Irish Arts & Entertainment. February, 2023

ABOVE: Christ a Burch (singer and bodhrán)

LEFT: A great double t ake of principle dancer Connor Reider

Sheer Joy of Being Irish As You

More Inside This Issue

By Maurice Fit zpat rick

IRISH TEA CENTER

All

742 Vine (near Melrose) 323 467-6714

Grat

First in a series of reflect ions on how m uch w e appreciat e our present and past cont ribut ors t o t his publicat ion Also w e w ant t o t hank our advert isers and friends w ho have support ed t his ent erprise and offered som e great advice over t he past 30 years.

More Features

Irish Calendar

Irish Com m unit y List ings

W & Celt ic Cam era

Start on Page 26

Subm it your calendar

it em s t o: irishm issive@gm ail.com

Irish Arts & Entertainment

The opinions expressed by our w rit ers are t heir ow n and do not necessarily convey t hose of t his m agazine, our publisher or st aff.

Publisher & Managing Editor

Jam es M McDonough

Writers

Tina Day

Maurice Fit zpat rick

Jim McDonough

John McNally

Barbara Singer

Pat rick Weld

Press Relations

Al Geiener

Graphics/ Ad Design

Jim , Pat rick & Freelancers

Sales Reps

Jim & Pat rick

Layout & Typos

Jim & Pat rick

Cont act Us Via Em ail: irishm issive@gm ail.com

Jim 's Cell: 951 216-1493

All Copyright s 2023 by McDonough Media

Here we arealready in our Second Month of 2023! We certainly are living in a fast paced age. This month we celebrate St. Brigid's Day and St Valentine's Day

HAPPY SAINT

BRIGID'S DAY!

This amazing Irish woman is Ireland's only female patron saint and in the recent past, she has been getting therecognition that she certainly deserves St Brigid?s day is now an official Irish Holiday and as such is the first Irish public holiday named after a woman,.

A tweet from theIrish Woman's Collective sums it all up nicely, " St Brigid's Day provides a unique opportunity to acknowledge thecritical role that women have played in Irish history, culture and society. Here?s to all theamazing woman!"

It is also Ireland's First Day of Spring

This month on the fourteenth, St Valentine's Day is also celebrated. An amazing story of A Roman martyr who wroteletters from prison (awaiting his fate) to all his family, friends and followers basically telling them to loveeach other and spread thefaith That is certainly something that we Irish can appreciate

On page 16, there isa wonderful story of how St. Valentineended up in Dublin Another factoid of note: this month is the 30th Anniversary of thefilm Groundhog Day staring Irish American Actor and grumpy guy Bill Murray

Well worth watching again as it has held up really well and after all it is a timeless love story

A wonderful month in store for sureso enjoy all Feabhra has to offer!

Jim McDonough, Publisher

One last pertinent point, our Aer Lingus Ticket Contest is in full swing! We need all of our readers to subscribe As we all know, everything costs more these day To stay viable, we need to build our subscription base back to at least 10,000 subscribers so that we can offer our loyal advertisers a good reason to spend part of their ad budget with us

See pages 41 & 42 for details and info on our Very Irish Perks!

A perfect family event St. Patrick's Day In Ireland honors the great tradition and the mighty joy of being Irish!

Celebrat e St . Pat rick?s Day 2023 and t he great joy of being Irish w it h m usic, song, dance and irresist ible m errim ent from t he Em erald Isle!

The concert w ill be led by m em bers of The Kerry Tradit ional Band: all m ult i-inst rum ent alist s w ho share t heir passion for t he t radit ional m usic of Ireland. An am azing t roupe of Irish Dancers are sure t o delight all w ho at t end Dancers from t he Celt ic Academ y of Irish Dance w ill also be show cased There?s no bet t er w ay t o celebrat e St Pat rick?s Day t han w it h a Kerry Irish Product ions show w hich is overflow ing w it h a genuine love and respect for Irish Cult ure and Tradit ion!

Feat uring principal dancer Connor Reider (The Chieft ains, Celt ic Fyre, Celt ic Wings, An Irish Christ m as) and t alent ed m usical art ist s:

Fiddle - Ryan McKasson

Guit ar - Colin Cot t er

Vocal - Christ a Burch Bodhran - Anna Collit on Pipes - Tim Hill

Fiddles, uilleann pipes, bodhrán, guit ar, vocals and flut es w ill ring t hrough t he t heat re as t he Band shares it s passion for t he t ruly w ondrous and uplift ing m usic of Ireland!

