January/February 2016

The Blarney
The newsletter of The Greater La Crosse Area Celtic Community
January - February 2016
e-mail [email protected]
Shamrockclublax.org
A New Year And New Royalty
It is with great pleasure that we present your Irishman and Irish Rose for 2016.
Bill and Kathy O’Driscoll
During our last social event of the year, Bill O’Driscoll and his wife Kathy were presented to the club membership as our
2016 Irish Rose and Irishman. We wish them well in their upcoming reign. For more information on the couple please read
the reprinted January20th article from The La Crosse Tribune on the following page.
Shamrock Club royalty makes history
Onalaska couple first to have dual citizenship
The Greater La Crosse Area Shamrock Club is making history with its first Irish Rose and Irishman on record who have dual
US/Irish citizenship – even though the Rose is not Irish. Instead of having blood ties to the Old Sod, Kathy O’Driscoll was
able to call upon the luck of her Polish – Austrian heritage to become an Irish citizen, courtesy of her husband Bill’s
citizenship.
The Shamrock Clubs selection process evaluated the nominations of the Onalaska couple separately, with each rising to the
top of the shamrock for Kathy to receive the mantle of Irish Rose and Bill, to carry the shillelagh as the Irishman.
“As soon as we got married, I became Irish,” Kathy said of the charm of the name, which conveys an Irish tenor on a couple
of levels. Noting with a laugh that she highlights the name with the periodic wearing of the green, Kathy said “I love the live
music, and I like to get people interested in the Shamrock Club and Irishfest.” Acknowledging her Polish – Austrian heritage
Kathy said (perhaps a bit defensively, but still laughing, “Well St. Patrick wasn’t Irish either.” Ethnicity wasn’t much of an
issue when she was growing up in a Chicago suburb, the 58-year-old Kathy said, adding, “Back then, you were just an
American.” Another bit of Ireland warms the cockles of Kathy’s heart. “I do like the Waterford,” she acknowledged,
referring to the coveted cut crystal glassware once made exclusively in Waterford, Ireland, and now also produced in
several other European countries.
Bill hails from Grand Rapids, Mich., but they were married in Chicago and received many Waterford crystal gifts from his
relatives who couldn’t make the trip to the wedding, Kathy said. The wedding was the key to unlocking Kathy’s Irish
citizenship, said Bill, 60, a patent attorney for Trane Co. “My dad’s an immigrant,” he said. “There were no jobs in Ireland,”
so his dad, also named William, and a couple of his buddies traversed the Atlantic Ocean in search of work.
William married and ended up in Grand Rapids, where he practiced internal medicine. Since Bill was born there, he was
able to claim U.S. citizenship, as well as hang onto his dad’s coattails as the direct descendent of an Irish born citizen.
Ireland once had a law allowing people who weren’t citizens to become one if they were married to an Irish citizen for at
least three years. “About 10 years ago, they phased that out,” which the O’Driscoll’s learned about shortly before the
change too effect, he said. “We already had the paperwork,” Bill said, so the couple filled it out, sent it back to the Emerald
Isle, and voila: The Shamrock Club now inadvertently has it’s first dual citizenship royalty.
“While a great number of our members claim Irish ancestry, not many are actual citizens – dual or otherwise – and those
who can claim Irish citizenship have never been paired with an opposite number who could also claim Irish citizenship,” said
club president Barrie Monks. The club, formed in 1973, began naming an Irishman two years later. Christening an Irish
Rose dates to 1983, as the women designated before that were called Irish Colleen or Wild Irish Rose, Monks said.
As Irish Rose and Irishman, the O’Driscoll’s will reign over the club’s annual St. Pat’s Dinner/Dance on March 5 at the
Radisson Hotel Ballroom, the St. Pat’s Day Parade in La Crosse on March 12 and the St. Pat’s Day Bus Tour on March 17.
Bill has visited Ireland three times: as a child with his parents, another time to attend an aunt’s funeral, and when he and
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Kathy celebrated their 25 wedding anniversary, which they made into a family trip. The couple has four children – 28year-old twins Matt and Liam, 22-year-old Colleen and 15-year-old Kevin.
Many thanks to The La Crosse Tribune and Mike Tighe for allowing us to reprint the article.
