Desert Shamrock EXPANDED July-Aug 2016 by The Desert Shamrock

January July-August – February 20162015 ~ Arizona’s ~ Arizona’s Original Original IrishIrish Newspaper Newspaper ~ Vol. ~ Vol. 27, No. 26,4No. 1

SPECIAL EDITION

North American Roses ARIZONA

TV Host Dáithí Ó Sé and Elysha Brennan, 2015 International Rose of Tralee

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THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

he Rose of Tralee International Festival is one of Ireland’s largest and longest running festivals, celebrating 57 years in 2016. The heart of the festival is the selection of the Rose of Tralee which brings young women of Irish descent from around the world to County Kerry, Ireland for a global celebration of Irish culture. The festival also includes street entertainment, carnival, live concerts, theatre, circus, markets, funfair, fireworks, and Rose Parades. Each of the North American Roses featured in this edition were asked to provide The Desert Shamrock with a 275-word bio along with a collage of photos that depicts her personality, interests, and accomplishments. Again this year, all of the Roses represent articulate, personable, talented young women among the Global Irish. They are amazing! Hard to describe, it’s a “must” to experience. Watch the short video (scan QR in photo at left) for highlights!

Enjoy life and blessings, and a good read!

Ann Niemann, Editor in Chief and Publisher IRELAND’S

SKELLIG M ICHAEBY COVER IS PHOTO L LAND DOMNICK WALSH/ EYE FOCUS LTD Tralee, Ireland

Janua Julyry Augu – Febr st uary 20162015 ~ Arizo ~ Arizo na’sna’s Origi Origi nal Irish nal Irish News News pape pape r ~ Vol. r ~ Vol. 27, No. 26,4No. 1

SPECIAL EDI

TION North Am er

ican Roses

ARIZO NA

CENT ER

TV Host Dáith Elysha Brenn í Ó Sé and Internationa an, 2015 l Rose of Tralee

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Celebrate with the Celtic Community All Year.

Januar MAyy – Febru June 2016 ary 2015 ~ Arizon ~ Arizon a’s Origin a’s Origin al Irish al Irish Newsp Newsp aperaper ~ Vol.~27, Vol. No. 26, 3 No. 1

ARIZONA’S ORIGINAL IRISH NEWSPAPER

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Contributing Columnists Janice Bryson • J Carro • Sharonah Fredrick Katie Caufield Ginder • Brian Hanrahan • Ellen Harrington Carmelita Lee • Iain Lundy • Lynn Herdman Mascarelli Maureen & Jack Sullivan • Eric McBride Chris Stevenson Kristie Stevenson • Marshall Trimble • Bob Wallace Lois Wallace • Liz Warren • Jan Whalen • Caroline Woodiel

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

2016 North American Roses

We’re on the lookout for the one million of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh descent. The more successful the campaign, the more philanthropic we can be to support Arizona’s Celtic nonprofits, going national and international. Hey, we could even help restore a castle!

Show your support! Don’t miss being in The Count!

We’ve set a goal of $25,000. Open to Arizonans and friends worldwide. Not leaving anyone out!

$1 Count Me In

Register as “I’m 1 in a Million!” We’re counting on our website’s homepage! Once you select this perk, you can increase your contribution to include each person in your family at $1 each. So, a family of five would be $5. Receive a beautifully designed Certificate.

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PHOTO: IRISH CULTURAL CENTER, PHOENIX, AZ; CREDIT: BOB RINK

Online eMagazine editions at www.issuu.com/desertshamrock “Like” us at www.facebook.com/desertshamrock READ MORE expanded articles at www.desertshamrock.com

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

TABLE OF

CONTENTS July/August 2016 ~ Arizona’s Original Irish Newspaper

ARTS

FEATURES Rose winner 2015 Elysha Brennan from County Meath

7 Book Review: The Extraordinary Life of Bill O’Brien, An Ordinary Arizona Irish Cowboy 8 The Castle in the Desert, McClelland Library 16 Celtic Artisan: Timothy H. Murphy, Photographer 27 The Linen Line 39 Arizona Piping Part 2: A Little Pipe Music

BUSINESS 18 Irish Network Phx: Mary Hill-Connor 38 BagReady Jobs/ Open Letter to Mayors

CULTURE

10 Mythical Women…From Niamh Chinn Oir to

North American Roses vie for Int’l. Title

Feature runs on pages 21-34. See also page 3.

Book Review by Brian Hanrahan

Morgan Le Fay

14 Celtic Caterer: Smoking Meats/ Recipe for Smoked Irish Beef Brisket 14 Keltic Kitchen: Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce 41 SCOTS: Shinty, Scotland’s Hurling Equivalent 42 Rainbow Story

EVENTS 3, 21 Rose of Tralee Int’l. Festival EVENTS 9 Irish Cultural Center & McClelland Library EVENTS 11 RUNA in concert 19 Captivating, women’s book study and DVD series 46 Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage EVENTS, Flagstaff 46 Arizona Rose Fundraiser to Ireland

HISTORY 6 Irish Tales from AZ Territory: Nellie Cashman 6 Arizona: Did you know?

SISTER CITIES 15 Chandler-Tullamore’s Grand Prize Essay Winner 35 Phoenix-Ennis Poetry Finalist 35 Tucson-Roscommon: Strokestown Park Famine Museum 36 Ennis, Ireland, Sister City of Phoenix, AZ

TRAVEL 2 Tourism Ireland 12 Left Lane Maureen, Part 15: Run your wife into the bushes

13 Despatch from Dublinia, Dublin’s Viking Museum 24-25 Epic Ireland, Dublin museum dedicated to Irish Diaspora 37 Cliffs of Moher 40 Reflections on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile 41 Scotland Bucket List: Trains

OUT & ABOUT 43 Photo Gallery (mini this edition)

DIRECTORIES 15 Celtic Pubs & Eateries 44-45 Organizations, Sister Cities, Dance, Clans

CALENDAR 46 Schedule of Events

NEXT ISSUE SNEAK PEEK

Camelback Golf Club, Scottsdale

Celtic Artisan

Timothy H. Murphy, Photographer

Tea

All About

Tea Rooms, etiquette, Celtic history, and more…you’ve always wanted to know how to brew the perfect cup!

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JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Irish Tales

from Arizona territory Nellie Cashman

ombstone, Arizona Territory’s legendary frontier city was the home, at least temporarily, of many Irishmen looking for the riches of silver in Apache country. Among the women adventurous enough to settle in Tombstone was Ellen “Nellie” Cashman. Born around 1845 in County Cork, she traveled with her widowed The United States Post Office issued a set of stamps in 1994 that honored The Legends of the West – Nellie was one of 16 individuals to be honored with her own stamp.

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BY JANICE RYAN BRYSON

mother and sister to Boston in 1850. Nellie and her sister Fannie followed advice to “go west” in 1869 and traveled to San Francisco. Nellie soon headed to work in Nevada; saving enough to open a boarding house there. Always seeking new adventures, Nellie joined a group of miners traveling to prospect in British Columbia. She became known as the Angel of the Cassiar for organizing a rescue caravan to take food and medicine to stranded miners. When the mines played out, Arizona was her next stop in 1879. She first settled in Tucson, opening the Delmonico Restaurant. Selling it, the boomtown of Tombstone was next. She opened a boot and shoe shop, the Russ House Restaurant, and later a boarding house. After the death of her sister Fannie Cunningham, Nellie raised her

five nieces and nephews. She made sure they were well cared for and received a good education. Nellie was active in every facet of life in Tombstone. She gained a reputation as an angel of mercy and became a prominent and influential citizen. Nellie was a devoted Catholic and convinced the owners of the Crystal Palace Saloon to allow Sunday church until she could raise enough funds to build a Catholic church. Led by Nellie, the citizens of Tombstone raised enough money to build an adobe building and The Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church was dedicated on January 1, 1881. A year later, Nellie headed an effort to construct a wooden building for the church with the adobe building serving as the rectory. She was also active in raising money for the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the Miner’s Hospital and amateur theatricals. Many of her fund raising efforts were on behalf of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Nellie was famous for taking up collections that helped those who were injured or on hard times, especially miners. She found members of Tombstone’s red-light district sympathetic and charitable to her causes and relied upon their generosity to help others in need. Nellie did not forget her Irish roots and on several occasions raised money for the Land League in Ireland at events such as a St. Patrick’s Day Ball. The tales of Nellie in Arizona Territory are too numerous to write of here. The Tombstone Epitaph noted in March 1881 after a land league fundraiser, “The thanks of an oppressed and kindred people are due to Miss Nellie Cashman, whose every heartbeat throbs in sympathy with suffering humanity the world over.” In November 1897, Nellie prepared to organize a company for gold mining in Alaska. She had been in Arizona Territory for twenty years and life had become too tame in Tombstone. Following many new adventures in Alaska, she died in British Columbia in January 1925. Nellie is a member of the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame. 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.

ARIZONA:

Did you know?

41. Wyatt Earp was neither the town marshal nor the sheriff in Tombstone at the time of the shoot-out at the O.K. Corral. His brother Virgil was the town marshal. 42. The city of Phoenix was named for the mythical Egyptian phoenix bird— which burst into flame and was reborn from its ashes— because the town sprouted from the ruins of a former civilization. 43. You could pile four 1,300foot skyscrapers on top of each other and they still would not reach the rim of the Grand Canyon. 44. Rainfall averages for Arizona range from less than three inches in the deserts to more than 30 inches per year in the mountains. Read more fun and fascinating facts about Arizona NEXT edition. PHOTO BY GARY M. JOHNSON

HISTORY

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.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

BY BRIAN HANRAHAN

The Extraordinary Life of Bill O’Brien: An Ordinary Arizona Irish Cowboy BY NIKOS LIGIDAKIS WITH JUSTIN O’BRIEN

op on the Bill O’Brien Express for a high-speed ride through action packed adventures from a life well lived. For biographer Nikos Ligidakis, Bill O’Brien, the “Ordinary Arizona Irish Cowboy,” counted among his accomplishments: Golden Gloves boxing champion, polo player, SCUBA diver, private pilot, bronc rider, wild horse tamer, jockey, sailor, yachtsman, alligator roper, tennis player, golfer, dog breeder, and pigeon raiser. If that wasn’t enough, O’Brien was also a consummate practical joker, conservationist, storyteller, poet, and community activist. U.S. Navy Lieutenant Bill O’Brien served admirably in World War II as commander of a Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) ferrying U.S. Marines from Navy ships onto the deadly shores of Iwo Jima. O’ Brien would later use the GI Bill to finish his education at the University of Arizona. William Howard O’Brien was born in Hollywood, California on February 25, 1923, the third child of James and Irene Murray O’Brien. Early on Bill was taught that education would carry him far in life, a lesson O’Brien never forgot. The Roaring Twenties, the decade was called, a time when Americans sought to celebrate and put the pain of World War I behind them. But not for long, as the

Bill and Justin O’Brien with Editor Ann Niemann, 2014, Paradise Valley, AZ

Great Depression of 1929 cast an ominous shadow. For Bill O’Brien, in what would become a lifelong pattern, tough times meant opportunity. The O’Brien’s Brentwood, California existence found them living close by Hollywood movie stars. Bill O’Brien thought nothing of showing up at neighborhood swim parties where the likes of Johnny Weissmuller (competition swimmer best known as the actor playing “Tarzan”) might be in attendance Hollywood’s cowboy movies were popular, so O’Brien and some pals formed a California version of the Texas Rangers. A chance meeting with cowboy humorist Will Rogers found Bill learning how to rope calves at Roger’s ranch home. The seed of cowboy life was sown in Bill O’Brien. O’Brien’s first trip to Phoenix was with his sister Jane, a burgeoning movie star in several films. They planned to buy a car for their mother from a car dealer friend. Staying at the Westward Ho, Jane met her future husband, Justin Dart. Bill liked what he saw in the Arizona desert— wide open spaces and opportunity. Later, Jane and her husband invited Bill for dinner to meet friends, Stephen and Priscilla Paine, and their daughter Sarah, who liked to be called Sada. After a whirlwind courtship, Bill and Sada were married.

Flying his own plane, speculator Bill O’Brien could spot under-valued land in distant Arizona landscapes, buy acreage, and sell it for a huge profit. Harquahala Valley land proved to be a great buy for O’Brien. The O’Brien’s, including son Justin and daughter Wendy, lived in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on the north slope of Camelback Mountain. Concerned that developers would build up to Camelback’s peak, Bill O’Brien and associates bought thirty-six aces of the mountainside land. Civic-minded Bill O’Brien was instrumental in founding the Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix, and Los San Patricios de Arizona, which commemorates the bond between the Irish and Mexican people. And there’s a whole lot more…If you’re a biography fan, this one’s for you. Available at www.inkwellproductions. com/product/bill-obrien The interviews completed for this book, his son, Justin, shares that our own Arizona Irish Cowboy, Bill O’Brien, died peacefully at home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the foot of his beloved Camelback Mountain, listening to family and friends regale him with his own stories and adventures they shared together. And, if you’re wondering, yes, as he always wanted…Bill O’Brien died with his cowboy boots on.

