Irish American Post

A JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY IRISH & IRISH AMERICAN AFFAIRS
JAN./FEB. 05 VOL. 5 ISSUE 5
ALSO
...DURKAN HAS SOME WORDS
...HOPE STILL BARKS
...LEAP CASTLE JUMPS INTO THIS
CENTURY
...PEADER GETS PADDY-IED
...RUTHIE SNAPS SHOTS.
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2
Irish American Post
March 2005
Irish American Post
Publisher/Executive Editor
Martin Hintz
Editor-in-Chief
Louis Fortis
Managing Editor
Ed Garvey
Book Editor
Martin Russell
Music Writer
Deric Green
Film
Stephen Hintz
The Irish American Post is a journal of
contemporary Irish and Irish American affairs.
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Press Photographers Association of Ireland Awards
6
A Ghostly Leap Back in Time
by Conor Caffrey
14
Paddy’s Day
By Peadar O’Dowd
15
Irish Fest Choir Plants the Seeds of Irish Song in Young Hearts
By Nick Michalski
29
A Dog Named Hope, Chapter 5
By Michael Mooney
33
Burren Goes Big, With New Gallery About to Open
35
‘Slainte’ Puts the Fight into the Fighting 69th
By J. Herbert Silverman
36
Irish Watercolors Attract Artist
41
Brennan Finds Comedy Night Lights on in Milwaukee
43
'Typhoid Mary'
By Ed Hatton
44
Cover Photo
“No Greater Grief”
The sister and mother of Jamie Maughan, 13, following the
discovery of her body in a house in Cavan.
First place winner in News Category
Press Photographers Association of Ireland AIB Awards
Photographer: Mark Condren, The Sunday Tribune
Publisher’s Comments
As of this writing, the Northern political parties are frozen out of President Bush’s St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans at the White House, ostensibly because they don’t
play well when it comes to the peace process. Naturally, this causes more than a bit of grumbling from the Ulster contingent. Whether Bush personally ordered the
lockout is in question, but it certainly is a misguided attempt to slap some wrists. The tradition of mixing and mingling over canapés close to the Oval Office has
often jumpstarted some more serious conversations behind-the-scenes in past years. Ignoring a sizable chunk of the Island’s political contingent is supercilious, and
simply silly and possibly counterproductive.
On another note, the courage demonstrated by the family of murdered Robert McCartney, a Belfast man recently killed in a bar fight with IRA members, is to be
lauded. The fact that the thugs threatened witnesses as they were cleaning up the evidence only adds to the bravery shown by McCartney’s sisters. When the public
relations backfire began and even to the point of scorching the coattails of the Sein Féin, the IRA said it chucked out the errant members and then even offered to
whack the killers in an ill-conceived, immoral and outright stupid offer. Of course, the proposal was rejected by the family and most of their Short Strand neighbors
who have long been under the IRA thumb.
It is time for the proper authorities’ investigation to continue moving ahead and to bring the murderers to real justice. It is a time for authentic law to show its own
courage.
It is hard to know whether consummate politician Gerry Adams means it when he says that the party wants the IRA to cease to be, as he indicated in a pre-St.
Patrick’s Day speech in Cincinnati. Let’s hope that his admonition is not a smoke and mirrors gimmick to ostensibly bring himself back into his constituency’s good
graces.
Whether the "hard men" will listen to Adams is another issue. But a new, strong message is already blowing in the wind, boyos. The faint whispers are growing more
powerful that a time is coming when you can run, but not hide.
Congratulations to all the entrants and the winners of the annual AIB-Press Photographers Association of Ireland awards ceremony just concluded in Dub City. Along
with Herself, the Wife, I was honored to attend last year’s blowout and sorely missed this spring’s festivities.
Yet once again this season, The Irish American Post is pleased to present a selection of the many fine photos getting the judges’ nod, as well as a feature on Alan
Betson, the photographer of the year. The range of quality demonstrates that the eye behind the camera in Ireland remains as keen as ever. Thanks to AIB for its
ongoing support of this worthwhile and noteworthy endeavor. Keep shooting, folks.
Happy pre-St. Patrick’s day to all our readers. Remember, just be responsible when sampling refreshing beverages. Being Green doesn’t necessarily mean getting
green. Oh, and have fun.
— Martin Hintz, publisher
March 2005
Irish American Post
3
Now available for the first time
Your own Celtic Cross
for your garden or backyard
Call Irish New Orleans
at 504-309-3303
Or visit www.Irish-NewOrleans.com
4
Irish American Post
March 2005
Men of Aran
curraghs
on
their rocky rests
are awakened
in
the early dawn
by
fishermen
whose rugged hands
have tamed rough waters
and
garnered touch catches
to feed their families
with more than
famine fare
days until dark
entwine
the fishers’ life
like
knotted nets
and
knitted knots
and then
it’s home again
to
shawled and worried wives
where
welcomes wait
for those
who
have once more escaped
danger’s
cruel fate
— Kathy Mallon
“Men of Aran” was excerpted from Kathy Mallon’s latest book of poetry, Irish Tweed, 2004
March 2005
Irish American Post
5
Press Photographers Association of Ireland
Snaps Up AIB Awards
The prestigious AIB Press Photographers Association of Ireland Awards were announced at a banquet Feb. 18 in Jury’s
Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin. The awards acknowledge the most
interesting and creative Irish press photographs from the past
year, rewarding quality and excellence in this dynamic field.
The international judging panel also commented that the winning photographer’s work displayed the skill and talent to produce strong images, often from what could be considered routine situations, combined with the unique ability to capture the
moment expertly.
With the highest ever entry of almost 1,700 photos from more
than 100 photographers North and South this year, selecting
the winning photographs proved a demanding responsibility.
The international panel of judges included chairperson Bride
Rosney, RTE director of communications; Mark Bealing, picture editor, Time Magazine, London; and Rob Taggart, picture editor, Associated Press, London.
Speaking at the banquet, Donal Forde, AIB managing director,
said, "AIB is delighted to be sponsoring the awards and exhibitions for the third year running. Once again, I am in awe of the
level of talent among Irish press photographers and I admire
their distinctive ability to capture everyday emotions at any
given moment."
Prizes were awarded in the categories of News, Features,
Sports Action, Sports Features, People, Individual Study, the
Arts, Politics, Picture Story and a special award for Humor.
The highest accolade of the evening was the AIB PPAI Press
Photographer of the Year award, which went to Alan Betson
of The Irish Times.
The strength of Betson’s portfolio was such that he showed an
all-round professional ability across the spectrum of press
photography. With photographs such as "The Flying Winger"
and "Curtin Call," the judges concluded that his portfolio was
the strongest body of work among an abundance of exceptional entries. This is the second time Betson has received the
title.
Steve Humphreys, PPAI president, said, "I wish to congratulate
my colleague, Alan, for his achievements and contributions to
press photography in Ireland. The overall quality of Alan’s pictures is exemplary, with each topic handled with both sensitivity and creativity. Alan is a well-respected member of our profession and his dedication and commitment to his vocation has
been well rewarded."
The AIB PPAI exhibition, featuring more than 110 prints,
opened Feb. 22 in AIB South Mall, Cork, to coincide with the
Cork 205 European Capital of Culture celebrations. The display
will then tour Ireland, visiting more than 20 AIB branches nationwide and overseas venues during the remainder of the year.
Details of all these photographs can be found on the
Irish American Post
web site (www.irishamericanpost.com)
6
Irish American Post
March 2005
Press Photographers Earn Praise
Event: AIB PPAI Gala dinner
Date: Friday, Feb. 18, 2005
Venue: Jury’s Hotel, Ballsbridge
Donal Forde, managing director,
Allied Irish Bank sponsor of the PPAI Awards
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the 2004 AIB
Press Photographers Association of Ireland Awards. As you
know this is the third year of AIB’s sponsorship of this prestigious event and we thought we’d do something a little different
this year, so we relocated to Jury’s! I’m sure you’ll all agree
that the venue is magnificent tonight and I for one am looking
forward to a great ceremony ahead.
As usual, the excitement and anticipation has been building
since the judging weekend in January and once again, I am in
awe of the level of talent amongst Irish press photographers and
their distinctive ability to capture everyday emotions at any
given moment in time. There were a record number of entries
this year – over 1,700, I believe, and the overall quality of the
photos was exemplary.
Among the many events covered in 2004 were the President
Bush’s visit to Dromoland, Cian O’Connor’s controversial gold
medal performance, Ireland’s Presidential and Euro elections,
Ireland’s Triple Crown win, Cork and Kerry’s All-Ireland celebrations and a wide range of news, sporting and political
events.
The success of these awards and accompanying exhibition
speaks for itself and is a testimony to the quality and excellence
of the photographs and abundance of talent in Irish press photography. In 2004, we brought the exhibition to 18 venues
throughout Ireland and also to Los Angeles, Brussels and Poland, raising awareness both nationally and internationally.
With many of the exhibitions being showcased in our local AIB
branches, it enabled us to display the outstanding skill of the
PPAI to as wide an audience as possible and our branch managers and staff were extremely pleased with the support it received.
This year, the exhibition will open in AIB South Mall, Cork on
22nd February to coincide with the Cork 2005 European Capital of Culture celebrations and we also aim to bring the exhibition to a number of international venues over the coming
months. Additional masterclasses are also planned for this year,
further highlighting the fast-faced, dynamic field of press photography.
A renowned international panel of judges were selected for the
2004 Awards, headed up by the chairperson, Bride Rosney,
RTE, alongside Mike Bealing, Time Magazine and Rob
Taggart, Associated Press, London. I am delighted to welcome
them all here tonight and extend our thanks to them for traveling to Dublin in January to complete, what must’ve been an
extremely difficult task in selecting the winners for 2004.
I also must thank everyone involved in the organization of this
wonderful event. If I could particularly mention Steve Humphreys, who has done a wonderful job as president of the PPAI
for the second year running. No doubt he will be sad to pass on
the baton to his successor next year and I’d like to thank him
for his contribution and effort in the run-up to the AIB PPAI
Awards and would like to wish Billy Higgins the best of luck in
his forthcoming presidency. I would also like to pay tribute to
Brenda Moriarty, Kathy McGarry and the team at AIB for their
ongoing work and dedication throughout the year.
I’m sure you’re all as eager as I am to find out who this year’s
winners are, so I would like to thank you all for coming tonight
and enjoy the rest of the evening.
Details of all these photographs can be found on the
Irish American Post
web site (www.irishamericanpost.com)
March 2005
Irish American Post
7
Comments by Stephen Humphreys, president of
the Press Photographers Association of Ireland
Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, special guests and, or course,
fellow photographers.
while we as photographers are at the centre of it, very few commentators or politicians ever think to ask us for our views.
Thank you, Donal, for your kind words. As you’ve said, this,
indeed, is the third year of AIB’s partnership with the PPAI,
and, as always, we appreciate your generous and thoughtful
support.
The fact is, we do not work in a vacuum.
On behalf of the association, I welcome you and your wife
Niamh here tonight, not forgetting Brenda Moriarty (head of
brand management ) and Kathy Mc Garry (sponsorship manager), who we are also delighted see here. Let me also take the
opportunity to express our gratitude to ALL of the AIB branch
managers who made us feel SO incredibly welcome during the
past year and who helped to make our latest exhibition such a
great success.
So, here we are again. Tonight sees us back in the familiar embrace of Jurys Hotel, scene of some legendary award nights -and bleary mornings -- in years gone by.
Our venue may have changed, but the sense of anticipation - as
always at this time of the evening - is the same.
Happily, I can say the suffering is nearly over. We’re not far
away now from the eagerly awaited announcement of the AIB/
PPAI award winners for 2004.
However, I’m going too prolong the agony just a little longer.
As you know, these awards are to honor the work of Ireland’s
press photographers. But there is more to our association than
handing out prizes. As a group of professionals, we are passionate about our work, and strive to do it to the highest standards,
often, under huge pressures.
We have an interesting, occasionally exasperating, often exhilarating job.
We go out there.
We take the pictures.
We deliver.
But our world is no longer black and white.
Recently, the work of press photographers in Ireland has come
under very close scrutiny. As a body of professionals, we have
come in for a lot of criticism over some aspects of our work.
Sometimes, that criticism is justified.
The issue that has us in the public spotlight is the very proper
question of an individual's right to privacy -- where those rights
begin, and where they end?
As we all know — there is not always a straightforward answer.
Now, this isn't the appropriate occasion to get stuck into the
whole discussion – but that is NOT to say we are ignoring it.
Press photographers today operate in a pressured and competitive environment, sometimes struggling to satisfy demands for
pictures which might once have been deemed unreasonable. We
have to work under increasing restrictions on the one hand,
while often facing an increasing appetite for sensational images
on the other.
This does not mean we don’t have concerns about some current
practices and genuine worries about the future.
I don’t think we want this debate to go on above our heads.
It is up to us to let the public and wider media know where we
stand.
Because, you know with so much focus on the negative ---- a
tiny, tiny, fraction of our output ---- the good work done by
press photographers is in danger of being overlooked.
The reality in our business is, that the positives far, far, outweigh the negatives. To prove my point, our heartiest congratulations go to Galway’s finest , the great Joe Shaughnessy, who
has just done us proud on the international stage by winning a
3rd prize in the prestigious World Press Photo competition.
Well done, Joe.
Back on the domestic front, we’ve had a record entry for our
own awards this year. The pick of them will be on display here
tonight.
Through the camera lens, these pictures present a record of contemporary Irish life, in all its colors and contradictions, providing both a serious and an offbeat commentary on society today.
When we look at them, a reflection of ourselves shines back .
Our good moments — the not so good. Shared moments of
sporting triumph – not to mention the occasional Olympian disappointment.
Walkouts and walkabouts. Standoffs and sit-ins. Tragedy and
triumph. The serious and the silly. The return of Roy Keane!
The arrival of I Keano!!
May Day riots that never happened, a presidential election that
never materialized, a presidential visit that never budged from
Dromoland Castle. We’re not saying George Bush’s trip to Ireland was a nonevent, but it says something when the highlight
was a photograph of Dubya in his vest.
So thanks again to our sponsors, our chairperson Bride Rosney ,
our judges Rob and Mike and all the entrants. It’s time for the
results, so I’ll hand you over to Sharon…
However, what strikes me about the current debate, is that
8
Irish American Post
March 2005
Top Photog Tells All
Alan Betson, the photographer of the year in the annual AIBPress Photographers Association of Ireland
competition, was pleased and proud of capturing his profession’s top honor. But he’s still
learning to do better at his craft, he emphasized.
Betson and other photojournalists celebrated in
grand style Feb. 18 at Jury’s Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin. The awards ceremony acknowledged the best pictures from 2004, rewarding
the shooters’ quality and excellence.
When he’s not out snapping
award-winning pixs, Betson
currently lives with his family in Dunboyne, Co. Meath.
Once its own village, the
community has become a
Dublin commuters’ hideaway. Wife Deirdre is a
nurse, and their 4-year-old
daughter Hannah
just starting to
understand what
her dad does. She
occasionally sees
him "on the
telly" or at home
working on his
computer.
"At the time, cameras and film were very expensive. So you
learned to make every frame count. You really
had to concentrate," he pointed out. Although
today, whiile he uses digital cameras, Betson
still appreciated the discipline he learned
while using the older equipment.
Betson began working at Inpho, the Irish
sports photography agency and was picked up
by The Irish Times when he was only 23,
becoming the newspaper’s youngest shooters
at the time. "I was greatly
honored to be part of The
Times, the paper was revered
and something that people
aspired to be part of. As such,
you always try to get better,
to put your heart and soul into
the photography there," he
said.
However, Betson wasn’t always sure he
was going to be
a photographer
and, in fact, was
tending toward
engineering. "I
wanted to be outdoors but didn’t have the qualifications to go
toward engineering. I got summer jobs at Inpho and they persuaded me to stay on after I
graduated," he said. Betson
spent his winters in the darkroom, "going in to work in the
dark, working in the dark and
leaving work in the dark," he
lamented, a situation that convinced him to seek a job elsewhere.
is
Betson, 34, moved to the
Dublin area with his mother
and father from Cork when
he was a youngster. The
PPAI just sent a display of
the winning photos to Cork to
kick off a series of exhibitions around the country.
Subsequently, when Betson
went down to the city from
Dublin to help inaugurate the
show, he had to give his
birth-town its due, he
laughed.
"My dad, David, was in the
Army and was a keen amateur photographer and really
gave me the impetus to start
in photography," he said.
When he was 10, Betson
lived in the Middle East for two-and-a-half years while his father was in service. While there, the young man began taking
photos and sharpening his skills. Naturally, his parents were
very excited to learn that their son earned top photog honors
this year.
March 2005
But while at the agency, he was
mentored by the fabulous Billy
Strickland, who always had suggestions and tips on how to improve his photographic skills.
Dermot O’Shea, the now-retired
Times photo editor, saw Betson’s talent and made him feel at home with the newspaper.
Betson is now one of a staff of nine photographers, usually
working from 10 a.m . to 6 p.m., plus every other weekend. He
also does the occasional night shift from 3 to 10 p.m. On any
given day, Betson will be shooting a feature spread, some
Irish American Post
9
sports and a range of other assignments.
Later in the spring, Betson and his family
will travel to Australia where he had spent
time three years ago on an exchange program with a Melbourne newspaper. "We
swapped cars, cameras, houses and stopped
short of our wives," he laughed. "They are
really advance down there, their way of
working really inspired me. It changed me
as an individual," Betson reported.
"We all look out for each other," Betson said
of the photographers camaraderie and craic
while out on a photo shoot, even with the
competition to see who gets a front page picture or an award-winning shot. "Everyone
has their own style, thank God. It’s great.
Everyone complements each other’s look,"
he indicated.
When The Irish American Post caught up with
him for a chat, Betson had
just completed a photo
spread on Dublin Castle,
photographed two brothers, one of whom was a
musician and the other a
writer and was on his way
home. But he first had to
stop and photograph two Georgian doors in the heart of the city.
The previous day he photographed the rugby championship prelims in which Blackrock defeated St. Gerard’s. He recently
completed a spread on the National Aquatic Center, the country’s first 50-meter training pool and high dive facility in
Blanchardstown.
Recently, Betson has been doing a lot of work on The Times
Saturday magazine, giving him the opportunity to hone his
lighting, portraiture and related skills by doing fashion, architecture and similar non-news subjects.
During a trip to Turkey for holiday, he shot a spread on charter
sailing.
Now a sailing fan himself, Betson also enjoys scuba diving.
On the side, he occasionally shoots travel photos for the New
York Times and, for a time, was doing a lot of his friends’
weddings. "It was a strange period. I was shooting in black and
white, as a fly on the wall," Betson chuckled. Times photographers can shoot for other outlets if the job doesn’t compete with
their employer-newspaper but everyone is generally so busy,
there are few of those opportunities.
"Our photographers also do well," he asserted, relating recent
awards garnered in worldwide competitions by his fellow Irish
photojournalists such as Joe Shaughnessy of Galway.
Regarding his own top win, Betson said, "I was proud to be part
of it, to see the quality of work put out there. There could have
been two or three other photographers standing there in my
shoes. Of course, it’s always up to the judges. But I was hoping!" he said.
After the award’s program at Jury’s Hotel, he and his pals had a
"very liquid" party, finally winding down about 4:30 a.m. Betson was appreciative of the fact that he didn’t have to work that
day.
It was a rest well-deserved.
Details of all these photographs can be found on the
Irish American Post
web site (www.irishamericanpost.com)
Humanity affiliate.
Belfast Explores Links with
Nashville
Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Tom Ekin recently led a delegation from Belfast City Council to Nashville, Tenn., to formally
recognize the Sister City link between the two cities and to
build on the tourism, cultural and economic links established
between the two cities.
In Belfast City Council’s first official visit to the city, the delegation met with Mayor Bill Purcell and representatives from the
Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, the International
Business Council, the Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Design
Centre, the Metro Arts Commission and the city’s Habitat for
10
On his return to Ireland, he hosted a seminar
for his fellow Times photographers, using material
he had completed in Australia, as well as showing other
photographers’ work from
Down Under. When he travels back there, he will showcase the PPAI award winners for his Australian photographer friends.
Stressing the importance of Belfast’s relationship with Nashville, Councillor Ekin said, "My mayoral priority of Unlocking
our Potential encourages us to build our relationship with Nashville so that both our cities can benefit from increasing contact.
I believe that we both can benefit economically, touristically,
culturally and socially from this link."
Established in 1994, Belfast’s Sister City link with Nashville
promotes three main strands of interest: government, business
and volunteer organizations. Currently the two cities are exploring joint projects in the areas of education, urban design, country music, voluntary work and cultural tourism.
Irish American Post
March 2005
Photog Friends Click During Irish Internship
By Stephen Hintz
If you’ve never studied abroad, you probably wanted
to at some point. During my sophomore year at the
University of North Carolina-Charlotte, I remember
walking past the colorful study abroad office and
dreaming of faraway lands. Contemplating Rumi over
coffee in a New Delhi deli with some young tenderoni
got to be an ongoing fantasy during my college career.
Needless to say, I never took the trip and have regretted my transgression to this day.
Haugie had plenty to do while working her way
around the shade of jade island nation. She learned the
creativity that it takes to "get the shot."
"We went to the Galway Races. Her photo editor didn’t bother to arrange press passes for us, so they were
going to make us pay at the gate and have access only
to the areas for the general public. Brenda does not
give up that easily," Hauge asserted. "Her true dedication and love for her job is evident at these points where she
will jump a spiked fence,
play chicken with security guards, or drive like
James Bond to get the
photo. Needless to say,
we got in."
Ruthie Hauge seems to
have gotten the point a
little earlier than I did.
Spending three weeks
in summertime Dublin
she regaled me recently
with stories of her internship with one of the
most talented photojournalists in all of Ireland, the award-winning Brenda Fitzsimons.
Graduating from MIAD
in May of this year with
a photography major and
a drawing minor, Hauge was in dire need of on the job experience. She told me about her first job.
A senior photography student at the Milwaukee Institute of Art
and Design, Hauge has never been one to turn down a pint. At
an outing for the Irish Professional Photographers Association (PPAI) this past summer at the Ale House in Milwaukee, Hauge
got a chance to meet Fitzsimons, who just
happened to be the first women in The
Irish Times’ 150 year history to be hired
on as a photographer.
