January July – August – February 20152015 ~ Arizona’s ~ Arizona’s Original Original IrishIrish Newspaper Newspaper ~ Vol. ~ 25, Vol.No. 26,10 No. 1
Starting on
PAGE 20
Global Irish Home Again
Photo at Castle Durrow County Laois, Ireland
We’re on the lookout for the one million of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh descent. The more successful the campaign, the more philanthropic we can be to support Arizona’s Celtic nonprofits, going national and international. Hey, we could even help restore a castle!
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Open to Arizonans and friends worldwide. Not leaving anyone out!
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PHOTO: IRISH CULTURAL CENTER, PHOENIX, AZ; CREDIT: BOB RINK
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Ann Niemann
ARIZONA’S ORIGINAL IRISH NEWSPAPER
Serving the Celtic Community 2320 E. Baseline Rd., #148-623 Phoenix, AZ 85042 • (602) 568-3455 Visit www.DesertShamrock.com • E-mail: info@desertshamrock.com Owner & Editor in Chief • Ann Niemann Publisher • Niemann Publishing, Inc. Art Direction, Design & Layout • Heidi Barry Will Masthead Design • Elaine’s Design Emporium Contributing Columnists Janice Bryson • J Carro • Vicki Champion Katie Caufield Ginder • Brian Hanrahan • Ellen Harrington Adrienne Leavy • Carmelita Lee • Iain Lundy Lynn Herdman Mascarelli • Leah Rossow Maureen & Jack Sullivan • Marshall Trimble • Kathleen Walters Liz Warren • Jan Whalen • Caroline Woodiel • Gary Woodside Publisher – Julie O’Mahar (2003 - 2013) Editor - Kathleen Wood (2003 - 2008) Publisher - Maureen O’Mahar (1996 - 2002) Founding Publisher - Robert E. Graham (1987 - 1996) Copyright © 2015 - Niemann Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed herein are the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily those of ‘The Desert Shamrock,’ the publisher or the editorial staff. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Publication of advertising herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement of a product or service. Unsolicited materials become the property of Niemann Publishing, Inc. All unsolicited materials are greatly appreciated and carefully evaluated although publication is not guaranteed.
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Travel is a great joy in life, exploring new locales, re-visiting friends and memories. Experiencing fresh adventures, ever learning. The opportunity to again attend this year’s Rose of Tralee Regional Final in Portlaoise, County Laois was wonderful to see familiar faces and meet the 2015 Roses and families. I highly recommend Dinah and Jerry Campion's Ivyleigh B&B with fabulous, award-winning breakfasts! Many of the photos from Regionals this edition are mine, including all but one of the portraits. A generous counterpart in providing photos is Dorothy “Dot” Kret, aunt of 2015 Arizona Rose Mallory Melton. We have so many that they Dot Kret are not credited to us but we are sharing with you at www.desertshamrock.com. An official Rose photographer for the event is Richard McCarthy (www.eventcapture.ie); special thanks for his work! During my meetings at Titanic Belfast, I lunched with Dr. Tim Campbell, Director of the Saint Patrick Centre in County Down, an amazing museum that celebrates Christendom and all that unites us. He was leading a tour with the East Fife Members Club of the National Trust for Scotland. I was privileged to capture a group shot to document their visit and delighted to do so! Enjoy life and blessings, and a good read in
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July – August 2015
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Reflections on the Fourth of July Written in Dublin, Ireland, 2004
By Carmelita Lee Today is the 4th of July. By the time you read this, the celebrations are likely past, the photos developed and placed lovingly in albums. It was a holiday for you, just another workday for me. I didn’t even realize what day it was until I was struggling into my navy blue suit (because…er, I’m more fluffy than I am svelte). But I noticed my calendar and paused, took off my navy jacket, and reached back into my closet. The 4th of July was always a big deal for Army families. As a kid growing up on Army bases in Japan, France, and all over the United States, the 4th was a day for picnics and parades. At the parade grounds we heard patriotic speeches and listened to a concert under the stars provided by an Army marching band that was topped off by a fireworks display. Perhaps with the Army-brat perspective we had a greater appreciation for what the day was all about. I don’t know. I can’t say because I have never known a day when I wasn’t the daughter of Sergeant Jose Caballero, and of my Georgia peach mom, Doris Maxwell Caballero. Some combination, huh? Let me tell you something about who I think I am. As a very young girl living far from home, it fell to me to do the letter writing, not because my parents didn’t keep in touch, but because they thought I had a flare for words and rhyme that they hoped I would develop. It was the pre e-mail days, not only was there no long distance phone calls, there wasn’t even a phone…so if we didn’t write home, we would have lost out on the rich details of everyday life in the people we loved. In return, our relatives and friends, in-laws and outlaws my dad used to call them, would send me family stories. I learned that on my father’s side, my Mexican-Jewish grandparents fled the havoc being created by Pancho Villa in Northern Mexico in the early 1900s. They settled eventually in Texas, where my father and his youngest sister were born. My grandfather was employed as a gandy dancer -- a railroad tie layer is the best description I can give you. Apparently a railroad tie is called a gandy, and the men who laid them would jump on the ends to tamp them into place; thus, a gandy dancer. I got this colorful description from my father-in-law, a fifth generation Arizonan whose own family descended from Mormon pioneers who traveled west in covered wagons in the 1840s. In my mother’s family line, the Maxwells braved the unknown to immigrate to New Jersey on tiny ships from the Borderlands area of Scotland, near
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Glasgow. They found themselves on the losing side of a religious war, and fled Scotland with barely more than their lives in the early 1700s, even though the family had been famed for providing all the fish and game for the king’s table. Our branch of the Maxwell clan briefly settled in the region of Massachusetts and fought in both the War for Independ-
PHOTO FROM FREEIMAGES.COM
ence, and the War of 1812. Because of wounds my mother’s great-grandfather suffered in the War of 1812 he was given a land grant, along with two other brothers, in Georgia. One of the four Maxwell brothers stayed in the North. In Georgia my mother’s family helped to settle Decatur County, Georgia and the surrounding areas, the Maxwells becoming some of the largest sugar cane and peanut growers in the old South. Our Holland family line emigrated from the Ennis area of Ireland during the potato famine of the 1840s and settled in Georgia as well, and the Colvins and McKeones? Ulster Irish who fled religious persecution in the 1700s.
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We’ve all seen that collage of an American. It shows a grinning yuppie, and behind him is everything from a peg-legged sea captain to an Indian chief, a dancehall floozy to a prim librarian, kings and cads, queens and farm girls. One of my daughters, Sarah, created just such a collage of our family. Behind it all is a yellowing but beautiful Stars and Stripes, and overlaying that is a handmade quilt, the work of my grandmother, Henrietta Holland, (Irish.) Then streaming out in a descending fashion are photos from the 1800s to 2003, and in it are beloved pictures of everyone we could fit in; a pioneer who settled Lee’s Ferry, Arizona; John Lee, (French/English); Beatrice Dowdall, (Irish/ Canadian), whose mother was our own personal dancehall girl. There’s the mariachi singers in their best duds, hiding the dark family secret: Judaism kept hidden within the ritual of Catholicism, the only way they felt they could protect themselves. There are the pretty sisters from Florida, (Scotch/ Irish), and the solemn candymakers from Mexico who never learned to speak English, but who sought solace, comfort and provision in the Land of the Free. There, superimposed over their portion of the collage is my grandfather Clemente Caballero’s only known signature, when he swore an affidavit so that my father could volunteer for the war effort in December of 1941. As you come to the bottom of this collage, the brightest part of the photo, you see the current generations, the mutt people that we are, the most interesting of all. There are all my pretty grandchildren – Gabi and Hannah, exotic, very Polynesian looking with their olive skin and pitch black hair. Aside from being quarter-horse Mexicans, as my dad used to say, they are English and Portuguese. Their father is a naturalized American citizen who had Portuguese/ Jewish and Chinese ancestors! Our Liz, Josh and Samantha; they’re blond, blue eyed and gorgeous. Their mom? Irish/German, and all American. And our little ones, Abi, Katherine and John? Redheads! The great-grandchildren of a Holocaust survivor on our son-in-law’s side, and of course, they’re Mexican/ English/Irish/German. What a collage we make, we Americans.
July – August 2015
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!
July – August 2015 ~ Arizona’s Original Irish Newspaper
ARTS
SISTER CITIES
14 Music Review: Arizona Celtic Women
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50 Chandler-Tullamore Announce Grand Prize Winner for Young Artists & Authors
48 Celtic Artisan: Michael Sobrado, Artist Blacksmith
50 Phoenix -Ennis Book Festival September 27
53 Grand Canyon Celtic Academy, Flagstaff
51 Sister Cities International
BUSINESS
I'm 1 in a Million! Fundraiser
TRAVEL
12 Irish Network Phoenix Profile:
8 Left Lane Maureen, Part 9:
Mary Hannon
County Kerry
28 Visit Ennis, Ireland
CULTURE
29 Cliffs of Moher
20 North American Roses
39 Rose of Tralee Int'l. Festival
44 Hmmm...Scottish, not Irish Accent
40 Study Abroad: Brightening Brightness
44 Irish Language Lesson #2 46 Keltic Kitchen:
WELSH
Deviled Shrimp
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42 The Great Glasshouse
HISTORY
DIRECTORIES
4 Reflections on the Fourth of July from Dublin
Jim Ward, CEO The Phoenix Symphony
10 Irish Tales from Arizona Territory
52-53
Women's Hall of Fame Honoree
10 Arizona: Did you know?
CALENDAR
SCOTS
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16 A Knight Under the Stars
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEATURES
NEXT ISSUE SNEAK PEEK
56 Register for Diamondbacks Celtic Heritage Day
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
CELEBRATE CELTIC
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CELTIC THUNDER'S
DAVID MUNRO
July – August 2015
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FEATURE
The Phoenix Symphony benefits ICC & McClelland Irish Library Jim Ward, CEO (and fellow T-bird) By Ann Niemann How often do you hear language like this? “Celebrate creative abandon.” “Feed the souls of our residents through the joy of music.” Below is just an excerpt from the Vision, Mission, and Values of The “new” Phoenix Symphony. VALUES
We value and honor the power of music. We value and celebrate creative abandon paired with the common sense of running a business. We value and understand the critical importance of our next generation. That’s why we dedicate ourselves to impacting them in a positive way.
Jim Ward
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY
ICLF’s Jim Daugherty, Blythe Sweeney, and Paul Ahern with Alfie Boe (vest)
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MISSION
Our mission is to provide the joy of music as a catalyst in helping Arizona to become the best place in America to work and live. We will do this by creating high quality musical experiences: to feed the souls of our residents to bolster the cultural economy to educate and strengthen our next generation resulting in a creative workforce
Jim Ward is leading the charge as President and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony, and wears a second hat as a venture partner in the venture capital firm, Alsop Louie Partners, focused on early stage evernet/cloud computing start-ups. Previously, Jim was President of LucasArts and Sr. Vice President of Lucasfilm, Ltd. where he led the business growth of the video game company and oversaw the planning, development and execution of global marketing and distribution programs for all of Lucasfilm’s theatrical, home video and television intellectual properties including “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones.” Ward’s over 25-year business career began in advertising with Doyle Dane Bernbach in New York, then as Senior Vice President and General Manager of BBDO/Los Angeles and onto Worldwide Account Director for Wieden and Kennedy in Portland, Oregon. As an advertising executive, Ward has been involved in many major global product introductions including Apple Computer’s original PowerBook, Microsoft’s Windows ’95 with the Rolling Stones and Nike’s introduction of Tiger Woods. He has served as Chairman of the Entertainment Software Association and was nominated for an Emmy in 2007 as Executive Producer for a Prime Time Non-Fiction Special. In addition he has been recognized as one of Advertising Age’s Top 100 Marketers, was EPM’s Entertainment Marketer of the Year in 1999, and has received Thunderbird’s Alumnus of the Year award. He is currently a board member of the Electronic Media Association and the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, and is a trustee of Hanover College. These life experiences have propelled him into a unique opportunity to provide innovative direction for The Phoenix Symphony. A former member of The Symphony’s board, C.A. Howlett, now Chair Emeritus,
July – August 2015
Colm Wilkinson scheduled for Phoenix Blythe Sweeny who serves on the Board of Trustees for the Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation was key in promoting the event and collaboration. It was to be Wilkinson’s first time performing in Arizona and one of his few performances in the U.S. this year. And, it represented the first community collaboration between The Symphony and the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library with Colm’s tie to Ireland, born and raised in Dublin [see his story in May-June 2015 edition].
Alfie Boe saves the day! With ticket sales soaring, Colm’s legendary tenor range was still challenged by lasting effects of the virus he contracted and was advised by his physi-
You’ve got to hear this! Les Miserables - BRING HIM HOME - 25TH ANNIVERSARY @ THE O2 Arena in London In an encore, Colm Wilkinson was invited as a special guest to sing his signature song with the three reigning Jean Valjean leads from various stage productions in Europe. Alfie Boe is second from the left in the white Jean Valjean shirt. A magical, musical moment.
cians to rest his voice for several more months. This is the first show that Colm Wilkinson has needed to cancel in his accomplished career and did so with deep regret. British tenor Alfie Boe graciously stepped in on short notice for the concerts on June 4 and 5 with The Phoenix Symphony. He is a Tony Award-winning Broadway star, fresh off the success of his performance as Jean Valjean in the Les Misérables 25th Anniversary concert and his 2013 PBS special “Alfie Boe: Storyteller at Royal Albert Hall.”
These life experiences have propelled Jim into a unique opportunity to provide innovative direction for The Phoenix Symphony. Performing for the first time with The Phoenix Symphony, Alfie came to Symphony Hall with his diverse collection of classical, folk, and Broadway hits from Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and more… which always leaves audiences wanting more! He has a great sense of humor as a performer and entertained the Arizona audience to their delight as a comedian-of-sorts along with his powerful musical prowess. Alfie Boe returns to Broadway as Jean Valjean this fall in Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Les Misérables at New York’s Imperial Theatre.
