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Spring 2018 $4.99

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Dancing Queen

Michaela Hinds 7 Time World Irish Dance Champion

INTRODUCING

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World Irish Dance Champion

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St Patrick’s Day

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A Celebration of Irish Culture in Toronto ~ St Pats GAA celebrate 50 Years

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Award-winning Irish writer Liz Nugent’s Unraveling Oliver should be at the top of your to-read pile

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Irish Style

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Emmett McCourt shares Irelands passion for food!

Photo Source: Tourism Ireland - View across Clew Bay from the slopes of Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo, Ireland.

CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

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Counting Down to Spring and

All Things Green!

Eleanor Reynolds Publisher/Editor ECG www.ellie-corp.com Sales, Marketing & Creative Direction Graphic Design Prism Studios Advertising & Design Inc. Contributors Rory O’donovan Colin Barry Shauna Dickson Desmond Devoy Emmett McCourt Cormac Monaghan Aideen O’Brien Claire Petch Jodi Tanguay Shane Larkin Paul Loftus Eithne Shankar Michaela Hinds

A

h Spring is just around corner, kids and adults alike are ready for shamrocks and celebrations for the arrival of all things green, Saint Patrick’s Day represents the perfect time to get your green on! With St. Paddy’s Day parades across the Country spreading some Irish cheer make sure you join in the fun, maybe you are up for the 5K walk or run... there are lots of fun activities to enjoy coast to coast!!

Inside this issue we are delighted to feature The World Irish Dance Champion ~ Michaela Hinds..

Michaela Shares her Story and Journey with the Steps to her Success.

A great article on Irish Person of the Year ~ Toronto… Canavan CAN, will, and does!

Colleen Coleman The Irish New Girl on The Block Storming Women’s Fiction Charts Worldwide ‘Touching, emotional, relatable, and absolutely beautiful, Colleen Coleman has done it yet again with this outstanding novel. Beautifully written and full of girl power, ‘I’m Still Standing’ is the book which everyone needs to read... now.’

For the late Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan, Rural Ontario was her Second Home we had the pleasure to speak with friends very close to her heart!

Ireland at The Oscars! It’s not a bad time to be Saoirse Ronan. The 23 year old has earned her third Oscar nomination for Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age gem Ladybird, becoming only the second woman to receive three acting nominations before the age of 24.

Hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have bringing it together!

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If it’s Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Breton or Cornish, we want to know about it. If you have a Celtic related story, interview, review or production, we want to see it. Together we can build the most comprehensive multi-media platform for all things Celtic in Canada. Please join us on the journey.

Disclaimer: Opinions or viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Celtic Canada and/or ECG. Where materials and content were prepared by persons or entities other than CC/ECG, the said other persons and /or entities are solely responsible for their content. We reserve the right to edit all submitted articles prior to publication.

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CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

A Chairde,

from Irish Ambassador to Canada Mr. Jim Kelly

I

t is a great pleasure for me to send St Patrick’s Day greetings to the readers of Celtic Canada magazine.

Our national day is a proud occasion for the Irish people, and in particular for our Irish diaspora around the world, as we gather to proclaim our Irish heritage and identity.

Here in Canada, the popularity and reach of St. Patrick’s Day is evident in the countless events and festivities which take place across Canada each March, as we celebrate our common heritage which we pass on from

generation to generation.

I would like to offer my thanks to the thousands of volunteers all across our community who sustain so many joyous celebrations of Irish culture and identity throughout Canada, from coast to coast to coast.

I hope that you enjoy the festivities and wish all of you a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Beannachtaí La Fheile Padraig daoibh go leir.

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Michaela Hinds 7 Time World Irish Dance Champion ~ Michaela Shares her Story and Journey with the Steps to her Success.

By Michaela Hinds

B

ecoming a World Irish Dance Champion is one thing, but winning 7 World Titles is honestly

a dream!

When I was a little girl watching the older girls dance I never thought that one day I would be one of them winning a World Title.

My first World Irish Dance Championship Title I ever won was when I was 14 years old, it was also the same year that I had lost my father. Dance was honestly the only thing that was keeping me going through all the pain and the sadness, it kept me occupied and provided me a release for the sadness and loss I was feeling. Leading up to that worlds I remember just dreaming of being top 3 as I had placed 4th the year before. I worked the hardest I have ever up to that date, and it all payed off. From that day on I

This is me and Tara Rochester- She is also 9th in the worlds and the top canadian in her age group, her dance ethics remind me a lot of myself 6

CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

This is Sarah Campeu, she also dances with BFOC and has always been one of my biggest supporters.

She has never missed me dance at a worlds. knew that it was going to be ten times harder and it was!

Your first World title will be the easiest one as every year you have to come back that much better. After my first year winning in 2009 I followed with winning 4 consecutive Worlds Irish Dance Championships after that. In the year of 2012 I lost my World Title and was still ranked 2nd in the world, and it made me take a step back and consider what had happened that year. After looking at it, it was my own fault I was starting University had just graduated from high-school found a boyfriend and I looked at dance as I had been winning for 4 years and now I could take it a little easier. But this allowed me to realize there is no such thing as easing off ~people who want to be champions never stop!

There are many people that tell me how lucky I am but they don’t realize that I put

my life and world into dancing. I cried a lot, I bleed a lot and I had a lot of injuries but I didn’t let that stop me! I didn’t ever let any of that get in my way. I remember there was this one dance class after the Worlds which was the one where I lost my title and I was training for the next Worlds which I was eligible to dance at in 2015, I trained so hard that my socks where bright red after a set class and I knew they were bleeding and I didn’t want to make a big deal so wore my hard shoes out to my car so no one saw.

2015 was an amazing World’s Dance Championship as it was held in Canada and it was where I won back my title for the 5th time, with a perfect score!

That year was filled with amazing achievements!

In October I was practicing late one night (10pm) for my Canadian regionals and I

This is Jaylene Kehoe, she is 10th in the world and also a very had worker. She always has the most faith in me and pushes me to believe I am good.

These are the teachers that were at worlds this year from L to R- Vinny OcConnor , Yzanne Noone, Rose, Kate OcConnor, Alison Reaney, Sean OcConnor

regionals winning with a perfect score and continued to train every morning and every night for the worlds in April. I was attending fitness classes at Orange Theory Brampton at 5:15, would then travel to school until 2pm. My day would continue with going to Goodlife gym for another work out on Tuesdays and Friday and on Monday Wednesday and Thursday I would go to the studio to work with my dance teacher until 9pm. I was breathing and living everything dance and it was amazing.

fractured my foot in 5 places and tore all the ligaments on the lateral side of my foot. It was then I was in intensive physiotherapy every day at 7am, with the best physio clinic SWAT in Port Credit with the most talented and hard working staff. Dave Giannone was the Doctor that put all his efforts to getting me ready for the World’s Irish Dance Championships for 2016. With constant rehab and training I went on to win my 6th World Title, despite the injuries that were at stake.

Last Canadian Regionals when I was the senior and one of my students was U8 winner. The oldest and the youngest.

This is how my feet would like during dance class and competition due to all the injuries With this came to something I never wanted to decide, was it my time to consider retiring? with a total of 30 ankle injures in my dance career I kept getting weaker and weaker. I came to the decision that the World’s 2017 was going to be my last World’s which I would compete at and I was head strong that it was going to be my best World’s ever!!

I started preparing for this World’s in September waking up at 4am to go to the gym and then was dancing every day. In November I danced at my final Canadian

This World’s was The Best one in my books, I had my Mom with me which was the best thing in the world. She has been by my side since day one and would always be waiting for my calls after every dance class to make sure I got home safe and that everything was going good. She also attending every morning gym session with me leading up to the World’s as well as my best friend Danielle Ayres. My mom was not able to come to the World’s before due to personal reasons so having her there at my last World’s was the best feeling ever. I owe my dance career to her as even was I was ready to give up along the way to pushed me through it.

I have a number of Thank-You’s which I owe ~ The teaching staff at the BFOC School of Irish Dance as well as to my family, friends and my now finance for all the support, love, and criticism. I was honoured to dance under the name of Rose Fearon and win all the titles I did with her by myside, she is a women of passion and love for Irish

Dancing and she also had the most faith in me. She continued to amaze me with the choreography and the love she had for me putting up with me for years and years. We share a special bond that will last a life time and I also owe so much to her.

Post retirement I am now a certified teacher in Irish Dancing, teaching alongside some of the best teachers in the World. I am also engaged to my high school sweet heart and living in a new home with him.

This is my Fiance, Mitchell Ferris. Been with each other since the age of 16. He thinks this dance world is crazy but always flew places to watch me dance.

For all the dancers getting ready to compete at the World Irish Dance Championships 2018 I wish you the best of luck and I want you to always remember things in dance don’t come easy it takes dedication, love, passion, tears and a lot of blisters. But every second of performing on that World’s stage is worth the pain.

Lots of love, keep dancing… Michaela CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

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Patrick Canavan Irish Person Of The Year Canavan CAN, will, and does!

By Cormac Monaghan

T

oronto’s own Patrick Canavan is the very deserving recipient of the 2018 Irish Person of the Year award.

Pat holds the unique distinction of being the first Canadian born honouree in the 28 years since the inception of this award - a proud moment for County Canada! Pat has been to the fore-front of many community groups each of which have benefitted considerably from his unique energy, dedication and determination and is very deserving of this long overdue honour!

Pat was born in 1940 at Toronto Western Hospital in Toronto’s west-end, the only child of Patrick Canavan Sr. (Creggen Co. Tyrone) and Amelia “Emily / Grandma” Myles (Tillicoultry, Scotland). Patrick Sr. emigrated to Canada alone in 1925 and spent the first years in this country on work farms in Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario. He then worked in construction and later held various roles for the National Cash Register Company (NCR) until his retirement.

Emily emigrated from Scotland with her family at the age of 16, in 1921, settling in Oshawa. Prior to her marriage, Emily worked in service for several prominent Toronto households, including that of Lawren Harris of the Group of Seven. Patrick Sr. and Emily met at a dance at St. Mary’s Parish Hall organized by Patrick Sr. and his partners in 1935 and the rest is history…

As the son of immigrants, Pat junior was taught that hard work and a keen interest in your community could lead to both personal and professional success. Pat grew up and still lives within the York Township

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boundaries. He attended St. Thomas Aquinas involvement has been the proverbial team effort with all the family putting their Catholic School and learned his trade as shoulders to the wheel on many occasions. an electrician at George Harvey Collegiate Irish Dancing and the associated Institute. Soon after his certification he fundraising is where Pat started his volunteer joined the IBEW 353 and was a journeyman work in the Toronto Irish Community. Pat on the teams that installed many of the first and Colette as a team helped increased the light poles and lights along the 401 and profile of Irish Dancing in Toronto and QEW. After that stint ‘on the road’ Pat spent raised much-needed funds to help dancers some time in construction before joining the get to Ireland to compete in the World Toronto District School Board. Pat retired Championships. Their fundraising efforts from the TDSB not that long ago and went ranged from weekly 50/50 draws, dances, full time with the Irish Community! dance outs and community Bingo.

Pat had a keen interest in politics and As if raising a young family, working as volunteered with the NDP early in his career. an electrician full-time and part-time as a He first ran for the office of Alderman in the politician was not enough for anyone to be Borough of York in 1965, losing narrowly ‘getting on with’, Pat also started a social club by 25 votes. You can’t keep a good man in his community. The doors of the Fairbank down and Pat ultimately prevailed, serving 3 terms as Alderman for the City of York between 1974 and 1982. One of Pat’s more successful campaign slogans was “Canavan CAN and will” - this idiom demonstrates the very nature of Pat Canavan, if he says he can and will, he will do it, as promised.

Pat’s wife Colette (Foley) hails from the Dingle Road in Cabra, Dublin, and emigrated to Canada in 1967, initially to Niagara Falls. Pat and Colette have four children - Cathy, Craig, Bobby and Sinead; and four grandchildren Michael, Catherine, Sean and Finn.

