42_6 by Harp and Shamrock Society of Texas

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Harp Strings

The Official Newsletter of the Harp & Shamrock Society of Texas Volume 42

August- September 2008

Members Mix It Up Italian Style! Fuggetaboutit!

We even had a mascot for the night.

Woody Graham and Taz Sanfill enjoyed the pizza as we waited for the musicians to start. Regina Tracy (background) waits also.

We had a great evening of Irish music, pizza and

fun in San Antonio. Melissa Schulz and Taz Stanfill have done it again. Fun and laughter was on the menu at Pizza Italia. Beer and pizza is the staple of most Americans. Pizza Italia is known for its fabulous pizza and its huge selection of beer. But the best surprise was that on Thursday evenings a group of Irish musicians come to use the back room and jam. Just like an old house party only with pizza. There were even door prizes. The social committee is planning on visiting a zip code in your area (if you live in the city) so keep checking the web site or your e-mails for that information. Some of the members and friends were Melissa and Taz as well as George & Regina Tracy, Margaret Burke, Richard Donovan, Eileen Faught, Aline Meyer, Cassandra Cossey, Derek Cossey, Carmen & Dickson Donehue, Tessa Wardlaw, Woody Graham, and Carolyn & Kevin Dowd.

Issue 6

Halfway To Saint Patrick’s Day!

The annual Halfway to Saint Patrick’s Day week-

end is almost here. Be at Olympia Hills for our golf scramble on Friday, September 19, 2008 or you will miss a really good time. Olympia Hills is located in Universal City just off I35 outside of Loop 1604. It was rated the #1 “Best New Affordable Public Golf Course,” in Texas and the #4 in America by Golf Digest magazine for 2001. There will be ample opportunities to volunteer. Who can forget the very first Hole-In-One for our Society? Lal Malloy did a grand job in March. Let’s see if the luck of the Irish will continue. There will be great prizes and plenty of chances to win. The application is online and on page #7 inside. Even if you don’t play you have an opportunity to support your society.

The Hooley will be held at Casbeers at the

Church on Saturday, September 20, 2008 from noon till 6pm. Casbeers is located @ 1150 S. Alamo St. Come join us for an afternoon of Irish music, dance, crafts and fun. There will be performances by the San Antonio Pipes and Drums to start us off. We will also have the Inishfree School of Irish Dance performing. Our main act will be Campbell and Wilson, and they will be performing between 2p.m. and 5p.m.

Every day is a great day for the Irish! www.harpandshamrock.org

HARP & SHAMROCK

Calling All Members... September

11- 7:15p.m. Board Meeting @ Casbeers at the Church S

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Est. 1966

HARP AND SHAMROCK SOCIETY OF TEXAS, INC P.O.Box 15306 San Antonio, TX 78212 PRESIDENT Anton Hajek, III VICE PRESIDENT Joan Moody 2nd VICE PRESIDENT Terence Peak TREASURER Wayne C. Faught SECRETARY Eileen Burke- Faught CHAPLAIN Fr. Flanagan BOARD of DIRECTORS Darryl Britten Bob Wehner Patrick Clarke Ked Mullins Marcia Weiner Mary Jo Quinn Tish Villegas Kevin Dowd George Tracy Victor Villegas Bill Merriman Shirley Donohue Lucille Mitrane Steve Mattick IRISHMAN OF THE YEAR Robert Slattery- 2008 Editor in Chief Kevin Patrick Dowd Staff: Terry Peak Joan Moody Pat Peak Eileen Burke Faught Carolyn Dowd John McCarthy ©2008 Dowd Ranch Publishing

19- Halfway to Saint Patrick’s Day Golf Scramble Olympia Hills Golf and Conference Center Universal City, Texas 20- Noon- 6p.m. Halfway to Saint Patrick’s Day Hooley Casbeers at the Church 1150 S. Alamo St. 26- Installation Banquet/ General Membership Meeting La Focaccia #2 6825 San Pedro Ave

October

4 - Days of Caring 9- Board Meeting @ Casbeers at the Church 25- Founders Day Main Plaza Not just for Saint Patrick’s Day but for everyday:

Keeping It Green...Renew, Recycle, Reuse! Your Gaelic lesson:

Cha tèid nì sam bith san dòrn dùinte. Nothing can get into a closed fist.