The two women hit it off and Fitzsimons
invited Hauge to come to Ireland and visit.
Might as well make it an internship…two
credits…and that’s exactly what what happened. And off Hauge
went to the Auld Sod.
"Our first assignment from The Irish Times was to photograph
the Minister of Public Works opening a War Museum in Balingarry, Co. Kilkenney. We were late and were driving fast
enough for the wheels to lift off the ground," recalled Hauge.
"I watched as Brenda did what she does so well. She made sure
to get on the good side of the Minister’s personal secretary,
which allowed her to place him wherever she wanted him for a
photo. As the minister toured the museum, the other photographers followed him like ducklings from room to room," Hauge
said.
"Brenda never works this way. She gets in the room, gets her
shot, and moves to the next room, so she can be sure to get the
shot no one else will get when the minister walks in. She is
never satisfied with a standard unoriginal photograph. She will
pull strings or rearrange the subjects in complete command of
the situation. She has ministers and presidents nodding to her
wishes," asserted the Milwaukee student.
March 2005
"My first ‘assignment’ was to photograph a cow's face. I guess I
have to start somewhere. Brenda and I were more amused by
the prospect of pretending like an American
city girl like me couldn’t identify a cow and
send the editor a sheep instead," she laughed.
Although she is an American city girl, Hauge
maintains a distinct Irish history. Her grandmother is of Irish descent, being born and
raised in counties Cavan and Cork. Haugie so
loves her roots that she named her her cats —
her two favorite creatures in the world — after
her grandmother’s beloved counties.
The influence of Hauge’s mentor extended to the States. When
she returned home, she was landed a shadowing position with
press photographers at The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel,
based upon Fitzsimon’s recommendations. She continues to
study hard in school and presides over the student body, evidence of her ability to motivate herself.
Her experiences in Ireland will last a lifetime, as will her relationship with Fitzsimons. The two keep in touch, as it should
be, and Fitzsimons still calls Hauge her "daughter."
"She looks more like her father," Brenda explained to the locals.
The wit of the Irish is study abroad enough.
These and more of Ruthie Hauge’s photographs can be
found on the Irish American Post
web site (www.irishamericanpost.com)
Irish American Post
11
Mike Mullins Goes Green with St. Louis Tionol,
April 8-10
By Deric Green
Several new faces are being added to the eighth annual St.
Louis Tionol and Mississippi River Celtic Festival, April 8 –
10, 2005. Among them will be piper and pipemaker Mickey
Dunne of Limerick. Dunne is noted for playing in a open style
similar to the likes of Paddy Keenan and Johnny Doran.
For fiddlers, the Tional coordinators say they are delighted that
Tommy Peoples will be joining them again, along with Dale
Russ, a great West Coast fiddle player.
It was so hard, or was until very recently, for someone outside
of a major metropolitan area to find traditional music had to
travel to one or two events a year and tape-record as much as
possible, according to Mullins. "But that's not the way the music is in Ireland - it's an oral shared tradition. Mick Moloney has
done such a great job at Augusta and it was really his model
that we tried to follow. Basically get everyone, including the
teachers, together in an atmosphere where they can interact and
then get out of the way," he said.
In addition to the recitation class offered at last year’s smashing
event, the Tionol has added a songwriting workshop with Mitzi
MacDonald, a native of Nova Scotia. The talented Macdonald
has her own band, with several albums to her credit. Albert Alfonso will teach the bodhran class along with St. Louis’ Chris
Weddle. Kevin Henry, the great piper and flute player is coming down from Chicago, as will Tommy Martin, John Carty,
John Skelton, and Ged Foley will also be coming back.
"From the beginning, even though we called ourselves a festival, we weren't a festival in the sense of having a big stage, or
stages, with continuous performances while rows of vendors
sold their wares. We wanted a more intimate atmosphere where
musicians could interact with the teachers and if someone
wanted to come in a watch that was okay, too, Mullins emphasized.
Event organizer Mike Mullins played highland pipes when in
college with an Irish band here in Saint Louis called the Shamrock Pipe Band. Kids, family, and moving out of town made it
difficult to continue. In 1965, he stumbled on to a recording of
Leo Rowsome at a record store in Dublin and fell in love with
the uillean pipes. But it took almost 22 years before he was able
to acquire a set. These days, for a living he works for a company that makes soft indoor childrens play equipment.
The organizers quickly involved Judy Stein who runs the Focal
Point Traditional Arts Center in St. Louis. Originally, they were
just going to do pipes, but the challenge of bringing in teachers
meant that they had to make some money doing it. A concert
seemed like a good way to help bring in extra money but the
fest managers weren't sure they could make a go of a concert
featuring only uilleann pipes - at least not in Saint Louis. So
they started adding other traditional instruments. "We're still
tweaking the mix," Mullins laughed.
Mullin’s ancestors from Ireland mostly came over in the 1700s.
"My mother's family name was Mahaffey, coming from what is
now the north on a town on the shore of Lough Erne.. Her
mother was McBride and they came from somewhere in Ulster," he reported. His father's family goes back to a Mullins
who emigrated from Kent in the south of England in the mid1600s.
Son-in-law, Donal Hegart, hails from Cork where his family
and sisters still live. He was trained as an artist and makes his
living here as a graphic artist. He's done some stunning posters
for the festival over the years. One of the highlights was 2002
version which featured a river boat with musicians on the bow the piper was a tribute to Al Purcell. The fiddler was Liz Carroll, with Mark Stone on bodhran.
The idea for the festival first formed over a few pints at John D.
McGurks pub, with excellent input from Michael (Piper)
Cooney, of Thurles in Tipperary who was living in Saint Louis
at the time. He's since moved back to Ireland.
Mullins had been going up to Irish Week at Augusta for several
years. "At that time, there were piping Tionols on the East and
West coasts but nothing in-between. We thought we could do
something here in Saint Louis for a weekend and have some
fun," he recalled. The idea was to have a weekend of sessions,
classes, and a concert with a big emphasis on sessions.
12
Saint Louis was chosen because there was a good base of Irishness in the city and the organizers knew what venues would
work. "I can't imagine trying to pull this off somewhere down
the road that I had to travel to," Mullins said.
"The biggest worry is always whether you'll have enough folks
show up to pay the musicians and the bills. The biggest difficulty is the promotional work. We've worked with some sponsors but at this time don't have any major sponsors. We're such
a niche event that the big sponsors don't see us as being a good
venue to showcase their products," he added.
"Yes, it was nerve-wracking - and still is. Each year waiting for
registrations is a nail-biting experience hoping that enough people decide to come," Mullins went on.
The Tionol’s geographic draw has been amazing, including one
person from Australia, although he was already in the States for
something else. "We have had people from both coasts but the
majority are from the Midwest. For the first few years, we wavered between 120 to 140 attending workshops. Last year we
topped 180 which was a big boost, according to Mullins. "We
get a tremendous range of folks coming in from the "neverever's" to some folks who are professionals. As a result some of
the sessions are pretty amazing."
The festival’s schedule is such that folks don't have a lot of
Irish American Post
March 2005
spare time. When they do, they're typically playing in a session.
A large number of folks come back year after year so there's a
lot of re-connecting going on, as well. Close to thre-quarters of
attendees are repeats.
People are on their own for lodging, Mullins said However, this
past year, the fest offered lunch on Saturday so they wouldn't
have to leave the class venue. It seemed to be well received so
the meal will be served again this year. On Sunday morning,
John D. McGurks opens early for the participants and offers a
breakfast. "With all the logistics of everything else, we've
stayed away from doing any more with food," Mullins pointed
out.
"We've looked at getting a hotel like the Comhaltas convention
and shied away from it. They typically want a guarantee that
we'll book a certain number of rooms and we pay for them
whether taken or not. We've not wanted to go out on the limb
financially," he said cautiously.
Musicians’ ages ranges from 7 years old up to 80. "We allow
kids but expect them to be able to keep up in the class. There
are some pretty awesome kids out there. The big things we hear
are that people value the ability to have one on one time with
the teachers and actually play in sessions with them," Mullins
indicated.
Word-of-mouth is becoming more and more of a factor in attracting participants During the first year, Mullins chuckled that
"people seemed to come out of the woodwork. Two older guys
showed up who just decided to come on their own. One was Al
Purcell, the other was Kevin Henry. Both were great and, to me,
having folks like that there was what it was all about. Al was a
great help in subsequent years and became a very dear friend.
He's sorely missed. Kevin is amazing. Not many performers can
bring an audience to its feet with a recitation."
cert Hall. More sessions will follow the concert.
Most of the workshops are broken down into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, so all skills will be accommodated,
Mullins said. Recitations have always been a part of the tradition dating back to the days of the bards and wandering poets.
P.J. Gannon will be returning this year to teach a recitation
workshop. Last year Kevin Henry's recitation during the concert
brought the house to its feet and was one of the high points of
the evening.
All the details, including registration information, are available
at www.tionol.org. Or call 636-926-9192.
It has been said that
advertising is only
successful
if it reaches its target
audience.
If your product has a
Celtic interest, then the
Irish
American
Post
That first year, Chicagoan Isaac Alderson showed up, after just
getting his first practice set of pipes. Anderson went on to win
three All-Ireland titles a few years later and has since come
back and taught for
us.
The greatest reward from Mullins and the other organizers has
been getting to know everyone who's come. "We've made some
great friends," he said.
Mullins regretted that he has not attended any of the other festivals
except for the one down in Carbondale, Ill. "I do try to get to at
least one or two of the piping weekends each year and, although
I've not been able to make it back to Augusta, I did get up to
Catskills Irish week a year ago and look forward to going
back," he said.
The weekend will start off on Friday, April 8, with a concert at
the Saint Louis Brewery and Taproom starting at 7:30 p.m. Following the concert will be a ceilidh with music provided by
Phuca, a local group of traditional musicians. Music sessions
typically will start around 9 p.m. This year. Friday sessions will
be held at both the Taproom and at John D. McGurk’s.
is the place to be.
Call our advertising department at
414-540-6636
Saturday will bring workshops during the day from 9:30 a.m.
until 4 p.m. followed by a concert at the famous Sheldon ConMarch 2005
Irish American Post
13
A Ghostly Leap Back in Time
By Conor Caffrey
Special to The Irish American Post
The Ryans’ home is their castle. But they do not live in any ordinary castle. Former seat of the fierce O’Carroll clan, it was
once the most haunted in Ireland.
looting of the place. In 1991, the Ryans bought a complete ruin.
There was neither roof nor floor and the walls were covered
with fungus, mold and ivy.
The ghosts are still here. The Ryans hear them and see their
outlines or shadows on the walls; occasionally, they even feel
them brush by. But the spirits are much
calmer now than in former times. Accomplished musician Seán Ryan believes that in Victorian times they
wouldn’t leave the ghosts alone. Now
the music, which is always going on in
the house, would soothe the torment of
the most troubled.
Ryan has already spent 10 years painstakingly restoring the castle. This is truly a labor of love; the craftsmanship in the sandstone floor, windows and the huge stone
fireplace, which is usually filled with a
roaring fire, are a joy. The castle is
adorned with various bits and pieces the
Ryans have picked up on their travels. The
huge wooden statue in the main hall, presumably the prow of a ship, Ryan shipped
home from Bali. The family has christened
the statue "Brian Boru," and it does bear an
They don’t bother the family at all. Inuncanny resemblance to what you would
deed, the spirits are royally entertained
imagine the great man looked like despite
by the multi-talented family. Following
Infra red film captures the spectral atmosphere its Eastern origins
in her parents’ musical footsteps (Anne
of the castle interior.
.
Photo by Conor Caffrey/explore.ie
Ryan teaches Irish dancing), daughter
The place is filled with attention to detail,
Ciara is a champion Irish dancer and a
taste and humor. For example, the inner
beautiful harpist. Both father and daughter are happy to enterdoors that eerily opened by themselves brought immediate
tain and will play a reel and dance a jig for anyone that happens
smiles to the small tour group that entered when I was there.
to drop in either from the land of the living or from the spirit
We were later charmed by craic and ceol and there was a little
world.
drop of clear colored liquid passed around for warmth. It made
the visitors completely forget the wind and rain outside.
Leap Castle is rich in history, a synopsis of which Ryan will
recount with great wit and in true seThere is no doubting a stately medieval
anchaí style. Some Bronze Age artifacts
feel when you sit at one of the long tables
were found on the site and people were
in the main hall. They hold gigs here and
living in the area back in pre-Christian
the occasional tourist banquet as the big
times. Much later on, the castle belonged
castles do, but at Leap they are informal
to the O’Carroll chieftains — the last
affairs. The Ryans like to create a family
great Irish clan to surrender to the British
atmosphere, so expect some traditional
in the 17th century. The O’Carrolls were
rather than gourmet Irish fare. "You may
uprooted to Baltimore where some of
end up getting baked beans on toast like
their descendants are still living to this
we sometimes do," jokes Anne Ryan.
day.
A visit to the Ryan’s castle and home gives
Around this time, the castle — strategiRenovations of the castle have preserved its
a real insight into Irish family life. Visitors
cally located in a pass through the Slieve
medieval origin.
will leave with one of those rare holiday
Photo
by
Conor
Caffrey/explore.ie
Bloom Mountains — was given as a
memories to be treasured for a long time.
wedding present to the Darbys, an EngYou may even plan a return visit to your
lish gentry family with connections to the English throne. There
new friends in the heartland of Ireland.
is a story that one of the Darby clan hid some stolen silver in
the walls of the castle, murdering the two servants who helped
Leap Castle is just north of Roscrea near Clareen in Co. Offaly.
him so they would not steal his horde. Imprisoned for treason,
The Ryans are happy for visitors to drop in for a chat or an imthe man went mad and forgot where his hiding place was. So if
promptu seisiún. But please call, they say, or you might miss
there is a brand new Mercedes out front when you visit Leap
them. They may be down at the shops or out playing a gig
Castle it may be that the Ryans have got their hands on the hidsomewhere down the road. Tel: +353-509 31115.
den bounty.
Leap Castle was destroyed by fire during the Irish Civil War in
1922, with the IRA implicated in the larceny and subsequent
14
The story of Leap Castle by Conor Caffrey is courtesy of
http://www.explore.ie, Ireland's premiere travel writing, photography and advice resource.
Irish American Post
March 2005
Fiction
Paddy’s Day
The village wouldn’t be the same without John Joe. Although he
didn’t actually live in the little hamlet boasting a church, pub,
shop and a few weathered homes, John Joe always seemed to be
present or just passing through. His little adjacent farm, if you
could call it that, was simply a small field for ‘Paddy’ the donkey,
almost as old as himself, as well as a tiny garraí for his spuds,
before foreign potatoes brought the sun from Cyprus with them in
tight plastic bags.
Between Mass in the morning with Fr. Brady, P.P. , and the corner
stool in Waldrons for the chat with Bridie as she poured his pint in
the evening, John Joe liked to lean on the village bridge and watch
the world in motion. Naturally, he had the gift of the gab, as any
70-plus retired rural County Council worker would have, and
many a pearl of wisdom was dispensed to car-borne anglers, who
felt the hunter’s urge to stop at the hump-backed bridge.
The dappled sunlit river also drew John Joe’s attention downwards, as lazy trout sucked Olives with typical May relish, while
now and again otters caused panic among nesting coots. John Joe
saw them all, of course, because little escaped his languid gaze as
days tumbled over days.
His morning rush for work was over now and the sleep-in, not to
mention boiled egg breakfast, and leisurely toast, welcomed John
Joe to each passing day. The cup of soup and sandwiches from
Bridie down in Waldrons at lunch-time was sufficient, as the passing years stole his appetite like thieves in the night.
Supper-time in his once thatched bungalow, beyond the bend on
the Galway road, saw the old kettle spout steam on its gas-filled
bed, while the customary lashing of bread and blackberry jam,
were the perfect aperitif for the black pint Bridie was already pulling, as the ancient bridge passed beneath his feet.
Mind you, a pint of Guinness wouldn’t last long with John Joe. It
only oiled the windpipe for what was to follow! His stories, described as ‘mighty," were always in demand, and his generosity
for buying "rounds" was somewhat legendary! The down side of
all of this, saw the hump on the bridge grow ever higher as he
waddled home.
This then is John Joe, typical of the village don one meets in rural
Ireland today. Yet, there was something strange about him, which
occasionally set tongues a-wagging among friends and neighbors
alike. His source of income was often the subject of conversation.
As well as "splashing out" in Waldron’s every night, John Joe was
always splendidly dressed, his clothes straight off the peg, his
boots perfection. Although living alone as a bachelor since his
parents died, visitors rarely visited his home, and he was never
noted for indulging in shopping sprees. The money and the
clothes – thereby hangs a tale.
Then there was St. Patrick’s Day. While John Joe went to the vigil
Mass the night before, he never appeared to ‘down the green’ in
Waldron’s or anywhere else on the national saint’s day of days. It
was as if the fairies had come and taken him away. The surprising
thing about it – they had!
It was a family secret, of course, but many years ago his greatgrandfather, the local blacksmith, did a good deed for the little
March 2005
By Peadar O’Dowd
folk, or the Sí as they were known then, and St. Patrick’s Day was
their annual day of recompense. You see, right down to his father,
the sound of the anvil and the bellows signaled the family occupation, and their smithy was the large dilapidated shed now home to
old Paddy the donkey on the coldest of nights. It was to here that
John Joe would adjourn on the evening before each St. Patrick’s
Day.
The sun would hardly settle in the nearby lake when John Joe
would close the large old door of the smithy behind him, his old
oil lamp casting a ghostly glow on the moldering leather of the
bellows, while he stoked to life again the embers of long ago. The
familiar swish of the great hammer on the anvil produced more
than noise, however, because as each spark fell to the ground it
suddenly turned into a little elf, a half dozen or so appearing with
each mighty blow.
Soon the smithy was filled with the little folk all rushing to greet
John Joe before setting about their merry tasks. Gradually, long
strands of cobwebs were knitted into cloth as the miniature tailors
measured John Joe for his annual outfitting in suits and coats even
Louis Copeland would admire.
Nearby, hosts of others molded sturdy leather boots from magic
cardboard, while the strongest elves made the anvil sing as they
hammered euro coins from silver veined from Croagh Patrick itself.
Music of the celestial kind flowed from the musicians among them
also, while lovely ladies of this particular branch of the Leprechaun guild sang the ancient songs accompanied by an orchestra
of some 50 harpists and a plethora of fiddlers. Best of all, however, were the fairy ladies who prepared a kingly feast from herbs
and rabbit ribs. Meanwhile, Aran, their leader tasted the brewing
mountain dew to make sure it topped the quality of the previous
year – only the best for King John Joe as night slipped into morning.
Paddy’s Day was long, of course, as pompous ministers and mayors took the salute at distant passing parades. None, however,
equaled that witnessed by John Joe as his army of Leprechauns
finally marched by him carrying the produce of that special day
and laying a new suit, overcoat and shoes for each of the four seasons at his feet.
"See you next year," they cheered as they passed by, each disappearing into a little puff of fog, which quickly dissipated into the
larger mantle already covering the countryside as darkness fell.
"I look forward to it", slobbered John Joe as his heavy eyelids
closed on another Paddy’s Day. The dew of the mountain was taking its toll.
"Happy Paddy’s Day to ye all!"
The following morning, the boiled egg didn’t taste too well nor
did the toast.
Author Peadar O’Dowd can be reached at Peadar.ODowd@gmit.
ie. The story is reprinted with permission from Galway Now
magazine.
Irish American Post
15
Créme Goes Irish with Seavite’s Seaweed Products
By Michele Lea Robinson
Special to The Irish American Post
This year, the West Coast of Ireland can be found on the West
Coast of Lake Michigan. The popular Seavite line of seaweedbased body products, arrived this February at Crème, in Whitefish Bay, Wis. Créme is the only such outlet carrying the products in the States.
The boutique bath and body outlet, 5589
N. Diversey Blvd., offers one-of-a-kind
care products from Italy, France, Israel,
South America and other exotic locales.
The shop was established in 2004, with
Percy in partnership with her daughter, Katie Segel Liban.
"I loved Seavite. I even brought some back
from Ireland and gave it to my friends,"
shop owner Pam Percy said of the line. She
discovered Seavite while on business in
northwest Ireland in 2004 with her husband, Martin Hintz, publisher of The Irish American Post. Percy found the product
while exploring the town of Westport, site of the holy mountain
of Croagh Patrick and other historic attractions.
Failing to find an outlet caring the line in the States, Percy contacted the family-owned body products firm in Ireland. "Now
we just need to get the word out the to Irish community," Percy
said.
Seaweed cultivated off the western coast of Ireland has long
been used for its regenerative properties. Early cultures used
seaweed for its healing properties and, since the 19th century,
seaweed baths have been offered at resorts and spas as a way to
release toxins and revive the body’s energy, according to Kaye
Mulrooney, owner of Seavite.
Seavite is a popular line distributed in pharmacies, department
stores and
health and gift shops throughout Ireland. It is made of unaltered
seaweed and guaranteed to be Ph balanced, biodegradable, not
tested on animals, and free from animal derivatives, according
to company officials. Much of the seaweed is harvested off the
Mayo and Kerry coasts. Several varieties are used, depending
on the amino acids, trace elements and other properties that are
needed, said Mulrooney
Mulrooney and her late husband, Patrick, launched the Seavite
line of bath and shower gel in 1993. Patrick Mulrooney was a
scientist specializing in the utilization of natural plant resources
in various products. After finalizing an assignment with the Ireland’s Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
(DCMNR), he became interested in the therapeutic merit of seaweed, which then became the
main focus of his work. Mulrooney died of cancer in 2003 and his wife and family stepped in
to direct the company.
The Mulrooneys’ daughters, Dr. Jane, 28, and
Dr. Katherine Mulrooney, 27, currently work
with developing new products. Both are physicians currently conducting research at St. John's
Institute of Dermatology in London. Son
James, 32, is the company’s financial director. Headquartered
in Galway, the labs are located in Claremorris, Co. Mayo. The
company has 20 employees, including two chemists.
The current line includes shampoos, conditioners, bath and
shower gels and face cream. Crème is able to fill special orders
by email and purchasers can go to www.seavit.ie for a complete
list of products and prices
Crème also carries Naturally Irish bath salts and soaps that are
wrapped in pure Irish linen, which can later be used as an exfoliating cloth, according to Percy. The shipment of Heather and
Moss and Sweet Lavender scented bath salts and soaps has sold
well since its arrival in December, Percy said. The bath salts
also include Irish moss or seaweed in the list of ingredients and
the soaps are all natural, vegetable-based, and handmade.