Thanks t o t he brilliant direct ion and st agecraft of Margaret O'Carroll, you w ill be t ransport ed t o t he Em erald Isle for a rollicking night celebrat ing not just St Pat rick but all of Ireland!

This stage show has become an Irish-American tradition! Gather family and friends and make plans to experience the best event of the season. You?ll leave the theatre with a jig in your step... Irish to the core, not to be missed... A never to be forgotten Irish Experience!!

The m usicians dancers , t heat res and crew s are all get t ing ready! All t hat is m issing is you Book now !

The 2023 Six Nat ions Rugby cham pionship

t ournam ent begins on February 4t h

First Round Ireland V Wales

England V Scot land It aly V France GUINNESS

SIX NATIONS RUGBY

Six Nations Rugby is the official organising body of the annual Six Nations Championships and Autumn International Series.

Working in partnership with its member unions and federations in England (RFU), France (FFR), Ireland (IRFU), Italy (FIR), Scotland (SRU) and Wales (WRU), Six Nations Rugby has responsibility for the promotion and operation of the renowned Six Nations Championships and Autumn International Series, as well as the negotiation and management of their centralised commercial rights.

Many local pubs w ill be show ing t he m at ches including

t he Auld Dubliner in Long Beach

w w w.sixnat ionsrugby.com

UPCOMING CLASSES& EVENTS

NFL Playoffs and Super Bow l Com ing your w ay!

Wat ch all t he gam es at The Harp Inn; All Sport s Headquart ers!

WELCOME BACK!

As w e ret urn t o norm al, w e are looking forw ard t o m ore,concert s event s, night s out and m ore visit s t o our favorit e pubs. One of t he best is t he Auld Dubliner in Long Beach. The am biance, libat ions and food are all first rat e and t hey have garnered a w ell deserved reput at ion for present ing a great line up of Irish groups and m usicians

See calendar of t his issue for a list ing of t he act s booked for t he next few w eeks

KUDOS t o t he good folks at t he Auld Dubliner for t heir effort s in helping w it h t he Irish Fair and Music Fest ival in Long Beach t his past June t oo!

The Auld Dubliner adjacent t o t he fest ival sit e w as t he place t o be for an epic Irish gat hering aft er t he event . The Young Dulbliners w ere all on hand at t he pub and a t ruly m em orable evening of great craic and m usic ensued

On the right More good times

Ken O'Malley and Terry McCart an perform ing and a birt hday part y for Ken!

w w w.aulddubliner.com

Tina Day

Irish Am erican poet and t echnical w rit er. Form er edit or of t his m agazine and a great friend and cont ribut or t o us for alm ost 30 years!

Happy Valent ine's Day from Tina t o all our readers!!

Cradle

By Tina Day

Cradle m e gent ly, Inside your cocoon. Rock m e so sw eet ly, And soot he all m y w ounds.

Shut out t he noise, That disrupt s m y sw eet sleep. Quiet t he w orld, And t he m onst er so deep.

Out side it 's raging, So I alm ost can't t hink. Inside it 's safer, But m y t hought s can't quit e sync.

When you com e by; The st orm all but st ops. The t em pest subsides; The t urbulence drops.

Your t ender caring

To m e, m eans so m uch. All m alice is vanquished

By your sw eet t ouch.

And so t he beast , silenced, Sleeps in it s lair. Calm ed and subdued, In t his place t hat w e share.

WE ARE OPEN DAILY FOR INDOOR & OUTDOOR DINING SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER

NOW OPEN OUR NEW COFFEE BAR LOCATED NEAR OUR BAKERY IN THE GIFT SHOPPE

ED NOTE: See Calendar t his issue for ent ert ainm ent and event s in t he King's Head Pub and for m ore on t heir new Coffee Bar CLICK HERE

The View from Ireland Shared Island Films

By Maurice Fit zpat rick

On Decem ber 10t h, 2022, t he Online Safet y and Media Regulat ion Act (2022) w as signed int o law.

The law is an essent ial st ep t ow ards enabling t he governm ent t o levy (t ax) st ream ers such as Net flix, w hich could provide a new fund for Irish film product ion of a project ed 30 m illion euro (32.2 m illion dollars). The financial st im ulus for t he Irish film indust ry prom pt s quest ions about how t he new fund w ill be used and w hat fram ew orks t he new Media Com m ission, Screen Ireland and t elevision channels w ill adopt t o adm inist er it largely for t he independent sect or ? 80% of t he fund w ould be allocat ed t o independent producers.