A lot of Pat’s community Pat’s election campaign flyer... 1970’s

In late 2005, the Toronto St. Patrick’s Parade Society was facing difficult times and the community was asked to assist. True to form, Pat responded to the challenge and joined the committee and in so doing volunteered the entire Canavan clann! Within one year, the committee had turned a deficit into a profit. For seven of the next eight years Pat served as either Chair or Vice-Chair of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Society; finding new locations to build floats, building new relationships with sponsors and signing the first agreement with CP24 to televise the parade live.

In 2013, Pat stepped down from the Parade Society…not least because his family was tired! Not one to stay idle for long, in 2014 Pat was elected to the Committee of the Irish Cultural Society of Toronto to run the Rose of Tralee Selection Ball, and since then has become President of the Cultural Society, a position he still holds.

During his tenure with the Irish Cultural Society, the Rose of Tralee Toronto Selection Ball has continued to blossom. His committee also ran the very successful 50th Anniversary Last call at Paddy’s Place...Pat with his wife Colette, and 3 of their 4 children celebration in Cathy, Craig and Sinead.

Fall 2017 which attracted over 700 people, and have In the late 1980s, Pat became chair of the increased the level of funds raised for the newly formed County Tyrone Association.

Benevolent Society which in turn translates The Tyrone Association hosted successful into increased support for members of our pub nights and events and since day-one community most in need. have been known for their large and well People who know Pat the best generally organised marching groups in the St. ask “How much do you want?” when they see Patrick’s Day Parade. 1990 was a proud year him coming! He will ask as many people as for Father and son when Patrick Canavan possible for donations, to buy a raffle ticket, Sr. – the then oldest member of the County to buy a ticket or a table to an event, or to Tyrone Association - walked alongside Pat take an Advert in his latest program. As he Jr. down Yonge Street and then over to the says himself, as a Politician you cannot be shy SkyDome, to see the visiting County Tyrone about asking people for their support and Gaelic Football county team play against the certainly that philosophy has carried forward Dubs.

Social Club first opened in March 1973; it later became known to many in the Irish Community by the man who ran it rather than by its formal name and was dubbed “Paddy’s Place”.

Paddy’s Place was a weekend destination for city-based members of the Irish community and later grew in popularity as the place to go for great craic, and to feel at home. Paddy’s Place was popular with folks from Dublin and Belfast and given “Paddy’s” own mixed religious upbringing, was popular with both Green and Orange.

Over the years, Paddy’s Place was a home and social base to several GAA teams and to many other Irish groups. Several GAA players from across the league played on the Paddy’s Place soccer team. Many couples met at Paddy’s Place - often at the now infamous “Crazy Crazy Nites with Hugo Straney”, which debuted in 1980. Pat together with his family and friends helped close the doors to Paddy’s Place in August 2003 for the last time.

Pat with his parents Pat Senior and Amelia Canavan circa 1950. into his Community work.

Pat has worked diligently to bring younger members onto every committee he has ever been involved with, and the Irish Cultural Society’s committee is no different. Pat hopes that he is sowing the seeds that will enable the Irish Cultural Society regain the support and prominence it once held within Toronto’s Irish community.

Late in 2018, the Irish Cultural Society of Toronto will host another afternoon event in similar to the successful 50th anniversary celebration they hosted last year, and of course the annual Rose of Tralee Selection Ball and their ongoing efforts for the Pot of Gold Lottery. Pat Canavan is proof that you can retire and be busier than ever.

It is an honour and a privilege for the Toronto Irish Person of the Year Committee to name Patrick Canavan as the 2018 inductee to our Community’s unofficial Hall of Fame. He is very deserving of this recognition and is living proof of the old adage that if you want to get something done you should ask a busy person to do it. Can he do it? - yes he can! Pat will be honoured at a lunch on Sunday March 4th in the Toronto Hilton. Tickets can be obtained via IPOYTORONTO@GMAIL. COM. Congratulations to Pat, Colette and the entire family on this richly deserved recognition.

CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

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Irish New Girl on The Block Storming Women’s Fiction Charts Worldwide

By Colleen Coleman

U

pon leaving school, the two things I wanted to do more than anything else was to teach someone to read and write a book. Hence, I became an English teacher. Once qualified from Drumcondra, I moved to London where there were jobs aplenty and a brand new scene that I couldn’t wait to experience. As much as I love the adventure and excitement of living abroad, as my twin daughters get older, I have a growing desire to return home. The years pass so

quickly and I’ve started to miss my friends and family, the landscape, the milestones and just the general every-day craic more and more acutely.

But uprooting everyone and landing back in Mayo is easier said than done!

I realised that I’ve been away so long it may prove difficult to return and pick up a teaching post so if I was to make a decent living for myself I’d have to dig a bit deeper and get creative. So, why not try and write my ticket home? I love to write, I’ve always dreamed COME JOIN US TODAY! of putting pen to Become a member to-day!! paper and trying my New members and associate members are invited to hand as an author join the “craic” simply by contacting the Secretary. so if there was ever an incentive to get Benefits of joining our Club… meet new friends, cracking and finish have some craic, we offer weekly meetings each that novel, writing Tuesday for lunch, bingo on Friday’s and dances my way back to held often during the year!!!

Mayo was bound to The best part is the fun trips each year. be it. The mission had begun.

2454 Danforth Avenue - Toronto Juggling family, Street parking is available. Close to the main subway station. full-time work and 416-469-5394 isn’t easy, www.emeraldisleseniorssociety.org writing but it can be done.

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Especially if you have an important goal in mind as I did. This wasn’t just about getting published or larking about characters and storylines; this was about opening a door to an opportunity that I dearly wanted for my family. And it proved a very strong motivation indeed, as within six months of making the first inky marks in my notebook, I was signed by the biggest digital publishers in the UK and within a year my debut novel Don’t Stop Me Now stormed the bestsellers lists in the UK, USA , Germany and Australia.

My second novel I’m Still Standing enjoyed just as much success. We are currently auditioning actresses for the audio version that will be distributed globally. It is truly phenomenal and I am black and blue from pinching myself.

The support I have received from the sheer might of Irish Diaspora all over the world has been staggering. I get beautiful, thoughtful messages and emails all the time from Irish readers coast to coast , from downtown New York to the back of beyond in the Australian bush. It never fails to amaze me the spirit of unity the Irish nurture for each other all across the world. So what happens next? I’m currently trying to tear myself away from browsing cottages on The Wild Atlantic Way and get on with the final edits of my third book which is due out next week! And who knows? At this rate, maybe I will achieve the dream and be writing away from Ireland one day.

Questions as follows: What are you up to right now?

I’ve just signed a new book deal so am busy scribbling away the acknowledgements

‘Touching, emotional, relatable, and absolutely beautiful, Colleen Coleman has done it yet again with this outstanding novel. Beautifully written and full of girl power, ‘I’m Still Standing’ is the book which everyone needs to read... now.’

The Writing Garnet for my third novel which is out on Monday February 12th!

congratulations! You’re on the pig’s back and you’ll be glad you tried.

What’s been the best decade of your life so far and why? This one! I’m enjoying this time in my life so much. It is great to be comfortable in your skin and have the confidence to try things that excite you and walk away from the ones that don’t.

What do you believe in?

I believe that we should use any gifts or talents or opportunities we have to improve our own lives and the lives of others around us. I recently taught a creative writing class to teenage girls and it was absolutely inspirational. Their stuff was far better than mine!

What makes you angry?

People who underestimate others. And pen-clicking.

What is the best lesson life has taught you?

To have a go! You’ll never know unless you try, and if it doesn’t work out, the lesson you take from it will still make it worthwhile. And if it does work out? Well,

What is your ultimate guilty pleasure?

I’m a shocker for cheese. I especially love soft and smelly varieties. I have no ‘stop’ button and have definitely eaten more than my quota over the years.

Who is/was the love of your life?

My husband of course! I’d be in terrible trouble if I didn’t say that...

Don’t Stop Me Now, I’m Standing and Colleen’s new book One Way or Another (out Feb 12th 2018) are available in paperback and e-reader from all digital retailers. Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Chapters and Google books.

Get in touch! www.colleencolemanbooks.com

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11

Investing and Tax in a Bitcoin World

By Colin Barry

What is bitcoin and why am I hearing so much about it?

services your bitcoins can buy. There is also the possibility of high transaction costs to convert bitcoins into usable currency. For Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin these reasons, bitcoin falls short as a way only emerged in the past decade. Unlike to pay for short-term expenses. Of course, traditional money, no paper notes or metal that may change in the future if it becomes coins are used. No central bank issues the common practice to pay for all goods and currency, and no regulator or nation state services using bitcoins. stands behind it. Instead, cryptocurrencies Future regulation adds to the uncertainty. are a form of code made by computers and While bitcoin is widely discussed today, it stored in a digital wallet. A public ledger is still largely unused. It has also been the called blockchain records all transactions. subject of scrutiny by regulators. It is unclear For much of their existence, what impact future laws and regulations may cryptocurrencies were the work of digital have on bitcoin’s future supply and demand enthusiasts. This niche appeal is reflected (or even its existence). This uncertainty is in their market value. At a market value of common with young investments, and it gets $16,000 per bitcoin, the total value of bitcoin resolved over time. is less than 0.1% of the value of global stocks 1 CRA issued a letter in 2013 that said that and bonds . Even though there is not much bitcoin and other digital currencies were of it, the recent sharp rise and fall in the not considered to be legal tender. Instead, value of bitcoins have resulted in a lot of they said that cryptocurrencies are viewed media attention. as a commodity2. So resulting gains or losses would be taxable.

Why bitcoin is not the right There are income tax implications if investment for your family you are bitcoin mining. A bitcoin miner Investors ask themselves what they can uses powerful computers to process online expect from bitcoin. Unlike stocks or bonds, bitcoin transactions to earn more bitcoin. holding currencies does not provide an The bitcoin gained in this process will expected stream of future cash flow. One need to be reported as business income. dollar in your wallet today does not entitle But the business expenses such as the cost you to more dollars in the future. The same of computers and electricity are income logic applies to bitcoins in a digital wallet. So deductions. investors should not expect a positive return Transactions made with bitcoins are from holding cash in one or more currencies. covered by the section of the tax code dealing A lot of volatility has occurred in the with barter and trade transactions. You exchange rates between bitcoins and must declare the Canadian dollar value of traditional currencies. That volatility means any income received, regardless of whether that you don’t know how much goods and any actual cash was exchanged. Also, where applicable, these transactions attract HST too.

If you buy, hold and sell, bitcoin and make a profit in the process, you must claim a capital gain.

For example if you buy bitcoin at $1,000 (905) 829-0094 and sell it at $10,000, www.colinbarry.ca 12

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you have to report a capital gain of $9,000 in the year that you sold it.

So, there is no tax free ride by engaging in bitcoin3.

There is still exciting potential of the blockchain technology that enables the trading of bitcoins. It is an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way. This has big implications for banking and other industries. But these effects may take years to emerge.

Unlike stocks or corporate bonds, it is not clear that bitcoins offer investors positive expected returns. Unlike government bonds, they don’t provide clarity about future wealth. And, unlike holding cash in currencies, they don’t provide the means to plan for near-term expenses. Because bitcoin does not help achieve these investment goals, it likely does not belong in a portfolio designed to meet your goals.

This material is for educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or currency. Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. The commentary above pertains to bitcoin cryptocurrency. Certain bitcoin offerings may be considered a security and may have different attributes than those described in this article. Canfin Magellan Investments Inc. does not offer bitcoin.

