a new organization called the Friendly Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick. The uniforms were borrowed from St. Rita Elementary School, Dallas.