The Media Com m ission and t he Depart m ent of Cult ure have already det erm ined t hat 25% of t he funding w ill be for Irish language film s and program m ing. This w ill consolidat e t he hugely successful Cine4 feat ure dram a st rand, current ly co-financed b yt he Irish language channel TG4, Screen Ireland and t he Broadcast ing Aut horit y of Ireland. That program m e has seen Irish language film s such as An Cailín Ciúin/ The Quiet Girl and Arracht / Monster gain global dist ribut ion and recognit ion for t he first t im e? t he form er has just becom e t he first Irish language film t o be short list ed for best int ernat ional film at t his year ?s Academ y Aw ards

In addit ion t o Irish language film product ion, t here is an opport unit y t o creat e film s t hat can address an urgent need our island now has. A film fund ring-fenced for film project s on t he t hem e of our shared island could help t o cont ribut e t o a nat ional debat e t hat w ill only grow in im port ance in t he com ing years. Such film s w ould challenge t he im aginat ions of film m akers and, in t urn, audiences? percept ion of t hem selves and t heir nat ional ident it y Our publicly funded t elevision channels could in t urn provide bot h addit ional funding and a plat form for t he film s and t elevision program m es, fulfilling part of t heir public service m edia rem it Funding bodies such as Screen Ireland and BAI?s m andat e is t ocom m ission film s and t elevision program m es t hat relat e t o Irish cult ure, herit age and experience That chim es w ell w it h film s t hat seek t o im agine anddepict Iour island?s shared cult ure and shared fut ure

It w ould be hard t o argue against t he proposit ion t hat t here w ill be a form of deeper unit y in Ireland in t he com ing decade(s). That w ill ent ail huge psychological and cult ural challenges, in addit ion t o t he m any econom ic, polit ical and social issues t hat arise from a fundam ent al const it ut ional change Film m akers can play a role in exploring com plex feelings about cult ural ident it y and in shaping t he percept ions of t he count ry in t heir film s This const it ut es a dist inct ive challenge for Irish film m akers t oday It also present s t he prospect of innovat ive art ist ic w orks t hat explore seem ingly int ract able polit ical t hem es and express t he dilem m as facedby people t hrough t heir film s

At several junct ures in t he 20t h cent ury, from t he Irish Lit erary Revival t o Field Day, Irish art ist s at t em pt ed t o envisage new form s of nat ionhood t hrough t heir w rit ings and t heat re product ions in advance of difficult polit ical birt hs.Playw right Brian Friel once said in int erview w it h Fint an O?Toole t hat t he w rit ing and t heat re in w hich he and his collaborat ors w ere engagedin t he 1980s?should lead t o a cult ural st at e, not a polit ical st at e. And I t hink out of t hat cult ural st at e, a possibilit y of a polit ical st at e follow s That is alw ays t he sequence? I t hink t hey are serious issues and big issues?

We are now at a sim ilar junct ure in t he 21st cent ury. The disrupt ions of Brexit , t he orient at ion of t he Nort h t ow ards Europe despit e it s exit from t he EU and t he ongoing uncert aint y t hat surrounds it s econom ic st at us all deepen t he doubt about it s long-t erm polit ical viabilit y. Film m akers can play a role in envisaging a cult ural st at e t hrough t he creat ion of film s and discussion fora t o debat e t hem Such film s and debat es could have a pedagogical significance, creat ing space for an open explorat ion of our cult ure t hat polit ical logjam s and st andoffs have hindered Clare Dw yer Hogg?s short film ,Brexit: A Cry from the Irish Border, st arring St ephen Rea, is an exam ple of an engaged film art t hat has ent ered cont ent ious polit ical space and given voice t o people m ost affect ed by t he recent polit ical upheavals in Ireland

IRISH FILM LAW Continued

That film w as com m issioned by t he F inancial Times new spaper

It is now t he t urn of film funding bodies t o explicit ly w elcom e and support such film s.

