Desert Shamrock May-June 2018 e-Magazine

January May-June Aug-Sept – February 2017 2018~2015 ~Arizona’s Arizona’s ~ Arizona’s Original Original Original Irish IrishNewspaper Irish Newspaper Newspaper ~~Vol. Vol.~ 28, 29, Vol. No. No. 26, 43 No. 1

Music

FREE

SING, DANCE, PLAY!

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MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Celtic Pubs & Eateries

If you're looking for some Craic, look no further!

Greater Phoenix The Dubliner Irish Pub & Restaurant 3841 E. Thunderbird Road, #111, Phoenix, AZ 85032 (east of AZ-51); 602-867-0984 www.dublinerpub.com Arizona’s original Irish pub and very first to serve Guinness on tap, Irish and American fare, games on big-screen TV, live music six nights a week.

Gallagher’s Sports Grill 7575 N. 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85020 (16th Street & Morten); 602-997-0084 3220 E. Baseline, Phoenix, AZ 85042 (NE corner of 32nd St. & Baseline); 602-437-0981 34406 N. Black Mountain Parkway, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (Carefree Hwy. & 48th Street); 480-595-8800 751 E Union Hills Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85024 (7th & Union Hills); 602-867-3222 www.gallaghersaz.com Discover a great tasting menu, HD sports, daily and late night specials, weekend breakfast, karaoke, trivia and OTB! See ad page 23

The Harp Irish Pub 1744 S. Val Vista Drive, Mesa, AZ 85204 (just south of US-60 in Dana Park Village Square) 480-507-7827 www.theharpaz.com An Irish pub from our interior to our menu. We offer a perfect blend of modern and comfort Irish/American food and drinks in an authentic atmosphere. Dueling pianos Fridays 9pm; live music Saturdays 8pm.

The Irish Wolfhound Restaurant & Pub 16811 N. Litchfield Road, Surprise, AZ 85374 (just south of Bell Road) 623-214-1004 www.irishwolfhoundpub.com Bringing a little piece of Ireland to the desert. Featured on PBS “Check, Please!” with award-winning Corned Beef & Cabbage and Guinness Battered Atlantic Cod.

The Kettle Black Kitchen & Pub 1 N. First Street, #201, Phoenix, AZ 85004 (between Washington and Adams) 602-651-1185 www.thekettleblackpub.com Late night restaurant, bar and grill. Jimmy Culleton and Tom Montgomery bring you another great gastrobpub menu and Irish atmosphere. Grand opening was packed! See ad page 4

Mountain View Pub 7033 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (west of crossroads: Tom Darlington & Cave Creek) 480-575-7782; (480)-5757PUB Facebook: Mountain View Pub - Cave Creek Extensive lines of Irish whiskey and beers. Irish influenced pub fare.

Amazing mountain views experienced from our indoor/outdoor bar and patio!

O’Connor’s Pub 2601 W. Dunlap Avenue, #7, Phoenix, AZ 85021 (east of I-17) 602-997-7714 www.oconnorspub.com Where You’re A Stranger Only Once! For some good ol’ Irish hospitality in the Valley of the Sun, drop in the best Irish pub in Phoenix!

Rosie McCaffrey’s Irish Pub 906 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014 (additional parking on 10th Street! 100 feet away!)

602-241-1916 www.rosiemccaffreys.com Irish owned and operated pub in central Phoenix serving good food and drink, the traditional Irish way, showing all Celtic FC matches, daily specials. Sláinte!

Rúla Bula Irish Pub and Restaurant 401 S. Mill Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281 (between University and Rio Salado Parkway) 480-929-9500 www.rulabula.com Downtown Tempe, old world pub serving traditional and contemporary pub fare. Draft craft beer, premium whiskies and specialty cocktails.

Daily Happy Hour. Live Music weekends. See ad page 3

Séamus McCaffrey’s Irish Pub 18 W. Monroe Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 (adjacent to historic Hotel San Carlos) 602-253-6081 www.seamusmccaffreys.com Downtown Phoenix’ Original Irish Pub & Restaurant. Est.-1991. Corned beef & cabbage, Irish stew, fish & chips, full menu, weekend brunch, AZ’s largest whiskey menu, 10 on tap, open late. See ad page 3

Tim Finnegan’s Irish Restaurant & Bar NEW LOCATION: 17045 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85308 Great food, warm atmosphere, authentic Irish! www.timfinnegans.com Evokes images of the great old pubs of Ireland with blend of modern Ireland’s music, food, beverages. Featured on PBS “Check, Please!”

Arizona #404 | Chapter 2 of 3. See ad page 4

New customers are looking for you!

S. pledge of allegiance after a Scottish e the suggestion during a sermon ould the world be without us Scots?

Accepting Celtic listings in Arizona.

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is special in more ways than one.

The beloved black stout takes exactly 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint and has been brewed in Dublin since 1759. But perhaps its most unique characteristic is that its bubbles sink rather than rise. The reason for this lies in the shape of the glass, which causes the bubbles to rise in the center and a downward vacuum at the sides. We’ll just let that sink in… [www.ireland.com] WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MAY/JUNE 2018

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www.KiltRentalUSA.com info@kiltrentalusa.com 7655 E. Redfield Rd., Suite 8 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 1-877-KILT-SHOP • 480-460-0907

M ichael McClanathan ARIZONA’S FAVORITE BAGPIPER Listen to music samples at www.thebagpiper.com Kilt rentals available for your special event at KiltRentalUSA.com 602-549-4394 • 480-460-0907 www.thebagpiper.com

Grandmother is from Tiree, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland

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24th Annual

(602) 253-6081 SeamusMcCaffreys.com 18 West Monroe Phoenix, Arizona 85003

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Win ONE of two pairs of tickets to CELTIC WOMAN in concert from Ireland!

Tickets are for the Tucson show on May 15 at 7 pm at Centennial Hall Details for Tucson; and for Mesa Art Center’s May 16: CelticWoman.com Put “CW” in subject line by May 12.

may 16 | 7:00 pm WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

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MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix

Celtic Concerts

BY ANN NIEMANN, EDITOR IN CHIEF

Christina Pato: Irrepressible Galician!

An accomplished classical pianist and fascinating “gaita” bagpiper, Christina is fun, spunky, and a chance for me to use the description effervescent (“vivacious and enthusiastic”). She gives MIM great credit in creating “a place that honors instruments as art.”

She comes from Galicia, one of the Celtic nations. Located in northwestern Spain with its own language, it uniquely also has bagpipers, lots of them. In Christina’s city of 100,000, ten percent are pipers. She is quick to point out that, “Our language on an instrument creates a sense of cultural identity. The emotions of the bagpipe are very different than piano,” which is why she enjoys both.

In New York, she unexpectedly met up with an old friend from Galicia, Victor Prieto, an accordion player. She has always loved jazz music, and he now gave her the strength to try jazz with the bagpipe. Instead of the limitation of 11 notes that are loud, she learned to use breath control and techniques, overblowing and over-pushing, to play half-steps of the musical scale, and add soulful dynamics.

Christina and Victor presented together at MIM. She also performs and tours with Yo-Yo Ma, the international cellist, and his Silk Road Project, which brings renown artists on traditional instruments of their countries together to “make music,” to create new sounds. MIM hosted the The Music of Strangers about Ma’s work the second day of her performing in Phoenix. She holds a doctorate from Rutgers and is an Artist in Residence at Harvard and U. of CA. Very educational and truly irrepressible in the delivery!

Julie Fowlis: Scottish Storyteller in Song

Catapulted into the hearts of American girls, Julie contributed “Touch the Sky” and “Into the Open Air,” sung in the off-screen musical thoughts of the lead character Merida for the Pixar film Brave.

As Julie and her family were landing in Phoenix, her five-year-old asked in Gaelic, “Why don’t they (lft to rt ) Iain Warnick from Scotland have clouds?” A lady overhearing, responded, “To in Arizona’s Stoneybank band; fiddler better see the lovely sunshine.”

Duncan Chisholm in Julie’s band; Patti She grew up in North Uist, an island in the Munzert, and irish Network Arizona member Mary Kay Kallemeyn; (front) Outer Hebrides, singing, dancing, and speaking Julie and Éamon Scottish Gaelic. Besides her Applied Music B.A. degree in oboe and horn; Julie is very much a multi-instrumentalist in her performances including whistle and bagpipes. Her husband Éamon Doorley, is a regular member of her group as well as of the Irish traditional group Danú.

The acoustics at MIM’s Musical Theater are exceptional and definitely showcased her voice. Julie sang a variety of folk-type songs, with varying tempos, some in English, some in Gaelic, going back 600 years while others from more contemporary composers.

Highlights included “Go Your Way” by Annie Briggs, “The Seal’s Song,” and “Blackbird” (Lon-dubh).

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10611 N. 11th St. Phoenix, AZ 85020 jhlreps@aol.com

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(623) 581-0375 • FAx (623) 581-9242 Grandfather Murphy born in County Westmeath and Grandmother in County Longford, Ireland

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MAY/JUNE 2018

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS May/June 2018 ~ Arizona’s Original Irish Newspaper

ARTS

EVENTS

4 Christina Pato, Irrepressible Galician!

4 Julie Fowlis, Scottish Storyteller in Song 10 Divinity, poetry, and rock and roll: the variations of Irish music 10 Canadian Loreen McKennett HEAR MORE 11 Irish Tenor Emmet Cahill’s Phoenix Stopover 11 What a Coincidence! Outside Mullingar 12, 13 Arizona Celtic Musicians 14 Keeping up with Seamus Egan 15 WELSH: Ahh…Beautiful Sounds of Early Welsh Music HEAR MORE 16 Celtic Caterer gofundme for new TV cooking show!