News From Around the Groups
2015 Christmas Party
On December 9th The Greater La Crosse Area Shamrock Club once again held its Christmas Party at The Freighthouse
restaurant in downtown La Crosse. Obviously, the high point of the night was the announcement of the 2016 Irishman and
Irish Rose, but fine dinning and great company were also in good supply. Fortunately, the speeches were short and the bar
well stocked. During the festivities, raffles were held for various donated items which, in total raised approx. $900 for the
club. This is by far the greatest amount raised at an event of this kind. Many thanks go out to those who ran the raffle and
congratulations to all those winners.
The defendant pleads “Not Guilty”
your honor.
The Oelke’s and the Diveley’s enjoying some
cold ones.
Lots of “Swag” for the raffles.
Two previous Irish Roses, Donna Finn and
Pam Smith.
Thank You
for Donations to the Christmas Party Raffle
Shamrock Club would like to thank the following members and businesses for their generous donations to the Christmas
Party Raffle! We apologize if we have missed anyone!
Shenanigans Entertainment Center
Howes Diamond Jewelers
Bodega Brew Pub
Breakfast Club & Pub
Dublin Square
McCaffrey’s Coffee
Monarch Public House
Features – West Salem
Arterial
Linda Boyle
Mark Barton
Mary & Barrie Monks
Linda Pfaff
Pam & Rod Smith
Jeannine Nolan
Liz & JD Oelke
Debbie & Jim Kroner
Joyce & Mike Diveley
Kathleen Ryan
2016 Shamrocking “The Monarch” Bus Tour
As part of their farewell tour, Kelly Smith and John Harrington, our retiring royalty decided a farewell bus tour was in order,
and where else to drive to but The Monarch Public House in Fountain City. John, Lori and their staff put on a wonderful
lunch buffet and, while eating, those present were suitably entertained by “The Fabulous Nolan Brothers”.
While the event was planned as a means of celebrating the end of Kelly and Johns reign, it was also meant as a fund raiser
for the club, and while the full total raised has yet to be determined, a total of $260 was donated to the club by The
Monarch from the sale of food alone. Money collected from a raffle at The Monarch and a raffle and tip boards on the bus
have yet to be counted. In all a total of twenty one people took advantage of the bus ride “Up North” as well as
approximately a matching number who made their own way to the event.
A great deal of thanks is owed to Kelly Smith and John Harrington for making the day such a success.
Both sides of the bus prior to leaving Shenanigans, who kindly allowed us to use their parking lot as well as putting on a
dinner special for those who were still hungry after the trip home.
Three brave souls in kilts, Brady Hoeth, new member
Kody Kuss and Mark Barton ready to board.
First raffle on the
bus – and the winner
is Linda Pfaff. No
idea if the bottle of
Baileys made it off
the bus intact.
A pre-lunch drink at the Monarch bar.
Our hosts Lori and John.
Raffle time
at The
Monarch
Music provided by “The Fabulous Nolan Brothers”
And so back home
to La Crosse.
John waving and
Mark pouring.
Kathleen and JD
taking a taste of
The Jameson’s.
2016 Irish Man Lunch
On a very cold February morning, nine past Irishmen of The Year and the present Irish Man of the year gathered together at
The Red Pines Bar & Grill on Bryce Prairie to welcome our new Irish Man of The Year Bill O’Driscoll into the fold. A tradition
dating back years and started by Don Walsh, this has become a regular event whereby the incoming Man gets a feel of what
his year will encompass. Along with the advice were tales of past lunches involving RV’s, horse drawn carriages, Jim Finns
basement and the infamous Colleen, of whom the less said the better. Needless to say a great time was had by all.
Those in attendance were, Dave Holtze (2006), Rod Smith (2008), Don Walsh (1996), Tim Sprester (2009), Jim Finn (1997),
Mark Barton (2015), Barrie Monks (2010), Tom Nolan (2004), Terry Nolan (2013), JD Oelke (2011) and Bill O’Driscoll (2016)
Shenanigans Announces Discount For Shamrock Club Members
Present your membership card at checkout and receive a 10% discount off food, beverage and play. Please note that this
discount does not apply to pre booked party’s for which we will get $5:00 off or After School / No School events. If you do
not have your latest membership card please contact Linda Pfaff at [email protected].
