Irish Arts & Entertainment SCOTTISH FEST Special

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

Graphics/ Ad Design

Jim , Pat rick & Freelancers

Marketing & Sales Director

Jam es McMahon

Sales Reps

Jim , Pat rick & Jim McMahon

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 2024 by McDonough Media

Scot t ish Fair in Cost a Mesa Takes Cent er St age!

St art s on Page 3

Our regular feat ures: Maurice Fit zpat rick's View from Ireland and John McNally's Irish Com m ent ary.

This m ont h bot h w rit ers explore very t im ely t opics Irish Unit y McNally and Fit zpat rick w it h his

Let t er From THE PUBLISHER

Dear FriendsandReaders

What a m ont h!! May of 2024 w ill be m em orable as far as Irish and Scot t ish Event s go!!

The Cover of t his issue is a t ribut e t o t he Scot t ish Fest in Cost a Mesa over Mem orial Day Weekend! The last of t hree out st anding event s t his May in Sout hern California! IRELANDWEEK and t he am azing and t alent ed vocal group and ensem ble CELTIC WOMAN and t heir concert s st art ed t he

m ont h.

ow , w e are approaching t he Mem orial Day Weekend's Scot t ish Fest USA w hich t akes Cent er St age over t he Orange Count y Fairgrounds and Event s Cent er in Cost a Mesa!.

Celt ic Wom an Ticket Cont est

Our cont est for t icket draw ings for each of t he concert s w it h t his delight ful Group w as a big hit w it h our est ablished and new readers. We aw arded a t ot al of 14 pairs of t icket s t o Lucky

Readers.. The draw ing w as May 7! There w ere t hree w ays t o WIN and all w ere EZ!

We w ill have anot her sim ilar cont est st art ing w it h our June issue.

We alw ays appreciat e hearing from our readers so if you have cont est , feat ure and st ory idras or quest ions, please

E-Mail us at : irishm issive@gm ail.com

t ake on last m ont h's Irish Resignat ions and Ireland's Recognit ion of a Palest ine st at e Starts page 16

Celt ic Cam era, Poet ry and Feat ures are w ant ed: Send ideas and St ory Subm issions jpegs and capt ions t o: irishm issive@gm ail.com

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First of Three Parts:

Largest Ever Irish Cross Border Art Exhibit ion Underw ay

See page 14

Jim McDonough

ERIC RIGLER'S

Celt ic Hollyw ood

Sat urday Only

Eric Rigler is fam ous for being

" The Most Recorded Piper in Hist ory"

due t o his ext ensive w ork in film and t elevision soundt racks. His iconic playing can be heard in m ovies like Braveheart,Titanic, Austin Powers, Lord of the Rings, and shows like Outlander.

He' has also collaborat ed w it h m ajor art ist s such as Phil Collins, Josh Groban, Rod St ew art , and m any m ore Celt ic Hollyw ood

As an art ist , Rigler spans all genres and because of his am azing experience a few years ago he creat ed Celt ic Hollyw ood.

It is a LIVE CONCERT EXPERIENCE like no ot her for t w o dist inct reasons.

First ly, it show cases his m ost fam ous film and t elevision scores, bringing t he m agic of Hollyw ood soundt racks t o t he st age. Secondly, you w ill hear a m ast er play in person You'll hear t he haunt ing m elodies and evocat ive sounds t hat Eric is fam ous for, perform ed live alongside a group of t alent ed m usicians Expect a m ult im edia experience w it h visuals and st oryt elling expert ly w oven int o t he perform ance. One Day ONLY Sat urday, May 26t h.