Although disappointing news to learn of Colm’s vocal health, Jim Ward shared, “We are excited to have the caliber of Alfie Boe in his Arizona debut. It’s rare when it’s the first time for a performer to be here and a proud opportunity for The Symphony to be able to share this experience.” The Phoenix Symphony is Arizona's largest performing arts organization. Founded in 1947 as a part-time orchestra in a city of fewer than 100,000 people, The Symphony has grown to become Arizona's only full-time symphony orchestra. There’s a very full and varied schedule announced for 20152016, under Maestro Tito Muñoz as he debuts his second season. It includes Classics and Pops, one-ofa-kind Specials, and dynamic Family concerts; with multi-media effects. Below are just a sampling:
FEATURE
was involved with Jim’s candidacy for an Arizona Congressional seat in the 2010 election cycle; he liked Jim’s approach and presentation to life and issues. Mr. Howlett recognized Jim’s skill set as a “turnaround guy” and encouraged him to volunteer starting that fall. In becoming more involved at The Symphony, Jim then served in an interim position in 2011 and becoming permanent in 2012. Jim’s great grandmother was Irish. He’s a classically trained musician starting at age 6 on the piano, and later oboe and bassoon through college. Hence, his appreciation and passion for music. He's a native of Rockford, Illinois, completing graduate school in Arizona.
Purchase tickets with a variety of single, multiconcert, and subscription choices. [Special thanks for background content provided by www. phoenixsymphony.org; and to Blythe Sweeney for her contribution.]
Salute to the Symphony Team With General Manager Jeff Hunsinger, the team pulled off an entertainment miracle in booking a replacement of this quality in only a few days when the process normally takes a few months. While Alfie and Colm’s performance paths have crossed a few times, Alfie’s star is certainly on the rise and many are comparing his vocal talent and range to a younger CW.
Sidenote: It was great fun to realize Jim Ward and I shared our alma mater, each earning our Master of International Management degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, located in Glendale, Arizona (alumni are known as T-birds for short). I graduated in 1978; Jim in 1983. We both competed in INTERAD, an international advertising competition with student teams reviewed by a panel of leading ad executives. My team introduced Gatorade for the first time in Canada; Jim’s team introduced Mattel Toys (Barbie and Masters of the Universe) to Chile. It was through this program that Jim received an invitation to interview and first worked with Doyle Dane Bernbach. I was offered a position with a competitor.
Lififee,, ss nee L On O ssoonn L L y ny eess Maan M LIFEOF TORRY YOU OFS YE TH STOR THETE E RI W WRIT TO
YOUR
LIFE
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July – August 2015
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TRAVEL
Driving Tips
Part 9
from Left Lane Maureen County Kerry By Maureen Sullivan CTC County Cork, Ireland
M
ay the road rise to greet you! The Rose of Tralee, the Dome, and the adventure of traveling the Dingle
Peninsula. We were in Killarney, Dingle, and Tralee last year to attend the International Rose of Tralee Selection. The evening was exciting with contestants, supporters and visitors from all over the world in attendance! We stayed at Robeen House in Killarney hosted by one of our favorite hosts, Bernice and Ian McMonagle. David Geaney, our driver, got us safely through the mad crush visiting the Dome to cheer on young women in their Rose of Tralee quest, and then back to our B&B! The sights and sounds of the Dingle peninsula were part of our journey for this visit. The whole of the peninsula is signposted in the Irish language, which is part of the Gaeltacht. Many Irish speakers come here to perfect their knowledge of the language. Dingle reached its prime in the 16th century because of commercial trade with Spain. The attractive town of Dingle, nestled on the ocean, was an important seaport in past times. The fishing boats bobbing in the harbor still unload bountiful catches of fish and shellfish, providing local restaurants dinner for the evening. The whole area is exceptionally rich in prehistoric and early Christian remains. Gallarus Oratory is the best remaining example of an unusual form of architecture which was used in a number of religious buildings erected in the 6th, 7th and 8th centuries. It overlooks the harbor at Ard na Caithne with its name literally meaning “The Church of the Place of the Foreigners.” This building crafted from dry-stone corbelling without any mortar, using techniques first developed by Ne-
PHOTO BY MICHAEL O’HARA
Gallarus Oratory on the Dingle Peninsula
olithic tomb makers, is in the shape of an inverted boat. It has withstood the elements for 1200 years, and remains as dry and solid as the day it was built. These beehive huts were built by the monks and used for prayer. We stood inside the Oratory on a day when it rained sideways and the inside remained totally dry! Amazing!! Kilmalkedar Church is a 12th century Romanesque church. It has an Ogham stone and alphabet stones in the church yard. The remains of Riasc Monastic settlement from the 5th century are quite impressive. Dunbeg Fort has a sheer drop to the Atlantic with four outer walls of stone. There are a group of beehive huts built within the Fort . Parts of it fell into the sea in 2014. Not to be missed if the weather is right is the summit of Conor Pass, the highest mountain pass in Ireland open to cars. From Slea Head, you can see the Blasket Islands, a group of seven rocky islands. The large one, Great Blasket, was inhabited until 1953. Along the coast, Celtic monks sought isolated communities for lives of prayer and silence. If the weather is clear you can look south and see the island Skellig Michael. It was
here that St. Finan founded his monastery. Dingle Crystal Factory owned by Sean Daly, a Waterford trained craftsman, has daily demonstrations. It is located on Slea Head drive, a short distance from Dingle town. It is well worth a stop to see this traditional Irish art (066-915-2250 local number). One of our favorite B&B’s on Dingle is “Tower View,” hosted by Mary and Robbie Griffin. Our clients love their warmth and hospitality. Very family friendly! If you happen to be in Dingle during summer high season, look for Jerry O’Bierne, a wonderful Irish guitarist, who has played at our own Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix. Look for him at John Benny’s or the Courthouse. Don’t miss “Fungi,” the local Irish dolphin! Enjoy Ireland!! To be continued…
Jack’s parents were born in County Cork, Ireland, settling in Chicago in the 1920’s.
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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July – August 2015
Maureen and John (“Jack”) are the owners of Sullivan’s Travels, Inc. Maureen has been a travel professional for 23 years, moving their business to Phoenix four years ago. www.sullivanstravels.com
HISTORY
Irish Tal e s from Arizona Territory Women’s Hall of Fame Honoree By Janice Ryan Bryson More than two million visitors to the Grand Canyon each year pass through buildings designed by Irish-American Mary Jane Colter. The architect was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 4, 1869 to Irish immigrant parents. As a child, Mary wanted to grow up to be an artist. She became acquainted with local Sioux artists in Minnesota and developed an early interest in Native American culture and arts. When Mary’s father died in 1886, although money was tight she convinced her mother and sister to allow her to attend the California School of Design in San Francisco. The school catered to women and Mary was not only taught the basics of art, she apprenticed in an architect’s office where she learned design from an active architect. Upon her graduation, Mary returned to Minnesota where she taught for 15 years at the Mechanic Arts High School in St Paul.
ARIZONA:
Did you know? 18. Oraibi, a Hopi village located in Navajo County, Arizona, dates back to before A.D. 1200 and is reputed to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in America. 19. The only place in the country where mail is delivered by mule is the village of Supai, located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. 20. Located on Arizona’s western border, Parker Dam is the deepest dam in the world at 320 feet. 21. Many of the founders of San Francisco in 1776 were Spanish colonists from Tubac, Arizona. Read more fun and fascinating facts about Arizona NEXT edition.
Arizona’s Official State Historian, Marshall Trimble has been called the “Will Rogers of Arizona.” He’s a “cowboy philosopher,” educator, lecturer, PHOTO BY GARY author, folk singer and stage performer, M. JOHNSON and appears frequently on radio and television. He created and taught Arizona history at Scottsdale Community College for forty years where he was also Director of Southwest Studies.
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Mary became acquainted with the daughter of Fred Harvey, who had begun providing food service for railroad passengers in comfortable dining quarters along the route of the Atchison, Topeka and
Her Grand Canyon buildings included Hermit’s Rest, the Watchtower at Desert View, Bright Angel Lodge, and the Observatory Lookout Studio. Santa Fe Railway. Minnie championed Mary and the Harvey Company sent Mary to Albuquerque in 1902 to design a building with Native American design as part of the Alvarado Hotel. The building was both a museum and shop where items were well displayed and tourists clamored to buy items from on-site Native American artisans. Two years later Mary was hired to design and decorate a new sales building at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon called Hopi House. Mary sought information and used her own knowledge of Oraibi pueblos to create her version of a stone Hopi house. She staffed the sales building with working Hopi artisans including the famous potter Nampeyo. In 1910 Mary was hired as the permanent Fred Harvey Company architect to design railroad stations and Harvey hotels. Her projects not only included her architectural skills, she also was the designer, decorator and interior designer. For the next 30 years, Mary completed 21 Fred Harvey projects, often working in rugged conditions. Her Grand Canyon buildings included Hermit’s Rest, the Watchtower at Desert View, Bright Angel Lodge, and
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the Observatory Lookout Studio. Bright Angel Lodge became the model for subsequent National Park Service and Civilian Conservation Corps structures for many years and became known at “National Park Service Rustic.” In the 1930s, Mary Mary Jane Colter traveled to Mexico to study Spanish Colonial architecture before designing the La Posada (The Resting Place) in Winslow for Harvey. La Posada has been described as “the last of the great railroad hotels.” Mary created the home of an imaginary Spanish Don and described this building as closest to her heart. Winslow saved the historic structure with a major restoration in 1997 and La Posada once again welcomes travelers along historic Route 66. Mary Jane Colter is an honoree of the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame. Virginia Gratton wrote in Colter’s biography that “Colter’s philosophy was that a building should grow out of its setting, embodying the history and flavor of the location. It should belong to its environment as though indigenous to that spot”. Janice Ryan Bryson descended from Irish pioneers who arrived in the Arizona Territory in the 1880’s, she is co-founder of the Irish Arizona Project and co-author of the book Irish Arizona. Janice is a member of The First Families of Arizona, Daughters of the American Revolution and several women’s agriculture organizations, and serves on several Boards.
July – August 2015
BUSINESS TRAVEL
Irish Network Phoenix Mary Hannon By Jan Whalen
family emigrated to the U.S. from County Clare in the 1830s while her maternal grandparents, the There’s something charming about Mary. O’Hallorans, came to America from County Kerry Mary Hannon, the Secretary of the in the early 1900s. Squire Daly, her uncle, was Irish Network Phoenix (INP), that is. a Justice of the Peace and one of the founders of Like the Rose of Tralee, her roots are Dearborn Township in Detroit. An advocate for in County Kerry and her most endearthose less fortunate, he established a foundation to ing quality “‘Twas the truth in her eyes serve them. Mary was also born in Detroit, one ever beaming.” Mary embodies the true Irish spirit. of five children. Her father moved the family to And why not? Mary is 100% Irish. Her dad’s Arizona to escape the harsh winters, and she’s lived here ever since. Mary has been able to stay with relatives from her mom’s side of the family on her trips Whether your business is global or local, whether you’re to Ireland. During her just getting started or have an established business, last visit, she researched relationships must be nurtured and I can help! the Hannons, her dad’s side. She recalls with Create Relationships ● Follow up Consistently ● Automate Follow-Up and gratitude. “I have been Relationship Building Efforts ● Run a Long-Term Follow up Campaign fortunate to travel to Separate Yourself from all other Competitors and Marketing Messages Ireland four times and am always in awe of the Results? Increased Referrals, welcoming attitude of Increased Sales, Better Bottom Line, everyone I’ve met.” Reduced Stress - Happier You! Like her uncle, www.CardsThatConnect.com is an Internet based, Mary’s love of helping custom greeting card and gifting system people is reflected in her with a CRM included. Custom Greeting Cards career. She’s a Marketing and Gifts can be sent to anyone in the world from the comfort of your office, a boat, Distributor for a global a plane, a train and even from the greeting card and gifting convenience of your mobile phone! service. Her company To learn more contact me at: combines the power and CardsThatConnect@gmail.com convenience of the Interor 602-400-0503. Or visit: net while capitalizing on www.CardsThatConnect.com the impact of receiving and establish a free trial account. real cards and gifts—deBut hurry... livered in the mail to any this special offer ends August 31st! address in the world.
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Her eyes sparkled as she told me how she got involved with her company. “I discovered Send Out Cards quite by accident as a direct result of my love of beer! I was building another business several years ago and wanted to send Thanksgiving cards to my clients. I intended to purchase the cards and planned an evening of hand writing and stamping them, the old fashioned way—but I forgot to get them. I got home and opened a beer and drank it. Being a responsible beer drinker, I couldn’t drive so I contacted a friend who introduced me to Send Out Cards. I was hooked.” She loves the fact that cards and gifts can be sent from any device, including smart phones. In addition to being a great relationship building tool, SOC is also a wonderful home-based business. “We get paid to be nice to people!” A perfect fit for Mary. Sean, one of Mary’s customers, is an Irish born man, who works as a consultant in France. She told me, “He LOVES the ability to pop online and send thank you cards and gifts to his clients who are in every corner of the globe. He’s building relationships and growing his business from the comfort of his home office.” Each of her customers has a different set of needs. She explained, “Al sells those big trucks that haul thousands of pounds of materials. Once the truck is purchased, he rarely sees his customers because they’re on the road. He sends cards and brownies to his truck driver customers to stay top of mind. I love the endless ways I can help my clients.” Mary also raves about the ongoing training experience with SOC. “Our founder is a remarkable person who believes that 80% of communication to customers should be about celebrating and appreciating them.” Mary keeps current with the latest technology through workshops and seminars. There’s a Facebook page for customers and a newsletter for all users. She personally assists with orders by using a screen sharing service called join.me and Skype.
July – August 2015
and gifts.” Catch Mary’s enthusiasm by going to her website: www.CardsThatConnect.com. No matter where you are in the world, you are most welcome to contact Mary at mary@cardsthatconnect.com. Jan Whalen, MASL, is the award winning author of Rock Solid Confidence and other books on writing your life story. She holds a Masters in Servant Leadership, and has always been a ServantCheerleader. She values assisting authors and speakers in discovering their most confident voice. 623-466-5067; jan@whalenvoices.com
Irish Network Phoenix
Irish Network Phoenix is part of the national organization, IN USA, which celebrates Irish Culture and helps Irish and Irish-American professionals across the United States to connect with their peers and to develop relationships that will foster success in their business, economic and social ventures.
Join us today and be ‘in’ with the IN crowd!
Grandpa was in Ireland for three months. A few days before he was to return to the U.S., he died of a heart attack. “What’s interesting,” Mary shares, “is that he died in the bed he was born in, in his beloved Ballyheigue. That home is still in my family and I’m happy to report that I’ve stayed there on several visits.”
Congratulations and Best of Luck
to our North American Roses! Steve Lenox, President INUSA Joseph McGurk, President IN Phoenix
Irish Network USA is the national umbrella organization integrating the Irish Networks that exist in various cities across the United States. It allows members of the networks to connect with their peers and to develop relationships that will foster success in their business, economic, cultural and sports ventures.