The club would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people at Shenanigans and in particular Bonita Blom for making
us feel so welcome and making our meetings such fun events. We look forward to a long and happy relationship between
The La Crosse Area Shamrock Club and Shenanigans.
St. Patrick’s Day Dinner/Dance Silent Auction
The St. Patrick’s Day Dinner & Dance will be held Saturday, March 5 at the Radisson (see the invite/reservation form in the
Blarney). We decided to try something a little different this year for a fundraiser – instead of our usual raffle, we are
planning a Silent Auction. We thank everyone who generously donated for the Christmas Dinner and are again requesting
donations for the St. Pat’s Dinner. If you would like to donate an item, please contact Kathleen prior to the dinner. The
plan is to collect items ahead of time and combine into baskets to be auctioned at the dinner. You can reach Kathleen at
[email protected] or 920-464-0432.
Thanks for your continued support of the Shamrock Club!
Shamrock Club
Annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner/Dance
Saturday, March 5, 2016
The “green season” is upon us, so please join us for our annual dinner with an evening of great craic
and music. Bring your friends along too!
Help us welcome our new Irish Rose & Man, Kathy & Bill O’Driscoll.
Place: Radisson Hotel, 200 Harborview Plaza, La Crosse
Time: 5:30 p.m. Social, 7 p.m. Dinner,
Silent Auction, Heads & Tails
8:30 p.m. Music by “Dr. Rock” - Rick Pervisky
Cost: $30 per person (tax & tip included)
Please make your reservations by February 27
Send your check and meal choices to:
Kathleen Ryan, 1224 East Avenue S., La Crosse, WI 54601
920-464-0432, [email protected]
Name/s_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Meal Entree Choices:
_____ Corned Beef with Cabbage and Red Potatoes
_____ Chicken Paillard with Marsala Wine Sauce
_____ Broiled Cod, Parsley Buttered Potatoes & Vegetables
_____ Vegetarian or Gluten Free Options available upon request
All entrees include a mixed greens salad, rolls, potato/rice, vegetable, dessert and coffee, tea, or milk.
Even though the February chill is upon us, we can look forward to the beginning of spring with upcoming festivities of St.
Patrick’s Day!
st
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Irishfest members held their 1 meeting of the year in early February to begin the planning for 12 annual Irishfest La
Crosse. All of the early plans are well underway, bands are being booked, exhibits are starting to come together, and most
of the behind the scenes work is moving on. Be sure that you have August 12-14 circled on your calendars for this year’s
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festival. Also, plan to join us for the 3 Annual Irishfest Road Bowling on Saturday, June 25; and watch for more pre-Irishfest
activities in the months preceding Irishfest.
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But back to St. Patrick’s Day! The 9 annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Saturday, March 12 at noon in
downtown La Crosse, rain, shine or snow (of course we are hoping for 70 degree sunny weather). We will again lineup in
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the parking lot on the NW corner of 2 and State Streets (between Vine & State). We will only be using the driveways on
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the Vine Street side of the lot; proceed to Main St., then east on Main to 9 St. There will again be an after parade Social
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to be held at the Eagles Club, 228 5 Ave. S, with Irish food, Irish dancers from Amanda’s Academy of Dance, music, and of
course beverages. Please pass the word and join us. If you or anyone you know would like to participate in the parade,
please contact Kathleen at [email protected] for a parade application form or more information.
Irishfest in partnership with UW La Crosse has received a grant from the Irish Consulate in Chicago to commemorate the
1916 Uprising in Ireland. There will be an exhibit at Irishfest, and we will be holding an Irish Film Festival at UW La Crosse
on April 11-13. Watch for more information.
The La Crosse County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau/Explore La Crosse is promoting the area as “River of Festivals”. For a
chance to win an Irishfest Weekend Package go to: http://www.explorelacrosse.com/giveaways/irishfest-la-crosseweekend-sweepstakes/
Be sure to share with your friends, relatives, and coworkers!