Subsequently, the next-best-thing to traveling across the Atlantic Ocean is visiting Créme for Ireland’s quality soaps and
shampoos. On Sundays, 15% of the day’s profits go to charity.
For more information about Seavite, check its web site at www.
seavite.ie, or Créme at www.cremeboutique.com.
Advertise with the
Irish American Post
Call our advertising department at 414-540-6636 to discuss your advertising needs
16
Irish American Post
March 2005
Inspired by the nature and beauty of Ireland, our
Naturally Irish soaps and bath salts are wrapped in pure
Irish linen.
Fragrances include
'Heather & Moss' and 'Sweet Lavender,'
which uses lavender oil distilled in County Wicklow.
Gentle formulations moisturize while the scents uplift the
spirit, subtly relaxing the body and mind.
Creme, the most unique bath and body boutique in the
Milwaukee area, presenting the world at your doorstep.
is located at 5589 N. Diversey Ave.,
south of Silver Spring Drive in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Shop online at www.cremeboutique.com
Store hours:
Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sunday noon - 4 p.m.
To learn more about Naturally Irish and our other products,
call 414-964-2777 or email us at [email protected]
Music Reviews
McConnell Brings Fermanagh Music Alive Once Again
By Paul Carr
Special to The Irish American Post
Hidden Fermanagh - Traditional Music and Song from County
Fermanagh (Two CDs and a book of tunes and songs) http://
www.fermanaghmusic.com/
A few years ago, Cathal McConnell had the spark of an idea for
a CD of music from his native county of Fermanagh. McConnell may be known to some
Americans from his many appearances with
Boys of the Lough on Garrison Keillor’s A
Prairie Home Companion radio show.
melody.
Among the many sparkling tunes, one could mention the lively
opening tune set on the first CD, the reels "Dickie Gossip,"
"The Primrose Lass" and "Uncle Hugh's Reels."
Two barn dances bursting with life follow the
opening set, "Bobby Treacy’s" and
"Sunnyside Banks." The vibrant, rugged style
of these tunes is one rarely heard on modern
recordings, which are often turned into a sonic
mush with unneeded accompaniment.
A talented and charming singer, flute player,
and whistle player, McConnell’s simple idea
for a CD brought people together to capture
two brilliant discs of tunes and songs from
Fermanagh, a county at the southwestern edge
of the Irish province of Ulster.
It was also decided to produce a book that featured the tunes and songs on the CDs, as well
as other music from Fermanagh. Some of these
tunes come from the noted John Gunn book, a
manuscript dating to the mid-19th century.
Gunn was a fiddle teacher in the mi-19th century who lived in the townland of Corratistune,
three miles from Derrylin village. He collected
about 150 tunes, many of which had never been recorded until
the release of these CDs. All in all, the Hidden Fermanagh book
has transcripts of more 100 tunes and 33 songs.
The book also uses stories, interviews
and photographs of people and places in
Fermanagh music to capture some of the
history of the people that kept alive the
area’s music during the decades of massive emigration and the loss of Irish culture.
Among the many fascinating parts of the
book is an interview with John
McManus, descendant of John Gunn. The younger Gunn talks
at length about the house dances, the céilí band era, and the
changing musical environment 50 years ago in Ireland. Not be
missed is a long interview with Cathal McConnell himself. The
book also includes an index for the tunes and another for the
songs.
Some of the tunes on these CDs are played as they would have
been played 100 years ago — or even just 30 years ago: without
guitar or other accompaniment. This naturally Irish, melodic
way of playing the tunes preserves and brings out the natural
vibrancy of the music, something sometimes lost when chords
from a guitar or like instrument are played on top of an Irish
18
Among the other outstanding tunes are the
reels "The Wrecking Reel," "Handsome Sally"
and "Sally Kelly’s." Played by Pat McManus
on fiddle, these tunes slowly unwind the melody in a series of serpentine undulations that
seem to play in that magical playground of the
mind between the dark and the light. They
have delicate, tasteful accompaniment that
does add beauty to the arrangement. Fiddler
Pat McManus is a descendant of John Gunn,
so it’s a mighty moment when you find that
these haunting tunes all come from the pages
of his ancestor’s own work, The Gunn Book.
One of the most stunning songs is Edward on "Lough Erne’s
Shore." Sung by Catherine McLaughlin, whose voice can reach
the many low notes with great resonance, the song is a wee epic
of lost love and liberty. In the song, the singer dreams of her
banished lover, Edward. As if the lovely
tune behind the song weren’t enough, the
song’s lyrics could hardly be more finely
crafted:
Delight had fled me, and woe hath wed
me,
Why did you leave me, my love a stór…
There are many other songs — some
tragic, some funny — all rich in their reflections of the darkly
bright Irish mind and its shadow, Irish history.
The CD even features a lilting duet, a rare bird indeed in the
Irish song tradition. The lilting tune is picked up on whistle,
making for an absolutely lovely moment in music.
These CDs and this book can take their place alongside other
equally historic, recently released collections of tunes and songs
from Ireland.
Available at http://celticgrooves.homestead.com/
CG_Book_Hidden_Fermanagh.html
Irish American Post
March 2005
ADVERTISEMENT
There's Love and There's Sex
and There's the 46a
"There's Love and There's Sex and There's the
46A" is a collection of short-stories, essays,
articles, ballads and poems all written by bus
workers and ex-busworkers.
certainly deserve our warm gratitude.
And now these bus angels have given us a
charming collection of short stories. I think that
masters of the short story, such as Frank O'Conner
and Sean O'Faolain, would have really enjoyed
these stories. I certainly did.
Some were produced recently on state-of-the-art
word processors while others had been, evidently,
written on the backs of waybills and Defect
Dockets at termini many years ago.
There's something for (almost) everybody in this
collection. It contains sentiments, philosophy,
history and humor. There's even advice there; if
you are a budding Alice Taylor or John McGahern
The Finished Novel by acclaimed novelist/ busdriver Ciaran McCann, is for you.
Here's what Prof. Brendan Kennelly says about it in the
foreword:
"Having these delightful stories led me to think how we, the
traveling public, tend to take bus drivers for granted. Buses are
like mobile mountains of help and comfort: they take you to
your destination and they allow you to think, observe, relish
conversation or silence, and feel perfectly safe.
And there's that man or woman up front, guiding the mobile
mountain along with patience, courtesy and pleasant, easygoing style. How often do we thank our pleasant guides? They
A good short story gives the reader permission to
enter a new world. The form demands that the
writer should have an energetic sense of narrative,
an ear for revealing dialogue, a controlled sense of
drama, a feeling for the sometimes contradictory
subtleties of character, and an ability to allow
narrative, character and dialogue to create a
special atmosphere that completely fits the world
evoked, worked and sustained by the writer.
When I had finished these short stories, culminating in the
delightful There's Love And There's Sex And There's The 46A. I
was grateful for the special insights, the sympathies, the humor,
the quiet feelings of these talented bus people.
As writers, they are keen listeners, sharp observers, constantly
in touch with the foibles of humanity and, most striking of all
they are gifted storytellers. Readers will, I believe, love this
collection. In fact, I think we may find that, thanks to these
talented storytellers, buses will be even more crowded in the
future."
Here's a sample from the "Poets Corner" of the collection:
Post From Parnassus
(after Patrick Kavanagh)
by Paddy Finnegan
Here by my seat the old ghosts meet.
Here, the place where the old menagerie
Relentlessly soldiers on
Remembering the old green dragon, me,
On the feast of the Apostle of Ireland.
Ye greeny, greying catechumens
Will cease to stage this ceremony
Only on the command of Sergeant Death.
Then break not the heart of poet past
Nor that of preening poet present:
But know, ye prodigies of prosody
That multitudes in times to be
Will listen to my lays
And look askance
While cods forever fake
Their own importance.
There's Love and There's Sex and There's the 46A is available from:
Bus Books
P.O.Box 9963
Lucan
Co.Dublin, IRELAND
Price: 11 Euro (including P&P)
Conghaile Brings Years of Sean-nos Music to
Milwaukee
By Elizabeth J. Cooney
As Micheál O’Conghaile celebrates two decades of success as
the founder of Cló Iar-Chonnacta (CIC), the largest Irish language recording and publishing company in Ireland, he thinks
not where he would be without his work, but instead where his
work would be without him.
Known worldwide for his company’s preservation of sean-nos
music, the traditional old-style singing of Ireland, O’Conghaile
is continuously inspired by asking himself, "If I hadn’t recorded
these songs, who would?"
Growing up in a community of only 40 off the Galway Coast,
O’Conghaile was seldom exposed to the sean-nos singing tradition. On one occasion, however, he recalls having heard his
neighbors singing these traditional a cappella songs as they
walked on the road and across their land. "We’d hear them just
singing their hearts out to themselves and walking the fields."
It wasn’t until national school that O’Conghaile was formally
introduced to sean-nos music. During his elementary schooling
in the 1970s, the Irish government delegated funds to the school
systems in order to purchase record players. Although barely
any records were readily available, the ones accessible to the
schools were that of sean-nos singing.
"As I was listening to [the sean-nos records] in school," recalls
O’Conghaile, "I never thought I would one day record the same
songs with the same singers."
Fortunately for the expanding community of sean-nos enthusiasts, O’Conghaile’s appreciation for this music only grew. In
1985, while still a university student, he founded CIC to preserve and protect the Irish language and the arts of its culture.
He became aware that hardly any of the older, more traditional
sean-nos songs were available on cassette, which at the time
was the prominent method of musical recording.
Not only did O’Conghaile launch re-recordings of traditional
sean-nos songs, but he decided to put contemporary sean-nos
singers and songs on cassette as well. In the mid-1980’s, the
introduction of the compact disc allowed CIC to be able to include the words and translations of the Irish tunes, which improved sales and the audience’s appreciation and understanding
of the music. To date, CIC has published more than 300 books
and released over 1,000 songs, including nearly 400 sean-nos
songs from all over the world.
The powerful music of sean-nos brought a good sized crowd to
Milwaukee recently as the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and the Center for Celtic Studies threw a two-day celebration of this lyrical tradition. This being his second trip to Milwaukee, O’ Conghaile appeared as the featured guest and spoke
to a crowd of native and novice sean-nos singers letting them
know that the sean-nos tradition is far from extinction.
"Sean-nos singing is thriving," O’Conghaile says. "There are
classes available, young people are beginning to learn sean-nos
20
at home, and with organizations like the Center for Celtic Studies and the publishing group, sean-nos will remain at a healthy
state."
Aine Meenaghan, world-renowned sean-nos singer and winner
of the prestigious Irish singing competition Fleadh Cheoil, was
a special guest to the weekend celebration and agrees with
O’Conghaile on the state of sean-nos music. Native of Connemara, Galway Co., Meenaghan moved to Chicago in the 1980s
and has since seen the increase in demand for sean-nos music.
"Sean-nos music is prospering now more than every," Meenaghan says. "It is getting so big from the information available
on the internet, yearly festivals, and weekends like this. The
interest in sean-nos is bigger now than it was 20 years ago. It
will not die out." Meenaghan witnesses this growth of interest
through her work, as a teacher of Irish language and sean-nos
singing in Chicago.
Sean-nos singing and the interest in the Irish language are on
the rise in many cities but some wonder where Milwaukee
ranks as a participant in the preservation of this cultural tradition.
As an organizer for the 3rd annual sean-nos weekend celebration, Brían hAirt is thankful for the development of the UWM
Center for Celtic Studies because it plays a large part in bringing the Irish tradition to Milwaukee.
"The majority of sean-nos singers live in Chicago or Boston
and Milwaukee has no native sean-nos singers. By means of the
center," he says, "we have the opportunity to mix the native
sean-nos singers with the new sean-nos American singers learning the art." An accomplished sean-nos singer and the youngest
person ever to win the Fleadh Cheoil, hAirt sees this type of
music as an important piece of what many don’t see as the real
Irish culture.
"Sean-nos singing offers a connection to Ireland separate from
the traditional images of shamrocks and leprechauns," hAirt
says. "It is a literary singing tradition incorporating the history
of times long ago." hAirt would like to see the city of Milwaukee and events like Irish Fest incorporate the authentic customs
and traditions of Ireland into its mainstream cultural events.
"Celebrations like Irish Fest are not doing all they could. The
media has filled our minds with these images that don’t represent the real Irish culture. The real history of Ireland and the
traditions and customs that make this culture so unique, like
sean-nos, are not showcased enough" says hAirt . He credits
Milwaukee organizations like the Center for Celtic Studies for
allowing the opportunity for growth and education of not only
sean-nos music, but the understanding of the true Irish culture
as well.
Irish American Post
(Continued on page 28)
March 2005
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March 2005
Irish American Post
21
To help celebrate the 25th anniversary of Milwaukee
Irish Fest, The Irish American Post will be running
stories on some of the many volunteers who help make
the world's largest Irish cultural event such a success.
These features will appear in The Post over the next
few months.
25th Anniversary
2005
Schultz, Irish Bands Make Great Mix
By Martin Hintz
Kathy Schultz and her husband Russ were
longtime Summerfest fans so when Festa Italiana and then German Fest came along using
the same lakefront location, the couple attended those events, as well.
"I suppose I must have seen Irish Fest advertising in 1981 and thought ‘at last!’ for the
Irish," said the recently retired Milwaukee
County social worker. The Schultzes were
hooked from the first day of Irish Fest in 1981.
"I loved it immediately," she offered, pointing
out the Kean side of the family ensured appreciation of her heritage.
Schultz’s grandparents made her feel that being Irish was a special and wonderful thing. "If there any musical talent within the
family, it remained well-hidden but my grandpa Kean always
sang I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen to me. When I was in
grade school, one of my grandpa's sisters started a family history and sent us a copy," she recalled.
"I remember reading about the Keans coming to this country in
about 1850 and settling in Easton, Pa. My dad and I then found
some books at the library on the Famine that probably drove
them to America. I vaguely remembered my Kean grandmother's dad: Ahearn was the last name. He was a cooper. My
grandmother grew up in Chicago and that all seemed rather exotic although I still know nothing about that part of the family.
The bottom line was that I did not care much about my German
background. But, the Irish was another thing entirely," Schultz
said.
The most vivid memory of her first year of Irish Fest was seeing De Dannan sitting in a semi-circle "playing this brilliant
music. Since I did not grew up with anyone playing that at
home, it was new to me. But it felt like coming ‘home.’ The
rhythms, gee, I was just blown away and hooked on the Fest,"
said the long-time volunteer at the festival’s summer school.
From this introduction, Schultz eventually began booking gigs
for numerous Irish musicians, including Schooner Fare, David
H.B. Drake and Ceol Cairde, as well as managing Maine artists
Turkey Hollow, Dave Rowe and Denny Breau. More on that
later.
Involved with Irish Fest
Schultz immediately became involved with
Irish Fest, even taking tin whistle the first
year of the Fest Summer School of 1987. She
had taken a 10-week class through the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Folk Center
the year before,-inspired by Tom Rowe's tin
whistle playing with Schooner Fare. She recalled that the class was on the intermediate
level and she was not prepared for that. "The
first day of the class, I rushed over to UWM
from work, could not find the room, and had
to ask for help. Pat Sadowski, who I did not know at the time,
took me to the class."
Schultz came into a room of flute players being coached by The
instructor was Fr. Sean Egan. Among the students was John
Ceszynski, about 18 years old at the time and able play anything by ear. But Schultz needed to played everything as a slow
air because she had to read the music. "Nine years of piano at
least gave me that," she laughed.
In addition, Eagan had hand-written the tunes, so the sheets
were difficult to read. After the first few measures of a jig or
reel, Schultz felt she was lost but then Sean asked everyone to
play the tunes again at her tempo.
"He was so kind and I did love the class, although felt badly
that I was holding back the real musicians! I also re-connected
during that time with Kristina (Schatzman) Paris who was taking flute with the school. Kristina and had I met a few years
earlier when her son and mine were in first grade together,"
Schultz said.
The second year of the school, she took vacation for the week
and went to every class I could cram in, realizing that having to
read music was a major hindrance to playing Irish music. Subsequently, she signed up for bodhran instead of whistle. She
saw more of Kristina and Pat and met Cease Grinwald and John
Gleeson. A couple of years later when Grinwald decided to turn
over running the school to others, she asked Paris, Sadowski,
Gleeson, Nancy Walczyk and Schultz to take it over. Marnie
Starr was one of that original group, as well. Schultz has been
on the committee since that time.
Over the years, she has had different responsibilities. Currently,
22
Irish American Post
March 2005
Schultz arranges with a caterer for box lunches for the students
who purchase them in advance and she then helps hand out the
meals during the school. She also set up housing for the instructors and proofread the schedule before it goes out. She also
sends out information to several music magazines.
Challenge During School
One challenge during the school is making sure that everyone
attending a particular class pays for that class. "We have tried
getting the instructors to take attendance and those of us on the
committee have stood at the door and tried to take attendance.
But we can never find a foolproof way to stop people from attending classes they did not pay for. We welcome all ideas," she
laughed.
She and her husband started out as Schooner Fare fans, talking
to Chuck and Steve Romanoff and Tom Rowe, after a show at
the festival or at small bars where the Wards booked them. "I
remember that they played Rumdoodles in the Riverwest
neighborhood in May, 1984 and two days later played at Pius
school, at a kick-off to the festival that included Paddy and
Molly McFest’s wedding," she said
The group also performed several shows at Club Garibaldi and
the Schultzes would hang around at the bar and talk with them
afterwards. "We always seemed to spend the most time with
Tom Rowe and always said, ‘Anytime you would like to come
for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, we'd love to have you," she
remembered.
In March of 1989, Ed and Chuck Ward booked the band for a
show at the Southern Plantation, the old Allis Chambers clubhouse in West Allis. Rowe stopped Schultz before the show and
said he had been trying to reach her to say that he would love to
come over to her home the next day, that Saturday.
"We were with friends and when I told them, they said, ‘Be
careful what you wish for!’ I was thrilled, but also wondering if
all three would come and worrying about what we would serve,
when I could clean the house and all those other details. I rather
nervously picked Tom up at the Park East Hotel the next morning — Steve and Chuck slept in. And, it was fine - like having
family over," Schultz said.
By late 1989, Schultz was planning to bring Schooner Fare into
Milwaukee for a major concert and approached Ed and Chuck
Ward about the festival and Shamrock Club backing. "They did
not know me but of course I knew who they were. When both
organizations agreed to underwrite the concert, if needed, my
dad and I joined the Shamrock Club and I starting attending
Fest board meetings, the get-away weekends and other activities in order to get to know people and feel more a part of the
Irish community," she said.
About this same time. a long-time social work/artist friend
asked me what I wanted to be when I "grew up." I met the
friend in college - she was an art major, I was in journalism and
we talked about our hopes and dreams.
Needed a Job
She graduated before I did and, needing a job right away in the
late 1960s, took the Milwaukee County civil service exam for a
social worker position. Schultz also started working for Milwaukee County and did not really think about doing anything
March 2005
else, she admitted. In 1989, Schultz’s friend was also running a
part-time art gallery in Riverwest and asked Schultz for help in
finding find music for a two-day Riverwest Art Walk.
"From someplace in my brain, came the answer that as a nonmusician, I wanted to be involved with music, either as a band
manager or something," Schultz said, agreeing to help. But because there was no money to pay anyone, she called called local
musician David H.B. Drake for advice.
Drake suggested calling the Milwaukee Musicians Co-op, since
all the other local musicians were playing West Fest. Schultz
followed his advice and ended up booking most of the performers that way, along with a couple of people she had met while
taking tin whistle through the UWM Folk Center.
As a backup, Schultz also called Kristina Paris who had started
an Irish band called Ceol Cairde, which was playing its first gig
at Irish Fest. Immediately, Schultz got Paris to commit to the art
walk for her second gig. Eventually, Schultz brought in so
many of musicians that she had to find a larger venue in a
Riverwest bar.
Each brought a music stand and sheet music to that performance "Bill Crowley was about the only professional musician.
They were heavy, really heavy on tin whistles," Schultz chuckled.
Schultz loved being involved in that event. Subsequently, when
Rowe came over to the house during Irish Fest in 1989, I was in
the midst of the art walk planning. She apparently asked the
musician how Schooner Fare booked their shows. He subsequently sent Schultz the band’s press kit shortly thereafter.
Schooner Fare then came back to Milwaukee that October for a
benefit on behalf of the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance.
"A couple of days later, I was frustrated trying to figure out
where to get appropriate clothing for several children I had
placed with their grandparents. I was working in the Milwaukee
County child abuse/neglect assessment area at that time. There
was no money to give relatives for clothing. The children had
nothing and needed to get back into school and neither the
grandparents nor I wanted them to "stick out " with shabby
clothing.
One of the protective supervisors had a small fund for emergencies, used for paying a connection fee to the Wisconsin Gas
Company so the social workers did not have to place children in
foster care because there was no heat in the home. Sometimes,
the money was used to reimburse the workers who paid for
medicine for children, prior to taking them to a foster home on
an emergency basis late at night.
Schultz recalled that the agency used to raise money for that
fund by having bake and popcorn sales, but it probably had
never more than $200 at any given time.
"The thought crossed my mind that day that Schooner Fare
could do a concert and help raise money for that fund. It
seemed like a totally insane thought but it kept coming back to
me over the next few days," Schultz said. So, she called Rowe
and asked if the band would do something like that.
"They were really pleased as they wanted to do a larger concert
Irish American Post
23
on a regular basis rather than play the bars in Milwaukee. So,
even though I had only the experience of the Riverwest Art
Walk, they were willing to ‘sign on,’ she enthused.
"Looking back, I can't imagine that I ever had the gumption to
say I
would do it. I think naiveté played a huge part! Kristina was
also a
real role model. She dreamed of a band and made it happen and
she dreamed of doing a music school at her home and was just
starting that in 1989," said Schultz.
Supportive from the First
Tom Brophy, then director of Milwaukee County Health and
Human Services and someone Schultz had known since her first
days working for Milwaukee County, was supportive from the
first. He thought doing this for the worker's "slush fund" was
great idea and referred her to a Milwaukee County volunteer
who helped me rent Serb Hall for Oct. 19, 1990, at a fee of only
$200.