A Shared Island film init iat ive w ould nat urally align w it h several of t he object ives of t he Shared Island Unit , a unit in t he Depart m ent of t he Taoiseach, w hich has succeeded in engaging a diverse body of people in it s project . Cross-border infrast ruct ural project s and research project s bet w een universit ies on bot h sides of t he border are of clear benefit t o people across t he island. Over t he past decade, t he Irish film indust ry has sponsored init iat ives such as Enhanced Product ion Funding for fem ale-led film s as w ell as film m aking in ? t he regions? , am ong ot hers. These init iat ives helped us t o re-t hink t he w ay w e approach film s and film product ion. Film m aking is collaborat ive by it s nat ure and cross-border film product ion provisions w ould form a pract ical dim ension t o com plem ent t he art ist ic object ives of t he com m issioned film s

Many polit ical difficult ies at t end t he Irish unit y debat e. Unionist polit icians, for exam ple, can be punished by t heir base for speaking about Irish unit y from t he presum pt ion t hat it could icom e nt o being Sim ilarly, som e funders m ay recoil from t he prospect of est ablishing a funding st rand t hat m ay appear overt ly polit ical Undoubt edly, som e degree of cont roversy w ill arise

from film s t hat probe t he cult ural ident it y of a people w hose polit ical aspirat ions have t radit ionally been m ut ually exclusive. How ever, t he Irish film has grow n robust in t he past decade, and it now has t he

confidence and resources required t o illum inat e a com plex but vit al nat ional debat e.

Tesources:

w w w.screenireland.ie

New s & Com m ent ary

By John McNally

The Banshees of Inisherin

The Banshees of Inisherin is an Irish film nom inat ed for a record nine Oscars (and it has already w on t hree Golden Globes), is t his m ont h's popular donnybrook. Is it a dark com edy full of sym bolism or an unfunny, m acabre port rayal of Irish people living on an Island off t he West coast of Ireland in 1923?

Ireland has received a t ot al of 14 nom inat ions for t he Academ y Aw ards, including An Cailín Ciúin being t he first Irish-language film t o be nom inat ed for best int ernat ional film Ot her nom inat ions include Paul Mescal for Best Act or for his role in Aft ersun, up against Colin Farrell. The Irish short film An Irish Goodbye for Best Live-Act ion Short Dubliners Richard Baneham w as nom inat ed for best Special Effect s for his w ork on Avat ar: The Way of Wat er and Jonat han Redm ond for edit ing Elvis

Kerry Condon, w ho plays Farrell's sist er in Banshees, has received a nom inat ion for Best Support ing Act ress She had t he only redeem able role in t he film , w hile Mart in McDonagh received a nom inat ion for Best Direct or It w as t he film s w rit ing t hat w as cont roversial

Everyone seem s t o agree t he cinem at ography and t he act ing m ake t he film w at chable But disagree on t he screenplay and plot as eit her dist urbing self-m ut ilat ion or a m ast erful m ix of hum or and t ragedy.

In addit ion t o t he scenery and set t ing, I enjoyed t he film 's st ereot ypical charact ers: t he w it ch-like old lady, t he gobshit e, t he gossip, t he degenerat e m acho-policem an, and t he archaic slang

View ers are split ; I feel t he plot is t oo insane t o be considered a dark com edy or exem plary of Irish eccent ricit ies What I appreciat ed about t he debat es around Banshees is t hat none of t he com m ent at ors resort ed t o personal at t acks against t hose w ho int erpret ed t he film different ly.

John McNally, our feat ured w rit er and Irish Com m unit y Act ivist and Colum nist shares his t hought s on t he lat est new s and t rends concerning Ireland and Irish Am erica.

Different opinions and view s are essent ial in any. free societ y. We deeply appreciat e our press freedom s. Now , m ore t han ever, it is im port ant t o have Irish Com m unit y act ivism , diversit y and input

"Everyone seems to agree the cinematography and the acting make the film watchable."

An In dulgen t Ch ick en Curry w it h f ragran t rice an d a garlic but t er f lat bread Serves2

You w ill need

The Curry past e

1 teaspoon of dried ginger

1 teaspoon of dried coriander

1 teaspoon of garam masala

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of turmeric

2 tablespoons of curry powder

Mix all the spices together in a little warm water to form a paste.

