January January-February – February 2017 2015~~Arizona’s Arizona’sOriginal OriginalIrish IrishNewspaper Newspaper~~Vol. Vol.28, 26,No. No.11
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Quick look!
Irish National Stud Gardens Don’t miss this hidden treasure
O
ne of the tour stops for 2016 Arizona Rose Ciara Archer was a lovely reception and to see the horses and horticulture of the Irish National Stud Gardens. It now belongs to the people of Ireland since the middle of the last century but prides itself on being enjoyed and appreciated by visitors from all parts of the globe. For me as Editor, I was honored with a personal tour by David Wardell, Tourism Development Manager. The science of breeding, research, and precision are quite fascinating. Located in County Kildare, the beating heart of Ireland’s thoroughbred industry, the farm at Tully was purchased from the Fay family in 1900 by Colonel William Hall Walker.
Hall Walker became the most successful breeder of the age, enjoying his finest hour when King Edward VII led MINORU, born and raised at Tully, into Epsom’s winner’s enclosure following a famous victory in the 1909 Derby. In 1915 the farm and all its stock was gifted to the Crown and became The National Stud under the leadership of Sir Henry Greer. The success continued with the farm producing the winners of all five Classics. In 1942, SUN CHARIOT landed the Triple Crown—the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and St. Leger—for King George VI. Not far from Dublin going south, you can see stallions, mares, foals (268 last year), yearlings, retired living National Hunt Legends, and learn of Ireland’s triumphs on
Celebrate with the Celtic Community All Year.
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Enjoy life and blessings, and a good read!
Ann Niemann, Editor in Chief and Publisher
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No.11 26,No. Vol.28, Newspaper~~Vol. IrishNewspaper OriginalIrish Arizona’sOriginal 2015~~Arizona’s – February 2017 January-February January
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the turf in their widely-acclaimed museum. It is also home to beautiful Japanese Gardens over 100 years old, the finest of their kind in Europe. And when all that is done, refuel in their restaurant before a visit in the gift shop. Closes during the winter; reopens January 30. Stallion stud fees currently range from €1,000 to €120,000 ($1,063 to $127,596).
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FIRST FRIDAY CELTIC SINGING CIRCLE PART OF PHOENIX ART WALK Fridays, Jan 6, Feb 3 • 6.30pm until late The Great Hall, FREE Family-Friendly, Live Music, Art Show, Crafts Cash Bar, Dinner available for purchase
FAMILY STORY HOUR Saturdays, January 6, February 4 10:30am–Noon FREE
BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP Saturdays, January 28, February 25 10:30am–12:30 pm FREE THIRD FRIDAY CEILI (IRISH SOCIAL DANCING) Jan 20, Feb 17 • 7:30pm until late
The Great Hall, Beginners’ Lesson 6:30pm Tickets: $6; under 12 FREE (2 with each paid admission) Family-Friendly, Live Music, Cash Bar
“IRISH TEA CEREMONY” Third Saturday of each month Saturdays, Jan 21, Feb 18 1:30pm–3pm Norton Room, Reservations only!
GENEALOGY WORKSHOP Saturday, February 11 10:30am–12:30pm
THE ACADEMY OF IRISH AND CELTIC STUDIES 9-week Term 3 begins January 9 [Term 4 begins March 21]
Group and private lessons available AND offer member-discounts
Call for pricing and details 602-864-2357 or email academy@azirish.org
PRIVATE MUSIC CLASSES Tuesday - Saturday, available for all levels
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THE DESERT SHAMROCK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
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TABLE OF
CONTENTS January/February 2017 ~ Arizona’s Original Irish Newspaper
HISTORY
8 HUMOR: The Princess and the Pea at Dunloe 10 Historical Fiction Alive and Well 20 Celtic Artisan: Wendy Beaver 21 Spinning Yarn in the Grave 22 Book Review: Twisted River: A Novel 24 Arizona Piping on the Grow, Part 3:
CULTURE 3 Publisher’s Note: Irish Nat’l. Stud Gardens 12 Celtic Caterer: Dundee Cake 13 Keltic Kitchen: Southwestern Coddler 16-17 Anam Cara Awards Gala 22 Many Nations’ Heritage in Ireland
EVENTS 2 53rd Annual Scottish Highland Games, Phoenix 4 Irish Cultural Center & McClelland Library EVENTS 13 CONCERT: Derek Warfield and Young Wolfe Tones, Tucson 19 Orkney, The Highlands, and North Coast, Scotland Tour 23 CONCERT: Altan, Phoenix 23 MIM: Experience Ireland, Phoenix 23 Desert Shamrock’s Writers’ Workshop 27 Phoenix St. Patrick’s Parade & Faire 30 Robert Burns Night FUNDRAISER, Phoenix 31 CONCERT: Ireland’s Rhythm of the Dance, Chandler 31 San Diego St. Patrick’s Parade & Festival 31 Kiss Me I’m Irish Run/Walk, Glendale 31 Join Kilt Run World Record Attempt! Glendale 32 AZ Renaissance Festival, Gold Canyon
18 SCOTS: Founding of Oracle, AZ
SISTER CITIES
FEATURES
14 5th Annual Southwest Tea - Photos
TRAVEL 6 Young Ambassador to N. Ireland: A journey with no end
7 Left Lane Maureen, Part 17: Must See in Ireland! 14 WELSH: Walking Tours – Aber Falls 18 Scotland Bucket List: Forth Rail Bridge 19 The North Coast 500, Scotland 22 The Sign of the Trees 25 AZ Colleen & Rose: A Rose Blooming
OUT & ABOUT
8
PHOTO BY EDMUND DULAC
ARTS
HUMOR: The Princess and the Pea at The Dunloe
26 Photo Galleries
DIRECTORIES 11 Celtic Pubs & Eateries 28-29 Organizations, Sister Cities, Dance, Clans
CALENDAR 30 Schedule of Events Irish tenor, Anthony Kearns
16
Anam Cara Awards Gala
21
Spinning Yarn in the Grave
Honorees: Moriarty and Lee
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Dr. Tim Campbell and Laddie
2016 Young Ambassadors
A journey with no end BY LADDIE SHANE 2016 ARIZONA FRIENDS OF SAINT PATRICK YOUNG AMBASSADOR, NORTHERN IRELAND
M
y Irish lineage has always intrigued me but until this past summer I had yet to fully explore this interest. After spontaneously attending a Book Drive Charity event at the Irish Cultural Center, I met Ciara Archer, 2015 Young Ambassador and 2016 Arizona Colleen & Rose. We talked and she brought up the Young Ambassador program and 5 months later I was lucky enough to board a plane to Northern Ireland. When I landed in Dublin, a gentleman named Dr. Tim Campbell greeted me. He would be taking care of me and five other Young Ambassadors from around North America for two weeks. The next morning was life changing as we started at the Saint Patrick Centre where Dr. Tim is the Director in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. Exploring the interactive museum and learning the story of Saint Patrick, we then went on the Saint Patrick Trail to the sights of his legacy.
IAIN LUNDY Freelance Journalist
It was an amazing and moving experience as we saw world renowned landscapes filled with rich history. Standing at Saint Patrick’s resting place is breathtaking and to visit is truly emotional because of its meaning to the community built around it. We then better understood the story of Patrick and the purpose of the Centre (yes that was only Day 1!). My fellow five Young Ambassadors and myself split off each day as we met the people of Northern Ireland over the two weeks. With my work experience in politics and education policy in Arizona, Dr. Tim found amazing opportunities for me to see the differences between Arizona and the United States’ political/government system versus Northern Ireland. On my first day, I headed to Stormont Parliament Buildings, the home to the Northern Ireland Assembly, their legislative body. It is a grand building in the Greek Classical style, housing a unicameral legislature (one chamber). After learning about the Assembly, I spent the rest of the week in the offices of Margaret Richie and Jim Shannon, two members of Parliament (MP’s),
and Member of the Assembly (MLA) Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard. Each of the three elected officials were members of three different political parties so there was a lot to learn and do each day. Probably one of the most comical moments on the trip was when I answered phones…the constituents were very shocked to hear an American on the other end of the phone (ha). I researched topics for the elected officials to speak on in the upcoming days. After a fact filled first week, we hit the road with Dr. Tim for the weekend and traveled the Great Antrim Coast, seeing places like the Giant’s Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. After a great weekend sightseeing, I was back at Stormont and had a private meeting with Speaker of the House Robin Newton. We discussed many topics facing the United States and Northern Ireland and I got to hear his perspective on the future of Northern Ireland. The rest of the week I visited with many local elected officials and learned about why they got involved and what they hope to see Northern Ireland become. Being in Northern Ireland the week before the historic “Brexit” vote,
I heard many viewpoints on the future from many important figures. However, everyone had the same theme: peace and prosperity for their children and grandchildren. This message that is shared by so many is the message of Saint Patrick and what makes this program so special. No matter if you are finishing school like me or at a different chapter in life, the journey never ends. Saint Patrick’s journey lives on because of the Centre and its friends. I’m so thankful for this opportunity. If you are or know someone between the ages of 20-25 interested in being a Young Ambassador, visit www.youngambassadorprogram.com to learn more and apply today! Laddie Guy Shane has a degree in Political Science and a Certification in Civic Education from Arizona State University. He also works full- time in politics on many major projects, serving as Deputy Director of Constituent Affairs for Governor Doug Ducey. Born in Peoria, Illinois, which has a large IrishAmerican community, it made St. Patrick’s Day a great family and community affair! Laddie Guy Buckles, his great-grandfather, was born on St. Patrick’s Day, so the family celebrates the day honoring two important men.
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PART 17:
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DRIVING TIPS FROM LEFT LANE MAUREEN
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Must See in Ireland! BY MAUREEN AND JOHN SULLIVAN
Driving through Ireland, Maureen has picked our top 20 sites to visit:
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Giant’s Causeway, Bushmill’s Distillery County Antrim www.giantscausewayofficialguide.com Red hot lava erupted from underground fissures and crystallized some 60 million years ago into the shapes we see today.
2
Titanic Belfast Northern Ireland www.titanicbelfast.com The Belfast shipyard is birthplace of the great, unsinkable Titanic.Visit the Titanic Experience Tour and interactive museum. Great café.\
3
Dublin’s Hop-on Hop-off Bus County Dublin www.dublinsightseeing.ie This is the best, easiest and most economical way to view Dublin town in I ¾ hours. Travel the city and then go back to one or several of the 23 sites on the route.The ticket is good for 2 days.
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Newgrange Monolithic Tomb County Meath www.newgrange.com Amazing Stone Age passage tomb, which predates Stonehenge and the Pyramids. At dawn on the 21st of December, the sun illuminates the passage chamber for 17 minutes.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE AND KEITH BRAMMER, CLIENTS
Powerscourt, Glendalough Abbey County Wicklow www.powerscourt.com Powerscourt has a lovely house and gardens, bronze Pegasushorses andspectacular views. Glendalough monastery was established in the 6th century by St. Kevin.
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Ulster American Folk Park County Tyrone www.nmni.com/uafp The Park’s permanent exhibition details the conditions and leave-taking of 2 million Irish who left Ulster in the 18th and 19th centuries.