I once took the Catalina Express from San Pedro to Avalon on Catalina Island. It’s a twentynine mile journey on a boat that had about thirty people aboard. As seaworthy as the Express is, I had to load up on Dramamine to ward off seasickness. As a teenager, Bill O’Brien paddled his eight-foot, flat bottom boat some 35 miles out of Santa Monica toward Catalina Island before the Coast Guard halted his free-spirited cruise. I’s hard to imagine the amount of spunk, strength and guile that it must have taken to pull that off. -BH

Serving as ballast on a cofﬁn ship, Brian’s great-great grandfather, Seán Ó hAnnrachain, was among those who disembarked at “America’s” fourth major port, Montreal. After two years in frigid Canada, he found his way to Wisconsin, where winter’s snows weren’t quite as deep. Joining other Irish farmers, he homesteaded in a township that remains ﬂush with Irish surnames 152 years later.

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ARTS

Book Review

ARTS

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Castle Desert The

PHOTO BY CAROL KUNA

in the

BY CAROLINE WOODIEL

very day 1.5 million people go about their business in Phoenix. Unbeknownst to many, in the heart of downtown sits a replica 12th century Norman castle nestled next to a 19th century Irish cottage along busy Central Avenue. The Castle is dotted with blue Irish limestone, brought in from Co. Galway with a hand-carved arch and thick stone facade. Inside lies a unique library, funded totally by the private sector, and yet open to the public. Deep cushioned chairs entice visitors to grab a volume, sit down, and let

Ireland envelope them. The castle is home to the McClelland Library, the only library of its kind in the Western United States. The McClelland Library is dedicated to preserving, educating, and introducing Arizonans to Irish literature, history, language, and culture. Its shelves contain rare volumes, famous histories, treasured stories, and award winning poets. Its collections have been developed to help visitors find their individual Irish lineage, their family’s place in history, an answer to a question they have always been curious about, and a world of writing they

never knew existed. The traveling exhibits transport visitors to a different time, most recently 1916, and there is never a day the Genealogy Centre sits dormant. Even more intriguing than an Irish library hidden deep in the desert, is the story of the family who made it all possible. The early 20th century was a bustling time in Arizona. The territory was unifying and banding together to meet the requirements for statehood. During that period, William T. McClelland and his new wife moved from County Down, Ireland to the Arizona Territory.

With a Model T car and 20 head of cows, the McClellands built a dairy named, of course, Shamrock Dairy. As their family grew, so did their dairy. Their son Norman took the family business and expanded it into Phoenix. He centered operations around a new processing plant which allowed the company to grow. Today, the early 20th century Shamrock Dairy is now Shamrock Foods, the largest food distributor in the Western United States. It was one family’s success story that led to the building of the Castle in the Desert, completed in late 2012. Chas Moore, Library Director at the McClelland Library explained “Norman’s life work demonstrates an underlying conviction that being successful carries with it an obligation to give back to the community. The Library bearing his family name was inspired by Norman’s passion for Irish culture, literature, and family history and his desire to share his enthusiasm with a wider community in Arizona.” Caroline Woodiel is a Librarian at the McClelland Library in Phoenix, AZ. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Colorado and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona. Caroline is of both Irish and Scottish descent and thankful said ancestors set her up for discovering life in a much warmer climate.

Justin O’Brien, Kevin Byrne (Vice Consul, San Francisco), Paul Ahern (Architect), Ireland’s Minister Michael Ring (Tourism and Sport), Chas Moore (Library Director), Bill O’Brien (recently passed), John Keating, and Norman McClelland WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

Admission to the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library is free except for special events. Fees for complex-wide guided tours and 1916 Easter Rising Exhibit:

Adults, General Public – $5 tour, $10 exhibit • Seniors & Students – $3 tour, $8 exhibit Children 6-17 – $3 tour, $5 exhibit • Members – $3 tour, $5 exhibit

Annual Membership Levels: $30 Senior (age 62 and up) & Student • $40 Friend

$75 Family (For parent(s) and all minor children) • $150 Shamrock • $500 Tara • $1000 Emerald

Special policies and fees may apply to ticketed and special admission exhibitions. General and ticketed exhibition benefits can be used once per day per member household. All membership funds are shared between The Irish Cultural Center & McClelland Library. Annual membership begins on the day of registration

See details at azirishlibrary.org/membership

CULTURE

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Mythical Women as Gatekeepers to Other Worlds

From Niamh Chinn Oir to Morgan Le Fay SHARONAH FREDRICK, PHD AND ANGELA LOEWENHAGEN, PHD STUDENT

, Invoking the Ossian on the Bank of the Lora François by p Har a of ins Gods to the Stra [Niamh Chinn vas. can on oil 1, 180 ard, Gér Oir appears next to him]

he mythical lands of eternal of Youth in the Western ocean, known in Irish Gaelic as Tir Nan Og, were presided over by a supernatural queen, who, like her subjects, never aged or suffered any malady. Her name was Niamh Chinn Oir, The Bright Shining One of the Golden Hair, and she traveled ancient Ireland on horseback, never dismounting. Similar to the shunned Lilith of Judeo-Spanish tradition,

Morgan-le-Fay by Frederick Sandys, 1863-1864, oil on wood panel; Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

who ruled a subaquatic Red Sea kingdom where human time lost its meaning, Niamh Chinn Oir did not measure years as mortals do. When the hero Ossian, son of warrior Finn MacCool, fell in love with Niamh as he watched her ride her white horse through Ireland’s valleys, he had no way of knowing that one minute with Niamh was tantamount to many years. Space and time were suspended, and Niamh brought Ossian back to Tir Nan Og, a Paradise-like isle that sometimes overlaps with our living world. Nonetheless, Ossian missed Ireland, and asked Niamh to allow him to return. Sadly, she granted his request, begging him not to dismount from his horse. But dismount he did, and as he touched earth, the reality of the years came upon him, and he collapsed in dust…having been over three hundred years old. Niamh was left alone….or was she? Tir Nan Og, like its Welsh avatar of Avalon, The island of Apples, was a joyful resting place for those whose souls had departed the human world. Did Ossian then simply return to her? Could Niamh, like Morgan le Fay, ferry souls back and forth across the lifedeath divide? Celtic tradition simply does not have a rigid life-death divide. Like many of the civilizations of the Americas, the Mayas in particular, the Afterlife of Xibalba, the place of Fear, or Kan, the world of the jade sky, could be visited and revisited in life, death, and afterlife states. Like the Maya, the Irish and their Welsh cousins believed that women could “transition” between these states of being more gracefully than men. The most famous of all supernatural women, Morgan Le Fay, is a case in point. Morgan le Fay (Morgen, Old Welsh; Muirgein, Old Irish) exemplifies a Welsh mythological character whose role in the Arthurian cycle changed dramatically between the early medieval period and the pre-Renaissance introduction of Sir Thomas Malory’s L’Morte d’Arthur. Malory’s enduring, French storyline depicts Morgan as a fairy-like woman with low, dark desires for power, who committed incest with her half-brother,

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

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Arthur, and worked against him to bring ruin upon him. However, after spending decades to destroy her brother and after their son, Mordred, fatally wounded Arthur, Morgan then reverently took Arthur to rest on the holy Isle of Avalon. Here, a conniving and calculating woman hungered for power and destruction, while being sidelined amidst strong male characters. In stark contrast to this image, the earliest Welsh versions of Morgan’s legend portray her more like the Morrigán. One of three major Irish goddesses, the Morrigán was a fierce warrior, as well as a bringer of both fertility and death. Morgan le Fay was also a strong, fierce, magical leader. Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his 12th century Arthurian stories, described Morgan as the ruler on Avalon, a great healer, and a magical, shape-shifting being. Here is a strong female ruler in her own right, who ferried Arthur as an equal to Avalon. There are similarities between the medieval and Renaissance legends of Morgan. One is that of her magical powers and an otherworldly presence. The older stories depict Morgan as being goddess-like and powerful, while Malory’s version retains magical abilities in a human form, obtained under Merlin’s tutelage. The other clear similarity occurs at the end of Arthur’s life, when Morgan takes him to the elusive Avalon. Here, the old stories parallel the idea of the Morrigán in leading mortals into death, and Malory’s version suggests that leadership of mortals to the hereafter.

Sharonah Fredrick, PhD, is Assistant Director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ACMRS) at ASU. She has a PhD in Latin American Colonial Literature; MA in Renaissance History; and BA in Cultural Anthropology. She’s multi-lingual; 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.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

RUNA at the MIM Music Theater Sunday, July 17 | 7:00 p.m. | $28.50–$33.50 RUNA pushes the boundaries of Irish folk music by interweaving the melodies of Ireland and Scotland with the harmonies of bluegrass and jazz.

Thomas P. Murphy, CPA 21639 N. 12th AveNue, Suite 203 • PhoeNix, ArizoNA 85027

“There is truly a mystical quality to their playing. They create a lyrical sound that is at once unique as well as seamless.” —Lori Lander Murphy, IrishPhiladelphia.com

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

SALEM, NH 603-898-5130 FAX 603-898-5113

PHOENIX 602-944-5400 FAX 602-944-3154

MANUFACTURERS REPRESENTATIVES

JOE LEWIS

P.O. Box 1768 Salem, NH 03079

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

To purchase tickets or for the full concert series lineup, call 480.478.6000 or visit MIM.org/concerts.

Electrical, Mechanical, Plastics, Metals, and Contract Mfg.

4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix, AZ

Joe Lewis Cell 617-510-9260 Joe Jr. 603-365-1301

SUMMER AIR CONDITIONING TIPS We have technicians

on call

7 days a week!

Don’t forget to

change your filter!

Don’t turn off your thermostat when you’re not home, this will increase risk of breakdown and can increase electric bill!

Don’t wait until your unit stops working, get a pre-season checkup

every spring!

PHONE 480-664-6575 • WWW.ANTRIMAIR.COM WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

TRAVEL

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

DRIVING TIPS FROM LEFT LANE MAUREEN

PART 15:

BY MAUREEN SULLIVAN CTC COUNTY CORK, IRELAND

you will land on time if they can get the sheep off the runway. In this way you experience the Irish driving in the countryside. Coming out of Dublin Airport, one starts out driving in 3 lanes of expressway, driving on the other side of the road. If you arrive in the west side of Ireland, plan to finish your vacation by leaving from Dublin Airport. This saves crossing back to Shannon and 3 ½ extra hours of driving. Do not take the car into Dublin City. There are over 1.5 million people who live in Dublin, not counting the Irish that drive to work in the city. It is a nightmare of one way narrow streets, congestion, and roundabouts that will quickly confuse you. The streets change names every block; the Irish have a great love with their patriarchs to include them all. If you’re staying in Dublin, return the rental car at Dublin Airport and take the “Air Link Bus” or a taxi to the Dublin hotel. Get an automatic car; it is worth the extra money since Ireland is very hilly. You do not want to kill the engine going into a roundabout because you were watching traffic and forgot to shift or put the clutch in. Familiarize yourself with the car before leaving the rental lot. Remember, you drive on the left side of the road! Your passenger is your navigator (map interpreter) and is as important to the operation of the car as the driver. The Irish have a way with words. “Traffic Calming” signs as you enter a town, means traffic is to slow down ahead. Getting lost on the road is part of seeing Ireland. Some of the best experiences I had, happened when I was lost! Enjoy Ireland!!

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

Jack’s parents were born in County Cork, Ireland, settling in Chicago in the 1920s.

Phone: 480-671-0207 • Cell: 847-481-9149 Fax: 480-617-5961 maureen@sullivanstravels.com • www.sullivanstravels.com Travel Europe, Mexico, Cruises & South Pacific

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Road Signs - Kenmare

WWW.IRELANDRNR.COM

riving in Ireland is not as difficult as you would think. Yes, they do drive on the other side of the road, the left side of the road. The steering wheel is on the opposite side of the car, putting the driver positioned next to the center line in a twolane road, like this country. If your wife says you’re getting in the wrong side, you reply “I’m just opening the door for you.” The reason for driving on the left side of the road dates back to medieval times. They rode their horses on the left side of the road, forcing strangers coming towards them to pass them on the right. Then, if the need arose they would draw their sword with the right hand. Tip: A story I made up to make it easier to drive in the countryside of Ireland is, “You run your wife into the bushes.” When one is driving the narrow roads, you will find yourself driving in the middle of the road. When a car comes from the other way, the driver runs his wife/ passenger into the bushes. This expression keeps the car on the left side of the road. Remember the passenger hugs the outside of the road. Running your passenger into the bushes puts the car on the correct side of the road. To drive in Ireland all you need is a valid driver’s license with at least 6 months’ remaining validity. All passengers must wear seatbelts. No child, under 12 years of age, should be riding in the front seat of the car. Ireland has very strict drinking and driving laws. Taxi cabs (hackney drivers), are now all over Ireland and if you are going to the pubs, use a taxi. My uncle told me, “In the old days they didn’t have DUI laws because the donkeys didn’t run into each other and they always knew how to get home.” To plan your Irish vacation, start by flying into Shannon Airport where

Run your wife into the bushes

5628 E. Thomas Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85018 Bus.: (480) 990-1900 Fax: (480) 481-9551 E-Mail: daveb@isugsw.com http://www.isugsw.com