For t he Flat bread

4 Cups of strong bread flour

1 tablespoon of honey

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon of dried mixed herbs

For The Rice

4 handfuls of long grain rice

8 cups of water

1\2 teaspoon of turmeric

1\2 teaspoon of curry powder

1 \2 teaspoon of chilli powder (optional)

The Chicken

4 Chicken thighs (off the bone) and cut into chunks

2 large onions cut into chunks

1\2 green pepper (diced or sliced)

1 \2 red pepper (diced or sliced)

2 large tomatoes (cut into chunks)

2 cans of chopped tomatoes

250 ml of chicken stock

Salt and pepper

A handful of chopped corriander(cilantro)

Chef Paul's Facebook page is called: sim ple t ast y healt hy by pw , please Share & Like

Belf ast Based Irish Ch ef Paul Wat t ers

Our contributing Celebrity Chef has been creat ing dishes and preparing great food for over 30 years. He has w orked all over t he w orld from t he Savoy Hot el in London t o as far aw ay from Ireland as t he Sydney Opera House, Aust ralia A few years ago, Chef Paul ret urned t o Belfast and cont inued t o w ork at som e t op rat ed hot el rest aurant s. During t he lockdow n he set up a cooking page on Facebook t o share his love of food and cooking

Chef Paul also st art ing w rit ing about cooking for m agazines and papers around t he w orld. We are delight ed t o be associat ed w it h him .

The Met hod

First off begin t o cook t he rice by bringing t he w at er and spices t o t he boil Once boiled add t he rice st ir and Place a lid and reduce t he heat t o half and st ir occasionally and cook for 12 m inut es. Bring a large frying pan or w ok t o a high heat add a drizzle of veget able oil and add past e cook in t he oil for a couple of m inut es add diced chicken t highs and st ir Cook for a few m inut es add rem aining ingredient s. Add st ock bring t o t he boil and reduce by half add chopped t om at oes. (for a addit ional t ast e add a couple of spoonfuls of double cream or coconut cream ) and allow t o sim m er for 10 m inut es

The garlic but t er

4 t ablespoons of soft ened but t er

1/ 2 handful of chopped corriander (cilant ro)

The Flat Bread

Place a m edium sized pan on t o a m edium heat roll out t he dough t o t he required size add t o t he pan and cook for a few m inut es on on side flip over and sm ear t he but t er on t he bread Cook for a few m inut es and rem ove from t he heat .

The rest of t he food w ill be ready and t ransfer t o serving dishes before serving t o large plat es or bow ls add a lit t le m ore corriander (cilant ro) for garnish and a lit t le sliced chilli Enjoy

The Feast , an indulgent

Chicken Curry!

Below , t he flat bread. Really easy t o m ake and delicious

Saint Valent ine and his Dublin Connect ion

This interesting twist of history happened in 1835 when a basilica built at the siteof St. Valentine's grave in Romewas being renovated and the long forgotten bonesof St Valentine along with a small vessel tinged with hisblood and some other artifacts wereunearthed under an alter

An Irish Carmelite, Friar John Spratt was visiting Rome He was well known in Ireland as an activist and preacher and worked tirelessly among the poor and destitutein Dublin?s Liberties area Another project of Spratt's was the building of the new church to Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Whitefriar Street WhileIn Rome, his preaching skills made him a bit of an ecclesiastic celebrity and the rich and famous flocked in to hear his sermons Thegood friar received " many tokens of esteem from the doyens of the Church." One such gift was from Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846); the authentic and holy remains of Saint Valentine.

The good priest returned to Dublin, continued his mission among the downtrodden and oversaw the completion of the Whitefriar'sChurch. The next year on November 10, 1836, when the Reliquary containing the remains arrived in Ireland; Archbishop Murray of Dublin led a solemn procession to Whitefriar Street Church where they were enshrined.

Sadly, after Father Spratt died in 1871 at the ripe old ageof 75, interest in the relics waned and they went into storage. In the 1950s/60s during a major restoration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; the decision wasmade to construct a shrine and new alter within the church, popularly known as the Whitefriar's Chapel dedicated to Saint Valentine

The idea was a sincere desire to make better use of the precious relics. It proved to bea wise decision as the good Saint Valentine is credited by many for hisgenerosity and intervention in making their lives better.

First time visitors to Whitefriers aredelighted at what they see, it is a beautiful and well cared for church As you enter, the statueof Valentinus, the beloved patron saint of love is on the right sideof the church. It was carved in the early 1960's by Dublin born artist/sculptor Irene Broe (1923 - 1992) and depicts the saint in the red vestments of a martyr, holding a crocus in his hand.

Saint Valentine'sShrine is visited throughout the year by couples who come to pray to the ever caring Valentineand to ask him to watch over them in their lives together.

In the 1800's collecting relics had a brief revival. In the Middle Ages entire towns, cathedrals and monasteries were built around the " Holy Remains of Virtuous Saints" It was a custom that lasted hundreds of years

ST VALENTINE WROTE LOVE

LETTERS From Prison awaiting his execution by Roman Emperor

Claudius Gothicus

Whit efriar 's Chapel w as consecrat ed in 1836 and is t he final rest ing place for Valent inius, one of t he favorit e Cat holic Saint s!