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Donegal, Inishowen Peninsula County Donegal www.govisitdonegal.com Grianan of Ailigh- an impressive stone
monument built around 5th century B.C. Possibly the baptismal place of Owen of the O’Neill clan by St. Patrick, and the royal residence of the O’Neills.
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Slieve League Cliffs County Donegal www.slieveleaguecliffs.ie This most dramatic of sea cliffs are the highest in Europe at 1,972 ft.The shades of color at sunset are a beauty to behold!
9
Yeats Country, Parke’s Castle County Sligo www.heritageireland.ie This is Yeats country and his burial place is in Drumcliff.The famed “Isle of Innisfree” is off Lough Gill.
10
Croagh Patrick County Mayo www.heritageireland.ie This is to the Irish “the holy mountain.”St. Patrick is said to have spent 40 days here, in fasting and prayer. It was an ancient worship site dating to 3000 B.C.
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Clonmacnois, Birr Castle County Offaly www.heritageireland.ie This lovely medieval monastery on Shannon’s banks was founded in 545 A.D. and was birthplace to scholarly and saintly writings until its plunder by the English in 1552 A.D.
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Rock of Cashel County Tipperary www.heritageireland.ie The Rock which rises majestically of out Tipperary plain, was the seat of the Kings of Munster from the 5th century. In 1100 A.D., it was handed over to the church, but fell into ruins after the English slaughtered 3,000 inhabitants in 1647 A.D.
The Brammers at Slieve League, Co. Donegal
was once Ireland, with its Irish speaking islanders welcoming visitors.Dun Aengus is a visitor’s delight!
Blasket Centre, and the beehive huts of the monks. The peninsula is signposted in the Irish language.
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Connemara, Kylemore Abbey County Galway www.connemara.net Beautiful Abbey built as a family home for the Mitchell family in the 19th century. Belgian Benedictine nuns turned it into an Abbey during WWI.
Burren, Cliffs of Moher County Clare www.burren.ie; www.cliffsofmoher.ie This is one of Ireland’s most spectacular sites!The Cliffs rise from the sea to 670 feet and run relentlessly for five miles.
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Killarney, Ring of Kerry County Kerry www.killarney.ie; www.theringofkerry.com Here an abundance of natural beauty and adventure await, including the Ring of Kerry, the Gap of Dunloe, Muckross House, jaunting carts.Killarney is synonymous with great food, and lively music.
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Dingle Peninsula County Kerry www.dingle-peninsula.ie; www.blasket.ie This is one of my favorite peninsulas. The whole area is rich in historic sites including the Gallarus Oratory, Dunbeg Fort,
Cobh Heritage, Immigrant and the Titanic Museums County Cork www.cobhheritage.com Cobh was the last land stop of the Titanic and has two very worthwhile museums about immigration and the Titanic’s fatal journey. West Cork, Drombeg Stone Circle County Cork www.megalithicireland.com The best countryside of all Ireland is West Cork, God’s country.East of Glandore is the “Drombeg Stone Circle.” It was a prayer circle and meeting place for the Druids. Contact Sullivan’s Travels, Inc. and we will build your dream journey to Ireland! 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
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Eyre Square, Galway City County Galway www.galwaytourism.com One of my favorite Irish cities is Galway. Great for walking, good food, lively music, and shopping. The famed Claddagh ring is from this area.
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Aran Islands County Galway www.visitaranislands.com These three islands, particularly Inis Mor, give a visitor a look at the way of life that
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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HUMOR
8
A
BY CARMELITA LEE
t 5 p.m. I was given a last-minute assignment in Killarney for the next morning. No overnight bag, not even a toothbrush, I was told GO. NOW. I rushed to Houston Station while our client arranged a B&B and taxi. I arrived at 10 p.m. A man was holding a sign that said “Carmentita” and without a word passing between us, I got into his car. We quickly ran out of street lights and stop signs, heading out into the country roads. No cars. No lights. We turned onto a much smaller road. I tried talking but was met with total silence. We rumbled over a wooden bridge. I became frightened. The road got smaller and smaller, heading up, up, up a winding road. Panic set in when we turned onto a dirt road that led into the forest. I stifled a scream as we hit a rise that sent me bouncing. I could see lights ahead, and then the man thrust a card in my face and shouted, “Next time ye come, I can get ye a cheaper room.” It was a...five star castle. Then I saw that my driver had huge hearing aids in both ears! Inside, the receptionist seemed concerned. “Oh, Carmentita, we were so worried about you! Your room is waiting for you.” She explained that my fees were all paid, and the chef was standing by, because “We are sure you’re hungry after your journey.” A man dressed in medieval clothes escorted me through the exquisite castle, which I learned was called Dunloe Castle, 11 kilometers from Killarney, at a much higher elevation. I was taken to a most magnificent room with something I had never seen before—a double king-sized bed with easily 100 pillows. A full-sized fridge with full-sized bottles, none of those puny mini bottles. 900 channels on the television. A floor to ceiling arched window with golden drapes and a view to die for. A hot tub. A fireplace that was already lit. You can hear the sounds of two rivers on either side. A full basket of fruit and chocolates. I couldn’t stop giggling. I ordered a steak… I wanted to check if there was a pea under my mattress.
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA… I brought my husband to the second deposition at Dunloe Castle three weeks later. When we arrived we were escorted to, well, not the same room. It was nice. Like a Marriott. Mini bottles. Two mints on the pillow case. No fruit. But the same 900 channels. I went down to reception for something, and the receptionist asked me if I liked my room. “Yes, I said, it’s lovely, but a bit different than the last one.” “Oh, Carmentita,” she said, dropping her head, “last time we thought you were the president of the nursing board, and we put the president in your present room, and you were in her room…” The Dunloe is one of the best 5-star luxury hotels Ireland has to offer. It sets on its own 64-acre estate leading to the ruins of a 12th century castle and River Laune. The Dunloe closed for a major refurbishment. RE-OPENING 2018.
Matt’s grandparents, James Joseph Cunningham and Delia McNicholas, each emigrated from Co. Mayo, Ireland, met and married in Chicago
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The Dunloe, Co. Kerry 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!
THE DESERT SHAMROCK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
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Colleen O’Dowd Cutler 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. FHA, VA, Conventional and Reverse Mortgages
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Mother is Mary Patricia Doyle of the Doyle clan from County Galway, Ireland
Maternal side “Murphy” came from County Cork and father’s side “Morrison” arrived from County Waterford
Mary Kallemeyn
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Grandmother Anna Kerr missed the Titanic because of family illness but emigrated later in 1912 from Belfast
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Grandparents: John O’Dowd emigrated 1929 to NY from Castlebaldwin, Co. Sligo and Ellen Greevy from Roscommon 1938.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
Historical Fiction
Alive and
Well
T
BY DR. SHARONAH FREDRICK, ACMRS he Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, through its innovative look at the concept of historical fiction and the literary stereotypes and historical missteps that need NOT come with it, offers another possibility to interested readers: historically accurate novels that fill in the gaps in the historical record with logical suppositions, but which never distort facts or characteristics of the epoch in question. The Outreach Coordinator and Bagwyn Books Acquisitions Editor for ACMRS, Ms. Kendra Bruning (who graduated from Hillsdale College with a Bachelor’s degree in History in 2008), solicits manuscripts that focus on a variety of themes. They range from a reimagining of the Beowulf epic in which the women are the protagonists, to Native American uprisings in Ecuador at the end of the colonial period, to intriguing retellings of the Joan of Arc narratives, to the Conquest of the New World in an earlier
time, before the Age of Exploration, when Norse and Celtic explorers coexisted with the Beothuk peoples of Northeastern Canada’s Baffin Bay area. Kendra attempts to avoid misrepresentation of the medieval period in Europe, the Americas, and wherever else the novels may take place. When Kendra speaks about ACMRS’ historical fiction imprint Bagwyn Books and the need for chronological and cultural accuracy in historical fiction, she is expressing a real need in modern American literature, which is very focused, and some would say overly-focused, on the contemporary world, to the exclusion of the past. Bagwyn Books, which began as an extension of ACMRS’ Occasional Publications series, founded earlier by ACMRS’ Director, Foundation Professor of English Robert Bjork, emphasizes accuracy and compelling reading. As Kendra explains, Bagwyn Books is an independent small press that is not controlled by any larger publishing conglomerate, and most interactions with authors are maintained directly via e-mail. Kendra believes that Americans don’t, in general, take historical fiction very seriously. The author of this article agrees, and it is indeed a pity. Earlier writers, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, showed how American history can lend itself brilliantly to drama and suspense,
Thomas P. Murphy, CPA 21639 N. 12th AveNue, Suite 203 • PhoeNix, ArizoNA 85027 (623) 581-0375 • FAx (623) 581-9242 Grandfather Murphy born in County Westmeath and Grandmother in County Longford, Ireland
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Sharonah and Kendra at Phx-Ennis Book Festival
re: his masterpieces The Marble Faun and The Scarlet Letter. And in Latin America, and to a certain degree in contemporary West Africa, historical fiction is seen as an integral component of nation building: making history alive for its citizens. Kendra, who spoke with us while ACMRS displayed examples of Bagwyn Books at the recent Phoenix-Ennis Sister Cities Book Fair in October, mentioned her own interest in her Irish roots. She has always loved reading Celtic mythology, and has a fondness for traditional Irish music as well. Her Irish ancestry goes back to her great-grandfather, who arrived in the USA when he was three years old, and hailed originally from Durrow in County Laois. Contemporary authors such as Isabel Allende, and classic authors such as Sir Walter Scott and the Irish poet William Butler Yeats, have all been aware of the tremendous power of historical fiction in the creation, or distortion, of national consciousness. Sir Walter Scott was accused of weaving English history into a pro-Scottish perspective, which had more to do with Enlightenment Scottish aspirations of independence than it did with tribal warfare of Scottish clans in the time of Robert the Bruce. But are those accusations themselves correct? Sir Walter Scott was not inventing Scottish pro-independence feelings (though he may indeed have been stoking them).
As historian and anthropologist Alan MacFarlane pointed out in the 1980s, Scottish feelings of hostility to British incursions were an undeniable reality in the 13th and 14th centuries. It was not coined in terms of “independence.” But, regardless of the terminology, the feelings were there. When Yeats wrote of the legendary figure of medieval Irish poetry, Kathleen Ni Houlihan, and transposed her to 20th century issues in the troubled history of Irish-English relations, he was not deliberately creating a distortion. Instead, he was using fiction as a vehicle for historical discussion. Fiction is a springboard for discussion. Please peruse the offering of Bagwyn Books at http://bagwynbooks.com for a lively look at one of the most popular, and often much maligned, genres in oral and written literature: the fiction that uses history as its matrix, but creates its own imaginary world within that. 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 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
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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
Mountain View Pub 7033 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (west of crossroads: Tom Darlington & Cave Creek) 480-575-7782; (480)-5757PUB Facebook: Mountain View Pub - Cave Creek GRAND OPENING JANUARY 14! Extensive lines of Irish whiskey and beers. Irish influenced pub fare. Amazing “mountain views” experienced from our indoor/outdoor bar and patio!