The volunteer also told me about tax numbers, audits and many
things over and above just wanting to put on a concert as a
fund-raiser, according to Schultz. But it soon became apparent
that there were too many problems with raising money for the
social worker's fund, particularly person who kept the money
did not want to open a bank account or get a tax number. There
was also the question on it be administered?
Brophy suggested giving money to the Safe House, a facility
for abused and neglected children that was scheduled to open in
early 1990.
By this time,Schultz had talked to the Wards who gave her their
blessing. Paris suggested that maybe a new organization she
helped start, Milwaukee Inter-Celtic Cooperative, would be an
underwriter. Schultz started going to meetings and remained a
member through the life of MICC but it was apparent there was
no money for underwriting there.
I would guess that Ed and Chuck Ward initially thought I was
just an inexperienced, fanatic Schooner Fare fan who actually
wasn't going to go through with putting on a concert. Once
Chuck, who was then president of the Shamrock Club, realized
this was really happening, he offered underwriting by the
Shamrock Club and Irish Fest. Chuck was a great help during
the planning for that first concert, Schultz said.
She added, "Chuck said something so nice to me as a response
when I went to him for help for the second concert. It was
something along the lines of ‘You know what you are doingyou don't need me.’"
"Someone gave me good advice when Irish Fest agreed to underwrite the Schooner Fare concerts. The advice was that if I
was going to involve the Fest, I needed to follow through with
what I said I would do. If I came back later on and said I had
taken on too much and wanted someone else to take over, here
would not be any sympathy — unless, of course, there was
something serious such as an illness. I was told that everyone
connected with the Fest was very competent and expected everyone else to be too," Schultz said.
That first concert in 1990 sold out with almost 700 persons at
24
Serb Hall . the crowd was so large that people were turned
away.
Schooner Fare Booked
Ed Ward then booked Schooner Fare for a benefit for the Brendan Heart Fund in November, 2001, at the Pabst Theatre. The
second concert I planned was the spring of 2002 and we have
done this annually since that time. Proceeds benefited the Safe
House for three years and La Causa's Crisis Nursery for seven.
In 2001, the beneficiary was the Ward Irish Music Archives and
in 2002 the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center. In 2003 and
2004, it was the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin.
The concert moved from Serb Hall in 1994 to the Waukesha
Exposition Center and in 1995 to the Pitman Theater at Alverno
College.
Initially, Schooner Fare made a set amount and after paying
rent and related concert expenses, proceeds from ticket sales as
well as an ad book went to the beneficiary. The donation averaged around $5,000 a year during that time. For the past several
years, Schooner Fare has been the actual producer for the concert as they take total financial responsibility.
As the years went on, Schultz did not feel it was necessary any
longer for either the Fest or Shamrock Club to underwrite the
concerts although she always credited each organization in her
written material because of their long-time support. Schultz
stopped doing an ad book in 2003, saying that 12 years of selling ads all by herself was enough for anyone.
There is now a raffle the night of the concert with ticket donations from Irish Fest, Midwest Airlines, the Milwaukee Symphony, the ICHC and other organizations and companies. Some
of the Schooner Fare fans donate hand-made items including
quilts and baskets. Each raffle has raised right around $1,000.
That was true even in 2004 despite the fact that attendance
dropped from an average of 720 to 450.
Schultz attributed Tom Rowe's death in January, 2004, for the
drop in attendees. In addition, she said, Schooner Fare played
Irish Fest every year beginning in 1982 through 1996. They
were brought back in 1999 and 2001.
Because they have not played the Fest regularly, Schultz hadn’t
added many new names to her mailing for years. Age, health
problems, retirement and subsequent moves have taken a toll on
attendance. Still, it is remarkable that the band has maintained
fans from not only the Milwaukee area but, Chicago, St. Paul,
Indianapolis and other Midwestern cities over the years. The
concerts have remained Schultz’s "project." She indicated that
it was easier for her to do the work herself rather than have to
wait for a committee meeting.
However, fans have come forward to offer help, Schultz said,
praising Irish Fest volunteers Bonnie and Mike Camp as friends
who are always on hand when she need them.
Mike Camp is the director of the Wisconsin Southeastern Regional Crime Laboratory, Schultz explained. "When he found
out that I hand-wrote 1000 envelopes for mailings each year, he
offered to put them on a computer disk and do annual updates
for me," she said thankfully.
Typesetting Paid For
Irish American Post
March 2005
Schultz paid for typesetting, as well as printing for the ad book
for years. Camp then taught himself to typeset whatever needed
typesetting for the ad book. "Catholic Family Life Insurance
has been a wonderful supporter from the first year and for the
past few years has been printing first the ad book and now a
program for the concert for free," Schultz added. "The night of
the show, people I've become friends with over the years, usher
and sell CDs. Mike Camp runs the raffle. Who could ask for
more!" she went on.
Even with her concert work, Schultz is still very active with
Irish Fest, although she was not involved behind the scenes for
the first several years. "When I started to see all the work and
planning, I realized what an incredible event it was and what a
treasure. When I try to explain the Fest to people, I always tell
them it was a dream that a few people had and that fortunately
one of those dreamers was Ed Ward. I like to think I have some
good ideas. But Ed, he is always dreaming and thinking," said
Schultz.
As an example, Schultz told about when she, Ward and Barry
Stapleton, the archivist for the John J. Ward Music Archives,
attended the 2003 North American Folk Alliance annual conference in Nashville. Margaret Nelson and Phil Cooper, two musicians from Illinois, had a booth across from my table for Maine
performers Turkey Hollow. Schultz admired Nelson’s wonderful handmade puppets and when Ward saw them and immediately came over and said, "Wouldn't that be a great class for the
summer school?"
Schultz said that she heard many times from performers that
they love playing the Fest for many reasons, but in large part
because they are treated so well and everything is done so professionally. The festival has certainly grown in scope and it is a
business. But it is a business run by people who do everything
very well but never forget the performers, the public. It is still
like family, just a much bigger one," she offered.
Schultz has had many wonderful experiences working with the
fest, most have to do with performers she met in conjunction
with the school. "I am first of all a fan of so many of the performers so to actually spend time with them is a thrill. Tommy
Makem was teaching a class, I don’t remember exactly when.
But he was also on a panel with Liam Clancy that year. I was
asked to pick him up at the Park East and bring him to his class.
So I went up to him after the panel discussion the night before
his class and gave him my phone number," she said.
The next day Schultz had a message from him that she didn't
erase that message for a week. She picked up the noted performer at the hotel and he wanted to go down to the grounds to
drop off something. Schultz was so nervous that rather than going straight on Michigan Street, she turned right and ended up
on the Hoan Bridge near the festival grounds. In addition, it was
also the second day of driving a very large and new vehicle and
Schultz had a difficult time parking it on the grounds.
"He finally asked me in that wonderful voice, ‘Would ye like
me to park it for you?’" she laughed.
One of Schultz’s responsibilities that year was helping out the
cooking instructor so she saved some potatoes for Makem, who
always asserted that "a day without potatoes is a day without
March 2005
sunshine." After his Summer School class ended, Schultz
brought him to the cooking class. He ate and sang and told stories to the cooking instructor, Schultz and two other people.
Since that time, she said she has spent more time with Tommy
and doesn't get nervous anymore.
When Mary McDonagh taught Gaelic at the school, she was
married to Johnny McDonagh, Schultz spent quite a bit of time
with her. When her husband came in for the festival, Schultz
spent time with him, too. On Thursday night, the trio went over
to the bar at the Park East. "The Tannahill Weavers came in and
joined Johnny at the bar and eventually a number of other performers. Again, it was a thrill for me," she added.
Good Times Related
Schultz also related other good times with Schooner Fare, seeing them at the festival was especially fun because she knew
them better. "Hearing the audience response was always exciting. I learned early on that making a living performing has its
ups and downs," she warned.
The first concert Schultz organized for the group was a Friday
night in 1990. The next night, they played a bar on Lincoln
Avenue in Chicago. Schultz, her husband and their son Steve,
then age 15 , drove down with them and all stayed at the same
motel arranged by the person promoting the concert. Luckily
everyone had lunch at the Park East before they left because the
Scultzes did not eat again for 24 hours. There were all kinds of
problems with the motel, especially when the desk clerk did not
accept the band’s credit card. So check-in took an hour.
"After seeing our room for the first time, I mentioned to Steve
Romanoff that the bathroom door had some interesting graffiti
and he said, ‘You have a bathroom door?’," Schultz recalled.
Irish Fest was the start of a "collection" for Schultz, who always
loved music, especially rock and blues. When she first heard
groups such as DeDannan in the early 1980s, she started buying
LPs and began listening to the "Simply Folk" radio show hosted
by Judy Rose on WHAD-90.7-FM from Madison. Schultz recalled Rose playing many of the Irish groups so she would hear
a song at the festival and then hear the same song by someone
on the folk show and then buy another LP.
"Somehow, I learned about Elderly Instruments in Michigan
and would call them for advice on Irish groups," Schultz indicated.
Because Tom Rowe played tin whistle, I took lessons at UWM
but also ordered LPs with tin whistle tunes. "Tom wrote down
the song that he played and I loved, Si Bheag, Si Mhor by Turlough O'Carolan. I called Elderly Instruments and mentioned
that song and composer. Elderly referred me to Planxty because
that record firm had some O'Carolan tunes. On and on it went
with collecting," Schultz lamented in jest.
Through the tin whistle classes, she met people from Milwaukee's folk community and then the festival’s Summer School
started. "All of this music and people were a collection and it
just kept growing. Apparently, I wanted to be involved in some
way. All of the years of piano lessons, and then tin whistle, let
me know that I was never going to be a musician but there were
other ways to get closer to what I had come to love," she said.
Irish American Post
25
"I have done a tiny bit of booking for Schooner Fare but otherwise Schooner Fare and the concert has always been a ‘hobby.’
When Schooner Fare cut back on their performing in the mid1990s due to Steve Romanoff taking a position as a professor at
the University of Southern Maine, Tom and Chuck had some
decisions to make. Neither wanted to go back to their day jobs.
Chuck was in social work and Tom taught music in public
schools," she said.
that showed a growth in his throat. He was having a biopsy
within a few days and was resigned that he had cancer, said
Schultz. "He was determined to do whatever it took to fight it,
however. The weekend was difficult. Their brief showcase
began with no sound. By the time, things were up and working, the set was cut even shorter. Tom, who was always so
even-tempered, was upset. But of course, he had other things
on his mind," Schultz said.
The two tried to find work as a duo but there did not seem to be
much interest so Chuck did return to his primary job. Rowe
looked around and "discovered" his son, Dave. Young Rowe
had grown up surrounded by music, as he played under the
board while his dad mixed Schooner Fare's albums. "Dave resisted music until he couldn't. Once he started with an instrument, he gobbled up one after the other. By the time he was 15,
he was playing bass with two of Tommy Makem's sons,"
Schultz said.
Rowe performed for the last time on Dec. 13. On the 15th, he
was hospitalized for five days in order to receive intensive
chemotherapy. That proved so successful that his doctors
seemed very encouraged. He had a second round of chemo in
early January. But the next week, instead of starting to feel
better, Rowe was getting progressively weaker. He went to a
clinic every day for hydrating and monitoring.
Dave Rowe left the Hartt College of Music at the University of
Hartford after a semester — even though he had a full scholarship —to make music his career. Son and dad started performing together and recording as Rowe by Rowe in the mid-1990s,
when Dave was in his early 20s.
Schultz found some work for the duo in Wisconsin and Illinois
"just as a friend." They were playing in Wisconsin in early 1998
and asked if she would be their manager and booking agent.
Schultz did not give them an answer for several months because
she knew of the hard work, especially since she still had her job
as a social worker.
"I wondered how I would find the time to look for work for
them in the Northeast and beyond," she asked herself.
Called by Old Friend
In April, 1998, the elder Rowe was called by an old friend,
Denny Breau. "Tom had a high school group and met Denny
when they performed at his junior high. Denny came up afterwards and made a comment about them being pretty good but
needing a better guitar player," Schultz said. "Denny was the
younger brother of jazz guitar legend Lenny Breau and his parents were RCA country recording artists so Tom knew he had
the family credentials. He played a little and Tom hired him on
the spot," Schultz remembered.
The group went on after high school until Breau was drafted in
1970. So when he called Rowe in 1998, he said he had always
been a full-time musician but he was tired of playing in bars.
According to Schultz, he wondered if Rowe knew of a group
that might be interested in him. He wanted to play coffeehouses
and festivals,. doing the things that Schooner Fare did. "So, after a 30-year hiatus, Tom hired Denny a second time — on the
spot," said Schultz. She did not meet Breau until the new trio
came to Milwaukee, billed as Turkey Hollow, for some shows
she set up in October, 1998.
Her love of her friends was really tested in the months just before Rowe died of cancer. Turkey Hollow was offered a formal
showcase at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference
in upstate New York in November, 2003. Schultz flew to Maine
and then drove to the conference with the three men.
During this time, Rowe told her that he had just had an X-ray
26
Former Schooner Fare member Romanoff went to see the ill
musician on Jan. 11 while he was being hydrated and gave
Rowe an autographed that he had picked up on a Schooner
Fare Fan Club Cruise in the western Caribbean. The reunited
band had gone on with the trip, despite Rowe’s absence, because it was too to cancel.
Rowe was hospitalized that Friday because his blood pressure
had plummeted. His brother called the Schultzes that night.
"When the phone rang early Saturday morning, I knew even
before Denny told me. Steve and Chuck were doing a twonight annual Washington Area Folk Organization fundraiser
at the Birchmere along with many other performers," Schultz
said.
"When Steve got the phone call Saturday morning he said, ‘I
knew. It was an angry ring." Subsequently, Chuck and Steve
Romanoff took the first plane back to Maine and learned that
an autopsy showed that Rowe had a 90% blocked coronary
artery. "His heart could not handle the treatment," said
Schultz.
She and her husband, Russ, plus Ed and Chuck Ward went to
Maine In February for the memorial service. "It was on a Sunday so when we got in on Saturday, we met Steve and Chuck
at an Irish bar in Portland. We toasted Tom with Irish beer
and told stories. Tom loved a good time with good friends so
we thought it was a fitting tribute," Schultz remembered.
During the service, Steve, Chuck, Denny and Dave sang
"Fiddler's Green," the song that really brought Schooner Fare
together. Rowe had met the Romanoff brothers in 1975 as
part of a larger group. One of them started playing that song
while they were waiting to go onstage and when the other two
joined in "sparks were ignited," Schultz said.
Schultz also attended a concert that Dave Rowe put on for his
dad on May 8, 2004, in Portland. All the performers donated
their time and the several thousand dollars raised will go to a
music scholarship in Tom's name. Tommy Makem performed,
as well as the Makem Brothers and Eugene Byrne, along with
numerous other musicians. At the show, the Romanoffs
brought Dave onstage to do "Si Bheag Si Mhor," sounding
just like his father, according to Schultz.
When Rowe died, Schultz thought that she couldn’t go on doing the bookings. Although it was hard for everyone, they
Irish American Post
March 2005
have decided the last thing Rowe would have wanted was the
music to stop because it meant, she said. Subsequently, the Romanoffs decided to continue as Schooner Fare and Schultz continued organizing shows for them. Denny and Dave stayed on
as Turkey Hollow.
Young Rowe finished an CD of Irish songs, calling it Big Shoes
in honor of his father, said Schultz. During the recording the
spring of 2004, he teamed up with a fiddle player Ed Howe and
bassist Kevin O'Reilly as the Dave Rowe Trio. "Denny and
Dave each have solo careers too. As long as they all keep playing the music, I'll keep trying to find opportunities for them to
be heard. Sometimes I feel that Tom is standing behind me telling me to ‘find some work for my boys,’" she said.
"All of this — with the music- Schooner Fare, Turkey Hollow — I know I would not have done any of this had it not been
for Irish Fest," Schultz concluded.
Ceszynski Retains Fest Poster Pusher Title
By Martin Hintz
On Friday, August 21, 1981, Veronica Ceszynski was sitting in
her Shorewood sunroom with all the windows open. It was her
wedding anniversary. "I heard wonderful, lilting Irish music.
Where was it coming from? And, it went on and on for hours.
Someone was having a grand party!" she recalled.
Since it was her wedding anniversary, Ceszynski decided to
stay home that night. The next morning, her sister, Mary
Pharmer, called to say, "You'll never believe what happened at
the lake front last night." As Pharmer described her Friday evening, Ceszynski knew that she had heard, but missed seeing, a
very special event. "That Friday night was the only day of Irish
Fest that I have ever missed. But, I did hear it!" Ceszynski
laughed.
Saturday found Ceszynski at the noon opening time waiting in
line for what was to become one of the most important life
changes for her and a continuing lifestyle and tradition for her
family. "I savored the cultural area, the music and dance.
DeDannan had us all up and dancing a reel around the entire
audience. It reminded me of stories my grandmother told when
I was young," she said.
That Sunday, Ceszynski was back again and enjoyed every
minute of the .dancing, listening, singing and learning. As the
1981 festival closed, she saw a red-haired fellow stationed at
the gate selling the "official Irish Fest poster." She just chuckled at what a crazy job he had.
"I could certainly never do anything like that, but I knew I had
to get involved and do something," said Ceszynski. A friend,
Cease Grinwald, who began the first Irish Fest Summer School,
was in charge of roving entertainers nd invited her to an Irish
Fest Board meeting in October. The end of that meeting saw
Ceszynski committed to being the new poster coordinator.
The first Irish Fest posters were submitted for consideration
with an entrance fee of $5. A committee chose the best of these
entrants for the official poster. Most were sent by professional
artists and it was hard to choose, Ceszynski recalled. "The idea
is to create a graphic that will effectively publicize the festival
and yet remain an art poster to sell to the public. Posters are
now displayed in galleries, offices and homes throughout the
world. It has become highly collectible," she said.
March 2005
Ceszynski’s favorite during this era was the 1989 version, created by her late husband Ron and featuring her children, who
were then with what was the Cashel School of Irish Dance. The
selection committee chose the artwork, not knowing that the
artist. "Because it also had the Shamrock Club Color Guard,
fiddler Liz Carroll and other musicians and Paddy McFest. It
really tells the story of the festival. Ron died in 1990 and I'm so
glad his artwork is part of Irish Fest," Ceszynski said.
In 1991, a new era began, said Ceszynski, describing the joint
effort with the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design to create
the posters. This project has become one of the most important
segments of the students' school year, she explained.
Those taking on the pitch need to do a full range of duties, from
conception to client presentation and through the printed work.
The process has been enthusiastically received by the school’s
students and faculty, as well as festival guests, Ceszynski said.
The 1996 poster was created by Scott Taylor to coincide with
the 150th Anniversary of the City of Milwaukee and the coming of the Irish, she said. "It was reprinted once and very few
are left , but it is still so popular. Since any of the MIAD artists
have gone on to important careers in art, it has been fun to be
there at the start of their climb to success," according to
Ceszynski.
Each year, more than 1,000 posters are printed, with just a few
remaining at the conclusion of the fest, with many festival
guests collecting the posters each year.
In 1982 and 1983, the Poster Booth was located in the Grafton
Street market area, Ceszynski recalled. As the poster became
more collectible, three booths on the grounds were needed:
Main Gate, middle of the grounds and South Gate.
"However, as our supply has dwindled we now have booths at
the Main and South Gates only," said Ceszynski. "The volunteers who staff these booths are a dedicated bunch and come
back year after year. Margaret Wadsworth, who also sings in
the Irish Fest choir, has had the opening shift at the South Gate
since 1982. I've always said if we closed that booth, Margaret
would still be there selling posters," she laughed.
Ceszynski’s son, John, and daughter, Jennie, were also very
involved in the early years. Before Irish Fest had storage facili-
Irish American Post
27
ties, the family carried all leftover posters up three flights of
stairs to attic storage. Jennie and her dance mate, Michele
McNulty (Nabih), continue as volunteers and have sold posters
for many years, her mom indicated.
Daughter Jennie (now McGrath) was in the first class of Cashel
beginners. She went on to collect many medals during her 14
years with the school. Son John also danced for a number of
years, winning numerous awards, as well.
As part of the 2004 festival’s emphasis on Ireland’s offshore
islands, the poster by MIAD student Andy Sharlein showed a
Galway Hooker. This style of boat was traditionally used as the
main method of transportation off the coast of Galway and coincided with the docking of a real, full size Galway Hooker
near the Cultural Village on the south end of the Irish Fest
grounds that year.
"It was during the early years that I created the board and officially hired Dennis Dennehy as our dancemaster. The school
now has more than 400 students," Ceszynski said.
Poster winners:
1981 Karen Lehre
1982 Wayne Peterson
1983 Mel Teiss
1984 McDill Studios
1985 McDill Studios
1986 McDill Studios
1987 Ron Ceszynski, designer; John Neinhuis, Photography
1988 G. Coffey
1989 Ron Ceszynski
1990 Steve Slaske, artist; Tommy Makem, poetry
The MIAD years
1991 Bette Leyre
1992 Jennifer Knaack
1993 Aaron Boyd
1994 Ken McCance
1995 Paul Fleming
1996 Scott Taylor
1997 Julie Hartman
1998 Raymond Strange
1999 Paul Ward
2000 Bill Korinek
2001 Melissa Arnold
2002 Nick Sanders
2003 Tina Eveland
2004 Andy Sharlein
John has become a well-known area uilleann piper and plays
the bodhran and whistle, performing four times in the fleadh at
Listowel, Ireland, and competing once, his mother said. He now
teaches Irish music. During the 2003 festival, young Ceszynski
was instrumental in scheduling a weekend session for pipers, a
program attended by musicians from Ireland, the States and beyond.
Over the years, Ceszynski also spent time as coordinator for
Paddy and Molly McFest and for the clan reunions "The 1987
Mangin Clan Reunion was so memorable for me as my mother
was of the Monaghans, part of the Mangin clan. Both she and
my brother, Jim Pharmer, were still alive and thrilled to be part
of this reunion," Ceszynski said.
In 2001, she was inspired to create and open a "News Agent"
shop in the Cultural Village. The idea was to bring publishers
and editors of Irish publications to the festivalgoers.
"It is typical of the Irish that they are insatiable readers and always on the lookout for things from ‘home.’ In the first year,
we took over two counters in the Cultural Tent," she said. In
2002, the space expanded to a 30 x 60 foot tent, fronted by a
smaller tent-replica of Kenny's Bookstore of Galway. Publications were brought from Ireland and sold by Des Kenny himself.