Valent ine's Day is one of t he m ost popular days of t he year t o be m arried in Ireland. The Whit efriar 's Chaped is booked years in advance due t o t he high dem and! More inform at ion:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Saint

ValentinesDay

IsJust

Around theCorner!!! Remember your special someonewith aspecial gift from Tricia at theImport Shop built on love!

IRISH M USIC News& Reviews

St rings & Things m em bers are: (L t o R)

Eoin Shelly, Sean Mongey, Eoghan Salm on and Jam es O?Meara Ryan

STRINGS & THINGS BEGIN NEW CHAPTER WITH ?WHISPERS? List en t o ??Whispers? on Soundcloud Here Irish up and com ing Neo-Trad band St rings & Things begin t he next chapt er of t heir original w ork w it h fresh new song ?Whispers?Whispers t ells t he st ory of t he m ent al m ind The song cam e t o be w rit t en over t he lockdow n period of 2021 and basically explains t he feelings of a lot of us over t hat unprecedent ed t im e in t he w orld This song displays t he ever evolving sound of t he band and how overt im e t he sounds, t ones and m elodies com posed all vary great ly from w hat t hey have released previous Whispers delves int o t he m ind and em ot ions t hat one m ight feel w hen t hey are isolat ed by t hem selves for t oo long and need t o get out of t he headspace t hey are already in The repet it iveness of t he lyric ?gone insane? conveys t he

voice in som eone?s head t elling t hem it ?s t im e for a change of scenery and t hat t he charade of being alone has gone on for far t oo long ?This song w as a fun one t o w ork on because t he opening lyrics, ?Ive gone insane, please get m e out of here?really just sum m ed up how a lot of people w ere feeling t hroughout all t he t im es w e w ere rest rict ed t o our hom es and all you w ere left w it h w as st aring at t he four w alls The rest of t he song just cam e t o life aft er t hat I didn't w ant a sad song, just som et hing a bit boppy and people could sing along t o and i felt t hat w e achieved t hat in t he feel of t he song??says percussionist Eoin Shelly Keep up t o dat e w it h everyt hing St rings & Things are up t o on t heir facebook page or st ringsandt hings band St ringsandt hings band

M on d ay, T u esd ay,

W ed n esd ay & T h u r sd ay: 12 N oon to 11:PM

Fr i d ay: 12 N oon to 2:A M

Satu r d ay: 9:A M to 2:A M

Su n d ay: 9:A M tPM

The

Celtic Camer a We are here looking for you!

Submissions wanted.. send jpeg & caption to: ir ishmissive@gmail.com

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Dear Readers...please check back in a few hours. We are having internet problems pulling final pages from our storage.

Excit ing Changes Com ing For t he

Irish Com m unit y In California

Aft er alm ost t hree years of fear, lock dow ns and rest rict ions; based on t he final w eeks of 2022 and feedback w e have been get t ing from advert isers, friends and readers w e m ay w ell be headed int o a period of opt im ism and st abilit y t hat has been m issing during t he pandem ic

Int erest ingly, opt im ism is ram pant in t he Irish Com m unit y even as nat ional econom ic and polit ical pundit s are t out ing every ilk of dow nt urn and m ayhem in business and governm ent sect ors We are seeing a t rend; m any (m aybe even a m ajorit y) people are rising above negat ive uncert aint y and t he gloom and doom polit ical rhet oric com ing from our polit ical elit e class Trends t hat w e recent ly experienced w ere packed pubs

t hroughout t he World Cup sold out concert s and Christ m as show s, a lot of Holiday part ies and Seasonal Celebrat ions st art ing w it h Hallow een and t hrough New Year 's Eve. This all point s t o a m ore robust 2023 w here w e all st art doing m ore, t raveling m ore and sim ply em bracing our lives m ore

For our part , w e are pledged t o do all w e can t o spread t he new s about all t he w onderful event s, experiences and project s t hat are in st ore for our readers and t he Irish/ Irish-Am erican Com m unit y in Sout hern California

Our best and im m ediat e new s is t hat st art ing next w eek, all of our readers have a new online sit e t o bot h creat e a voice for t hem selves and t o find out about all m anner of event s and people w ho share t heir love of ALL THINGS IRISH! Just click below t o join!