O’Connor’s Pub
751 E Union Hills Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85024 (7th & Union Hills); 602-867-3222
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!
6750 W. Peoria, Peoria, AZ 85345 (north side of Peoria at 67th Avenue); 623-486-2118
Rosie McCaffrey’s Irish Pub
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
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 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 12
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 23
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 15
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 12
New customers are looking for you! Accepting Celtic listings for Phoenix area, Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona, and Tucson.
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CULTURE
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
CELTIC CATERER
Dundee Cake
T
BY CHEF ERIC W. MCBRIDE
here truly is no better example of how the Celts have influenced food in North America for the holidays as that of a Dundee cake. If you have ever visited any of the eight Celtic nations and had a hankering for some American food, you might have been shocked at how they had taken everything that made that food great, and removed it. Like using liver and heart meat in part for making hamburgers, or hard cheeses for making macaroni and cheese. This same deed has been perpetrated by people on this side of the ocean. In the early part of the 20th century, someone took one of the truly best examples of Scottish baking that can be found, and removed all the wholesome fruit in it. Replaced it with fake maraschino cherries (green and red) and called it a Christmas
Fruitcake. Something that EVERYONE makes fun of and few enjoy. Well here is an original recipe that shows the true potential and AMAZING flavors of what this cake/ bread can really be.
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.
Check out one of Chef McBride’s Celtic Cook books, Celtic Spice, Aprons, Shirts and DVD’s. Best to order through the Celtic Caterer’s Facebook store and Page at “The Celtic Caterer & Chef Eric W. McBride.”
Serves 4 to 6 1 cup soft butter (not melted) 1 cup sugar 5 large eggs, beaten 2 ½ cups of self-rising flour 2/3 cup of raisins 2/3 cup sultanas (golden raisins) 2/3 cup currants 1 orange and 1 lemon, finely grated zest ¼ cup glacé cherries or dried berries 1 cup ground almonds 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 Tbs. Sherry ¼ cup milk ¼ tsp. salt 1/3 cup of whole blanched almonds Step 1: Preheat oven to 300°F and grease a 9-inch cake pan
and sugar together until light and creamy, add beaten egg slowly. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a little of the flour. Step 3: Add all mixed fruit, cherries, raisins, zest, and Sherry. Sift in the flour, salt, and cinnamon; then fold in the ground almonds, adding the milk to keep moist. Step 4: Pour mixture into the cake pan and arrange the almonds on top in a circular pattern. Bake for about 2 hours, until the top is lightly brown. You may need to cover the top of the pan with foil to keep the cake from over-browning.
Step 2: Using either a mixing bowl or a hand electric whisk, beat the butter
MARY HILL-CONNOR
REALTOR® Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource
9201 N. 29th Ave., #52, Phoenix
3850 East Baseline Road, Suite 119 Mesa, AZ 85206 Mobile: (602) 635-9760 Office: (480) 926-2727 Fax: (602) 357-1975 Email: maryhillconnor@gmail.com
Emigrated from Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland in 1972
"Nil aon hTintean mar do hTintean fein" (There is no hearth like your own hearth) Oh by the way...I'm never too busy for any of your referrals
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Chandler-Tullamore SiSTer CiTieS ellen harringTon
Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities PRESENTS 1 North 1st Street, Suite 102, PHOENIX THEKETTLEBLACKPUB.COM
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President, Board of trustees chan.to.tull@gmail.com (480) 600-8509 P.O. Box 1474 Chandler, AZ 85244-1474
www.chandlerirish.org
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THE DESERT SHAMROCK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
Southwestern Coddle
D
BY KATIE CAUFIELD GINDER ia daoibh a chaired! (Hello friends!)If you are planning a trip to Ireland, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for coddle. Sometimes referred to as Dublin coddle, this hearty stew dates back to the 1700s and consists of sausages, rashers (or bacon as it is known in the States), potatoes, and onions. When Catholics used to abstain from eating meat on Fridays, this meal served as a way for leftover meat to be used up before the weekend. While coddle is a tasty one-pot meal, I thought it would be fun to put a southwestern spin on this traditional Irish dish. Instead of regular link sausages, I used jalapeno sausages and added a chipotle pepper, cumin, and cilantro. Do not let the chipotle pepper scare you off. It produces a subtle, smoky spice that flavors the broth and veggies. If you fancy Irish fare but are looking for a new dish to try, my Southwestern coddle will add some spice, and delight your Celtic taste buds. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS: 1 t. beef base or beef bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup (240 ml) water 1 T. vegetable oil 1 lb. (450 g.) jalapeno sausages (or other spicy sausage) 1 lb. (450 g.) bacon cut into 1-inch pieces 1 lb. (450 g.) potatoes cut into large pieces 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces 1 large onion, sliced 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce 1 c. (240 ml) Dos Equis amber (or other dark beer) Salt & pepper 2 t. cumin 2 T. chopped cilantro DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350ºF/177ºC and place rack in center of the oven. Dissolve 1 t. beef base or beef bouillon cube in 1 cup (240 ml) water and set aside. In a Dutch oven or other oven safe skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausages and cook just long enough to brown the outside. You do not want to completely cook the sausages as they will continue to cook in the oven. Once browned, remove sausages and place on a
paper towel, draining off excess oil. Cut sausage links into two-inch pieces and set aside. Add bacon to skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove half of bacon and set aside. In the following order, layer half of sausage, potatoes, carrots and then onions into Dutch oven. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients by layering in a similar fashion. Place chipotle pepper on top and sprinkle with cumin, salt and pepper. Pour beef base and beer on top and then place lid on Dutch oven. Place dish in oven and cook for about 45 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Remove from oven, sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve with crusty bread.
traditional sausages. Imported rashers are available at Mully’s Touch of Ireland gift shop in old Scottsdale, AZ. Additionally, you may use fresh parsley in place of the cilantro. For readers in the UK, coriander is the equivalent of cilantro in the U.S.
NOTES: If you prefer a more traditional coddle, simply omit the chipotle pepper, cumin and substitute
PHOTO BY KATIE CAUFIELD GINDER
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 6
CULTURE
KELTIC KITCHEN
13
ONLY ONE CONCERT IN ARIZONA
February 3, 2017 • 8pm • Doors Open 7pm
El Casino Ballroom 437 E 26th Street • Tucson, AZ 85713
Tickets: $20.00 in advance at
www.FLANAGANsCelticCorner.com
$25.00 at the door
21 and over show • Alcohol and limited food items available for purchase Portion of food sales benefit
Tucson Irish Heritage Foundation
Get your IRISH UP for the magnificent musical performance by the acclaimed Derek Warfield and the Young Wolf Tones! www.theyoungwolfetones.com For information, visit Event Sponsor on Facebook: FLANAGAN’s Celtic Corner, LLC
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK PHOTO BY JAMES@HOPGROVE AT ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA
WELSH
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Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! W BY LYNN HERDMAN MASCARELLI
hile the Welsh are wishing you a Happy New Year, they also may add Lechyd da – cheers, a wish for good health. One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to put into place a new regimen for getting in shape and staying that way. And so we walk; it costs little more than thirty minutes and stepping into a good pair of shoes! If there is any place on earth for walking, it’s Wales. Snowdonia National Park in North Wales at 3,560 feet is made to order for that, its ranges covered in well-traveled paths to their summits. They are challenging, beautiful and have wonderful names like Y Carneddau, Y Glyderau, Y Rhinogau and Cader Idris. Below the slopes between Prestatyn and Bangor, one may proceed along the North Wales Path and come upon the beauty of Aber Falls. At its feet, is a bridge and still another at Rhaeadr Fach, a smaller cluster of waterfalls to the west. Aber Falls is located in the village of Abergwyngregyn in Snowdonia National Park where thousands walk to the falls every year, houses an exhibition of the history of Aber, and the Princes of Gwynedd are said to have had a court
here. Nearby are the remains of Bronze Age settlements, cairns and standing stones, the excavations of a roundhouse and smithy. One may observe the prehistoric circle of Meini Hirion, meaning “long stones” and in English called the Druid’s Circle. Braich-y-Dinas, one of the largest Iron Age hill-forts in Europe, existed on one of the summits but excessive quarrying as far back as the 1920s has left few remains. Walking is a way of life in Wales; this, no better proven than by the Gwynedd Council, which has developed eighteen circular walks to draw you in. There are countless paths throughout the land of Cymru...its mud routes and coastal paths are a click away with a bit of today’s technology to give an assist. The Llyn Peninsula offers us places like Plas yn Rhiw, Plas Glyn y Weddw, Porthdinllaen, Aberdaron and Nefyn, one can even download the routes App free to your iPhone, iPad or Android from www.ahne-llynaonb.org. Now how amazing is that? And we’re off!! The following are just several sites out of many to assist you in planning that walk you have always wanted to take: • High Trek Snowdonia, Deiniolen, 01286 871232, www.hightrek.co.uk
Aber Falls, Gwynedd
• Plas y Brenin, Capel Curig LL24 0ET, 01690 720214, www.pyb.co.uk • Wild About Wales, Betws y Coed, 01286 831559, www.wild-about-wales.com • Wales Walking Holidays, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5LP, 01248 713611, www.waleswalkingholidays.com • Walking North Wales, 01758 521109, www.walking-snowdonia.com • Celticos, Y Felinheli LL56 4QX, 01248 671234, www.celticos.com
REFERENCES: Economy and Community Department, Gwynedd Council, Caernarfon LL55 1SH | Copyright © Gwynedd Council 2016 http://www.summitpost.org/ snowdon-ranger-path/156152 http://www.megalithics.com/wales/druids/ drudmain.htm For author’s bio and photo, see page 21
SALEM, NH 603-898-5130 FAX 603-898-5113
PHOENIX 602-944-5400 FAX 602-944-3154
MANUFACTURERS REPRESENTATIVES P.O. Box 1768 Salem, NH 03079
.Irish WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM
JOE LEWIS
10611 N. 11th St. Phoenix, AZ 85020 jhlreps@aol.com
Electrical, Mechanical, Plastics, Metals, and Contract Mfg. Joe Lewis Cell 617-510-9260 Joe Jr. 603-365-1301
THE DESERT SHAMROCK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
15
CELTIC CULTURE AT MIM Experience Ireland Sat. & Sun., March 11 & 12 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Grandmother is from Tiree, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland
Make plans to experience Ireland at MIM’s sixth annual celebration of Irish music and culture. Enjoy music, crafts, Irish dancing, storytelling, and more!