About Colin Barry – Canfin Financial Group Colin Barry is a Certified Financial Planner who works with families and small businesses to plan their finances and make the most of what they have. Visit www. colinbarry.ca for more information. Fee for service financial planning and investments provided through Canfin Magellan Investments Inc. Insurance provided through Canfin Capital Group Inc. 1. To Bit or Not to Bit: What Should Investors Make of Bitcoin Mania? Dimensional Fund Advisors Canada. December 2017 2. What you should know about digital currency. CRA Fact Sheet. November 2013 3. Here’s what you need to know about the Canadian tax implications of cryptocurrencies. Globe and Mail. Jan 28, 2018

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Irish Genealogy Resources J

ust starting out on your Irish genealogy adventure? There are lots of useful resources that can help.

Tracing your family’s roots and visiting the place where it all started, can be one of the most rewarding journeys you ever take.

You can learn things about yourself and your family that you never imagined, discover relatives you never knew existed, and find a warm welcome and a home from home in a the land of your ancestors.

If you’re one of the incredible 70 million people in the world who claim Irish ancestry, the good news is that genealogy in Ireland is pretty straightforward. More and more resources are available online, and there’s plenty of advice and support out there from official organisations, genealogy experts and enthusiastic amateurs who are on a similar journey.

Ready to get started?

1. National Archives

The NAI’s in-house Genealogy Service offers a free, short personal consultation service by professional genealogists, which can be invaluable to help you get started. It also maintains a wide range of searchable online records including census records of 1901 and 1911.

2. General Register Office The GRO registers all civil birth, adoption,

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death, marriage and civil partnerships in the Republic of Ireland. At its Dublin office, you can search its collection of registers and buy photocopies of records. You can also order copies of certificates online.

3. National Library

GRONI registers all civil birth, adoption, death, marriage and civil partnerships in Northern Ireland. You can access these records online and search the computerised indexes in the public search room. To get started, you’ll need to register for an account and buy credits .

6. Ulster Historical Foundation

The library offers a free walk-in advisory service for those looking to trace their family history, as well as genealogy workshops and talks. You’ll also find microfilm copies of most surviving Roman Catholic parish registers, and other records that can be used as census substitutes.

4. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)

All public records from Northern Ireland are stored at PRONI, so there’s a huge range of material (online and printed) including church registers, landed estates records, court records and wills, dating from 1600 to the present day. Access is free but you’ll need to register.

5. General Register of Northern Ireland (GRONI)

This family history research foundation has been helping people trace their ScotsIrish and Irish roots for more than 50 years.

There are over 200 family records, as well as a free Ulster-Scots app and the Foundation offers a range of research services.

7. Ireland Family History on Facebook

The page holds regular Q & A sessions with genealogy experts, who can point your research in the right direction. It’s also a great community of people, who are happy to share interesting stories, top tips and their experiences of tracing their family tree.

8. Glasnevin Cemetery Museum

This cemetery holds the burial records for 1.5 million people. Its award-winning museum tells their story, and it also includes a Genealogy Research Center. The daily tours are highly recommended for an insight into key figures from Ireland’s past.

12. IrishGenealogy.ie

14. Irish Genealogical Research Society

9. Military Archives

This genealogy website run by the Irish government brings together church and civil records in one handy online, searchable, and free archive. It also offers basic advice if you’re just starting your family history search.

This is a diverse archive for the Republic of Ireland, which holds everything from historical documents to service records.

If you have an ancestor who served in the military of the Irish Free State from 1922, this is the archive for you.

13. Ireland Reaching Out

Established in 1936, the Irish Genealogical Research Society aims to promote and encourage the study of Irish genealogy through the collection of books and manuscripts. They host seminars, publish journals, and encourage sharing knowledge through access to their archives.

15. Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland

10. County Genealogy Centers

Ireland Reaching Out connects parishes around Ireland with people researching their family history from around the world. Local experts meet with those seeking their roots as they come to Ireland, helping them build relationships and discover their ancestry.

Many counties in Ireland boast their own county genealogy centers, which work with volunteers, local historical societies, local clergy, local authorities, county libraries and government agencies to build a database of genealogical records for their county.

Got roots in the Presbyterian Church?

This organisation collects and protects records of the church in Ireland since 1903.

Manuscripts, documents and even portraits connected to the Presbyterian order make this an invaluable resource for genealogical researchers.

Source: ireland.com

11. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is an interactive experience, bringing visitors on the journey of the Irish Diaspora. Millions of people have moved overseas from Ireland over the centuries: EPIC celebrates their achievements.

Glasnevin Cemetery

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15

Condos to Lead the 2018 Market

in Terms of Demand and Price Growth!

By Rory O’Donovan

L

iving close to a decade in Toronto I’ve always been quite fond of the month of March. The Irish calendar is packed with events held throughout Toronto and the GTA. A lot of behind the scene preparations come to life for a number of events including the famous March 17th St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, where everyone is Irish for a day, and the amazing St. Patrick’s Day parade, full of music and dance flowing through the city. March is also the month the real estate spring market is in full swing. With the recent introduction of the OSFI B-20 stress test followed by another

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slight rate increase, end of March, Q1 numbers should provide early indication of the markets reaction to the changes. March could also see another slight rate increase with talks of three rate increases in total in 2018.

From a bigger picture perspective the introduction of the stress test is a welcome regulation change. For a number of years the cost of borrowing has remained historically low resulting in increased demand and increasing prices. Slightly over leveraged buyers could be potentially putting themselves at risk with future interest rate increases.

It’s a prudent move to fade in protective measures preventing any default payments in the future.

Plus Introducing measures like these provide more moderate growth.

A slower start to the first quarter of 2018 has been expected, especially compared to the abrupt 33% gains that were experienced in the first quarter of 2017. As the market moves through the year the pace of home sales are expected to pick up as the psychological impact of the Fair

Housing Plan starts to wane and the market has adjusted to the new stress test rules. The reality of the recent changes is that home buyers now qualify for less mortgage than they would have last year. This reduction in buying power could potentially push some buyers into a different price point which could mean a different neighbourhood or property type.

In general the busiest segment of the market is between $400,000 and $1,000,000 in all property types, but especially, and more recently condos. That price range is also seeing strong demand from first time buyers looking to enter the market with less than 20% down. The average selling price for condominium apartments was up by 17.9 per cent year over year in the fourth quarter of 2017 to $515,816. While this annual rate of growth was down from earlier in 2017, the condominium apartment was still the leader in terms of demand and price growth in the second half of 2017. This trend has continued into the first quarter of 2018 with condos being the most affordable, and are expected to continue to lead the 2018 market which could also lead to a softening of the freehold market.

About Rory O’ Donovan Rory O’ Donovan is a licensed Real estate professional who works with first time buyers, repeat buyers, sellers and investors.

Visit www.roryodonovan.com or www.emeraldproperty.ca for more information or contact directly +1 (647) 202 3748 rodonovan@bosleyrealestate.com.

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17

V&A Dundee –

Scotland’s First Design Museum Announces Its Opening Date

By Aldona Krzemien

H

ot off the press: the opening date for one of the world’s most anticipated cultural attractions has been announced. In eight months, on Saturday 15 September 2018, you will be able to walk through the doors of V&A Dundee, Scotland’s first design museum.

V&A Dundee will be the only V&A museum in the world outside London and will become the global home for Scotland’s design heritage. The museum will give you an introduction to over 500 years of brilliance, ingenuity and achievement in Scottish creativity and the best examples of design from around the world. It’s genius galore!

Designed by internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, nearly 2,500 cast-stone panels form the sculptural façade of this giant museum, which features walls that curve both vertically and horizontally –

a true architectural masterpiece. Its complex geometry is inspired by the dramatic cliffs along the east coast of Scotland, and we can see why.

Literally anchored in the River Tay, the museum is a new landmark that reconnects Dundee with its historic waterfront.

What to Expect V&A Dundee will feature permanent galleries of Scottish design, as well as international programme of changing exhibitions.

Scottish Design Galleries In the Scottish Design Galleries expect to see everything from iconic objects to works that have never been seen before.

Whether you are into design or just looking for a family adventure, you will be able to explore around 300 exhibits drawn

V&A Dundee © Ross Fraser McLean from the remarkable collections of the V&A, as well as from museums and private collections across Scotland and the world.

Not only will the galleries have displays covering architecture, engineering, fashion and furniture, but also ceramics, healthcare, jewellery, textiles, video game design and more.

We might not have the monopoly on design, but some of Scotland’s creations are amongst the most unique in the world!

Get ready to be inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s magnificent Oak Room, a 13.5 m long panelled room which is being fully restored and preserved for future generations. It was originally designed for Miss Cranston’s Ingram Street tearooms in Glasgow in 1907 – and placed in storage in hundreds of pieces almost 50 years ago.

Other key objects in the Scottish Design Galleries will include a beautifully decorated 15th century Book of Hours, a spectacular Cartier ‘Valkyrie’ diamond tiara, original Beano artwork from Dundee publishers DC Thomson, and the snap40 digital device which is designed to improve healthcare.

Michelin Design Gallery At the Michelin Design Gallery you will find displays of installations by emerging designers. Fittingly, given that this year Scotland celebrates the Year of Young People, the first up will be a Scottish Design Relay exhibition, presenting design prototypes created by young people. Don’t miss it!

Book of Hours © Ross Fraser McLean 18

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Dundee, Scotland’s City of Design Adding to an already existing wealth of amazing attractions and museums, the opening of V&A Dundee is going to make this coastal city, which already proudly wears the title of UNESCO City of Design, the place to be. Make sure to include Dundee in your holiday itinerary for 2018 and beyond.

For further information visit www.vandadundee.org Source: VisitScotland

Normandie in New York, 1935-39 © Collection French Lines

The Opening Exhibition The museum’s opening exhibition Ocean Liners: Speed & Style will explore the designs behind a mode of transport that came to represent the status of nations and the aspirations of millions. It will re-imagine the golden age of ocean travel and explore all aspects of ship design from the remarkable engineering, architecture and interiors to the opulent fashion and lifestyle on-board. All aboard?

Check back later for further exhibition announcements ahead of the museum’s opening.

V&A Dundee © Ross Fraser McLean

Irish Book Retailer

Kennys.ie

One of the Most Competitive in Canadian Market

S

ince the Canadian dollar has dropped sharply in the last week, independent Irish retailer Kennys Bookshop (www.kennys.ie) have become one of the cheapest options online for buying books in the Canadian market.

Booko (the international price comparison site for buying books online) currently shows Kennys.ie as the lowestprice option online in Canada for thousands of titles. Kennys also sell through Amazon Canada, and are similarly the cheapest supplier for thousands of books on Amazon.

Kennys.ie have over 5 million books available on their website, and offer free shipping worldwide on all orders. With thousands of already discounted titles, it offers exceptional value both nationally and internationally, and is very competitively

priced against global giants like Amazon, ABE and larger retail chains in key markets. Canada is one of its key markets.

Tomás Kenny of Kennys Bookshop commented, ‘We are delighted to be one of the cheapest booksellers online in the Canadian market. Our offering of free shipping worldwide on all books ordered on kennys.ie, allows customers all over the world get books from Ireland at great value.’

Books are shipped worldwide from Kennys daily, who shipped to over 170 countries in the last year alone.

Kennys have been selling books since 1940 in their shop in Galway city, Ireland and online via Kennys.ie since 1994. The second bookshop in the world to ever go online (second to a sci-fi bookshop in America

which has now closed), they sell new, used, rare and antiquarian material, both Irish and international, and have the most extensive offerings of secondhand Irish books in the world.

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19

Our Dad

By Aideen O’Brien (on behalf of Trish, Brendan, Conor, Sinead & Mum)

I

t’s almost ten years since Dad died and 50 years since “Little Arrows” became a #1 hit for The Dixies in Ireland. That is a time warp that inspires our Family to never waste time or an opportunity ever!

As kids we were naïve to the fame that came with The Dixies and it was a terrific start to life. There wasn’t a care in the world, Buddy Holly or Elvis was always blaring through the house and we got to enjoy a simple life with only one television station, one radio station and no competing computer apps for our young minds. The five of us got to roam around Tivoli in a care free childhood with friends, Dogs, Cats, Chickens and both parents present, unless of course they were off on tour with The Dixies.