From the Laptop  of Your Editor This issue marks the end of my first year as editor. I would like to thank Patrick Crumrine and his crew at Lanier High School for making the print edition of our newsletter colorful and affordable. Thanks go to Terry Peak for doing an outstanding job of keeping our face on the World Wide Web new and interesting. I want to thank all the members and nonmembers for all the e-mails I’ve received. The input and advice, criticisms and accolades, the positive and negative responses have all helped shape your newsletter. Keep your comments coming. A special note for Mae Kelly: Now I realize the amount of work and dedication it took to get this newsletter together. You have my humble thanks for carrying on when Uncle Patrick passed this on to you.

Kevin Patrick Dowd

shamrockeditor@aol.com 210-845-4424 www.harpandshamrock.org

From your President-Elect

I would like to take the time to thank those who voted for me and to bring up a few ideas for the next year. The Directors and Officers represent you, the members, but we are not the society, YOU ARE. We need your support to do what you elected us to do. I am cognizant of the fact that some of our members are unable to be as active as they would like but there are still things individuals could do to enhance the society and help the board. If individuals would like to know what some of those things are, phone me at 656-2666. It is planned that a yearlong calendar will be sent to the membership sometime by the end of September so that everyone will have some idea as to the planning process that is taking place. With every member having the calendar there should be no excuse that you don't know what is going on. Sign up for the Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Golf Tournament and Hooley. For information see the newsletter and website. The Golf Tournament is scheduled for September 19 at Olympia Hills Golf Club located off IH 35. The Hooley is at Casbeers at the Church on September 20 from Noon until 6:00 pm. The Installation banquet is on Friday, September 26 and details will be forthcoming. It is hoped that a gathering of the presidents of the Celtic societies and leaders of the music and dance groups will be held before the end of the year. As one president of another group said to me, "in unity is our strength." That is a true statement. Your new officers and directors will be installed at the September 26 event. It is hoped that the 2008 Texas Rose of Tralee will be a guest but further details later. It is my hope that all the new and appointed officers and directors are at the September meeting of the board to see what is being done. Many of you have been visitors at Board meetings and this is a reminder to all members that they are welcome as visitors to the monthly Board Meetings and we do value your input. Again I appreciate your confidence in electing me your president and thank you very much. I appreciate meeting many of you and if you have suggestions please don't hesitate to contact me.

Joan Moody

From your President

My year as president of the Harp & Shamrock Society is almost completed. Let me just say that the experience of being your President was interesting. I would like to see more of a commitment to scholarships and to increasing the certificate of deposit in order to increase the dollar amount of scholarships we do give out. I am pleased with whom we did give scholarships to. Fund raising is being handled in an increasingly business like manner. I don’t doubt that by our fiftieth anniversary we may find a wee bit of slack in the budget. May our Society still be going stronger then! Anton Hajek

Our 2008 Scholarship Recipients Noelle, Jacquelin and Lauren Kutz – Cultural Keneally and Travis Phelan – Cultural Shane Webb- Academic Sarah Donohue- Academic- upper level Congratulations to this years recipients!

Member News

Member Jim Youngson was kind enough to send me some information on his son. Mike Youngson is filling in as US military attache in Ireland. THE IRISH INDEPENDENT ~President Mary McAleese laid a wreath in memory of the servicemen and women prior to a minute’s silence. Among those in attendance was Government Chief Whip Pat Carey. Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt Gen Dermot Earley headed up the numerous military figures at the event, which was attended by Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and US military attache Lt Col Michael Youngson. For more of the story: http://www.independent.ie/ national-news/mcaleese-leads-tributes-to-the-fallenwar-heroes-1432457.html

2008-2009 President-Elect 3

Mixer

Eileen Faught and her friend Aline Meyer were all smiles as appetizers, music and laughs were on the menu and in abundance. George and Regina Tracy made the mixer and were waiting for their pizza and the Irish music to start.

You never know what old friend youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll meet at the next mixer. Here Richard Donovan and Margaret Burke catch up on old times.

Pizza Italia

2950 Thousand Oaks #10 San Antonio, TX 78247 210-494-8646 11am-11pm Mon-Thu, 11am-midnight Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm Sun

Some new faces in the crowd. Carmen Donehue and Casandra Cossey make new friends at the mixer.