Join us for our 2015 National Conference in Boston, MA!
Scan for more info…
623 565 9077 www.irishnetworkphoenix.com theboard@irishnetworkphoenix.com www. facebook.com/irishnetworkphoenix www.meetup.com/irishnetworkphoenix P.O. Box 7116, Phoenix, AZ, 85011 USA
The Desert Shamrock
For more information on INUSA connect with us on Facebook and Twitter or
irishnetwork-usa.org July – August 2015
INUSA CHAPTERS Atlanta Austin Bay Area Boston Buffalo Chicago Colorado Dallas Delaware Houston
Minnesota New Jersey New Orleans New York City Northeast Ohio Philadelphia Phoenix San Diego Seattle Washington, D.C.
Nov. 5-8
IRISH NETWORK PHOENIX
Mary’s an integral part of the Irish Network Phoenix (INP). During the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, you may have seen her dancing in front of the INP banner. A ring-leader of fun, she consistently sparkles with joy wherever she goes. She’s been a member since the group began in 2011 (originating from ERIN, its predecessor). Currently, she serves as the secretary and cherishes the many wonderful friendships she made through her involvement. So what is the secret of Mary’s charm? Maybe it’s all about her core philosophy of life. “The world can be a negative place and I’m excited I can spread positivity. I love to surprise people with customized cards
Mary’s grandfather, Tom O’Halloran, left Ballyheigue, Ireland for the United States in the early 1900s. He ended up working for Dodge Brothers (now Chrysler) in Detroit. Factory life was vastly different from rural Country Kerry but with a wife and seven children to support, Tom did what he had to do to support the family. He longed to return to Ireland. Every Saturday night, Tom and his mates would go to the pub. Grandpa would always pay for his pint with a dollar bill even though back then a pint was much less than a dollar. He kept the change and these coins went into his Ireland travel fund. They would end up in cans in the attic and finally, over years of collecting, Grandpa was able to return to his beloved Ireland when he was 65. He had just retired and went back to Ireland, the first trip back in all the years he was away. Grandma (Nora) didn’t go. She was superstitious and believed that once you closed a door, it was best to leave it closed.
Watch for the INP member logo on ads!
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ARTS
PHOTOS BY GEORGE HINES
Music Review Arizona Celtic Women
By Gary Woodside
Dia daoibh mo chairde! Gary John Woodside is ainm dom. I will be reviewing new musical releases from Irish/Celtic artists or that contain Celtic inspired themes. Being Scottish and Irish on my da’s side tracing back to Ayrshire, Scotland and Galway, Ireland, I thought it would be fun to make it like listening at the pub. Each will be rated by having one pint maybe just to get through it or having a few more and truly enjoying the musical journey. Let’s get started, shall we? This time out is less of a review and more of a recognition of some of our own local Celtic talent. I would like to acknowledge and bring to your attention a project called “Arizona Celtic Women.” Last year, a collaboration between the Caledonian Society of Arizona and the Irish Cultural Center, with help from Glenmorangie Whisky, gave birth to, what is now known as, the First Annual Celtic Women Concert. This concert featured some of the best and brightest female Celtic performers in all of Arizona. That show was such a success that the idea has continued to grow and led to Arizona Celtic Women performances at this year’s Scottish Highland Games in Phoenix. On May 30, this new tradition continued with a standing room only performance at the Irish Cultural Center’s Great Hall. Featuring some familiar faces and voices from the first event, as well as, some new talent, another wonderful afternoon of music delighted all in attendance. I, myself, had the pleasure of sharing the stage as an accompanist on guitar for a couple of these lovely talented ladies and feel very lucky to have been a part of this celebration of the
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Arizona Celtic music spirit. As part of this year’s event, some recordings of the previous year’s performance were arranged into a compilation for sale and promotion to help keep this tradition going. Featuring 15 tracks recorded live at the ICC, this CD showcases some of the best performances from that evening. Song selections from traditional Scottish, Irish, and Welsh, some sang in their native tongue, give a tasty sample of the fine talent and Celtic heritage that is alive and well in Arizona. For information on how to purchase your own copy of this limited edition CD and help support the Arizona Celtic Women, or to be a part of upcoming events, please send an email to
The Desert Shamrock
celticmusicaz@gmail.com. So until next time, go out and support live Arizona Celtic music. Sláinte!! Any artist who would like to be featured or any suggestions for releases to review, please contact me at celticmusicaz@gmail.com. Slán go foill. A musician/songwriter for 20+ years, Gary has a small recording studio and experience in recording, mixing, mastering, etc. With an extensive collection of recorded music, 10,600 of all styles and genres, he has a special fondness for Celtic music with his da’s ancestry from Ayrshire, Scotland and his mom’s from Moylough, County Galway, Ireland.
July – August 2015
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Grandmother Anna Kerr missed the Titanic because of family illness but emigrated later in 1912 from Belfast
July – August 2015
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SCOTS
A Knight Under the Stars Our May meeting featured the Society of Historical Swordsmanship, Society for Creative Anachronism and Celtic Reenactment Organization for Fellowship and Trades (CROFT) By J. Carro, Marketing & Public Relations So many good things happening! We started the summer months still enjoying slightly cooler weather than usual, plus a few raindrops! In years past, many of our Caledonian Society members left the Valley of the Sun for winter homes and cooler temperatures. While that remains true, the organization has grown significantly, meaning many more of our members stay in town, working, playing and patiently awaiting double-digits! So in between work days and vacation days we’ve planned some summer activities in order to stay in touch with our friends and to make a few new ones! Here’s a note from Don Finch, President of the CSA. Don comes to us with several years experience working closely with the Society, serving as VP on the Board and Gates co-chairman at the Highland Games. “I’m honored by the confidence the Board has placed in me to carry on as your new President while fulfilling Mark’s term which ran through June 30, 2016. The Society’s objective is to celebrate all things Scottish in the Valley of the Sun. We’re doing that at our fun-filled monthly meetings, and our two special events–the Robbie Burns Supper, and the Scottish Gathering & Highland Games. In my business career we had two objectives: make a profit, and enjoy what you’re doing. Since the Caledonian Society is a ‘non-profit’, we don’t have to worry about that one! So let’s focus on the other goal – enjoying each other’s company while we work together to build the CSA into the premier social and cultural group in Arizona!” As you can see, monthly meetings are important to us. In case you missed it, the theme of June’s meeting was “Malts & Memories.” We shared some fun together (and some good whisky) while two of our members, Mark Pelletier and Elise Van Woert, featured images and highlights from their recent (separate) trips to Scotland. July’s meeting is the 9th at the Irish Cultural Center and the topic will be “Scotland Part I.” For all the latest news, updates, and more, visit us online at www.arizonascots.com. Find our group on Facebook at The Caledonian Society of Arizona!
Make new friends…and keep the old – one is silver and the other gold!
Glenmorangie Scottish Gathering and Highland Games 2016 You’ll want to save the date now MARCH 19 & 20, 2016 @ Steele Indian School Park. If you attended this year and are interested in becoming more involved, now is the time. Contact our Games Chairman Paul Bell at gameschair@arizonascots.com. Jackie Carro is the owner of Marketing Ideals Company, a boutique agency offering marketing, public relations and video production services. Celebrating 20 years, the company promotes cultural events in the Valley and has been working with the Caledonian Society of Arizona for nearly 18 of those years.
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Grandmother is from Tiree, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland
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The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
Grandmother is from Tiree, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland
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NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR ROSE 20
2015 North American Roses
Portlaoise has hosted the Rose of Tralee Regional Festival for eight years. Highlights include the official opening of the event in the Civic Plaza, Vintage Car Parade of Roses and their Rosebuds, the annual visits to Abbeyleix and Castle Durrow, and other County Laois landmarks. The three Regional Selection Qualifying nights took place at the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel on 29, 30 and 31 May, hosted by Dáithí Ó Sé who interviews each Rose on stage. This year’s 59 Roses represent nearly all Irish Counties and over 30 International Centres, having won Rose Selection heats in their own regions. The weekend culminates in progressing 23 to participate in the Rose of Tralee International Festival in August.
Each of the North American Roses featured in this edition were asked to provide The Desert Shamrock with an expanded bio along with a collage of photos that represents her personality, interests,
and accomplishments. Again this year, all of the Roses represent articulate, personable, talented young women among the Global Irish. They are amazing!
Newfoundland Nicole Neary & Labrador
PHOTO BY RICHARD MCCARTHY/EVENTCAPTURE.IE
Castle Durrow Country House Hotel, County Laois, Ireland
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wenty-one-year old Nicole Neary was born on Bell Island, Newfoundland. She is in her third year of Computer Systems Engineering, and enjoys anything computer/science oriented. Her goal is to obtain a Master’s degree as a Computer Engineer, and would love to work with either the Canadian Space Agency, or with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service/ Communications Security Establishment. Nicole has been involved in local radio and volunteered as a DJ for East Coast Music Awards. She was inspired by cancer patients and Young Cancer Canada’s fundraiser Shave for the Brave, so four years ago, she shaved it all off for the cause—something she wishes to do again this summer! You can find her every spring at the local Sci-Fi convention. She has been actively involved with Tourism Bell Island as an actor and special effects makeup artist, which she shares “is great because I work with a theatre company called Shakespeare by the Sea.” She is currently in the process of making a documentary about her hometown. Nicole enjoys playing the piano, and is learning the fiddle, guitar, and accordion. She can date her mom’s Irish heritage back five generations to Ballylongford in County Kerry and intends to meet some of her relatives when visiting Ireland!
The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
Claire and family
Holiday in Greece
Performance for Moose Creek Parish
She has enjoyed many summers with her family in County Tyrone
Claire and Salsa Fever Dance Group
Selection weekend for the Ottawa Rose
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his year’s Ottawa Rose, Claire Conway, has been immersed in Irish culture all her life and feels honoured to be representing the Canadian city. Claire, 23, originally from Moose Creek, Ontario, has recently completed her Bachelor of Education and will start teaching music and French later in the year. Claire’s mother is French-Canadian and she grew up in a French speaking household. However the Irish roots of her father, who was born and raised in County Tyrone, had an enormous influence on her and she has visited her family in Ireland every year. She spent the entire summer in Tyrone in 2003 when the county’s Gaelic football team brought home the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time, and took part in the festivities that followed. As a young girl Claire learned to play classical piano, a skill that enabled her to obtain a Bachelor of Music degree in 2014. Music is one of her great loves and she enjoys singing and playing flute and harp, sometimes at traditional music sessions with her Irish family in Tyrone. She recently directed a multi-generational Come Sing with Me choir in a concert for the Alzheimer's Society of Cornwall and District, Ontario, in Casselman near her home in Canada, and the experience left her with a keen interest in the therapeutic benefits of music. She hopes to carry out further study into this domain. Claire’s other great love is dance. Since the age of six she has been Irish dancing and, over a nine-year period, she participated in several Feiseanna with the Couperus Academy of Irish Dance. She has recently joined the Salsa Fever Dance Group in Ottawa, which performed at the Montreal Salsa Convention in May, an experience she described as “exciting .” Claire’s experiences in Ireland have played a major role in her life and allowed her to develop an appreciation of her culture and heritage. She is very grateful to have the chance to celebrate the love of her culture as this year’s Ottawa Rose.
Vintage car parade in Portlaoise
The Desert Shamrock
OTTAWA ROSE
OttawaClaireRose Conway
PHOTO BY RICHARD MCCARTHY
July – August 2015
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TORONTO ROSE
Toronto Rose Erika Healy Family at Toronto Rose Ball, 2009
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rika Healy, 27 years old, is so honored and excited to represent Toronto as its Rose for 2015. She is a recent Registered Practical Nursing graduate, and is looking to pursue a career in the mental health field. In the future Erika plans to return to University to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She would also like to travel back to Namibia, Africa to volunteer as a health care professional. Mental Health is an area that is near and dear to her heart. She lost an uncle to suicide, and seen numerous close friends and family suffer in silence. As an advocate of mental health, she wants to encourage people to seek help, make them aware of the many resources available to them, and assure them that there is nothing to be ashamed of. She is currently working as a server at a local restaurant in her hometown of Whitby, Ontario called KB. They specialize in Playing Senior Women’s Lacrosse (Canada’s national sport) local, organic and sustainable products. Their menu is based around what fresh, for the Oshawa Lady Blue Knights local products are available. They strongly believe in supporting local farmers. It Volunteer trip creates jobs and supports economic growth. in Namibia Her Irish roots come from her parents and grandparents who are from Africa, June 2008 County Kerry. Her father is from Boherbee, Tralee, and her mother is from Reen, Ballinskelligs. Her parents moved to Canada when they were expecting Erika in the winter of 1987. She is very proud to say she was born in First annual Darkness into Canada, but made in Ireland! the Light 5km walk in Toronto In her spare time, Erika usually finds herself surrounded by anything sports related. Whether it be attending a sports game, watching a game on television, or playing many of the sports she loves and is involved in. Growing up with four brothers, she is a true tomboy at heart! She also likes to travel, read, explore local restaurants, and spend time with her friends and family. She also has a love for interior design.
With Uncle Vinnie on a cruise. He passed away last April and is a big reason why she entered the Rose of Tralee Selection
Playing Gaelic football for the Durham Robert Emmets
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The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
Pingles farm market with nephew Jack
Above: With friend Reagan Kettle posting Run Wild half marathon for the Zebra Child Protection Centre Right:Cassandra’s first ever attempt at surfing in Tofino on Vancouver Island. British Columbia
Above: With mom and grandma on a whale watching tour off of Newfoundland Right: Hiking at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, AB Far Right: Training hospital staff in personal protective equipment when working with Ebola
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assandra Sampson, this year’s Western Canada Rose, can boast Irish ancestry on both sides of her family. She grew up in a farm in the northern Alberta countryside but now lives the life of a city girl in the provincial capital, Edmonton. She feels the “duality” of a country girl thriving in a big city is present in many aspects of her life. Cassandra, 27, has gained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Diploma as an Occupational/Physical Therapy Assistant and is now employed as a workplace injury prevention educator. Her career includes training staff in the use of protective gear and gives her the opportunity to help others learn valuable information while allowing her to broaden her skill set. A large part of her job over the winter was training hospital staff in proper donning and doffing (putting on and taking off ) of personal protective equipment if they ever had to work with a patient with Ebola. Ancestors of her mother and father came from Ireland to the east coast of Canada in the 1800s. Her father is descended from Malones who lived in County Fermanagh and Bruces from County Limerick, while her mother’s ancestors, who were Ryans, hail from County Kilkenny and made their home in Newfoundland. So she can trace her Irish ancestry not just across the Atlantic but also across Canada. Newfoundland has maintained many close links with Ireland and they are evident in the culinary culture and the great sense of humor and community. Cassandra enjoys running marathons and is an avid food lover who possesses an “uncanny knack” of making pastries and baked goods disappear. And of all the Irish cultural traditions that Cassandra has met with, the one that her family entertains themselves with the most is encouraging her to try black pudding. Cassandra is yet to try it but may have been persuaded during her stay in Ireland.