Dad taught us that Music will enhance everything in life. If you need to celebrate happiness, Music has you covered. If you need to embrace sadness, listen to some great Music. If you want to heighten the good times, Music is what you need and if you want to bond with siblings, parents, children or friends, Music will bridge any gap. He continued that lesson into the next generation when he would snuggle up with the grand kids and turn them into Night Owls with the joy of his portable transistor radio unbeknownst to their Parents! To this day, we put his Guitars to great use at family gatherings and some of the next generation is now writing their own songs with them.

It wasn’t always just about Music. Dad was very supportive of all our paths in life. He got Brendan his first Glass House at a very young age, before ever knowing he would go on to build a super successful Landscaping Company of his own.

Through the ups and downs of life, our family never had much privacy from

Family gathering in Toronto. From Dad, out...

Trish, Brendan, Me, Conor, Sinead (taken by Smitty) 20

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the public eye. Over a very long period of time, this turned out to be one of the biggest blessings that came with the status of The Dixies. During our teen years, Dads alcoholism was never a secret and was discussed publicly. It was discussed directly with us and it was most definitely discussed and often disparaged behind our back.

Gossip and whispering caused great stress and anxiety at a time where figuring out life, school and friendship is already fraught with uncertainty. I’m sure it is still like that for families coping with any form of Mental Health issues. Over time, Dad showed us how to sew these awkward threads into our lives allowing space for conversations with him and Mum, with trusting friends, helpful teachers and neighbours. That freedom from secrets helped us form a Sibling bond of rock solid friendship that we still enjoy to this day.

He and Mum also instilled a love, indeed a passion for travel in all of us. Over time and having lived in various Cities, we each settled in Toronto, where two of Dads brothers had ventured many years before. He also made it his own second home of sorts and Trish and I have great memories of performing with him at many functions here and in New York City. Band rehearsal was always filled with hysterical laughter (and a couple of choice words!). He was convinced that no musician could capture the talent of Joe Mac, Sean Lucy, Steve, Theo or Christy and when indeed they did, he was as enthralled as he was back in the 1960’s recording studios.

He and Conor traveled on a great adventure to his much loved Las Vegas and on to The Grand Canyon, where both of them joked and laughed at the trust it takes to stand so close to the edge with a Family member.

Another of his favourite trips to Toronto was to walk his baby Daughter Sinead down the aisle alongside our Mum on her wedding day.

There were also many Christenings, Holy Communions and Confirmations as the families grew.

Only a few months before he died, Dad was once again in Toronto surrounded by many friends and lots of music for my 40th Birthday celebration. A short few weeks later, 23 friends travelled from Toronto to Cork with us to continue the party and to explore Ireland. Dad was proud as punch to chauffer many of them around while regaling all sorts of stories about Cork and its musical heritage.

We like to think that his Soul was one of those who went skidding into the finish line, breathless and shouting out “Wow! What a

Ride!!

Let’s do that again”.

He most definitely had His youngest some tough Grand Daughter, Caitlin challenges yet through it all; he was the most hopeful, positive optimist we’ve ever known. He always believed he would overcome his Alcoholism although like most of society, he treated it like a bad habit that needed to be broken rather than a serious Disease that needs treatment. When you are a gloriously messy Irish family and whether you are navigating celebratory, large family gatherings or coping with alcoholism, we can tell you from experience that Forgiveness is the best skill you can learn.

Dad managed to let life unfold into all its human beauty and tragedy without holding on to a grudge and that brought him all sorts of freedom and strength to keep a slightly splintered family, lovingly together across time and space.

Our band with him in Toronto. From Dad, out...

Paul, Trish, Bruce, Me, Flavio (taken by Smitty) Life happens in the ordinary day to day and Dad enjoyed nothing more than a get together at the Tung Sing on Patrick Street, a good ole joke over the phone, posting many copies of The Holly Bough to Toronto ahead of his Christmas visit, a walk down to St Mary’s or St. Patrick’s church for Mass, a few evenings with May and Sean Lucy watching TV together or just to pop in to Pa Johnson’s, a favourite meeting spot of The Dixies over the years. He still loved to sing and play music right up to the night he died where he had spent time and sang with friends down at Ballymaloe House. He loved Cork! It was as much a part of him as the bones in his body. For all their touring, Cork truly is Home of The Dixies.

5555 Eglington Avenue West, Etobicoke, Ontario M9C 5M1 T: 416-695-9178 F: 416-695-9620 info@irishshebeen.com

www.irishshebeen.com

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21

Belfast & the Causeway Coast Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018!

H

ere’s why renowned travel bible Lonely Planet loves Northern Ireland’s capital city and its coastal

getaway Lonely Planet has spoken! And it’s voted Belfast and the Causeway Coast Best in Travel 2018. Hip restaurants serving cuttingedge cuisine, Titanic history re-enacted for eager 21st century explorers, and a buzzing energy thrumming underneath it all. This is Belfast, the epitome of great things coming in small packages. But the fun doesn’t stop at the city limits.

Travel north to the Causeway Coast and you’ll discover landscapes so dramatic they’ve wowed audiences of HBO’s fantasy hit Game of Thrones®.

This is part of one of the

The Titanic Experience is an unmissable multimedia extravaganza that charts the history of Belfast and the creation of the world’s most famous ocean liner.

Lonely Planet

Beyond Belfast lies the Causeway Coast, whose timeless beauty and high-grade distractions are more popular than ever.

Lonely Planet world’s great touring routes – the Causeway Coastal Route, which hugs the road between Belfast and Derry~Londonderry. And did we mention, this little slice of heaven can be served with some of the world’s finest whiskeys?

Let’s talk about Belfast Nicely blending the old and the new, Belfast owes some of its grandeur to Victorian architectural treasures such as Belfast City Hall, but this rejuvenated city has become quite the design destination, as a stroll around the arty Cathedral Quarter or 22

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the trendy new towers of the Titanic Quarter will show.

Titanic Belfast’s innovative take on the RMS Titanic’s creation is a definite mustdo, while a stay at the Titanic Hotel allows superb views of the Harland & Wolff shipyard from dawn until dusk. Just make sure to leave time to board the White Star’s only remaining ship, the SS Nomadic, before you leave.

Thrilling tours and tasty treats Explore historic Crumlin Road Gaol, too, where tours reveal the dark secrets within.

And don’t miss a Belfast Black Taxi Tour, known for local drivers whose stories are delivered with characteristic Northern Irish humour and wit.

Explore Bushmills Distillery’s giant copper stills and embrace the whiskey fog with a snifter of five different blends in the premium testing room of the world’s oldest legal distillery.

Lonely Planet

The Causeway Coast © @storytravelers

And the glorious Causeway Coast

Belfast is now full of hip neighbourhoods that burst with bars, restaurants and venues to suit all tastes. Lonely Planet A Belfast icon in existence since 1604, St George’s Market is a dream for foodies on the lookout for authentic fresh fare and a real slice of local history. Then there’s the city’s red-hot restaurant scene featuring the likes of James Street South, legendary Deane’s Eipic or the gorgeous Ginger Bistro.

A nightcap at the stunning Crown Liquor Saloon or the Duke of York will round off your visit to perfection.

ICC Ad_DSlowey Broker CMYK.pdf

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Stretching 314km between the cities of Belfast and Derry~Londonderry and featuring some of Ireland’s most incredible sights, the Causeway Coastal Route is legendary. The best way to experience it?

Take your time, pick a lively little town or village as your base and just go exploring.

A must-see is the Giant’s Causeway, blurring history and myth like no other place. Is it a geological wonder formed during volcanic activity over 60 million years ago – or a causeway built by ancient warring giants as the local legend 15-02-16 3:35 PM

has it? Head to the Visitor Centre to figure it out…

And the big hitters keep on coming.

There’s the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge swaying gently above the crashing waves; a host of filming locations from the global hit Game of Thrones®, whose castles are real Northern Ireland piles; the chance to take a swing at world-class links courses, Royal Portrush (venue for The Open 2019) and Irish Open venue, Portstewart.

All that fresh air will work up an appetite, so dine out on delectable eats at Harry’s Shack... an incredible eatery right on Portstewart Strand that serves seafood fresh from the ocean. Or simply order a knickerbocker glory from Morelli’s – it’s been serving up delicious ice cream since 1911!

Source: ireland.com

Working with the Irish Communitiy, both new and established, to find value and security in their new Toronto home.

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dslowey.com • home@dslowey.com

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St Patrick’s Day I

s St Patrick’s Day the biggest celebration in the world? As landmarks across the globe light up in shining emerald splendour and people worldwide take to the streets in party mode, you’d certainly believe so.

This little island at the westernmost edge of Europe is where it all began, and it’s at the heart of global celebrations that honour our patron saint. From the artistic flair on display at Galway’s St Patrick’s Day parade, the Home of St Patrick Festival in Armagh

and Downpatrick, and the huge week-long party that is St Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, spending time here around March 17 is something rather special.

St Patrick’s Festivals

Global Greenings

St Patrick’s Footsteps

So you want to experience an authentic St Patrick’s Day? Coming to Ireland is really the only way – parades, pride and incredible heritage make it unique.

The London Eye, Niagara Falls, the Great Wall of China – these global landmarks are going green for everyone who can’t be in Ireland for St Patrick’s Day.

The story of St Patrick has captivated the world. Experience it for yourself with a journey that follows our patron saint’s path around the island.

The Home of St Patrick

St Patrick’s Day Recipes

St Patrick’s Day Facts

It all started with a small stone church in County Down. Follow Patrick’s journey around Ireland, as he went from a lonely slave to a snake-banishing saint.

A warming beef stew, a slice of soda bread slathered in butter, an Armagh apple tart drenched in caramel sauce. Get set for a real flavour for Ireland.

What makes the colour green so important? Did Patrick really banish all the snakes from Ireland? Why March 17? We answer all your St Patrick’s Day questions.

Source: ireland.com

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25

A Celebration of Irish Culture in Toronto

St. Pats GAA Observe

50 Years

By Claire Petch

T

he spirit of the GAA is alive and well across Canada, offering expats a taste of home and an Irish community while they’re away, and welcoming Canadians to a game they usually haven’t heard of. Amongst these clubs is the St. Pats Canadians, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary in Toronto this year.

One of St. Pats’ goals from the start, which reigns true to this day, was to provide a club for players of all skill-levels to compete, get fit, and have the craic. Back in 1968, Fr. Gerry Scott became the first chairperson of St. Pats. With an influx of young Irish immigrants, there was a need in the city to further promote Irish culture and build our community, hence St. Pats was born to compete against the other clubs in the city.

First ladies team

In 1993, as Toronto saw a decline in immigration, St. Pats and The IrishCanadians merged to become the St. Pats Canadians, the club that’s still running up and down the pitch to this day. This merger proved to be just what both clubs needed, as it brought together Irish and Canadian players to make the team even stronger than before. This men’s team has been fighting it out on the pitch ever since, and are looking forward to facing off against some familiar faces again this year.

Five years ago the club created a ladies team, further expanding the St. Pats community and bringing a new life into the club. The ladies have come a long way over the past five seasons, including winning a Junior Shield Final, the Junior and

Senior competitions at the 2017 Montreal tournament, and the North American Junior final in San Francisco this past summer.

With new recruits onboard and a hunger to prove St. Pats proud in their 50th year, both squads will be a force to be reckon with on the field this year. The teams started training in January and are looking forward to the warm weather and to get the season underway.

St. Pats will be celebrating their big anniversary with a ball on Saturday, May 12th with a four-course meal and live band at Le Treport in Mississauga. If you’d like to buy tickets or are looking for more information, please email stpatscanadians50th@gmail.com.

