Established 1966
Harp Strings
The Official Newsletter of the Harp & Shamrock Society of Texas January 2012 Volume 46 Successful Halfway to Saint Patrick’s Day
From your President
Cook off SOLD OUT! Thank you to everyone who came out for the 5th Annual Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Hooley and Cook-off on September 17. It was a great success. The Irish Stew and Soda Bread Cook-off was sold out thanks to the support and involvement of many members and friends at the “O’Beethoven Garden Pub.”
Dear Harp and Shamrock Society Members: First of all, I would like to thank all of you who came to our last board meeting to voice an opinion on the future of the street parade. It was exciting to see many of my fellow members in attendance. I also appreciated the many phone calls, emails, and letters containing words of encouragement and support. Unfortunately, the decision has been made to cancel the 2012 edition of the street parade. It was not an easy decision. In fact, I felt quite a sense of loss once the board and I voted to cancel the event. In the end, the expense of the event was just too much to bear. That said, the parade is but one aspect of our St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Plans for the 2012 editions of the Shamrock Scramble golf tournament and Donovan’s Run 5K fun run are in full swing.
Peoples Choice Winner Best Irish Stew: Jimmy O’Halligan and Adrian Brett. Peoples Choice Winner Irish Soda Bread: Joan Moody. Selected Best Stew by the Official Judges: Darryl Britten. Our Official judging team included Bill Merriman, Sister Helena Monahan, Tom and Kathy Macken, Tyler Tully and Dave Turner(aka Dr. Feelgood).
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We will also continue with the traditional wreath laying ceremony at the Alamo at noon on March 17th.
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Welcome Your New Board Board members pictured at right at the Installation dinner. Front row, left to right: Dana Goodman, Elissa O’Brien, Carolyn Dowd, Joan Moody, Melinda Britten, Erin O’Brien, and Melissa Schulz. Back row left to right: Rev. William McNamara, Bob Meade, Kevin Dowd, Terence Peak, Darryl Britten, John Smith, J.T. Norris and Ryan Stone. Board members not present: Bill Merriman, Brenda Tobey, Steve Mattick, and Tyler Tully. www.harpandshamrock.org
HARP & SHAMROCK
From the Laptop of Your Editor
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Dispatches from Ireland
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Est. 1966
HARP AND SHAMROCK SOCIETY OF TEXAS, INC P.O.Box 15306 San Antonio, TX 78212
PRESIDENT Terence Peak 210-829-3920 VICE PRESIDENT Kevin P. Dowd 210-845-4424 2nd VICE PRESIDENT Bob Meade 210-946-7220 TREASURER J.T. Norris 210-621-3407 SECRETARY Dana Goodman 210-219-7356 CHAPLAIN Fr. McNamara 210-635-8539 BOARD of DIRECTORS Melissa Schulz 210-445-2777 Melinda Britten 210-699-8632 Carolyn Dowd 210-896-1598 Darryl Britten 210-215-9952 Elissa O’Brien 210-348-6877 Steve Mattick 210-212-7800 Joan Moody 210-656-2666 Erin O’Brien 210-348-6877 John Smith 210-240-7736 Brenda Tobey 210-523-0761 Bill Merriman 210-259-3482 Tyler Tully 210-688-0079 Ryan Stone 210-849-1215 IRISHMAN OF THE YEAR Bill Merriman - 2011 Editor in Chief Kevin Patrick Dowd 210-845-4424 The Staff:
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Joan Moody Terry Peak John McCarthy Pat Peak Carolyn Dowd Melissa Schulz Mariee Pilkington
©2012 Dowd Ranch Publishing
The daylight was short but the weather was perfect. We had the sun come out almost every day. It appeared at least for a little bit to warm us. It was a short trip but I look at it as a reconnaissance mission. Things just came together to make our first trip to Ireland a reality. We were able to trade our timeshare for a place called Knochtopher Abbey. The Abbey is situated near the tranquil village of Knocktopher on the site of a 13th century Abbey. It was built in 1356 by James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond for the Carmelite friars. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in Ireland in 1542, it was acquired by the Kingsland branch of the Barnewall family, later Viscount Barnewall. Parts of the original building are incorporated in the present site, which has been converted to impressive individual suites. We stayed in the Baronial Suite which was on the “First floor” which to us Yanks is the second floor. It even had a four poster bed. There are also traditional cottages, converted from coach houses and stables on this 17-acre estate. Knochtopher is located in County Kilkenny just off the M9. It is halfway between Kilkenny and Waterford. Leaving the hot drought and getting into the cloudy cold wet weather hit us both hard. I had a cold first then poor Carolyn got it. We didn’t let that slow us down. It