Eric Rigler w as born and raised and st ill lives in Los Angeles, California While he is deeply connect ed t o Scot t ish and Irish m usical t radit ions, his hom e base is in t he Unit ed St at es

As a child, he w as fascinat ed by m usic and w ind inst rum ent s and st art ed serious m usic st udies at an early age

Rigler is a w orld-renow ned m usician w ho specializes in Scot t ish and Irish w ind inst rum ent s like t he uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes), Great Highland Bagpipes, and w hist les

His band Bad Haggis played t he Scot t ish Fair in Cost a Mesa and w as alw ays popular so he is already w ell know t o Scot t ish Fair pat rons

2024 Scot t ish Fest Line-Up

The 2024 Schedule is now on t he event w ebsit e"

HERE

Celt ish

Craic in t he St one

Christ opher Yat es/ Rust y Baw ls/ MacCloud

David and Joyce Celt ic Duo -Sat Only

Dennis and Aust in Doyle, Harps & More

Eric Rigler and Celt ic Hollyw ood -Sat Only

Im perial Knight s Joust ing

John Allan's Bagpipe Celt ic Show

KRON Hist orical European Mart ial Art s

LA Fife and Drum s

Marine Sandpiper

McNult y School of Irish Dance

Orange Count y Police K9 Associat ion

Ploughboys

Royal Scot t ish Count ry Dancers

Scot t ish Fiddlers of Los AngelesSat Only

Sheep Herding

The Wicked Tinkers

The Wicked Tinkers are a Celt ic m usic group know n for t heir high-energy perform ances feat uring bagpipes,t ribal drum s,and ot her w orld inst rum ent s. The current lineup of t he Wicked Tinkers:

- Aaron Shaw (bagpipes)

- Warren Casey (percussion)

- C.J.Henderson (percussion)

- Jay At w ood (didgeridoo)

- Tiki King (percussion)

It 's w ort h not ing t hat t he band's lineup has evolved over t he years

The Wicked Tinkers w ere form ed in t he early 1990s in Los Angeles Aaron Shaw ,t he band's founder and bagpiper w as an act ive m em ber at t he Celt ic Art s Cent er in Los Angeles.

There, Shaw m et Warren Casey and t he t w o founding m em bers becam e friends and Celt ic Music Hist ory w as m ade!

The band has been perform ing and t ouring professionally since 1995 The are very popular and a m ainst ay at Celt ic and Scot t ish fairs, gam es and event s t hroughout t he US and have also played m any int ernat ional dest inat ions including Scot land.

Music Availabilit y:

- Spot ify: Yes,t he Wicked Tinkers have m usic available on Spot ify CDs:The Wicked Tinkers have released several CDs of t heir m usic

- For m uch m ore including t heir upcom ing t our schedule, CDs and m erchandise, please go t o t heir official w ebsit e:

- w w w.w ickedt inkers.com

Marines Toss

t he St one

The appeal is everyw here and w it h an Irish Tw ist !!

Marine Engineer ?s Day feat ured Highland st yle gam es w it h a com bat engineering t w ist , a t radit ion m aint ained by Marine Corps engineers t o celebrat e an unlikely pat ron saint . ?St . Pat rick is t he pat ron saint of engineers because according t o legend, he built churches w it h lim e m ort ar inst ead of clay and show ed t he Irish how t o build arches for churches.?

The heart and Soul of the Scottish Fest

Marching Pipe Bands, Com pet it ions, Drum m ers, Pom p and Pageant ry

An int egral part of t he Scot t ish Fest in Cost a Mesa t his w eekend w ill be t he cherished t radit ion of m assed pipe bands on parade Solo and full band com pet it ions, Drum Circles and all m anner of crow d pleasing, heart pounding dynam ic playing is in st ore for everyone Full det ails & schedule: CLICK HERE

The Scot t ish Fest Is This Weekend!!

TICKETS NOW ON-SALE!

Visit us at w w w scot t ishfest com and not only save $$ w it h our advanced sale discount , but save t im e by avoiding t he line!

Scot t ish Fest prides it self on offering an affordable t icket t hat is great value for your m oney! We are SO excit ed t o bring you t he 2024 Fest ival w it h m assive am ount s of ent ert ainm ent .