Pizza, beer and Irish music! It just doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any better than that. Rumor has it that on any given Thursday you might stumble across an Irish tune and a pizza special at Pizza Italia. These are a few of the musicians who entertained that night. Did you hear the one about how the Irish invented pizza?

Election Night 2008

Dancing and singing were on the ballot for our election night celebration. American Legion Post #2 did a fine job of hosting our great night out. Special thanks go to our dancers the Kutz family and the Phelan family and also Tom Macken for being our emcee. Thanks to our singers John Donohue and Eileen Faught.

Election results!

PRESIDENT Joan Moody VICE PRESIDENT Terry Peak 2nd VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Dowd TREASURER Wayne C. Faught SECRETARY Eileen Burke- Faught BOARD of DIRECTORS Carolyn Dowd Melissa Schulz Melinda Britten Patrick Clarke Our election committee did a great job of counting the vote. No hanging chads. From left to right Darryl Britten, Clem Dooley, Ked Mullins and Mary Jo Quinn reads the results.

Check the website: www.harpandshamrock.org

Remember Our very own St. Patrick is being kept at the Institute of Texas Culture and looking for help!

By Kevin Patrick Dowd Books

Reviews

from and would like to see where it might be going this is the book for you. Ireland has been able to take advantage of its membership in the European Union and yet has held on to that which makes it uniquely Ireland. The Economist in 2004 ranked Ireland’s ‘quality of life’ as the best in the world, beating out the UK ranked #29. Its amazing to read about how much has happened to the land of our forefathers in the last thirty years. www.oup.com/us

Tipperary To Texas

An Irish Family Reunites After Four Generations By John F. Welsh Jr. If you needed a little inspiration to get in touch with your Irish roots this is the book for you. John F. Welsh Jr. is a fourth-generation Irish American and does a grand job of relating his quest for his family and his distant relations in Ireland. Welsh, a former newspaper reporter in El Paso and his wife Mary did extensive research into their ancestors. You will be hooked from the first trip to Ireland and meeting their cousins P. J. and Betty. This is a great book and I highly recommend it. John and Mary were once members of the Harp and Shamrock Society (which is mentioned in “The Ireland and Texas Connection” chapter). Available as an e-book @ www.iUnerverse.com

Luck & the Irish

A Brief History Of Change From 1970 By R. F. Forster Writing modern history is always tricky. Not so for R. F. Forster, one of Ireland’s leading historians. Here he does a great job of telling the tale of our modern Ireland. If you are curious where the Celtic Tiger came 6

How The Irish Invented Slang

The Secret Language Of The Crossroads Daniel Cassidy This is a book that should be on every Irish bookshelf right next to the Irish dictionary and phrase book. It is in fact a Foclóir Póca (pocket Irish dictionary) given to the author by his late friend, Kevin O’Dowd, that started Cassidy on the project that lead to this book. The next time you get your cronies together for some poker or a scam, or rooting and whiskey just think that those terms had their start in words of the Irish immigrants years ago. Daniel Cassidy has done an outstanding job of mining out the Irish origins to American slang. Words that the Oxford English Dictionary listed as “Origin unknown,” or some other archaic origin. Cassidy also writes the “Slanguage” column for the Irish Echo newspaper. Now I don’t want you to lollygag but skedaddle to purchase this book. You’ll be happy you did. www.counterpunch.com

Update The paperback version of Redemption Falls is out and it contains an interview with the author, Joesph O’Conner and a readers guide. This will make a good read all the more enjoyable. It was reviewed in Issue #2 of this newsletter.

Please cut out or make a copy and join us for a great round of golf for a great cause.

www.harpandshamrock.org

The Harp & Shamrock Society of Texas Newsletter Editor P.O. Box 15306 San Antonio, TX 78212 www.harpandshamrock.org Email: Shamrockeditor@aol.com

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Mark Your Calendar

September

Thanks To Our Sponsors

19- Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Golf Scramble Olympia Hills Golf Course (Application inside)

20- Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Hooley Casbeers at the Church 1150 S. Alamo St.

26- Installation Banquet/ General Membership Meeting La Focaccia #2 6825 San Pedro Ave Check the website: www.harpandshamrock.org

Keeping It Green... Renew, Recycle, Reuse!