17 SCOTS: Scotland’s National Piping Center 17 SCOTS: William Primrose, violist, with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 22 Megan Williams, Harpist

CULTURE 6 McClelland Library hosts exhibit: From Protest 9 9 16 16

to Peace, Murals tell the story of Northern Ireland’s “Troubles” Welcome our 2018 Junior Irish Titleholders Kelsey Kelleher, Arizona Colleen & Rose Celtic Caterer: Mussels & Leeks in Sherry Butter Sauce “Molly Malone” lyrics excerpt

3 CONCERT Mesa: Celtic Woman 3 Prescott Highland Games 7 Irish Cultural Ctr & McClelland Library, Phx 19 Irish Network AZ Breakfast & Speaker, Phx 22 Good Friday Agreement with Consul General 22 Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities Fundraiser, Chandler 22 Irish Arts Summer Camp, Phx 22 Young Professionals’ Networking Brunch BACK San Diego Scottish Highland Games, CA

HISTORY 8 Irish Tales from AZ Territory: Early Music came with Irish Settlers 8 Arizona: Did you know?

18 Driving Tips from Left Lane Maureen, Part 23: Motoring through County Westmeath

DIRECTORIES 2 Celtic Pubs and Eateries 20,21 Organizations, Sister Cities, Dance, Musicians, Clans

CALENDAR OUT & ABOUT

Music

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Early Music came with Arizona’s Irish Settlers

TRAVEL

22 Schedule of Events

43 No. 1 26, No. No. Vol. 29, 28, er ~ Vol. ~~Vol. spap er Newer spap Newspap Irish inal New Irish Irish Orig inal Origsinal Orig ssona’ Ariz ona’ Ariz~ona’ ~Ariz 2018~2015 2017 e uary Febr Sept –-Jun Augary JanuMay

FEATURES

Pibgorn

15

Ahh…Beautiful Sounds of Early Welsh Music

23 Photo Gallery

PLAY! SING, DANCE, eat!

Breathe… Rep

Belvedere House & Gardens, Mullingar

FREE

COVER:

Arizona’s Scott Jeffers

UPCOMING ISSUE SNEAK PEEK

Planning a Wedding or Throwing a Celtic Bash?

18

Motoring through County Westmeath

WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

CULTURE

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MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

McClelland Library hosts traveling exhibit:

From Protest to Peace Murals tell the story of Northern Ireland’s “Troubles”

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isitors to the McClelland Library will view, for the first time, a stunning exhibition of Northern Irish public art.

The display, titled “From Protest to Peace: Murals by the Bogside Artists of Northern Ireland,” includes eleven murals located on buildings along Rossville Street in the Northern Ireland city of Derry.

The murals depict events from the troubled history of Northern Ireland.

“These spectacular murals provide first-hand insights into a complex conflict,” said Howard Keeley, director of Georgia Southern University’s Center for Irish Studies and a co-curator of the exhibition. “Visitors get a solid overview of Northern Ireland and its history and people.

The dramatic artwork tells stories about social justice, sectarian strife, and visionary peace-making.”

The murals depicted in the exhibition were created by three men, Tom Kelly, his brother William Kelly, and their friend, Kevin Hasson, known collectively as The Bogside Artists. The artists are three distinct individuals: a humanist, a republican, and a committed Christian. All three have personally experienced the unfolding of ‘the Troubles’ during their lifetimes.

In painting the murals, the men continued an Ulster (Northern Ireland) tradition of using murals as a vehicle for social commentary, but they have taken the tradition further. The Bogside Artists use their murals in cross-community workshops involving both Protestant and Catholic youth to initiate discussions focused on the history and context embedded in the murals. The art is used to revisit

Exhibit Admission the past, but also to encourage participants to reflect on their history beyond traditionally established boundaries.

The result is a grass-roots effort designed to help move the process of peace and reconciliation forward.

In recognizing and acknowledging a troubled past, the images of the artists serve as healing instruments in the difficult reconciliation process,” said Bob Frigo, assistant director of the Georgia Southern University Honors Program and a co-curator of the exhibit. “What sets The Bogside Artists apart from other muralists in Northern Ireland is their use of the mural as a peace-building tool in local cross-community workshops.”

The exhibit was created by the Georgia Southern University Museum in Statesboro, Georgia and was co-curated by faculty in the Center for Irish Studies and the University Honors Program. It is now traveling around the United States and is currently hosted by the McClelland Library until the exhibit closes on May 26, 2018. The murals have been digitally reproduced in large format, and they are exhibited with educational panels that explore the history depicted in each mural. Six additional banners build the context of the exhibition, covering topics such as “the Troubles;” the Bogside Artists’ reconciliation workshops; and the city of Derry’s colonial past.

The original images of the murals were photographed

by Martin Melaugh, research fellow at the University of Ulster, Magee campus, in Derry.

The McClelland Library is open Tuesday-Saturdays through May from 10am-3pm. More information about the library and exhibit can be found at azirish.org.

$5.......... Members $8.......... Senior/Student $10........ Adult $5.......... Children 6-17

Connect to your Irish Roots!

Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities View our website for info and upcoming events May 22 - Fundraiser at Fibber Magee’s for Student Exchange Sept. 15 - Membership Brunch Nov. 10 - Annual Southwest Tea 67%

Ellen Harrington 480-600-8509 / chan.to.tull@gmail.com www.chandlerirish.org /

facebook: chandler.az.irish 100%

25% 50%

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Celebrate Spring FAMILY STORY HOUR Saturday, May 5, 2018 at 10:30 AM THIRD FRIDAY CEILI Friday, May 18, 2018 at 7 PM

R U O H Y R TO

Last Chance To See FROM PROTEST TO PEACE EXHIBITION Closing May 26, 2018 McClelland Library, 2nd floor

IRISH ARTS SUMMER CAMP (IASC) The Punny Tail of Finn McCool and the Salmon of Knowledge May 29 through June 1, 2018 9 AM to 3 PM

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EXHI

BITIO

te:

a ed

m na a A l l S ua s Ga n n d h A Awar ay t 1 d 18 1 ra tur Sa 0, 20 Ca t. 2 Oc ave

Saturday, June 16, 2018

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th

I L I E C

See the calendar and directory in this issue for more information about us.

1106 North Central Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85004

Fall/Winter/Spring Regular Hours:

azirish.org

10AM – 3PM Tuesday – Saturday (Tours, Library & Genealogy)

Closed all major holidays Open Additional Hours for Scheduled Classes, Meetings & Events

602.258.0109 info@azirish.org The Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library are divisions of the Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation and are owned and maintained by the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department.

MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

HISTORY

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Irish Tales from Arizona Territory

Early Music came with Irish Settlers The Seven Little Foys

ARIZONA:

Did you know?

64. The Palo Verde is the official state tree. Its name means “green stick” and it blooms a brilliant yellow-gold in April or May. 65. The worst range war and family feud in the West, which claimed the lives of dozens of ranchers, ironically occurred in a place called Pleasant Valley, Arizona.

66. From 1973 to 2007, Arizona was the only state with official state neckwear, the bola tie. In 2007, New Mexico also adopted the bola tie as the official State Tie.

PHOTO BY GARY M. JOHNSON

Read more fun and fascinating facts about Arizona NEXT edition.

Of Irish descent and Arizona’s Official State Historian, Marshall Trimble has been called the “Will Rogers of Arizona.” He’s a “cowboy philosopher,” educator, lecturer, author, folk singer and stage performer, and appears frequently on radio and television. He created and taught Arizona history at Scottsdale Community College for forty years where he was also Director of Southwest Studies.

WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

BY JANICE RYAN BRYSON

G

eraldus Cambrensis, a Monk from Britain, wrote in 1186, “It is in the cultivation of music that I consider the proficiency of the Irish people to be worthy of commendation. And in this their skill, beyond all comparison, beyond that of any nation I have ever seen. For there is not the slow and heavy style of melody, but rapid and abrupt, yet, at the same time, sweet and pleasing in its effect.”

Ireland is the only country in the world to have a musical instrument–the harp–as its national symbol.

A strong feature of Irish history is emigration; the diaspora carried Irish music and song to the social life of host communities. The influence of early Irish and Celtic music has come to be heard in much of America’s music, particularly what came out of Appalachia in the early 1900s. Irish melodies from the 18th century were used and adapted using American words.

Today’s version of traditional Irish music almost always features a guitar, banjo, or mandolin. In the beginning, music was played with the tin whistle, fiddle, pipes, and harp as well as the bodhran. Harps do not abound much today although during medieval times, Ireland was famous throughout Europe for harp music and playing.

In 1843, four Irish immigrants formed a troupe called the Virginia Minstrels whose initial performance in

New York City set the format for the minstrel show. The typical minstrel show Irishman was a heavy-drinking brawler with a brogue accent, but by the 1850s more agreeable representations appeared, perhaps in part because of the popularity of romantic Irish songs.

In the 1890s, popular music and vaudeville competed with the minstrel show for entertainment. Irish acts were very popular and the songs they sang helped form an image of Irish America.

A nostalgic longing for a lost homeland became the core of sentimental songs, such as “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” “Mother Machree,” “My Wild Irish Rose,” and “Too-re-loo-ra-loo-ra.”

In 1901, the Catholic Church in Globe, whose membership was predominately Irish, brought a minstrel show to the mining town as a fundraiser for the church. The show ran for two nights and was so popular, most of the church’s remaining building debt was paid. The Arizona Silver Belt noted weddings and parties held at the homes of my own Irish relatives in Globe generally included music and dancing.

Tombstone’s Schieffelin Hall was built in 1881 by Albert Schieffelin, brother of Tombstone founder Ed Schieffelin. When completed, it was the largest most elaborate theater between El Paso, Texas and San Francisco, California. Nellie Cashman opened the building with a Grand St. Patrick’s Night Ball on March 17, 1882 to be given by the Irish National Land League. Troops

of musicians and actors found their way to Tombstone to entertain the citizens including Irish entertainers Lola Montez (Eliza Gilbert) and Eddie Foy along with his Seven Little Foys.

