Though I'm not Irish, I have a bit of a travel crush on Ireland and Irish culture. I'm not alone in this; head to any Irish bar in San Diego on St. Patrick's Day and you'll find a crowd of people enjoying pints and singing the praises of 4-leaf clovers. St. Patrick's Day isn't the only time of year to experience a day of Irish fun in San Diego. There are many Irish activities you can partake in year-round from sports to dance to music.

Irish Dance in San Diego

Whether you're young or old it's not too learn to learn to Irish dance in San Diego. There are multiple dance studios that teach the rhythm of Irish dancing. Tap dance or point your way to Riverdance-style stardom at these top Irish dance studios:

• San Diego-based Rose-Ritchie Academy makes the allure of the stamp and twirl of Irish dancing available to everyone as its classes range from adult beginner classes to Ceili classes for youth and championship classes for advanced students.
  
  
• North County and East County San Diego Irish Dance lovers will enjoy attending the personalized dance studios of Clan Rince. While the adult classes are more relaxed as they're for all skill levels, the advanced classes concentrate on competition and improving one's Irish dance skills, no matter the age. Clan Rince offers classes in North County San Diego and the Kensington neighborhood of San Diego.

If you love the art of Irish dance, but would rather watch it than learn it, head to the Field, an Irish pub in the Gaslamp Quarter which features the Field Irish Dancers every week.

On Sundays, the Field Irish Dance troupe performs a variety of Irish dances beginning at 5 p.m. The dance ranges from Tír Sáile to Rince na Cúilinne style Irish dancing and more.

Irish Music in San Diego

Traditional Irish music is such an important part of Irish culture that it can even be majored in during college in Ireland. San Diegans can appreciate the art of Irish music by patronizing one of the Irish bars in San Diego featuring Irish bands, such as:

• North County San Diego residents should head to O'Sullivans in Carlsbad when looking for some authentic Irish music. In addition to serving up Irish cuisine like bangers and mash and Irish pints such as Guinness, the bar also has live Irish music every weekend, including frequent performances from the popular Clay Colton Band, a country-rock band that infuses Irish elements into its music.
  
  
• The Field in downtown San Diego doesn't just have Irish dance, they also serves up some of the best traditional Irish music around.
  
  
• Irish music lovers will also enjoy patronizing the Dublin Square Irish Pub in downtown San Diego, especially on the nights the Barmen play. The Barmen are a San Diego-based band that plays modern Irish rock music.

For ambitious San Diegans who want to learn how to play Irish music for themselves, there are options in San Diego to take lessons on your instrument of choice, including at the House of Ireland.

Learn the Irish Language

The House of Ireland has been around since 1935 and helps to perpetuate the Irish culture in San Diego, including through language. The organization offers Irish (Gaelic) language classes at certain times throughout the year. Contact the organization for more information on start times and dates.

The Irish National Sport of Hurling Played in San Diego

Hurling is a sport of passion in Ireland. Each county proudly stands behind its team -- many of whose players are unpaid and participate for the love of the sport. In San Diego, the love of Hurling continues with St. Peter's Hurling Club. Though it's only been around since 2010, this club takes the little-known-in-America sport of Hurling and elevates its status in San Diego by informing people about the sport, which incorporates elements of lacrosse, baseball, hockey, football, rugby and more. The St. Peter's Hurling Club of San Diego promotes the sport in San Diego and the opportunity to learn and play it for people of all ages. Find out more about playing Hurling in San Diego by visiting the San Diego Hurling website.

What is your favorite part of Irish culture?