Ushering at The Weber Center For Performing Arts
The Irish Brigade will be ushering March 20 for 'Boeing Boeing'. If you're interested in doing this, which includes a ticket to
see the play, contact Kathleen Ryan at [email protected]. The Brigade will also be ushering on May 14th for 'Billy Elliot'
and June 18th for 'Bridge to Terabithia'
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LBFA is busy preparing for an eventful 2016, starting with the St. Patrick’s Parade on March 12 . Elections for the board will
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be held at the March 23 meeting, with Vice President Kriss Kuhn taking on the role of President for 2 years.
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April 22 , LBFA will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit New Horizons shelter for women and children leaving abusive
situations as well as a similar organization in La Crosse’s Irish sister city, Bantry, County Cork.
The Hoolie/Ceili event will be at the Concordia Hall at La Crosse and West Avenue and will feature Irish musicians from the
area as well as Tim Jensen, noted ceili caller who will not only call the set dances but also teach those at the event who
want to learn. More information will be forthcoming in the next month.
A larger community delegation visit to Bantry is also being planned for later in the year. Please keep tuned to our website,
www.lacrossebantry.org and our Face Book page for further information.
LBFA wants to take this opportunity to wish devoted members Barrie and Mary Monks ‘bon voyage’ as they set off on an
eight month trip to Australia, New Zealand, mainland Europe, the British Isles and Ireland! Ah, the joys of retirement!
Travel safe, dear friends, and we will follow your exploits on Face Book!
As my 2-year role of president comes to an end, I want to thank you everyone associated with LBFA for their support in
continuing and enhancing our global outreach to the shores of Ireland!
Linda Pfaff
President
LBFA
No Update This Issue
Birthdays
February
Feb. 12
Candy Nolan
Feb. 18
Tom O’Brien
Feb. 20
Ryan McKelley
Feb. 22
Mary Dzurko
Feb. 23
Linda Boyle
Feb. 25
Eileen Walsh
Feb. 28
Major Tom Smith
Feb. 28
Kathy Spelker
March
March 5
March 6
March 7
March 14
March 16
March 19
March 23
April
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 6
April 11
April 12
April 15
April 30
Steve Miceli
Don Walsh
Keli Larson
Jim Kroner
Mike Diveley
Bill O’Driscoll
Dorothy Miceli
Linda Hoehn
[email protected]
Mary Barrett
Barrie Monks
Steven Nickels
Rod Smith
Diane O’Brien
Lisa Merchel
Hazel Desmond
Announcements
Welcome New Members
The Board Members of the Greater La Crosse Area Shamrock Club would like to welcome the following new members:
Stephen & Luci Nickels
Kody Kuss
We encourage you to attend our meetings, become involved and above all have fun.
If you would like to celebrate an event with us please send an e-mail to [email protected]
Up-Coming Events
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Saturday Mar 5 ------------------------------------ Shamrock Club Dinner Dance
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Saturday Mar 12 ---------------------------------- St. Patrick’s Day Parade
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Thursday Mar 17 ---------------------------------- St. Patrick’s Day Bus Tour
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Wednesday Apr 20 ------------------------------- Shamrock Club Meeting
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Wednesday May 18 ------------------------------ Shamrock Club Meeting
In an effort to keep The Blarney topical and
entertaining, I would greatly appreciate some
feedback as to what you, our members and
readers, would like to see more of, less of or
suggestions for new items in upcoming editions.
Please e-mail your suggestions or comments to
[email protected]
Thank You
A “Blast From The Past”
Shamrock Club 20th Anniversary Program Cover
Current Board Members
President – Barrie Monks [email protected]
Past President – Linda Boyle [email protected]
Vice President – JD Oelke [email protected]
Secretary – Kyle Humfeld [email protected]
Treasurer – Liz Oelke [email protected]
Parlimentarian – Mark Barton [email protected]
Sergeant At Arms – Kathleen Ryan [email protected]
Membership Chair – Linda Pfaff [email protected]
State Board Representative – Linda Pfaff [email protected]
3Yr Trustee – John Harrington [email protected]
3Yr Trustee – Bill O’Driscoll [email protected]
2 Yr Trustee - Kristina Kuhn [email protected]
1 Yr Trustee – Terry Nolan [email protected]
1 Yr Trustee – Victoria Hampe [email protected]
The Board of The Greater La Crosse Area Shamrock Club would encourage our members
to frequent the establishments below, each of which has contributed in some way
towards club activities.
Thank You.