Altan Sunday, March 19 4:00 & 7:00 p.m. “The hottest group in the Celtic realm these days.”—Boston Globe
Grandmother is from Tiree, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland
MIM.org | 480.478.6000 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ
The 2nd Annual
Fuil Celtic Burns Night SeamusMcCaffreys.com
24th Annual
(602) 253-6081 SeamusMcCaffreys.com 18 West Monroe Phoenix, Arizona 85003
Saturday, January 21 6:00 p.m. Join us for traditional Burns Night festivities! Food available for purchase Kilts welcome Event supports Turner Syndrome: www.turnersyndrome.org
The Dubliner
3841 E. Thunderbird Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85032
1 8 We s t M o n r o e P h o e n i x , A r i z o n a 8 5 0 0 3
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
9th Annual
Anam Cara Colum Hatchell, Ireland’s Vice Consul, San Francisco
Awards Gala Mary Moriarty
Mary Moriarty was born in New York City in 1955. Her father, Timothy Coughlin, was a decorated veteran with “The Fighting 69th” during World War ll; he was born in New Jersey but his parents were from Cork and Kerry. Her mother, the former Bridget Gallagher, was from the townland of Dysart, outside Donegal Town in the Bluestack Mountains. Mary’s parents met and married in New York and Mary is the older of their two children. Being Irish was a very important aspect of her young life and she studied Irish Dance for years. During one of her many trips to Ireland, Mary shipped the crane from the ruin of her mother’s house and the crane is now in the fireplace of An Halla Mor. Mary’s first desire was to be a nurse. She attended nursing school after high school but had to drop out due to her bad eyesight. She then held a number of jobs that were easier on the eyes. She worked as a bookkeeper, waitress, restaurant manager, catering director, hotel manager on duty, and bartender. In 1988, she married the love of her life, Jack Moriarty. When they first married, Jack was “on the job” as a newly
Mary and Jack before married
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promoted Sergeant with the New York City Transit Police and she was pleased when he was able to retire after serving 20 years. They moved to the Phoenix area and have never regretted it. Mary became involved as a volunteer with the Irish community not too long after moving to Arizona. First she helped the Irish Foundation of Arizona with their picnics and Emerald Ball and then joined the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee as Assistant Treasurer. She co-chaired the Faire with the late George O’Brien for a few years and has chaired it since 2004. In 2013, Mary and Jack were chosen as the “Irish Persons of the Year” by the Parade Committee. She was also the Chair of the Ennis Committee for Phoenix Sister Cities and is one of the founders of the Arizona Chapter of the Friends of the St. Patrick Centre, Downpatrick, County Down. In 2003, the late Jimmy O’Connor hired Mary as the Executive Assistant for the Irish Cultural Center. As the ICC grew, so did Mary’s responsibilities, and in 2007 she became the Operations Manager. Her varied work background helped her as her responsibilities utilized all of her previous work experience. Mary maintained a great working relationship with the City of Phoenix Parks Department and enjoyed working with the Celtic affiliate and neighborhood groups. Her philosophy was always “everyone working together for the common good. In 2015, Mary retired as the ICC Operations Manager but continues to volunteer at events and work as the Wedding Coordinator for the ICC. Mary and Jack live in Tempe with their two cats, Tuxie and Red. Both cats were ICC cats before being formally adopted by the Moriartys.
THE DESERT SHAMROCK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
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Anam Cara is “Soul Friend” in Gaelic and represents the importance of honoring the award recipients deserving of this title by the Arizona Irish Community. The mission of the Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation (ICLF) is to preserve Irish heritage and culture and illuminate the culture of Ireland and the Irish in America. Under its auspices are The Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library, and the Academy of Irish and Celtic Studies. On October 15, Mary Moriarty and Sean Lee were recognized as the awardees. The Gala raised a net $20,000 as a fundraiser for the ICLF, serenaded by world renown Irish tenor, Anthony Kearns (see the upcoming Sept./Oct. “Music” edition with his interview).
Sean Lee
Sean Lee was born in Kells, County Meath, Ireland in 1940. On his father’s sudden death in 1947, Sean was sent to live with an aunt in Roscommon so his mother could open their house to boarders. In 1952, Sean was admitted to the O’Brien Institute in Dublin and graduated high school in 1956. He returned to Kells that year and graduated with a leaving certificate in 1958. He emigrated to New York in July at age 18. In 1959 he joined the United States Marines, where he served both active and reserves until 1965. Sean’s extensive background in retail and consumer goods includes joining Montgomery Ward in New York in 1963, where he started as a management trainee. He progressed through positions as store manager, East Coast regional merchandise manager, and Los Angeles merchandise manager, and served on the Chairman’s Task Force at the corporate headquarters in Chicago. While working for Montgomery Ward, he squeezed in a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. At 31 in his first year at his assigned store, he was honored as the top store manager among 400 medium-sized stores. In 1971, it was the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Montgomery Ward. A book was written on its history entitled, Satisfaction Guaranteed. Sean was honored to be featured as one of their progressive store managers. On leaving Wards in 1980, he joined WR Grace in Los Angeles, California, as Vice President Merchandise Manager; he subsequently served as President of the six separate companies that operated retail center concepts. In 1988, he became President and CEO of Home Base, a multi-billion-dollar national home improvement retailer. Sean married Janet Kubis in 1966; they celebrated 50 years of marriage in June 2016. They have three children: two
daughters and a son. Mairead Gosnell was on the staff of the television series “Cheers,” and the Sonoran Living Show in Phoenix. Dr. Janet Carleton is a professor at Glendale Community College. A son, Sean, is currently a product manager in enterprise business intelligence for the Albertson/Safeway merger. Sean currently lives in Glendale, Arizona, and served on the Planning Commission for the city of Glendale. Both he and Janet are active through their church, Saint Thomas More Catholic Church; with St. Joseph the Worker, an outreach to the homeless to find occupation; and are part of the Marriage Preparation Team at their parish. Sean serves as Board Emeritus on the Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation Board, was a Co-founder of the Irish Cultural Center, and participated as the founding President of ERIN (Executive Resources Irish Networking), which is now known as Irish Network Phoenix. Sean and Janet Lee are the generous donors of The Book of Kells facsimile exhibited in the McClelland Library. The Book of Kells exhibit is open to the public at no charge during all open hours of the library.
Book of Kells exhibit with Irish Ambassador Anne Anderson
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SCOTS
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
Alex McKay I
BY IAIN LUNDY
group of women and children arrived, asked McKay for flour and were perfectly friendly to him. Nevertheless, he is said to have gotten little sleep as they camped nearby. On December 25, 1858, he discovered a gold mine just outside Oracle and called it the Christmas mine. A week later he found another, the New Year mine. He built the first house in Oracle, a one-room adobe for himself and Weldon, and the new settlement soon attracted prospectors eager to try out their luck in the search for gold, silver, and lead. Alex McKay was quick to turn adversity into triumph. When he and his partners were working in the Christmas mine, they tapped into an underground stream, causing water to shoot out so fast that the mine had to be abandoned. The resourceful Scot laid pipes down the side of the mountain, built a rock corral and house, and used the water supply to set up his own sheep ranch. Several years later he discovered silver in what is now the ghost town of Quijotoa, on the Tohono O’Odham Reservation. At one point, 3,000 people lived in the mining camp and Quijotoa had its own churches, hotels, gambling halls and newspaper. When McKay was languishing in jail in Tucson, the local Citizen newspaper reported that every evening “the picturesque old miner, with tottering steps, would go to one of the barred windows and with a longing look would watch the sunset that once stilled his shovel and pick.” McKay had the last laugh. He may have been ‘tottering’ but he lived for more than a decade after his release and passed away at the ripe old age of 95.
SCOTLAND BUCKET LIST
Forth Rail Bridge T BY BOB WALLACE
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One massive bridge section of several that carry 200 trains each day north out of Edinburgh, Scotland across the Firth of Forth.
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.
River Tay, all souls lost due to an extremely powerful windstorm blowing across the span in the winter months. Today the Forth Rail Bridge is owned by Network Rail, providing a key link between Edinburgh and the northeast of Scotland. The bridge has won its share of awards over the decades, the latest just this past October when it beat out Edinburgh Castle by more than a twoto-one margin. More than 2,000 people across the UK took part in the survey. 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.
PHOTO BY BOB WALLACE
here are numerous items one might put on a bucket list for visits to Scotland. In addition to the obvious: genealogy, castles in all manner of shape and size and scattered all across the landscape, there are also some of the best fishing streams around, some of the best known golf courses in the world, amazing cities, and marvelous countryside. What the Scots have done to improve their way of life over the past 150 years and more might also be considered a good reason for adding this or that item to one’s bucket list. Topping my personal list would be the Forth Rail Bridge. Over the course of several visits to Scotland, we’ve been below it at South Queensferry, looking up as trains make their way north out of Edinburgh or south toward it; looked up at it from below while taking a boat cruise on the Firth of Forth; and ridden the train across from Edinburgh to Arbroath and back just two years ago. What an amazing structure! Opened in March of 1890, it spans the Forth estuary to move passengers from Edinburgh to Fife and beyond. Some 200 trains per day make the journey across the span that measures nearly 8,100 feet in total length. Rails on the bridge are 150 feet above water at high tide. Riding the train across this bridge is an amazing experience! The first bridge in Scotland to be built of steel, the Forth Rail Bridge was going up at the same time the Eiffel Tower was being built in Paris with wrought iron. Purpose of the bridge was to allow trains to cross
the Forth without the need for going west to Alloa to cross the river then make its way back east to gain access to Edinburgh, or to stop short of the Forth, disembark passengers for the ferry ride across, then climb on another train on the opposite shore to continue their trip into Scotland’s capital city. Why the seemingly overbuilt bridge? Only a decade before the Forth Rail Bridge was built, a disaster on the Tay Rail Bridge just outside Dundee in late December 1879 sent a train, carriages and people into the cold
PHOTO BY VIEWSFROMTUCSON.COM
n 1926, police raided the Tucson home of 84-year old Scottish immigrant Alex McKay. It was the Prohibition era and, if the law’s suspicions were based on McKay’s nationality, they were not to be disappointed. They found three gallons of bootleg corn whisky and he was sent to jail. Two months later, McKay made a little bit of American history when he became the first person in the country to receive a Presidential pardon in connection with a Prohibition offence. Calvin Coolidge wired the local sheriff ordering the Scotsman’s release because of his services to the “economic development of Arizona.” McKay was one of those pioneering characters who played a huge part in Arizona’s prospecting history, but whose name has faded from the history books. He helped found the town of Oracle and, in his day, he was one of the most famous gold and silver prospectors in the old West. He was born in 1841 in Perth, Scotland’s ‘Fair City,’ and arrived in America during the time of the Civil War. Along with two companions, a Canadian, Albert Weldon; and Irishman James Lee; McKay arrived in Arizona to search for gold in the Santa Catalina mountains. McKay was something of a solitary wanderer and one of his many ‘adventures’ was a chance encounter with a band of Apache Indians. He was travelling in the mountains with only two burros for company when the Indians warned him that the feared Apache chief Eskiminzen was heading his way. Sure enough, the chief, along with a
the Scottish prospector and bootlegger who founded an Arizona town
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THE DESERT SHAMROCK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
SCOTS
The
North
Coast
S
BY LOIS WALLACE cotland’s answer to our famous Route 66. More than 500 miles of the best the north Highlands have to offer. Stunning scenery, fascinating heritage, and abundant wildlife. As I write the previous sentence it occurs to me the similarities to our Route 66, a road I am very familiar with, having traversed it many times as a child in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Different scenery, heritage, and wildlife but it was there. Also a route not often traveled by the average foreign tourist or resident. The route is a loop around the northwest tip of Scotland starting and ending in Inverness. Starting north through the Black Isle, not an island at all but a peninsula, continuing north along the coast. Through the fishing villages, to the larger bays where the Ferry departs for the northern islands.