Men’s team 1985 Ladies North American win

Men’s team 2017

Ladies Montreal win

St. Pats men 2001

Ladies Jr. Shield win 26

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27

For late Cranberries singer

Dolores O’Riordan, Rural Ontario was her Second Home

By Desmond Devoy

D

olores O’Riordan never played the last guitar ever made for her.

In late January, the same week as she was laid to rest in her native County Limerick, fellow musician, family friend and guitar maker Wayne O’Connor was getting ready to put the last few licks of paint on the parlour guitar he had been making for her at his Peterborough, Ont. shop before the lead singer of The Cranberries died suddenly in Britain.

According to O’Connor, O’Riordan had not even wanted to take the first parlour guitar he had made for her on stage, but, eventually, she did - and, backstage at a gig in San Francisco, it got broken.

“I started building her another (guitar) from the same tree,” O’Connor said during an interview with Celtic Canada. “That (guitar) didn’t get made in time.”

O’Riordan, 46, died at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane in London, England, on Monday, Jan. 15. Her funeral mass was held at the Church of Saint Ailbe, Ballybricken, County Limerick, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, which was followed by a private family burial. A public repose was held on Sunday, Jan. 21, at St. Joseph’s Church, O’Connell Avenue, in Limerick.

As of this writing, London’s Metropolitan Police were treating the death as nonsuspicious, according to RTE News.

Within days of her death, of the top 10 songs being downloaded in Ireland on iTunes, nine of the top songs were Cranberries tunes.

Back in Peterborough, the guitar that O’Riordan was due to pick up from O’Connor’s guitar shop, The Hank to Hendrix Guitar Co., will now go to her surviving family here in Canada.

“It’d be nice to see it go somewhere nice like that,” O’Connor said.

For many years, she lived on the shores of Big Bald Lake, just north of Buckhorn, Ont., itself north of Peterborough, Ont., in the Kawartha Region, east of Toronto, with her then husband and Toronto-born manager Don Burton, and their children. The couple 28

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bought the cottage in 1994, dividing their time between there and Ireland until 2009, when they moved permanently to the area, according to The Peterborough Examiner.

(The children, according to the Examiner, were Dublin-born Dakota, Limerick-born Molly, and Toronto-born Taylor, as well as 18-year-old Don Jr., from a previous relationship of Burton’s.)

So connected did she become to the area that the album cover photo for her 2009 solo album No Baggage was taken on the frozen waters of Big Bald Lake, literally in her Canadian back yard.

(The album was recorded at EMAC Recording Studios in London, Ont., while her 2007 solo album Are You Listening? was recorded at both EMAC and at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ont., according to Canadian Press (CP). According to Alan Cross, a DJ a 102.1 The Edge FM in Toronto, she and Burton also lived in Mississauga for a time).

Eleanor Reynolds founder of Celtic Canada spoke with Gil Moore Owner of Metalworks Studios who was a close friend and colleague of Dolores, her family and The Cranberries. Moore told Celtic Canada that they would spend hours in the studio working together bouncing ideas, sounds and lyrics perfecting it to brilliance… bringing the world fantastic music. Moore said “Dolores’s technique was very special and very unique” he especially notes “her spontaneity in writing, it just came so naturally” an explosion of fascinating ideas and the speed necessary to keep up with such a brilliant mind and capture the thoughts and words swiftly not to miss a beat was paramount. Their recording times would end with a chat and latte from the local Second Cup which was Dolores’s favourite.

“She is missed every day, you know it is not often you get an opportunity to meet such a wonderful person, inside and out” Moore said.

O’Riordan grew more connected to southern Ontario during her years living there.

Dolores O’Riordan and Wayne O’Connor “She really liked it out here,” said O’Connor. “She sure took to it like a duck to water,” enjoying very Canadian winter sports like snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, and ATV riding.

Not surprising then that O’Riordan herself told the Canadian Press in 2009 that she called herself “half a Canuck. I’ve spent half my life here now.”

“That was pretty healthy for her,” O’Connor said of the outdoor lifestyle in the cottage country of the Kawartha Region. He chuckled and called it “cheap psychiatry.”

Indeed, the Canadian wilderness really caught the singer’s attention.

“The seasons are so dramatic here - from the snow in the winter to the beauty of the autumn, the colours of the leaves falling,” she told reporter David Friend of CP. “So, I have a piano outside my window and sometimes I start off there with ideas, just using nature as a backdrop.”

O’Connor’s Irish ancestry comes from County Cork, through his great grandparents, who settled in Ennismore, Ont. “You get that sense of the rolling green hills,” he said of the area.

Having that Irish ancestry, and “a big O in front of my name!” were one of the reasons why O’connor felt he got on so well with O’Riordan and her band.

“They treated me very well,” he said.

He was part of a Cranberries tour in 2012, and he quickly realized that although “I’d never been to Limerick before,” he saw that Limerick was the centre of The Cranberries’ universe, where they had offices and rehearsal space, and stored equipment.

Photo Credit: Studio 1

“Dolores and I spent some time working on harmonies,” he recalled of the singer’s haunting voice, which gave the world the distinctive sound of songs like “Zombie,” based on the 1993 IRA bombings in Warrington, England, as well as “Linger.”

He recalled working on chords with O’Riordan and “she would always come at it from such an odd place, out of the blue.”

He got to see the inner workings of the band up close as well.

“Dolores’ dilemma with the band was (for other members) ‘Why do I have to rehearse?

These are our songs,’” he said. While some of her band mates were hesitant to practice regularly, “she was a very musical person.

She really does have to play music every day,” said O’Connor, tellingly referring, still, to O’Riordan in the present tense. “She was consummately creative,” adept at both piano and guitar.

Not only was she a lead vocalist with the band, she also led the way when it came to penning lyrics, often with Cranberries guitarist Noel Hogan.

“She wears her lyrics very close to her sleeve,” O’Connor said. “They came from somewhere very close to her.”

He also got to see how the band dealt with fame, such as the ever-present paparazzi, and how they would often get asked the

same questions over and over again during interviews - and how they delighted at being asked new questions. Going through airport security so often, he noticed that the band always travelled with zip-up footwear, to ease their way through security all the quicker.

“To come back and be normal,” meant a lot, he added. Travelling with The Cranberries, “it’s like joining the Irish royal family,” he said.

Burton was originally a tour manager for Duran Duran, before meeting up with O’Riordan and beginning to manage The Cranberries. The couple later divorced in 2014, after 20 years of marriage, sharing custody of the children, but O’Riordan posted on social media on St. Stephen’s Day 2017 that she was heading back to Ontario to spend time with family.

“Heading to YYZ (Toronto) to see my babies,” she wrote on Twitter on Dec. 26, 2017.

O’Riordan had trouble dealing with her fame, which sometimes generated the wrong type of headlines. Burton would often be the one getting the phone call if O’Riordan did something crazy, like trying to light up a cigarette in the first class cabin of an airplane, which, following a row with airline staff, would get her and her bandmates thrown off of the flight.

“Silly things,” said O’Connor. “He’d get the phone call back at the house.”

On the Monday morning she died, “my phone was ringing off the hook.” Burton phoned him that night and the two friends commiserated about her sudden passing.

“When you get to that level of stardom, you get surrounded by yes people,” said O’Connor. He credited Burton as being the steady hand in their relationship and after their divorce, “I think that’s part of the downfall,” he said.

Back in Ireland, as she was buried, not only did Taoiseach Leo Varadkar sign a book of condolence at Limerick Council, but President Michael D. Higgins attended her removal service on Monday, Jan. 22. An Uachtarain signed the book of condolences at Cross’s Funeral Home, Ballyneety, County Limerick, and spent 15 minutes speaking to Dolores’ mother Eileen and other members of her family.

“It’s so profoundly sad that someone so young is taken from us, but it’s equally important also to pay tribute to (her) work and music,” said Higgins, as quoted in the Irish Independent. “Limerick is very, very proud of (her)…she was a star that shone bright from the very beginning, and I wish her peace.”

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Ireland at the Oscars A History

By Shane Larkin

I

t’s not a bad time to be Saoirse Ronan. The 23 year old has earned her third Oscar nomination for Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age gem Ladybird, becoming only the second woman to receive three acting nominations before the age of 24 and contributing to a long and storied legacy of Irish Oscar dreams both glimpsed and granted over the years. She’s not the only one; Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon re-emerge as a serious creative force with their with a third Best Animated Feature nomination for The Breadwinner, and costume designer Consolata Boyle has received her third nomination for her work on Victoria & Abdul. Daniel Day-Lewis — who holds dual British and Irish citizenship but we’ll claim him as our own any chance we get, just go with it — is up for his fourth Oscar in Paul Thomas Anderson’s sumptuous Phantom Thread (apparently the actor’s final role), and London-Irish director Martin McDonagh is nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category for his acerbic and thoughtful Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. It’s a good showing for the country, and there’ve been a lot more like it over the better part of the last century than you might think.

prolific and successful Irish Oscar winner in history seem almost quaint when you consider just how pivotal Gibbons’ work was in defining the ageless look of Hollywood in the mid-20th century, and he stands as one of the most successful Oscar winners of all time by any metric.

The landmarks don’t stop there. Never one to be outdone, George Bernard Shaw won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar in 1939 for his co-adaptation of his own play Pygmalion, becoming the first person in history to receive both an Oscar and a Nobel Prize, and six years later one Barry Fitzgerald became the only actor to be nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for the same role in the same film for Going My Way. Yes, you read that correctly. The Academy altered its rules shortly thereafter to prevent dual-nominations for the same role from happening in the future, meaning Fitzgerald’s feat is never likely to be repeated.

Gibbons picked up his last win in 1957 and our Oscar presence was a little scant over the next few decades, though the embers started to glow again in the early eighties with a Best Make-up win for Kildare native Michèle Burke in 1982 for her work on Quest

It’s not a bad time to be Saoirse Ronan.

The 23 year old has earned her third Oscar nomination for Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age gem Ladybird...

Ireland’s Oscar tradition dates back to the very beginning and rests in its very marrow.

The iconic gold statuette itself was designed by an Irishman, namely Dublin-born Cedric Gibbons, the famed art director who became the very first Irish Oscar winner for Charles Brabin’s The Bridge of San Lui Rey in 1930.

His legacy well and truly cemented, Gibbons was apparently just warming up and went on to be nominated for a staggering 38 more academy awards between 1930 and 1957, 11 of which he won. Designating him the most 30

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for Fire, and a Best Art Direction win for Josie MacAvin’s work on Out of Africa in 1986.

And then came the late eighties and early nineties, widely considered something of a golden age for Irish cinema and good old Oscar was inclined to agree. Jim Sheridan’s My Left Foot picked up five nominations in 1990 and boasted Daniel Day Lewis’ first Best Actor win and a Best Actress in a Supporting Role win for Brenda Fricker. Richard Harris earned an Oscar nomination for The Field a year later, his second, and in 1993 The Crying

Game made its mark with six nominations and a Best Original Screenplay win for Neil Jordan. Michèle Burke won her second Oscar that same year for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and a year later In The Name of the Father threw down the gauntlet with seven nominations.

The noughties saw a modest sprinkling of success here and there, most notably with Peter O’Toole receiving an honorary Oscar in 2003. The late, great thespian was nominated for Best Actor eight times between 1962 and 2006, holding the unfortunate record for most nominations without a single win. 2005 saw great success in the Short Film categories, with Corinne Marrinan snatching Best Documentary Short for A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin and Martin McDonagh enjoying his first taste of Oscar glory with a Best Live-Action Short win for Six Shooter. Consolata Boyle took home her second Best Make-Up win in 2007 for The Queen, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova charmed the pants off everyone in attendance in 2008 by nabbing Best Song for “Falling Slowly” from the film Once, and Richard Baneham took home a Best Visual Effects trophy for Avatar in 2010. Terry and Oorlagh George followed in McDonagh’s considerable footsteps in 2012, winning Best Live-Action Short for The Shore.