Being "Screeched In" (a tradition that mainlanders must do in order to become an honorary Newfoundlander) by my family in St. John's NFLD
WESTERN CANADA ROSE
Western Canada Cassandra Sampson
Going for a motorbike ride with Uncle Greg Fewer
The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
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ARIZONA ROSE
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Arizona Rose Mallory Melton
allory Melton, 23, is a native of Tempe, Arizona and graduated magna cum laude in 2014 from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and a Certificate in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. She currently works for local business DK Advocates as a job coach, where she trains individuals in the community with disabilities to prepare them for jobs working with animals. Mallory hopes to become a published novelist at some point throughout her life, and would eventually like to pursue a career in publishing as an editor. Mallory’s three biggest passions can be deduced from her education and work history—writing, history, and animals. She regularly volunteers with the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, particularly reviewing manuscripts for their historical fiction imprint, Bagwyn Books. Her work with her clients at DK Advocates brings her to the Arizona Animal Welfare League multiple days each week, where she is privileged to work with both the dogs and cats up for adoption at the shelter. Mallory has six pets of her own—two dogs and four cats, all of them rescues (and all extremely spoiled!). Some of Mallory’s other interests include singing in English and Irish, playing the harp, reading, and sewing. Mallory comes from a musical family and thus involved in music from a young age. During her time as a student at ASU, she was a member of an early music chamber choir that was given the opportunity to perform with the traditional Irish group The Chieftains during their 50th Anniversary tour. She has played the mandolin since the age of seventeen, when she began taking lessons through the Academy of Irish and Celtic studies in Phoenix. Mallory is also a lifelong reader, and her favorite author is J. R. R. Tolkien of Lord of the Rings fame. She has studied a variety of languages in the past, including French, German, Latin, and Old English (though not fluent), and next plans to study Irish.
Graduation photo with her dog, Bristol
Playing mandolin
Left: With mom Debi at Portlaoise Above: Sewing a medieval gown Right: Wearing the gown she made herself
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The Desert Shamrock
College choir with The Chieftains following performance together
July – August 2015
Right: Sarah on the set of Person of Interest
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COURTESY OF CHARLENE DONG
Rehearsal for Guys and Dolls
arah Hogan, this year’s Boston Rose, says she feels “blessed” to be representing the city’s strong Irish community at this year’s contest. Sarah, 20, a born and bred Bostonian, took Media Studies and Theater courses at The New School University in New York. She is passionate about acting and film, is now signed to a talent manager and spends her days auditioning and performing. Having worked on a number of shows, as well as doing modelling jobs and commercials, Sarah is now eligible for the Screen Actors Guild. Sarah’s participation in the Rose of Tralee holds particular resonance for her family as her father, Frank, is originally from the village of Ballymacelligott, County Kerry, only seven miles from Tralee. She also has roots in County Clare and Belfast on her mother Susanne’s side of the family. Last summer Sarah counted herself fortunate to have the chance to study Irish Theater at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. She recalls her time at the Gaiety, during which she studied the works of famous Irish playwrights like Brian Friel and Sean O’Casey, as one of the best experiences of her life. As well as learning more about her craft, she tapped into her family heritage and made wonderful friends. Having been bullied at school, Sarah is a strong anti-bullying advocate and has been heavily involved in theater organizations dealing with the subject. She says she hopes to educate and possibly prevent bullying through theater productions. Sarah currently helps look after a child with autism. She is also on the creative team developing a film editing app for the iPhone which ought to be realized in the coming months. She is always looking to immerse herself in creative and fulfilling projects. She spends a lot of time with her family and her pet dog Kerry. She is also a fan of classic rock and enjoys jamming with her friends.z
With her father Frank at Boston Friends of Kerry event
Above: Working on CW Network’s The Carrie Diaries Looking out at Dingle Bay, Co. Kerry
The Desert Shamrock
Right: East Indian bridal photo shoot
July – August 2015
PHOTO BY CARMEN ORTIZ
BOSTON & NEW ENGLAND ROSE
Boston & Sarah Hogan New England
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CHICAGO ROSE
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Chicago Rose Maeve McSweeney
hicago has a long and proud Irish tradition and Maeve McSweeney is “extremely excited” to be representing the city’s Celtic community in this year’s Rose of Tralee. The 21-year old Chicago native recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Armed with her new qualification, Maeve plans to attend medical school and hopes to fulfil her lifelong ambition of becoming a pediatrician. Growing up in Illinois, Maeve and her brother Rory, 23, were surrounded by Irish influences. Her mother was born in the busy Irish market town of Ardee in County Louth and her father is from Chicago. Many childhood hours spent listening to traditional tunes instilled in her a love of music and she is an accomplished flute and tin whistle player. Her greatest love, however, is singing and she is a singer and musical arranger in an all-female a cappella group The Meladies, which has held concerts to raise funds and help raise awareness of several charities. For the past three years Maeve has been preparing for her dream job by volunteering at the HOT Unit (hematology, oncology and transplant) at the Children’s Hospital of Milwaukee. She says the time she has spent on the wards has taught her a great deal, especially that “holding babies is very good medHear Maeve as icine.” the soloist with In 2014, she competed in and won The Meladies the title of Chicago’s South Side Irish Parade Queen, an achievement she rates as one of her most notable achievements. The parade is a major fixture in the city’s Celtic calendar and attracts more than 200,000 spectators. Maeve said it was a great honor for her to become a role model and representative of the city’s vibrant Irish community. She feels an immense sense of how important to demonstrate her pride in both her Irish and American heritage, and with her selection as this year’s Chicago Rose of Tralee as one of her greatest honors.
Crowned 2014 Chicago South Side Irish Parade Queen
At home with her sixyear-old bichon, Conan
Chicago Polar Plunge to support Chicago Special Olympics and is backed by the city’s Rose Center
Below: As a past Queen in this year’s South Side Irish Parade
Left: Model at Marquette University fashion show, and sang the National Anthem
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The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
Kentucky Selection with mom Sheila Hughes
Left: Presenting Daithi a Kentucky Coin in Portlaoise Below: Cheering on Univ. of Louisville football team
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mily Hughes is 22 years old and is the 2015 Kentucky Rose. She was born and bred in Louisville, Kentucky but is one proud Irish gal. Her Irish roots come from her parents who are from County Tyrone but ventured to the States in 1981. They landed in the Bluegrass state with intentions of staying only four years due to her dad’s job, but four years turned into a lifetime and now Emily’s parents and her family call Kentucky home. However, they do make their yearly trip across the Atlantic once every year to catch up with family and friends and it is a trip that Emily loves to take. In 2014, she graduated from the University of Louisville with a degree in History and a minor in Women and Gender Studies. After graduation, she accepted an opportunity to pursue one of her passions in life—fitness—and became a barre and aerial fitness instructor. She would not trade this job for the world because she wakes up excited about going to work. Emily finds it very touching when her clients tell her that she has made a positive impact in their lives and health. Emily is motivated by helping others which led her to run a half marathon to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. She was pushed to complete the race knowing she was making a difference in a sick child’s life. Emily is a big believer that if you are capable of helping someone in need, then you should avail yourself of that. Overall, Emily cannot explain how excited she is to represent the state of Kentucky in the Rose of Tralee Festival and to be a part of such an amazing culture. She finds herself to be truly blessed to have this experience and loves every second of it.
KENTUCKY ROSE
Kentucky Rose Emily Hughes
Left: Kentucky Oaks with Selection Sponsor Donal Ryan, Molly Malone’s
Top: At Kentucky Derby with boyfriend Todd Shelburne Left: Dad Michael Hughes and brother-in-law Justin Murray
The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
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ENNIS COMMITTEE 200 West Washington, 20th Floor, Phoenix AZ 85003 || 602.534.3751
Awarded 2014
Ireland TOURISM TOWNS by National Tourism Development Authority (Ireland's National Tourism Authority)
Learn More Ennis and Phoenix established a sister cities affiliation in 1988. The Phoenix Sister Cities Ennis Committee is dedicated to promoting friendship and understanding between the cities of Phoenix and Ennis through a variety of programs. The Committee participates in the Phoenix Sister Cities Youth Ambassador Exchange Program and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Faire; supports the Irish Cultural Center; coordinates an annual 5k Run/Walk; and promotes business opportunities between the two cities. The Committee meets monthly and welcomes new members. Ennis' history along with modern influences represents a pleasant blend of the historic past and active present. Its narrow bustling streets and lanes give character and ambiance to the town confirming that it is indeed somewhere very special. For more information on Ennis: www.visitennis.com Please contact Mary Hill-Connor Ennis Committee Chairperson at 602.635.9760
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All of this is wAiting for you
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A world ClAss Visitor ExpEriEnCE Co. Clare, Ireland. Ph +353 65 7086141 www.cliffsofmoher.ie
NEW YORK ROSE
TheSophieNew York Colgan
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he Rose representing New York this year is a born and bred Irish girl, having been brought up in the village of Lisnacree, County Down. Sophie Colgan, 23, grew up in a large family with her parents and six siblings. She came to New York in 2009, fell in love with the city, and says she is delighted to be representing it at this year’s festival. Sophie graduated with a degree in Communications and PR in June 2014 and currently works as an intern at J.T.Magen Construction Company in Manhattan, while pursuing a career in Public Relations in the non-profit sector. Her passion is PR and event coordination. Her boyfriend, Brian, is from Galway but the pair met in New York. In her leisure time, Sophie is an enthusiastic camogie (female Gaelic football) player and is captain of New York’s first ever camogie team, which she helped establish. Her interest in the sport was sparked by her home Gaelic Athletic Association team An Riocht – Irish for The Kingdom. She is involved in many events and organizations pertaining to Irish heritage, sport and culture, in particular writing poetry and singing with the Manhattan Gaels ballad group. Sophie is also passionate about the wellbeing of the Irish-American community in New York, and believes in promoting the enhancement of Irish people abroad who may be finding it difficult to adjust to their new lives, an issue she believes should be addressed across the Diaspora. Emigration, she feels, can leave many people feeling isolated and often with no access to health care and she wants to raise awareness of the problem. Camogie She is involved with the Irish charity Pieta House, which helps people with suicidal feelings, and which is due to open a therapy center in the Queens area of New York in September. Sophie is confident the therapeutic service will be of great benefit to many hundreds of Irish immigrants.
PHOTO BY DOMNICK WALSH
With Scotland Rose Brid Madigan
At Ballyfin House, County Laois With Kerryman Don O'Neill, NY Fashion Designer
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The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
Getty Museum in California
With 1996 and 1993 New York Roses
Houston Gaels Soccer Team
With Charlotte James Connolly’s Gaelic Athletic Association Sigma Kappa Sorority
St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Charlotte, NC
Siobhan with her two uncles, Anthony and Kieran!
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his year’s North Carolina Rose, Chantel Cassidy, feels life in her home city of Charlotte is like being part of “one big Irish family.” Chantel, 21, was born in Boston but raised in Charlotte. She is in her third year at North Carolina State University studying Communication and Public Relations with a minor in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Chantel is an enthusiastic member of the Sigma Kappa Sorority and serves on the Panhellenic Executive Council as the Vice President of Communication. Her job is to promote the positives of sorority life by managing the public relations and social networking. She is from a close-knit family and she has “two of the greatest parents a girl could ask for.” Her mother and father, both “proud Meath people,” came to the U.S. from Ireland in 1985 and Chantel has strong ancestral links with County Meath. She has spent many family holidays there and she and her younger sister, Cassandra, are keen Irish dancers. They have been dancing since they could walk and she describes it as the best part of their lives. Her parents are heavily involved in the Irish Society of Charlotte and the family has been regular attenders at all society events and sing-songs. She loves being part of a group that promotes and celebrates Irish culture and heritage. During her winter and summer holidays Chantel works in the heart and soul of the Irish community in uptown Charlotte. She loves being with the people and working in such an enjoyable environment. Chantel is overjoyed at representing North Carolina Exchange at this year’s competition and she has been given genprogram in erous support from the city’s Irish Society and the Paris Charlotte James Connolly’s Gaelic Athletic Association. She says the trip to Ireland and meeting the other Roses from around the world are experiences of a lifetime.
NORTH CAROLINA ROSE
NorthChantelCarolina Cassidy
Celebrating July 4th with a little rosebud! North Carolina State University Football Game
World Irish Dancing Championships
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July – August 2015
31
OHIO ROSE
O
TheKatrinaOhio Rose "Kaytee" Szente
hio Rose Kaytee Szente was so determined to dedicate herself to the task and embrace all the opportunities and events coming her way that, after being crowned, she resigned from her job in retail. Kaytee, age 20 from Cleveland, is currently a full-time student pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies at Kent State University, just south of her home city. Her Irish roots date back to her great great-grandfather Patrick McGinty, who travelled to America in 1908 from the village of Tonragee in the parish of Achill, County Mayo. His wife followed him across the Atlantic in 1929 from the small Gaelic village of An Caiseal (Cashel) on Achill Island. Kaytee’s first trip to Ireland came in 2008 when she met her extended family and experienced the thrill of kissing the Blarney Stone. Her interests include travel, reading, keeping fit and giving back to the community through serving meals to the homeless. She also plans to get involved this year at Cleveland’s Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. Kaytee is also the former editor of her high school newspaper. She believes the few words of one person can impact the hearts of dozens and that these words must speak of “love, positivity, life and happiness.” She also enjoys spending time with family and friends. Kaytee, who also enjoys spending time with family and friends, has been Irish dancing since the age of five and through performing–along with writing–she has discovered the importance of embracing her heritage and herself with class, sportsmanship, honor, understanding, empathy and grace. As a successful Irish dancer worldwide, she feels heritage is one thing that will continuously unite people in a world which often seeks to classify and segregate. She is “living the dream” by representing Ohio and she cherishes the many memories and friendships from participating in the experience.
