Australia's most Irish town, Koroit, is set to prove once again why the title fits like a glove.
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The tiny township of 2000 will welcome double that number of people when it hosts the Koroit Irish Festival this weekend.
The festival was first held in 1997 and has since grown to become one of the most popular events in South West Victoria. While it is an important and well-supported celebration for the people of Koroit and the surrounding district, it has also become a lightning rod for tourism to the town.
Online sales for the festival indicate 70 per cent of festival goers travel from outside the one-hour region surrounding Koroit.
The festival is run entirely by a volunteer committee of 20, with more volunteers lending a hand during the weekend. It is the passion behind the event, as well as its diverse program celebrating Irish culture, that Koroit Irish Festival president Adele MacDonald says makes it so appealing.
"The feedback we get is that people love the festival so much because they know how much passion goes into it and how much it means to Koroit," she said. "We are so proud of what the festival is and what it means to the town and to the visitors that come. Koroit's an incredible place to live and this is a great chance for us to showcase it to the world."
Click here to read Explore Koroit, the official festival guide.
Here are 10 reasons why Koroit is Australia's most Irish town.
1. Mickey Bourke's Koroit Hotel
Australia's most authentic Irish pub. The reason? Simple, it doesn't try to be, it just is. Snug, with brilliant decor and a mean pint of Guinness.
2. School houses
Both the town's primary schools, St Patrick's and Koroit and District, have Irish county names for their school houses.
3. Koroit Irish Festival
An obvious one, but something that can't be ignored in this list. The festival is regarded as one of the best of its kind in Australia.
4. Lake School
Every January, the Lake School brings Celtic song and dance to Koroit for a week of classes scattered across the town. It is a beautiful soundtrack to begin each year.
5. Spuds
Koroit has long been known for its potatoes, and while there may not be as many grown as back in its heyday, the paddocks around Koroit are still home to plenty of spud crops.
6. The departed
It is not only the living where the Irish are prominent in Koroit. At the Tower Hill Cemetery, where the first burial was in 1856, many are laid to rest with their headstones carrying their birthplace as an Irish county, Tipperary being particularly prevalent.
7. Shades of green
Australia is the sunburnt country, but not Koroit. The rolling paddocks of Koroit and district are distinctly Irish green nearly all year round, with only the height of summer sending them into retreat.
8. Name game
While Koroit has become more diverse over the decades, a rollcall of names in the town would still produce a high number with Irish heritage. The Irish festival committee is a good example, with names such as Brody, Gleeson, O'Donnell, Callinan, Dowling and Moloney.
9. Irish farmers
Koroit has become a hotspot for young Irish travellers who are also keen to stay for an extended time and work. Just like generations before, the Irish are flocking to farms in the Koroit district.
10. Killarney Beach
While Koroit is an inland village, the sea is within sight. The beach most Koroit people call on during the summer heat is Killarney, named of course after the famous Irish town.
TICKETS
Tickets for the Koroit Irish Festival are on sale at koroitirishfestival.com.au.
If not sold out beforehand, tickets can be purchased at the gate, but pre-purchasing online tickets is recommended to avoid disappointment and also long queues. Adults are $30, and children aged under 18 are free.