My research was unable to uncover information on traditional Irish music in Arizona during Territorial days. Was the music played at the home of my great-parents the traditional music of their youth in Ireland? My grandfather, Will Ryan, was born in 1886 in Globe.

Did he remember the music played in his parents’ home? Growing up I played all of my grandfather’s 78 rpm records of Irish songs by Bing Crosby–wasn’t that traditional music?

Thankfully, The Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix has introduced me to the delights of Irish music other than Bing! Check out the musical programs offered there at azirish.org and enjoy the music played in the Irish pubs located around Arizona [See listing on page 2 this edition].

Bocht an duine bhíos gan cheol (“Poor is the person that’s without music”).

Janice Ryan Bryson descended from Irish Pioneers who arrived in the Arizona Territory in the 1880s. She is co-founder of the Irish Arizona Project and co-author of the book Irish Arizona. Janice was named an Arizona Culture Keeper for her research on the Irish in our state and is a recipient of the 2015 Anam Cara Award.

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ach year, two Little Miss Shamrocks (ages 6-12) are selected and one Arizona Irish Lass (ages 13-17). They comprise the court of the Arizona Colleen and Rose (18-27 years old), ride in the Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and are guests of the Queen at the Arizona Renaissance Festival Celtic Weekend.

2018 Little Miss Shamrocks

Megan Williams is 11 years old and attends Knox Gifted Academy where she is a straight A student. She is a classically trained harpist and has won city, state and national talent awards and also plays the flute. She is the two-time City of Chandler Youth talent winner and volunteers playing her harp at charitable events. Megan’s fingers are always busy with cooking, crocheting, sewing Smile Dolls for Operation Smile and making slime. Her first Irish ancestors to arrive here in 1855 were Maria and Patrick Devany from County Down, Northern Ireland, who settled in Canada, then St. Louis where she still has hundreds of relatives. [Wow! That’s a lot!]

Julia Kelly is 11 years old and a fifth grader at Saint Francis Xavier. She loves to sing, dance and perform acrobatics— both aerial and on the ground. Her love of playing the harp started when she was three and she still adores it. She began Irish dancing after being inspired to do so during her stay at Knappogue Castle in County Clare in 2013.

2018 Arizona Irish Lass

Molly Ruley is 13 years old and attends Arete Prep school in Gilbert. She also has been a competitive Irish dancer since she was 7 years old with the Bracken School of Irish Dance. She got to attend her first North American National Irish Dance Championship in New Orleans last summer. In her free time, she loves to read, do puzzles, and make all kinds of crafts. She enjoys going on nature hikes, vacationing at the beach and playing with her two dogs, Patrick and Snickers.

Together, these young ladies represent the Arizona Irish Community at a variety of events throughout their title year.

Julia, Molly, Megan

AZ Renaissance Festival with Kelsey

Kelsey Kelleher

Arizona Colleen & Rose PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEWITT PHOTOGRAPHY

Audrey Sullivan

Morgan Wincheski

S

elected from young women ages 18-27 of Irish descent, Kelsey Kelleher was chosen to carry the 2018 dual titles of the 35th Annual Arizona Colleen (“maiden, as well as the Arizona Rose to represent the Arizona Irish Community here and abroad.

She served as Queen of the Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the host organization, and on stage at the Faire that followed.

In August, she goes to Dublin to begin the Rose Tour with 64 other Roses from around the world.

Then, on to County 96-year-old maternal grandfather Albert Kerry, Ireland for the (“Poppy”) Moreno and grandmother Gloria, International Rose of Kelsey. parents Art and Valerie Kelleher, Tralee Festival. sister Valerie (“Skippy”) Johnson

Heather McGraw

Callan Dalton Gist

Emilia Nallen WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

ARTS

Welcome our 2018 Junior Irish Titleholders

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MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Divinity, poetry, and rock and roll:

PHOTO BY JENNIFER BOYER

ARTS

10

the variations of Irish music

BY DR. SHARONAH FREDRICK

I

WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

Cúchulainn statue in the General Post Office,Dublin The Banshee

Sharonah Fredrick is currently co-editing a book of essays for Ibero-Vervuet publishers, about the influence of Peru’s greatest indigenous chronicler: Guaman Poma. She has a PhD in Latin American Colonial Literature; MA in Renaissance History; and BA in Cultural Anthropology. She’s multilingual; attended Yeats Summer School and Merryman Literature Summer School in Ireland, as well as doing independent study in the Donegal Gaeltacht, and summer courses at Trinity College, Dublin.

Loreen McKennett

Canadian singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, her career spans several decades with over 14 million albums sold worldwide.

Loreen shares, I grew up in rural Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of a nurse and a livestock dealer and enjoyed a fairly free and easy rural childhood. I found that music chose me rather than me, it.”

Film soundtrack contributions include the Hollywood productions “Highlander III”, “Jade”, “Holy Man” and “Ever After” (trailer). Composed and performed a key song for the Disney release “Tinker Bell”. Television soundtrack uses include TNT’s miniseries “The Mists of Avalon”, and American series “Due South”, “Northern Exposure”, “Legacy” and “Roar”. In 1985 she established her own record label, Quinlan Road, a move which has made her a rarity in the music industry.

HEAR

MORE

“Never-Ending Road” with stunning imagery video

PAINTING BY HENRY MEYNELL RHEAM, 1897 – 1901

rish music figures prominently in its literature and mythology, and it is not accidental that the bardsthe ancient Celtic poets and musicians—were believed to have prophetic powers, during both the pre-Christian and early Christian period (1st-6th centuries). In the epic of Cúchullain, that hero, as a young boy, is fought over by Ireland’s greatest wise men. Who will have the honor of fostering Cúchullain to adulthood? As adoption was a time-honored custom in pagan Ireland, such a question was not to be taken lightly.

When Amairgin, the bard and poet, offers his services as foster parent, they are rightly regarded as on par with those of warriors and kings. After all, music among the Celts had the divine quality that it had in early Hebrew chanting, and retained in Christian plainchant; the Celts, like the early Christians, Jews, and many generations of Native Americans, viewed music as a divine channel to communicate with the highest spiritual nature.

Finally, Cúchullain was to be raised by a council of wise men, including musicians and fighters. Music, it should be remembered, accompanied the Celts to battle, and music and poetry were the loom on which the stories of ancient heroes and heroines were woven.

And what of the heroines? How did music affect Irish women, and how was it affected by them? The first connections between music and females in Irish literature are supernatural bonds, and some may find them unsettling.

The Banshee’s name in Irish Gaelic signifies “woman of the fairies.” She always appeared at night, wailing by a stream, washing the clothes of the recently—or even more ominously—soon to be, dead. She is identified by the high-pitched, “keening,” the musical wailing and lamentation which was itself a traditional facet of Irish funerals for over the past 1,000 years.

Julius Caesar, while never arriving in Ireland, led a long and costly campaign in Britain, and Roman mercenaries had visited Ireland, and unsuccessfully attempted to subdue the Irish a number of times. The Romans, in their unflattering chronicles mentioning the Irish mentioned the spectacle of Celtic women who accompanied their men to battle, while wailing in “unearthly” highpitched tones.

But Irish music is famed for its extraordinarily powerful and clear melodies, and for lyrics which are among the most complex in popular music. Canadian Celtic singer Loreena McKennit on her albums, which span the gamut from traditional Irish folk music to English/ Scottish/Irish artsongs, makes frequent use of archetypes from Irish and Scottish myth, as well as blending sounds from the Middle East and Asia. The last might strike some as a “New Age” affectation, but Ms. McKennit

knows well what she is doing. Ethnomusicologists have been tracing similarities in Irish and Northern Indian music for many years.

That fact is hardly surprising: the Celts, after all, have their origins in the Indo-European peoples who ranged from Central Asia to Europe over 10,000 years ago. The ancient Celts, with their equine goddess Epona, carried with them to Europe characteristics of the Central Asians who invaded India thousands of years ago, and established the importance of the horse in warfare. As with the horse, so with music. For both ancient Hindus and ancient Celts, music was the channel to divine power.

The great songwriting duo of John Lennon and Paul McCartney were both of Liverpool with deep Irish roots, and to this day, no group has so influenced popular music, politics, and culture to the extent that the Beatles have done.

Cúchullain was indeed lucky to have had a bard among his foster parents. Music breathes life.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MAY/JUNE 2018

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Emmet Cahill’s Phoenix Stopover

BY ANN NIEMANN, EDITOR IN CHIEF

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rowing up in Mullingar, County Westmeath, dad is a farmer but also taught Emmet to play the piano as a young boy; and mom is a singer. Music has always been important in the home, with the three children performing together at various occasions and at church.

Emmet Cahill is highly visible as a tenor with the international Irish group, Celtic Thunder. However, on a solo tour this year, Phoenix was lucky enough to hear his amazing voice at St. Mary’s Basilica— the acoustics were incredible. He presented traditional Irish songs, along with several hymn standards. There were standing ovations for “Danny Boy” and a stirring rendition of “How Great Thou Art.” Regarding his success, he shares, “I try not to look ahead, not that I don’t acknowledge it, but rather to enjoy the moment. You can spend your life organizing the future, but I enjoy the thing I’m doing right here, right now. I try not to take life seriously in that I’m lucky doing what I absolutely love. You might set your heart on a goal but be present, so the future doesn’t grip you. Happiness is a poison chalice in a way. Life never works exactly as thought; take it with a pinch of salt.”