500
The route then turns more westerly along what is referred to by some as the edge-of-the world road with zigzags along the clifftops with their endless vistas. The section includes Castle Mey, the most northerly castle in the UK. Then the road heads more in a southerly direction hugging the coast and occasionally turning more inland, offering views of unspoiled natural landscape and rugged mountains. The road then heads east across Wester Ross to connect again with Inverness. Many of these roads are small, two-lane, and windy, California’s Mendocino Coast Highway 1 comes to mind. Then there are the single track roads, one lane with passing turnouts (passing places). Not an impossible drive for us Americans who are not used to driving on the left-hand side of the road but definitely something to consider.
On our first trip to Scotland in 2000, we got a glimpse of the most southern part of this route. Of course at that time it was not being marketed as a tourist route, the Highlands Council area having been created in 1996. That first glimpse and subsequent peeks of part of the route instilled in me a desire to experience more. That is why, when deciding to lead
C
a group on an adventure to the Orkney Islands this summer, I made sure to incorporate as much of the North Coast 500 as possible. This way our professional driver will deal with the roads and we can enjoy the views. I am looking forward to doing just that next summer. It has been said that on the North Coast 500, you see a slice of Scotland’s soul.
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by Lois A Wallace
by Lois A Wallace Presents b. 602-501-7423 c. 775-671-0148 8050 19th Ave #236 Phoenix AZ 85021
A CUSTOM TOUR OF SCOTLAND, ESCORTED BY LOIS AND BOB WALLACE c. 775-671-0148
Lois's Biz card Aug 2015 FINAL.indd 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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Lois's Biz card Aug 2015 FINAL.indd 1
b. 602-501-7423 8/24/15 2:04 PM 85021 8050 19th Ave #236 Phoenix AZ
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“Orkney, the Highlands and North Coast”
History, Heritage and Archaeology July 28 – August 7, 2017
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8/24/15 2:04 PM
PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISITSCOTLAND.COM
PRICE: $2990pp • LIMITED 24 SPACES – SELLING FAST
• Culloden Battle Field, Experience places HIGHLIGHTS Clava Cairns (in and sights beyond • 3 nights Kirkwall, Orkney “Outlander” book series) the ordinary on • Ness of Brodgar, • Overnight stay in a castle Neolithic sites this in-depth visit • Loch Ness and ride on the • Stones of Stenness, Caledonian Canal to the northern Italian Chapel That and much more most area of the mainland and the For full information contact Lois Wallace Orkney Islands. Lois@authenticceltictravels.com or 602-501-7423
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
ARTS
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College Lectures
Renaissance using indigo dye
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AZ Renaissance Festival cook
THE DESERT SHAMROCK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
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CELTIC ARTISAN
Wendy Beaver BY LYNN HERDMAN MASCARELLI
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he calls herself a “mutt” artisan... she can craft just about anything! And yes, Wendy Beaver’s all that. Our Celtic artisan is many things: spinner and weaver, lace maker and French knitter; a costumer and period researcher of and actively engaged in reenactment of the 16th C. and mid-19th C. Irish era and American Civil War. At the moment, she is constructing her first professional commission: a Polish coat for those who swordplay and do reenactments with sabers. Wendy follows the C.R.O.F.T. way of life, sharing fellowship with others of like mind. They hold close their special calling to hand down the old, hallowed crafts to their children, to research the trades and lifestyles of the early Celts from the period comprising 400 BC to 1746 AD. Wendy calls herself an “accidental weaver” and explained there was a need for a weaver in the cottage of the Irish Cultural Center; thus, she learned the art to answer the need. But, she is part of something much larger, is one among a number of Arizona crafters, in a diverse, active fiber arts community in which the fruit of their talents and their stores of materials are shared with each other. However, she laughed and explained she is a fiber snob as are others who choose only pure wools and alpaca over synthetics. Wendy’s origins in the Appalachians of central Pennsylvania and Amish country certainly inspired her eternal interest in the old ways and all things made by hand and “from scratch,” as they
say. At age five, she was embroidering, spent her childhood and adolescence sewing and canning with family and friends, reading “lots of Shakespeare,” and always making dresses for Easter. She explained the craft of one’s hand was a way of life, providing all that was needed; if you raised sheep, you had wool to spin and to share. Wendy’s life in the Appalachians, her attention to living a productive, self-sustaining life translates nicely today into her annual reenactment with other Celts at the Arizona Renaissance Festival where she with a blacksmith’s forge and an English Village draw visitors into yesteryear for a while. She has stories to tell about skewing and rotating a duck on a spit, roasting a goose over fire, but her fame comes from her English mince pies, replicating her great grandmother’s 1890 delights filled with pumpkin spice, apples, and raisins; though she will make others stuffed well with ground sirloin or elk. Wendy acknowledges there is always something new to be learned in the old ways and is also engaged as an apprentice to a natural dye-maker, creating, at the moment, the always magical color, indigo. All she does, how she works a craft, must be authentic, the dyes themselves derived from the actual plant. To make the Rebel uniforms for Civil War reenactments, she first dyes the cloth. “It is 80% butternut brown, a shade of color made from the hulls of walnuts.” Interestingly, she was never a senior in high school, choosing the fast track to graduate early from high school. She had things to do, married her childhood
sweetheart, raised two wonderful, talented boys, but recently, returned to the classroom and college to earn her degree. Her love of education continues in her ongoing work as a substitute in the Mesa School District. With well-prepared lectures and lively demonstrations, Wendy is a resource in period craft and costuming for teachers on all grade levels and frequently visits our schools. I asked our artisan what motivates her to acquire new skills to delve deeper into history. “It’s the variety,” she said. “But it is spinning that gives me the most satisfaction. You develop a rhythm that is calming.” And, in closing, what might she say to those who read her story with interest, wishing they could do what she does: “Don’t assume you can’t do what we do, that you don’t have a talent. We share. You can take part in this with us.” Well-said, Wendy! Though CROFT members claim Irish, Scots, Welsh descent and engage their own heritage reenactment of Scots, Irish or Welsh ancestry, participation is open to anyone with an interest in period crafting and living history no matter the ethnicity. Please visit: crofters.org and fiberarts. org/directories/guilds/Arizona 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.
Spinning Yarn in the Grave USED WITH PERMISSION BY JENN ZEYEN
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n nearly every culture throughout history, spinning and weaving were a female occupation. Ever wonder how they know that? It’s because women were buried with their spindles. All over the world, from Neolithic times right through the Middle Ages, females were buried with their thread-making tools. Sometimes women were buried with weaving tools as well. Archaeologists have found weaving cards and loom weights and shed sticks, aka weaving swords, in the graves of women. The grave good that instantly identifies a skeleton as female is a spindle whorl. It’s usually only the whorl that survives the centuries/millennia in the grave.
Neolithic spindle whorl found in Worcestershire County, England
No, it doesn’t look very exciting. Most of these got discarded, overlooked, and just left behind in early excavations. What a shame. So, unless they were mistaken for beads, and the smaller ones often were, spindle whorls were mostly ignored. Tools were invaluable, so why would you put a perfectly good stone spindle whorl in a woman’s grave? Only if you loved her. Only if she were important. And only if you thought she was going to need that spindle in her afterlife. For the complete story and more from Jenn’s blog on knitting, crocheting, and spinning, go to www.rovingcrafters.com/2016/02/22/ spinning-yarn-in-the-grave.
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Wendy Beaver shared this FaceBook post
CULTURE
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
Many Nations’ Heritage
in Ireland
Spanish
Recent DNA analysis of bloodlines shows that Irish have the closest relatives in Northern Spain. If you are Hispanic and have a bloodline that is partially from Europe, there is a chance that part of that lineage is Celtic. Celtic blood may be coursing through the veins of many Hispanics. Then there are descendants of Spanish traders who settled in Ireland and even descendants of the few Spanish sailors who were washed up on the west coast after the ‘Spanish Armada’ of 1588. Many of the Spanish who made it to shore were captured, but some were hidden by the Catholic Irish and survived. Treasure from the wreck of the Girona can be seen in the Ulster Museum, Belfast.
French and German View of King John’s Castle, Limerick, Bridge over River Shannon
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BY CHRIS STEVENSON
very year, many people visit Ireland to find their Irish heritage. But you don’t think you have Irish ancestors? Your family names might show a family connection in Ireland. Over the centuries, people from many lands and cultures came and settled in Ireland. Their influence can still be found in Irish culture and places.
Vikings
From the late 8th Century, Vikings not only raided Ireland but also settled. Not only Dublin, also Cork, Waterford, Wexford, and Limerick established as a walled city on an island in the River Shannon in 812. Many place names derive from Norse (such as the town of Leixlip “Salmon Leap” in County Kildare). Find your Viking ancestry in these towns and cities. Over time, the Vikings integrated into Irish society but family names survived: Loughlin,
Harold (a Viking name), Doyle (from Ó Dubhgaill “son of the dark foreigner”), MacManus (son of Magnus), Cotter; all are Viking surnames.
Normans
The Norman invasion of the 1170s saw yet another wave of immigrants settle in Ireland. Their leader, Richard de Clare, “Strongbow,” married Aoife, Princess of Leinster. Again, the Anglo-Normans integrated into Irish society, becoming “more Irish than the Irish.” Norman lords and kings built castles across Ireland, still to be seen, from earliest earthen mottes such as Dromore in County Down and Nobber (from An Obair - “the work”) in Meath, to mighty fortresses like Limerick, built on the orders of King John in 1200; Trim and Carrickfergus. Today many descendants bear Norman-derived names such as Powers, Fitzgerald, Devereux, Redmond. Davey, Doak, Galwey, Gibbons, Nicholas, Philbin, and Jennings. Is your family here?
French Huguenots and German Palatines came to Ireland in the 17th and 18th Centuries fleeing religious persecution. The Huguenots brought knowledge of linen manufacture. Many settled in County Laois; names such as Blanc, Champ, Cobbe, Guerin, Millet, Trench, and Deverell can be traced here. The Palatines were predominantly farmers.Most Palatines families settled in County Limerick; and a village in County Carlow is still called Palatine. Names such as Fizelle, Fyffe (of banana fame), Ruttle, Glazier, Shouldice, Switzer, and Benner still survive. So, why not come to Ireland and see who you can find! 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, working at Dublinia (Dublin’s Viking museum); and they winter in Glendale, Arizona.