Dear Readers...please check back in 24 or a few hours. We are having internet problems pulling final pages from our storage.

Tickets On Sale NOW

More on St . Pat rick's Day In Ireland Tour

St . Pat rick?s Day in Ireland! delivers a night of ?rip-roaring m usic, song and dance? ?(Irish New s & Ent ert ainm ent ).

This t reat for t he w hole fam ily feat ures cham pion dancers from t he w orld of Riverdance, Celt ic Fyre, Celt ic Wings, Lord of t he Dance and An Irish Christ m as. Toget her w it h m ult i-inst rum ent alist s from t he Kerry Tradit ional Band w it h t heir explosive sound of fiddles, uilleann pipes, bodhrán, guit ar and flut es

TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

Kerry Irish Product ions' Tribut e

To Irish Dance and Music

Ret urns For Lim it ed

roaring t hrough t he t heat re, you w ill be t ransport ed t o t he Em erald Isle for an unforget t able night ? and you w ill leave t he t heat re w it h a jig in your st ep!

A perfect St . Pat rick?s Day celebrat ion for t he w hole fam ily!

" The epit om e of fam ily ent ert ainm ent , t oget herness and Irish life? (Irish Art t s and Ent ert ainm ent )

LEFT: The Kerry Voice Squad

RIGHT: Principle Dancer, Conor Reider

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As seen on PBS, ST PATRICK?S DAY IN IRELAND IS .A GREAT IRISH NIGHT!

O'Malleys

w

Are

Subscribers

Sat

Pinafore presented by The Flora L. Thornton Opera Program

Music: Arthur Sullivan

Lyrics: William Schwenck Gilbert

Keith Colclough,Director

With the Pepperdine University Orchestra

Long-Tao Tang, Conductor

H.M.S.PinaforewasGilbert and Sullivan?sfirst major international success,and it continuesto delight audiencestoday The sharp wit of Gilbert?stext and the charm of Sullivan?smusicare undeniable,even more than a centuryafter the work?spremiere in 1878 The action isset on the HMS Pinafore,a British navyvessel manned bya hilariouslypolite crew.Alowlyseaman and the Captain?sdaughter are in love.While ?love levelsall ranks...it doesnot level them asmuch asthat?

Kris Colt & t he Black Rose Band Set For

St . Pat rick's Day Concert 2023 In Big Bear

Check

PUB QUIZES & TRIVIA

Mondays

The Auld Dubliner

Every Monday w e host Trivia Night , gat her your friends and com e in t o com pet e and enjoy a pint

The Auld Dubliner

71 Pine St . Long Beach, CA w w w.aulddubliner.com

O'Brien's Irish Pub

Trivia Night s are Mondays and Wednesdays

Monday st art s at 8PM t ill 10:30PM WED: 8PM t o 10PM

Form a t eam or t ry t o form one at t he pub Play for cash prizes of $150. No ent ry fee

O'Brien's Irish Pub

2226 Wilshire

Sant a Monica, CA w w w.obriensla.com

Wednesdays

Ye Olde King's Head

Brit ish Pub & Rest aurant

Trivia in t he pub at 7:30pm

116 Sant a Monica Bl Sant a Monica, CA w w w.yeoldekingshead.com

MORE TRIVIA

Wednesdays

The Harp Inn Irish

Pub Pour House Trivia

Every Wednesday Evening at 7;00pm

THE HARP

130 E. 17t h. St .

Cost a Mesa, CA

w w w.harpinn.com

See O'Brian's Pub above for t heir Wednesday det ails Goes from

Sundays

MacLeod Brew ing

Trivia Night

w w w m acleodale com

Riverdance w ill be live in Los Angeles at t he Dolby Theat re from April 18 t o April 23!

The Riverdance Am erican Tour st art s on January 10 in Sarasot a, Florida and plays in LA t his Spring! Ticket s are on sale. For over 25 years, nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance.

A powerful and stirring reinvention of this beloved favorite, celebrated the world over for its thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance Immerse yourself in the extraordinary power and grace of its music and dance?beloved by fans of all ages.

Win a pair of t icket s t o Dublin. Sim ply subscribe t o t he Irish Arts & Entertainment and you are ent ered t o w in R/ T LAX t o Dublin Econom y Seat s!

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GO GREEN! Visit our Travel Part ner AER LINGUS

w w w.aerlingus.com

The Irish Arts & Entertainment This past year w e celebrat ed 30 years as California's prem ier Irish publicat ion!