Dave Binsfeld, CIC, ARM

Vice President

Mother is Mary Patricia Doyle of the Doyle clan from County Galway, Ireland

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

Celtic copper brooch made by Olaf

Despatch from Dublinia

BY OLAF THE COIN MINTER

f you are planning to visit Dublin this summer—who doesn’t want to visit Dublin?—and you want a little of the history of the city, you can experience Viking and Medieval Dublin at Dublinia. Right by Christchurch Cathedral, at the crossroads of old Dublin, Dublinia gives an interactive view of Viking Dublin; Medieval Dublin; and the Archaeology of Dublin. Dublinia is the kind of museum that provides opportunities to get hands-on: write your name in runes; try on Viking clothes; visit the slave market (those chains are heavy) or a Viking house; smell the spices in the Medieval market; play games at the Medieval Faire – watch out for the beggars! - or see how your toothache might be cured (ouch!). Then step forward

TRAVEL

Replica of Medieval Dublin penny

DUBLIN'S VIKING MUSEUM

into today; visit the archaeological dig, see the skeletons and artifacts; and trace how Viking and Medieval influences have shaped literature, media, fashion, architecture and language in 21st Century Ireland. Finally, climb the 96 steps of St. Michael’s Tower for spectacular views of the city. Schedule your visit for a weekend, for more. For children, there are workshops to make things like a Viking rune name badge; a Medieval Knight or Princess pencil topper; or a Viking longship fridge magnet. For visitors of all ages, demonstrations such as longbow-making, stone carving, weaponry, pottery, herbalist and cookery. How do I know? I am Olaf the Coin Minter. At the end of the 10th Century, a rich trading city like Dublin (Dubh Linn they called it, “Black Pool”) needed money. Before the Vikings came to Ireland, the Irish just used gold or silver to

pay for the few goods they bought from outside. For example, they cut up pieces of “ring money;” and so did the Vikings at first. But starting in the year 997, Sitric, King of Dublin, ordered silver pennies to be struck. That’s what I do. Every weekend in June, July, and August, I am in my workshop in Dublinia. You can watch me mint pennies. I punch blank rounds from sheet; then place each blank between the faces of the coin die, and hammer it. Simple! Another penny for King Sitric’s treasury. Today we think of a penny as a very small amount of money; but back then a penny was a day’s wages, and bought as much as eight gallons of ale. Before I was the coin minter, I was a silver and copper smith. So I also make objects such as Celtic pen annular brooches.

To me, Dublinia is much more than an exhibition, or even the Mint. When the first Viking traders started to settle Dubh Linn, they married the local women they met. By a twist of fate, one day some years ago I got talking to a visitor from the United States. I gave her a coin; and when she returned to the States, she emailed her thanks for the gift. The rest is history; we were married four years ago this past May. Olaf the Coin Minter is Chris Stevenson. Born in Edinburgh, he is a Living Historian specializing in the Irish Viking period. A member of CROFT, he enjoys weaving, copper work, and coin minting. Chris spends summer in their home in Banbridge, County Down, with his wife Kristie, and working at Dublinia; and they winter in Glendale, Arizona.

.Irish WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

CULTURE

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

CELTIC CATERER

KELTIC KITCHEN

Smoking Meats: The Celtic Way

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding

BY KATIE CAUFIELD GINDER

BY CHEF ERIC W. MCBRIDE

inally, the warmer months are here and everyone is starting to dust off the covers of their outdoor grill. A pastime we enjoy not only here in the U.S. but in most all countries around the world, including the lands of the Celts. For those of you who are more experienced outdoor chefs, the art of smoking meat and vegetables becomes more than just a passion. It is an art that goes back thousands of years. Near Conway, Scotland there is an ancient stone-built salmon trap. Close to the trap is a sea cave that during high tide is below sea level. Local legend tells how Roman soldiers in the area would place venison and fish in the cave, light a fire, and allow the rising tide to seal up the cave; thus creating a natural smoker. In Ireland, the art of smoking mostly pertained to boar or pork meat. Some of the earliest known recipes for ham were covering in a salt rub for 17 days, dry for 2 days, and then smoked for an additional 2 days. The wood they used to smoke that ham was oak in abundant supply. In Wales and the island of Man, there is a love affair going back centuries for smoking herring. Today in Manx, kippers (smoked herring) is the #1 favorite food. They will put that into every dish, from morning eggs to a midnight snack or even a kipper-flavored scone. There is an old recipe from Ireland of a 7-day dry rub for brisket that I have found the same herbs and spices for the dry rub work just as well for brining meat (briskets, London broil, pork loin, legs of lamb). 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.

Smoked IRISH BEEF BRISKET

For those who may not know, treacle is a type of brown syrup in Britain and Ireland that is very similar to molasses used in North America. Serves 8+

1 round beef brisket, approximately 14 lbs. (10 - 11 lbs. after trimming fat) 2 T. garlic powder 8 bay leaves, crushed 1 cup kosher salt ¼ cup treacle or molasses 4 T. ground mace 1 T. ground cloves 1 T. peppercorns, crushed 1 cup brown sugar Step 1. Wash the brisket and remove the majority of the larger pockets of fat (this may total nearly 20% of the entire brisket). Step 2. Sift all of the spices and herbs together until evenly dispersed. Step 3. To make the brine, add a gallon of water to the mixture and stir in the treacle/molasses. Step 4. Place your meat in a container with a lid and cover with brine until meat is completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Step 5. Remove meat from brine and slow smoke for 8 hours at 180 degrees. Best to smoke with mesquite, apple wood, or old-fashioned oak. You can contact me via my website or Facebook if you would like a bottle of the Irish brine/ rub already mixed.

with Whiskey Sauce

ia daoibh a chaired! (Hello friends!) I’ll be honest. I’ve never been a bread pudding fan. Even though I love bread and all things sweet, the thought of soggy bread for dessert never got me excited. It wasn’t until my mom made an incredible Panettone bread pudding that I realized what I had been missing out on all these years. After my mom’s bread pudding won over my heart, I decided to experiment making my own. I selected a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread and added some chopped apple to the mix. While the breading pudding tastes amazing by

Katie Caufield Ginder lives in Gilbert with her husband and two sons. Her background is in higher education program management, instruction, and faculty recruitment. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, yoga, volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and learning about her Irish heritage. Katie’s great, great paternal grandfather was from Galway and immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1860s.

Serves 9

WHISKY SAUCE 2/3 c. or 130 g. sugar 2 T. or 30 mL cornstarch Zest of 1 orange 4 egg yolks 1 t. or 5 mL vanilla 1/3 c. or 80 mL whiskey SAUCE DIRECTIONS: Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add milk and stir until combined. Add orange zest. Heat mixture until it starts to thicken; stir continuously for 2 minutes. Beat eggs yolks while slowly adding ½ cup or 120 mL of the sauce. Slowly add egg mixture to the saucepan and cook for 3-5 minutes. Do not let sauce boil. Pour sauce into a bowl and gently stir in vanilla and whiskey until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve. PUDDING 2 c. or 475 mL milk ¼ c. or 60 g. butter ½ c. or 100 g. sugar 3 eggs ¼ t. or 1.25 mL salt 1 loaf cinnamon raisin bread cut into cubes 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced into small cubes 3 T. or 45 g. Cinnamon sugar

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itself, it really sings with the whiskey sauce drizzled on top. If you’ve never been a bread pudding fan, I encourage you to try my Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding and give this dessert another shot. You may become a convert as well. Enjoy!

PUDDING DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat milk and butter in a saucepan until milk is hot and butter melted. Mix eggs, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add bread cubes and apples, and then stir in milk and butter mixture. Place bread mixture into ungreased 8x8 pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife placed in center comes out clean. Serve warm with whiskey sauce drizzled on top. NOTES: For a fruity flavor, the sauce can also be prepared by substituting the whiskey with Cointreau liqueur. If you do not have cinnamon raisin bread, you can add 1 cup or 140 mL of raisins and 1 teaspoon or 5 mL of cinnamon instead.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

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 6750 W. Peoria, Peoria, AZ 85345 (north side of Peoria at 67th Avenue); 623-486-2118 www.gallaghersaz.com Discover a great tasting menu, HD sports, daily and late night specials, weekend breakfast, karaoke, trivia and OTB!

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

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! See ad page 29

Rosie McCaffrey’s Irish Pub 906 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014 (additional parking on 10th Street! 100 feet away!) 602-241-1916 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 21

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 7

Tim Finnegan’s Irish Restaurant & Bar 9201 N. 29th Avenue, #52, Phoenix, AZ 85051 (west of I-17 and just north of Dunlap Ave.) 602-997-2323 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

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

New customers are looking for you! Accepting Celtic listings for Phoenix area, Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona, and Tucson.

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JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

ARTS

Camelback Golf Club, Scottsdale

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Native American Pow Wow

Camelback Golf Club, Scottsdale Taken using “HDR” (or High Dynamic Range) technique

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Tim and Debbie Murphy in front of their Arizona home

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

ARTS

CELTIC ARTISAN:

Timothy H. Murphy, Photographer BY LYNN HERDMAN MASCARELLI

here is no better place to interview a Celtic Artisan than in an Irish pub called The Skeptical Chymist. Here, I met good Timothy H. Murphy. The “H”, he explained, was a nod to the Hogans of Tipperary, his mother Nelle’s family name and her great-grandfather who in 1851, boarded the Ophir bound for America. Later, John Murphy, his paternal grandfather would leave Rostrevor, County Down and arrive in the States in 1901 on the SS Oceanic. Tracing his roots to John Murphy then, Tim would obtain his own Irish citizenship and passport. This photographer-world traveler would reveal the life of a very brave now in pursuit of that perfect image. It was a high school photography club that drew Tim into the basics of taking a photo and the back-end of developing in his own basement dark room while listening to “Sgt. Pepper” and the Beatles. It would become his haven; he would carry a camera everywhere for the rest of his life. And what a life! His thirty years in sales for American Express took him to six of the seven continents. His diligence earning him coveted honors and especially the President’s Club Award so often that he was distinguished for doing so much more than any employee. Later, with two esteemed others, the company Vice Chairman and a Division President, Tim was inducted into the American Express Worldwide Hall of Fame. “A most humbling experience indeed,” he said. Though born in the States, Tim lived as a young boy in Africa where his father’s career in the Air Force took him. Frequent travel accustomed Tim to interact with a diverse world, gave him a thirst for other things, and later would allow him to indulge his penchant for golf on links and courses all over the world with the photos to prove it. He would fly often to Ireland especially with his wife, Debbie, also an avid golfer, recording with camera his every step on the Isle’s wind-swept greens. He would live with a zest for it all and today our artist-photographer is never without his high-end Nikon digital camera. But there came a time when all this would change and life, as he knew it, would be taken from him, up-ended. “It wasn’t easy,” he shared. Four years ago, Tim discovered that, from his youth, he

had a neurological condition that would seriously impact his balance and gait in later years. He said with a brave smile, “A cane has replaced my golf club,” and he reminded me of the old adage: When one door closes, another opens...as it would for him. But Alexander Graham Bell, the man who said this, would finish with...but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the one which has opened for us. Tim didn’t do that. Heeding the wisdom of “my beloved and wonderful wife,” Tim turned to a familiar companion—his camera—and lifeline. Grasping his surroundings, he pivoted, took a new route, looking for the beautiful and using all of it for a healing. “I’m crazy about the Southwest, its topography, the desert terrain and the cacti!” Tim spoke of the red rock of Sedona, Tucson’s Mission San Xavier del Bac, and a Native American Pow Wow where his telescopic lens caught the faces, the color and motion, and small children dancing. And what of his process? Artists, he described, have an inner barometer sensing what time of the day or night they are most productive. For him, “it is breaking dawn and late afternoon when an unusual quality of life is revealed, when the air and the light are gentle. If there are clouds, I’m out the door! It’s God’s palette.” When I asked for one of his happiest moments in art making, his face lit up. “It’s happening to me everyday as I push myself and hone my techniques.” He was looking forward to the full moon very soon. Tim had rented a 1000 mm. telephoto lens to, as he said, “get up close and personal with the moon.” In closing, we see a man who has re-taken hold of life and not without pain for this well traveled businessman turned artisan. He hid his emotions when recalling a life that once was, but is now reborn with an artistry he had crafted for a very long time. It has happily saved him and taken him down a road “less traveled.” Tim Murphy’s “art of the moment,” his timing and click of the camera, have passed on a blessing to us. A notable Murphy relative is 8’1” Patrick Murphy, aka “the Irish “Giant” or “Giant Murphy” who was buried at Kilbroney graveyard, Rostrevor, County

Down, Northern Ireland. Tim’s dad visited Patrick Murphy’s grave in 1960, and Tim did in 2002; the irony is that these two are 5’7” and they’re the tallest in their families!

Visit to view his gallery of work.

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.