The Sign of the Trees I
BY KRISTIE STEVENSON
Florence Court, County Fermanagh
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love plants and trees. Our home in Ireland is surrounded by the most wonderful garden where I daily watch the ebb and flow of the plants influenced by the seasons. The sparkling cold of winter gives way to the sprouting of life of spring; the warmth of summer with its floral glories gives way to the dancing colors of autumn. For eons of time people have had to adapt to these seasons. I was delighted to find a Celtic calendar of trees. Think trees influencing who we are rather than the stars of the horoscope. I never could get my head around how stars could determine who we are, but living so closely with nature I can somewhat understand that trees might. Celtic people believed trees held great wisdom. The tree or plant which is important when you were born, influences your personality and who you will become. I decided I must be an oak. I love oaks; they are strong, full of life, and so useful. Yes, I must be an oak. I looked myself up in the chart. I am a WILLOW! A wimpy willow! I was raised in the American West. Willows are brush trees that cling to the sides of streams or the weeping willow which look sad. I read a bit of the attributes of the sign. Willows are observers, flexible in being able to change to the need of situation, and love beauty. However, they tend to be unlucky in love and struggle against depression. Well, a little too close for comfort. Willow is used for weaving baskets and for herbal medicines. I like that.
Speaking of unlucky in love, my first husband was an alder. They are open and outgoing, mix well with many personalities. However, alders take a long time to mature. My ex-husband had a Peter Pan complex, so this fits him well. Alder wood is used for making clogs, a base for shoes. Now I am married to a wonderful man, who is an ash. Ashes are enchanters, imaginative and have active minds. An ash tends to immerse themselves in their own thoughts, so can appear to be inattentive. I can live with this. Ash wood is used where strength needs to be tempered with flexibility, such as handles and arrow shafts. I looked out the window to the line of trees that grow next to our Irish home. A row of ashes and willows grow there in lush abundance, protecting us from both the wind and the busy road beyond. How appropriate. I have looked up most of my family and friends in the tree calendar. Most of the time it is oddly correct. I have two daughters whose birth dates are within days of each other. They are not at all alike, but do have different parts of their tree signs to be right. I don’t really believe that astrology influences our lives, but I must admit I’m leaning a little toward Celtic tree signs. 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, spends summer in their home in Banbridge, County Down, and winter in Glendale, Arizona.
THE DESERT SHAMROCK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
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Chandler, AZ - Tullamore, Ireland Sister Cities
5th Annual Southwest Tea 1 Setting by Table Hostess, Vicki Champion
5 Ellen Harrington, President, Chandler-Tullamore
2 Tempe-Carlow Sister Cities
6 Scottsdale-Killarney Sister Cities
3 Some of the Irish-born (Camilla Cullen from Tullamore Committee 2nd from right)
7 Sean and Patricia Prior and family
4 Speaker, Colleen Kelly Beaman, President Tucson-Roscommon Sister Cities (center) 6
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8 Niki Tapia, City of Chandler
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WRITER’S WORKSHOP Presented by Ann Niemann, Editor in Chief Saturday, January 7 • 10:30am–12:30pm Create news, Be the news Add a twist to get readers’ attention Enhance with sidebars, pull-outs, QRs Expand one event/topic into 3-issue cycle Think quirky headlines Securing legal permissions Guidelines for submission Finding high-resolution photos How to be the Editor’s “favorite” and MORE
Irish Cultural Center, Norton Room (lower level of McClelland Library)
1106 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix 85004 POWER-PACKED CONTENT • BE PROMPT
FREE • Registration for headcount: info@desertshamrock.com; 602-568-3455 WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM
SISTER / TWINNED CITIES
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ARTS
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
Arizona Piping On the Grow part 2
Book Review by Kelsey Kelleher
Twisted River: A Novel
Driven by the Desire to Improve I
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BY BETTY PAGE VALLELONGA
lasdair Martin plays with both the Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band and the LA Scots. His journey from beginner to accomplished piper has included a wide variety of experiences over the years. But, his deep love of piping is of more recent vintage. He remembers his introduction to piping in Vancouver, Washington fourteen years ago as more of a forced marriage than a love match. He was ten years old at the time. “My older brother played pipes and I was just put into lessons. It was expected. My teacher, Mark Tomasetti, was a great teacher for a young person. I needed his strictness and disciplined approach and got a great education in piping rudiments.” As a member of the Sir James McDonald Pipe Band in an area with a strong piping culture, Martin built his skills through his teen years in ways common to most pipers’ experience: lessons, workshops, competitions and the guiding hands of numerous instructors. But he credits listening to and studying the music of great pipers and bands—especially through recordings of the 78th Fraser Highlanders—for helping him move his skills along the most. Over time, Martin says, he learned the importance of being constantly aware of your instrument. “Changes in humidity, in particular, call for adjustments,” as the hemp in tuning joints expands and contracts. Experience also builds confidence and self-knowledge, which moved Martin to modify his fingering on the
chanter from the flat finger placement normally taught. “Most pipers are not double jointed and that works well for them, but not for me. It took seven years to figure that one out.” After moving to the Phoenix area in 2006, Martin joined the Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band but drifted away after four years. However, in 2011, Martin was convinced to rejoin Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band. He agreed and that’s when the sparks of piping love burst into flame. He gives much of the credit to teachers he works with in the band, including Chuck Burgin, Chris Hossack, and Jeff Anderson. He also gives a strong nod to Bruce Gandy, a world class piper from Halifax, Nova Scotia who Martin met through Gandy’s Piobaireachd Workshop during A Piping Weekend 2015 in Phoenix. “Piobaireachd has made my playing better,” he says. It all comes back to the “desire to improve, to keep getting better.” In the final installment of this series, we’ll look at the inner workings of a local event designed to keep Arizona piping alive and well by providing opportunities for the kind of instruction and competition Alasdair Martin has enjoyed.
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.
Directors Sean Cahill and Len Wood
Ten year old Alasdair Martin began playing with the Sir James MacDonald Pipe Band in Vancouver, Washington in 2002
rish author Siobhán MacDonald weaves an unexpected tale in Twisted River: A Novel, published in 2016 by Penguin Books. Filled with shocking twists and turns, the book is both a propelling and gripping read from start to finish. When two families, the Harveys from Manhattan, New York and the O’Briens from Curragower Falls, County Limerck, participate in an international house swap, they could never imagine that one closely-guarded secret could lead to a horrific crime. The novel’s opening is immediately arresting, “She would never have fit as neatly into the trunk of his own car” [p.3]. When faced with harrowing events abroad, the two families find themselves sharing more than homes. MacDonald seamlessly moves between the protagonists’ points of view, the voice of an intimate third-person narrative, which shifts to reflect the mindset, motivation, and rationale of the selected principals brilliantly. The reader is constantly swayed in their loyalties as they walk closely beside those who have committed unspeakable acts. Seemingly minute nuances give a roundness to the characters and the author masterfully paints even secondary characters with intriguing depth: families, backgrounds, and stories, such as Du Bois, the all-tooastute New York apartment doorman. Unfortunately for gingers everywhere, the author falls into unnecessarily stereotyping the only red-haired character in the book as a childhood bully named Frankie Flynn. More specifically, Frankie has a “shock of lice-ridden carrot hair” [p. 8]. It is significant that it is the first hair colour described, asserting the age-old odd “otherness” and prolonging harmful stereotypes best left behind. While MacDonald could have easily utilized the metaphoric Curragower Falls (the “twisted river” referenced in the title) more often, she leaves some parallels wisely inferred, propelling the reader without providing a smothering amount of information. MacDonald presents a plethora of hints and mysteries, ensuring the reader is in a constant state of discovery and revelation. Overall, Twisted River is an intelligent, enigmatic, fast-paced read and is a fine example of modern Irish craftsmanship and storytelling. You can pick up your own copy of Twisted River: A Novel on Amazon.com, Barns & Noble, and Walmart. It’s also available to borrow from the McClelland Library in Phoenix.
[Some content may not be appropriate for all audiences; reader discretion is advised. This book contains strong language, mature themes, and of course… murder!]
Sidenote: Siobhán MacDonald is a personal friend of Arizona Irish Community’s Caroline Nallen! Caroline shares that it’s Siobhán’s first book. “A gripping psychological thriller, the novel is getting very well deserved rave reviews.” Solo competition, winning all three of his Grade 1 piping events, at A Piping Weekend 2016 was one of the many experiences that have made up Alasdair Martin’s piping education.
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For more information, visit apipingweekend.com.
Kelsey is the Library/Genealogy/Systems Assistant and Membership Administrator at the Irish Cultural Center & McClelland Library. She is the President/2013 Young Ambassador for the Friends of St. Patrick Arizona Chapter and is a competitive Irish dancer. Her family hails from Cork, Kerry, and Derry. She enjoys reading a good book and sipping a hot cup of tea.
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Ciara and “Rosebud” Sarah
BY CIARA ARCHER 2016 ARIZONA COLLEEN & ROSE OF TRALEE
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’ve tried to sit down and write about my journey at the Rose of Tralee International Festival so many times now. But how do you describe a once-in-a-lifetime event such as this? This experience was one of the most exciting, exhausting, wonderful, frustrating, life changing experiences I have ever had. I grew more in 11 days then I ever thought possible–both in confidence and in understanding of self–and gained life-long friendships that spread across the globe. The women I met that August day in the hotel lobby, from all around the world dressed in their finest clothes, would soon become more than travel companions. We would laugh together, cry together, sleep and dance and sing together. Our bond extends beyond the Rose Dome and that tour-bus and embodies everything it means to be modern Irish women. Arriving in Kerry was like an outer-body experience. To say the people of Tralee were accommodating would be an understatement. From my pub, the Brouge Inn (shout out to the “Sassy Girls Club!”), to the Rose Hotel, to the Kerry Hospice Foundation, to the wonderful stylists at Sean Taaffe Group who made us feel beautiful on stage–it was overwhelming the amount of kindness and generosity we were shown each and every day from so many people. My time on stage in the Dome went by in the blink of an eye. Getting interviewed by the one-and-only Dáithí Ó Sé, singing in front of hundreds of people, talking about my family history and why being Irish is the best gift of all–nothing would compare to this experience. Nothing until we met our Rose Buds. These little girls, little Roses in
A Rose
BLOOMING training, paraded around us with pure joy and goodness. When I met my Rose Bud Sarah for the first time, I asked her “What do you like to do for fun?” Her response? “I like to shop for shoes.” She said this to the Arizona Rose that brought 17 pairs with her to Ireland. Needless to say, it was a match made in heaven. She was easily one of the best parts of my entire Rose experience. We were told from the very beginning that we were “65 Roses to start. 65 Roses to finish.” One lucky girl would be selected to represent our entire class but “Once a Rose, Always a Rose.” And I am happy to say that these points ring true. I’m even happier to say that the lucky girl selected to represent us as this year’s International Rose of Tralee, Chicago’s Maggie McEldowney, is beyond humble, down-to-earth, and indeed deserving of the title. I know she will represent the class of 2016 with distinction and personality and look forward to following her year connecting the global Irish diaspora. A few thank-you’s: Thank you to my wonderful Rose of Tralee Escorts John Slowey and John Finnerty for putting up with me. You lads made me feel important and at home every time we walked out of that dining room and for that I am ever grateful. Thank you to my roommate, the Longford Rose Caroline, for the laughs and wonderful friendship. Thank you to my friends for understanding when I had to bail on plans for an event. Thank you to the Arizona Irish Community for
supporting me and wishing me well every step of the way. Thank you to the Colleen and Rose committee and judges for selecting me and allowing me the opportunity to represent AZ. But most importantly, thank you to my family. Thank you for your constant love and support; for putting up with me all year (and every year); and traveling thousands of miles away to see me run around Ireland. It’s cliché to say the Rose of Tralee changed my life, but it certainly did. What a dream come true it was to represent my friends and family and home state and honor my grandmother’s memory. There will be a new Arizona Colleen and Rose selected on Saturday, February 25 (see Calendar, p30 for ticket info). To
Rose Tour at Irish Nat’l. Stud Gardens
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you, my new sister, I wish you a year of wonder, of growth and of pride. Take risks, go to every event you can, appreciate every moment at home and abroad because it is over before you know it. You are a fierce Irish woman and this is your year for feeling good. Here’s to the next adventure! Ciara Archer is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, with a BA in Journalism, specializing in Public Relations. During her studies, she was chosen to participate in a Disney College Program internship in Anaheim, California. Recently she became the new Social Media Analyst for Gilbert Arizona. Her Irish heritage comes primarily from her father’s side who was born and raised in Dublin.
