Member Spotlight — Justin Doyle

Justin Doyle has been part of the Berks Irish family since early in the group’s history. His father was one of the original founding members of the Berks County Irish-American Fraternal Association and has been deeply involved in the organization since its inception. Justin got his start helping his dad during Celtic Fest, managing, securing, and counting the event proceeds as Treasurer’s assistant. What started as a family obligation became a genuine passion, and today Justin serves as President of Berks Irish and is the driving force behind the organization’s new website and digital presence.

How did you first get involved with Berks Irish?

My dad was one of the original members and has been very involved since the group’s inception. He got me involved when he was serving as Treasurer — he needed my help managing, securing, and counting the money during Celtic Fest each year. That’s how it started, and I’ve been part of it ever since.

What part of Ireland does your family trace back to?

I took a 23andMe DNA test and the results were interesting — I’m 99.9% British and Irish. My top county matches in the Republic of Ireland are County Mayo, County Dublin, County Galway, County Cork, and County Donegal, among others spanning 19 Irish counties. County Mayo came up as the strongest match, which gives me a specific place to research when I imagine where my ancestors came from.

What’s your favorite Berks Irish event or memory?

It might not be my “favorite” in the traditional sense, but I’ll never forget the storms and heat waves we’ve endured over the years at Celtic Fest. There have been some brutal days out there — pouring rain, oppressive heat — but we always pushed through. Those are the moments that really show what this group is made of. Everyone keeps going because they know it’s for a good cause and because they genuinely love being part of it.

What does Irish heritage mean to you personally?

It gives me a sense of who I am, and I appreciate that more now as I’ve gotten older. When I was younger, I knew I was “Irish” but I didn’t really know or appreciate what that meant. As the years have gone by, understanding where my family comes from has become increasingly meaningful to me. It’s a connection to something larger than myself — a history, a culture, and a community.

Tell us something about yourself that members might not know.

I played basketball in college — so there’s an athlete hiding behind the tech enthusiast! Speaking of which, technology is a genuine passion of mine, which is why I took on the project of building the new Berks Irish website from the ground up. When I’m not working on something tech-related, there’s a good chance I’m following the latest developments in the world of consumer electronics and software. I was also the Berks Irish Treasurer before I became President.