At 17, Emmet went to college but dropped out three times before pursuing music. “Growing up is an everyday challenge, figuring out who you are,” he notes, realizing that the “biggest thing for me is you need to be a first-rate you, not a second-rate someone else.” At 18, he began his formal training at the Royal Irish Academy of Music where he received a BA in Music Performance.

The affable 27-year-old is learning a lot touring on the road as a featured artist.

Phoenix was just a one-night concert and then on to California for the next evening, part of a grueling schedule. “Sometimes I step out of my own box and look back in on tough days to see they were not so

bad.” He enjoys meeting so many interesting people, especially in churches, and the opportunity to travel.

Emmet makes a point to search out the Irish Community in each city. He and Seamus Brett, his accompanist, had a quick tour of the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library and were duly impressed! That night at the concert, he was advocating the audience avail themselves of the Center. He joked that, “The Library has 8,000 books, so if you start tomorrow, you might make a dent on it

by Christmas.”

The repertoire included “Galway Bay;” a sing-a-long “Wild Mountain Thyme,” which is thought to be Scottish but actually is derived from an ancient Catholic hymn; “My Forever Friend” about relationship with Jesus he sang as a child; “My Cavan Girl” that his father always had as Emmet’s party piece; his grandmother’s favorite golden classic, “Moon River;” and others. Seamus’ expertise on the piano was rather dazzling, when Emmet took requests from the audience, and he then wove them into an impromptu medley of songs with transitions such that they were one, seamless piece.

“Ireland is still home for me,” Emmet tells me, “where I get on with everybody. It’s a lovely to place to come home.” Mullingar has lots to do in Westmeath, known as the ‘lake county.’

He recommends to see the beautiful Christ the King Cathedral; as well as Belvedere House and Gardens that includes Narnia-themed Christmas events for winter visitors.

In what he values most, Emmet confides, “I value people who value people. I admire those who don’t get caught up with being too self-aware.

Value what you are; don’t expect to conform. My parents are very much their own people; they say, ‘Be yourself; everyone else is taken.’”

Read more about County Westmeath in Sullivans’ Travel column on page 18.

In the Castle Keep atop McClelland Library (lft to rt) Gordon, Emmet, Seamus

ICC’s Kelsey Kelleher with Emmet

St. Mary’s Basilica with Br. Scott Slattum, OFM, and Gordon Stevenson, Director of Music and Liturgy and serves as organist

What a coincidence! Outside Mullingar The first Arizona Theatre Company production directed by new Artistic Director David Ivers, Outside Mullingar was playing at the Herberger Theater Center this past February next door to St. Mary’s where Emmet Cahill from the actual town of Mullingar, Ireland was in concert.

The romantic comedy revolves around Anthony and Rosemary, two introverted misfits straddling 40. Anthony is painfully shy and has spent his entire life on a cattle farm in rural Ireland. Rosemary lives right next door and is determined to have him at all costs. The scenic designs made you feel like you’re right there in their kitchen, creatively shifting sets from outside to indoors between the two homes. Written

by John Patrick Shanley, the acting was exceptional, and the experience delightful! Also played in Tucson.

Cast (from lft to rt): Robin Rodriguez (Aoife Muldoon), Larry Bull (Anthony Reilly), Cassandra Bissell (Rosemary Muldoon), and John Hutton (Tony Reilly)

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MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Arizona’ s

Celtic Musicians

Book them for your next event!

Other Arizona musical gems include The Big Fallahs, Pat McCrossan, Saints of Eirinn, Michael McClanathan, Seanachie, Stoneybank, Celtica!, Len Wood, 30 Stone, Paddy’s Peg Leg, The McMorrows, Sheila na Gig, De Mairt Ceol, and more!

Brian O’Carroll Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Brian has been a prominent member of several Irish Bands: Black Ashling, Keltic Cowboys, Carroll Macgreggor, O’Carroll’s Gate and The Biffos. He has been voted Arizona Entertainer of the Year, Soloist of the Year, and nominated for Songwriter of the Year. He spent several years touring America, Canada, Europe, South America, and Japan. In Phoenix, Brian has performed at three Fiesta Bowls and the NFL Experience for Super Bowl XXX. He has recorded 5 solo albums, as well as producing music for many local artists. contact: thebiffos@gmail.com

John Good / Tramor (meaning “Overseas”)

It’s the new Welsh-American Acoustic Project of John Good, formally of Oceans Apart; and the flowing harps of Mary Bouley, who is as well-known and admired as John in Celtic and traditional circles. A duo not to be missed! Veterans of many Celtic festivals and concerts, including Estes Park, Chicago Celtic Fest, San Diego and Denver, they bring the subtly different flavor of traditional Welsh music to the contemporary stage. John, born in Cwmafan, South Wales, UK is a multi-instrumentalist, Welsh piper, singer/songwriter, storyteller, composer and poet. contact: potelobop@hotmail.com; tramormusic.com

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Begged and Borrowed Formed in 2014, Shannon Schumann is on harp, flute, whistles and Rick Boyle on guitar, Irish bouzouki, and harmonica. With their style and vocals, the duo draws from the deep well of Irish, Scottish, and Irish-American tradition.

Available for weddings, parties, and folk festivals, they put on a memorable show with jigs, reels, and O’Carolan harp pieces, woven together with heartfelt songs and ballads about the Irish experience. Rick is half-Irish on his paternal side; maternal half is Slovak-American, influenced by tamburitza music. contact: raboyle@yahoo.com

Celtic Moments with Jim West & Kathleen Kelly Bringing Ireland to Arizona, it’s a Ceili with traditional ballads, songs and tales that offer a touch of Irish wit and humor. Their lively jigs and reels will leave ya wishin’ for more. They’re celebrated at pubs, parties, the ShamRockFest, Payson’s Celtic Ceili, and the Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Faire to name just a few.

Their rich Irish-American history starts in Counties Mayo, Clare, and Cork.

Kathleen shares, “I would not be too shy to throw in a wee bit of the blarney in the tellin’.” contact: kshamrockelly@ aol.com

Kilted Spirit From lively toe-tapping Irish and Scottish jigs and reels, to drinking songs and popular classic and modern rock covers, it’s an Irish band guaranteed to bring on the craic!

Their eclectic mix of instruments and boundless enthusiasm bring fun and excitement to every show. Led by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Colleen Collins, the band consists of guitar, bass, fiddle, drums, Irish flute, tin whistle, Irish bouzouki, and vocals. Colleen’s great grandmother was from Glasgow, Scotland, and her great grandfather was born in Clairemorris, County Mayo, Ireland. contact: kiltedspirit@yahoo.com; kiltedspirit.com

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MAY/JUNE 2018

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Knockabouts A Flagstaff Celtic band and like a good whiskey, the band is the perfect blend of time-honored tradition, bawdy good taste, rowdy energy, and smooth harmonies. Made up of seasoned musicians, the Knockabouts appeal to all ages and have gained international recognition by sharing the stage with such artists as Gaelic Storm, Old Blind Dogs, Munnelly, and Slide Ireland. “Best of Flag” Winners Local Artist for 2017!

McGregor is very Scottish but came through Ireland to America. John’s wife, Jacque, is a Calhoun. contact: 928-814-2480; knockabouts.org

Scott Jeffers Celtic-World Fusion / Traveler As a solo artist, Scott brings a union of sound from heartfelt Scottish Ballads to utter Viking Madness. The Highlands are brought to you

by One Man, his fiery violin, and a synthesis of talent. Using traditional ethnic instruments combined with the backing of a rock band, Traveler’s performances are an intense, exotic, and adrenaline-driven fusion of international styles with rock & roll to create an exciting, one-of-a-kind experience. The band has been a favorite headlining act at festivals throughout Canada, the US and Turkey. contact: scottjtraveler@yahoo.com; travelerworldmusic.com, travelerworldfusion.com

Paul Carroll Paul grew up in Dublin during the ballad boom of the 60s. H ​ is mother was a fine singer and he fondly remembers the “hooleys” in the house. P ​ aul emigrated to Australia in the 70s and was a founding member of the Celtic band, Poteen, which shared the stage with icons like Eric Bogle, The Dubliners, The Furey’s and Boys of the Lough. Paul made his home in New Hampshire, USA, before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona. His latest CD, called “The Road You Take”, is available. contact: 603-490-3985

The Spirited Lads They play the tunes you can’t resist singing along with, clapping your hands, and stomping your feet to the infectious music. With stirring vocal harmonies complemented with acoustic instruments, the Lads liven up the room immediately. Native Dubliner Dave McDerry; Tim Whalen, 3rd generation; Jim Hughens of Welsh heritage; Albie Duarte’s mother’s side is Lynch; and Jon Wolohan boasts a fine Irish surname.

Just released their 2nd album, “Tall Tales and Fond Farewells”. Pick up a CD at a show, or download a digital copy. contact: spiritedlads@gmail.com; spiritedlads.com

Trotters Wake

Stilicho A folk music band, Danny Jones’ ancestors are from County Mayo, and the Ryan cousins, Stephen and Owen, are descended from Potato Famine refugees. The group plays Irish traditional drinking songs, ballads, sea shanties, and selections from early American outlaw lore. Accordion, banjo, guitar, bass, and vocals. Stilicho plays several shows in the Valley each month. To find out when and where, visit their Facebook page and Instagram @stilichotheband. To book Stilicho for a spirited and family-friendly performance, contact them at stilichotheband@gmail.com.