Above: With boyfriend Zac and nephews Troy and Tyler Left: With cousin Siobhan McCarthy, both contestants at Ohio Selection
The Academy on St. Patrick’s Day
With former Irish dance teachers Edward Searle and Byron Tuttle at the 2014 North Coast Feis
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Irish dance friends Cosette, Megan, Andee, Drew, Gia, and Jade at the 2014 Dublin Irish Festival
The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
Cyr wheeling in front of the treasured Philadelphia Art Museum PHOTO BY KATIE GEIS
With cousins Philip and Emma McCabe and friend Cassie at family farm in Ireland PHOTO BY CASSANDRA GATES
Volunteering with sisters Bridget and Eilish at the Philadelphia Marathon for Youth Mentoring Partnership
Volunteered with JRS when Blessings and daughter sought asylum; they surprised her in Portlaoise
M
PHOTO TAKEN BY RICHARD MCCARTHY
airéad is thrilled to represent the city of brotherly (really sisterly) love, Philadelphia. Raised outside Philadelphia with her five sisters: Charlotte, Nicole, Bridget, Eilish, Shania; and brother Michael. She was very fortunate to grow up spending summers in Ireland visiting her father’s family in County Cavan and her mother’s family in County Donegal. Always up to mischief, the antics with cousins on family farms, ranged from chasing chickens, testing the electric fences, to white-washing the rental cars. Her family remained very connected to their roots through the strong Irish community, truly a second family in Philadelphia, where they spent many Sundays watching local Gaelic football matches, and Irish dancing, later marching with the Cavan Society in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. She became an avid traveller after a brilliant experience as an exchange student in St. Andrews, Scotland. She then went on to complete her degree in International Studies and Political Science from Arcadia University, taking full advantage of their programs to study abroad in England, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Taiwan. Following graduation, she volunteered in Dublin, Ireland with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) supporting the Integration officer in organizing classes ranging from computer education and English to yoga and swim, a football club and the annual family fun day for Ireland’s asylum-seeker and refugee community. She then returned to the States to work for local investment company, Vanguard Group. She currently works in a dream job as a Culture Specialist, expanding their recognition programs and LGBT benefits programs to their global regions. Since returning to Philadelphia, Mairéad has volunteered as a mentor and committee member with the Youth Mentoring Partnership, a program committed to helping kids master goal setting skills, build mental toughness, and forge character through intense physical fitness and sports. Inspired by her student’s goals, she became a marathon runner and now enjoys fun running events: next up a 207 mile Ragnar relay with a brilliant group of friends through the historic Washington D.C. area.
PHILADELPHIA ROSE
Philadelphia Mairead Comaskey
With her 2015 Philadelphia Rose sisters
PHOTO BY THE PHILLIES PHOTOGRAPHER
Philadelphia Phillies Irish Heritage Night with Miss Mayo and Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe
The Desert Shamrock
With 2014 Rose of Tralee Maria Walsh on Rose of Tralee float in Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade
July – August 2015
33
SAN FRANCISCO ROSE
S
San Francisco Marisa Conroy With best friend and sister, Megan
an Francisco Rose, 24-year old Marisa Conroy, likes nothing better than to make people laugh. Marisa, a native of the California city, is passionate about comedy and is pursuing a career in the field. Outside of her work with a theater production company, she writes and performs sketch comedy with her comedy group Save the Children. Marisa studied theater at the University of California, Berkeley and obtained her degree in 2013. The company she works for produces shows on Broadway and brings new theater pieces to the historic Curran Theatre in San Francisco. She researches potential productions and helps create experiential marketing schemes. Her background is in musical theater and she has sung at several venues in San Francisco. After college she studied and performed comedy in New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. She feels her Irish ancestry has helped shape the person she is today. Her paternal grandfather emigrated from Connemara in County Galway to San Francisco in 1915. Shortly after the Conroys arrived, her mother’s family came to the city from El Salvador. Marisa took up Irish dancing at the age of six and spent 10 years competing with the Kennelly School of Irish Dance. Her other interests include running, yoga, watching Jeopardy with her parents and admiring the comedy genius of Tina Fey. She also volunteers at Muttville, a dog shelter where she works on a program that matches senior citizens with senior dogs to help improve the quality of life for both humans and animals. When she was in high school, she headed up the local student International Aid chapter and her first job was for a non-profit organization in San Francisco that taught inner-city teens how to construct and paint murals. Marisa has a dog of her own, with the distinctly Irish name of Flannigan. She is “absolutely thrilled” to be representing the Celtic community of San Francisco at this year’s competition in Ireland.
PHOTO BY CATHERINE BELL
On stage in Next to Normal PHOTO BY BEN KRANTZ
With a rosebud at 2015 San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade
With Flannigan
With 2010 and 2014 SF Roses at City Hall With parents, Leonor and Paul, at United Irish Cultural Center’s 40th Anniversary
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The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
A
Top Right: Hiking Runyon Canyon Trail near LA Right: In a university production of Les Miserables
Above: Singing with a friend at a coffeehouse Right: Final stages of a make-up project Far Right: Outside The Mint music venue in LA
Below: Showing off archery skills
student with a passion for the arts, Lauren Waller is this year’s Rose representing Southern California. Lauren, 20, is a junior at Pepperdine University, Malibu, where she is majoring in Theater Arts: Production and Design, with a heavy emphasis on Stage Management. She was born in Los Angeles and has Irish family roots in Counties Roscommon and Clare. Ireland is one of 14 countries Lauren has visited and she adores the land and seeing her family there. Her LA childhood has given her an “eclectic and culture-filled” upbringing and she is excited to be representing the Irish community of the city. Lauren loves driving along the coast near her home visiting the many beautiful beaches as well as exploring the city, especially Koreatown with its many barbeque restaurants. She described herself as an artist, singer, poet, lyricist, musician and avid proponent of the theater. During the next few months she will be working with the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation on their Summer Concert series, where she will learn about live concert settings. Music is Lauren’s true passion and one of the biggest and most important influences on her life. She is currently working on producing an EP of five original songs. She is an accomplished pianist and recently learned to play the ukulele. After graduating from Pepperdine Lauren hopes to balance her theater work with a more serious pursuit of music. Lauren also enjoys helping and giving back to others. She volunteers as a mentor for high school students through the National Charity League, a mother-daughter philanthropic organization, and the Ventura County Office of Education’s Mock Trial Competition. She sees her participation in the Rose of Tralee Festival as an “amazing opportunity” to travel, meet new people and represent her Celtic heritage. It is, she says, a chance to celebrate culture, women, heritage, and most importantly, being herself.
Horseback riding in the Santa Barbara Mountains
The Desert Shamrock
Catching some waves with a uni friend
July – August 2015
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ROSE
So. California Lauren Waller
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SOUTH CAROLINA ROSE
S
South Carolina Shannon Kelahan-Pierson
hannon Kelahan-Pierson is the first South Carolina representative in the Rose of Tralee selection. The 21-year-old is a third year undergraduate at Coastal Carolina University in Conway. She is completing her Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science, a subject she says she has dreamt of studying since she was knocked down by a wave near her home when she was only a year old. With her degree, she hopes to work as an educator at a zoo, aquarium or conservation center. She says she wants to teach youngsters about the oceans of the world and why it is important to protect and take care of them and the wildlife they contain. In preparation for her career she has a rather novel occupation–as a mermaid. Shannon performs in dive shows with sharks and stingrays at Ripley’s Aquarium near her home in Myrtle Beach. During the school year she takes the opportunity to work as a teacher’s assistant and she, along with one of her professors, recently co-founded a research program aimed at giving students a chance to conduct their own research studies at one of the most diverse artificial reefs in South Carolina. The ocean and the life it sustains has a special place in Shannon’s heart. Outside of her studies the most important aspects of Shannon’s life are spending time with her close-knit family and her friends and giving up her free time to participate in volunteer work. She is very close to her parents and grandparents and says she doesn’t know what she would do without her younger sister Colleen. As youngsters they grew up Irish dancing and “causing chaos.” Shannon feels her family’s Irish heritage is one of the things that has helped to bring them so close. They are all extremely proud of their ancestry which stems originally from County Armagh and County Monaghan.
Top: Reaction on becoming the South Carolina Rose Left: Volunteering with Coastal Sea Turtle Club
Left: With host Daithi O’Se at the Rose Regionals
T.I.G.E.R.S. preservation station
Top: With mother Kathleen and sister Colleen. Shannon and Colleen were both Arizona Irish Lass titleholders. Left: Speaking at Women in Philanthropy and Leadership Conference, 2014
SeaWorld in Orlando, 2014 PHOTO BY DOMNICK WALSH
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The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
Houston Gaels Soccer Team
With her uncles, Anthony and Kieran
T
exas Rose, Siobhan Thompson, is the first Rose from Houston in the 31 years of the Texas Rose! To Siobhan, Ireland is family. Her father was born and raised in Belfast and was the youngest of EIGHT siblings. Her grandparents are both 93 and living in their home in Strangford. With her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins still in Ireland, she enjoys any chance to visit that she can get. Her favorite memory from her childhood is her father reading the adventures of Fionn mac Cumhaill. Siobhan and her brothers loved it so much that when Martin ran out of stories, he began to make them up. Their favorite was Fionn’s space adventures since Houston is home to NASA! Siobhan is a brand new graduate from the University of Houston and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. While in school, she directed an a capella group called Acabellas and performed all over Houston. As if getting ready for Tralee weren’t enough, she just accepted a job as the Choir Director at Albright Middle School starting this fall. Along with finishing school, Siobhan has been traveling for several years with the University of Houston Concert Chorale to various international choral competitions. They will be competing in Germany for the inaugural Grand Prix of Nations in July along with several choirs from around the world. Music has always been an important part of the Thompson house. Siobhan’s mother, Mary, is a Choir Director as well and constantly singing. It is rare for a family dinner to not end up with people busting out guitars, ukuleles, harmonicas, piano or simply just their voices! Siobhan is very involved with the Irish community in Houston. Her father, Martin, is the manager of the Houston Gaels GAA Club as well as knowing just about every Irish Houstonian! Siobhan plays for the Houston Gaels Soccer Team and is contemplating playing for the Ladies GAA. Of course, that all depends on whether her father is the coach!
TEXAS ROSE
Texas Rose Siobhan Thompson
With older cousin Jenny. Siobhan always wanted to sing!
With Granda Pat and Granny Sweeney, who we always said would have made a great Rose!
The Desert Shamrock
Houstonians at Texas Selection - Rose candidates Lydian and Ciara, and Emcees Philly and Johnny!
July – August 2015
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WASHINGTON DC ROSE
Washington D.C. Camille Sheehan
C
amille Sheehan has the blood of her Irish ancestors coursing through her veins and is thrilled to be this year’s Washington, D.C. Rose. The 24-year old, who grew up in Hanford, California, graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2013 with a degree in Communication, specializing in Public Relations. She now works as a project manager and news bureau services editor for a PR and marketing software company. Both Camille’s parents were born in Ireland and her grandparents come from four different Irish counties: Sligo, Cork, Wexford and Westmeath. Her father grew up in Cork and her mother in Wexford. She has many happy memories of summer visits to her grandmother’s house in Dunmanway, County Cork. Her last trip to Ireland in 2013 included many highlights. She visited the Jameson Distillery in Midleton, Cork, and received a certificate as an “Official Irish Whiskey Taste Tester;” she was sunburnt on a day trip to Garnish Island in Bantry Bay; drank a pint at the top of the Guinness factory in Dublin; and paid a visit to the city’s Kilmainham Gaol. For good measure she enjoyed the best Irish weather for years. In her leisure time, Camille has a passion for photography and the hobby recently presented her with an amazing opportunity at the Executive Office of the President where she interned as an undergraduate. She was given the chance to photograph President Obama and Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton. She also enjoys craftwork including designing dream catchers, watercolor painting, making jewelry, painting pottery and baking to satisfy her sweet tooth cravings. Camille is very proud of her Irish heritage and is delighted to have been selected to represent the American capital at this year’s event. She is looking forward to her year as a Rose and what she can do for the community of WDC.
Guinness Storehouse in Dublin with boyfriend Kevin Longacre
With 2014 WDC Rose Allison Wetterauw at the Race for Hope Brain Tumor 5k in honor of 2011 Rose Dott Henggler
Graduating from University With 2014 Rose Allison Wetterauw at the Pieta House’s Darkness into Light 5k walk at Catholic University of America
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The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
The 2015 Rose of Tralee Festival: Fun for the Whole Family! The Rose of Tralee International Festival is one of Ireland's largest and longest running festivals, celebrating 56 years in 2015. The heart of the festival is the selection of the Rose of Tralee which brings young women of Irish descent from around the world to County Kerry, Ireland for a global celebration of Irish culture. The festival also includes street entertainment, carnival, live concerts, theatre, circus, markets, funfair, fireworks and Rose Parades.
Twenty-three international Roses will travel to Tralee. There are a couple of firsts for some regions - Elysha Brennan (22) from Bettystown, Co Meath became the first ever Meath Rose to make it through to Tralee and Shannon Kelahan-Pierson (21), the first ever South Carolina Rose, will also travel to Tralee in August. They will be joined by the Kerry, Dublin and Cork Roses as well as six Roses from Australia and New Zealand in the Dome.
This year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival will run from Friday 14 to Tuesday 18 August and will feature an exciting programme of entertainment for all the family. There will be something for everyone with lots of free and affordable entertainment and more live music than ever! This is all in addition to the televised Rose Selections on RTÉ, the Fashion Show and the International Rose Ball. Tickets are on sale now at www.RoseofTralee.ie.
Parades & Fireworks SATURDAY night sees the first Parade of Roses under the Festival lights—the Roses’ memorable introduction to the people of Tralee. The climax of this emotional roller-coaster of an evening comes high in the sky over Tralee with the first fireworks display of the week. SUNDAY has long-been the traditional family day in Tralee when the youngsters who were in bed the previous night get their first glimpse of the Roses, the floats and marching bands in the second parade. TUESDAY at midnight on the final night of the Festival, the Roses parade through the town streets before the newly crowned Rose of Tralee is presented to the people of Tralee and the thousands of visitors to the town. She is then serenaded against a backdrop of another fireworks display by Rocket Pyrotechnics.
