Kathleen Mulkerin was a defining figure in Connecticut Irish dance for nearly seven decades. Born in Stamford in 1926, she began dancing as a young girl with Irish-born Cissy Maguire. Fiddle player and step dancer Joey Flynn later introduced her to New York’s Irish dance scene, where she studied and competed under the great Professor McKenna. Kathleen’s father, Jack Mulkerin, was an accordion player and step dancer, and in the late 1930s the Mulkerins had a family band, with Jack and his children performing as musicians, singers, and dancers. Jack later led the Emerald Boys, with whom Kathleen also performed. At the remarkable age of thirteen, after local families asked her to start a class, Kathleen began teaching Irish dance, establishing the Mulkerin School of Irish Dance in 1939. She went on to teach for decades across Connecticut and New York, and led her performing troupe, the Emerald Dancers, on national television and recurring tours to Ireland beginning in 1963. A gifted choreographer, Kathleen created prize-winning ensemble pieces inspired by major events of her time, including the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Vietnam War. She remained devoted to teaching until her death at 81. Now in its 87th year, the Mulkerin School of Irish Dance is led by her daughter, Kathy Mulkerin Carew. With performance at the heart of its work, alongside competition, the school continues to pass on Irish dance, music, and culture—a living legacy of Kathleen’s work.