Visiting grave of Patrick Murphy, the Irish Giant

Preparing photo display of Ireland as featured artist at Irish Cultural Center, Phx

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IRISH NETWORK PHOENIX

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Irish Network Phoenix

Mary Hill-Connor BY JAN WHALEN

ary Hill-Connor believes that we have two choices in life: “We can sink into the background or get involved with what’s happening.” Her life is a testament to this philosophy in her work as a registered nurse and midwife, then a realtor, and especially as a volunteer organization leader. Born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, Mary McCullough was the middle child of Gertrude (Morgan) and Patrick (“Pakie” originally from Co. Tyrone). She lived in town next door to the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul with her nine brothers and two sisters. Life was busy taking care of younger brothers and sisters, but she did enjoy dancing to traditional Irish music beginning at age six. Later, Mary’s RN and midwifery training was in London and in 1972, she took a job in Marlin, Texas. Through the years, she worked in trauma, oncology, general medicine, pediatrics, and home health care. When asked about how she dared to come to the States alone, she said, “The Irish have a roaming nature. We love to travel and we like to get out and see the world.” A blind date with Texan Tom Connor has turned in to a forty-year marriage. They have two daughters, Siobhan and Aisling. With grown children and a successful thirty-year nursing career behind her, Mary found herself saying, “I wouldn’t mind finding out more about a career in real estate.” She went on to become a Realtor in 2003 and became a mentor in the field before moving to Phoenix in 2006. She became an Arizona Realtor and currently works with DPR Realty. She loves her career change and told me, “It’s satisfying to help people with their decisions. Working to get them where they want to go is rewarding. Each time is different and that makes it fun.” Besides helping families find their perfect home, Mary plays a leadership role in two other groups, that promote international understanding and respect. The first as Chairperson for Four Peaks Irish Arts (www.fourpeaksirisharts. org), a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (https://comhaltas.ie). It’s an organization formed in 1950 to promote traditional Irish music, song, dance, and the Irish language. WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

Mary explains, “There is so much more to the body of Irish music than what one is used to hearing in an Irish pub.” Keeping these traditions alive is important to her. Some of Mary’s favorite artists are DeDannan, The Bothy Band, and The Tulla Ceili Band. Since Mary’s hometown is one of Phoenix’s Sister Cities, it was only natural that she got involved, and now chairs the Ennis Committed for the Phoenix Sister Cities organization—PSC (www.phoenixsistercities.org). In addition, she serves as its Committee Chairs’ Representative to the Executive Committee. The Ennis section of the PSC website lists their projects, including the 5K run, book festival, and a new sports exchange program. Mary’s favorite aspect of the PhoenixEnnis organization involves youth. She smiles a she remembers the 2013 trip to Ireland. “The St. Mary’s High School marching band took part in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Ennis. Thirty kids got to go and it opened their eyes to the larger world. You could see the confidence it gave them. They were treated so well and were so appreciative. I’ve kept copies of the beautiful letters they wrote back to the Town Council.” This summer’s PSC Youth Ambassadors are getting ready for a threeweek trip to their assigned sister city. Each young person will stay with a host family and after their trip, they and their families will host their counterpart on a three-week trip to Phoenix. This group of international youth will experience life as an Arizona teenager, participating in a full program of activities during their stay. “This program is the best kept secret in the world. If more sophomores and juniors knew about it, we’d have more youth ambassadors. It’s a chance for them to see how the other half of the world lives. It’s lovely to see them bloom.” As an advocate of creating peace, one person at a time, Mary engages in the community. “I’m passionate about my culture. If you want to see things happen, get involved.” If you want to get involved, contact Mary at maryhillconnor@hotmail.com. Jan M. Whalen, MASL, is an award winning author who creates books, workbooks and blogs about self-trust, confidence and telling your story. www.whalenvoices.com; jan@ whalenvoices.com

Mary (left) and a friend

Tom and Mary

YAs to Ennis Alicia Belter, Jennifer Garnica, Abigail Gutierrez, and Kyle Haines

Family photo at Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, Co. Clare

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

ellen harringTon

President, Board of trustees

Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities

chan.to.tull@gmail.com (480) 600-8509 P.O. Box 1474 Chandler, AZ 85244-1474

PRESENTS

www.chandlerirish.org

Maternal side “Murphy” came from County Cork and father’s side “Morrison” arrived from County Waterford

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2016 YOUNG ARTISTS & AUTHORS INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE RECEPTION “Peace through People” Colleen O’Dowd Cutler

Grandparents: John O’Dowd emigrated 1929 to NY from Castlebaldwin, Co. Sligo and Ellen Greevy from Roscommon 1938.

Jan M. Whalen, MASL e jan@whalenvoices.com p 623.466.5067 Award Winning Author • Personal Coaching whalenvoices.com Books, Tools, Classes and Blog • Trust, Story, Confidence

Whether you are buying a new home or want to refinance your current home, call your neighborhood lender Colleen O’Dowd Cutler to get pre-approved.

Reception: Friday, April 15

Jan M. Whalen, MASL eAward jan@whalenvoices.com p•623.466.5067 Author • Personal•Coaching Friday Artwalk 6:00 to 10:00pm 3 Winning Books, Tools, Classes and Blog • Trust, Story, Confidence • inwhalenvoices.com Historic Downtown Chandler

FHA, VA, Conventional and Reverse Mortgages

602-248-4200

1599 E. Orangewood Ave. #200 Phoenix, AZ 85020 MB092214 • NMLS# 1007154 • Colleen Cutler NMLS# 852437

• Exhibit will feature poetry, essays and artworks submitted by Chandler students for our 2016 Art and Author Showcase.

Irish Network Phoenix

• Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities was chosen to host the 2015 IrishAuthors Network Phoenix is part of the national organization, Sister Cities International Showcase, featuring Young MARY HILL-CONNOR IN USA, which celebrates Irish Culture and helps Irish REALTOR® and Short Artists from around the world! The pieces are included and Irish-American professionals across the United States to Sales and Foreclosure Resource connect with their peers and to develop relationships that will in the for month of April. 3850 Exhibit East Baseline Road, Suitethe 119 Mesa, AZ 85206 Mobile: (602) 635-9760 Office: (480) 926-2727 Fax: (602) 357-1975 Email: maryhillconnor@hotmail.com

Emigrated from Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland in 1972

IRISH NETWORK PHOENIX

Chandler-Tullamore SiSTer CiTieS

foster success in their business, economic and social ventures.

"Nil aon hTintean mar do hTintean fein" School, Beibhinn Cullen, student from Sacred Heart (There is no hearth like your own hearth) Join us today and be ‘in’ with the IN crowd! Tullamore, Ireland, was the 2015 Sister Cities International Grand Prize Essay Winner, and is represented in the Exhibit. www.dprrealty.com Oh by the way...I'm never too busy for any of your referrals

Grandmother Anna Kerr missed the Titanic because of family illness but emigrated later in 1912 from Belfast

or information and to view our winners and Reception photos, please see our website, www.chandlerirish.org; or contact Mary han.to.tull@gmail.com. Kallemeyn Independent Sr. Sales Director 602-978-0598 - Home 623-986-4708 - Cell mkallemeyn@cox.net www.marykay.com/mkallemeyn

Hosting of the 2016 Art & Author Showcase is made possible by a grant from Chandler Special Events Sponsorship Funding and the Chandler Cultural Foundation, and through the generous support of Downtown Chandler Community Partnership. Discover What You Love TM

Scan for more info…

Makeovers are always Fun, Free & Fabulous and you get a 10% discount when we meet!!

623 565 9077 www.irishnetworkphoenix.com theboard@irishnetworkphoenix.com www. facebook.com/irishnetworkphoenix www.meetup.com/irishnetworkphoenix P.O. Box 7116, Phoenix, AZ, 85011 USA

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul INPHX ad for DS.indd 1

6/27/15 9:17 AM

John and Stasi Eldridge (Nelson Books, Updated 2011)

God wants to answer your question and reawaken the desires of your heart. Every woman longs to Be Romanced, to play an Irreplaceable Role in a heroic adventure, and to have a Beauty all her own to Unveil. Like the wife of William Wallace. Join Ann Niemann, Editor in Chief, this fall for a 7-week Christian book study and DVD series with famous film clips to illustrate each chapter’s journey of discovery and healing. Comfortable, nondenominational setting. Contact info@desertshamrock.com, 602-568-3455 for convenient location and time. Cost for book and journal: $20 (for women only)

A Wine & Design Evening

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All Island 32 County All Inclusive Car Rental Ireland

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

RALEE was founded by John FitzThomas Fitzgerald in 1216 and for 12 months from March 17th, Kerry’s capital town will celebrate 800 years. The Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council and Chairman of the Tralee 800 Group, Cllr Pat McCarthy has officially launched details of how the town plans to mark this significant historic milestone. His first duty was to unveil the Tralee 800 logo which was designed by Abbey Cummings, Tourism Unit of Kerry County Council and incorporates a visual representation of the River Lee which was, and still is today, one of the defining symbols of the town. Cllr McCarthy said, “Tralee has a long and proud history from the very foundation of the town in the 13th century to the present day. We are looking forward to sharing and celebrating the town’s history and traditions with locals and visitors alike through a number of new and existing events from March 17th 2016 to March 16th 2017.” Kerry County Museum and Kerry County Library continue to provide the public with an extensive insight to how Tralee has changed from the 13th to the 21st centuries and Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society will host a Tralee 800 International Conference in October. Tralee 800-themed Art competitions, sports and entertainment events featuring local talent, awards schemes recognising the role of volunteers in Tralee’s proud history and literary projects will be organised in the coming months. Tralee 800 is proudly supported by Kerry County Council, Tralee Chamber Alliance, Kerry Group, and Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society. www.Tralee.ie; Facebook.com/Tralee800

Year-long celebration in Kerry capital as

Tralee 800 is officially launched

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Wed 17th: rose qualifying selection Part 1 (Festival Dome) thurs 18th: rose qualifying selection Part 2 (Festival Dome)

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tues 16th: roses Welcome Event with Fireworks (The Square) sat 20th: Parade of roses and skyfyre Fireworks Display (Denny Street) sun 21st: Parade of roses (Denny Street) tues 23rd: Parade of roses and Midnight Madness Fireworks Display

Tickets & Information available from

www.roseoftralee.ie

sAt 20th

• The SquAre

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NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Anna Murphy

Newfoundland & Labrador Rose

24-year-old from St. John’s, I am delighted to be the 2016 Newfoundland & Labrador Rose. I am a graduate in the Textiles: Craft & Apparel Design Program from the College of the North Atlantic. I work full-time as a crafts person, and my business, Yellow Rose, operates out of an open studio year-round. I am passionate about business enterprise and rural growth through small business. My commitment to learning and personal development is endless. I am an active member of the Eastern Edge Quilting Guild, the Embroidery Certificate Program and on the Board of Directors for Craft Council NL. Last year, my goal was to run a local 10 mile race, the Tely 10. For 2016, my Mom and I completed a half-marathon and we are currently training for our second! Giving back to my community

is also important to me. I volunteer with countless youth groups providing craft education, business training and labour. Organizations such as The Anna Templeton Centre, Janeway Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and All Saints Sunday School are near and dear to me. Since participating in the 2015 NL selection, I have been enthralled with learning about my genealogy. I have been working diligently to discover everything about my ancestry. My Irish heritage originates from County Cork and County Waterford and is evident in every part of my life. It is in my tattoos, artwork and love for Irish music! I am outgoing, motivated, and constantly inspired to learn. I live my personal mantra everyday: bring light to everything you touch through positivity and believe in yourself.

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4 1. A photo taken of me during the 2016 NL Rose Selection week in my art studio. 2. Standing in front of a poster of the iconic Signal Hill Cabot Tower. 3.My boyfriend of 6 years, Chad Rowe and myself in the Quidi Vidi Gut. 4. A family photo of my Mom, Roxanne Murphy, my brother, Thomas Murphy, myself and my Dad, Tom Murphy. We are outside my graduation celebration.

Sarah Griffin Ottawa Rose

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4 1. Slieve League, Co. Donegal 2. All Ireland’s 3. With boyfriend John Thurston, Ballybunion, Co. Kerry (Fitzmaurice Castle) 4. Sarah’s family at the Ottawa Rose Selection

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24-year-old graduate, dancer and volunteer, I am absolutely thrilled to be the 2016 Ottawa Rose! I am a proud Irish-French Canadian, growing up in a suburb of Montreal called Deux-Montagnes and my Irish roots stem from St. Mullins, Co. Carlow and Ardfert, Co. Kerry. In 2012, I moved to Ottawa to attend the University of Ottawa where I completed my bilingual Honours Bachelor of Arts with Specialization in Linguistics and a minor in Celtic Studies. I am currently working for Statistics Canada on the 2016 Census. A major focus and passion of mine over the past 12 years has been Irish dance. Thanks to Sue Fay Healy Irish Dance, I have been lucky enough to compete at multiple international championships, ending my competitive years this past fall at the 2015 All Ireland Irish dance championships in Killarney, Co. Kerry. Although I am still dancing recreationally, I am also a proud player for the Ottawa Gaels GAA club.

I enjoy volunteer coaching for GRDO (Gloucester Recreation Development Organization), a non-profit, after school sports skill development program for children 4-14 years old. I love to stay involved and give back in my community here in Ottawa in any way possible. Last summer, I was the recipient of the Ireland Canada University Foundation Scholarship. I had the opportunity to be immersed into the Irish language within the Connemara Gaeltacht, in Cheathrú Rua (Carraroe), over three of the most amazing weeks of my life. I live on a Hereford cattle farm west of Ottawa and although I am new to farming, I love working with the cows, growing my own vegetables, and living in the country. I am very honored to be an ambassador for such an amazing city and wonderful people here in the Nation’s capital!