It’s a 2 to 7-piece band playing a high energy mix of drinking/rebel songs, ballads, and tunes. Their complement of guitar, fiddle, penny whistle, banjo, electric/upright bass, bodhran, keyboard, sound tech, four sound systems, and backups provide tremendous flexibility for a variety of venues. Weddings, corporate, funerals/ wakes, church, church, Celtic Christmas, private parties. Lead singer, Drew Monasky, has Irish roots dating back to his great, great grandparents. Trotters Wake™ wants your guests to experience the fun, “bringing the pub to your party!” contact: trotterswake.com WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

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MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Moira and Seamus

Seamus Egan:

Keeping up with Seamus Egan

BY ANN NIEMANN, EDITOR IN CHIEF

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orn in Pennsylvania to Irish émigrés Mike and Ann Egan, at the age of three his parents moved the family back home to County Mayo, Ireland to Foxford. The second oldest of six, Seamus Egan shares about his parents’ love of music with mum playing piano. It was a “total immersion” hosting seisiuns in their home; once a week group music lesson in the town hall; and performances. He says, “How amazing to get all the siblings to sing and dance” and get along. “For the longest time, I thought Irish music was the only one in the world.” His oldest sister is a professional fiddler and was with Cherish the Ladies for years.

When asked how he handles success, he shared, “with a great dollop of surprise.

I’m grateful to do this, go around the world, play and meet and collaborate with other musicians. It has afforded me a passport to opportunities I wouldn’t have had.”

Seamus went on to say that, “Without question traveling can be a challenge. It can grind you down after a while. At the end of the day, you get to do the thing you love to do, which is to play. There are disappointments along the way of course, not always what you would have hoped.

Take, learn whatever didn’t happen; there’s always another opportunity. Plan but keep yourself open to what comes your way.

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Crushed? Pick self back up.”

What is valued most, he paused and responded, “Absolutely, freedom to carve out my own path; it’s quite a precious thing. Normal health and happiness don’t hurt either.”

Local Connections Performing at this year’s Arizona Musicfest in Scottsdale with the Seamus Egan Project, there are typically 3-5 musicians playing a wide collection of Egan songs, including brand new ones. He told the story of how his youngest sister ran off and got married without telling their parents. His mother only referred to them as ‘Mr. and Mrs. Walsh,’ so Seamus wrote a song to smooth it over. “I write tunes for any number of reasons. Some with no recollection of ever learning it. Some with no names and yet absolutely remember [the song] the next time” when start to play it. An unnamed, recent composition was introduced as, “We haven’t fully decided if it’s going to survive; if it makes the cut. Its fate is in your hands,” as he gestures to the audience. I would describe it as a sweet, gentle melody with bouzouki, accordion, and two guitars. In the transition, the tempo picks up lilting with lifts and swells, then down again. The listeners’ applause indicated we want it to live on.

“Tell God and the Devil” was inspired by his great uncle mining in Butte, Montana but dying young away

from Ireland. Montanan Martha Scanlon’s “Little Bird of Heaven,” and Cork native Ger Wolfe’s “Lay Me Down,” showcase lesser known composers. Owen Marshall played the harmonium, a pump organ that fits in a suitcase on the latter. Kyle Sanna sang and played the Irish rhythm guitar.

Vocalist, Moira Smiley sang “Darkness be my Pillow;” she also plays the hand accordion, piano, and banjo. She gave a shout-out to Arizona’s Rick Boyle and Shannon Schumann (see info on their duo on page 12). Rick shares, “I’ve known Moira for about ten years. She, Roger Landes, and Blayne Chastain played at the Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Faire to an appreciative crowd. They stayed that weekend at my place and hearing them practice the show was as delightful as the show itself! We’ve stayed in touch over the years. It’s a privilege to call them all my friends. Moira was one of the most popular instructors at ZoukFest, which was a weeklong annual music camp devoted to playing traditional instruments. I’m proud to say that I learned more about singing in Moira’s classes than I learned in all my previous years.”

Bucket List Career highlights include: Co-wrote the hit “I Will Remember You” with Sarah McLachlan; recorded music for Ed Burns film, The Brothers McMullen; produc-

Seamus with Anna and Michael O’Hara of The Irish Foundation of Arizona

er and founding member of renowned Irish American band Solas. Seamus is a multi-instrumentalist including the Irish flute, tenor banjo, guitar, mandolin, tin whistle, and low whistle, among others.

“After 20 years, Solas is on hiatus and I’m looking to do different things. I had projects in a drawer,” Seamus continues, “so dusting them off and getting off and running. My parents met at a dance in the Irish Center in Philadelphia. These venues were a focal point for old and new arrivals [from Ireland]. For Irish bands to survive, they became a hybrid between traditional dance and songs with popular bands bringing brass, sax, etc. I’m composing a Dance Hall Days musical” to celebrate that contribution. That’s just one of many!

Read article about winning four AllIrelands in four different instruments by age 14 in March-April 2018 edition.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MAY/JUNE 2018

15

Ahh…Beautiful Sounds of Early Welsh Music

BY LYNN HERDMAN MASCARELLI

MORE

Lynn is a former high school teacher of art, history, and political science. She is a potter, illustrator, muralist in public venues and private homes, and wordsmith. Frequently a featured artist at the Irish Cultural Center, Celtic landscapes intrigue her. Her mom, a Williams, is totally Welsh with ancestry as far back as 1700s and the Isle of Anglesley.

Pibecwd

Crwth c. 1800–1825

Illustration of a Pib-gorn from A Tour in Wales

by Thomas Pennant, 1778

Suo Gân is another of the oldest.

You may recognize it from Spielberg’s movie Empire of the Sun, the true story about a young boy’s survival during the WWII Japanese occupation of Shanghai.

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PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES

Listen to the old Welsh lullaby, Dinogad’s Smock, among the oldest surviving Welsh poems of battles from the Old North...a mother tells her son of his father’s hunting prowess, “At whatever your father aimed his spear—Be it a boar, a wild cat, or a fox—None would escape but that had strong wings.”

HEAR

PHOTO BY ANDREAS PRAEFCKE

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radition! From its high hills to sea edge, music in Wales is central to life and the sound of early Welsh instruments will draw you away to another time.

Among Wales’ first were the penny/tin whistles; the oldest to date, found hundreds of years ago in a stronghold built by none other than Edward I to subdue the Welsh. He did not. Yet the whistle and its elegant sister, the flute of old, carried on, gracing every social occasion.

The pibgorn was a standout, unusual, made of a wood reed and two bull horns to produce more sound.

Though rare, they’re still made to order for the enthusiast.

It is with reverence I write of the crwth, Welsh for “violin.” It, too, is one of the oldest Welsh instruments, seemingly a comfort and companion to lone cattle herders and shepherds. Similar to a stringed lyre it is played with a bow. Its droning sound derived from how it is played with all strings at once, but limited to only one octave.

We can read from a 1910 glossary of the Demetian dialect of North Pembrokeshire, the remarks of a lover of instruments, “We did not have the crwth, but we had the fiddle, and occasionally the harp, or a home-made degenerate sort of pibgorn. I myself am a tolerable player on the simplified pibgorn.”

There have always been fiddlers in Wales. Fiddle and harp playing are like breathing to the Welsh. These once earliest of instruments are everywhere, filling with music every home, pub and concert hall. But a note of interest lies in the gypsy Romany families of Wales. A harp loving, fiddle-playing people, they were vital to maintaining the tradition.

Of particular interest, was the almost driven desire of players to commit their fiddle tunes to paper and collections abound. Among them, the writing of musician/ author Cass Meurig: Alawon John Thomas; a fiddler’s tune book from eighteenth-century Wales. Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, 2004, comprising a collection of dance tunes by fiddler John Thomas and earliest extant manuscript of Welsh fiddle music including 438 melodies, detailed notes and his observations of 18th C. fiddle history.

We give a bow to the Welsh bagpipe of which we

hear little mention. In 1330 AD, medieval Welsh bard, Iolo Goch, claimed there were three types of wind instruments: the organ and pipes and bag music.

It would seem there was no standardized form of bagpipe but there were two types: the single reed with a cow-horn bell playing only one octave and the double-reed type much louder and capable of even over-blowing a few notes in the upper register. Both could be drone-less or equipped with drones. In the 1970s, there was a kind of renaissance in native Welsh instruments and piping in Wales centered mainly on the Great Highland pipe or cwdyn.

Finally, I confess to not knowing my heritage Welsh language nor do I read it well but look at these words for the bagpipe...they in themselves are an art form: pipa côd, pibau côd, côd-biban, côd-bibau, pibgod, cotbib, pibau cyrn, chwibanogl a chod, sachbib, backpipes, bacbib.

Go to Wales...listen!

WELSH

CYMRU:

CULTURE

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MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

CELTIC CATERER

BY CHEF ERIC W. MCBRIDE

Somerled MacGillebride

Mussels & Leeks M in a Sherry Butter Sauce

ussels have been a constant in Celtic Cuisine since time immemorial.

Archeological digs near the Poulnabrone dolmen (a Neolithic portal tomb) located in the Burren, County Clare, in Western Ireland reveal the remnants of stacked Mussels and Clam shells consumed nearly 5,500 years ago.

There are historical accounts of Mussels being served to Somerled MacGillebride, the first Lord of the Isles who created a Sub-Kingdom within Scotland in the 12th century. And we all know the Song of Sweet Molly Malone, and her relationship with Mussels. As the centuries passed on, so has there been many, many styles in which these mollusks were served. I found this one in an old manuscript between two travelers, from Scotland and Wales.

For those of you who will be at the Northern Arizona Celtic Festival in Flagstaff, this will be my first appearance there in over 10 years. Spices, cookbooks, and other items for sale. Stop by and say hi!

Chef McBride is an awardwinning chef and author of four Celtic cookbooks (Scotland, Ireland, Wales & Manx, and Celtic-style vegetarian), and has a line of traditional Celtic Seasoning mixes. You can get his books via his website www.celticcaterer.com or on his Facebook page “the Celtic Caterer & Chef Eric W. McBride, or on YouTube.

Help us take the Celtic Caterer to the next stage, by creating a Pilot episode of a

100% CELTIC COOKING SHOW!