Irish animation kicked things up a few notches with Give Up Yer Aul Sins, which was nominated for Best Animated Short in 2001. Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty was nominated for the same award in 2010, and The Secret of Kells began Cartoon Saloon’s uninterrupted residence in the Best Animated Feature category that same year. Song of the Sea was their next prospect in 2015, and that’s a loss that still stings. 2018 could be their year.

2016 was something of a watershed year for Ireland’s Oscar prospects and perhaps the country’s cinematic standing on the world stage in general, with a record nine nominations for Irish films and talent across six categories and two Irish films in contention for Best Picture for the first time ever. Deep breath, now: On top of a Best Actress win for Brie Larson, Irish coproduction Room earned nods for director

Lenny Abrahamson and screenwriter Emma Donoghue, both Dublin-born, and a Best Picture nod for good measure; Brooklyn received nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, and a Best Actress nomination for Saoirse Ronan; Michael Fassbender picked up his second acting nomination for Steve Jobs; and last, littlest but certainly not least, Benjamin Cleary’s Stutterer was nominated for Best Live-Action Short.

Our 2017 haul was less bountiful but no less welcome, sporting a Best Actress nomination for Irish-Ethiopian actress Ruth Negga’s stunning turn in Loving, and another Best Costume Design nomination for Consolata Boyle’s work on Florence Foster Jenkins.

Not too shabby, all things considered.

Whether or not this year sees Saoirse or any of her esteemed cohorts joining the hallowed ranks of past Oscar winners, they’re in some

damn good company. A few mid-century luls aside, the country’s history at the ceremony can only be seen as a hearty testament to the boundless vitality of its creative talent. So here’s to punching above your weight, and to the pleasantly disproportionate artistic and dramatic riches this little island’s creative industries always seem to yield. Long may they continue.

The Federation of Irish Societies La Fédération des organisations Irlandaises Cónascadh na gCumann Gaelach Montreal

The Fourth Annual

FIS Christmas Party 2017

By Paul Loftus

T

Sauve, Luc Gagnon and Sterling Downey from the City of Montreal. The Provincial government was represented by Geoff Kelley, Minister for Native Affairs and Kathleen Weil, Minister for Relations with the English Speaking Community. The local Federal Member of Parliament, Marc Miller also attended.

The 2018 St. Patrick’s Season dignitaries in attendance were: Parade Grand Marshal, Elizabeth Quinn; Parade Chief Reviewing Officer, Ronnie James and Irishman of the Year, Paul Doyle. Also, the recipient of the Liam Daly Heritage Award Alan Jones was present.

The following Presidents of Irish Societies present were: Mike Nelson, Irish Protestant Benevolent Society; Lynn Doyle, Cine Gael; Fergus Keyes, Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation; Kevin Calahan, Coalition for Peace in Ireland; Pat Short, Ville Marie Feis; and Paul Loftus, United Irish Societies of Montreal and University College Dublin Alumni Association, Luc Gagnon, Borough Counsellor, Verdun (Montreal); Kathleen Montreal Chapter. Other Weil, Minister Responsible for Relations with English Speaking Irish organizations present Quebecers; Paul Loftus, Chairman, Federation of Irish Societies, were: the Gaelic Athletic Montreal; Geoff Kelley, Minister Responsible for Native Affairs. he Federation of Irish Societies, Montreal held its fourth annual Christmas Party on December 18th at the Irish Embassy Pub and Grill, on Crescent Street. Close to 200 members of Montreal’s Irish Community turned out for the event. The attendance was a complete cross section of the community. Paul Loftus, Chairman of the Federation of Irish Societies acted as MC for the evening Elected representatives from the municipal, provincial and federal governments in attendance were Craig

Association, Montreal Irish Rugby Football Club and the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce. John Lawson Executive Director, British Quebec Business Coalition also attended.

Background traditional Irish music was provided throughout the evening by musicians from the Montreal Gaelic Athletic Association. Carol McCormick sang Christmas carols and was successful in getting the attendance to join in the singing.

Paul informed those present that while 2017 was Montreal’s 375th Anniversary, there were two anniversaries to celebrate in the Irish Community; the MIRFC 60th and Cine Gael’s 25th Anniversary. Next year will be the 70th Anniversary of the Montreal Shamrock’s GAA Club and the 75th anniversary of the Innisfail Social and Sports Club. It is hoped that the whole Irish community will celebrate with them.

Marc Miller then spoke. He talked about the importance of the Irish Community to Montreal. He then went on to wish all a Merry Christmas. Marc has been a wonderful supporter of the Irish Community.

Paul ended the formalities by thanking Owner; Paul Quinn; Manager Joe Cannon; the staff of Irish Embassy, the GAA musicians, Carol McCormick and all who attended. He then wished all a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2018.

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Irish Talents in Ottawa

By Eithne Shankar

F

Of the 1.2 million people who live in the Ottawa valley, 22.5% identify as Irish or of Irish origin. Hundreds of these, perhaps thousands, have contributed greatly to the cultural and economic life of Ottawa. The following are three of the many noteworthy:

Diana Beresford Kroeger Botanist, medical biochemist and nature lover, fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and one of he few award winning women in the scientific world . She is also one of the world’s experts on the healing properties of trees.

Call of the Forest – The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees, a documentary by Diana , has just been nominated for a Canadian Film Award, the equivalent of an Emmy. It demonstrates our ancient and deep spiritual connection to forests—a subject that is central to her beliefs. This documentary was shown to great acclaim and packed audiences in Ottawa in April, 2017 and earlier had a three day run at Cinemathique. The documentary has also had it’s premiere on Broadway in Nov. Diana was raised and educated in Cork, Ireland. Perhaps her greatest education came from her uncle, a remarkable athlete and bibliophile, who encouraged her interest in subjects as varied as Irish poetry to quantum mechanics and also imbued in her a deep love of the Brehon knowledge of plants and nature---- a daunting program for any student. She received a Bachelor of Science (honours ) in botany and medical biochemistry and a Master of Science from University College Cork .

This was followed by doctoral studies at Carleton University, a diploma in experimental surgery at the University of Ottawa and the discovery of cathodoluminescence in biological materials ( an optical and electromagnetic phenomenon in which electrons impacting on a luminescent material such as phorous, cause the emission of photons which may 32

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have wavelengths in the visible spectrum) --- and, yes, I had to look that up----and a specialty in hemodynamics.

Diana spent years developing her private research garden and arboretum, a short distance from Ottawa. Carrigliath, which means grey rock in Irish, is a remarkable garden, teeming with rare and endangered plants, more than 100 varieties of trees and about 600 potentially healing species. It is now the centre of Diana’s life and research projects. My own interest in trees stems from childhood memories. My father would take the whole family for a picnic in the bower, in May, and tell stories of how it was a sacred place with magical healing powers. Sadly, the bower and it’s magical trees have been devoured by progress . Perhaps Diana’s books and writings can help renew interest and stem the tide of destruction.

Diana, while not abandoning science, has carved a highly successful career as a writer, broadcaster and lecturer . She has has an uncanny ability to explain complex scientific theories to audiences of all ages, including school children and she has lectured widely across Europe and North America. She has also been the subject of a PBS documentary, The Truth about Trees and is featured in an episode of Recreating Eden, an international gardening program by Merit Motion Pictures.

She has published more than two hundred articles in magazines and journals in Canada and internationally and is, perhaps, best known for her several highly acclaimed books on nature. hailed Arboretum Borealis: A lifeline of the Planet as a “work with a life all its own and without exaggeration, it is a masterpiece”. The Sweetness of a Simple Life: Tips for Healthier, Happier and Kinder Living Gleaned from the Wisdom and Science of Nature is a mixture of magic Other books include The Global Forest: Forty Ways Trees Can Save Us and A Garden For Life: The Natural Approach to Designing, Planting , and Maintaining a North Temperate Garden.

Diana is presently busy on her new project, a book on the ancient script Ogham

which was used in Ireland from the 4th to 6th centuries and is closely connected with trees

Kevin Mallon Kevin Mallon is considered one of the finest musicians in Ottawa. He is presently Artistic Director of Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, Ottawa’s leading chamber orchestra with an international reputation.

Kevin was brought up in Belfast and studied at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music and at Dartington College of Arts, studying composition with Peter Maxwell Davies and conducting with John Eliot Gardiner. He specialized in baroque violin and singing.

He played violin with Halle Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic before discovering that his true vocation lay in conducting. He admits that “he was a good violinist but a better conductor”.

Before coming to Canada , Kevin was concert master with Le Concert Spirituel and Les Arts Florissants in Paris. From 2004 to 2008 he was artistic director of the Irish Company Opera 2005 with whom he conducted seven operas throughout Europe.

For Verdi’s Ballo Maschera he achieved his THIRD Irish Times Theatre Award nomination. He also has a Juno Award to his credit.

In Canada ,Kevin was appointed musical

director of Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, a post he has held since 2010 . He was also music director of Orchestra Toronto and interim artistic director of Opera Lyra, Ottawa 2014. Anyone lucky enough to have attended his Marriage of Figaro at NAC is not likely to forget it. Kevin believes in spreading his talents and also works with the Centre for Opera Studies, Italy and West Side Chamber Orchestra , New York.

He has made over 60 recording , from baroque to Christmas Favorites for NAXOS. The most recent Beck: Symphonies Op. 2 (with Thirteen Stings) reached the best seller list in Germany and is still selling strongly in Canada.

In his spare time Kevin studies Baroque music and composes . He is internationally acclaimed as an expert in medieval and baroque music. But Kevin has his lighter moments. He has written the music for the TV series Camelot and can play the Irish

fiddle at the drop of a hat. Kevin never misses a chance to promote his Irish background and Irish music and is a well know raconteur of tall tales. Thirteen Stings presents concerts in Ottawa throughout the year. www. thirtennstrings.ca

Damien Fannon Damien Fannon was born in Galway, Ireland and was immersed in culture and story telling from a young age. An up and coming young lawyer , while not arguing in court, he was writing scripts and plays whenever he had a moment. Damien insists that having to argue points of law helps in with his writing skills and also gives him fresh insights to the working of human minds and emotions. However, it was not until he moved to Ottawa , that he tried his hand at film producing. In 2016 he directed a short film , Homesick, which won Best Film

at the DIGI60 Digital Filmmakers Festival in Ottawa. It was also selected to represent Ireland in the European Short Film Festival.

Rapidly proceeding from one success to another, in 2017, Damien wrote, directed and produced the short film A Bittersweet Taste which won Best Film and Best Cinematography at the 2017 Digi 60 Digital Filmmakers Festival in December 2017.

Damien also won Best Director and Saw Video Spotlight Award.

Damien co-founded the Irish Film Festival Ottawa in 2015 and has been instrumental in the success of the festival , now in its fourth year. He is currently on the board and on the film selection committee.

The Irish Film Festival Ottawa takes place Friday,March 23rd to Sunday, March 25th 2018 at the Arts Court Theatre Ottawa. It features six award winning Irish films. www. irishfilmfestivalottawa.ca

Unraveling Oliver by

Liz Nugent A

ward-winning Irish writer Liz Nugent’s Unraveling Oliver should be at the top of your to-read pile. A number one bestseller previously released in Ireland, it won Crime Novel of the Year at the 2014 Irish Book Awards and was nominated for the 2016 International Dublin Literature Prize.

Unraveling Oliver opens with a shocking act of savagery, and then works backward, gradually revealing the circumstances that led to this life-changing event. Handsome, charismatic and successful, Oliver and his devoted wife Alice write and illustrate internationally successful children’s

books. That all changes when after a gourmet meal one evening, Alice confronts Oliver with evidence of his hidden past and Oliver loses control.

As Alice hovers between life and death in her hospital bed, the couple’s circle of friends, neighbors, and acquaintances try to understand what could have driven Oliver to commit such an astonishing act of abuse. Oliver tells his story, peeling away the layers to reveal a life of shame, envy, breathtaking deception, and masterful manipulation. As details about his past catch up with him,

even he is in for a shock.