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i there! My name is Petra O’Toole and I am your 2016 Toronto Center Rose. With my aunt’s encouragement to participate, it was just in the knick of time as I am at the ripe age of 27! It is the most amazing opportunity to not only explore Ireland in a unique way but it will also be my chance to meet dad’s family in County Wicklow for the first time. Raised for the most part in Toronto, I called Halifax, Nova Scotia home for a few years while I completed two degrees: my BA (honours) in Theatre and German and a MA in German Literature at Dalhousie University. There I worked as a residence assistant, an aquatic supervisor, and first-year German instructor. Throughout my degrees, I volunteered teaching First Aid, Theatre, and Swim to Survive. After a successful academic career, I packed my bags and

moved to France for a year to study theatre, and of all things, clown. It was the perfect way to work on my craft as a performer, to travel, and have the opportunity to practice French and German at the same time. Now back in the great white north, I work as a performer, producer, and production coordinator in film and theatre. This past winter I played a grandfather, touring in Theatre New Brunswick’s The Space Between by Tania Breen. It was the best. Projects this summer: producing Fake Nerd Girl, touring in Ontario; directing Lioness at The Box Toronto: Studio and Theatre; and performing Play Rewind (film on location in Halifax). I love keeping busy with multiple creative projects, spending time with family, and always look forward to a good theatre/music jam session with friends.

1. In studio doing voiceover work 2. Canadian pastime: working as a treeplanter in Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia 3. Eating croissants in Canada’s capital with little sister Josette 4. Eating Frozen Maple Syrup at King’s Landing, New Brunswick

Molly Fogarty Western Canada Rose

ello! I am honoured to be the very first Rose from my home province of Saskatchewan, representing Western Canada. I am 20 years old and went to school in Toronto, where I obtained a diploma in Entertainment Business Management with honours. Moving back in 2015, I was given the afternoon show on a rock radio station, and after only two months, my company had moved me to their biggest and most popular station to take over the afternoon show there. I am a singer songwriter and love everything about country music; live

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entertainment of any kind, boating, the ocean, water sports (especially surfing), animals, getting involved with the community, and spending time with family. Both of my grandparents emigrated from Ireland on their wedding day, May 15, 1957, to Regina, Saskatchewan. My grandfather, a Fogarty, was born and raised on a farm just outside of Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. While my grandmother, a Mullane, grew up in Kantoher, Co. Limerick. I am thrilled with how excited my family, both in Ireland and Canada, are to celebrate this experience of a lifetime.

4 1. Visiting grandparents 2. Looking over the cliffs of Inis Mor, Aran Islands. Trying to get over my fear of heights… it didn’t help! 3. Exploring Moll’s Gap on the Ring of Kerry 4. Singing a song I wrote for my grandparents at the Western Canada Rose Selection

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NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

Petra O’Toole Toronto Rose

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

The Extraordinary New

Irish Diaspora Museum Dramatic New Interactive Visitor Experience to tell Untold Epic Stories of Irish Diaspora

pic Ireland is now open and conveniently located in The chq Building, Custom House Quay, only 500 metres along the River Liffey from O’Connell Bridge. Epic Ireland is Dublin’s dramatic new visitor experience that celebrates the unique global journey of the Irish people and how they changed the world. This extraordinary exhibition tells the story of the Irish people around the world using state-of-the-art technology to deliver incredible visual stories with a high level of interactivity.

Definitely put it on your list of to-dos in Dublin - it made me feel more connected with this lovely green country and understand it more. WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

Designed by Event Communications, the multi-award winning designers of Titanic Belfast, Epic Ireland tells the authentic and epic story of 10 million journeys and the roots of 70 million people. Located in the beautiful vaults of the iconic chq Building, situated on Custom House Quay in the centre of Dublin, visitors will follow a path through 20 immersive and interactive galleries illuminating the story of Ireland’s communities overseas - past, present and future. The galleries are organised into 4 compelling themes of migration, motivation, influence and connection. These themes explore the stories of adventure and tragedy that have shaped the narrative of Irish emigration - why people through the ages have left Ireland; the extraordinary influence of the Irish abroad in politics, business, science, sport and the arts; and how the technology of today has changed the emigrant experience. Conal Harvey, Managing Director, Epic Ireland said, “The vision and objective of Epic Ireland is to be the essential first port of call for visitors to Ireland, the first piece of orientation for any trip. Its purpose is to tell untold epic stories

in a unique, highly entertaining and informative way.” He continued, “Epic Ireland provides the opportunity to celebrate and enhance the connectivity between Ireland and those who left, but benefitted from being Irish. It will also enable those with no connection to Ireland or its diaspora to have the opportunity to understand this story of the Irish people and why emigration looms so large in the Irish consciousness both in the past and today.” As well as the high tech interactive exhibition, Epic Ireland will also offer a state-of-the-art genealogy centre which is

operated by Eneclann, Ireland’s leading genealogical services provider, helping visitors explore their Irish roots. Epic Ireland was founded by Neville Isdell, former Chairman and CEO of Coca Cola and member of the Irish Diaspora himself. Neville left Ulster with his parents for Northern Rhodesia in the mid-1950s and has subsequently lived and worked outside Ireland for more than sixty years. Tickets for Epic Ireland are available now at www.epicirelandchq.com. For updates on Epic Ireland, log onto https://www.facebook.com/epicirelandchq.

THE NEW MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THE IRISH DIASPORA

A VISITOR EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER “An absolute must-see in Dublin” TripAdvisor

THE CHQ BUILDING. JUST 500M ALONG THE RIVER LIFFEY FROM O’CONNELL BRIDGE. BOOK TICKETS NOW ON EPICIRELANDCHQ.COM

NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Ciara Archer Arizona Rose

am 23 years old and proud to come from the Grand Canyon State! As a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, I earned a BA in Journalism, specializing in Public Relations. During undergrad, I was chosen to participate in an internship with the Disney College Program where I had the privilege of making magic for many guests at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Since graduation, I am now employed as a Public Relations Associate at Axiom Public Affairs, a local government affairs firm that works on political campaigns, corporate communications, and a variety of other issues. It is a great opportunity where I continue to learn each and every day! My community involvement includes serving as co-marketing chair for the

Phoenix Hub of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community. Additionally, I was the Friends of Saint Patrick Centre - Arizona Chapter’s 2015 Young Ambassador to Northern Ireland. I continue to volunteer with the Chapter, as well as with social media for the Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix. I love spending time with my brother Taidgh and family, watching old movies, reading, snuggling with my seven rescue dogs, and listening to vinyl records. My Irish heritage comes through my dad who was born and raised in Dublin, where my granddad and many extended family members still reside. Participating in the Rose of Tralee is a wonderful way to honor my grandmother’s memory, who was a major motivating factor for my application. I am honored to be on this journey and to represent my beautiful state of Arizona!

4 1. ASU grad 2. Life at Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA 3. With BBC Northern Ireland Radio Personality Hugo Duncan 4. With Grandparents, Dublin

ARIZONA

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CENTER

ARIZONA ROSE

Ciara Archer

Best wishes from friends and family in Arizona and Ireland! The Arizona Rose Center is part of the long-standing programs under the Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Faire Committee. This year celebrated the 33rd annual parade, one of the largest in Arizona. The faire that follows features three stages of live music, Irish dance, and entertainment; Celtic arts, food and beverages, a variety of family activities, and much more.

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am thrilled to be representing Boston and New England at the Rose of Tralee Festival! While I was born in California, I was raised in the quaint suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. I am a rising senior at Fairfield University, pursuing a double-major in English and Communication accompanied by a Minor in Theatre. I am a proud member of the Honors Program and International English Honors Society, Sigma Tau Delta, seeking to pursue a career in public service. I have lived in Chicago, teaching inner-city girls, and in the Dominican Republic, working with orphans with disabilities, as a way to practice achieving these goals of service. I was recently the first student from Fairfield to be nominated for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. I also enjoy working in the corporate world, as I am a 20-year-old marketing intern for Trepp. I have loved living and working in New

York City this summer! I am also a translation project employee at SAI Global Compliance in Waltham, MA. I would not be the accomplished young lady I am today without my background in Irish Step Dance. I am a national and world-ranked Irish Step Dancer, having danced and competed for the Harney Academy for over 15 years. I still lace up my ghillies as the captain and choreographer of the Fairfield University Irish Step Dance Ensemble and hold the position as ensemble secretary. In addition, I enjoy performing on stage in many musicals and plays. Recently I was the lead choreographer for Brian Friel’s Irish play, Dancing at Lughnasa, and sported an Irish accent as the lead actress. I found the experience was an appropriate connection to my Irish heritage, as my family ancestry is in County Cork.

1. “Chris” in Dancing at Lughnasa. Photo courtesy of Theatre Fairfield. 2. Jay, one of the disabled orphans at Mustard Seed home in Dominican Republic. 3. With 17-year-old sister, Emma, and 12-yearold brother, Andrew, celebrating Emma’s Holy Confirmation. Photo courtesy of George Martell.

Chicago Rose

Maggie McEldowney i

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3 1. McEldowney family outside the Muckross House in Killarney. 2. With 2014 Int’l. Rose of Tralee, Maria Walsh. 3. With cousins, Mary Claire Brady and Katie McAlinden, finishing 2015 Chicago Marathon

am thrilled to represent Chicago in the 2016 Rose of Tralee Festival! There is a strong Irish presence in Chicago, particularly on the south side where I’m from... where the craic is always best! I am a 27 year-old Chicago native working as the Director of Development at Marist High School. I am passionate about raising money for families who could not otherwise afford Catholic education. After earning the Chick Evans Scholarship to the University of Illinois, I graduated with a degree in Media Studies in 2011. I am actively involved in the Chick Evans Scholar Alumni Community. In my spare time, I am a Board Member on the Young Irish Fellowship of Chicago, a committee responsible for coordinating fundraisers and celebrating Irish culture. I ran the 2015 Chicago Marathon with the Old St. Patrick’s Church team, raising money for local charities. I volunteer at Chicago events such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research

Foundation Gala, the American Ireland Fund Green Gala, and Mulliganeers fundraisers. I understand the tremendous impact a Rose can have on the lives of others, and I will continue that tradition wholeheartedly as the 2016 Chicago Rose. My grandmother, Brigid O’Neill, was born and raised in Maghera, Co. Derry. The McEldowneys hail from Draperstown, Co. Derry. Irish traditions, including Irish dance and sing songs, have always been a way of life for me. My grandparents instilled in me the importance of family, which is an element of Irish culture I value most in my life. It is an honor to be your 2016 Chicago Rose, and I hope to leave a lasting impression on Chicago and the Rose of Tralee Festival!

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NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

Grace Mary Schiller Boston & New England Rose

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Sheena Kelly

Clearwater Beach, Florida

Florida Rose

ello from The Sunshine State! I am a Florida native and an Irish citizen. I just graduated from the University of Florida with my degree in Psychology and Communications. I am currently taking a year off to serve as the Florida Rose before attending law school. I plan on pursuing a career in the legal field, specifically as a child advocate attorney, defending the legal rights of children and acting as their positive voice. While at the University, I served as Chapter President for Delta Gamma Fraternity, an organization fostering high ideals of character. I also served as Senator for Student Government, was awarded Miss Greek 2013 benefitting American Cancer Society, and spearheaded the Kind Campaign; and an active member of Florida Blue Key, leadership honorary, which recognizes individuals with outstanding ability, leadership, and service.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading motivational books, volunteering in my community, boating and all other outdoor activities the Florida weather permits. Furthermore, I am a champion Irish dancer and love that I can share my Irish dance talents with various organizations. I am the daughter of Lorraine FitzGerald Kelly from Saggart, Co. Dublin and Lawrence B. Kelly, Florida native and 4th generation Irish. My brother, Lawrence Brandan, and I have spent countless summers in Ireland visiting family. I also competed in the World Irish Dancing Championships at Citywest in my Nana and Grandad’s village. It is an honour and truly a dream come true to represent Florida in the Rose of Tralee International Festival. I know my family, friends, and sorority sisters who are not able to attend will be watching and cheering me on from America.

4 1. Modeling photoshoot, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 2. Kelly Family 3. University of Florida graduation 4. With some “Gators”

Morgan Loy Kentucky Rose

3 1. Running through Hollywood Hills with favorite running partner, Dad 2. Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky 3. With boyfriend, Christopher Hayden

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hen I learned about the opportunity to celebrate my family’s Irish heritage, I excitedly applied to be a Rose. Little did I know then, I was on my way to embarking on a once in a lifetime experience! I grew up learning about my family’s history. I vividly remember the first time my father read from a folder of documents that were passed down through his family. I learned about my distant grandparents, the William James family, who lived in County Derry and other relatives from Dublin. I eagerly anticipate seeing the sites and the countryside where my ancestors once roamed. As for me, Louisville, Kentucky is home. I am a 22-year-old college senior at the University of Kentucky, where I study accounting and marketing. This summer, I have taken on an internship in the marketing department of General Electric.

PHOTO BY BOB MCKINLEY

NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

At school, I am an Event Coordinator for the university’s student center. I love to volunteer and have served on the executive board for many campus organizations, including The Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Best Buddies (an organization that creates opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities). Another is Wrap Up America that puts on an annual Fort Building Competition. All of the blankets and registration money go to the people at our local homeless shelter. When I am not immersed in my studies and other commitments, I love to spend time with my family and friends. My sister, Merryll Loy, is making a name for herself in the music industry of Nashville, Tennessee. As a singer/songwriter, she has partnered up with many big names there! Watching her perform is one of my favorite things to do when I am home.