It doesn’t take much, just $5, $10 or $20 and this will move mountains. Everyone who donates will get a free invitation to the taping and those who donate over $20 will get a coupon for 20% off purchase at the Celtic Caterer booth.

Just mention code #1314 and we will doublecheck it on our donation list. All donors over $50 will get a copy of any one of my 5 Celtic Cookbooks, and those who make a donation of over $100 will get an additional choice of any 3 Celtic Caterer Spices. For the price of a fancy cup of coffee or less than a pint of Ale, you can say, you helped create a Cooking show for Television.

Thank You for Any Contribution that You Can Make!

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY GOING TO THIS LINK:

https://www.gofundme.com/ celtic-caterer-cooking-show-pilot

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“Molly Malone” Excerpt from song lyrics In Dublin’s fair city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone, As she wheeled her wheel-barrow, Through streets broad and narrow, Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!

Alive, alive, oh, Alive, alive, oh, Crying “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh.

The song tells the fictional tale of a fishmonger in the 17th century who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin, but who died young, of a fever. It was first published in 1876. A statue to her honor is in Dublin centre.

Serves 2 to 4 1 lb. Blue Mussels 1 large Leek ½ lbs. salted Kerry Gold butter 1 pinch White Pepper 1 zest of Lemon ¼ cup Heavy Whipping Cream ¼ cup Panko Bread Crumbs 2 Tbs. fresh minced Parsley ½ cup Sherry ½ cup of Clam juice Step 1. Leave the butter out to soften, do not melt. Take the leeks and cut them a ¼ inch above where the stalk turns green. Mince the leeks very fine. Using 2 Tbs. of the butter, sauté the leeks with the white pepper, add in whipping cream; and let simmer for a couple of minutes until sauté sauce is consistent. Take leeks off of the heat and fold in bread crumbs and let cool. Then, fold into softened butter and refrigerate overnight.

This makes more butter then needed but can be reused.

Step 2. Place mussels in a sauté pan with 2 oz. of the refrigerated butter mix, sherry, and clam juice. Place the pan on high heat.

The butter, which being refrigerated is a solid; the sherry and clam juice will start to steam and slowly melt the butter. By the time most of the liquids have evaporated, then the butter will be hot enough to sauté. Turn heat down to simmer. Constantly shuffle the sauce around the pan until all the mussels have opened, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MAY/JUNE 2018

Scotland’s National Piping Center

pipes were recognizable as Great Highland Bagpipes is open to question. A poem written in 1598 references several types of pipe, one of those being far more likely the precursor of today’s instrument.

If you truly want to learn about this national instrument of Scotland, the National Piping Centre in Glasgow is the place to go. Located on Cowcaddens Road in a former church, the center was opened in 1998 by its Patron, HRH Prince Charles, following extensive renovation.

Among numerous historic instruments to be found inside the museum,

many dating back some 300 years, is the oldest surviving chanter of the Highland bagpipe to be found anywhere. Included as well, pipes from the Lowlands and other parts of the UK; some items also having come from mainland Europe.

As part of one’s visit to the National Piping Center, displays on making a bagpipe and how music for the pipes is printed. Included as well, a film covering the history of the bagpipe. If that’s not quite enough for your visit, consider affording yourself the opportunity to try playing the bagpipe. A good set of lungs

will be necessary and a degree of dexterity to play a selection.

Hours at the museum: Monday-Thursday, 9am-7pm; Friday, 9am-5 pm; Saturday, 9am-noon. www.thepipingcentre.co.uk Lois Wallace is the owner of Authentic Celtic Travels, based in Phoenix, AZ. Her business focus is on all Celtic nations.

She has extensive knowledge of Scotland. Bob Wallace is a Council member and past president of Clan Wallace Society, and is Chief Research Assistant to their travel agency.

Little-known Scottish musician who has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

William Primrose

BY IAIN LUNDY

Y HEAR

MORE

ou don’t need to look far to find musical connections between Scotland and the United States. Much of the blues, jazz, bluegrass and Americana genres developed from the old folk songs and tunes introduced by early Scottish settlers.

The fiddle tunes and the folk music style that came across the Atlantic from Scotland helped shape what now passes as traditional American music. The great Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass, wrote a tune called ‘Scotland’ to mark the links between the two countries.

Many musical Scots, however, flew under the radar but made a huge impression in their own particular fields. One such is William Primrose, a man who is almost unheard of in his own country, was recognized as the greatest exponent of the viola in his time and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In his native Glasgow, where he was born in 1904 into a musical family, Primrose is largely unknown. In recent years a plaque was attached to the building where he was born, a tenement flat in the city’s Maryhill district.

It depicts a viola, a hand, and the

words, “One of the greatest musicians of all time, the viola player William Primrose, was born here 1904.”

Primrose moved to the USA permanently in 1937 and died at his home in Provo, Utah in 1982. He was first viola of the newly-formed NBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini, and gave radio performances with his own Primrose Quartet.

The great Yehudi Menuhin described him as the ‘first star of the viola’ and his obituary in the New York Times credited him as being ‘the greatest violist of his time.’ He even had a piece of work written for him by the classical composer Benjamin Britten.

Primrose’s impact on the development of the viola—an instrument larger than a violin and with a deeper sound—is difficult to overstate. The British musician Lionel Tetris was the first internationally famous violist; Primrose was the first viola superstar.

He was married three times, had a lifelong love of cricket and golf, learned how to fly a plane, became an authority on certain areas of American history, played chess to an extremely high level; and scaled heights of musicianship that few Scots have equaled.

Yet he remains unheralded in his native country. Perhaps the plaque on his old house

will do something to change that.

There are many other Scottish/ American musical connections. Elvis Presley only once stepped on British soil, at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire, while he was returning from U.S. National Service.

A track on Bob Dylan’s first LP is called Pretty Peggy-O, and is a Dylanized version of the traditional Scottish folk song, ‘The Bonnie Lass O’Fyvie.’

In the early 70s, a group of tartan-clad rockers were searching for a name and threw a dart at a map of the United States. It landed near Bay City, Michigan, and the band became the Bay City Rollers.

Many rock bands employed Scottish musicians and vocalists. They included Cream, the Alan Parsons Project, Manfred Mann, Supertramp, Jethro Tull, and Wings.

The truth is there are very few areas of American music which do not have a Scottish influence of some sort.

Iain Lundy grew up in Ayrshire, Scotland, and has worked as a journalist since the 1970s.

He and his wife moved from Scotland to Arizona in March. His paternal grandfather came from Downpatrick, County Down, and moved to the west of Scotland as a young man.

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SCOTS

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othing musical says Scotland quite the way the Great Highland Bagpipe says “Scotland.” The country and the instrument are inseparable.

It’s not like there aren’t other musical instruments to be found all across the landscape, but the Great Highland Bagpipe for many of us takes top honors as Scotland’s national instrument.

From nearly every street corner in the cities, particularly those with their summer increase of tourists, to the most remote locations. We’ve seen the lone piper high atop Rannoch Moor, playing for those who take a moment to stop at the layby before descending to Glencoe far below. While locals may pay the briefest of attention to pipers, probably depending on the selection being played as they pass by, tourists in many instances are mesmerized by players, whether playing a lament or one of the brighter tempo tunes.

From a historic perspective, pipes are claimed to have been used as early as at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, although that idea is disputed by some historians. Certainly, pipes are more likely by 1396 where they are mentioned being used in the Battle of the North Inch, there referenced as “warpipes.” Whether those

COURTESY OF THE PIPING CENTRE

BY BOB AND LOIS WALLACE

17

TRAVEL

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MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

DRIVING TIPS FROM LEFT LANE MAUREEN

PART 23:

Motoring through County Westmeath Belvedere House from the rear to Lough Ennel

DINING ROOM PHOTO BY WOLFGANG GLOCK

Athlone

BY MAUREEN SULLIVAN CTC We selected Westmeath this edition to honor Emmet Cahill who is from Mullingar. See his interview on page 11.

T

he county of Westmeath, a bit to the north and west of Dublin, is in the province of Leinster. It has become a very popular area to live for those working in Dublin.

The eastern part of the county is home to many of the commuters who work in the technology parks on the western side of Dublin. The excellent train and roadway connections make it an easy commute. The M4 motorway connects Dublin to Westmeath. At the county line it becomes N4 and it goes through the middle of the county.

For those traveling to Mullingar, the main town in Westmeath, the N4 is the direct route. The M6 branches off and takes you through the towns of Kilbeggan, Moate and several others, ending your journey in Athlone. There are many “L” roads, which are small local roads. These local roads take the visitor to the back roads of Westmeath.

Our clients who visit Westmeath, particularly the area around Athlone,

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enjoy the River Shannon which flows through the county. There are fleets of cruise companies which enable visitors to enjoy driving their own craft or being crewed by a captain and small crew.

Dinner as the sun goes down over the river has been one of the many delights for visitors. Cruises on the river are very popular family activities.

Lough Ree, located north of Athlone is a lake in the Midlands. It is the second of three major lakes on the River Shannon. The lake and river have provided restful fishing spots for some of our visitors.

Athlone is an important commercial area and a junction of road, river, and rail traffic. Two of the lovely landmarks, Athlone Castle and the Saint Peter and Paul Church overlook the bridge and provide a fantastic view of the town.

Athlone Castle of Norman origins was built in 1210. Athlone also has a delightful crystal factory. It is home to “Sean’s Pub,” reputed to be the oldest pub is Ireland.

The plains of Westmeath are home to a multitude of stud farms. Westmeath mares are usually put into foal in spring to stimulate summer growth. What a restful, sweet sight to see these lovely creatures in the spring time!

For those who enjoy the delights of whiskey production and consumption, Kilbeggan Distillery, located on the River Brosna in Kilbeggan, is a small pot still distillery, with a license dating back to 1757. Kilbeggan is said to be one of the oldest distillers of its kind. It has daily tours and tastings.