We st art ed in Sant a Monica in 1992 as t he Irish News of California

We alw ays w ant t o hear from you, your com m ent s, event s list ings and subm issions are alw ays accept ed St art ing w it h t his issue,

w e are enhancing t he experience of being a subscriber by expanding our Very Irish Perks and by t he first of 2023, w e w ill fully launch our Might y Irish Net w ork.

The fledgling sit e is already up and subscribers w ill be sent det ails about it t his m ont h. Com m ent s & Quest ions, please em ail: jm cdonough44@gm ail.com

VERY RARE PROHIBITION ERA COLLECTOR'S CERTIFICATE

Also know n as a Bonded Whiskey Warehouse Receipt Only a few t housand of t hese Cert ificat es w ere ever print ed during t he Prohibit ion Era and only a few hundred are know t o exist t oday. The value w ill only increase, The 100t h Anniversary of t he Repeal Of The Volst ead Act has only increased aw areness of one of Am erica's biggest blunders so int erest is grow ing in rare it em s like t his Aut hent ic Cert ificat e! Order NOW: jim @pubguide.com ONLY $175. from Mac's Collect ibles w it h FREE Priorit y Mail.

TO ORDER: Em ail irishm issive@gm ail.com

DO NOT ALTER OR COPY REFERENCE DISPLAY ONLY

Just in t im e or Christ m as Free Shipping Worldw ide We have a fant ast ic range of gift ideas. From Jew ellery set s t o leat her w ork, Art w ork t o Personalised gift s w e have som et hing for everyone.

The King's Head in Sant a Monica has added

a COFFEE BAR!

Coffee Lovers rejoice, t he King's Head

Shoppe and Bakery are now serving som e of t he best select ions of coffee and specialt y drinks in all of Sant a Monica and t he West Side!

The are also purveyors of exlusive coffees in bulk! A t im ely gift for t he coffee fans on your list !

Irish Arts & Entertainment's VERY IRISH PERKS (VIP) PRIMER

The VIP program is a very im port ant com ponent of our subscript ion program . It has a m ult it ude of posit ive fact ors built int o t he program It serves as a bonus/ rew ard syst em for spending hard cold cash on our publicat ion AND it is a good net w orking t ool for t he Publisher. We are able t o at t ract subscribers and advert isers t o our publicat ion and keep t hem int erest ed w hile delivering great Irish int erest cont ent and inform at ion t o our readers The advert isers benefit by having a readership int erest ed in our excit ing niche m arket and t hey can t arget our readers w it h special offers. The volum e m akes it w ort hw hile for t hem t o part icipat e.

The Pandem ic has set us all back a bit in one w ay or anot her and w e are rebuilding our VIP benefit s package. We w ere count ing on discount s and deals at pubs and event s but t hat plan is now on t he back burner as t here are few event s and pubs need volum e t o m ake t he discount s pract ical In t he m eant im e, w e are w orking hard t o line up new offers for our subscribers Throughout t his Buying Guide, w e have som e list ings on good deals and w e w ill be adding special offers t o our w ebsit e as w e find t hem One VIP, w e have now of int erest is Buy ONE SUB and get a Gift Subscript ion! Be sure t o check out t he Very Irish Perks each issue and on our Facebook pages.

VERY IRISH PERKS VIP CLUB

All subscribers become members of our VIP Group.

Current ly w e are offering som e really good prom ot ions and as t he Pandem ic eases w e w ill add m ore.

At Present :

O'Brien's On Wilshire in Sant a Monica w ill give our subscribers a Free Appet izer w it h purchase w w w.obriensla.com

Go t o t he m enu click here

The Irish Im port Shop has becom e a VIP Afiliat e so you can sign up for your sub at a discount and pay t here as of t his w eek! The Irish Im port Shop also ext ends 10% OFF all purchases t o our Subscribers

See Page 2 for his ad and num ber!

An am azing offer for our ow n VIP Mem bers and Subscribers! Buy a GIFT SUBSCRIPTION bet w een now and Decem ber 23rd. and w e w ill give you a FREE ONE YEAR

John McNally and Jim McMahon at t he Irish Art s and Ent ert ainm ent 's Celt ic Com m unit y Out reach Boot h at Seaside

New Year Sale

Make t his t he year you see Ireland's beaut y from one end t o t he ot her Take advant age of great w int er and spring fares t o Ireland w it h t he Aer Lingus New Year Sale

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