Now called the Literary Corner, the area includes newspapers,
magazines, booksales outlets, a place to meet authors and have
books signed and a coffee shop offering Gerry O'Brien's sundries and Bewley's tea & coffee. "The Cultural Village has
grown into a festival unto itself and the Literary Corner is a
special spot in it," Ceszynski concluded.
As the festival grew, so did the Ceszynski family involvement.
Sean-nos Music
(Continued from page 20)
Even in Ireland, where the population of practicing Irish speakers is growing, the market for this music is limited. "The market
is small," O’Conghaile says, "It will always be small for this
type of product." Coupled with small demand, the growth of the
sean-nos industry is not predicted to grow into a mainstream
market anytime soon, and O’Conghaile is fine with that expectation.
"I would like to see sean-nos music get bigger in a cultural market, but I wouldn’t expect it to grow in the mainstream market,
and I wouldn’t want it to. I wouldn’t want sean-nos to become
as big as the Chieftains, and it never would," O’Conghaile says.
"Most people are inclined to turn off (sean-nos) music, even in
28
Ireland, due to its initially unpleasant and unusual sound. But
many people like it and those who like it get hooked," he affirms.
As O’Conghaile celebrates 20 years of Irish art preservation, he
continues to have a bright outlook on the future of sean-nos music. "The songs are stories that are 400 years old. They have
survived that long for a reason," O’Conghaile says. "Why
bother worrying about it dying out when we can concentrate on
how much it’s thriving?"
Irish American Post
March 2005
For the Love of Music and Friendship
Irish Fest Choir Plants the Seeds of Irish Song in
Young Hearts.
By Nick Michalski
wanted to do something
One of the central compoin music . So it was denents of Milwaukee Irish
cided that a choir might
Fest, and one that audibe the best way to go.
ences come back again and
The first seedlings of a
again to enjoy, is the muchoir were sown in
sic. While international,
Swiggum’s classroom at
national and regional acts
Whitefish Bay High
perform at the fest every
School. He never offiyear, the Irish Fest Choir is
cially directed the choir,
Members
of
the
current
Irish
Fest
Choir
and
the
Omagh
Choir
are
joined
by
veterans
of
one of the fest’s homethe Milwaukee group during a concert at the 2003 Milwaukee Irish Fest.
but his presence and
grown gems.
Irish Fest Choir Photo courtesy of Pat Moschea
creative leadership sugFounded by Pat Moschea
gested that such a thing
and Ed Ward in 1988, the
was possible and could contribute towards educating young
Irish Fest Choir accepts singers and musicians from across the
people on the merits of Irish music and Irish song.
metro-Milwaukee area to perform at the annual celebration of
Simultaneously, Reilly’s play showed that such a production
all things Irish at the Henry W. Maier Festival Park
could be successful. According to choir co-founder Pat Mo(Summerfest grounds) adjacent to Lake Michigan.
schea, who is now the coordinator and producer of the choir,
Moschea and Ward figured it would be a great addition to bring
young adults from more than 25 different high schools have
local singers and musicians with an enthusiasm for Irish music
participated in the Irish Fest Choir, including young people
to Irish Fest stages. They decided to organize a choir, drawn
from Milwaukee, Oconomowoc and even Illinois. The choir
from the talent pool of area high schools, and arrange a budget
members come from both public and parochial schools.
to finance trips, rehearsals, performances and related expenses.
As Moschea put it, the choir has "grown and expanded beyond
Many kids, or more accurately young adults, have participated
belief." It now even receives email requests for auditions and
in the choir over the years. The Irish Fest Choir accepts young
requests for performances all over the world.
adults ages 14 to 20, and potential choir members are audiThe original director of the choir was Rebecca Winnie, who has
tioned first to see if they have what it takes to be included in
been the Homestead High School choir director for 22 years.
what approximates a group of professional singers and musiPat Moschea asked Winnie to be the choir’s director after the
cians.
one-time performance of the musical play, Meg’s Gold, which
If accepted, members must commit to twice-weekly practices
led to the formation of the choir. A quarter-Irish herself, Winnie
beginning at the end of May and running through the summer
held Irish Fest Choir rehearsals at Homestead during the sumleading up to Irish Fest in the third week of August. These
mers.
young adults don’t necessarily need to have Irish heritage in
Despite the logistical headaches of having a limited budget and
their backgrounds, only a love of Irish music. Pat Moschea estitime constraints, Winnie found a great amount of satisfaction in
mated that about 50% of participants have Irish roots. The other
directing the choir. "It was a pleasure to work on arrangements
half has a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
of Irish folk songs and Irish tunes," Winnie said. She mentioned
Promoting Irish Music
an oft-cited benefit of working with the choir as well:
Created to promote an interest in Irish music among young peo"performing great music with great people."
ple, the Irish Fest Choir was born out of the creative ashes of
Enjoys Young People
Randy Swiggum’s music and Kate Reilly’s play Meg’s Gold,
Her enjoyment stemmed from working with young people on
which was performed at Irish Fest in the late 1980s. Swiggum
music for which they all have a great passion. Winnie loves
wrote the music and directed the play, and that first undertaking
choral music from all cultures, but especially enjoys traditional
suggested that more opportunities should be available to infolk songs and Irish tunes. Included in the things she worked on
clude young Irish Fest volunteers and other young people in
with the choir were Alice Parker arrangements. With a basic
productions involving music. Over the next couple of years,
repertoire of Irish and American choral music and folk songs,
there were many kids from the North Shore area, especially
Winnie tried to add new tunes every year. She continues to use
Whitefish Bay High School and Homestead High School, who
March 2005
Irish American Post
29
the repertoire from her days with the Irish Fest Choir in her
teaching today.
Following Winnie as the director of the Irish Fest Choir was
Todd O’Connor, who had originally been a choir member.
Despite his surname, O’Connor is only one-eighth Irish. He
sang baritone in the choir in 1988, the year of the choir’s
founding, when he was a senior at Whitefish Bay High
School. Recruited by Randy Swiggum, O’Connor went on to
undergraduate study at Wheaton College Conservatory of
Music in Wheaton, Ill. During those years, he returned home
to Wisconsin during the summers and accompanied the choir
on piano under the direction of Rebecca Winnie.
In 1993, O’Connor "pinch hit" for the choir as a last-minute
additional singer. Following his graduation with a bachelor’s
degree in music education/BME, he was asked by co-founder
Pat Moschea to direct the choir in 1994.
O’Connor subsequently directed the group for eight summers, the last in 2001, a year when he was assistant director.
For O’Connor, one of the greatest challenges in directing the
choir was finding enough time for adequate preparation for
all the music he wanted to perform. Despite the fact that
sometimes not all members could attend rehearsals, O’Connor held high standards for preparation and pushed a challenging repertoire of tunes. The necessary hard work paid
off, however, as the choir banded together to achieve their
goals.
O’Connor was "honored to be asked to take on the choir."
Having been a member himself, he was familiar with the
dedication needed to see the choir succeed. Being Irish, he
was also interested in learning more about Irish culture and
music.
"I had a blast working with the kids in the choir," O’Connor
said. He admitted that it required hard work and persistence,
but found that the kids rarely complained at all. O’Connor’s
memories of his time with the choir are fond. "We celebrated
and had great fun, and we did it as a close community of
friends and musicians sharing a love for Irish song," he said.
Had Positive Impact on Kids
One piece of his experience that he truly holds dear is that he
had a positive impact on young people, and helped develop
relationships among the kids and build a bridge to the Irish
arts.
Following Todd O’Connor was Amanda Moschea, the
daughter of choir co-founder Pat Moschea. Amanda has been
involved with Irish Fest her entire life, due to her mother’s
active involvement in the festival. She was also a member of
the Irish Fest Choir while in high school. Achieving her director’s degree in music education from UW-Green Bay,
Moschea has been involved with music for much of her life
and her Irish background and love of Irish song propelled her
into directing Irish music as an adult.
First working as assistant director with O’Connor, she has
been the choir’s director for nearly five years. Now living in
Madison, where she is an elementary-school music teacher,
Moschea travels to Milwaukee for choir rehearsals two evenings a week during the summers. She receives assistance
from Amy Baker, a friend from college, who co-directs and
30
accompanies the choir on piano.
Moschea called her experiences with the choir "indescribable,"
and reported that she receives the most joy from seeing a new
generation of young people involved with Irish music. "It’s a
process more than a product," Moschea said. She takes pleasure
in seeing the kids come together to enjoy music and singing, and
above all work well together. The biggest hurdles for Moschea
are time constraints, since there is limited time to get everything
done. The choir learns about 15-20 pieces every season.
Familiarity with Repertoire
The veterans have some familiarity with the repertoire, but new
members must get a lot under their belts in a short amount of
time. Since the choir meets only twice a week to rehearse, Moschea must manage the time well, and work around interruptions
such as vacations or camp excursions.
On the whole, though, the kids make the necessary commitments
to come to the rehearsals, so it works out. For Moschea, "Irish
Fest feels like home; it will forever be a part of who I am." It is a
big honor for her and for the kids to perform there, she added.
Moschea and the choir work hard so that by the time the festival
opens, they are ready. By the time August rolls around, the kids
are very comfortable in their abilities and do not encounter stage
fright very often. When not performing, they often volunteer at
the festival, carry flags in the parades, and once were even called
upon to backup musician Eileen Ivers for a performance at the
fest.
Some choir members are Irish dancers, and on the whole they
keep themselves busy between performances. According to Moschea, the kids have a real desire to be there. "They pick up their
own slack," she said. Sometimes there can be difficulty in finding
options for Irish choral music, since the choir tries to find music
of the highest quality for their performances. There are plenty of
Irish ballads, but it is desirable to keep the performances upbeat.
Moschea said the No. 1 reason why she’s continued to work with
the choir for the last five years has been the kids themselves. She
looks forward to rehearsals, which she called "uplifting, inspiring,
and ‘good craic.’" Moschea visited Ireland while assisting director Todd O’Connor when the Irish Fest Choir did a tour of the
Emerald Isle in 2000. They performed with the Omagh Community Youth Choir at Ulster American Folk Park in Northern Ireland, and were able to see many of the places they sing about and
get a first-hand view of the places from which the music originates. They even sang on Galway Bay FM radio one morning
during their trip.
Toured East Coast
Moschea also toured the East Coast of the States with the Irish
Fest Choir on a joint tour with the Omagh Choir, which ended
back in Milwaukee for Irish Fest. This year, 2005, may be Moschea’s last year with the choir. Occasionally the distance between her home in Madison and the choir in Milwaukee gets in
the way. But she has definitely gained wonderful experiences
while working with the choir. "The kids are awesome," she said,
and with "extraordinary" help from her pal Amy Baker, it has
been a successful ride.
Baker, who went to college with Amanda Moschea, will be working with the Irish Fest Choir for her fourth year. She accompanies
Irish American Post
March 2005
the singers on piano on most pieces, and helps with rehearsals. "The kids are great, and fun to work with," Baker said.
She loves to play piano, and accompanies other groups as
well. She really enjoys doing high-quality music with a high
level of talent. The friendships she’s made have been a key
component of her time with the choir, as with many others
who have experiences with the choir.
Baker went on the East Coast joint tour with the Omagh
Choir, which took them through Washington, D.C., New
York and Pennsylvania. She found the joint tour "very inspiring," describing the Omagh Choir as more improvisational
than the more straightforward classical Irish Fest Choir. She
believes it was good for the Irish Fest kids to see the Omagh
Choir’s songs and performances and vice versa; the kids
learned from and were inspired by each other.
What all the directors and those who have worked with the
choir in any capacity say is that the friendships built during
the experience make all the hard work worthwhile. Ashley
Kmiecik, a choir member who is now also a senior advisor to
the choir, immensely enjoyed her experiences as a choir
member.
Kmiecik, who sings alto, had family involved with the choir
and wanted to be a part of the tradition. She was also interested in learning more about her heritage and Irish culture in
general. Ashley enjoyed performing with her peers and found
the schedule of practices easy to handle. Describing her time
with the choir as a bonding experience, Kmiecik went on the
2000 tour of Ireland and has since gone back to visit friends
made during her first trip there. A niece of Pat Moschea,
Kmiecik had an incredible time seeing the places she sings
about and learning more about the people of Ireland.
Joining the choir at 14, the almost 20-year-old Kmiecik recalled having a great time when the choir performed an impromptu gig at a pub at a singer’s request. They had dinner at
the pub and were then invited up on stage to perform with the
pub band.
Keeps in Touch with Omagh Choir
Kmiecik has found it "fun to keep in touch" with Omagh
Choir members and believes it is beneficial to see that both
groups are "going through similar things in two cultures." In
her current role as senior advisor to the choir, Ashley acts as a
go-between for choir members and directors, a role she accepted when a board was created to keep up with Irish Fest
Choir issues and activities. Approaching the cutoff age of 21,
Kmiecik has had a "fantastic time" with the choir, she added.
Former member Briana Lukaszewicz also has fond memories
of her time with the choir. A member for two years, Lukaszewicz loves to sing and has never missed an Irish Fest. Briana,
whose mother is 100 percent Irish, enjoys singing Irish music
as well has singing with other choirs and hearing other groups
perform.
Her most memorable experience with the choir was meeting
the Omagh Choir during the 2000 tour of Ireland. Lukaszewicz relished "getting to know them on a personal level." She
also really enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm of young people at
Irish Fest performances. The joint performances with the
Omagh Choir were very powerful, she recalled, adding that
March 2005
the "coming together" of the two groups made them feel unified
despite being from different places and situations. An especially
poignant moment came when the two groups sang the song
"Across The Bridge Of Hope."
The Omagh Choir was founded following a deadly terrorist
bombing in the Northern Ireland city in 1998. "Across The
Bridge Of Hope" symbolizes efforts for and the idea of a lasting
peace, with the song projecting the notion of a peaceful coexistence of two bridges, one of which goes to a predominantly
Protestant area, the other to a predominantly Catholic area.
Fourth Year with Choir
Caitlin Clark is approaching her fourth year with the Irish Fest
Choir. Before signing on, she had helped out in various ways
and attended performances. A quarter-Irish, Clark joined because her brother was in the choir and she loves to sing. She has
enjoyed "everything" about the choir and reported that it wasn’t
a conflict in regards to classes or other obligations. Clark lives
in Oconomowoc and has made many friends in her time with
the choir. She also visited Ireland with her family in 2003.
Clark indicated that she had a lot of fun in Ireland, and found
the country beautiful. In between performances at Irish Fest,
she enjoys hanging out with friends, walking in the parades,
carrying flags and watching other groups. She makes sure to see
Theiss & O’Connor and goes dancing as well. Friendships have
been the greatest thing, Clark added.
She emphasized that she had "grown as a singer and a person,"
and believed that her experiences with the choir have given her
confidence. She still keeps in touch with friends she made in
the Omagh Choir, and enjoyed seeing them on the joint tour of
the East Coast. A member of the Arrowhead High School
Choir, Clark hopes to continue singing in college.
Former choir member Nikki (Henson) Wettstein enjoyed singing with the choir, and learning more about Irish culture and
music. Wettstein knew former director Todd O’Connor from
Homestead High School, as well as some choir members. She
has now graduated from Marquette University and sings with
the Milwaukee Symphony Choir. She still helps out, though,
and her sister is currently in the Irish Fest Choir.
Wettstein really appreciates the friendships she made, and she
enjoyed trying new things. She still maintains friendships with
people she met in the Omagh Choir. During her days with the
Irish Fest contingent, Wettstein helped organize the younger
students because she was one of the older members.
The hardest thing about performing at Irish Fest for Wettstein
was the rigorous schedule, with early mornings, costume
changes and organization proving to be challenges during those
hectic days. The greatest things she takes away from her experiences are the memories and the friendships.
"I thought we sounded pretty good for how young (we were),"
she said. She likes music a lot, and went to Irish Fest before
becoming a member of the choir. But the memories of her involvement with the Irish Fest Choir will last a lifetime; "you
don’t forget the songs once you learn them," she added.
Current choir member Karl Hinze has been with the choir for
three years. His grandmother on his mom’s side is Irish, and
one of his friends is a cousin of current choir director Amanda
Irish American Post
31
Moschea. Hinze sings with the choir and plays piano separately.
The main challenges for the choir, he cited, were the miscellaneous things required to prepare for Irish Fest in August, including concerts and fundraising.
find the money again to do it some other time. So, in a matter of
five hours, they recorded 13 songs and spent three days editing
and finishing it up. The choir has also recorded with the Omagh
Choir.
No Stage Fright
Having done a lot of performing, Hinze reported no stage
fright. He is eager for the chance to perform, and the crowds
made it all fun. Hinze, who goes to Marquette High School,
enjoys "performing for appreciative audiences," at Irish Fest, as
well as seeing other groups and tasting the fest’s delicious food.
Among the great benefits in participating is that fact that the
kids learn about Irish music and culture. They also participate
in goodwill community events, such as doing outreach work
and performing. The choir has performed locally at the Wisconsin State Fair and Rainbow Summer, as well as singing the national anthem for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Hinze said he made friends easily when the choir met up with
the Omagh Choir. The experiences of going on the East Coast
tour such as performing fun songs, including a great arrangement of "New York, New York," and traveling in a big bus with
other young people were fantastic, he enthused. Hinze loves to
perform and would like to visit Ireland in 2006 with the choir.
For Pat Moschea, if anybody had asked her back in 1988
whether she’d still be involved with the choir more than 15
years later, she would have been surprised to say "yes." She
loves working with the young people in the choir and enjoys
meeting people through her participation with the choir and
with the fest in general.
To a person, those involved with the Irish Fest Choir say that
the friendships and experiences of helping others are the greatest benefits. The choir has been able to perform charitable acts
over the years, as well. During the 2000 trip, the choir members
brought books for a church in Galway that was converted to a
library.
Some kids are shy at first, she said, but they grow musically
and socially during their time with the choir. The most difficult
obstacle for the choir in the near future will be finding a director. With the possibility of Amanda Moschea leaving after
2005, the search for a new director must begin. But by relying
on each other’s strengths, as they have always done, the choir
will continue to warm the hearts of audiences from around the
globe.
Friendships and alliances have been trademarks of the Irish Fest
Choir. Co-founder Pat Moschea recalled that at one concert in
Ireland attended by thousands of people, the choir performed
"Let There Be Peace On Earth" at the end of the show. As people were leaving, they paused to listen to the rendition. The kids
also performed at bars and pubs, because that’s "where the music really takes place," added Moschea.
The Irish Fest Choir typically performs 45-minute to one-hour
sets at Irish Fest, with longer performances on tours. There isn’t
much rehearsal during the school year, except around St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas.
The choir currently has approximately 40 members. At the end
of May, rehearsals and practices will begin in earnest. The
standing rule is that if someone misses three rehearsals, they’re
out. Choir members must be serious in their dedication of time
and effort, because there is a waiting list. Members must sign a
statement of conditions of responsibility upon joining, indicating consistency in uniform and attendance. They know there are
standards, according to Moschea.
Watching the Kids Develop
Co-founder Moschea has thoroughly enjoyed watching the kids
develop as singers and musicians, and as people, and takes
pride in seeing the kids take pride in what they do. "They are
great ambassadors to Irish Fest," she emphasized.
The choir now even has its own band, with musicians playing
instruments such as the fiddle, tin whistle, flute, bodhran drum,
keyboard and guitar. Moschea said the choir is planning a return to Ireland in 2006. Last year, they ventured to the Madison
Farmer’s Market, as well as to Middleton and Verona, Wis.
This summer, they will embark on a tour to Minnesota, including a performance at the Mall of America.
The choir has a couple of CDs available, under the name of
Milwaukee Irish Fest Choir. For the latest CD, they found out
they had to record the entire album in one night or be forced to
32
New Green Card Produced by
Homeland Security
In compliance with Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
guidelines, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) have launched a new look Permanent Resident
Card (Form I-551) commonly known as the "Green Card." The
new Permanent Resident Card now features the DHS seal on
the front and mentions the "Department of Homeland Security"
on the back.
The changes to the card come after the Department of Justice
used all the old cardstock from what was the Immigration and
Naturalization Service (INS) now called the U S Citizen and
Immigration Service.
USCIS has begun issuing the new Permanent Resident Cards to
qualified immigrants approved for either the renewal of their
old documents or to those receiving new cards as a result of
adjustment of status. The old cards remain valid until the expiration date listed on the card or until recalled by USCIS. Permanent Resident Cards are issued by USCIS as evidence of a
lawful permanent resident’s authorization to live and work in
the States.
Irish American Post
March 2005
A Dog Named Hope,
Chapter 5
By Michael Mooney
and a sterner discipline.
"She dresses like us."
"But she doesn’t act like us."
At this, everyone round the dinner table tittered, remembering
perhaps the way Hope had responded to the call for evening
prayer.
"She dresses like a priest."
"But she doesn’t act like a priest. Besides, she’s a girl."
At dinner that evening, round the table in the dining room, most
of the talk was about Hope. Next to the weaving room with its
four looms, the dining room was not large. A single table ran
down its middle around which the twelve nuns sat. The room
had white walls, a scuffed, bare, hardwood floor, and windows
overlooking the fields below the barn, in one of which grazed
the flock of twenty-five ewes and their lambs. Through the windows the westering sun shone till it dipped below the hillside to
the west.
Sister Mary did not sit at the head of the table, which was a
place reserved to that evening’s server. But Sister Mary was the
leader of the group, and if she tried to keep the discussion focused on the reasons they had brought a working dog to the
convent farm at Mount Carmel, still she listened to the comments round the table and tried to understand what each meant.
She reminded her sisters of Hope’s murmuring heart and of the
limitations and even the danger that meant. As she spoke she
wasn’t sure if she were trying to keep the others’ level of expectation from getting too high or if she were trying to protect
herself from forming too close an attachment to the wonderful
little dog. She wanted the others to recognize, indeed, what a
wonder the dog could be. Before she finished she recognized
that directly across from her Sister Ellen, who hadn’t spoken all
evening, was looking at her very intently, with a frown of concern on her face, as if she had something important to say.
"It’s my understanding," Sister Ellen said, when the Mother
Superior had ceased, as if she had merely waited for the opportunity to begin, "that these dogs accomplish their work through
the threat of violence. I would have thought, in such a place as
this, we would seek a better way."