Archer Family
Ciara’s entire story is online at www.desertshamrock.com. WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM
TRAVEL
Singing on stage in Tralee, Ireland
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
OOT & ABOOT
OUT & ABOUT
26
Christmas at the Castle
Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library, Phoenix
Performing at MIM Music Theater Phoenix
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An Iris hC ent enn ial
Salute to Irish Music & Dance
St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Faire
Parade Irish Faire
Begins 10am on 3rd Street & Sheridan; goes south to McDowell
Raffle: Win a Trip To Ireland Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation
34th Annual Phoenix
Marching Bands Irish Dancers Government Dignitaries Police & Fire Vehicles 2016 Arizona Colleen/Rose & Court Bagpipers Floats
10am to 5pm at the Irish Cultural Center & Margaret Hance Park
Admission $10 Kids 12 & under FREE Senior (55+) & Military $8 CASH ONLY (ATMS available) 3 Stages of Irish Music and Dancers Kids Area Food and Beverages Crafters 1916 Commemorative Exhibit at the McClelland Library
FREE PARKING & SHUTTLE TO FAIRE at 1850 N Central Ave (West side of Central & Palm Ln)
or take the light rail to Roosevelt Grand Marshal Mike Tully, President & CEO, AAA Arizona
Irish Person of the Year:
Pat Sweeney
Saturday March 11 StPatricksDayPhoenix.org
DIRECTORIES
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK IRISH CULTURAL CENTER & McCLELLAND LIBRARY Our mission is to provide a link between the people of Arizona and the people of Ireland and other Celtic cultures. The Irish Cultural Center serves as a central meeting place for cultural groups, affiliate groups and people looking to celebrate their Irish/Celtic heritage. The McClelland Library is a three-story building resembling a traditional 12th century Norman castle from the Emerald Isle. The Library houses 8,000 books from Irish authors, poets, and genealogical sources, a permanent exhibit on The Book of Kells, several reading rooms, and computer access to various disciplines of Irish and Celtic studies including genealogy. Their current exhibition is on the Historical Context and Cultural Legacy of the 1916 Easter Rising. The mission of The Academy of Irish & Celtic Studies is to spread the knowledge and wisdom of the Celtic nations through music, dance, art, literature and language. We do this by providing many musical and Arts programs, open to young and old alike. The Center is also available for private rentals, being a beautiful venue for all occasions! www.azirish.org, 602-258-0109
ARIZONA COLLEEN PROGRAMS
ARIZONA
CENTER
IRISH NETWORK PHOENIX (IN PHX) Irish Network Phoenix is under the umbrella of the national IrishNetwork USA organization integrating the IrishNetworks that exist in various cities across the United States. It allows members of the networks to connectwith their peers and to develop relationships that will foster success in their business, economic, cultural andsports ventures. Come to a monthly breakfast or lunch to explore membership benefits.www.meetup.com/INPhoenix; www.facebook. com/IrishNetworkPhoenix; www.IrishNetworkPhoenix.com
JIM THOMSON U.S. SCHOOL OF PIPING & DRUMMING This bagpipe and drum school is dedicated to excellence in bagpiping as well as camaraderie and fun. All levels of students are welcome! Instructors are brought from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the U.S. Contact: Eric Poleski, Administrator, ericpoleski@cox.net, 702-270-8974 home, 702-340-8859 cell, 928-556-3161, www.nachs.info
The Arizona Colleen and Rose of Tralee Selection, Arizona Irish Lass and Little Miss Shamrock programs select young ladies of Irish descent to participate as spokespersons at area events. Prize packages for each competition. The Colleen wins a trip to Ireland and $1,000 scholarship. For details, visit www.azcolleen.org or contact Erin Sweeney-Morgan, Chair, 602-373-7931, info@azcolleen.org.
LOS SAN PATRICIOS DE ARIZONA (ST. PATRICK’S BATTALION)
ARIZONA LAW ENFORCEMENT EMERALD SOCIETY (ALEES)
NORTHERN ARIZONA CELTIC HERITAGE SOCIETY
ALEES was incorporated in 2004 to promote and celebrate accomplishments of Irish-Americans in law enforcement. Its members, families and friends support ALEES Foundation, a non-profit 501(c) (3) created in 2012 to provide financial assistance to the families of injured and fallen brothers and sisters in Arizona law enforcement. If interested in becoming a member or volunteering, contact us at azemeraldsociety.org.
THE CALEDONIAN SOCIETY OF ARIZONA Our mission is to promote Scottish culture through art, education, and athletics. Each year we grant scholarships to aspiring and professional Highland athletes, musicians, dancers and/or any other individuals or organizations whose mission, project or program promotes Scottish heritage. We meet the 2nd Thursday of each month for drinks, entertainment and Scottish fun! Everyone welcome! ArizonaScots.com.
DAUGHTERS OF SCOTIA DESERT THISTLE LODGE #260 Formed in 2005 to promote Scottish heritage. Ladies of ancestry, married to a Scot or born in Scotland may join. We hold monthly meetings, tea socials, a teahouse at the AZ Highland Games and attend Scottish events. We support Highland dance competition and other charities. Contact: Bethany Tso at 602-770-7565 or clanwoman924@yahoo.com
FRIENDS OF SAINT PATRICK CENTRE – AZ CHAPTER The nonprofit organization was formed in 2011 to promote positive relationships between Arizona and Northern Ireland. Through education, cultural exchanges and charitable events, the Chapter nurtures St. Patrick’s legacy. Meetings held quarterly at the ICC. Contact: Kelsey.Kelleher@AZIrishLibrary.org, 602-301-1083.
GRAND CANYON CELTIC ARTS ACADEMY Dates: July 10-14, 2017 at Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy. It offers classes for Youth and Adults in: fiddle, whistle, dance, guitar, and more! Scholarships Available through Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society. Contact: Kari@GrandCanyonCelticArts.org, 928600-1365. www.grandcanyoncelticarts.org
Our purpose is to bring together individual of Irish descent and others interested in Irish culture through our monthly socials. Everyone is welcome; it is part of our Irish hospitality. The Club meets monthly October through May for dinner and dancing at the Sun City Country Club. Dues are $10 per year. For information or a complementary newsletter, contact Maura McConnell, Secretary, 623-933-3698, hummel4fun@aol.com.
IRISH FOUNDATION OF ARIZONA Formed in the 1970s to bring together people of Irish heritage in Arizona, the group sponsors social events throughout the year. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm at the ICC. Contact: Anna O’Hara, President, 480-345-9517
SOCIAL WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM
The nonprofit organization is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving Celtic culture. Each year we host the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival (July 15-16, 2017), the Jim Thomson U.S. School of Piping & Drumming, and the Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy. Contact Jude McKenzie, information@nachs.info, 928-556-3161, www.nachs.info.
PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE & FAIRE COMMITTEE Formed in 1983, the Committee has the responsibility for organizing the annual Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Faire that follows, which are held on Saturday (the closest before or falling on March 17); and the Arizona Colleen Programs throughout the year. It is entirely volunteers and meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 pm at the ICC. Contact: Harry Sexton, President, 602-863-9198.
PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE It is one of the largest parades in Arizona! Celebrate being Irish with the entire Valley. Coming up Saturday, March 11, 2017, 10am; route is Third Street south from Sheridan to Moreland, FREE. Contact: John Corcoran, Chair, 623-939-1183, www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org.
PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY FAIRE Fun for the entire family, it showcases Irish music, step dancing, Irish and Celtic arts and crafts, plus traditional Irish foods and beverages. Coming up Saturday, March 11, 2017, 10am-5pm at the Irish Cultural Center and Margaret Hance Park grounds. Contact: Mary Moriarty, Chair, 602-258-0109, www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org.
PRESCOTT AREA CELTICS SOCIETY (PACS) Our organization, a 501(c)(3), exists in order to promote cultural pride in Celtic heritage through education, scholarships, activities, special events and the annual Prescott Highland Games. It is a love of all things Celtic which drives our association. Dues are $10 for single and $15 per couple per year. For information, call Andy Hamilton 928-642-0020 or Jill Nelson 928-443-1422, regjill@q.com; P.O. Box 12912, Prescott, AZ 86304-2912; www.prescotthighlandgames.com.
RIORDAN MANSION STATE HISTORIC PARK
IRISH AMERICAN CLUB WEST VALLEY
LET’S GET
The organization honors the 150-year-old bond of friendship existing today between Mexico and Ireland. Los San Patricios de Arizona was founded by Wm. “Bill” Howard O'Brien; Hector Corona, El Teniente; and Ernie Patino, El Teniente. For information, please call 480-951-1152 or email whoco@cox.net.
Built in 1904 for two Irish brothers, Riordan Mansion is an architectural treasure offering a glimpse into the lives of Flagstaff’s early Irish settlers. The “fairy ring” seen on the outdoor self-guided tour hints at the Irish tradition of providing fairies an outdoor dancing space, preventing mischief inside. For admission rates and hours call 928-779-4395.
SCOTTISH-AMERICAN MILITARY SOCIETY (SAMS), FLAGSTAFF Chartered on April 21, 1981 in North Carolina, membership is open to all Active Duty and Veterans of the USA and the British Commonwealth who are of Scot or Scot-Irish lineage. For more information, contact SAMS Flagstaff Post 2000, George G. Shoemaker, 928-607-1600, gduffer@suddenlink.net.
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THE DESERT SHAMROCK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
Membership is open to honorably discharged veterans or active duty or reserve military persons who have served or are serving with any branch of the United States or Commonwealth Armed Forces, of Scottish ancestry. We welcome your membership. Currently there are 39 Posts within the United States. Contact: Reg Nelson, 928-443-1422; SAMS Prescott Post 1297, “The Arizona Highlanders,” P.O. Box 2245, Prescott, AZ 86302-2245; sams.commander.post1297@gmail.com.