PHOTO BY ALLISON MARIE BALLARD

hannon graduated from Louisiana State University in December of 2015 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Disorders. She is working to attend graduate school to become a speech pathologist. Shannon’s hope is to work with autistic children. With deep roots in New Orleans’ Irish Channel, she takes great pride in her culture. The Burkes came to New Orleans from Galway over 160 years ago, but have maintained a strong community with the Irish, both old and new. Shannon is eager to represent her city, her family, and what it means to be a young Irish woman.

Kristin Stack

New York Rose

3 1. With mom (Jacqueline) ready for Lorraine Lynch’s (first cousin) wedding in Tralee, Co. Kerry 2. White-water rafting in Maine 3. With Nicholas Pineda (fiancé) at family wedding in Co. Cavan 4. At Irish Hunger Memorial in Manhattan, NY with NJ skyline

’m a 26-year-old Doctoral student, living in Garfield, NJ, though I also spend a lot of time in Pittsburgh, PA, where I’m working toward my PhD from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School of Business. My father, Michael Stack, is from Athea, Co. Limerick, and my mother, Jacqueline Stack, is from Tralee, Co. Kerry. I go to Ireland once or twice a year to spend time with family, and this will be an extra-special way to return in August! Both sides of my family follow the Rose of Tralee Festival and have deep respect for the Roses. I’m honored to be among them, and I thank my family for seeing the Rose in me long before I saw it in myself. Back in the USA, I’m determined to have a career in the business world without sacrificing the things that make me happiest, like spending time with family in Ireland. That’s why I’m pursuing a career in academia! I’ll need to work hard to succeed, but there’s more flexibility in where I work than in typical

corporate careers. When I’m not working or sneaking off to Ireland, I like running 5K’s with my dad and sister, and hiking fun trails with my fiancé, Nick. During my time as a Rose, I hope to encourage more Irish and Irish-American women to pursue careers in business and in academia. We’ve made leaps and bounds in terms of gender equality in these fields, though I think they could still use more smart, kind, and talented women. That’s one of many goals, and I’m looking forward to the experience of a lifetime in the year ahead!

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NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

Shannon Marie Burke New Orleans Rose

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NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Maigan Kennedy North Carolina Rose

ey, y’all! I’m 27 and I grew up in Durham, NC, just outside the capital city of Raleigh. I’ve been acting professionally for about four years, and have won awards for both solo and ensemble performances. I graduated in May with a BA in Theatre Performance and served as an officer for Alpha Psi Omega, the national theatre honors fraternity. I also take great pleasure in working backstage, most recently as general manager for a local, professional, nonprofit theatre. Another passion is music composition. I compose for theatre and movement pieces, and my composition style blends cello, piano, and voice to provide melodic (and sometimes eerie) underscoring for productions. My compositions have been featured statewide by professional and college theatre troupes. I’m a classically trained singer and cellist, and I play piano, guitar, bass, and tin whistle... I’m also trying to learn the bodhrán. Wish me luck!

I’m fortunate to be involved with two community arts organizations: Arts in Action, a group that emphasizes healthy lifestyle choices; and Theatre4Change, a group focused on teaching conflict resolution through improvisation. I also volunteer with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, where I coach English as a Second Language classes, outfit apartments for new arrivals, and mentor families on American culture. I can trace my family’s Irish heritage to before 1739, the year my ancestor John Kennedy immigrated from Carrickfergus to the United States. Though my link to Ireland is more than two centuries old, it just goes to show that Irish roots run deep, and I’m honored to represent my family and the North Carolina Irish in this prestigious festival!

Ohio Rose

Kathleen Rose O’Donnell 2

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4 1. With parents at Ohio Rose Selection 2. Photo shoot with dance and cirque group, Quixotic 3. Performs hoop dance at Irish Heritage Center of Cincinnati. Photo by Robert Flischel 4. Daisy after high school grad ceremony, 2012

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am 22 years old and grew up in the city of Cincinnati with my two loving parents, two older brothers, and our ditzy dog, Daisy. My Irish roots come mainly from Co. Donegal and Connaught on my father’s side. Although I have been living in Ohio’s most southwestern city my whole life, since I can remember my family has loved to explore the world. In the past year alone I have ventured to Colorado, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, and Michigan, to name a few places. In addition to traveling, I have a strong passion for dance and education. For seven years I pursued a professional ballet career, but a persistent and painful ankle injury forced me to re-evaluate my career goals. That is when I discovered two new core passions of mine. The first one, (hula) hoop dancing, satisfies my desire to continue dancing without the physically demanding commitment of ballet. The second one is teaching. I have always enjoyed helping others and making a positive impact in peoples’ lives, though

it only dawned on me after quitting ballet that I should consider education as a career. I am now pursuing a degree in middle school math and science education at the University of Cincinnati and will graduate next summer. I hope to incorporate hoop dance and movement into my future teaching curriculum. I also enjoy attending music festivals with my friends and family, supporting local artists, reading, modeling, painting, learning, and canoeing. I also help with the family business, Stanley’s Pub. By day, I work upstairs in the bookkeeping offices with my dad, and by early night I am downstairs tending the bar for our patrons.

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i! I am the 26-year-old middle sister of seven girls. Following my Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and Psychology from West Chester University, I am pursuing my Masters in Art Therapy and Counseling from Drexel University. I am the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Veterans House, serving homeless veterans in Philadelphia. Coming from a large family and realizing the blessings that have overwhelmed my life, I transferred my experiences into the work that I do and dedicated my service to the support of our military veterans and their families. I ran competitive track and field for 14 years and looking forward to completing my 4th marathon this October. I love art in all forms, especially when I have the opportunity to create it and am lucky to enjoy graphic design as a part-time career. I love to travel, meet new people

and spend as much time with family as possible. I am definitely most proud of my role as aunt to my nieces, Mary Grace and Claire, and nephew Ryan. I am a published illustrator of a children’s book that was written by my older sister, 2007 Philadelphia Rose, Colleen. I am Vice President of WCU’s Alumni Association Board-Chester County Chapter and member of the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. My Irish roots run back to great-grandparents’ lineage in Counties Derry, Donegal, and Kilkenny. I am so honored to have been chosen as the 2016 Philadelphia Rose of Tralee and beyond excited to embrace all that this experience has to offer. Hoping to make the Philadelphia Irish Community proud and looking forward to this incredible year ahead!

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1. With parents, Susan and John 2. 2015 Marine Corps Marathon with Matthew Eck, WDC 3. 1st Annual Philadelphia Veterans Parade 4. Easter Rising 100th Anniversary with U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, PA

Margaret Harkin San Francisco Rose

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4 1. Baker Beach in San Francisco, South of Golden Gate Bridge 2. Backpacking Ansel Adams Wilderness for Residence Life leadership development 3. Riding elephants in Chitwan, Nepal 4. Summiting Connemara peak in Ireland with friend and aunt

am the only daughter, with three brothers, to parents that moved to the sunshine in 1981. I grew up playing soccer and softball, with zero ability to Irish dance. Thankfully, my inability to jig or reel did not keep me from Ireland. My parents, born and raised in Leitrim, took us home frequently. While my friends have memories of Hawaiian volcanoes, my favorite summers were spent climbing rolling hills, watching sheep be dipped, and spending time with my cousins. I loved it, though I have yet to see Hawaii. I began volunteering while attending St. Francis High School, and have been fortunate enough to participate in eight U.S. Disaster Relief trips. From California wildfires to Oklahoma tornadoes, I found fulfillment in meeting the tangible needs of the hurting, and it has shaped my young adult life thus far. I spent the summer of 2012 in Nepal, playing soccer with street children during the day, and working to rescue trafficked young women

at night. It was in Kathmandu that I saw the disparity of health across the world; that the value of life differs greatly by where we live. I completed my Bachelors of Science in Public Health in 2013 and left the U.S. for Ireland, earning my Masters of Public Health in International Health from University College Dublin in December, 2015. This past January, on a medical mission trip to the Philippines, I decided to pursue a degree in Medicine, which is the current route I am on. Representing San Francisco in Ireland is beyond humbling—two places that raised me, shaped me, and have enabled me to reach out to the developing world.

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NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

Brigid Gallagher Philadelphia Rose

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Erin Moran South Carolina Rose

I am 26 years old and love living along the Atlantic Ocean coastline in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A native of the Boston area, I earned my degree in Communication from Westfield State University in Massachusetts, and I am currently pursuing my second university degree in Atmospheric Sciences through Mississippi State University. I have been working in television for more than five years and enjoy my current job as the Morning Weather Anchor for the local news affiliate of a major television network in the U.S. My very early-morning alarm clock means I am lucky to see many of our picture-perfect South Carolina sunrises! When I’m not reporting the weather for golfers and beachgoers, I delight in volunteering as a mentor to school-age children at the Boys and Girls Club of the Grand Strand.

My love of science and children also coincide during my frequent visits to local schools to speak with children about my job as a forecaster and how meteorologists use technology to predict the weather. I hope that I can inspire more children, especially young girls, to explore careers in science and technology. My Irish-American family includes my loving parents, four siblings and my adorable niece, Fiona. My two-year old lab-retriever mix pup, Nala, keeps me company while living so far from my family and has made South Carolina feel like home. I am proud of my family’s Irish roots in County Kildare. My great-great grandfather, Patrick Hannigan, was born in Harristown in 1852, and lived there until he emigrated to the United States in 1870. I am honored to be your 2016 South Carolina Rose.

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3 1. At work with niece, Fiona 2. With sister (a U.S. Marine) and Grandmother 3. At work as TV meteorologist 4. At the beach with Nala

Clara Murphy Southern California Rose 2

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1. Rock climbing at Hangar 18 gym 2. Santa Monica Beach 3. With sister Bridgette after her first Oireachtas 4. At the end of the 2016 Los Angeles Tough Mudder

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reetings from Claremont, California! My family originates from Enniskean and Rosscarbery, County Cork. My family came over to America and originally settled in Northern California. My childhood was spent traveling the world with my mom, my three sisters, and my dad when he was an active duty Army Officer. His tours took us to live in Kansas, Hawaii, and Italy, which instilled in me my love of travel. Last year I graduated with honors from the University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. I am active in my Delta Gamma sorority alumni chapter, and continue to contribute to our philanthropy, Service for Sight. Throughout my time in college I planned various events such as comedy shows, concerts, and homecoming, and had internships with companies like NBC Universal and Live Nation. My career goal

has always been to become a producer, and I recently started a new position as an associate producer at a television production company! When I’m not busy working, I host pub trivia nights at my local brewery, and act in student films. My passion for humor drives me to also run a blog documenting comedy, and funny beer names. My favorite activities include hiking, yoga, paddle boarding, rock climbing, and swimming. During my last year of college, I received the 2014-2015 Lifeguard Swim Instructor of the Year award. On the morning of our Rose Selection Ball, I completed my second 10-12 mile Tough Mudder obstacle course race. Within six hours, I went from being covered in mud, to a ball gown and heels. I am proud to represent Southern California at the 2016 International Rose of Tralee Festival!

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

Congratulations and good luck to our 2016 Southern California Rose

Clara Murphy

Learn more at www.irishfair.org/#!rose-of-tralee/cjmm Southern California Rose of Tralee, PO Box 2429 Toluca Lake, CA 91610 • 818-902-9066

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Blarney Castle, Co. Cork

Scéal

a Collection of Irish Stories, Music & Poetry

Helena Byrne presents a collection of her favourite Irish stories and poems of Leprechauns and Trooping Fairies, encounters with the ‘Other Folk’ and poems inspired by these magical tales that are sure to bring you into the ‘Other World’ and awaken your imagination. Delightful! She is Resident Storyteller for Irish Folk Tours’ show ‘An Evening of Food, Folklore & Fairies’ in Dublin; and performs in many events throughout Ireland. Hear excerpts at www.helenabyrne.com.

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NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CENTER

NORTH AMERICAN ROSE OF TRALEE

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Katherine O’Sullivan Texas Rose

ey y’all! I am 25 years old and absolutely thrilled to be this year’s Texas Rose. I was born and raised in Texas and currently reside in Austin, Texas. I am the older of two children, with my parents Brendan and Faith O’Sullivan and my younger sister, Christina. My Irish roots can be traced to Tralee and Ballyduff, County Kerry from my grandparents Martin and Nancy O’Sullivan. I also have Irish heritage through my mother whose great, great grandfather, Thomas Corcoran, immigrated to the U.S. from Macroom, County Cork in the 1850s. After completing my Bachelor’s degree in International Studies at Texas State University in 2013, I immediately got a job in the recruitment field. I am currently the lead recruiter for the most widely distributed newspaper in Texas, the Community Impact Newspaper. My passion is building relationships and

helping people succeed in their job search. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, two-step dancing, and playing Gaelic football on the Ladies GAA team in Austin with the Celtic Cowboys Sports and Social Club, which hosted the 2015 Hurling All-Stars this past December. I also volunteer for the Austin chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, which is a mentorship program for children that are facing adversity, to give them a strong, supportive one-to-one relationship outside of their families. I have had many great mentors in my life, so if I can be that person for a child, then that would be extremely fulfilling for me. I am truly honored to represent Texas at the International Rose of Tralee Festival and look forward to making new friends and enjoying every moment of this amazing event!