Sister Ellen was the youngest in their number, very serious in
her manner, very careful and correct in all things, very concerned on all occasions that justice be done. In a small community of people such as the convent of Mount Carmel, where
twelve individuals live in close proximity to each other twentyfour hours a day, with little contact with the outside world, it’s
easy for small grievances to become long-standing grudges.
Sister Mary was aware that, of all the nuns under her supervision, Sister Ellen, who was the youngest, chafed against the
easy answer to any question and yearned for a higher standard
March 2005
Sister Mary was further aware that Sister Ellen’s unhappiness
was in a way her own responsibility, as Mother Superior, and
the natural response of an intelligent young woman to the laxness of the authority she found herself subject to. Not that Sister
Mary’s authority was particularly lax, but then it didn’t seem
possible for her, on the other hand, to rule over the lives of the
nuns in her charge by invoking always the letter of the law and
the rigorous standards Sister Ellen desired. Sister Mary was
aware, too, that some of the older sisters bitterly resented that
someone as young as Sister Ellen, so new to their community,
should take it upon herself to question the Mother Superior’s
judgment and find their way of life at Mount Carmel wanting.
Sister Ellen came from a well-to-do family in the Madison area,
a manufacturing family, Sister Mary believed, but then as
Mother Superior she didn’t pay much attention to that. Sister
Ellen was a great reader, particularly diligent in her work in the
weaving room, and she had an aptitude for color and design. It
was Sister Ellen who noted that the washing of the mural in the
chapel was causing it to fade, and who had taken it upon herself
to restore with pigments and brushes some of that lost richness
of texture.
That was the quality Sister Mary liked in the younger nun, not
so much that she found fault but that, when she did, she tried to
do something about it. It was a quality that might make her
some day a successful Mother Superior herself. She would have
to learn in the meantime to temper her sternness and impatience
with the limitations of others, and so it was Sister Mary’s endeavor to show the younger nun the virtue in that accommodation which can come about from learning to acknowledge one’s
own limitations, which is the way to finding strength and
beauty in the world as God had made it.
Sister Ellen’s words fell on the table now, and the room went
silent. Even the pots and kettles in the kitchen seemed to pause.
Then as if all the others realized in the same instant that someone in their midst conspired to take away their pleasure, everyone began speaking at once, remembering how they had chased
the sheep themselves, and wasn’t their doing so evidence of the
same thing? and Sister Elizabeth Jane one day in the field, in
her breathless exasperation with the silly sheep, had directed
harsh words in their direction, taking the name of the Lord in
vain! Surely everyone remembered that!
Sister Mary reassured the company that, although she had not
seen Hope work, she had detected no violence in the handling
she witnessed on the farm where Hope had been raised. She
directed her words to all the company, even though she was
aware that throughout the babble of raised voices Sister Ellen
had not once taken her eyes from her face.
"I don’t doubt the sheep fear the dogs, because a dog must
Irish American Post
33
make a sheep think of wolves, even if a sheep has never seen a
wolf herself," Sister Mary explained to Sister Ellen directly
across from her. "The dog is bred to handle the sheep, not to
prey upon them. Let’s wait till tomorrow and see for ourselves."
Everyone agreed that dinner was over. There was a level of expectation amongst the sisters, and now Sister Ellen’s words had
introduced a level of dread. Everyone recognized the justice of
her concern, and everyone bitterly resented her bringing it up,
expressing it, and reminding them.
It had been agreed that the young dog would sleep in her carrycrate until a suitable shelter for her was built in the barn. But
upstairs in the dormitory where the sisters lived in shared rooms
there was considerable discussion about just where the crate
should be placed and in proximity to whose door. Dogs, even if
they are akin to wolves, have a way of getting underneath a person’s skin.
But dogs are adaptable, and the next morning at the convent if
there was work to be done, and reasonable encouragement, and
not much interference, Hope could be expected to do her work
well. It was decided that the sheep should be moved from one
pasture to the other, a thing that had previously required all the
nuns to take a part in, spread out across the field driving the
sheep before them, which the sheep, who were mindful of the
slowness of the women and their general harmlessness, could
easily frustrate. Sister Mary now proposed that she and the dog
should accomplish the work together, just the two of them.
If the other nuns were no longer required, still they wanted to
watch. Hope came out of her carry-crate, looked around at everybody, and recognizing Sister Mary, presented herself to her as
ready for action and eager to begin. Together they walked down
to the field, the little dog following at the nun’s side, sniffing at
the grass, hurrying to catch up. Sister Mary opened the gate between the two pastures and entered the field where the sheep
grazed.
The others drew back to either side, knowing not to block the
entrance where they wanted the sheep to pass. Hope followed
the nun into the field without seeming to notice the sheep a
hundred yards off, who all lifted up their heads to look at the
two black-and-white figures coming their way. Sister Mary
stopped, and Hope came up beside her and sat, looking up at
her, wagging her tail in the short-cropped grass, seeming to beg
for an order.
Sister Mary wasn’t sure what to do next. She wanted to reach
down and pet the little dog who looked up at her so winningly
and who seemed at that moment so much wanting to be petted.
She was aware of the others watching, aware that she herself
was setting the tone for everything that would follow.
"Okay!" she said quietly, uncertain where the word came from,
which she never used herself, until she remembered that she
had heard Marcia say it to Cap. "Okay, Hope -- Away to me!"
As soon as she said the words she remembered that Marcia had
made a whooshing sound to set Cap in motion -- a kind of
"whoosh, whoosh" -- and she wished that she could begin
again, except that the little dog was no longer at her side, and
when she looked, Hope was tearing through the field not directly at the sheep but out and around and behind them, and the
34
sheep had come together in a knot, and they all turned to face
the dog.
It’s a sheep dog’s instinct when she’s set on a flock of sheep to
circle out and around the sheep to a point directly opposite the
handler called the balance point, in order to push the flock back
in the direction of the handler. This was the work Sister Mary
had spoken of, and the work Marcia had showed her how to do.
Sister Mary watched the dog travel out and around, and when
the sheep were directly between them, Hope came down upon
the sheep and stopped. Most of the ewes turned to trot towards
Sister Mary, but three of them still faced the dog, lowering their
heads and pawing the earth, as if they meant to resist her authority.
Hope paused, one foot in front of the other, her whole self inclined directly at the recalcitrant ewes, her eyes glaring at them.
From Sister Mary’s vantage she could see that six or seven feet
separated dog and ewes. She wanted to call out to Hope some
word of encouragement or command, as she had heard Marcia
do with Cap, and at the same time she didn’t want Hope to do
something rash that would justify Sister Ellen’s concern.
"Hope!" she called. "Good girl, Hope!"
Hearing her name, the dog took a step forward without altering
the angle of her approach or the fierceness of her look. Twenty
yards away, the other sheep had all stopped to graze. For a moment it looked as if the stare-down between sheep and dog
would go on forever, even though with Hope’s step forward the
distance between them had grown unbearably small. Then with
one accord the three ewes turned and trotted towards the others,
while Hope pressed up behind them, but at a more respectful
distance now, and then the flock started again in Sister Mary’s
direction.
They trotted along, two by two and three by three, as if they had
been told to come in this fashion, and only at the last did Sister
Mary remember to back up and get out of the way. Then it was
accomplished. The sheep were through the gate and into the
other pasture, and someone thought to close the gate behind
them, almost before Sister Mary remembered to call the dog
off.
"Here, Hope!" she called. "Hope, that’ll do! Oh, what a good
girl you are, Sister Hope!"
The little dog ran to her side just as the gate closed, and when
the others had rushed forward, she submitted thankfully to a lot
of petting. Flopping down on her side, panting with a rapid
breath, she seemed to know how well she had performed. The
nuns all gathered round, and even Sister Ellen seemed pleased
and a little in awe of what she had witnessed, which seemed
indeed to partake of the miraculous.
"It was as if she could read your thoughts," Sister Ellen said to
her Mother Superior. "It was as if she knew all along just what
you wanted her to do!"
"She certainly seems to know just where to go and how to do
it," Sister Mary allowed.
"And the sheep -- but it was as if she talked to them, telling
Irish American Post
(Continued on page 40)
March 2005
Burren Goes Big, With New Gallery About to Open
Special to The Irish American Post
The Burren College of Art has just completed a new gallery and
MFA studio wing that includes a 6,500-square-feet building
housing 20 studio spaces and a large gallery.
This makes it the largest private art space in
Ireland, built to take large pieces of work,
according to Mary Hawkes-Greene, the college president.
lery design and worked for many years with the noted Japanese
architect Arata Isozaki. O’Reilly’s buildings include The Soho
Guggenheim and Brooklyn Museum, N.Y.,
as well as a new wing at Limerick City Art
gallery.
Prof. Sir Christopher Frayling, rector of the
Royal College of Art in London, will officially launch the new wing on April 16 with
the opening of the first MFA graduating
show. The exhibition will run until May 2.
"John was delighted to be asked to design our
gallery and studios," said Hawkes-Greene.
"Since the Burren is such a precious and
beautiful landscape, it is important to us that
the people we work with understand and
share our love for place," she pointed out.
New Gallery
The school is located on the outskirts of BalThe original college buildings were designed
lyvaughn, a village in the rugged west of Ireby Michael Healy of Limerick and are wonland. Burren College is a not-for-profit organization, dedicated
derfully sympathetic to the area. "They complement the castle
to enhancing the cultural life of the area. Entrance to the gallery
and look like they have always existed. The use of local limewill be free to the public, said Hawkes Green.
stone and wood accentuates this belonging," explained HawkesThe new wing provides each masters’ student with an individGreene. "The new studios and gallery are at the rear of the colual space 14’ x 14’ x 14’. The clean, simple, design features
lege. We wanted them to connect, but be totally different in
movable walls that offer maximum flexibility and transforma
style. This merging of the modern with the traditional has been
the studio spaces into an enormous gallery space when reachieved very successfully," she added.
quired. Natural and artificial light, internet access, and group
"These amazing studio spaces in the heart of the Burren, procritique space contribute to the working environment.
vide an unrivalled working and creative environment for our
The 1,400-square-feet gallery also features 14-feet high walls
students," said Hawkes-Greene. "Our ethos has always been to
for the larger works. A program of national
provide time, space and inspiration, elements
and international exhibitions is currently becrucial to the development of artists. This new
ing planned, according to school officials.
wing, built in our 10th year, consolidates our
The gallery will open on April 16 with the
commitment to this belief and is a wonderful
first masters of fine art graduating exhibition.
addition to the campus."
Painting, drawing, photography, sculpture,
"I am happy that as a college, we now have
installation and sound works will be accomwhat we need. The ethos of the college is to be
modated. The ability to move the studio walls
small.We do not intend to expand our student
and transform the studios into exhibition
numbers beyond a hundred. We provide an exspaces substantially increases the exhibition
perience different from that of the large, urbancapacity for such a variety of works.
based institutions," Hawkes-Greene indicated.
New Wing
Construction began in September, 2004, and
According to Hawkes-Greene, the MFA course
was completed by mid-January, 2005. The time frame was tight
has been an immediate success with 17 students currently parbecause the space was required for incoming students a the first
ticipating. "This is hardly surprising when one considers the
of the year. Subsequently, local building contractor John Conelements it offers students," she said, citing the opportunity to
nole and his team worked tirelessly, even over the Christmas
work in the amazingly inspirational Burren environment and
holiday to ensure the building was finished in timely manner,
access to the National University of Ireland, Galway, which
said Hawkes-Greene.
accredits the degree. Visiting faculty from the School of the Art
The college is fortunate to own the land so costs only involved
Institute of Chicago and the Royal College of Art in London, as
the construction. The budget was just under a million Euro. A
well as leaders in graduate art education in the States and in
grant of 250,000 Euro was secured from the National DevelopLondon, also conduct classes.
ment Plan administered by Shannon Development.
"Add to that private new state-of -the art studio spaces with
Architect John O’Reilly is originally from Donegal and curunlimited access and one really has the perfect situation in
rently iving in the Burren where he built a spectacular home
which the developing artist can thrive," Hawkes-Greene enjust a few miles from the college. O’Reilly specializes in galthused. "Our student body comes from Ireland, the United
March 2005
Irish American Post
35
States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Uganda. We look forward to expanding this international mix A particularly encouraging feature is the number of students applying for an MFA
who had previously spent a semester or summer school at the
Burren."
She explained that the college "focuses on the development of
the individual artist and on giving students who study here the
time, space and inspiration needed to find their artistic voice."
The facilities now provide the individual studios for 20 MFA
students and 40 undergraduate study-abroad students. Resident
artists also can use the spaces during the summer when a series
of workshops is hosted at the college.
"The Burren College of Art exists because of the Burren. We
feel a strong responsibility to the area, its protection and appropriate development. What I really want to see is the college develop its educational role to benefit the Burren," HawkesGreene continued. "I could see the college being the natural
home for The Burren Conservation Resource Centre. The center
would bring together all of the research currently existing on
the Burren, be a research center for new study and an information point for visitors to the area," she said.
Additionally, Newtown Castle, the college’s restored 16th century tower-house, can provide an interesting extension to the
gallery. The school is currently assembling a panel of gallery
experts as its exhibitions advisory council and an exhibitions
officer will soon be appointed. "We would expect to devote the
space to our students during semester time and run five to six
other exhibitions, particularly during the summer months," said
Hawkes-Greene.
This might involve a new building at some point in the future,
she said. "Of course, there is always work to be done on Newtown Castle, where the most pressing issue now being to render
the outside and whitewash it. For the moment, we will enjoy
our new studios and gallery and invite interested donors to get
involved with us," she said.
‘Slainte’ Puts the Fight into the Fighting 69th
By J. Herbert Silverman
Coming up on St. Patrick’s Day, one of the more fascinating –
and saddest remembrances – is a toast which will be presented
at the historic armory, home base in Manhattan of the Fighting
69th, one of America’s oldest "classified" military organizations. Tragically, the regiment now posted to Iraq lost six of its
soldiers several weeks ago in combat along with many injured.
These heroic incidents are a reminder of the regiment and its
unique "Cup of Valor." As regimental history recalls, while
campaigning in Virginia in 1862 at the Head of the Irish Brigade, General Thomas Francis Meagher (who had a certain
"reputation" and fondness for Irish whiskey) discovered that he
had no Vichy Water to mix with his refreshing beverage.
He sent an aide to secure some. However, the soldier was only
able to find French Champagne "liberated" from a local mansion. Using the Champagne in place of Vichy water, he
promptly mixed it with his Irish whiskey and "found it to his
liking." From that moment on, he continued to mix his Irish
whiskey with two parts Champagne.
In honor of this gallant Irish-American officer, the 69th Regiment adopted his favorite drink, the Cup of Valor, as its Regimental Cocktail. The drink is served at all regimental functions
(and whenever members of the unit gather). Today’s recipe
uses Jameson Irish whiskey as a base for the potion and what-
36
ever Champagne is easily available.
Incidentally the writer of this paean to the Fighting 69th is a
veteran of WWII and a member of the American Legion Post
681, of Conrad, IA.., and the Disabled American Veterans, New
York State. Here is an excerpt from a biography scheduled to
be published this spring.
On April 24th, in remembrance, Silverman will thankfully raise
a jar of Paddy Irish Whiskey, recalling the evening of that similar date in 1945 when he was offered the last rites of the Catholic Church in the mistaken belief that he wouldn’t live out the
night in an army hospital. As Silverman recalls, "They thought
my name was Sullivan. But it all turned out to the good more
than 60 years ago. I’m still here." Why an Irish whiskey like
Jameson? "I feel a strong affection for Erin. I’ve visited the
Emerald Isle more than 50 times, written more than 100 articles about its appeal, and besides I like the taste."
J. Herbert Silverman, a frequent contributor to The Irish
American Post, has visited Ireland numerous times. He can be
reached at [email protected]
Irish American Post
March 2005
Danú Is Reminder That Youth Is State of Mind
By Nick Michalski
It was a blustery January Saturday as I hustled up the walk toward Milwaukee’s Irish Cultural & Heritage Center. The historic old church structure at 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave. — where
the city’s Celtic heart now beats — is just west of downtown
near the faded opulence of the Eagles Ballroom, a stairway to
rock ‘n roll heaven. Not far away, Marquette University Jesuits
and their student charges hunker low in their rooms, well out of
the wind.
I blow in on the breeze around 5:30 p.m., not knowing when I
might borrow a Danú band member or two for a quick chat. The
center was its typical bustle: people scurrying in and out of
rooms as traffic rolled past the main entrance.
Kids were meeting their parents outside and folks were beginning to show up for the night’s main event. Danú is a young
band of Irish traditional musicians who add a trademark liveliness to centuries-old sounds. While walking around the
place — with its pews, stage and Wisconsin’s largest pipe organ — looking for the ticket office, I noticed a sign pointing to
a "Pub" in the basement. Could there be beer served in a Cultural & Heritage Center? Do the Irish drink inside what used to
be a church?
After hooking up with center manager John Maher, who told
me that the band hadn’t shown up yet, I sat down to look over
my notes. Danú had been on their current 2005 tour for almost
two weeks by the time it came to Milwaukee, starting the latest
Great American Adventure in Little Rock. With members from
counties Waterford, Donegal, Kerry and Dublin, Danú is based
in Co. Waterford and consists of seven traditional musicians.
Others are invited to join in for live performances and other occasions.
Danú has featured various line-ups throughout the years. The
band, formed in 1994, has released five albums, with a live
DVD and a new CD coming in March, 2005, on Shanachie Records. Danú won a 2004 BBC Folk Award for "Best Group," an
honor they’d also received in 2001. In addition, they performed
the song that won the 2004 BBC Folk Award for "Best Original
Song," which was given to Tommy Sands for his County Down.
As people trickled in, I noticed that many visitors were strolling
around with tasty beverages in their hands. It was true! A little
poking around led to the discovery that there was not only one
pub here, but three! Dia sa teach! God bless all in this house!
I decided to get a brimming cup of frothy Murphy’s stout and
wait for the band to show up. After some hearty sipping, I
shortly noticed some young gents entering the hall well-armed
with cased musical instruments. Along with them was a tall,
older man who looked as if he might be a manager-type. After
introducing myself, the big fella revealed himself to be Des Dillon, a self-described "imaginative visual artist" touring with
Danú.
March 2005
He pointed me towards Benny McCarthy, Danú’s hot licks accordion player and one of the group’s two founding members.
Hailing from the village of Deelish in West Waterford,
McCarthy (born Brendan) also plays the melodeon and is a
composer of note. Considering the party-like atmosphere that
prevailed once the show started, I had a relatively peaceful chat
with Himself before the show:
IAP: "How has the road trip been thus far?"
A: "Very good. Good times. Starting in Little Rock, Arkansas,
we’ve been on tour for about two weeks."
IAP "What places did you enjoy the most so far?"
A: "Down South, Alabama, we did a show in Missouri, Little
Rock, Eureka Springs, lot of new places. We had a great time
down there, whatever new places we hadn’t played before."
IAP: "Did you find audiences very receptive in the South?"
A: "Yeah, they are of course. Fantastic, really nice. Amazing,
lots of places were full to see the band. (They were) very into it,
and know what’s going on with Irish music, Celtic music."
IAP: "Do you ever get tired of traveling?"
A: "Not really, we enjoy doing what we do. It’s our job. Next
year, we’ll take a break from the big touring, besides a few
things here and there. We’d like to take a break because some
of us have children, wee families at home so it’s hard to be
away for six weeks or more at a time."
IAP: "How do you travel then?"
A: "We drive ourselves, usually all in the same vehicle. We
normally travel in a 12-passenger, (or) 15-passenger vehicle.
All in one vehicle, sometimes two, depends. It’s a great way to
see the country, too. For us it’s a less-expensive form of travel
than an actual tour bus. We enjoy doing it, and that’s the way
we’ve always done it."
IAP: "Did you run into any snowstorms?"
A: "Luckily enough on this tour we didn’t. Since we started to
tour the U.S., I think we’ve only missed one concert due to a
snowstorm. It was actually a concert we were prepared to travel
to do, but the concert itself was canceled. So we’ve been very
lucky weather-wise with our touring. One time, we were going
through the Rocky Mountains in Canada and we hit these controlled avalanches, but we still made it through and did our concert."
IAP: "What do you do for entertainment when not driving or
practicing?"
A: "Actually, we’re pretty busy all the time. At the moment,
we’ve got a DVD and a new album, which will come out in the
next few weeks. But on the road, a lot of us have laptops and
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37
computers so while we’re on the road, we’ve been working on
cover design and cover notes and website design; we’re putting
a new website together. Everyone’s doing bits and pieces on the
road."
IAP: "Are you sick of the road food?"
A: "It’s hard to find something decent to eat off the highway, ya
know? All the chains. Once in a while it’s fine, but every day…
it’s like that film the guy made about McDonald’s, ya know,
Super Size Me. We always manage to eat well, though. We try
to find places where you can get a decent bite to eat and we do
that as much as we can. Everybody in the band likes to eat
well."
IAP: "So you’ve got the new CD coming out?"
A: "We have a brand new album coming out with Shanachie
Records. It’s called When All is Said and Done. We have a live
DVD coming out in the next few weeks also. That’s called One
Night Stand. It’s a concert taken from one night at a great venue
in Dublin, Vicker Street, one of the finest venues in Ireland, ya
know. That was good fun. That also includes about an hour of
extra footage from on the road and interviews with the band in
Ireland, taken from their homes.
"And there’s some special guests. Now on this tour we have a
special guest, a friend of ours, called Des Dillon, a very renowned Irish artist. He appears on the DVD with a piece of his
art, which you’ll see later on. He’s on the DVD comparing Irish
art to Irish music in a very interesting, very funny and unusual
way. There’s a good few guests on the album, including John
Sheahan from The Dubliners. Sharon Shannon turns up. Phil
Cunningham was around too. That was cool, yeah. That’s also
on Shanachie Records."
IAP: "How did you like playing at Milwaukee Irish Fest?"
A: "Fantastic. Amazing. We played it twice. It was definitely,
the band would agree, our favorite Irish festival. It was a great
time, a fantastic event. The urbanization of it, the way they put
it together. The audience reaction was just second to none, just
amazing. We’d play a concert in the day-time and go back to
the hotel and stay up playing music all night.