25 € R E F F O T E K C I T TI live music on Denny Street. FESTIVALR grMeatUevL enings of o in the doMe. for FOU
g you Monday e are also givin
PLUS w
night disc
Note: Square & Mobile Stages are FREE; Kids Under 6 go FREE; Dome strictly over 18’s & ID Essential; Terms & Conditions apply
Nathan Carter | €10 ks, The Geddes, ic K o re te S , n w o et m o SUnday: Ovie, H e Movement | €15 d ti ip R e h T r, lo ay T n Hudso & friends | €10 y se p em D n ie am D , n o Shann Monday: Sharon Band & Guests | €10 lí éi C ra o n fe il K e h T : TUeSday Friday:
nge or cancellation. All events subject to cha
Ticketed Events
Multi Street Concerts Ticket €25 Rose of Tralee Int. Festival Ball €125 | 14 Aug at Festival Dome
Single Street Concert Ticket €10/€15 Bon Jovee Concert and Disco €15 | 15 Aug at Festival Dome
ACCESS Music Competition
€20 Entry | 16 Aug at Denny Street
Rose of Tralee Int. Fashion Show €30 | 16 Aug at Festival Dome
RTÉ Rose of Tralee Selection Nights
€45 each night | 17, 18 Aug at Festival Dome
Rose of Tralee Disco Nights
€15 each night | 17, 18 Aug at Festival Dome
TICKETS FRoM
www.roseoftralee.ie
Rose office, Denny St or Byrnesworth, the Square, Tralee
doMe TiCKeTS: For Rose Ball, Bon Jovee, Fashion Show, RTE Selection Nights & Discos all available online now.
STUDY ABROAD
Shortening the Road Brightening Brightness
By Liz Warren “The pale moon was rising above the green mountain, The sun was declining beneath the blue sea; When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain, That stands in the beautiful Vale of Tralee. Though lovely and fair as the Rose of the summer, Yet ‘twas not her beauty alone that won me; Oh no, ‘twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning, That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.” Mary O’Connor was the 19th century Irish beauty who inspired the ballad, “The Rose of Tralee,” and in turn the international festival. But as the poet writes, it wasn’t just Mary’s beauty that won admiration. It was “the truth in her eyes ever dawning.” Irish beauties of myth and legend often have a dimension beyond their physical beauty, an otherworldly aspect that makes them even more compelling. One of the earliest descriptions is from the myth of Midhir and Etain, when the high king Eochaidh Feidlech encounters Etain at her bath: “There she was, letting down her hair to wash it, and her arms out through the sleeve-holes of her shift. Her soft hands were as white as the snow of a single night, and her eyes as blue as any blue flower, and her lips as red as the berries of the rowan-tree~and her body as white as the foam of a wave. The bright light of the moon was in her face, the highness of pride in her eyebrows, a dimple of delight in each of her cheeks, the light of wooing in her eyes, and when she walked she had a step that was steady and even like the walk of a queen.”(Gods and Fighting Men, Lady Augusta Gregory, 1904) Etain is the daughter of Etar, King of the Riders Emigrated from Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland in 1972
of the Sidhe. Sidhe or sí, pronounced “she”, refers both to the otherworld and the people who live there. She is a bean (woman) of the sidhe (fairy)–a fairy woman. This is where the word banshee comes from: the bean sidhe, or otherworldly woman who cries for the dead. Another otherworldly woman is the aisling (pronounced ashling), who comes in dreams and mystical encounters. Seamus Heaney’s translation of an early 17th century mythic and political poem, “The Glamoured,” includes this description: “Brightening brightness, alone on the road, she appears, Crystalline crystal and sparkle of blue in green eyes, Sweetness of sweetness in her unembittered young voice And a high colour dawning behind the pearl of her face. Ringlets and ringlets, a curl in every tress Of her fair hair trailing and brushing the dew on the grass; And a gem from her birthplace far in the high universe Outglittering glass and gracing the groove of her breasts.” (https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/08/ seamus-heaney-1939-2013/) The otherworldly woman is almost always encountered in the countryside because she is an aspect of, or may actually be, the goddess of the land who maintains and confers sovereignty. To rule, the king must be in right relation to the earth and to the feminine, and he must be prepared to accept them in their beautiful and hideous forms. In The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Mugmedon, Niall and his brothers, the sons of the king, encounter a hideous hag who is guarding a well. She demands a kiss before they can pass. “Thus was the hag: every joint and limb of her, from the top of her head to the earth, was as black as coal. Like the tail of a wild horse was the gray bristly mane that came
IMAGE FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Mary Pauline O’Connor (1886-1926) in 1894 aged seventeen and a half, reputedly at the time called “a Rose of Tralee,” daughter of Martin O’Connor, merchant, Bridge St. Tralee, before her marriage to D. D. Sheehan, later MP.
through the upper part of her head-crown. The green branch of an oak in bearing would be severed by the sickle of green teeth that lay in her head and reached to her ears. Dark smoky eyes she had: a nose crooked and hollow. She had a middle fibrous, spotted with pustules, diseased, and shins distorted and awry. Her ankles were thick, her shoulder blades were broad, her knees were big, and her nails were green. Loathsome in sooth was the hag’s appearance.” (http://www. maryjones.us/ctexts/eochaid.html) Niall’s brothers had not been able to kiss this horrible creature, but when Niall did she was instantly transformed into the most beautiful woman in all of Ireland. She was the transformative goddess of sovereignty, and by accepting her he and 26 of his descendants were promised the kingship. In “The Rose of Tralee,” Mary O’Connor is not described as anything other than a mortal woman. Nonetheless, her beauty and integrity, and the way she is encountered in nature, link her to all the sovereignty goddesses and otherworldly women of myth and legend. That is the legacy that modern Roses inherit and embody.
Liz Warren is the Director of the Storytelling Institute at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, AZ. She spends every summer in Ireland teaching the Irish Storytelling Tradition as part of Mesa Community College’s Study Abroad Ireland Program (mesacc.edu/sai). Contact her at liz.warren@southmountaincc.edu.
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The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
TRAVEL WELSH
The
Great
Glasshouse Compiled by Lynn Herdman Mascarelli
Text and photos © Crown copyright (2014) Visit Wales. Used with permission. Special thanks to David Hardy, Head of Marketing and Communications for the government of Wales
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is set on historic parkland, dating back around 400 years, located at Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire SA32 8HN. It’s well worth using the public transport bus (and/or the train) to visit the Garden as your ticket entitles you to half-price entry. The Garden covers 568 acres of Carmarthenshire countryside and includes a nature reserve as well as a formal garden, with Lord Foster’s Great Glasshouse as its centrepiece. This spectacular dome is the largest single span
glasshouse in the world, and was designed by Norman Foster and Partners. Poised on the Welsh landscape like a giant raindrop, it protects and conserves some of the most endangered plants on the planet. There is so much to see here that you’ll need a full day, if not more, to see everything. The major attractions include the ‘must sees’ for most of our visitors with The Great Glasshouse, and The Double Walled Garden, whilst nature lovers also want to know about Waun Las National Nature Reserve.
www.visitwales.com • www.gardenofwales.org.uk
The plants come from six areas of the world: California, Australia, the Canary Islands, Chile, South Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, and The Great Glasshouse is zoned to reflect this. Each of these geographical areas has regions that enjoy a Mediterranean climate. Hot dry summers, cool moist winters, dazzling sunlight, strong breezes and the occasional groundclearing fire, create perfect conditions for many plants to thrive on the scrubby, rock-strewn landscapes.
There are 147 computer-controlled vents to regulate a fully controllable and natural airflow. Heat is provided from a biomass furnace, which in conjunction with the climate control, prevents the glasshouse temperature falling below nine degrees Celsius. High, mounted fans, blow air around the glasshouse interior; this simulates the windy conditions of the Mediterranean regions and strengthen the plants.
Learn more at the website for The National Botanic Garden of Wales
For author's bio and photo, go to page 49
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July – August 2015
LANGUAGE
By Iain Lundy
Hmmm...Scottish, not Irish Accent
Moving to the U.S. may have taken a while but it is working out well. Life in Arizona since I moved here from Scotland in March has been as good as I had been expecting. The food is great; the weather is phenomenal compared with what I left behind–despite the dire warnings of what the desert summer holds. And the people have been exceptionally friendly and welcoming. But I do have one small complaint which is more perplexing and frustrating than annoying. I am a born and bred, kilt-wearing, whisky drinking Scotsman with a thick west of Scotland brogue. So why does everyone think I am Irish? Let me give you a couple of examples. I recently attended a garage sale in a Gilbert neighborhood. The stalls were being “staffed” by a man who I took to be in his 70s and a middle-aged woman, who may have been his daughter. They heard my accent and asked where I came from. When I replied Scotland, the old fellow leaned back and, in a fake Irish accent, said, “So you’ve got a touch of the Oirish in you then.” A few days later another gentleman, on learning of my Scottishness, asked if I had ever seen the film The Quiet Man. “You would love it,” he said. “John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara…and set in Ireland. It would remind you of home.” But it wouldn’t remind me of home. It might remind me of holidays in Ireland. My home is in Scotland.
and married my Highland grandmother. But the fact remains I am Scottish through and through. Imagine if I were introduced to a person from Illinois or Wisconsin whose grandparents came from Winnipeg. Would he be US-Canadian or Canadian-American? The phrase Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irish is used exclusively in the United States – nowhere else in the world. It came into currency several hundred years ago as a rather ham-fisted way of describing people who emigrated from Ireland to America – some of whom had Scottish ancestry. It may have been an easy way of categorizing immigrants in the 1700s but the term has, in my opinion, long since outlived its usefulness and relevance. It should be consigned to the dustbin of history. Scotland and Ireland are separated by a stretch of water, they are two separate countries (albeit within the United Kingdom) and they have clear, separate identities. I really don’t mind if, next time you meet me, you call me Paddy or sing ‘Danny Boy’ for me. But I hope you won’t take it personally if I ask you to call me Jock instead. I’ll even teach you the words of ‘Flower of Scotland’. 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.
Let me be clear that none of this offends me. I love the Irish; I have had some great times with Irish people, in Irish pubs, singing ribald Irish songs. And of course Scotland and Ireland have much in common in terms of shared history and culture. I also have an Irish grandfather from Downpatrick who came to work as a gardener in Scotland
Irish Language Lesson #2 By Vicki Champion Dia daoibh, a chairde! Is mise Vicki Champion, agus is breá liom Gaeilge! [Djee-ah yeev, ah har-djah! Iss misha Vicki Champion, ah-gus iss braw lum Gwayl-geh!] Hello, friends! I am Vicki Champion, and I love Irish! In this issue, we are going to continue our Lego-block building fun with the Irish language. I hope you enjoyed the bit in the last issue and that at least some of you got out your scissors and actually gave it a go! To review, I like to think of the words and phrases like building blocks—Legos, if you will! I invite you to cut them out with scissors and arrange them on your table, if it helps! Have fun and play! In the last issue, we had the verb to be in the form of Tá, bhí, and beidh. We are going to keep those and this time add more mothúcháin (emotions) moehoo kahn and more of our prepositional pronouns.
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In the English language, we have our emotions, but in the Irish language, our emotions are on us, more like a hat! Hence, we use the various forms of the preposition ‘’AR,’’ which means ‘’on.’’ 1) These will start your sentence: Present tense: tá (taw, tah) Past tense: bhí (vee) Future tense: beidh (bay) 2) These go in the middle: Happiness: áthas (AW-huhs) Sadness: brón (brohn) Hunger: ocras (OHK-ruhs) Thirst: tart (tart) Tiredness: tuirse (TUR-sha) Disappointment: díomá (DjEE-uh-muh) Worry: imní (im-nee) Determination: díocas (DjEE-uh-kus) Loneliness: uaigneas (oowig-nas) Jealousy: éad (AY-ud) Disgust: déistin (DjESH-tin)
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3) These prepositional pronouns go at the end: On me: orm (OH-rum) On you: ort (OH-ruht) On him: air (air) On her: uirthi (ur-hee) Now, let’s play. Start with a word from the “1” group, follow with a “2,” and end with a “3.” It’s that simple. Examples: Tá ocras orm (I am hungry). Beidh áthas ort (You will be happy). Bhí díomá air (He was determined). Tá uaigneas uirthi (She is lonely). That’s it! Sín é! I hope you enjoy your mixing and building! Until next time, slán!
July – August 2015
Vicki is an intermediate level, ongoing learner of the Irish language. From 2012-2014, she taught 90 Irish-born children ages 4-14, whose parents were in Arizona working for Intel. She currently teaches an adult class through the Academy of Irish & Celtic Studies at the ICC, where she first studied under Jason Carns.
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CULTURE
Keltic Kitchen
Deviled Shrimp By Katie Caufield Ginder
D
ia daoibh a chaired! (Hello friends!) Deviled shrimp? It’s not the dish most people associate with Irish cooking. However, in Nuala Cullen’s “The Best of Irish Country Cooking” book, she masterfully blends traditional Irish dishes with modern ingredients. Her new cookbook includes a Pork and Apple Pie recipe from 1758 as well as Corned Beef and Cabbage and two different versions of Colcannon. In addition to her mouth-watering recipes, Nuala provides breath-taking photographs of Ireland that will make you want to book a flight there tomorrow. PHOTO BY KATIE CAUFIELD GINDER In her Deviled Shrimp recipe, Nuala describes that fish or fowl were served “deviled,” either before or after dinner. The recipe is easy to prepare and would be an excellent addition to any summer bbq. I opted to grill the shrimp on skewers and my husband told me several times that they were “amazing” and “we need to make that recipe again soon.” If you are looking for a good hostess gift or a cookbook for the foodie in your family, I highly recommend Nuala’s “The Best of Irish Country Cooking.”
Ingredients
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Directions
• 12 large raw shrimp in their • Peel the body shells from the shrimp, but shells leave the tails intact. • 1 teaspoon/5 ml sea salt • To make the “devil,” mix the salt and spices • 1 teaspoon/5 ml cayenne pepper together and form into a paste with the • 1 teaspoon/5 ml paprika melted butter, the zest of 1 lime or ½ lemon, • 1 teaspoon/5 ml ground cumin and a little juice. To make it hotter, add • 2 limes or 1 lemon more cayenne or chili, but taste constantly. • 2 tablespoons/30 g melted Marinate the shrimp in this mixture for a butter couple of hours in the fridge. • Grill or broil the shrimp on medium heat, turning Purchase Nuala regularly, until they are just Cullen’s “The opaque and the tail shells Best of Irish are pink. Slice the remainCountry Cooking” ing lime or lemon and serve the shrimp garnished with the citrus slices. Note: if cooked shrimp are used, grill or broil them just enough to heat them through thoroughly. Katie Caufield Ginder lives in Gilbert with her husband and son. 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.