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3 1. Texas State Capitol Building 2. With best friends at Texas Rose Selection celebration 3. With dad and two of the 2015 GAA Hurling Allstars in Austin 4. By the Pennybacker Bridge, an Austin landmark

Sarah Olsen Washington D.C. Rose

t 23 years old, I am the youngest in a family of three girls. A native “Washingtonian,” I studied Finance with a concentration in Global Commerce at The University of Virginia. I work as a Financial Litigation Consultant in D.C. I am a keen Irish dancer and flautist, and have a passion for playing, watching, and refereeing soccer. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, long distance running, discovering new music, spending time with family, and travelling. I have wonderful memories of travelling around Ireland with my extended Olsen family (20+ relatives). During college, I gained new perspectives on the world studying abroad in China and Spain. The many opportunities I’ve had to experience new cultures have simultaneously made me more proud of my own Irish heritage.

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3 1. Olsen Family at Machu Picchu, Peru 2. Olsen sisters in the WDC St. Patrick’s parade 3. With mom at University of Virginia

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Inspired by my family, especially my mother, I feel a calling to help others. I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, The Boys and Girls Club of America, Special Olympics, and Women’s Heart Health. As a lifelong Girl Scout member and counselor, I aspire to help empower girls and make the world a better place. I have grown up as a part of the Washington D.C. Rose of Tralee community, participating as a Rosebud, Rose Petal, and now a Rose! At the 2007 Rose of Tralee Festival, I collected the autographs of every Rose and escort, including the D.C. Rose – my older sister, Laura. My Irish ancestry includes seven GreatGreat grandparents who were born in Counties Tipperary, Mayo, and Antrim. I am honored to travel back to Tralee as a representative of the Irish Community in Washington, D.C.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

Beihbinn Cullen

ach year, the Young Artists and Authors Showcase (YAAS) encourages youth from around the globe to express the mission of Sister Cities International (SCI) through original artwork, literature, film, and photography. Sister Cities International aims to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time. The Chandler, Arizona – Tullamore, Ireland Sister/ Twinned Cities’ 2015 International Essay Winner (Grand Prize) was Beihbinn Cullen. A 10th grader at Sacred Heart School in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, her work was part of the traveling exhibit for a year-long tour hosted by sister city programs on a monthly basis.

Connecting Communities for Peace and Prosperity Families and individuals connect with people all around the world, but for what? There’s enjoyment to be had and curiosity to be fed about different ways of life but connecting with people around the world isn’t just a want it’s a need. A need to survive, through ideas shared and thoughts expressed to help each other remain a strong and prosperous community that we have worked so hard and so long to build. Connecting with different nations helps keep peace between countries and let everyone live a peaceful and happy life. Giving a helping hand to people who need it, compassion to people with misfortune and understanding to people who are misunderstood. Corresponding with others helps this world thrive and develop for the better and lets us learn from others mistakes. Without international contact this world would be a reflection of confusion and disarray, it’s as developed and as peaceful as it is because of the communicating communities and support given even when it’s

Tucson, Arizona – Roscommon, Ireland Sister Cities

Strokestown Park The Irish National Famine Museum

not asked. This tittle isn’t just words, there is meaning behind it, not just one but many and whatever way you pick it up is up to you, but in my head it means that sharing your life with others in your area and outside it helps yours and everyone else’s lives function and survive. Students swap lives for a week and in that week they see the differences that separate their worlds and the similarities that combine them, in that short space of time they make a connection that could last a life time and proves that not only can friendships be made when there a thousand miles away but the connections made can drive and push them to continue on with the relation of two worlds made into one. In conclusion, without the help of our friends abroad and our foreign community’s, it would be a dull and incoherent world full of lonely people with discombobulated lives. Connecting communities for peace and prosperity really does help everyone to flourish alongside each other and truly does leave this world a peaceful and prosperous place.

ark is a unique visitor attraction in Strokestown. County Roscommon in The West of Ireland comprising of Strokestown Park House, a Georgian Palladian mansion preserved with its original furnishings and fabrics, which can be seen daily by guided tour. The House was the family home of the Pakenham Mahon family and is built on the site of the 16th century castle, home of The O Conor Roe Gaelic Chieftains. The Landlord Major Denis Mahon was assassinated in November 1847 at the height of The Great Famine of Ireland and it is fitting that The Irish National Famine Museum was established at Strokestown Park in 1994 using the unique original documents which came to light during the restoration of The House. The six-acre walled pleasure gardens have been restored to their original splendour and give an insight into horticultural design and architecture from the 1740s to the present day. Henry Pakenham was an avid gardener and travelled extensively, gathering plants and seeds from around the world. Many of these exotic plant specimens can be seen growing in the

walled gardens today. The walled gardens include features such as the herbaceous border, the fernery, the lily pond, the Victorian rose garden, pergola, peach house, vinery, fruit and vegetable garden and herb garden to name but a few. Strokestown Park is a must see attraction, whether for individuals, families, educational groups or coach tours. A tour of The House gives an intimate insight into life in The Big House, upstairs and downstairs. The Irish National Famine Museum tells a different story and highlights the parallels between a tragic chapter of Irish History and contemporary global hunger. The Walled gardens and Woodlands take you back again to the glorious surroundings of a planned Georgian estate. Within a short time, the visitor has been brought on a journey through Irish History, the good and the bad, from Ireland in the 1600s, right up to the present day. Caroilin Callery from Roscommon presented Strokestown Park as the featured speaker at the Annual Tucson-Roscommon Sister Cities Mayor’s Luncheon last March. More in upcoming editions.

The 2016 winners were announced after this edition went to press. For further information on Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities, please contact Ellen Harrington, (480) 600-8509 or chan.to.tull@gmail.com.

Arizona Poetry Finalist Representing Phoenix, Arizona - Ennis, Ireland Sister/Twinned Cities, Andrew Yancy placed as a finalist in the 2015 Sister Cities International Young Authors/Artists competition for his poem on peace. He is 17 and currently a senior at Sandra Day O’Connor High School. His work and others were featured in the 2016 International Showcase. See “The Pursuit of Peace” in the May-June 2016 edition of The Desert Shamrock.

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SISTER / TWINNED CITIES

Tullamore, Ireland’s Grand Prize Essay Winner

ENNIS COMMITTEE 200 West Washington, 20th Floor, Phoenix AZ 85003 || 602.534.3751

Awarded 2014

Ireland TOURISM TOWNS by National Tourism Development Authority (Ireland's National Tourism Authority)

Learn More Ennis and Phoenix established a sister cities affiliation in 1988. The Phoenix Sister Cities Ennis Committee is dedicated to promoting friendship and understanding between the cities of Phoenix and Ennis through a variety of programs. The Committee participates in the Phoenix Sister Cities Youth Ambassador Exchange Program and the St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Parade and Irish Faire; supports the Irish Cultural Center; coordinates an annual 5k Run/Walk; and promotes business opportunities between the two cities. The Committee meets monthly and welcomes new members. Ennis' history along with modern influences represents a pleasant blend of the historic past and active present. Its narrow bustling streets and lanes give character and ambiance to the town confirming that it is indeed somewhere very special. For more information on Ennis: www.visitennis.com Please contact Mary Hill-Connor Ennis Committee Chairperson at 602.635.9760

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JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

OPEN LETTER TO MAYORS

Chris Marley, Chino Valley, AZ

America the Beautiful and BagReadyJobs What leaders have to say

BagReadyJobs is a great tool for helping a community as it comes together to fight the recurring blight of litter upon our landscape. As citizens band together and help to clean up a community, there is a sense of camaraderie and unity which helps foster community spirit. I would like to thank Mr. Chamberlain for his love of the rural communities in Arizona and his desire to keep America beautiful. — Chris Marley, Mayor of Chino Valley (Vietnam veteran) Personal responsibility is certainly the best way to obtain results for any worthy project. It is the same for a community and its citizens when they determine how clean their community is going to appear as people live and visit within its borders. We are on the road for success using this methodology. — Charles C. German, Mayor of Camp Verde (Vietnam veteran) Gary adds, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has honored participants in these efforts with the help of our NCDOT staff, local residents, businesses, and educators to improve the image and economy of North Carolina.

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American Heritage Academy, Camp Verde, Arizona

BY GARY CHAMBERLAIN

ear Mayors of America, “Many hands with one goal to restore the true beauty to America the Beautiful.” As America’s mayors, you have the opportunity to participate in an effort of significance by annually supporting and recognizing your local, county, and state Adopt-A- Highway groups. For the past seven years, Folksville USA through its “America the Beautiful & “BagReadyJobs” has been working to share our message with the mayors of Arizona, my former residence, and those across the nation. The image and economy of their communities and America would be enhanced by taking the following steps as a thank- you to those that pick up highway litter. 1.To encourage your community residents, businesses, youth groups, etc. to participate in four equally spaced and repeating litter recovery events on the third Saturday of August, November, February, and May. This effort could result in attracting visitors and participants to see what happens when communities and residents work together on a common goal. 2. To invite all of your city, county, and state AdoptA- Highway groups to your town/city council meetings at the end of each year and individually recognize each of these groups by providing them with a certificate for their individual group efforts based on the frequency of their litter recovery efforts per year (Gold 4X, Silver 3X, Bronze 2X, and Iron 1X). 3. To encourage your community businesses to support your youth groups by using the “America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs” opportunity to earn their funding or perform a community service requirement. Your youth groups will work directly with your local Adopt-A- Highway groups and under their direct

Camp Verde Town Council (Charles German 3rd from left)

supervision complete the requirements by picking up highway litter. In Northern Arizona, the Cottonwood Boys & Girls Club, Cottonwood LDS Boy Scout Troop, American Heritage Academy, Verde Valley School, and Sedona Arizona Footy Soccer have participated in this program. Two of these groups have earned approximately $2,000 per year by picking up litter four times a year with the funding provided by a local resort. 4. To encourage the members of your town councils to either participate in one or all of the scheduled AdoptA- Highway events and/or adopt one of the one-mile Adopt-A- highway sections. There is great value in saying “thank you” to each and every Adopt-A-Highway group in your community newspapers and at your council meetings for what they do. These efforts make your community more appealing to your residents, visitors, and prospective new businesses that form an opinion of your community as they travel the highways that pass through. America’s Mayors, your headship and direction demonstrate you will lead from the front. Join us as we make America beautiful and ensure a lasting legacy for generations to come.

READ

about how to use the BagReadyJobs’ model in your community at DesertShamrock.com.

Gary Chamberlain is a Vietnam veteran who has organized Folksville, USA as a way to motivate youth and communities to participate in his BagReadyJobs concept to eradicate highway litter. A former resident of Arizona, he and his wife now live in Cherokee County, North Carolina. For more information, contact Gary at FolksvilleUSA@gmail.com, 928-202-1186.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

PART 2:

More info, photos, and video at www.apiping weekend.com!

BY BETTY PAGE VALLELONGA

had been enjoying bagpipe music for at least 40 years before I learned that there were more than one type of pipes and more than one type of pipe music. Happily, my ignorance did not dampen the thrill I felt every time I heard “Amazing Grace” or “Prince of Denmark.” But developing a bit larger understanding of the object of my affection has definitely enhanced my enjoyment.

Types of Pipe Music All bagpipe music seemed like the very epitome of “big” music to me. So it was a surprise to learn that all those familiar marches, airs, hornpipes, jigs and reels make up what is known as Ceòl Beag, “Little Music” or light music. But if “Highland Cathedral” is “little,” then what could possibly be “big?” The answer is piobaireachd (“pea-brock”), also known as Ceòl Mór or “Great Music.” This is the classical music of the great highland bagpipe and it is by far the most challenging pipe music to play. Prestigious

piping competitions, such as the Gold Medals at Oban, are won by pipers playing Ceòl Mór.

Why Piobaireachd? Learning to play Ceòl Mór is a great challenge, with all its variations of theme and rhythm, and the old traditional tunes tend to be much longer than light music tunes. But these difficulties serve the piper well. Helping to develop and strengthen his or her skills. Simply put, for a piper pursuing excellence, Piobaireachd is “what’s next.” Each year, pipers from throughout the southwest have the opportunity to take up the challenge of Piobaireachd here in Phoenix at A Piping Weekend where one or more world class pipers conduct workshops. This year’s workshops take place on December 3.

Uileann Pipes But piping, of course, does not end with the great highland pipes. Groves’ Dictionary of Musical Instruments actually

Bill Caswell of the Las Vegas Fire Department Honor Guard competing in the Solo Piping Competition, A Piping Weekend 2015. He’s playing the ground and one variation of a piobaireachd.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUCE GANDY

A Little Pipe Music

ARTS

ARIZONA PIPING ON THE GROW

lists no less than seventy types. Of those, the pipes most familiar to Celts in the U.S. are the uileann (“il-yun”) pipes. They differ from the highland pipes in several ways. The bag is filled by an elbow-operated bellows, not a blow pipe. The chanter has a two-octave, rather than a nine-note, range. They feature regulators, which are used to accompany the melody. Uileann pipes are associated most closely with Irish traditional music, but their mellow sound and versatility mean they’re well suited for other types of tunes as well. In the next issue, we’ll follow the journey of a young local piper building his skills. Betty Page Vallelonga is a retired health educator and lifelong lover of pipe music. She has worked as a volunteer at several Arizona Irish festivals, Bloomin’ Beerfests and A Piping Weekend events. Her earliest known Irish ancestor is her sixth great grandmother, Sally Kelly, who emigrated from Roscommon to Virginia in the late 1600s.