"And, you know, the line-up and everything, I’ve had some
amazing sessions. I had a session at the hotel one night with
Eileen Ivers and others; it’s not very often that, and it’s the
same with other bands, between all the running around and that,
to have all the best musicians and bands in the same place for
one weekend is fantastic. It is a holiday."
(Danú will be playing at the 2005 Milwaukee Irish Fest, the
event’s 25th anniversary Celtic blowout from Aug. 18-21.)
IAP: "What do you think of Milwaukee?"
A: "To be honest, we didn’t get much of a chance to see Milwaukee. There’s some beautiful old buildings; I’d love to come
here and have a few days to have a look around."
IAP: "What did you think of the Irish Fest grounds?"
A: "Brilliant. Amazing, second to none. We stayed at the Park
East (Hotel)."
IAP: "Where is your recording studio?"
38
A: "Except for the new album, we recorded at Liam Clancy’s
studio in Ireland. For this album, we tried out another studio in
Co. Meath, called Grouse Lodge, one of the finest in the country. We booked it for a week. The result, we think, is amazing.
We tried it out because we’re a large group and it’s difficult to
get everyone together to record. More or less it was recorded
live, every track went down with everyone playing. We recorded and mixed this new album in one week. A lot of work
was put into it. We feel it’s going to be our best CD. We’re performing about 50% of the album in our live shows."
IAP: "How does the group come up with and work on new
stuff?"
A: "Everyone contributes. Obviously, on songs, Muireann (Nic
Amhlaoibh) would be the focus, because she’s the singer. She
chooses songs that suit her. Everyone has a suggestion to make
for tunes. We talk about it, and listen to each other’s ideas. It’s
really a joint effort. It is a good democratic situation. It’s
worked fine and that’s the way we’ve always done it. We spent
a bit of time rehearsing this album so we were well-versed.
Plus, some of the material we’d been performing all year."
IAP: "What was it like to win the 2004 BBC Folk Award for
"Best Group"?"
A: "That was amazing. We won it before in 2001. This time, we
were involved with two awards: one was the band award, and
the other was the song we recorded, County Down. Tommy
Sands won an award for "Best Original Song," that we’d performed. We performed it on the night, on the TV broadcast.
Joan Baez was there, it was really superb. An amazing event. It
was really exciting to be there and be recognized. We do a lot
of work and a lot of touring in England and it’s nice to get an
award like that, the recognition. It was good, we really enjoyed
it. And the BBC is known all over the world so it’s an award
that’s very much recognized by the rest of the world. It was fantastic."
IAP: "I heard you were the unofficial manager of the band."
A: "We all have our jobs to keep things going. I look after what
I can, and it’s been working well for us. We’re always in contact with one another to make decisions."
After speaking with McCarthy, there was growing excitement
about Danú’s pending performance. Fans excitedly mingled,
stood in line for beer or checked out the band’s souvenir material up for sale. Despite the buzz, other folks still relaxed in the
smoking lounge and the pub. But most in the crowd had already
taken their seats. The opening band, a local Milwaukee trio
called Cé (including former members of Anam Rí), had just
finished its set. The members of Danú then busily set up for
their rehearsal and performance, so I grabbed a seat and thought
that I’d try to hook them during intermission.
At the break, however, the band was preoccupied, seated at a
round table seriously talking between themselves and I figured
that I wouldn’t bother them . So, I went in to take my seat for
the second half of the performance. which began with an appearance by artist Dillon. He bounced out on stage with a puppet of a little baby to perform a funny, crowd-pleasing routine
with Benny McCarthy. Later in the show, Dillon returned to the
stage, this time with a life-size puppet of an old woman, with
Irish American Post
March 2005
whom he danced around the stage.
The music and Dillon’s enthusiastic dipping and diving with the
old-woman-puppet evoked Celtic themes of enjoying life with
the spirit of the young, even when one is very old. The "old
woman" flew around the stage, kicking high in glee at just the
right moments. This playfulness and humor was exhibited in
many of the songs that Danú performed, as well. The crowd
laughed heartily, roaring approval.
After the show, I approached a few of the other members of
Danú, who were walking around, chatting with people, and
generally enjoying themselves. The scene was spontaneous,
with the band members mingling casually and unpretentiously
with the ebb-and-flow crowd. Despite the chaos, I still managed
to pull aside guitarist Dónal Clancy. The son of famous Irish
musician Liam Clancy, Dónal is the unofficial "leader" of the
band. He hails from from An Rinn on the western shores of Co.
Waterford’s Dungarvan Bay in the heart of An Gaeltacht, the
Irish-speaking area of Ireland.
IAP: "How has the road trip been so far?"
A: "It’s been a lot of fun, a lot of hard traveling."
IAP: "Have you run into any severe weather?"
A: "No, we just missed a big storm that came down south after
we left. It was really nice down there in Alabama."
IAP: "What do you do when not performing, traveling or rehearsing?"
A: "On this trip, that’s pretty much taken up all our time to get
from "A" to "B." We haven’t had too much time to sit down
except to practice and warm up before shows. It’s pretty much
been get a few hours of sleep, drive, get checked into the hotel,
get to the venue, set up, perform and then move on to the next
gig. We’ve even had to drive for a few hours after some of the
gigs."
IAP: "Do you ever get sick of all the travel?"
A: "Sometimes, some of us get a bit cranky."
IAP: "What have your experiences been like performing with
your dad, uncles and other family members?"
A: "I’m kind of awestruck at their stage presence and at what
good performers they are. It just comes so naturally to them,
whereas for me it doesn’t come so naturally. I don’t like the
limelight as much, I kind of like to melt into the background.
But I enjoy it, nonetheless."
IAP: "Who wrote the pieces for the new album (When All is
Said and Done)?"
A: "Most of the stuff is traditional. There’s a Bob Dylan song
that we’re covering and a Paul Brady song. We arrange it all
ourselves, and we produced it ourselves."
IAP: "What’s the Bob Dylan cover called?"
A: "It’s called "Farewell Angelina." Bob Dylan never recorded
the song himself or performed it himself; Joan Baez recorded it.
The melody is an old traditional melody, a Scottish melody. He
changed it slightly and obviously wrote lyrics for it."
March 2005
IAP: "Have you found that you’ve picked up a lot of your skills
from watching family members, like your dad, or did you discover your own style of playing?"
A: "Well, he certainly had a huge record collection and I’d go
through that. We heard him play but he doesn’t really push us
in any way, to follow in his footsteps. And that’s fine. I got
more interested in the traditional Irish stuff, as opposed to the
ballads."
IAP: "What do you remember about playing at Milwaukee Irish
Fest?"
A: "I remember having a lot of fun. I remember having good
sessions up on the roof of the hotel afterwards. Staying up until
five or six in the morning with a bottle of whiskey. I’ve had
some good times the few times I was there."
IAP: "Were you surprised by the size of the festival?"
A: "Yeah, the thing I love about the festival is that they’re a
head-and- shoulders above the rest of the Irish festivals. They
go to the trouble of getting the real hardcore traditional musicians there, as well. They get musicians that nobody in Ireland
knows about, how they get them I don’t know. It’s great that
they bring those guys out here and let people see that. That’s
part of the tradition. And, you know, they have all the green
beer and shamrocks and all that. And the Celtic rock bands. The
festival goes to lengths to bring the unknown people over, people who are really masters of their art."
IAP: "Are you going to take a break after this tour?"
A: "Yeah, after this tour we’re not doing anything until May.
We’ll be in the UK in May and June. And then we’re back over
here in August, doing some festivals, in St. Paul and Canada,
and Milwaukee Irish Fest."
IAP: "What was it like to win the BBC Folk Award?"
A: "It was great fun. It was like being at the Oscars or something like that. We performed the song, and there were some
really well-known musicians there. That was in London."
IAP: "So (bodhrán player/piper) Donnchadh Gough isn’t with
you?"
A: "He’s got a new little baby, so he’s back home taking care of
the family. They’ve got a bar as well, so they’ve been looking
after the business and minding the baby and that."
After speaking with Dónal Clancy, I asked Oisín MacAuley a
few questions. Oisín plays the fiddle, violin/viola and does
backing vocals for Danú. I chatted with him for a few minutes
in the smoking lounge of the Cultural Center.
IAP: "So, you haven’t run into snow or anything like that?"
A: "No, we’ve been very lucky."
IAP: "What has been the best city to play so far this tour?"
A: "Milwaukee has beaten any place so far. It’s been just over a
week. We had a very good reception in East Lansing, Michigan,
as well. Milwaukee’s special for us, you know, because of the
Irish Fest. People know us here, and they know the stuff very
well. It’s nice to have people come up to you and ask for certain
numbers off the albums. People here actually know what
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39
you’ve been up to, they buy the CDs and listen to them."
IAP: "Do you ever get tired of all the travel?"
A: "You get tired of it on a day-to-day basis, but not overall."
IAP: "Do you ever get any leisure time?"
A: "It’s very hard. You generally don’t get a lot of time between concerts. There’s a lot of driving time. You generally
arrive at a place, check into a hotel and hopefully have some
time to get settled. Then you do a sound check and the gig. But
the gig’s the gig, you know. Sometimes you get to stay in a
place for three or four days, when there’s no gig, and that’s the
best time to practice and rehearse."
IAP: "What do you like about Milwaukee Irish Fest?"
A: "This year will be my first time. It will be Muireann’s first
time too. The band just love it. For me, it will mean a lot, to the
extent that I’ve been touring with the band for three years, and
Irish Fest is the biggest gathering of Irish people in the U.S. For
me, that will be a big thing. I’m really looking forward to it. I
know the guys are really looking forward to it. It will be a big
occasion for us."
IAP: "How long have you been with the band?"
A: "About three years. Muireann joined us last year. It was a
big change and it’s a testament to Muireann that she did so well
in so little time. She learned the material in a very short amount
of time."
IAP: "How do you come up with new stuff?"
A: "We sit down together. We usually differentiate between an
accordion set and a pipe set. It’s turned out to be a good way for
us to work. We don’t like to have two reed instruments together
because it produces a kind of squawking sound. We try to get
everyone’s tunes out. We sit down and try to figure out what
tunes people like, it’s kind of a consensus, everything is democ-
ratic. We go ‘that’s cool, that’s nice,’ you know. And especially
if someone has composed a tune, we try to get that out."
IAP: "What was it like to win the BBC Folk Award?"
A: "That was really weird. We went to the event and we
thought, you know, we’d won it before and we wouldn’t get the
same award twice. We had a big meal and were treated very
well. We were going up against The Waifs, a folk singersongwriter kind of group that we’re big fans of and we know
them. We were sure they were going to win it. And the announcer suddenly goes "From God’s own country, Danú!" We
were literally shocked, we didn’t expect it."
IAP: "Do you play the viola or is it a violin?"
A: "They call it a violin or viola, it’s a five-string. The best ones
are made in the U.S. at the moment. Mine was hand-made in
China. It gives me room on songs to go up and down through
the octaves. So, the band will be playing in the same octave and
I can move up and down, it gives me more range."
IAP: "So you’re looking forward to playing Milwaukee Irish
Fest?"
A: "Yeah, I’m really excited. The second-largest Irish festival is
in Dublin, Ohio. I’ve played that twice now and I’m really raring to see what Milwaukee has to offer."
Clearly, much more can be written about Danú. The other
members of the band were caught up in conversation when I
left, six hours after I’d arrived. The musicians likely chatted
and celebrated well after the midnight hour. Their vigor and
vitality certainly juiced up their music as well as their social
relations.
A sense of Irish mirth could be felt in their presence. Hey, who
could ask for more than a warm feeling in the belly and in the
heart on a cold, snowy, January night in Milwaukee.
A Dog Named Hope
to her feet. This seemed to revive her, and after another minute
she stood up, gave herself a shake, and addressed herself to Sister Mary as if to say, "Okay, Boss, what’s next?"
(Continued from page 34)
them to line up in rows and go here or there."
Everyone in the group had something to say, and all agreed that
Hope was a marvel. The object of their enthusiasm lay at their
feet stretched out on her side panting with a rapid breath. She
lifted her head in acknowledgement of their attention, and lay
her head back down again. The nuns as a group instinctively
drew back a step as if in their thoughtless excitement they
might have deprived the dog of air to breathe. Then following
Sister Mary’s example, they all knelt down in a circle.
Sister Mary put a hand on Hope’s chest and felt the rapid beating of her heart. The little dog lifted her head and touched her
nose to the nun’s hand. Someone thought to run back for a bowl
of water, from which Hope lapped noisily without even getting
40
That was enough for the day, and the group followed Sister
Mary and "Sister" Hope back to the barn. For all their excitement of a few minutes before, hardly another word passed between them. But that was how they all thought of her: Sister
Hope had become one of their number.
(to be continued)
Author Michael Mooney lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Irish American Post
March 2005
Irish Watercolors Attract Artist
Special to The Irish American Post
Irish-American landscape artist Theresa M
Quirk does her cultural thing in oil and watercolor, with a strong dose of Irishness
mixed in for good coloring and heritage.
Brooklyn. Quirk was born in 1955 in Stafford Springs, Conn., while her parents
were attempting to make a life up there.
"It didn't work out for my father and we
moved back to Jersey City after enrolling
us in a private school there," Quirk said.
But at 16, she left home, yet still finished
high school at 18 and entered Jersey City
State College. She initially studied art but
quickly changed to business, fearing job
instability.
She began painting and studying art as a
child with her father, Walter D. Quirk, who
motivated her to pursue art. "He was very
interested in art and dabbled in it from time
to time. He was a major influence when I
was very young and even signed me up
with a home study course with a high
school in Westport, Conn.," she said.
Quirk never graduated from college beArdgroon, Cork
Unfortunately, Quirk’s father died tragicause she said she was simply too busy
16x20 Oil
cally after a bar fight when she was 13. His
working. "I had a job in New York City in
daughter recalled that he was probably one
the travel industry, where my company
of the last remaining urban gang types from Jersey City. His
was a pioneer in implements networks for the airlines during
life evolved around cards, loan sharking, managing the numthe 1970s. The growth was so fast and aggressive during that
bers, the Irish Lottery and other frowned upon activities of the
time that it was better to stick it out," she offered.
day, according to Quirk. "But he was a very good father and
The artist now lives in West Milford, N.J., a lovely heavilyvery proud of his entire family and faithful
wooded area of state about 50 minutes
to the Church," she reiterated.
out of Midtown Manhattan. "It's a very
"I loved him very much and his death
rural area and there is much wildlife,
seemed senseless. As one of the eldest, I
including wild turkeys, coyotes, and
was left to help care for all my younger
numerous backyard bears to contend
siblings. Unfortunately, this took a toll on
with. West Milford is in a migration
my education as I stayed home during most
path and there's always interesting
of my high school years to care for the
hawks and eagles hunting above.
household and kids," Quirk said.
While I am painting plein-air, I watch
them soar and hunt. We tend to a small
She has two natural brothers, one of whom
tree farm here," she said.
is older and one younger, as well as one
younger sister and two adopted brothers
Quirk often attends workshops in New
that her father took in as foster children
England, New Jersey and in
Cliffs of Moher
just before he died in 1969. No one else in
Greenville, N.Y., at the Hudson Valley
9x11 Watercolor
this large Irish family, however, has been
Art in nearby Durham. The latter town
interested in art.
is becoming quite well-known for its
Irish festival, she said, adding, "I never had any extensive or
Quirk’s grandparents on her dad's side were from the Tipperary
formal art training other than these workshops I take."
area before immigrating to Brooklyn. Her grandmother’s parents, the Twomeys, came from the Wexford area and emigrated
In addition to doing a few art shows, Quirk is represented by a
to Savannah. In honor of her heritage on St.
local gallery in West Milford. "I really
Patrick's Day, Quirk always celebrates at a
don't enjoy that part of the business.
local pub, eating corned beef and cabbage. "It
Maybe even hate it. I am a 'quiet painter'
seems a very American thing to do, rather than
and would rather use the Internet for puban Irish one. But it's a day we can all be
licizing my work," she said.
proud," she explained.
"I see so many other artists running
"I don't enjoy many Irish dishes. I grew up
around with paintings, entering shows
with many of them and tend to avoid them. I
and such. I think it's all very strange beremember as a kid having to peel five pounds
havior. Maybe because my background is
of potatoes every single night," she recalled.
so digital. I paint because I love it," Quirk
said. "It's part of me. I feel I don't need to
Most of the Quirk side of the family lived in
run around hoping someone will give me
Connecticut while the artist was growing up,
Doirse Oilan, Cork, Ireland #2
some award for something, I only need to
but all originally came from Jersey City or
11x15 watercolor
March 2005
Irish American Post
41
satisfy myself. Someday, I will not be here but my art will live
and that's enough for me."
Quirk now has a 20-year-old daughter attending Fordham University in New York City. Five years ago, in her third marriage,
Quirk married an Argentinean architect who enjoys the art
world but does not paint. His father is a painter in Buenos Aires
and he knows many South American artists. She and her husband were married in Iceland, the only other country she finds
as amazing as Ireland. "It’s probably the closest thing to traveling to the moon," Quirk said.
"After the birth of my daughter, I started a small publishing
company that enabled me to work from home so I could care
for her better. I enjoyed doing layout and design and a family
entertainment newspaper was among my projects," Quirk said.
"I also did prepress and layout of other printed material. At the
very beginning of Internet I quickly took advantage of the opportunities I saw online. I was published in the New Jersey
Star Ledger as a pioneer during the Internet revolution. When I started web pages there was only
Mosaic but Netscape was in the works," she
added.
Irish stories, "History or, film and music. It amazes me how
much talent there is in a country nearly the size of New Jersey,"
she said. "I enjoy the pubs, the music and the art of storytelling.
I appreciate the freedom they give to sheep and cattle, allowing
them to really enjoy a wonderful life while they have it," she
said.
"How could one not fall in love with a newborn lamb nestled
alone in the grass as you stroll the countryside? Or gaze at a
rock wall wondering who built it and why. In a Connemara
field, a rock that could be a grave or ruins of a stone cottage,
filled with only lost memories. There are so many stories to tell
but no words to express it all. I think the reason why it's so undeveloped there is the people visual this and ‘respect’ it as it is.
I like that," Quirk continued.
"I've always loved Irish music for as long as I can remember. I
am fortunate that there is a local radio station at Fordham University that broadcasts wonderful music and news from Ireland," she went on.
"As a watercolorist, my work is about layers of
transparency, illusion, light and a bit of reality
moving from reality to abstract to reality," Quirk
said. "I work in layer after layer, viewing the
actual piece brings you a clear understanding of
just how layers of different colors can play with
your eye. I employ spontaneous and looseflowing brushwork, suggesting the freedom only
a watercolor can provide," she said.
She continues to study on a regular basis with
other artists and travels extensively she can explore the landscapes and scenes that have become
the subjects of her work. "My Irish scenes are favorites and I find a lot of inspiration in the Irish
countryside," she related.
"I have always traveled quite a lot. My daughter's
father was from Germany and before him I had a
few Swiss boyfriends. So I spent a lot of time in
Europe. My time in the travel industry afforded me easy travel
opportunities," Quirk related.
"I fell in love with Ireland and still have an ongoing affair with
it. I am very drawn to the beautiful landscapes and the moist
environment. The weather invites me as part of it's wonder, like
becoming one. I think visiting Ireland was a major influence in
my art. I really enjoy the entire western coastline and can't say
which area I love more as it all appeals to me equally," Quirk
said.
For her, Ireland is among one of the best places to paint. She
cited the ever-changing weather and endless landscapes that
create a very special challenge. The watercolor and the atmosphere seem to go together quite naturally, she indicated.
"I think there's no better medium than watercolor when capturing an Irish scene. Although I haven't been able to paint pleinair, I take hundreds of photos for reference as we cover a lot of
ground while we are there. It a very busy time. The rest I hold
in my memory," she said.
"Since as an American, I am terrified of driving on the other
side of the road, so I go with my husband who drives me
around. We have a wonderful time. I am currently attempting to
drive by myself so I can spend more time there this year. I need
‘quiet time’ to soak up the Burren and Connemara and browse
the bookstores," she said.
Quirk recently started painting in oil; however,
she continues to enjoy watercolors. For her, it’s
more spontaneous. I love building up layers and
having happy discoveries. I think watercolors
allow you to really catch the moment. They are truly from the
heart. Oils are too-time-consuming and the point is usually lost.
I take a lot of photos everywhere I go but never used it as a medium," said explained.
When not painting, Quirk is working at her publishing firm. "I
unwind with my working. I spend a lot of time on the computer
and have a network throughout my home and in my studio. I
also travel with my husband to Puerto Rico where his company
has an office, for brief 'warm ups" during the winter," she said.
"An important point I'd like to make is that I just started painting only three years ago when I became a member and studied
at the Ridgewood Art Institute," Quirk related. "Throughout my
life, I have always been too busy and pressured to work. After
the birth of my daughter, I was divorced and was left to raise
her myself. I also had a business for many years to tend and a
home to pay off.
"Although I have always loved art and dabbled in it here and
there it was only three years ago that my business got to a point
that I could "relax" and for the firs time in my life do something
I love. My new husband of five years has been very supportive
of this and motivates me constantly.
"I now devote most of my time to art and this has been a long
time waiting. So, in the last three years I've been catching up to
all those lost years," she said.
Quirk receives her inspiration by looking at photos or reading
42
Irish American Post
March 2005
Brennan Finds Comedy Night Lights on in Milwaukee
By Steve Hintz
From under a large wooden door that separates the chosen from the
exposed, laughter seeps into the Comedy Café’s waiting area . The
unheated hallway is the antithesis of the club’s fiery insides, at this
point exploding with guffaws and shrieks of delight.
I sit patiently…ok, by this point I’m a little impatient waiting as the
man next to the man, talks to the man that will allow me in so that I
can catch the last of the show I had come to see. Kevin Brennan was
in town. I saw the sign outside the Milwaukee club lit up against the
sky and thought, "Wow, to have my name up in lights."
Then I thought…
This is Milwaukee.
But don’t get it twisted. Kevin Brennan is in the limelight. Working
comedy clubs throughout the States, this Irish Catholic native of Chicago, has been a comedic workhorse for the past 15 years. I couldn’t
wait to hear what he had to say about his latest performance, although I had finally been let in to catch only the last 10 minutes of
the gig. The laughter dies down and people return from their comedic
highs to deal with the cold reality of their bloated drink bills.