Two lovely sites in Westmeath are Tullynally Castle and Fore Abbey, not far from Mullingar. Tullynally castle is one of Ireland’s largest 17th century castles. The Pakenham family has lived at the castle since 1655. The great hall and 8,000volume library are worth a visit, as are the beautiful gardens and Victorian terraces.

The ruins of Fore Abbey, a Benedictine ruin dating to around 1200, actually was preceded by a monastery begun by Saint Fechin in 630.

Enjoy the lovely highways and byways of Westmeath!

The road less traveled, isn’t always a road!

Maureen and John (“Jack”) are the owners of Sullivan’s Travels, Inc. Maureen has been a travel professional for 25 years, moving their business to Phoenix four years ago. www.sullivanstravels.com

Christ the King Cathedral, Mullingar

Ballymore

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THE DESERT SHAMROCK MAY/JUNE 2018 Mother is Mary Patricia Doyle of the Doyle clan from County Galway, Ireland

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DIRECTORIES

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME! IRISH CULTURAL CENTER & McCLELLAND LIBRARY

GRAND CANYON CELTIC ARTS ACADEMY

Our mission is to provide a link between the people of Arizona and the people of Ireland and other Celtic cultures. The Irish Cultural Center serves as a central meeting place for cultural groups, affiliate groups and people looking to celebrate their Irish/Celtic heritage. The McClelland Library is a three-story building resembling a traditional 12th century Norman castle from the Emerald Isle. The Library houses 8,000 books from Irish authors, poets, and genealogical sources, a permanent exhibit on The Book of Kells, several reading rooms, and computer access to various disciplines of Irish and Celtic studies including genealogy. Their current exhibition is on the Historical Context and Cultural Legacy of the 1916 Easter Rising. The mission of The Academy of Irish & Celtic Studies is to spread the knowledge and wisdom of the Celtic nations through music, dance, art, literature and language. We do this by providing many musical and Arts programs, open to young and old alike. The Center is also available for private rentals, being a beautiful venue for all occasions! www.azirish.org, 602-258-0109

Dates: July 16-20, 2018 at Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy. It offers classes for Youth and Adults in: fiddle, whistle, dance, guitar, and more! Scholarships Available through Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society. Contact: Kari@GrandCanyonCelticArts.org, 928-600-1365. www. grandcanyoncelticarts.org

IRISH FOUNDATION OF ARIZONA Formed in the 1970s to bring together people of Irish heritage in Arizona, the group sponsors social events throughout the year. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm at the ICC. Contact: Anna O’Hara, President, 480-345-9517

IRISH NETWORK ARIZONA (INAZ) Irish Network Arizona is part of IrishNetwork USA organization.

Members connect with their peers and develop relationships that foster success in their business, cultural, and social interests. Come to a monthly breakfast or event to explore membership benefits. Facebook.com/IrishNetworkArizona; IrishNetworkArizona.com

ARIZONA COLLEEN PROGRAMS

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The Arizona Colleen and Rose of Tralee Selection, Arizona Irish Lass and Little Miss Shamrock programs select young ladies of Irish descent to participate as spokespersons at area events. Prize packages for each competition. The Colleen wins a trip to Ireland and $1,000 scholarship. For details, visit www.azcolleen.org or contact Ciara Archer, Chair, 480-358-7504, info@azcolleen.org.

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JIM THOMSON U.S. SCHOOL OF PIPING & DRUMMING 25%

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This bagpipe and drum school is dedicated to excellence in bagpiping as well as camaraderie and fun. All levels of students are welcome! Instructors are brought from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the U.S. Contact: Eric Poleski, Administrator, ericpoleski@cox.net, 702-270-8974 home, 702340-8859 cell, 928-556-3161, www.nachs.info

ARIZONA LAW ENFORCEMENT EMERALD SOCIETY (ALEES) ALEES was incorporated in 2004 to promote and celebrate accomplishments of Irish-Americans in law enforcement. Its members, families and friends support ALEES Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) created in 2012 to provide financial assistance to the families of injured and fallen brothers and sisters in Arizona law enforcement. If interested in becoming a member or volunteering, contact us at azemeraldsociety.org.

LAS VEGAS CELTIC GATHERING & HIGHLAND GAMES LAS VEGAS CELTIC SOCIETY One weekend each April the non-profit Las Vegas Celtic Society throws the Las Vegas Highland Games, a massive festival for the community featuring Celtic music, dancing, food, retail vendors and athletics. Enjoy live Celtic music all weekend, Scottish heavy Athletic events, as well as sanctioned Highland Dance and Bagpipe & Drum Competitions. Go to LasVegasCelticSociety.org for more information.

THE CALEDONIAN SOCIETY OF ARIZONA Our mission is to promote Scottish culture through art, education, and athletics. Each year we grant scholarships to aspiring and professional Highland athletes, musicians, dancers and/or any other individuals or organizations whose mission, project or program promotes Scottish heritage. We meet the 2nd Thursday of each month for drinks, entertainment and Scottish fun! Everyone welcome!

ArizonaScots.com.

LOS SAN PATRICIOS DE ARIZONA (ST. PATRICK’S BATTALION) The organization honors the 150-year-old bond of friendship existing today between Mexico and Ireland. Los San Patricios de Arizona was founded by Wm. “Bill” Howard O'Brien; Hector Corona, El Teniente; and Ernie Patino, El Teniente. For information, please call 480-951-1152 or email whoco@cox.net.

THE CELTIC ACADEMY OF TUCSON Dedicated to promoting Irish dance and culture in Arizona, the board of directors are Betsy Lopez, Catherine Harris, and Beth Solinsky. They provide information on classes at the Maguire Academy of Irish Dance and on various Celtic gatherings. They sponsor Feile Rince Tucson, an annual Irish dance festival now in its 32nd year. www.tucsonfeis.com

NORTHERN ARIZONA CELTIC HERITAGE SOCIETY The nonprofit organization is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving Celtic culture. Each year we host the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival (July 21-22, 2018), the Jim Thomson U.S. School of Piping & Drumming, and the Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy. Contact Jude McKenzie, information@nachs.info, 928-556-3161, www.nachs.info.

DAUGHTERS OF SCOTIA DESERT THISTLE LODGE #260 Formed in 2005 to promote Scottish heritage. Ladies of ancestry, married to a Scot or born in Scotland may join.

We hold monthly meetings, tea socials, a teahouse at the AZ Highland Games and attend Scottish events. We support Highland dance competition and other charities. Contact: Tammy Gonzales at dos260recsec@gmail.com, 623-707-5032.

PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE & FAIRE COMMITTEE Formed in 1983, the Committee has the responsibility for organizing the annual Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Faire that follows, which are held on Saturday (the closest before or falling on March 17); and the Arizona Colleen Programs throughout the year. It is entirely volunteers and meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 pm at the ICC. Contact: Harry Sexton, President, 602-863-9198.

FRIENDS OF SAINT PATRICK CENTRE – AZ CHAPTER The nonprofit organization was formed in 2011 to promote positive relationships between Arizona and Northern Ireland.

Through education, cultural exchanges and charitable events, the Chapter nurtures St. Patrick’s legacy. Meetings held quarterly at the ICC. Contact: Kelsey.Kelleher@ AZIrishLibrary.org, 602-301-1083.

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Heritage - History - Culture

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MAY/JUNE 2018

CLAN MACCALLUM-MALCOLM SOCIETY, N.A.

It is one of the largest parades in Arizona! Celebrate being Irish with the entire Valley. Coming up Saturday, March 17, 2018, 10am; route is Third Street south from Sheridan to Moreland, FREE. Contact: John Corcoran, Chair, 623-9391183, www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org.

Arizona Convenor: Ashleen O’Gaea Ashleen@Comcast.net w/MacCallum in subject line www.Clan-MacCallum-Malcolm.org

CELTIC SISTER CITIES

PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY FAIRE

CHANDLER-TULLAMORE, IRELAND SISTER CITIES

Fun for the entire family, it showcases Irish music, step dancing, Irish and Celtic arts and crafts, plus traditional Irish foods and beverages. Coming up Saturday, March 17, 2018, 10am-5pm at the Irish Cultural Center and Margaret Hance Park grounds. Contact: Mary Moriarty, Chair, 602258-0109, www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org.

Ellen Harrington, Chair, P.O. Box 1474​, Chandler, AZ 85244-1474, 480-600-8509, chan.to.tull@gmail.com, www.chandlerirish.org

PHOENIX-ENNIS, IRELAND SISTER CITIES

RIORDAN MANSION STATE HISTORIC PARK Built in 1904 for two Irish brothers, Riordan Mansion is an architectural treasure offering a glimpse into the lives of Flagstaff’s early Irish settlers. The “fairy ring” seen on the outdoor self-guided tour hints at the Irish tradition of providing fairies an outdoor dancing space, preventing mischief inside.

For admission rates and hours call 928-779-4395.

SCOTTISH-AMERICAN MILITARY SOCIETY (SAMS), FLAGSTAFF Chartered on April 21, 1981 in North Carolina, membership is open to all Active Duty and Veterans of the USA and the British Commonwealth who are of Scot or Scot-Irish lineage.

For more information, contact SAMS Flagstaff Post 2000, George G. Shoemaker, 928-607-1600, gduffer@suddenlink.net.