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July – August 2015
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ARTS 48
Celtic Artisan
Michael Sobrado Artist Blacksmith By Lynn Herdman Mascarelli An anonymous writer once penned the following: “Of the four elements, air, earth, water, and fire, man stole only one from the gods. Fire. And with it, man forged his will upon the world.” One does not often meet an artist blacksmith who doesn’t shoe horses, but I had the privilege of meeting just such a modern smith in the person of Michael Sobrado who today hand-forges one-of-a-kind pieces for designers of high-end homes and other venues. Michael, of mostly Italian descent, might not be our usual Celtic artisan, but his company Dragonforge Ironworks and association with Celtic Medieval drew me to speak with him. A member of CROFT, the Celtic Reenactment Organization for Fellowship and Trades since 2009, Michael has staffed the Blacksmith Shop each year at the Arizona Renaissance Festival. He credits his good friend Ann Hines, a vital member of the close-knit CROFT community, for inviting him into the group. Her son Daniel was a student in his blacksmithing class at Mesa Arts Center and later became an apprentice under Michael’s tutelage for nearly seven years. Since then, Daniel Hines and Ryan Niezwaag have become journeymen at the forge under the watchful eye of Master Smith Michael Sobrado, who also bears the title of Master Blacksmith for the Mesa Old West Days, the American Heritage Festival, and the Superstition Moun-
tain Historical Society. On his website, one may read more about his early years growing up in a family in which blacksmithing was generational in Rome, New York. Interestingly, our smith is an educated man, graduating with
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a bachelor’s degree in psychology and another in philosophy from Oswego State University in upstate New York. I asked how his studies might have influenced him considering the life choices he made. “It was invaluable; I learned how to learn and to get along with all kinds of people.” For several years, he was a child abuse investigator for the Oneida County Sheriff ’s Department, then a customer service manager for a large insurance company, but his love of the forge pulled him away. In 1995 he was given an opportunity as an apprentice blacksmith at Raulli’s Iron Works, his cousin’s third (now fourth) generation Blacksmith and Metal Fabrications shop. Three years later a chance came to lay down roots elsewhere away from the snow and the cold. Eventually he and wife, Dana, an attorney here in the Valley, would find the sun in Arizona but not without bringing along an anvil and all his grandfather’s tools. He would work for a time as a blacksmith for a lighting company until establishing a forge of his own. His present forgings include crafting ornamental furniture, lighting, fireplace accessories, and blades. Recently he was commissioned by the Sterling Renaissance Festival in Sterling New York to create a dungeon complete with related items, such as manacles and a cage. He will participate as a blacksmith. At the recent Phoenix Comic-Con he demonstrated the art of hand making
July – August 2015
ARTS
and the muscles of armour. Michael explained that the addition of The his brawny arms Dragon’s Armoury bladesmithing and armour craftare strong as iron ing to his forge “allows us to indulge in our passion bands.” for swords and all things medieval”. And this indeed Michael Sobrado has plans to pursue even more. portrays our Using every skill he has honed at his forge for the artist blacksmith, last 20 years, he will pursue the art of metal sculpMichael ture replicating Sobrado. 14th to 18th c. See Michael For ironworks. He share his story more on wishes to dispel and his work our artisan, visit Dragonforge Ironworks at all those “dumb dragonforgellc.com. Don’t miss the short blacksmith myths” news video on his home page! Michael may and be the quinbe reached at 480-529-0206 and at dragonforge1@ tessential artist blacksmith. I am convinced he is all cox.net. Studio visits are by appointment only. that even now. Writers from different ages have remembered Lynn is a former high school teacher of art, the blacksmith. Shakespeare, in King John (1598), history, and political science. She is a potter, Act IV, scene 2, acknowledged the blacksmith with illustrator, muralist in public venues and a line: I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus, the private homes, and wordsmith. Frequently a whilst his iron did on the anvil cool. featured artist at the Irish Cultural Center, Celtic But Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem, landscapes intrigue her. Her mom, a Williams, is The Village Blacksmith describes the village smith totally Welsh with ancestry as far back as 1700s and the Isle of Anglesley. as “a mighty man is he, with large and sinewy hands;
WHAT WILL ARIZONA LOOK LIKE
AFTER THE APOCALYPSE? A solitary machine drives across the sun-drenched soil of the American West, scanning the landscape for someone whose mind was not wiped out by the plague. Finding a survivor will only be one part of the journey. David’s great-greatgreat-grandfather left Limerick in 1852
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Grandfather Murphy born in County Westmeath and Grandmother in County Longford, Ireland
July – August 2015
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SISTER CITIES 50
Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities Announces Grand Prize Winner for the 2015 Young Artists and Authors Showcase! Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities (CTSC) is pleased to announce that Beibhinn Cullen, student from our Sister City in Tullamore, Ireland, is the 2015 Sister Cities International Young Authors Showcase Essay Grand Prize Winner. Beibhinn’s essay, “Connecting Communities for Peace and Prosperity,” expresses her views of the reasons for bringing people and communities together resulting in lasting lifetime connections. As a Grand Prize Winner, she will receive a $1,000 check from Sister Cities International (SCI). Beibhinn Cullen is an accomplished musician – playing traditional Irish and classical harp, traditional Irish fiddle – and is an Irish dancer and is a student of ballet. She is fluent in the Irish language, and teaches Irish in the summers in the Gaeltacht outside of Galway, Ireland. She has finished her sophomore year at Sacred Heart in Tullamore. For over two decades, the Young Artists and Authors Showcase has given youth from around the globe the opportunity to express their vision for a more unified, peaceful world through original artwork, literature and, new for 2015, short film. The 2015 Showcase encouraged youth to submit entries inspired by the theme “Connecting Communities for Peace and Prosperity,” challenging youth to use their imagination for their vision of peace, and to answer the question how does connecting globally allow you and your community to prosper. Beibhinn’s essay, along with the other national and international winners and finalists, will be on display at the Annual SCI Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 16-18. Following the Conference, the artwork, essays, and poems will go on a tour to several cities across the U.S., including Chandler. This is the fourth consecutive year that entries from Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities have received Grand Prize recognition at the national level. “The Young Artists and Authors Showcase is one of the events sponsored by SCI, and is an amazing opportunity to expose our students – at young and impressionable ages – to Sister Cities,” states Ellen Harrington, President of Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities. As President Eisenhower envisioned, these sister city organizations could be the hub of peace and prosperity by creating bonds between people from different cities around the world. Congratulations to Sister Cities International for choosing another great theme which continues to help define our relationships with our sister cities, and inspiring the students to interpret these themes. Chandler’s Young Artists & Authors Showcase and Reception at Chandler’s Vision Gallery in April was made possible in large part due to a grant from Chandler’s Special Events Committee and the Chandler CulView all 2015 tural Foundation. We especialChandler essays, ly thank the City of Chandler’s poems and artwork Diversity Office, Vision Gallery our host venue for this and past years’ Showcases; our Author Judge Linda Ems and Artists Judges Laurie Fagen and Bonnie Lou Coleman; Chandler teachers who continue to encourage their students to stretch their imaginations; and, our Chandler students who produce simply amazing artworks, poetry and essays, truly Young Authors and Artists! All 2015 Chandler essays, poems and artworks can be viewed on our website, www.chandlerirish.org. Sister Cities International winners can be viewed at www.sister-cities.org. For information on Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities, please contact Ellen Harrington, (480) 600-8509 or chan.to.tull@gmail.com.
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PHOENIX SISTER CITIES
ENNIS COMMITTEE
BOOK FESTIVAL
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 Phoenix Sister Cities’ Ennis Committee is hosting their first book festival. The day will include author readings, book signings, tours and an opportunity to meet the authors. Please come and enjoy an afternoon of literary enjoyment with music and refreshments.
Featured Poets/Writers for the Event Thomas Kinsella is widely acknowledged as one of Ireland’s most important contemporary poets, with a long and distinguished body of work that began in the 1950’s and continues up to the present day. He is also internationally known for his acclaimed translation of the Irish prose epic, Táin Bó Cúailnge, which was published in 1969 as The Táin. His mature poems have been described as “some of the most remarkable in modern English-language poetry,” and in 2007 he was awarded the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin “in recognition of his contribution to Irish literature.” This event will show a rare RTE screening with an introduction by Dr. Adrienne Leavy. David Baker is the author of eleven books of poetry, most recently Scavenger Loop (Norton 2015), and Never-Ending Birds, which was awarded the Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize in 2011. Among his many awards are grants and prizes from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Mellon Foundation. He holds the Thomas B. Fordham chair at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and is Poetry Editor of The Kenyon Review. Sara Berkeley Tolchin is one of a new generation of Irish poets whose work is informed both by her identity as an Irishwoman and also by her life in the world beyond Ireland. Born in Dublin and educated at Trinity College Dublin and the University of California, Berkeley, Sara has published poems, stories and a novel. Her fifth collection of poetry, What Just Happened, will be published this summer by The Gallery Press in Ireland. She will be reading from her new collection.
Irish Cultural Center & McClelland Library 1106 North Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004
For information on sponsorship or registration, contact Anna Martinez at annamarty@cox.net or at 602-312-4004.
Registration Opens June 22, 2015
PhoenixSisterCities.org July – August 2015
S
ister Cities International was founded at President Eisenhower’s 1956 White House conference on citizen diplomacy. Eisenhower envisioned an organization that could be the hub of peace and prosperity by creating bonds between people from different cities around the world. By forming these relationships, President Eisenhower reasoned that people of different cultures could celebrate and appreciate their differences and build partnerships that would lessen the chance of new
Arizona
conflicts. Sister Cities International creates relationships based on cultural, educational, information and trade exchanges, forging lifelong friendships that provide prosperity and peace through person-toperson “citizen diplomacy.” Special thanks to Phoenix-Ennis and ChandlerTullamore for hosting the Arizona Roses since 2010 in various events and appearances!
New York
Chandler, AZ – Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland Gilbert, AZ – Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland Mesa, AZ – Burnaby, BC, Canada Peoria, AZ – Borough of Ards, Northern Ireland Phoenix, AZ – Calgary, AB, Canada Phoenix, AZ – Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland Scottsdale, AZ – Kingston, ON, Canada Scottsdale, AZ – Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland Tempe, AZ – Carlow, Ireland Tucson, AZ – County Roscommon, Ireland
Rochester, NY – Waterford, Ireland
North Carolina
Beaufort, NC – Beaufort, Ireland Cary, NC – County Meath, Ireland Concord, NC – Killarney, Ireland Myrtle Beach, NC – Killarney, Ireland Southern Pines, NC – Newry and Mourne District, Northern Ireland
Ohio
Boston, Massachusetts & New England Arlington, MA – Port Arlington, Ireland Boston, MA – Belfast, Northern Ireland Cambridge, MA – Galway, Ireland Pittsfield, MA – Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland
Cleveland, OH – West Mayo, Ireland Westlake, OH – Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland
San Francisco
Dublin, CA – Bray, Ireland Menlo Park, CA – Galway, Ireland San Francisco, CA – Cork, Ireland San Jose, CA – Dublin, Ireland Santa Cruz, CA – County Roscommon, Ireland Santa Cruz, CA – Galway, Ireland
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, IL – Galway, Ireland Chicago, IL – Toronto, Canada Dixon, IL – Castlebar, Ireland Niles, IL – Leixlip, Ireland Peoria, IL – Clonmel, Ireland Tinley Park, IL – Mallow, Ireland
SISTER CITIES
North American Rose Centres – Sister Cities/Twinned Cities
Southern California
Los Angeles, CA – Dublin, Ireland Santa Barbara, CA – Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Washington, DC
Kentucky
Annapolis, Maryland – Wexford, Ireland Baltimore, MD – Ely O’Carroll, Ireland Maryland – County Cork, Ireland Virginia Beach, Virginia – North Down Borough, Northern Ireland
Lexington, KY – County Kildare, Ireland
The Sister Cities International network unites tens of thousands of citizen diplomats and volunteers in 545 communities with over 2,100 partnerships in 145 countries on six continents. Phoenix Sister Cities’ relationship with Ennis began in 1988 and celebrated 25 years in 2013 with a delegation of Phoenix Sister Cities officials and volunteers led by former Councilman Michael Johnson visiting Ennis for the St Patrick’s Day celebrations. The Ennis Twinning Board also invited the St. Mary’s High School band from Phoenix, led by Ms. Carol Mellis, to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Ennis. Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities (CTSC) signed their twinning agreement with Tullamore, Ireland in
2009. Celebrating five years, we continue to explore opportunities to share education, culture diversity, and economic development, including an emphasis on tourism. Introducing business-to-business relationships, hosting of visiting delegations, and creation of a vibrant Student Ambassador program are all part of the mission of CTSC. Recently, CTSC formed a partnership with Sullivans Travels to direct travelers to base in Tullamore to explore the history and culture of the Midlands. CTSC is proud to announce for the fourth consecutive year that Chandler and Tullamore students have been awarded First Grand Prizes in essay and poetry in Sister Cities International's Young Artists and Authors Showcase.
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Scottsdale Sister Cities Association Join us on Thursday, July 16 at 6 pm as we welcome Killarney, Ireland as a Cúpla (Gaelic for Twinning) City of Scottsdale Skeptical Chymist 15688 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ https://scottsdalesistercities.info
July – August 2015
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DIRECTORIES
ARIZONA COLLEEN PROGRAMS
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.
ARIZONA LAW ENFORCEMENT EMERALD SOCIETY (ALEES)
ALEES was incorporated in 2004 to promote and celebrate accomplishments of Irish-Americans in law enforcement. Its members, families and friends support ALEES Foundation, a non-profit 501(c) (3) created in 2012 to provide financial assistance to the families of injured and fallen brothers and sisters in Arizona law enforcement. If interested in becoming a member or volunteering, contact us at azemeraldsociety.org.
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.
CELTIC HARVEST FESTIVAL SEDONA, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 AT VERDE VALLEY SCHOOL
IRISH CULTURAL CENTER
The mission of the ICC is to provide a link between the people of Arizona and the people of Ireland and other Celtic cultures. The Academy of Celtic Studies and the Celtic Concert Series are major programs. The Center is available for private rentals; call direct to 602-258-0109. Info and tours: 602-392-7850, www.azirish.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
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
LOS SAN PATRICIOS DE ARIZONA (ST. PATRICK’S BATTALION)
Enjoy the sounds of Celtic music and dance, storytelling, and poetry, wares for sale, workshops by artisans, sheepherding demos, art of falconry, Fairy Village children’s activities, lots of food and drink! New this year Scottish heavy athletics! Adults $15; Teens $5; under 11 yrs. old free. www.celticharvestfestival.com
The organization honors the 150-year-old bond of friendship existing today between Mexico and Ireland. Each year, a fiesta celebrates with a dinner saluting those of Irish and Mexican heritage. Contacts: Wm. Howard O’Brien, El Capitán, 480-951-1152, whoco@cox.net; John Reilly, Captain, 602-242-1555; Héctor Corona, el Teniente (Lieutenant), 602-722-7589; Felix Corona and Ernie Patino, El Tenientes.