doesn’t seem to matter how hard you plan God always tosses a challenge at you. When you see me ask about my little predicament with renting the car, it is a laugh riot. Now! But it wasn’t at the time. Always remember it is the trip not the destination. I’d like to send a heartfelt thanks and hello to my family members I met for the first time in Gurteen, County Sligo. I’ll have more tales about Gurteen and Ireland next time. Brendan get well soon. Basically this is my longwinded way of trying to drum up some sympathy for my terrible lateness of this newsletter. I’ll be looking for some volunteers in the coming months to help assuage the work load. Any input, suggestions, omissions, deletions, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, can be sent to me by e-mail or give me a call. Kevin Patrick Dowd shamrockeditor@gmail.com 210-845-4424 www.harpandshamrock.org
From Your President continued This year’s river parade will be bigger and better than ever, and will include Irish music and entertainment at the Arneson River Theater. In addition to these events, I would like to invite all of our members to attend the First Annual St. Patrick’s Day party at “O’Beethoven Garden Pub” on Saturday, March 17th @ 5p.m. This traditional, authentic family-friendly event will feature Irish food, dancers, music, and cheer. Guinness and GLI are sponsoring the event, and the funds raised will benefit the society and our scholarship fund. Admission is free to Harp and Shamrock members. Your help will also be required. We will need about 60 volunteers to serve food, assist at the gate, and help clean up afterwards. Please contact Carolyn Dowd to volunteer. In closing, I want to take a moment to wish you and your family a joyous and happy New Year. It has been a challenging and satisfying year as your president, and I look forward to serving you in 2012. Terence Peak President, Harp and Shamrock Society of Texas
Attention! Attention! There will be no street parade this year! The San Antonio St. Patrick’s Day street parade will not step off this year. Cancelled! Join us for the wreath laying ceremony at the Alamo at noon on Saturday, March 17, 2012. There will be a short respite then the St. Patrick’s Day River Parade starts promptly at 3 p.m. Best viewing is at the Arneson River Theatre. Then the authentic all Irish, no green beer celebration starts at the O’Beethoven at 5 p.m. with music by Campbell & Wilson, the Kelly Singers, the San Antonio Pipes & Drums. With performances by the Inishfree School of Irish Dance. Lots of Irish food, like sausage and corned beef, and lots of room to dance. See ya there.
Halfway continued
Congratulations to all the winners! Thank you to all the cooks who entered into the competition, including Terry Peak, Kevin Dowd, Margaret Burke, Trish Lopez(2nd place winner), Jason and Erin Binkley, Chris and Nancy Price(third place winner), Mark Lawson and Brenda Tobey. They helped the Harp and Shamrock make this a very successful fundraiser. The raffle was also a great success, thanks to the gifts donated by members and sales by Barb and David Patrick and Tish and Vic Villegas. Melinda and Darryl Britten were busy with the Irish Store as business was brisk. As always they did a wonderful job. Once again they proved to be the two hardest working volunteers. They are the first to arrive and to set up, and the last to leave after cleaning up. Thank you, thank you. We were entertained by Inishfree School of Irish Dance, the Kelly singers, John Bures playing the Uilleann pipes, and Tom and Kathy Macken led the set dancing. The San Antonio Pipes and Drums got the afternoon started after a short rain delay. Members of the new Gaelic football team sang their team song to celebrate their members Peoples Choice Winner for Best Stew. Thank you to Elissa O’Brien, Erin O’Brien, Anton Hajek, Rob Holden, Melissa Schulz, Derek Cossey, Ryan Stone, Bob Meade, Pat Peak, Mary Jo Quinn and Dana Goodman for working the food line and helping with the judging. Last but not least thank you to our Emcee for the event, Terry Peak. He did an outstanding job. Hope to see everyone next year!
www.harpandshamrock.org
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Halfway to St Patrick’s Day @ O’Beethoven Sister Helena Monahan started off the Halfway with a benediction. Terry Peak was MC. Left.
Margaret Burke, Melissa Schulz, and Brenda Tobey were a great help portioning out the Irish soda bread. Right.
Irishman of the Year Bill Merriman won a SAGAC kit in the raffle.
The Three Amigos! They are up to something. Darryl Britten, Ryan Stone and Rob Holden and a tank of pressurized gas! Trouble!
We were entertained by the unparalleled and unrivaled crowd pleasing jigs and reels of the Inishfree School of Irish Dance. Joan Moody was Peoples Choice Winner for Irish Soda Bread.