Matt’s grandparents, James Joseph Cunningham and Delia McNicholas, each emigrated from Co. Mayo, Ireland, met and married in Chicago

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PHOTO @VISITSCOTLAND.COM/ KENNY LAM

SCOTS

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Reflections on Edinburgh’s

Royal Mile

BY LOIS A. WALLACE

s with all great cities, there is much to see in Edinburgh. What sights to see; which museum to spend your time in? Which tour will interest you most? Where is the best shopping and where to eat? There are many guidebooks out there that will give you their opinion. It is all very subjective. You might ask why I am writing this article. I have had many clients traveling to Scotland. When they

ask me about Edinburgh and the Royal Mile, they are wanting to know my perspective and observations as someone who has experienced it. You will be enchanted by the history, culture, architecture, religion, and tradition on the Royal Mile; I know I am. All of these aspects can be seen on this one truly unique section of the city known as the Royal Mile. Along this mile and one hundred and seven yards Edinburgh Castle is at the top (it sits on a volcanic plug) and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at

the bottom. No matter how much time you have in the Scottish capital, you will want to spend some of it there. I have been four times and still can’t say I have seen it all. The time of year you visit will have a big influence on what you will see. Summer is of course the tourist season. The busiest of the months being August when the Edinburgh International Festival, Fringe, and the Royal Military Tattoo are taking place. I have read that in August the population of the city

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Lois Wallace is the owner of Authentic Celtic Travels, based in Phoenix, AZ. Not only is her heritage Scottish and Irish, she married into Clan Wallace. Her business focus is on all Celtic nations. She has extensive knowledge of Scotland, having traveled there numerous times individually and leading groups.

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doubles. As one guidebook puts “it is a highly charged affair” with huge crowds, to which I can attest. Truly a one of a kind experience, it is well worth it if you are prepared. For a more leisurely pace and the ability to see more, I suggest any month but August. I truly love the Royal Mile; to me, it is “the Greatest Show on earth.” I have lots more to tell about it so have decided this will be an introduction to a full-fledged report. Go to my website at AuthenticCelticTravels.com to download “Reflections on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.” I hope you enjoy it.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

Scotland Bucket List

Trains S BY BOB WALLACE

Newtonmore (blue and white) and Fort William

Fort William player receiving treatment during a game against Inverary.

BY IAIN LUNDY

team-powered locomotives. Something about those machines led many a young child to think about being the engineer one day, sending steam to the cylinders to move the train, pulling the cord to signal anyone close by with the whistle. Those engines started out simple enough but evolved to complex machines before they disappeared. Well, nearly disappeared. Not all of them have been torched for scrap prices. One needs only know where to look. Across the pond, of course! Billed as the most scenic rail journey in the world, several classes of steam locomotive have been in use since 1984, towing passengers from Fort William to Mallaig and back during The Jacobite Steam Train season which runs from May 9 to late October; Saturdays and Sundays, June 18 to September 18 included for the morning schedule. Afternoon runs begin in mid-May to August 26, Saturdays and Sundays included between July 2 and August 28. Locomotives on The Jacobite Steam Train are ancient by today’s standards. Black 5 and Black 5MT models date to the 1930s, the latter class including a total of 842 locomotives erected in Doncaster Shops. Each class here is 4-6-0 wheel arrangement under the locomotive, while a third locomotive, K1, dates to 1949, a 2-6-0. For some, the name The Jacobite Steam Train may not be familiar to you. Talk with your children or grandchildren, they being more likely to know this train as the Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter movies. One other steam locomotive has recently returned to the rails of Scotland, that being Flying Scotsman following major repairs to make it operational once again. How old is this engine? It was seen

in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf in 1971 after years of running London to Edinburgh on the passenger service of the same name. Built in 1923, it’s a 4-6-2 Pacific-type locomotive with two world records: 100 miles per hour in 1934, and longest non-stop run in Australia in 1989. The next opportunity to see the locomotive at the National Railway Museums is in light steam at Locomotion; the National Railway Museum at Shildon from the 23-31 July, as the star engine at a free ‘Shed Bash’ event. I saw the engine many years ago in San Francisco during its U.S. visit and it has stayed at the top of my Scotland Bucket List ever since. No longer in regular passenger service, Flying Scotsman now runs on special trips advertised well in advance, each of them selling out quickly. A recent search on the Internet found pictures of the locomotive and train just south of the Firth of Forth Rail Bridge, working the slightly ascending hill on its way back to Edinburgh. What a beautiful sight!

For more information, visit www.westcoastrailways.co.uk and click on The Jacobite; and www.flyingscotsman.org.uk with exhibits (limited dates) at the National Railway Museum, www.nrm.org.uk.

Bob Wallace is a Council member and past president of Clan Wallace Society. He and his wife, Lois, have traveled to Scotland many times. Since joining the Clan, Bob has become highly interested in Scotland’s First Wars of Scottish Independence, in particular the history associated with Sir William Wallace and King Robert I, the Bruce. Bob is Chief Research Assistant for Authentic Celtic Travels. Lois’s travel business. They now reside in Phoenix.

Flying Scotsman arrives at York Station, England

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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veryone who has even a touch of Irish heritage is well aware of the significance of the game of hurling to the country’s sporting and cultural landscape. It is a no-nonsense, rough and tumble--but highly skillful—ball game with a fanatical allIrish following. Across the Irish Sea, in the small villages dotted around the Scottish Highlands, men and boys play out the Caledonian equivalent of hurling. Shinty is equally tough; it plays a huge part in the sporting life of the nation, and the players are heroes within their small communities. There are many similarities between the two disciplines, so much so that an annual shinty-hurling match, with composite rules, is played between a hurling select and a shinty select. The Irish have had the upper hand in recent years but the contests are generally close affairs. Shinty has its roots in the north of Scotland. The most successful clubs are based in little villages such as Newtonmore, Kingussie, Spean Bridge, Kiltarlity, Strathpeffer, Drumnadrochit, Cannich, Dalmally, and Tighnabruaich. The gladiators who wield their wooden sticks (known as camans) and try to get the small hard ball into the opponent’s net are fiercely loyal to their communities. Father and son dynasties are commonplace throughout the shinty world and very rarely is there a defection. If a young man from Kingussie turned out in the colors of Newtonmore, he would be on the wrong end of some less-than-subtle home town questioning.

The Saturday afternoon games are full of passion. Tempers often spill over not only on the field of play but also in the pubs afterwards. But the world of shinty is close-knit and there is a great respect and camaraderie throughout the Highlands for the players who sweat and spill blood for their home villages. Scottish comedian Billy Connolly, while lamenting the sorry performances of the Scottish national soccer team, once suggested that shinty should become Scotland’s national sport. It might have been tongue-in-cheek but there have been worse ideas. There is something about the competitive nature and the community spirit of shinty that makes Scots proud of their “ain folk.” Once a player becomes a “shinty hero,” his name lives on forever in the annals of his club. There are no multimillion-pound transfer fees associated with shinty; the players all have full-time jobs outside the game and play for beer— or perhaps whiskey—money. If your ancestry stretches back to Scotland as well as Ireland, you might discover a connection with the playing fields of northern Scotland. A “shinty hero” in your family tree should be a source of great pride and inspiration for future generations.

PHOTO BY NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM/SSPL

Scotland’s Hurling Equivalent

The Jacobite along scenic Scotland route

SCOTS

Shinty

JULY/AUGUST 2016 THE DESERT SHAMROCK Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland

PHOTO BY BARBARA-WALSH.PIXELS.COM/

CULTURE

Rainbow Story T BY CARMELITA LEE

he first place I lived in Ireland was in Bray, right on the coast, about 24 miles from Dublin on the Dublin Road (N11). We lived in an estate called Miller’s Wood. From my bedroom window I could see an old church at the top of a rise. From my vantage point, it was the prominent point of my focus. I believe it was called St. Fergal’s Church. The bells rang several times a day back then (1999 – 2004). Every morning I would see the church, hear the bells. Usually I saw a gray on gray palette, the dark stones pressed into a gray sky, with the heavy trees appearing almost black, swaying in the constant wind. When the sun was out it was nicer, but I was still trying to get used

The

to, well, living away from Arizona, where we welcome rare gray skies and the promises they hold. But early one morning when I was staring out the window, listening to the bells intrude upon the quiet of a Sunday, there was a sudden appearance of the sun— somewhere, I’m supposing—because I didn’t see it. I was sad that day, I remember, wondering what I had done. Just staring, and staring, and taking little comfort. I was praying, I remember. And as I gazed at the church, the most remarkable thing happened. As the sun struck and backlit the church in just the right moment, at just the perfect angle, it shown through the stained glass at the top of the bell tower and…cast a rainbow onto the mournful gray sky. It lasted only an instant, not even long enough for my

husband to come and see. But it brightened my heart and my day, surely an answer to my prayer, that I would be all right in Ireland, and that missing home wouldn’t kill me. I did get used to it and ended up staying 12 years. In fact, one of the things I miss most about the place is…the weather! After Bray I lived in Stepaside, Stillorgan, and Dundrum, each with their own funny stories to tell. On my very last day in Ireland, I had taken the train out to Bray to close my banking accounts and say goodbye to the bankers and merchants in the town who knew me by name. I was traveling by Dart back into the city, and, deep in thought, was watching the wind whip up the waves into a thousand foamy whitecaps. I wondered if I was going to be okay going back home. I was leaving a place I totally loved. It was a cold, windy, but sunny day. As I looked out through the window for a last, long goodbye, the Dart rounded the bay and headed into Dun Laoghaire. It was then I noticed that each wave had a perfectly formed rainbow forming and dissipating into the sea, glowing and leaving, glowing and leaving, glowing and leaving. I’ve come to learn that the gold at the end of those rainbows has actually turned into the fond memories that I treasure, hidden in my heart. Carmelita Lee How does a gal named Carmelita claim to be Irish? Scottish, even? Granny Holland’s family hailed from Ennis, County Clare, and Grandpa Maxwell from the Borderlands, Scotland. Her husband’s mother was a Dowdall, and he had a Grandma O’Higgins...ye can’t be more Irish than that!

Linen Line

BY KRISTIE STEVENSON

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Kristie Stevenson, a fourth generation Arizonan, traces her Celtic ancestry back to Ireland, Scotland and Wales. A CROFT member, she enjoys spinning, felting and quilting. She, with her husband Chris (aka Olaf the Coin Minter), spend summers in their home in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland and winter in Glendale, Arizona.

PHOTO BY KRISTIE STEVENSON

hortly after I was first living in Ireland I visited a charity shop near our apartment. I was stunned to find a trunk full of linen for sale. Who would give linen away? I happily bought more than I should have and went home with my treasure. I asked some of my Irish friends where the best places were to buy linen, figuring if you were Irish, you would know this. They knew where to buy bed linens but not real linen. Why would I want real linen? It needed ironing and was old fashioned. Only tourists buy it. My American heart still wanted linen. My husband and I were driving in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, the town where we live. We passed a place called Thomas Ferguson Irish Linen. It had a sign outside which said Gift Shop. We stopped in. I discovered a feast of linen delight. Ferguson’s is the last mill in Ireland weaving Jacquard damask linen. As any good factory gift shop should, it has perfect new items at better prices than anywhere else in Ireland; after all, this is the place that makes those items. They also have factory seconds and the ‘for a pound’ bin. What I have found in the pound bin! Just as a side note, Ferguson’s makes the linen for some of the royal houses of the world, for the Titanic Belfast exhibition, and for Game of Thrones. Not far from Banbridge, up the highway from Dublin on the way to Belfast, is the town of Dromore. Dromore has a cathedral, a castle, a motte and bailey, and the last working flax mill in Ireland. What is a flax mill?

Flax is the plant from which linen is made. At one time there were hundreds of flax mills in operation in Ireland. Flax is no longer grown in Ireland as a crop. So those mills closed except for McConville’s, a traditional flax mill driven by a waterwheel. Eugene McConville, who looks like he could have stepped straight out of a movie, will show you the way flax is scutched, or prepared, for being made into linen. Tours need to be arranged before getting there. Yet closer to Belfast is Lisburn and the Irish Linen Center. This fine museum shows the history of linen “from Flax to Fabric.” There is the opportunity to watch the spinners working at making thread and the weaving of the cloth. The museum takes you into the lives of the people who made the fabric. If you are blessed to be on the road between Belfast and Dublin and want linen, take the opportunity to stop at Thomas Ferguson Irish Linen. A factory tour can be arranged ahead of time, but the Gift Shop is always worth the time. McConville’s Flax Mill in Dromore, and The Irish Linen Center of Lisburn extended my view of the linen trade in Ireland. For this American woman, I will always succumb to the elegant lure of linen.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK JULY/AUGUST 2016

Black Kettle Opening, Phoenix

In front of Famine Memorial with Jazmine Ryan, Scott Jeffers provided an amazing concert in The Great Hall! Hear him at travelerworldfusion.com!

Harrison St. Pierre, Carl O’ Callaghan, Tom Montgomery, and Jason Key

Cindy & Michael McClanathan in NYC

AZ Renaissance Pirates with Caleb, Olivia, and Julian