WELSH LEAGUE OF ARIZONA Our mission is to promote Welsh language and culture with performing arts and literary events, classes, and participating in Celtic festivals and other community events. We endeavor to enhance relations between the U.S. and Wales by being a point of contact for visitors, businesses, and expatriates. We warmly welcome travelers, offering assistance and networking. Contact: Mary Gilchrist marygilchristmg@gmail.com. www.welshleagueofarizona.org
CLANS CLAN MACINNES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION Arizona Convenor: Steve McKinnis 11505 E. Calle Javelina, Tucson, AZ 85748 macinnes@macinnes.org • 520-290-1268 • www.macinnes.org
CLAN MACCALLUM-MALCOLM SOCIETY, N.A. Arizona Convenor: Ashleen O’Gaea Ashleen@Comcast.net w/MacCallum in subject line www.Clan-MacCallum-Malcolm.org
CELTIC SISTER CITIES CHANDLER-TULLAMORE, IRELAND SISTER CITIES Ellen Harrington, President. P.O. Box 4174, Chandler, AZ 852444174 480-600-8509, chan.to.tull@gmail.com, www.chandlerirish.org
PHOENIX-ENNIS, IRELAND SISTER CITIES Mary Hill-Connor, Committee Chairperson 602-635-9760, mary.hillconnor@gmail.com www.phoenixsistercities.org
TUCSON-ROSCOMMON, IRELAND SISTER CITIES Colleen Kelly Beaman, Chair 520-743-7979, Ckbeaman@hotmail.com 1670 N Country Club, Tucson, AZ 85716; and Facebook
CELTIC DANCE SCHOOLS BRACKEN SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE Classes in Chandler, 480-699-2455, www.brackenirishdance.com Thomas Bracken, ADCRG. | Kieran Noe, TCRG thomas.bracken@brackenirishdance.com, Kieran.Noe@Brackenirishdance.com
MAGUIRE ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCE Classes in Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, and Houston Info@maguireacademy.com (520) 319-0204. Darren Maguire, TCRG, ADCRG www.maguireacademy.com
MASCHINO SCHOOL OF HIGHLAND DANCE Kari Maschino, 480-242-7760, Kari@maschinodance.com Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria www.maschinodance.com
MICHAEL PATRICK GALLAGHER SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE MPGirishdance@yahoo.com Michael Patrick, TCRG, ADCRG, Ann Paitel, TCRG www.mpgirishdance.com
NEW MEMBERS WELCOME!
WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM
DIRECTORIES
SCOTTISH-AMERICAN MILITARY SOCIETY (SAMS), PRESCOTT
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 THE DESERT SHAMROCK
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 [All events are in Arizona USA unless otherwise noted]
IRISH CULTURAL CENTER (ICC)/ MCCLELLAND LIBRARY
PUBLIC WALK-IN HOURS (TOURS, LIBRARY & GENEALOGY) Tuesday-Saturday • 10am–3pm Wednesday Evenings (Library only) • 3pm–6pm Closed all major holidays Frances McClelland Genealogy Centre available these hours; Open Other Hours for Scheduled Classes, Meetings & Events 1106 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix 85004 602-258-0109, www.azirish.org See ad page 4
FAMILY STORY HOUR
Saturday, January 6 • 10:30am–Noon Stories and crafts for the entire family Irish Cultural Center; FREE
DESERT SHAMROCK’S WRITER’S WORKSHOP By Ann Niemann, Editor in Chief Saturday, January 7 • 10:30am–12:30pm Creating “news,” brainstorming, research, how to secure permissions, guidelines for submission, photos, how to be the Editor’s “favorite” Registration: info@desertshamrock.com FREE ICC, Norton Room; See ad page 23
ROBERT BURNS NIGHT
Saturday, January 21 • 6m FREE The Dubliner, 3841 E. Thunderbird, Phx Food available for purchase Event sponsors Turner Syndrome
SAVE THE DATE: 53RD ANNUAL SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES Saturday & Sunday, March 4-5 • Gates open 9am Steele Indian School Park 300 E. Indian School, Phoenix 85012 www.arizonascots.org,
See ad page 2
ANNUAL MAYORS’ LUNCHEON
Friday, March 10 • 11:30am Tucson-Roscommon, Ireland Sister Cities Pastiche, 3025 N Campbell Ave., Tucson 85719 Info: 520-743-7979
34TH ANNUAL PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S PARADE
See ad page 30
BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
Saturday, January 28 • 10:30am–12:30 pm John McGahern, “Amongst Women” (novel – 1990) Irish Cultural Center; FREE
PHOTO BY YOSHA BRUNSON
CALENDAR
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Mike Tully, CEO of AAA, Grand Marshal
Saturday, March 11 • 10am FREE “Salute to Irish Music and Dance” 3rd Street from Virginia to McDowell, Phx www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org
34TH ANNUAL PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S IRISH FAIRE
Saturday, March 11 Margaret Hance Park & Irish Cultural Center Tickets: $10.00 Adults 13 & older; Kids FREE; Senior (55 & over) and Military $8.00 FREE parking with online ticket at 1850 N. Central garage www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org
REMEMBERING THE EASTER RISING: HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND CULTURAL LEGACY
37TH ANNUAL SAN DIEGO ST. PATRICK’S PARADE AND FESTIVAL
Now through June 30 An Interactive Museum EXHIBIT | McClelland Library Co-Sponsored by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Consulate Office of San Francisco
FIRST FRIDAY CELTIC SINGING CIRCLE PART OF PHOENIX ART WALK Fridays, Jan 6, Feb 3 • 6.30pm until late The Great Hall, FREE Family-Friendly, Live Music, Art Show, Crafts Cash Bar, Dinner available for purchase
THIRD FRIDAY CEILI
(IRISH SOCIAL DANCING) Jan 20, Feb 17 • 7:30pm until late The Great Hall, Beginners’ Lesson 6:30pm Tickets: $6; under 12 FREE (2 with each paid admission) Family-Friendly, Live Music, Cash Bar
“IRISH TEA CEREMONY”
Third Saturday of each month Saturdays, Jan 21, Feb 18 • 1:30pm–3pm Norton Room, Advance Reservations only! Tickets: $22.50 Members, $25 Non-Members
THE ACADEMY OF IRISH AND CELTIC STUDIES
DEREK WARFIELD AND THE YOUNG WOLFE TONES
ONLY ONE CONCERT IN ARIZONA February 3, 2017 • 8pm Doors Open 7pm El Casino Ballroom, 437 E. 26th St., Tucson Tickets: $20.00 in advance at www.FLANAGANsCelticCorner.com/ Derek2017 $25.00 at door 21 and over show; portion of food sales benefit Tucson Irish Heritage Foundation
See ad page 13
FAMILY STORY HOUR
Saturday, February 4 • 10:30am–Noon Stories and crafts for the entire family Irish Cultural Center; FREE
GENEALOGY WORKSHOP
Saturday, February 11 • 10:30am–12:30 pm Cost: $15 members/$20 nonmembers ICC
RHYTHM OF THE DANCE
9-week Term 3 begins January 9 [Term 4 begins March 21] Group and private lessons available AND offer member-discounts Call for pricing and details 602-864-2357 or email academy@ azirish.org
Sunday, February 12 • 3pm The National Dance Company of Ireland www.ChandlerCenter.org
PRIVATE MUSIC CLASSES
Saturday, February 25 • 10:30am–12:30 pm Claire Keegan, “Walk the Blue Fields” (short stories – 2007) Irish Cultural Center; FREE
Tuesday - Saturday, available for all levels Bagpipes (Scottish Highland), Bodhrán, Fiddle, Flute, Harp, Tin Whistle, Voice, Cello, Choral Arts, Clarinet, Piano and Viola The Academy Practice Rooms
CELTIC CRAFTS TECHNIQUES, IRISH LANGUAGE, IRISH STEP DANCE GROUP LESSONS, ART CLASS, AND MORE! 29TH ANNUAL AZ RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL AND ARTISAN MARKETPLACE Saturdays, Sundays, and Presidents’ Day Feb 11 through Apr 2 • 10am–6pm RenFestInfo.com; See ad page 32
WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM
See ad page 31
BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
2017 ARIZONA COLLEEN & ROSE SELECTION Saturday, February 25 • 5pm Mountain Preserve, 1431 E Dunlap Ave., Phx $50 includes dinner and event, advance ticket purchase only Advance tickets only; available at www.azcolleen.org and at ICC 602-258-0109
Saturday, March 11, 2017 • 9am–6pm FREE Balboa Park, 6th & Laurel, San Diego, CA Irish Congress of Southern California /Sponsored by Guinness Parade starts 10:30am at 5th and Laurel Festival with Beer Garden and 3 stages of entertainment Must be 21 to enter beer garden (ID required!) www.stpatsparade.org; irishcongress317@gmail.com
See ad page 2
EXPERIENCE IRELAND
Sat. & Sun., March 11-12 • 9am–5pm Sixth annual celebration of Irish music and culture. Enjoy live music, crafts, Irish dancing, storytelling, and more! MIM.org, 4725 E. Mayo, Phx
See ad page 23
TUCSON ST. PATRICK’S PARADE & FESTIVAL
Friday, March 17 • Downtown FREE Festival at Armory Park, Tucson www.tucsonstpatricksday.com
KILT RUN GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT Friday, March 17 • 6pm Benefits American Cancer Society Relay for Life After-Party at McFadden’s, Glendale www.IrishRunAZ.com
See ad page 31
KISS ME I’M IRISH RUN/ WALK
Saturday, March 18 1k, 4k, 8k, Half-Marathon Portion benefits Prostate On-Site Project Westgate Entertainment District, Glendale www.IrishRunAZ.com, See ad page 31
ALTAN - IN CONCERT
Sunday, March 19 • 4pm & 7pm From County Donegal, Ireland band led by the world-renowned fiddler and vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh. MIM.org, 4725 E. Mayo, Phx
See ad page 23
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fieldworksevents.com 480-609-3978
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Sunday, February 12, 2017 · 3pm For complete season:
ChandlerCenter.org 480.782.2680
irishrunaz
@irishrunaz
ChandlerCen 480.782.2680
Full season listing
SAN DIEGO
St.Patrick’s PARADE AND IRISH FESTIVAL
Day
Saturday, March 11, 2017 parade:
10:30 am, Fifth and Laurel irish festival: Balboa Park, 9 am to 6 pm JOIN THE FESTIVITIES! Authentic Celtic Food Village • Beer Garden Craft Booths • Kids’ Zone with Rides and Bungee T-Shirts, Jewelry and More • History Booth
stpatsparade.org The Parade and Festival are funded solely by event income and the donations and sponsorships provided by individuals and businesses. Guinness is the presenting sponsor and grants have been provided by the Republic of Ireland, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
2017 Kilt Run GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT A short “Irish K” (about a quarter mile)
March 17, 6pm
Your ENTRY Includes a kilt, finisher’s medal, cold beverage & admission to McFadden’s St. Patrick’s Party! Proceeds to American Cancer Society Relay for Life.
$30; special $25 if before March 1.
The record is currently held by Perth, Ontario, Canada.We need almost 1,800 runners wearing kilts to bring the world record to Glendale, Arizona!
register at
www.irishrunaz.com WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM
29th Annual Arizona