Trish Lopez was back to defend her win last year. She was presented with Dr. Feelgood’s one-of-a-kind second prize trophy this time. 4
Darryl Britten’s stew was selected as Best in show by the Official Judging team and presented by Dr. Feelgood. www.harpandshamrock.org
Adrian Brett and Jimmy O’Halligan were Peoples Choice Winner for Best Irish Stew.
Installation Dinner
Good food, folks and fun! At the Installation dinner new board members were sworn in and returning officers renewed their pledge. Anton Hajek did a superlative job of reading the charges and swearing in everyone. Pictures from top left to right: President Terence Peak; Board members Melissa Schulz, Ryan Stone and Melinda Britten; Darryl Britten, John Smith and Dr. John Ryan. First Vice-President Kevin Dowd; Treasurer J.T. Norris; Margaret Burke, Father Tom Palmer and Mary Jo Quinn. Second Vice-President Bob Meade; Secretary Dana Goodman; Reverend William McNamara, Patricia Peak and Bob Meade.
Óró, Sé do Bheatha ‘Bhaile Lucky Nichols stops a This is the song the SAGAC team sings when shot on goal during a they are all together. You must make a point of practice. hearing their great rendition. www.harpandshamrock.org
Jimmy O’Halligan shows some moves with the ball and what needs to be done when you’re defending your side of the pitch. 5
News From Ireland Dozens of life-size plastic painted cows will be making an appearance in Derry next summer as one of the world’s most popular public art events arrives in town. ‘CowParade’ will bring reinforced fibre-glass cows to the streets of Derry where, decorated by local artists, they will be placed on display for public viewing. A charity auction at the end of the event will raise money for chosen charity partners. CowParade events have been staged in more than 50 cities worldwide since 1999 including Chicago, New York City, London, Tokyo, Brussels and Dublin. Last week, Derry City Council agreed to co-fund next year’s event, setting aside a maximum of 50% of the overall request of £17,500 spread over two financial years, subject to securing additional monies from other funders. A Council spokesperson says CowParade will “present us with an excellent opportunity to boost visitor numbers as part of the lead-in to the UK City of Culture.” Council also believes the event can offer a “range of opportunities to engage with local communities and maximize tourism opportunities and linkages.” The spokesperson added: “There is also huge potential to place the cows at key attractions within the city to develop a themed and specialist trail with a number of sites already being considered as potential locations.” CowParade, insists Council, is more than an arts festival. (Source: Derry Journal, www.derryjournal.com) A campaign is under way in Kells to secure the return of one of the four volumes of the famous Book of Kells. Campaigners say that the County Meath town is the rightful home for at least part of the book. However, Trinity College in Dublin where it is currently housed has already rejected the town’s request. Trinity said: “The preservation, safety and security of the manuscript are paramount in relation to requests for loans received by Trinity College. Since the year 2000, it has been the policy of the Board of Trinity College on the grounds of security, environmental and preservation concerns to decline such requests.” Campaigners say that Trinity does not own the Book of Kells and that it belongs to the people of Ireland. (Source: RTE.com)
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In Memoriam Richard Donovan Richard brought a purely healthy event to our March seasonal madness. This article was in the Jan 4, 2012 San Antonio Express News: Donovan founded annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K By Desiree Canela, dcanela@express-news.net Richard Donovan’s annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K and Fitness Walk is a favorite of the local running community. Donovan, an avid marathoner and health enthusiast, organized and directed the run for 30 years. “I knew him later in life as a runner and as the director of the St. Patrick’s Day Run. His races were always a lot of fun,” said former workout partner Sally Rios. Donovan died Dec. 27 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 72. He wasn’t always a health nut. Born in Auburn, N.Y., Donovan began his career at IBM, and relocated to San Antonio in 1976. The proud Irishman immediately fell in love with the friendly, laid-back lifestyle of the Alamo City, loved ones said. “He loved the culture of the city and its people. He especially loved the River Walk,” his wife Sandy Donovan said. “It makes you feel almost like you’re in Europe or another country. It has charm and magic that you just can’t find in any other state.” Donovan decided to pay more attention to his health by quitting smoking and taking up running. Family members said Donovan was so disciplined with his new hobby that he’d wake up in the wee hours to train for running events before going to work. Donovan completed at least two marathons a year and wanted to encourage others to run. He founded the St. Patrick’s Day 5K Run & Fitness Walk more than 30 years ago to generate funds to support the Harp and Shamrock Society and the charities it sponsored. He wanted to ensure that all participants in the run had a good time, so he incorporated bagpipes, beer and food. The run was recently renamed “Donovan’s Run: Annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K & Fitness Walk” by the Harp and Shamrock Society. “Having lived that for so many years and knowing how hard he worked on it makes the name change very special,” his stepdaughter Christine Spurlock said. “He fell in love with the culture here. There was no way he was going to leave,” his wife said.