DAUGHTERS OF SCOTIA DESERT THISTLE LODGE #260
NORTHERN ARIZONA CELTIC HERITAGE SOCIETY
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
The nonprofit organization is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving Celtic culture. Each year we host the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival (July 19-20, 2014), the Jim Thomson U.S. School of Piping & Drumming (July 11-18, 2014), and the Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy (July 15-18, 2014). Contact Jude McKenzie, information@nachs.info, 928-556-3161, ww.nachs.info.
DESERT IRISH WOLFHOUND ASSOCIATION (DIWA)
PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE & FAIRE COMMITTEE
A non-profit corporation, DIWA is committed to improving the health and welfare of Irish Wolfhounds throughout Arizona; encouraging responsible ownership through mentoring and education of its members; and maintaining a source of Irish Wolfhound specific rescue/rehoming contacts statewide. Dues are $20 for a single and $30 for a family membership. For information, contact Christine Davis, President, 602-439-1783; or Pam Clark, Rehoming Coordinator, 928-821-6009; www.desertirishwolfhounds.org.
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: Glenda Walker at 602-277-1376, www.saintpatrickcentre.com
GRAND CANYON CELTIC ARTS ACADEMY
It offers classes in Irish music, dance, and language to children ages 7+ (July 14-18, 2014) and adults (July 15-17, 2014). Come learn something new or improve your current skills with members of Runa and Zac Legér. Classes in fiddle, whistle, guitar, bodhrán, Irish language, dance, and more! Contact: Kari Barton, 928-600-1365, kari@grandcanyoncelticarts.org
IRISH AMERICAN CLUB WEST VALLEY
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
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Club. Dues are $10 per year. For information or a complementary newsletter, contact Maura McConnell, Secretary, 623-933-3698, hummel4fun@aol.com.
The Desert Shamrock
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 14, 2015, 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 14, 2015, 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.
July – August 2015
Colleen Kelly Beaman, Chair 520-743-7979, Ckbeaman@hotmail.com 1670 N Country Club, Tucson, AZ 85716; and Facebook
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.
CELTIC DANCE SCHOOLS MAGUIRE ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCE
SCOTTISH-AMERICAN MILITARY SOCIETY (SAMS), FLAGSTAFF
Classes in Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, and Houston Info@maguireacademy.com; www.maguireacademy.com (520) 319-0204. Darren Maguire, TCRG, ADCRG
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.
MASCHINO SCHOOL OF HIGHLAND DANCE
Kari Maschino, 480-242-7760, Kari@maschinodance.com, www.maschinodance.com, Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria
SCOTTISH-AMERICAN MILITARY SOCIETY (SAMS), PRESCOTT
MICHAEL PATRICK GALLAGHER SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE
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.
MPGirishdance@yahoo.com, www.mpgirishdance.com Michael Patrick, TCRG, ADCRG, 602-896-4078 Ann Paitel, TCRG 602-316-3199
CELTIC MUSICIANS THE STRAND
Traditional Irish and Irish-American Music, 480-208-4687, info@thestrandmusic.com, www.thestrandmusic.com, facebook.com/thestrandmusic
CELTIC SISTER CITIES CHANDLER-TULLAMORE, IRELAND SISTER CITIES
CLANS
Ellen Harrington, President. P.O. Box 4174, Chandler, AZ 85244-4174 480-600-8509, chan.to.tull@gmail.com, www.chandlerirish.org
CLAN MACINNES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Arizona Convenor: Steve McKinnis 11505 E. Calle Javelina, Tucson, AZ 85748 macinnes@macinnes.org • 520-290-1268 • www.macinnes.org
PHOENIX-ENNIS, IRELAND SISTER CITIES Mary Hill-Connor, Committee Chairperson 602-635-9760, mary.hillconnor@gmail.com www.phoenixsistercities.org
G
Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy July 13-17, 2015 in Flagstaff
rand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy is entering its 7th year! We are very excited to have Cassie and Maggie MacDonald from Halifax, Nova Scotia teaching music and dance of Cape Breton and Gordon Gower from Tucson teaching Irish music. We offer children’s classes for ages 8-15 and adult classes. There are classes for all ability levels. Children’s classes are taking place July 13-17 and adult classes are July 14-16 at Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy. Children who register will attend 7 classes Mon-
day-Friday. No experience is necessary and all instruments are provided. Children will learn Cape Breton Piano, Cape Breton Fiddle, Tin Whistle, Cape Breton Dancing, Music Mind Games, Traditional Songs of Nova Scotia and Irish Music 101. For adults, we offer classes Tuesday-Thursday in Cape Breton Fiddle, Cape Breton Piano, Irish Flute/Whistle, Beginning Tin Whistle, Cape Breton Dance (all levels welcome), and Traditional Songs of Nova Scotia. For those that would like to try out a class, but can’t make it during the day, we offer 2
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hour workshops on Monday evening in Irish Music 101 (all levels), Cape Breton Dance (all levels), and DADGAD Guitar. Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy is a wonderful opportunity to learn new art forms from the Celtic regions of the world with top-notch instructors and performers. You will come away enthused to continue your studies and with new friends as well! Contact: Kari Barton at 928-600-1365 or Kari@GrandCanyonCelticArts.org, or visit www.grandcanyoncelticarts.org
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CALENDAR
JULY-AUGUST 2015
[All events are in Arizona USA unless otherwise noted]
IRISH CULTURAL CENTER (ICC)/ MCCLELLAND IRISH LIBRARY
PUBLIC WALK-IN HOURS (TOURS, LIBRARY & GENEALOGY) Tuesday-Saturday ▪ 10am – 3pm Wednesday Evenings (Library only) ▪ 3pm – 8pm SUMMER HOURS NOW THROUGH AUGUST 31 Wednesday-Thursday • 10am – 3pm Wednesday Evenings (Library only) • 3pm – 8pm Frances McClelland Genealogy Centre available these hours; Open Other Hours for Scheduled Classes, Meetings & Events 1106 N. Central Ave., Phoenix 85004 www.azirish.org See ad page 9
TWICE MONTHLY CEILI
(IRISH SOCIAL DANCING) All ages; instructor & live music Fridays ▪ 7pm – 9pm Jul 10, 17 • Aug 14, 21 • Sep 11, 18 $6; cash bar
15688 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ https://scottsdalesistercities.info
MARY POPPINS, THE BROADWAY MUSICAL Thursday-Sunday, July 16-19 Cast includes Sarah Hines, 2014 AZ Colleen & Rose Admission: $17 adults, $14 children Advance ticket purchase recommended Tickets at www.phx1st.org or call 800-524-1678 See ad on page 41
CASSIE & MAGGIE MACDONALD
Friday, July 17, 2015 ▪ 8pm Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 1601 N. San Francisco St. Flagstaff 86001 Presented by Living Traditions Presentations Cassie & Maggie MacDonald are outstanding performers from Halifax, Nova Scotia playing the music of Cape Breton. This concert is the culmination of Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy and a great kick off to the Northern Arizona Highland Celtic Festival. Contact: Kari Barton, Kari@ LivingTraditionsPresentations. com Arizona Highland Celtic Festival
NORTHERN ARIZONA HIGHLAND CELTIC FESTIVAL
JOURNEY THROUGH THE EMERALD ISLE EXHIBIT HAVE PASSPORT - WILL TRAVEL EXHIBIT Now through July 31 Paula Cullison travel writer / photographer ASU Polytech Campus Library www.paulacullison.com
“CORONADO'S CHILDREN: ARIZONA LOST MINES”
Wednesday, July 8 ▪ Dinner 6pm ▪ Show 7pm Presented by Marshall Trimble The “Will Rogers of Arizona” Arizona History Series Cartwright’s Restaurant, Cave Creek
GRAND CANYON CELTIC ARTS ACADEMY
July 13-17, 2015 Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy It’s an annual week of Celtic Arts learning for people of all abilities and ages. There are classes for adults and children ages 8+. For more information, please contact Kari@GrandCanyonCelticArts.org or visit www.grandcanyoncelticarts.org See page 53
SCOTTSDALE SISTER CITIES ASSOCIATION
Thursday, July 16 at 6 pm Welcome Killarney, Ireland as a Cúpla (Gaelic for Twinning) City of Scottsdale Skeptical Chymist
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Saturday, July 18 ▪ 9am - 6pm Sunday, July 19 ▪ 9am - 4pm Details at nachs.info Foxglenn Park 4200 E. Butler Avenue Flagstaff, AZ 86004 Highland Games, Celtic Kids Corner, Displays and Education, Workshops, Re-Enactments and MORE
SAVE THE DATE: “TOMBSTONE'S LAWYERS”
Wednesday, Sept. 2 ▪ Dinner 6pm ▪ Show 7pm Presented by Marshall Trimble The “Will Rogers of Arizona” Arizona History Series Cartwright’s Restaurant, Cave Creek
D-BACKS CELTIC HERITAGE DAY
Sunday, September 13 ▪ 1:10 pm Game Multi-Media Events starting 2 hours pre-game I’m 1 in a Million! EVENT Arizona Diamondbacks v. Los Angeles Dodgers Chase Field Stadium, Phoenix Sponsored in part by The Desert Shamrock Register to be in the Pre-Game Field Parade; click on the link at www. desertshamrock.com. Bring banners and wear your green or kilt as the case may be! See ad on page 56
GAA FOOTBALL ALL IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP 2015 FINAL Sunday, September 20 3 pm I'm 1 in a Million! EVENT Irish Cultural Center, Great Hall Join enthusiastic fans of all ages to watch the big screen! Replay by RTE. Donations (no admission charge) Cash Bar and Snacks Hosted by Irish Foundation of Arizona and The Desert Shamrock
"A COUPLE OF BLAGUARDS"
PRESENTED BY MARSHALL TRIMBLE THE “WILL ROGERS OF ARIZONA” Monday, August 10 ▪ Dinner 6pm; Show 7pm The Palace Restaurant and Saloon, Prescott
Saturday, September 26 at ICC Play by Frank McCourt with two actors portraying over 40 characters as Frank and his brother describe growing up in Limerick, Ireland
RECEPTION FOR DR. TIM CAMPBELL
PHOENIX SISTER CITIES
Tuesday, August 11 McClelland Irish Library, Norton Room Hosted by Friends of Saint Patrick
IRISH CULTURAL CENTER TEA
“TRIMBLE’S TALES”
DIRECTOR, SAINT PATRICK CENTRE, N. IRELAND
COMMITTEE MEETING – NEW MEMBERS WELCOME
PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE & FAIRE Tuesday, August 11 ▪ 7pm at ICC
See ad page 43
IRISH FEMALE PIRATES
Saturday, August 29 at ICC
The Desert Shamrock
ENNIS COMMITTEE BOOK FESTIVAL Sunday, September 27, 2015 Sunday, October 4 ▪ 3pm to 5pm High tea with savories, scones and dessert. Entertainment and raffle
5TH ANNUAL SOUTHWEST TEA
CHANDLER-TULLAMORE SISTER CITIES Saturday, January 23, 2016 ▪ 11am to 1pm Please note change of date Live Entertainment! Delicious Luncheon by Coach & Willie’s! Homemade Desserts! Raffle Prizes! Stay tuned to our website – www.chandlerirish.org. All proceeds to further our Mission of Education, Business & Cultural Exchanges. Contact Ellen Harrington at chan.to.tull@gmail.com; or Sharon Anderson at duner@cox.net.
July – August 2015
The Desert Shamrock
July – August 2015
ROSE REGIONAL IN PORTLAOISE, IRELAND
PHOTOS BY RICHARD MCCARTHY/EVENTCAPTURE.IE
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You’re Invited
to a 1 in a Million Event! Academy of Irish & Celtic Studies Ancient Order of Hibernians Arizona Law Enforcement Emerald Society Bracken School of Irish Dance Caledonian Society of Phoenix Celtic Academy of Tucson Celtic Harvest Festival Sedona CROFT (Celtic re-enactment of arts and handcrafts) Daughters of Scotia Desert Irish Wolfhound Association Emerald Isle Society, Tucson Four Peaks Irish Arts Friends of St. Patrick - Phoenix Chapter Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy Irish American Club West Valley Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Irish Library, Phoenix Irish Foundation of Arizona Irish Network Phoenix (formerly ERIN) Irish-American Gaelic Society Jim Thompson U.S. School of Piping and Drumming Los San Patricios de Arizona (St. Patrick’s Battalion) Maguire Academy of Irish Dance Maschino School of Highland Dance Michael Patrick Gallagher School of Irish Dance Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society Phoenix Fire Fighters Emerald Society Phoenix Friends of Traditional Music & Dance (Contra) Phoenix Gaels (Irish football and hurling) Phoenix Pipe Band Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Faire Committee & AZ Colleen Programs Prescott Area Celtics Society Scottish Clans Scottish-American Military Society (SAMS) Flagstaff, Prescott Sister Cities, Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities, Phoenix-Ennis Sister Cities, Tucson-Roscommon Scottish Highland Games (held in Flagstaff, Sedona, Phoenix, Tucson) Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games Association Tucson Irish Heritage Foundation Tucson St. Patrick’s Parade and Festival Welsh League of Arizona
Join the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Celtic Community as we celebrate the Celtic Heritage! Be sure to arrive early and enjoy two hours of entertainment, including music, Highlands and Irish dancing, displays, dignitaries and Colleen Titleholders. Grab your family and friends and be sure to wear your green or kilt as the case may be! A portion of each ticket sold through this special offer will benefit the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library. Special discounted seating has been set up with your group in mind! For groups of 15 or more, contact Kristen Leetz directly at kleetz@ dbacks.com or 602.462.4243.
TICKET INFORMATION • $12 - Upper Level, Infield Reserve • $16 - Lower Level, Bleachers • $25 - Lower Level, Baseline Reserve • $34 - Diamond Level, Club Reserve • $45 - Lower Level, Infield Box • Buy tickets at dbacks.com/celtic • Order deadline 9/1/15
...AND YOU! Register to be in the PreGame Parade on the Field Send your name, email, phone, and number in the group. Each person will need a pre-purchased ticket to the September 13 game.
desertshamrock.com/dbacks
MILY! E ENTIRE FA a FUN FOR TH with n ke ta o ot Have your ph cess! Scottish prin