TUCSON ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE AND FESTIVAL

Mary Hill-Connor, Committee Chairperson 602-635-9760, mary.hillconnor@gmail.com www.phoenixsistercities.org

TUCSON-ROSCOMMON, IRELAND SISTER CITIES Colleen Kelly Beaman, Chair 520-743-7979, Ckbeaman@hotmail.com 1670 N Country Club, Tucson, AZ 85716; and Facebook

CELTIC DANCE SCHOOLS

BRACKEN SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE Classes in Chandler, 480-699-2455, www. brackenirishdance.com Thomas Bracken, ADCRG. | Kieran Noe, TCRG thomas.bracken@brackenirishdance.com, Kieran.Noe@Brackenirishdance.com

Celebrating our 31st year on March 18, 2017! The parade starts at 11am and winds through downtown Tucson ending up with a great festival at Armory Park from 10am until 6pm. Serving Guinness and Harp! Great food, Irish music and dance, a Kids’ Corner, face painting and much more!

Established 1987. www.tucsonstpatricksday.com

MAGUIRE ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCE

WELSH LEAGUE OF ARIZONA

Kari Maschino, 480-242-7760, Kari@maschinodance.com Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria www.maschinodance.com

Classes in Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, and Houston Info@maguireacademy.com (520) 319-0204. Darren Maguire, TCRG, ADCRG www.maguireacademy.com

MASCHINO SCHOOL OF HIGHLAND DANCE

Our mission is to promote Welsh language and culture with performing arts and literary events, classes, and participating in Celtic festivals and other community events.

We endeavor to enhance relations between the U.S. and Wales by being a point of contact for visitors, businesses, and expatriates. We warmly welcome travelers, offering assistance and networking.

Contact: Mary Gilchrist marygilchristmg@gmail.com. www.welshleagueofarizona.org

Januar Mar-A Aug-S y – Febru ept pr 2018 2017 ary ~2015 Arizon ~ Arizon a’s Origin a’s Origin al Irish al Newsp Irish Newsp aper ~aper Vol. ~ 28, 29, Vol. No. 26, 4 2

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MPGirishdance@yahoo.com Michael Patrick, TCRG, ADCRG, Ann Paitel, TCRG www.mpgirishdance.com

Serving the Celtic Community 2320 E. Baseline Rd., #148-300 Phoenix, AZ 85042 • (602) 568-3455 Visit www.DesertShamrock.com • E-mail: info@desertshamrock.com Owner & Editor in Chief • Ann Niemann Publisher • Niemann Publishing, Inc. Art Direction, Design & Layout • Erin Loukili, Jaclyn Threadgill Masthead Design • Elaine’s Design Emporium

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DIRECTORIES

CLANS

PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

Celebrate with the Celtic Community All Year.

21

MAY/JUNE 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

MAY-JUNE 2018

[All events are in Arizona USA unless otherwise noted] PHOTO BY MICHAEL BAXTER

CALENDAR

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THE MCCLELLAND LIBRARY 2017/18 LECTURE AND EXHIBITION SERIES

Peace and Reconciliation: The 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement Friday, Apr 27 • 6:30pm “The Impact of the Good Friday Agreement on Contemporary Ireland” by Robert O’Driscoll, Consul General of Ireland to the Western U.S. Special Series Concluding Event in Great Hall Cost: FREE (donation requested) www.azirish.org/library-lecture-series

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

IRISH CULTURAL CENTER (ICC)/ MCCLELLAND LIBRARY PUBLIC WALK-IN HOURS (TOURS, LIBRARY & GENEALOGY) Tuesday-Saturday • 10am–3pm Closed all major holidays

Summer Hours Memorial Day to July 31

Wednesday & Thursday • 10am–3pm August 1 to Labor Day CLOSED Frances McClelland Genealogy Centre available these hours; Open Other Hours for Scheduled Classes, Meetings & Events 1106 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix 85004 602-258-0109, www.azirish.org

See ad on page 7

EXHIBIT: FROM PROTEST TO PEACE

NOW through May 26 As part of the 20-year commemoration of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, showcasing Georgia Southern University’s traveling exhibition, “From Protest to Peace: Murals by the Bogside Artists of Northern Ireland.”

Admission: $10 adults; $8 seniors/students; $5 children (12 yrs. and under) and ICC & McClelland Library Members www.azirish.org/from-protest-to-peace

THIRD FRIDAY CEILI Saturdays, May 18, June 15 • 7pm Family oriented Irish social dances. Taught by Jim & Anne Daugherty with live music in the Great Hall! Cash bar Admission: $6 each; one child under 12 free with each paid adult www.azirish.org/iclf-programs/ceili-dancing

Saturday, April 28 • 10:30am–12:30pm Truth Commissioner (novel, 2007) by David Park Led by Dr. Joyce East, a retired professor of Irish Studies, and Mary Wilber, a retired librarian and former member of the Scottsdale Library Board. The group seeks to engage members of our community with the tradition and excellence of all forms of Irish Literature.

Admission: FREE (donations requested) McClelland Library, Norton Room www.azirish.org/iclf-programs/book-discussions

Saturday, April 28 • 6pm Join us for a family-friendly showing of “The Book of Kells” in ICC Great Hall.

Admission: FREE (donations requested) www.azirish.org/family-film-series

FAMILY STORY HOUR

Saturdays, May 5 • 10:30am–Noon Filled with stories, discussions, and crafts. Introduces parents and children to Irish authors, stories and traditions in a fun and interactive fashion.

Irish Cultural Center - in Castle Keep; FREE www.azirish.org/iclf-programs/story-time

Saturday, June 16 www.azirish.org/bloomsday

45TH ANNUAL SAN DIEGO SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES

June 23 and 24 The Best of Scotland in Sunny California www.sdhighlandgames.org

See ad on BACK

ROSE OF TRALEE INT’L FESTIVAL

August 17-23 Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland Support our 2018 Arizona Rose Kelsey Kelleher! www.roseoftralee.ie

14TH ANNUAL PRESCOTT HIGHLAND GAMES AND CELTIC FAIRE September 15 and 16 Watson Lake Park, Prescott, AZ Presented by the Prescott Area Celtic Society www.prescotthighlandgames.com

See ad page 3

Megan Hannah Williams

CHANDLER-TULLAMORE SISTER CITIES FUNDRAISER

IRISH NETWORK ARIZONA [FLUSH LEFT]

Saturday, May 16 • 7pm Mesa Arts Center

Tuesday, May 22 Fibber Magee’s, Chandler

See ad page 6

CELTIC WOMAN IN CONCERT

ON THE DRUIDS: LECTURE SERIES

Saturday, May 26 • 1:30–3:00pm Lecture #8: Modern Druidism McClelland Library Norton Room Admission: ICC Members $15; Non-Members $18 Register: www.azirish.org/project/on-the-druids

IRISH ARTS SUMMER CAMP

May 29 - June 1 Campers ages 8-12 will learn about Irish Theatre, Music, Art, and Dance to create a performance of “The Punny Tail of Finn McCool and the Salmon of Knowledge” Admission: $175 (before May 8). Pre and post-camp care available!

Register NOW at: www.azirish.org/education-and-classes/iasc

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BLOOMSDAY AT ICC

FAMILY FILM SERIES

Spring Semester Classes March 26 - May 31 Register online at www.azirish.org IRISH MUSIC IRISH LANGUAGE IRISH AND SCOTTISH DANCE Info: www.azirish.org/education-and-classes/academy-classes

See ad page 19

Sunday, June 10 • 11am–2:30pm Includes a free brunch, cash bar, guest speaker, door prizes, a raffle drawing, an Irish music seisiún and more!

Ages 21-39 only; photo ID required at the door. Dress code: Business Casual Admission: FREE; ICC Great Hall RSVP online via Facebook

Saturday, April 28 • 1:30–3:00pm Lecture #7: The Battle of Clontarf McClelland Library Norton Room Admission: ICC Members $15; Non-Members $18 Register: www.azirish.org/project/on-thedruids

Saturday, May 19 • 1:30pm–3pm Learn history and how to make a perfect pot of tea!

ICC Cottage - Advance Reservations Only Members: $22.50, Non-Members $25 per person Register: www.azirish.org/project/irish-tea-ceremony

Breakfast & Speaker Second Fridays, May 11, June 8 • 7am-8:30am ICC Great Hall Members and First-Time Guests FREE Returning guests $10 RSVP for headcount: info@irishnetworkarizona.com

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS’ NETWORKING BRUNCH

ON THE DRUIDS: LECTURE SERIES

“IRISH CELEBRATION OF TEA”

THE ACADEMY OF IRISH AND CELTIC STUDIES

SAVE THE DATE:

In 2016, Megan, at age 10, won the National American Miss Arizona talent division. She then went to California for the National title and competed against contestants from all over the U.S. including Puerto Rico and Hawaii, winning the national talent title for National American Miss in her age division 7-10 year olds.

Megan wanted to choose a song that had an Irish connection. She played Disney’s “When You Wish Upon a Star” on the harp since Walt Disney’s greatgrandparents emigrated from County Kilkenny.

Selected as a 2018 Little Miss Shamrock, read more about her on page 9.

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THE DESERT SHAMROCK MAY/JUNE 2018

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OUT & ABOUT

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2018 Arizona Colleen & Rose 1. Irish-born supporters of Emilia Nallen - some fresh off the boat (actually plane)

OOT & ABOOT

2. Roses in the House (left to rt): 2014 Sarah Hines, 2015 Mallory Melton currently residing in Dublin, 2016 Ciara Archer, 2016 So. California Clara Murphy, 2017 Lauren Koll, 2018 Kelsey Kelleher, and 2017 Texas Rose Lydian Lawler Lopez

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3. Suzanne Demski whose shop is where Kelsey chose her evening gown

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4. ROTC Heather McGraw with parents Master Sargent Doug and Sue McGraw

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Phoenix Scottish Highland Games 1. Scottish Highland Dance Judges

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2

3

1. 2018 Phx Grand Marshal Craig Fouhy from ABC TV-15 2. Arizona Cardinals’ “Big Red” getting his green on in Phx St. Patrick’s Day Parade 3. Lovely Ann Hines in character at the AZ Renaissance Festival

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