Unraveling Oliver is a complex, disturbing, and brilliantly written page-turner about how and why a human being transforms into a sociopath.

Nugent’s second novel, Lying in Wait, releasing in Canada in August 2018, is currently longlisted for the 2018 International Dublin Literary Awards.

It debuted at number one on the Irish Bestseller Lists and won the Reader’s Choice Award on Richard and Judy’s Spring List.

Already a household name in Ireland, Nugent is soon to take Canada by storm with her twisty, gripping thrillers.

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Canadian Irish Dancers living in Europe, training for WIDA Worlds 2018 in Maastricht, Netherlands

By Jodie Tanguay

F

our Canadians living in the border region of German and Netherlands meet weekly with other International Irish Dancers training for the upcoming WIDA World Open Championships 2018 hosted by their team, Scoil Rince Celtus, in Maastricht, Netherlands April 5-8, 2018. The dancers, Taryn DeCicco, 26, Port Colborne, Ontario; Kenna and Covey MacNamara, 14, Stittsville, Ontario and Jessica Tanguay, 11, Halifax, Nova Scotia finished top 10 in all solo and team competitions in their National Qualifier, WIDA German Open held November 2017 in Duisburg, Germany.

Taryn, Kenna, Covey and Jessica will be aiming for World Championship podium finishes in 2Hand, 3Hand, 4Hand and 8Hand respective age group team competition along with their WIDA Worlds Show Team. Jessica has her sights set for a personal best in the U12 Solo Championships.

Ruhr Feis 2018, held in Dusseldorf, Germany on January 27 was an opportunity to dance new choreography in a competitive spirit with Irish Dancers representing various parts of Germany, Netherlands and Russia.

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There will be weekly dance classes and weekend Workshops for these four dancers as the six Scoil Rince Celtus dance teams throughout Germany and Netherlands come together to prepare to host and participate in WIDA Worlds 2018.

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UCD’s Smurfit Business School MBA Team Wins the 2018 John Molson International MBA Case Competition in Montreal

By Paul Loftus

T

he team was in Montreal to represent UCD in the 37th edition of the John Molson International MBA Case Competition, a bilingual competition for outstanding MBA students, which this year had 36 teams from 19 countries representing all five continents.

The competition was held from January 1st to 6th at the Bonaventure Hotel. The competition was created in 1981 and is currently the oldest and most international MBA case competition in the world. The competition’s slogan is: Innovate Connect Compete. The competition is a round-robin format where the teams are given three hours to solve a unpublished business case. Each team is required to carry out an analysis, develop a strategy and an implementation plan. The team then delivers a PowerPoint presentation to a panel of five judges (one of whom is a lead judge) for 25 minutes.

Following the presentation there is a 15 minute period of probing questions by the judges. The winning team receives the coveted Concordia Cup and a cash prize of $10,000. There are also two awards: the Dr. J. Pierre Brunet Coach Award and the Richard Outcault Team Spirit Award. This year’s event involved a Board of Directors of 13, a committee of nine, 400 student volunteers, 300 judges who are local business executives (including myself as a lead judge), 144 participants, 50 coaches and over 20 sponsors and donors. One of the sponsors was the Irish Embassy Pub and Grill. In all there were over 1,000 attendees.

The Team

Maria Barry Maria Barry is a Senior Medical Information Manager in Novartis Global Services Centre Dublin. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in Trinity 36

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College Dublin and completed a Masters in Clinical Pharmacy in Robert Gordon University Aberdeen, Scotland. Maria spent 5 years working as a Clinical Pharmacist in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin, the largest pediatric hospital in Ireland, before she joined Novartis in 2014 as a Medical Information Manager. She was a member of the UCD Michael Smurfit Ladies MBA Touch Rugby World Cup team in 2017 and recipient of the UCD Michael Smurfit MBA IMAGE scholarship 2016.

Gearóid O’Briain Gearóid has spent ten years in the military as a pilot and is currently a flight instructor and the head of training for the Irish Air Corps. He has flown several military aircraft including Ireland’s presidential transport aircraft, serving for two Irish presidents. He is currently one of a small group who are qualified for ceremonial and display flying, as well as live weapons firing from aircraft.

Outside of the military, Gearóid runs Ireland’s largest unmanned aviation school and is the head of sales and marketing for a software company developing unmanned search & rescue solutions. Gearóid enjoys public speaking, reading, and working on innovative team projects.

Ruth Lalor Ruth has spent ten years working in clinical research, currently as Director of Business Process Improvement at ICON Plc, a top tier multi-national clinical research organisation. Having completed a PhD in molecular pharmaceutics, Ruth spent a number of years in the project management of global clinical trials before becoming a certified lean six sigma black belt and moving into operational excellence. Ruth is the recipient of the UCD Michael Smurfit

MBA Achiever scholarship 2016 and outside of work and studying, she enjoys entertaining for friends and family, reading and travel.

Paul Donnelly Paul is a business operations lead with Shire Pharmaceuticals based in Dublin, Ireland. He previously worked for five years in the company’s global outsourced manufacturing group concentrating on supply chain and technology transfers.

Earlier in his career, Paul was a senior consultant and project manager with DPS Engineering, an international consultancy specialising in process design and project delivery for large scale clients in the pharmaceutical and micro-electronics industries. Paul holds a degree in chemical engineering and masters in operations management. He is also a keen triathlete and has a passion for travel.

Andrew Gebelin Andrew Gebelin is Senior Director of Research for EMEA and Latin America at Glass Lewis, a global corporate governance advisory firm. A few key accomplishments in his 11 years there include developing a new analytical framework for executive compensation, managing international team expan-sions, and planning strategic acquisitions and external partnerships.

Andrew has lived on three continents and speaks four languages. In his free time, he can often be found practicing yoga or hiking over mountains. He has a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish from Whitworth University

The Competition In Case 1 UCD defeated Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern, Germany and

in Case 2 they defeated the University of Rochester, Simon Graduate School of Business, USA. In case 3 UCD defeated HEC Montreal. In Case 4 UCD were victorious again in defeating Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada and in Case 5 they defeated Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, India thereby becoming divisional winners and wining $1,000.

In the semi-final UCD faced Brock University (Goodman School of Business) and Universite Laval. There are three teams in each semi-final. There are also three teams in the finals.

By winning UCD received $10,000 and the Concordia Cup. The second place prize of $7,000 went to the University of Manitoba (I.H. Asper School of Business). FIA Profuturo Business School, Brazil won the third prize and received a cheque for $5,000.

The competition this year, included such prestigious universities as: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel; FIA Business School, Brazil; Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Porto Business School, Portugal; Xiamen University, China; and University of Capetown, South Africa. Local universities included Concordia (the hosts), HEC Montréal and Université Laval. McGill University was conspicuous by its absence.

Interview The following is my interview with team member Ruth Lalor: What does it feel like to be the winners of such a prestigious competition?

It’s really a great feeling to win such a prestigious competition. The competition was really strong throughout, which makes it all the more worthwhile, and a better learning experience. This is the first time an Irish team has won, it’s been fantastic to bring the John Molson cup back to Ireland, and the UCD Michael Smurfit Business School.

When did you decide to enter the competition?

Smurfit have entered a team from the executive MBA class for the last number of years, and the individual team members decided in October ’17 that they’d like to participate.

How did you form your team?

The college held a mock case competition at an individual level, for which all of the

interested participants prepared the case that was used in last years’ final in the JMICC. We each presented the case a committee of staff and last year’s team; this committee selected the team members based on this.

How did the team prepare for the competition?

We practiced 6 or 7 cases as a team in the evenings and weekends, and also had some sessions with a presentations coach.

How was the trip financed?

The school financed the trip.

How did the team find Montreal?

Cold!!!!! But lovely – we spent a day wandering around the old city, to see the sights (with lots of stops for coffee to warm up).

What were your main learnings from your participation in the competition?

All of the different ideas that different teams came up with, the value of diversity, and what you can do in 3 hours as a team if you put your mind to it!

How will these help you in your studies?

I think it helped us in our strategy classes, to analyse situations rapidly and to think outside the box.

How will they help the team in their careers?

It will certainly give us the confidence to stand up in front of any group of people and present an idea, no matter how strange it may seem! It also taught us the power of speaking with conviction and believing in yourself, which will be valuable to all of us in our careers.

To what do you attribute your performance?

Working together as a team, practice, and great coaching.

How would you describe your personal experience?

It’s been tough in terms of managing the practice sessions when coming up to exams and assignment time last semester, as we all

also have full time jobs, but it’s been really rewarding. The team are split across two executive MBA classes so it was great to get to know people from the other class better. It was also great to interact with MBA students from around the globe.

How did you find the other teams?

Lovely!

What advice would you give to next year’s team?

Practice working as a team – this really is key!

Reception The Montreal Chapter of the UCD Alumni Association hosted a Meet and Greet Reception for the visiting team on Monday, January 3rd 2017 at The Irish Embassy Pub and Grill on Bishop Street. The team was accompanied by their coach Dr. Pat Gibbons who is the Jefferson Smurfit Professor of Strategic Management. In addition to UCD alumni residing in Montreal, other members of the Irish Community braved the snow and the cold to attend the Meet and Greet reception for the team. Some of the missing UCD alumni expressed their regrets from Florida and Mexico! Dr Gibbons preseted two beautiful framed St. Brigid’s crosses to Paul Loftus and Paul Quinn (in absentia).

The Montreal Chapter of the UCD Alumni Association thanks Paul Quinn, owner, Irish Embassy Pub and Grill, for providing our visitors with their refreshments and the entire attendance with their food for the evening.

Paul Loftus, a B.Comm graduate of UCD, is President of the Montreal Chapter of the UCD Alumni Association.

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Irish Style

By Shauna Dickson

C

lose your eyes and picture strong blue waves crashing into rugged Irish cliffs while stormy skies tower above the deep Atlantic. Ocean mist is spraying all around while gusts of fresh wind twirl with bursts of energy. This sets the scene for 2018 in Irish knitwear. The strong elements of Mother Nature are always present in Ireland as they would also be in Canada, so needless to say, knits that shelter you while providing total and utter comfort are what Irish designers do best. Ireland provides them with the most beautiful muse as it is continuously a vision of rugged, strong and natural beauty.

So as Spring is upon us, we all want to erase the bitter cold of Winter from our memories.

What better way to do so than a fresh new wardrobe?

The birds are chirping, the buds are blooming and we can pack away our winter wardrobe for

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another year. The palette that surrounds Ireland’s mountains, coastlines, beaches and rolling hills will be showcased with feminine scoop necks, assymetrical designs and a new take on the old fashioned cardigan.

It is time for lightweight linen, cotton and yes, even wool. Most of the time when we think of wool, we are thinking of thick, heavy, scratchy material that has one job: to keep us warm and protected against lashing sleet, tumultuous winds and bitter cold temperatures. But did you know that wool could actually be very useful all year round?

As it is a natural fibre that helps your body temperature self regulate, it can be worn in all weather conditions.

Of course you must pick the right kind for warmer

months. Extra fine merino wool is perfect for leading into spring, with it’s light as air feel and super soft touch. To take you from the office to dinner comfortably, all you need is a simple v-neck sweater and skirt, or a lightweight poncho over virtually anything at all. Menswear is also about to get a stylish upgrade with bold herringbone patterns and a twist on the traditional pullover: a v-neck instead of a crew neck.

Irish linen is also a go to favourite to wear in Spring, as it brings the benefit of complete breathability as well as being cool to the touch. Linen is a stiff fabric, which means it doesn’t stick to the skin and dries quickly. These qualities make it the perfect fabric for warmer temperatures and also great for people with wool allergies.

This year Irish designers are combining traditional Irish knots with shades that are inspired by the coast.

