SHS sophomore Caitlin Quinlan may be the most Irish student at SHS: In fact, she was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States when she was in first grade.

Quinlan’s family visits Ireland every year, and they maintain many traditions associated with their heritage, including having an Irish breakfast on special occasions like Christmas. Typically, their friends bring them Irish specialties, which they purchase from a local Irish shop. Quinlan’s favorite food item from Ireland is Cadbury chocolate.

Quinlan’s family friends also like to join them for a party while they watch the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Scituate. According to Quinlan, in Ireland, there isn’t as much fanfare during St. Patrick’s Day, besides one big parade. Irish people even come to America to perform and participate in St. Patrick’s Day parades across the country. 

Quinlan can speak a little Gaelic, which she learned from her mom and through the schools she attended in Ireland. In Ireland, Gaelic is taught as a class. Since her mom studied this language when she was in college, so she is able to help Quinlan expand her fluency.

Quinlan’s friends describe her as kind, ambitious, and honest. She is currently taking Introduction to Journalism because she is interested in journalism, and she is considering it for a professional career. English and history are her favorite subjects in high school, and one of her academic goals is to keep working on her writing skills. She is very focused on doing well in school and always trying to challenge herself by taking AP classes and earning good grades. 

Along with her academic goals, Quinlan has many personal goals, including being able to run a 5k without stopping. She also wants to find a part-time job so she can save money to buy a car.

When asked what it feels like to be the most Irish student attending SHS on St. Patrick’s Day, Quinlan responded with hesitation, “It feels weird.”