www.harpandshamrock.org
Movie Review
Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle are outstanding in John Michael McDonagh’s film “The Guard.” This well-worn buddycop story makes for fantastic entertainment when it is given an Irish touch. Gleeson plays as an ornery, rule-breaking, foul-mouthed Irish cop, Sgt. Gerry Boyle, who would just as soon be left alone. When a murder is committed Boyle reasons that this may be part of something bigger. He has a new big-city partner, played by Rory Keenan, who is eager to help and investigate. But it is when Don Cheadle arrives that the fireworks start. Cheadle plays Wendell Everett, a Yale-educated by-the-book FBI agent. The movie gets better and better when these great actors share the screen. The FBI is looking to catch up with a missing drug shipment. Enter the bad guys portrayed by Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong and David Wilmot. These excellent actors play a nasty bunch of killers who argue philosophy while waiting for the drugs to arrive. Everett wants Boyle’s help, but on his day off! Boyle has plans for a day of debauchery. Everett goes out alone to interview the locals who only speak Gaelic. This has some of the best scenes. We do learn about a softer side to Boyle as he tends to his dying mother played brilliantly by Fionnula Flanagan. I highly recommend this great movie. Rated: R KPD
The Chieftains in S.A. ARTS San Antonio presents The Chieftains 50th Anniversary Tour Concert at the Lila Cockrell Theatre on February 29, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Six-time Grammy winners and the world’s most popular Irish traditional music group, The Chieftains, will visit San Antonio for their 50th Ann. concert doing what they do best: delivering a concert experience filled with grace, humor, exceptional musicianship and the pageantry of visiting dancers and pipe bands. The Chieftains are the world’s most celebrated traditional Irish band, and will mark their 50th anniversary with the release of “Voice of Ages” on February 21, 2012. An imaginative collaboration featuring a dazzling collection of like-minded musical visionaries and kindred spirits. “Voice of Ages” is produced by Paddy Moloney and T Bone Burnett. “With 50 years of glorious music behind us,” Paddy Moloney says, “I can think of nothing more exciting than to spend another 50 years collaborating with the best voices of the future.” Founded in 1962, winners of 6 Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, The Chieftains: founder and leader Paddy Moloney (Uilleann pipes, tin whistle), Matt Molloy (flute), Sean Keane (fiddle) and Kevin Conneff (bodhran, vocals), have popularized traditional Irish music world-wide during their astonishing 50 year career. Over the years, some of the biggest names in music have worked with the legendary band. More info:
sahearts.com/event/detail/441403553/The_Chieftains/
or: www.thechieftains.com
GAA Sports Report
Last issue I asked “What is Camogie?”
Thanks to the wonderful wide wired world of the web we live with now I’ve got my answer, and then some. Camogie is a female sport which is very similar to the game of hurling. The game of Camogie has a long history stretching back over 100 years. The official rules of the game can be found in An Treoraí Oifigiúil. The game of Camogie takes place on the same size pitch/field as Hurling and Gaelic football.
There are 537 Camogie clubs worldwide of which 513 (about 95%) are based on the island of Ireland, 47 in Connacht, 195 in Leinster, 160 in Munster, 110 in Ulster, and 7 clubs in North America. The rules and more can be found at: www.dublincamogie.ie/Playing_Rules More information on our local can be found at: www.sanantoniogac.org facebook.com/SanAntonioGaelicAthleticClub
www.harpandshamrock.org
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The Harp & Shamrock Society of Texas Newsletter Editor P.O. Box 15306 San Antonio, TX 78212
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Mark Your Calendar February
Thanks To Our Sponsors
19 Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. Irish Heritage Day Leon Valley Community Center More info: www.irishculturalsociety.com
March
9 Friday Noon Shamrock Scramble Golf Tournament Silverhorn Golf Club 10 Saturday 8:30 am Donovan’s Run 5K Fun Run Brackenridge Park 17 Saturday Noon St. Patrick’s Day @ The Alamo 3 p.m. River Parade noon- 6p.m. Festival @ La Vilitta 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. Hooley @ O’Beethoven www.harpandshamrock.org
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