Ireland’s Eye Knitwear says it best: “Embrace the storm, wrap yourself in the raw, beautiful wilderness of the Irish coastline…Where nature is not a place to visit, it is home.” With a wide range of bright cheerful colours and new textures, shapes and designs, this season of knitwear is sure to brighten your mood all the while reminding you of the country many of us call home.

IRISH DESIGN 75 QUEEN STREET, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON

web: www.irishdesign.com phone: 905-468-7233

facebook: @irishdesign instagram: @irishdesignniagara

Quality Irish garments and gifts for men, ladies and children.

Shop online & visit us on social media! New arrivals in April!

CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

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WELCOME TO THE START OF YOUR IRISH VACATION…

USA tollfree: 1800 331 9301 UK tollfree: 0800 282 189

Please book online at

www.dan-dooley.ie Like us on E-mail: info@dan-dooley.ie 40

Web: www.dan-dooley.ie

CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

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Emmett McCourt

Chef, Author & Passionate Irish Food Campaigner

F

ood for Emmett McCourt has been a constant journey of love and passion for over two decades.

His culinary career began 26 years ago at the NI Hotel and Catering College, Portrush. Since then he has travelled the world working in the kitchens of some

of the world’s finest restaurants, luxury cruise liners and hotels alongside some of the world’s greatest chefs, including international names such as the legendary Georges Paineau and Yves Thuries of France. His skillset is based in the deeprooted Irish customs of food foraging and

the use of traditional methods of food preparation and presentation. Emmett is an experienced lecturer and educationalist and a prominent campaigner for, and contributor to, the Agri-Food sector across the North West of Ireland and beyond.

HOME MADE FADGE –POTATO BREAD Ingredients

Method

500g cooked, mashed potato (well drained)

1. P lace cooked mashed potato in a bowl, adding the melted butter.

500g plain flour 150g melted butter

2. M ix well adding enough flour to form a stiff dry dough,

Salt & pepper to season

3. Cup the dough to form a ball.

4. O n a floured surface roll the out dough to form 1cm thick round farls.

5. C ut the potato farls into 4 6. F ry on a dry griddle until browned on both sides for 10 mins 7. T raditionally Served for breakfast with bacon and eggs.

OATEN BREAD Oats appear a great deal in Irish Cookery and Oaten Bread was widely eaten on a daily basis Bread was traditionally baked in Ireland in a cast iron pot with a lid. This became known as the pot oven or Dutch oven. Coals or turf were then placed on top of the lid to give radiant heat. It took great skill and experience in determining the correct amount of coals or turf to be placed on top of the lid to prevent the bread from burning.

Ingredients - Serves 8

Method

500g rolled oats

Place the oats in a bowl; pour over the buttermilk, cover and leave to soak for 30mins to 1 hour in a cool place.

1100g Soda bread flour (Self Raising Flour) 500ml -1000 ml of butter milk 2tps baking powder 2tps of sugar or golden syrup 1tps salt.

Preheat oven to 200c .Sift the flour, Baking powder, sugar and salt together and add to the soaked oats. Mix to a stiff dough, then knead until smooth .turn out on to lightly floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half into a round, about 2 ½ to 3inches thick. Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 40 mins until well risen and golden .Serve warm with lashings of butter.

To covert the metric weights of the recipes go to http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/cooking/

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CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

CORNED BEEF, CABBAGE & BOXTY POTATO Ireland was the biggest exporter of Salted Beef/Corned Beef in the 17th & 18th Centuries, exporting huge amounts to the new world and to the West Indian sugar plantations. Corned Beef gets its name from the salt crystal used in curing the beef, the same size as a grain of corn.

Corned Beef is spiced, salted, cured brisket. Curing & the preserving of meat and fish was common practice in Ireland, cured to last and sustain people through the winter months. Cork was the biggest export town of the time of corned beef, followed by Belfast Dublin and Derry. The Port of Londonderry was a major port for import and export of many foods and for Emigration. The first people to emigrate to the new world from Londonderry were the Scots Irish or Ulster Scots. The Scots Irish were farmers and new the processes of curing beef; they took this food with them and many other Irish foods to the new world. The large scale exodus of Irish emigration at the time of the Great famine “An Gorta Mor” later popularised Corned Beef in the new world, as beef in Ireland was a luxury only afforded by the very wealthy Landlords and those who owned the big houses. Irish immigrants sourced their beef brisket from Jewish butchers whilst in America. Corned Beef is eaten today worldwide by Irish Diaspora on St Patrick’s Day…. President Lincoln was reported to have eaten corned beef on St Patrick’s Day.

Ingredients

Method

Brisket & Vegetables:

1. D ry fry the mustard seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, cloves, peppercorns, star anise and cardamom pods in a frying pan on high heat until fragrant and you can hear the mustard seeds start to pop. Remove from heat and place in a small bowl. Use a pestle and mortar to crush the spices a little. Add to a bowl and stir in the crumbled bay leaves and ground ginger.

• 4-5lb beef brisket joint, trimmed of fat • 1 large carrot peeled & roughly chopped • 3 celery stalks washed & roughly chopped • 1 leek washed and chopped • 1 large green cabbage (Savoy) quartered • 1 Medium Size Turnip

2. Add the fried spice mix to 2 litres of water (1 gallon of water) in a large pot, or bowl along with the rock salt, pink salt (if using) brown sugar and wine. You can also cure this in a large pot or use a large freezer bag or marinating bag (vacum pack).

Pickling spices:

3. K eep sealed in the refrigerator, turning occasionally for up to 7 days.

• 2 tablespoon whole mustard seeds (brown or yellow)

4. After the corned beef has been cured in the brine, place the brisket including the marinating brine, with spices in a large saucepan. Double the total volume with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 ½ -2 hours skimming occasionally.

• 2 tablespoon coriander seeds • 2 tablespoon red pepper flakes • 2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns • 7 whole cardamom pods • 6 large bay leaves, crumbled • 3 teaspoons ground ginger • 5 star anise

5. B oil the remaining chopped vegetables until cooked 6. P ick out the corned beef and allow to rest before slicing.

7. F or that added richness Reduce some beef gravy with a little of the pickling spices. Serve with the boiled vegetables, Boxty potato & spiced gravy.

• 1 Tablespoon whole cloves Brine: • 4 litres of water • 200g large rock salt • 2 cups of white wine • 5 teaspoons pink curing salt* (Optional) • ½ cup brown sugar Boxty Potato 1 large Potato peeled and grated 10g of plain flour 200g of Butter Melted Salt and Pepper to season Cabbage Veloute 5 Savoy Cabbage leaves blanched and refreshed 20ml of Chicken Stock 10g Chopped Tarragon A Drop of Cream Diced Butter for serving 1 Thermomixer Irish Corned Beef Cabbage & Boxty presented on 9,000 year old Bog Oak. Shot at Royal Winter Fair Canada.

CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

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Carassauga: Mississauga’s Festival of Cultures • May 25-27 2018

The

T

Ireland Pavilion

he Ireland Pavilion located in the lobby of the Mississauga SportZone, is sure to be a show stopper at this year’s Carassauga: Mississauga’s Festival of Cultures! This will be the 4th year for Ireland Pavilion, which features a delicious food and drink menu, nonstop live music, Irish dancing and a variety of vendors and cultural displays.

Carassauga kicks off with an opening night ceremony on May 25th @ 7:30 pm, which is held on the outdoor main stage at the Hershey Centre. The event is a kaleidoscope of color and cultures, culminating in the exciting Parade of Nations. This launches the three-day Festival and is celebration of all the countries represented at the Festival, clearly depicting the cultural diversity of the City. Non-stop cultural entertainment throughout the Festival weekend is featured on the Pavilion

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CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

Stages, which is a main attraction point for visitors. The popular Kids’ Zone is also located in the Mississauga SportZone, so make sure to stop by on your way to Ireland Pavilion!

At Ireland Pavilion, entertainment includes Irish dancers from the pavilion host Graham School of Irish Dance, as well as guest performances from other Irish dance schools across the GTA, and even the opportunity for pavilion visitors to join in and learn a few steps! Musical entertainment happens throughout the day, every day, and each day has a headline band that is sure to get your hands clapping and your toes tapping! Regular pavilion guests are sure to make an appearance, like our local Leprechaun Pascal.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all the latest updates about entertainment, menu, vendors and events!

Twitter: @IrelandPavilion (Carassauga) @grahamid86 (Graham School of Irish Dance) Facebook: www.facebook.com/ IrelandPavilion/ Instagram: Ireland Pavilion Carassauga Over 380K people visited Carassauga last year and approximately 25,000 came through Pavilion Ireland Get your Passport now!! Cost $10 in advance or $12 on Carassauga weekend, and children 12 and under get in free, if accompanied by a passport-holding adult.

Visit www.carassauga.com for more details or Toby Warnell at toby.warnell13@gmail. com or Emily Hastings-Speck at e.hastings. speck@gmail.com from Pavilion Ireland.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL

YE RS OTTAWA’S FAVOURITE IRISH PUBS SINCE 1992

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A TASTE OF IRELAND IN CANADA’S CAPITAL Splendid Pub Fare

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62 WILLIAM ST. - AULDEDUBLINER.PUB - 613.241.0066 CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

45

Fogo Island Inn F

coincide with a very memorable event: the Montréal Canadiens NHL Alumni will take on Fogo Island’s hometown ice hockey team in a match-up at the Island’s Iceberg Arena on March 17, 2018.

Fogo Island’s Irish roots run four centuries deep, and are proudly reflected in both the family and place names populating the rugged landscape.

Indeed, visitors who listen closely can hear the Irish brogue still discernible in the everyday speech of Tilting’s residents. This Irish community, situated on the very northeast tip of Fogo Island, may be an ocean away from the Emerald Isle, but could very well be Industrial / Commercial / Residential a parish on the tiny island of Inishmore, off the west coast of Ireland itself.

Throughout the weekend (March 16 LEINSTER MECHANICAL – 18, 2018), visitors Contact: Alan Byrne and Fogo Islanders Phone: (647) 986-4976 will comingle for E-Mail: alanbyrne@leinstermechanical.com an energetic mix

ogo Island Inn will celebrate all things Irish during the upcoming annual St. Patrick’s Day Weekend by honouring its neighbouring community of Tilting, a people and place long-steeped in Irish culture and traditions. And, thanks to a wee dose of Irish luck, this year’s celebrations

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Exhaust Systems

“Just Relax, I’m a ductor”

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CELTIC CANADA | SPRING 2018

of St. Patrick’s Day festivities: from iceskating on frozen ponds or strapping on a pair of snowshoes, to hopping on a sled or snowmobile to explore the Island’s interior.

Afterwards, allow the genuine Fogo Island hospitality warm you up after your wintry diversion. Then, brace yourself for a spirited, once-in-a-lifetime hockey game planned especially for St. Patrick’s Day: the Montréal Canadians NHL Alumni face off against local favourites, the Fogo Islanders team. Root for the stars in the visitors’ box or for Fogo Island’s hometown team; either way, you’ll be swept up in the spirit.

Hockey Night in Fogo Island features: a two-night stay at Fogo Island Inn; a traditional Irish supper; a St. Patrick’s Day party; a half-day Island Orientation with a Community Host who will share the legacy of the Irish during a guided architectural tour of the National Historic Site of Tilting; and access to 2 VIP hockey game tickets, which includes a meet-and-greet with players from the Montréal Canadiens NHL Alumni and the Fogo Islanders at Fogo Island Central Academy, plus preferred seating at the March 17, 2018 hockey game at the Fogo Island Iceberg Arena.

From Fogo Island Inn to you: “Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Sláinte!”

More information on Fogo Island Inn’s St. Patrick’s Day Weekend and Hockey Night in Fogo Island itineraries can be found here or by calling toll-free at 1-855-268-9277 or direct at 709-658-3444.

Now available at the LCBO.

PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. Can shown is Hop House 13 Lager Beer 500mL 5.0%