The owner, a massive Samoan-looking gentleman replete with
goatee, finally retrieves a spent Kevin Brennan from the bowels of
the club. The Irishman looks like he’s ready for a drink, worn out
from a gut-busting gig.
Just as I was getting ready to compliment him on a job well done, he
beats me to it
"That show sucked."
Ah. So is the perspective of a comedian. It’s the nuances that one
notices after years in "the business," he tells me. And he has spent
years in the business. That decade and a half ago, Brennan took the
stage in Chicago for open mic night and caught the buzz that comes
along with making total strangers bust their guts laughing.
He started getting more regular schticks, albeit small ones. Finally
getting real shows, Brennan thought he should tell his parents. "How
did YOU become a comic," was the first reaction he received from
his parental units to his newfound career . Shortly after the family
were clued in to their son’s "secret life," they sneaked into the club
on a sparsely populated Sunday night, where Brennan fondly remembered, he "did not do well." When he discovered that his relatives
were in the crowd, the first thing he asked them was, "How come you
didn’t laugh?"
Yet someone was laughing, however. Around 1990, Brennan moved
his act to New York. "In Chicago, I remember thinking that I can’t go
anywhere from Chicago. It’s really not that, since you do it alone.
But you have to keep yourself hungry," he asserts. "Once you’re a
solid act in the Midwest, you don’t really have to develop your act,
you just do it. In New York, you’re constantly competing with guys
who are out there making it in television and in the movies," Brennan
explained.
Keeping material fresh is important. "I constantly am aware of the
fact that I’m supposed to be writing jokes. You mostly just have to be
aware…but I mostly write jokes best when I just absolutely have to
have new jokes…like after tonight’s show."
I ask Brennan about his relationship with his brother Neal, the cowriter and producer for the award-winning Dave Chappelle Show.
Brennan relates that his sibling is an incentive, outside of normal
familial bickering. "The fact that Neal is a lot younger than me and is
doing better financially is motivation. I think in a family of 10 kids,
you are naturally competitive…and naturally have a sense of humor.
It’s almost bad for me, but it’s not. He’s making great connections
and entertainment is almost becoming a family business," he replies.
March 2005
Another family member involved in showbiz is a brother, Danny,
who is just getting his acting career off the ground. The rest of the
family is "entertaining."
Brennan’s mark of success in the stand-up world is when the comic
has "the ability to make people laugh on a consistent basis."He agrees
that as he matured, his act has gotten much better. He can tell when
the crowd is with him "They laugh at the set-up, they laugh at the
joke, they understand where you’re going. Some crowds are just idiots. I still know when I stink now, but I use it for motivation," he offers.
He realizes that even at age 40, he still appeals more to a younger
crowd. According to Brennan, "People’s sphere of influence shrinks
when they get older." Playing throughout the States has allowed him
to know where he fits in. Younger comics ask him for advice and he
says that "you can get a Ph.D. in comedy by doing shows. You have
to really just perform a lot, for a lot of different crowds." He adds,
"You really have to do it all the time, there are no shortcuts."
Wise advice.
Having written jokes for Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update and
a couple of comedic pilots that never really went far, Brennan is still
knocking at the door of comedic success. He is the first to admit that
he is more of a joke guy than a sketch guy, but he still wants to have
his own television show at some point. What does he love about
stand up? "The late hours. No really, you get to meet a lot of people,"
he laughs.
Brennan has always been a big fan of Dave Attel of Insomniac fame
and of Dave Chappelle, his brother’s writing partner and star of the
Dave Chappelle Show and numerous movies. "I was happy for the
two, but not surprised when they made it big."
Brennan’s Irish background seeped into his life in many small ways.
All four of his grandparents were born on the Island. "Cork," he believes. His grandmother spoke to the children in an Irish brogue as
she mixed soda bread, providing recipes that have passed down to his
mother. Brennan says, however, that It’s no joke that he received all
of his humor from his father’s side of the family. His uncle Phil
"could riff on random subjects like a professional comic."
Although his mom visited the Auld Sod to visit after her mother
moved back to Ireland, Brennan hasn’t yet made the trip. Ironically,
it’s taken a woman of Panamanian descent, his relatively new girlfriend, to push such a trip to the homeland. "Yeah, it’s funny…she
really wants to go," he says.
Although he grew up in a large Catholic family, son of Theresa and
Dan Breenan. His dad was an attorney and his mom was a homemaker. Most of the families in his home neighborhood were also
large and Brennan doesn’t think of his household as particularly
Irish. "We would get sunburned easy…and my dad was a redhead…I
guess that counts," he says. When he moved to New York, Brennan
saw that being Irish was more of a big deal.
"My first St. Patrick's Day parade there, everybody was throwing up
but they didn't all look Irish to me and I thought "they're giving us a
bad name." Like we need any help," he quips.
As I wrap up the conversation, I can’t help but wonder out loud
what‘s next for the comic. "It’s back to New York for a day, then
back out on the road," he replies.
The road doesn’t sound like such a bad place for a man with a mission.
I pull out of the comedy club parking lot, and think to myself…I
wouldn’t mind seeing my name in lights…even if it is just Milwaukee.
Irish American Post
43
Tale of 'Typhoid Mary' Relates Early Medical Woes
By Ed Hatton
The definition of a "Typhoid Mary" is a person
who is the source from which something undesirable spreads. It’s a term we’ve all used or
read in a newspaper or a book. But did you
know that "Typhoid Mary" was a real person?
She was Mary Mallon, an Irish woman who
worked as a cook in and around New York City
during the early years of the 20th century.
cle in a medical journal about a European
case where a healthy person was proven to be
a carrier of typhoid. He theorized that this
was another instance of a 'healthy carrier' and
concluded that the family's cook, a 37-year
old Irish immigrant, was the source.
Mallon was the first person in America to be
identified as a "healthy carrier" of typhoid and
was dubbed "Typhoid Mary" when the press
revealed that she was responsible for causing several serious
outbreaks of typhoid fever.
Mary Mallon was born in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, in 1869 and
emigrated to America in 1883 at age 14. By the turn of the century, Mallon had established herself as a cook, one of the best
jobs available to an Irish immigrant woman at the time. And
she wasn't just an ordinary cook; she worked in the kitchens of
some of the most important families in New York City.
Mallon first came to the attention of the health authorities when she was identified as the probable cause of an
outbreak of typhoid fever in the home of a wealthy
banker in Oyster Bay, New York, in 1904. Typhoid was
a serious problem at the turn of the century. Poor sanitation and overcrowding, particularly in poor or immigrant
neighborhoods, often resulted in outbreaks of uncontrollable infectious diseases.
Smallpox, tuberculosis, whooping cough, diphtheria and
typhoid were endemic at this time and caused thousands
of deaths every year. In New York City alone, there were
about 4,000 new cases of typhoid annually. Typhoid is a
communicable disease whose symptoms include fever,
diarrhea, exhaustion, headache and intestinal inflammation. It is
caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi, which is usually
transmitted to people by contaminated food or water.
If untreated, typhoid proves fatal in up to 25% of all cases.
What was different about the Oyster Bay outbreak was that it
occurred in a high-class seaside resort that
catered to the powerful and wealthy families of New York City. Typhoid did not
typically attack affluent homes or neighborhoods, so when this unusual outbreak occurred the health authorities were keen to
discover its cause.
Soper identified the cook, who no longer
worked for the family, as Mary Mallon. He
tracked her to the next household she worked
in, but by the time he got there she had
moved on. He then traced her past employment history and found that in the previous decade Mallon had
worked for eight families, and typhoid had occurred in six of
them. In 1907, Soper finally traced Mallon to a home on Park
Avenue in Manhattan. He apprehended Mallon and had her
committed to Riverside Hospital, the city's largest quarantine
facility, on North Brother Island, off the Bronx, to prevent further outbreaks of typhoid.
Mallon was allowed to live in a cottage on the island, but
was not permitted to leave. In 1909, Mallon and her lawyer filed an appeal to the New York Supreme Court, asking for her release. At the same time Mallon agreed to be
interviewed by the press. Her story featured prominently
in the pages of New York's sensational press, particularly
publisher William Randolph Hearst's New York American. Instead of treating her case as a miscarriage of justice, however, the newspapers highlighted the danger that
'Typhoid Mary', as she was labeled, presented to the public.
Mallon did receive some public sympathy, however, and
many pushed for her release. After all, wasn't she a victim, too? She was an apparently healthy person who was
being confined on an island populated by people ill with
serious, contagious diseases. Not everyone agreed that it was
permissible for the state to protect the health of the public by
taking away the liberty of an individual.
A new health commissioner, Ernst Lederle, was appointed in
1910. Lederle was more sympathetic to Mallon's plight than the
previous commissioner and released
her on the condition that she promise
never to work in food handling or
preparation again. Mallon agreed to
the terms, and the health department
found her employment as a laundress.
A sanitary engineer in the New York City
Department of Health, George Soper, spent
months investigating the case. An outbreak
of typhoid was usually traceable to an active case of typhoid, but in this instance no
one could be identified as the source of the
infection. Soper, however, had read an arti44
The Department of Health kept track
of Mallon for a few years, but it
eventually lost touch with her. Then,
in 1915, an outbreak of typhoid fever
at Sloane Maternity Hospital in Manhattan was traced to a cook working
Irish American Post
March 2005
in the facility's kitchen, a woman who called herself "Mrs.
Brown." She turned out to be Mary Mallon. After being released in 1910, Mallon found that she wasn't able to survive on
her salary as a laundress, which was one of the lowest paying
and most unpopular jobs filled by Irish immigrant women at the
time. She had eventually returned to the only profession she
knew: cooking. As a result, 25 doctors, nurses and hospital staff
contracted typhoid; two of them died.
As you would expect, there was no public sympathy for Mallon
when she was re-arrested and returned to North Brother Island.
She was forced to remain there for the rest of her life. Mallon
died at age 69 on Nov. 11, 1938, after having spent 26 years on
the island.
The story of Mary Mallon - "Typhoid Mary" - is a sad tale of
someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mallon
never accepted the fact that she was a health risk to the people
she served. That is why, she said, she returned to cooking after
she had been released from North Brother Island in 1910. Despite her lack of ill intention, however, the fact remains that
nearly 50 cases of typhoid and three deaths can be directly attributable to her. Who knows how many more were infected or
died because of Mary Mallon's actions?
The irony of the story of "Typhoid Mary"' is that once Mallon
US-Ireland Alliance Offers Fouryear Scholarship to Dublin City
University
The US-Ireland Alliance, in association with several Irish universities, announces its third annual opportunity to win a full
scholarship to an Irish university. From now until Oct. 31,
2005, visit www.us-irelandalliance.org to enter our online
sweepstakes to win a four-year, tuition and housing scholarship
to attend Dublin City University. The winner may use the
scholarship or transfer it to someone else, and it will be redeemable for an 18-year period.
The person wishing to avail of the scholarship must regularly
apply, qualify, and be accepted to the university. Past winners
Jim Tillie from Fallston, Md., in 2003, and Susie Ager from
Dallas in 2004, won full tuition and housing scholarship for the
University of Ulster and Trinity College Dublin, respectively.
In 2006, the sweepstakes winner will attend the University of
Limerick.
Full rules and regulations can be found on the Alliance website – www.us-irelandalliance.org – under the title Dublin City
University Tuition and Housing Sweepstakes. This offer applies
only for American citizens 13 years of age or older. On this sec-
March 2005
had been identified as a "healthy carrier" of typhoid, it didn't
take long for scientists to discover many more carriers. Indeed,
by the time of Mallon's release in 1910 the Department of
Health had already identified at least 50 other "healthy carriers"
of typhoid. (It was eventually determined that about 3% of people who survive typhoid end up as "healthy carriers.")
None of these people were ever incarcerated for the public
good, despite the precedent set by the treatment of Mary Mallon. There were efforts made to require food and restaurant
workers in the city to be examined and certified as typhoid-free,
but the administration of such a licensing system was too onerous to carry out for long, and it was eventually abandoned.
In any case, improvements in sanitation in the city reduced the
danger of typhoid outbreaks steadily over the years. The discovery of antibiotic treatments for typhoid in the 1940s, after
Mallon's death, all but eliminated it as a serious threat in America and Europe.
Today the trials and tribulations of an unfortunate Irish immigrant named Mary Mallon have all but been forgotten. All that
remains of her predicament is a phrase in the dictionary:
"Typhoid Mary."
Kilkenny writer Ed Hatton can be reached at [email protected]
tion of the website, you will also find cost comparisons to select
American universities, descriptions of academic programs at
the different participating Irish universities, and links to their
websites.
Trina Vargo, president of the US-Ireland Alliance, noted, "Our
main mission at the US-Ireland Alliance is to strengthen the
relationship between the United States and the island of Ireland
for future generations, and there is no better way to do that than
through education. An education at one of these outstanding
universities can often be less costly than attending an American
university of comparable quality."
Vargo noted that the average price for a four-year education at a
private American college is $30,516, whereas the average to
attend an Irish university is $25,856, including very generous
travel and living stipend estimates. "We're delighted to be able
to give away a scholarship each year, and we provide information on our website about the Irish universities so parents and
students may consider the Irish university option even if they
don't win the scholarship."
The website sweepstakes replaces the attendance of the USIreland Alliance at Irish festivals around the country during the
summer months.
Corporate sponsors of the US-Ireland Alliance include CRH,
Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Diageo, IONA Technologies,
and Jurys Doyle Hotel Group.
Irish American Post
45
Film
Mo Cuishle, You Help Me Forget
Million Dollar Baby’s Celtic Connections Provide
Knockout Narrative Thread
By Nick Michalski
First off, Clint Eastwood’s Oscarwinning Million Dollar Baby is not an
Irish film, or even a film about Irish people, culture or politics. The film deals
with the aspirations and dreams of
American blue-collar, everyday people
who are down, and for the most part, out.
Following her "American Dream,"
Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) persuades a worn-out former trainer,
Frankie Dunn (Eastwood), to show her
how to be competitive in the boxing
ring. Dunn initially rejects the offer.
dream about the beautiful ponderings of
a writer like Yeats and the coded brilliance of a language like Gaelic.
As any number of other cultures or languages could, the writings of Yeats and
the Gaelic language give Frankie an outlet for his frustrations, a peak at a fairer,
just world. Perhaps, he thinks, a world in
which a man like himself could exist.
He’s learning to escape reality by diving
into literature and attempting to learn
Gaelic. Trying to rid himself of the
ghosts of his self-exiled daughter and an exhausted career,
Dunn reads Yeats and teaches himself Gaelic to provide his
imagination with some distant sunny island where he can be at
peace in an otherwise troubled world.
Frankie can’t completely hide though, because he still maintains a presence at the old gym he operates. And Maggie won’t
go away. Her persistence and unflappable determination eventually lead him to give in. With some success under their belts,
Frankie grows fond of his student, and gets her a majestic green
robe to wear to the fights.
The back of the robe bears an image of a harp and the words
"Mo Cuishle" in an old Gaelic-like script. Has Frankie lost his
mind? Is he taking his fetish for Gaelic and literature to ridiculous heights? Yes and no. He gets her some Irish pipers to play
during her walk to the ring, and when Maggie fights in Europe,
some distinctly Irish-looking patrons dressed in green are in
attendance. So what does it all mean? Why the seemingly random Irish connection?
The answers lay in one of the more subtle narrative threads of
the movie. Seeking soft asylum in a world of prose and poetry,
Frankie uses this better-world inspiration to adorn his new
fighter. Feeling a pang of heartbreak about past failures and the
inability to be a father, Frankie pours sour love on Maggie, a
transplant who fills a daughter-shaped hole in his heart.
At one point, Frankie mutters "It seems there are Irish people
everywhere, or those that want to be." Although they have
vaguely Irish-sounding names, it isn’t determined that either
Frankie or Maggie has any more Irish blood than millions of
other second- or third-generation Americans. What does make
sense is this: people like the idea of being Irish, and they can
46
Million Dollar Baby is based on a collection of stories by F.X. Toole (born Jerry
Boyd), the son of Irish immigrants. The
collection, Rope Burns, was adapted for
the screen by Emmy-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis. Toole was once a
"cut man," part of a boxer’s team who
patches up his injuries so he can continue fighting. Toole’s stories capture the heart of boxing.
Rope Burns is an apt description of what has afflicted Eastwood’s character in the movie. He never quite balanced his obligations outside of the ring, and thus has lost everything except
the shadowy old gym he goes to everyday, reading in a dingy
office in the corner.
He never quite balanced his obligations outside of the ring, and
thus has lost everything except the shadowy old gym he goes to
everyday, reading in a dingy office in the corner.
Another relic from the old days is his friend, Eddie Scrap-Iron
Dupris (Morgan Freeman). Eddie encourages him to open his
heart to young Maggie, and doing so opens a long-locked door
within Frankie’s mind. Finally able to bestow love on someone,
Frankie brings some of his dreams into the real world.
When tragedy strikes, however, Frankie must do what he can
and then leave the ring once and for all. He lends a last helping
hand to Maggie and disappears, off to his island in the sun, the
place where his fears and memories won’t haunt him as pervasively as they had in the gym. Although he can’t change what
has been done in the past, Frankie feels validated by the chance
at salvation offered by Maggie.
"Mo Cuishle!," as the spectators cheer when Maggie enters the
ring, is that which has finally freed Frankie from the bonds of
the ring and the nightmares of past relationships gone bad, "My
Darling." Maggie liberates Frankie to make his escape while he
still has the chance.
Irish American Post
March 2005
US-Ireland Alliance Offers Four-year Scholarship to Dublin City
The US-Ireland Alliance, in association with several Irish universities,
announces its third annual opportunity to win a full scholarship to an
Irish university. From now until Oct. 31, 2005, visit www.usirelandalliance.org to enter our online sweepstakes to win a four-year,
tuition and housing scholarship to attend Dublin City University. The
winner may use the scholarship or transfer it to someone else, and it
will be redeemable for an 18-year period.
The person wishing to avail of the scholarship must regularly apply,
qualify, and be accepted to the university. Past winners Jim Tillie from
Fallston, Md., in 2003, and Susie Ager from Dallas in 2004, won full
tuition and housing scholarship for the University of Ulster and Trinity
College Dublin, respectively. In 2006, the sweepstakes winner will
attend the University of Limerick.
Full rules and regulations can be found on the Alliance website –
www.us-irelandalliance.org – under the title Dublin City University
Tuition and Housing Sweepstakes. This offer applies only for American citizens 13 years of age or older. On this section of the website,
you will also find cost comparisons to select American universities,
descriptions of academic programs at the different participating Irish
universities, and links to their websites.
mission at the US-Ireland Alliance is to strengthen the relationship
between the United States and the island of Ireland for future generations, and there is no better way to do that than through education. An
education at one of these outstanding universities can often be less
costly than attending an American university of comparable quality."
Vargo noted that the average price for a four-year education at a private American college is $30,516, whereas the average to attend an
Irish university is $25,856, including very generous travel and living
stipend estimates. "We're delighted to be able to give away a scholarship each year, and we provide information on our website about the
Irish universities so parents and students may consider the Irish university option even if they don't win the scholarship."
The website sweepstakes replaces the attendance of the US-Ireland
Alliance at Irish festivals around the country during the summer
months.
Corporate sponsors of the US-Ireland Alliance include CRH, Cross
Atlantic Capital Partners, Diageo, IONA Technologies, and Jurys
Doyle Hotel Group.
Trina Vargo, president of the US-Ireland Alliance, noted, "Our main
Maze Prison to Become Reconciliation Center
SDLP Party Chairperson and Lagan Valley MLA Patricia Lewsley
said inter-party agreement on a stadium on the site of the Maze prison
was a welcome triumph of common sense and dialogue.
The Maze prison and its ‘H’ Blocks gained notoriety during the troubles as it housed both republican and loyalist prisoners. The final prisoner was released from the prison in September 2000 and since then
discussions have centered around finding a compromise on how best to
use the site in the future.
The vision is for a 30,000 -seater stadium to stage soccer, rugby and,
crucially, Gaelic matches. Under the panel's plan, the hospital wing
would be retained as part of an International Centre for Conflict Transformation.
The vision is for a 30,000 -seater stadium to stage soccer, rugby and,
crucially, Gaelic matches. Under the panel's plan, the hospital wing
would be retained as part of an International Centre for Conflict Transformation.
Lewsley stated, "This shows what can be achieved when we all sit
down and talk about things in a level-headed way. The parties started
out a long way apart, particularly on the question of retaining part of
the prison. I welcome all the projects that they have agreed to give the
Maze site new life. It is a considerable achievement to reach agreement
on a facility to be used by soccer, rugby and Gaelic Games.
"There are many questions still to be answered with regard to financing of the stadium, but this is a welcome development for the area and
will bring jobs and investment. If the project is to reach its full potential, it should be more than a stadium with related commercial facilities. We need to provide a centre of sporting excellence with low-cost
hostel facilities for young sports people.
"It is right that a part of the old prison should be retained, but it is important that it should be an inclusive monument, managed and run by
an independent body. It must be a place of reconciliation which tells
the truth. It should not be used for political purposes, and it must abso-
Ahern Welcomes O Caolain's Dail Statement… HR Commission Chief Blasts British Gov't ...Loyalist Group Claims
Belfast Murder … IRA Expels 3 Following Adams Intervention … Adams Rejects Lecturing From Dublin … Ahern
And Blair To Meet This Week … Premiers To Assess State Of Peace Process … Governments Still Working For Inclusive Settlement – Ahern
These stories, and other news items can be found on the
Irish American Post
web site
www.IrishAmericanPost.com
March 2005
Irish American Post
47
Images of America:
Irish Milwaukee
A photo survey of Milwaukee’s marvelous Gaels, past and present!
$20 at Milwaukee area bookstores, the Irish Cultural &
Heritage Center, Gerry O’Brien’s European Meat Market
and other fine outlets
Or order directly from The Irish American Post. $20,
plus $5 for shipping and handling. Send a check for the
proper amount to The Post at 1815 W. Brown Deer Rd.,
Milwaukee, WI 53217
For more information:
414-540-6636
[email protected]
Irish organizations can also use the publication as a
fund raiser. For group discounts, contact Jamie Harris,
regional sales manager, Arcadia Publishing, 420 Wando
Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC, 29464, 843-853-2070,
ext. 127 ([email protected]). Irish titles are
also available for Chicago, St. Louis and other cities.