This year w e are expanding our Children's glen w it h m ore inflat ables and junior at hlet ics t o keep your lit t le one's ent ert ained all day.

This year also is proving t o be our biggest at hlet ic ent ry ever w it h m en and w om en of various levels com pet ing against each ot her for t he t op prize

General adm ission t icket s as w ell as t icket s t o our w orld class w hisky t ast ings can be bought t oday!

w w w scot t ishfest com / w hisky-t ast ing-1

Amazing Feats of Skill & Strength

Scot t ish Heavy At hlet ics This Weekend

A Brief Hist ory of Scot t ish Highland Gam es and Heavy At hlet ics in Scot land and Am erica

Scot t ish Highland Gam es have a long and st oried hist ory,originat ing in Scot land cent uries ago as t est s of st rengt h, skill,and endurance for Highland w arriors. These gam es w ere brought t o t he Unit ed St at es by Scot t ish im m igrant s in t he 19t h cent ury,and quickly gained popularit y as a w ay t o celebrat e Scot t ish herit age and cult ure.

Because of t his vibrant living hist ory, t he Scot s have anot her t radit ion t hat brings t hem t oget her in great num bers w it h great ent husiasm , THE HIGHLAND GAMES HEAVY ATHLETICS!

Anot her t ot ally engaging crow d pleasing series of com pet it ions aw ait you at t his m ost w onderful of Celt ic Event s over Mem orial Day Weekend,

Scot t ish Heavy At hlet ics are a key com ponent of t he Highland Gam es as t radit ional event s like t he caber t oss st one put , ham m er t hrow , and w eight for dist ance are all offered These com pet it ions show case incredible feat s of st rengt h and have becom e iconic sym bols of t he gam es

Cost a Mesa Highland Gam es

The Cost a Mesa Highland Gam es,held at t he Orange Count y Fair and Event Cent er, are organized by t he Unit ed Scot t ish Societ y (USS).The USS is a non-profit organizat ion dedicat ed t o preserving and prom ot ing Scot t ish herit age in Sout hern California. The USS has been host ing t hem for several decades.

Celtic Woman?s20th Anniversary Spring Tour

ismoving on after playing five concertsin California in May!

Be part of Celtic Woman's

- 3 billion global combined streams

- Grammy nomination -

- 4 million concert ticketssold

- 10 million global album equivalent sales/ Platinum in 9 countries

- 12 consecutive Billboard number ones

- 6 time Billboard World Music Artist

- 20 year legacy

Rem aining Concert s for 2024

Las Vegas, NV 3 Days

Salt Lake Cit y, Ut ah Denver, Colorado Springs & Grand Junct ion, Colorado

- 900k+ FB followers/ 80K+ IG/ 800k+ YT subscribers

Celt ic Wom an - 20t h Anniversary

DVD and album was Released in January 2

Vinyl release w as in March

Celtic Woman returns with a brand-new album and DVD to celebrate thisincredible 20year milestone.

Returning to the group is soprano Mairéad Carlin, a former member who joins the show for this very special anniversary. Joining her are fellow soprano Muirgen O?Mahony, fiddleand Irish harp maestro Tara McNeill, as well as the newest member of the group,the multi-talented Emma Warren, who has toured with Riverdance,

Heartbeat of Home and most recently performed in Les Miserables, London.

?20th ANNIVERSARY?- the album - features 18 brand new recordings, and is the group?s first new studio album since 2021?s Postcards From Ireland. It features new arrangements of beautiful and iconic songs, somenew compositions and of coursesome fan favourites

Celtic Woman - 2021?s Postcards From Ireland It features new arrangements of beautiful and iconic songs, somenew compositions and of coursesome fan favourites ?

Much more online at : w w w.celt icw om an.com

Irish Unity, Focus On Progress

Now t hat t he Saint Pat rick?s Day fest ivit ies have passed, it 's t im e t o address t he pressing issue at hand: t he im pending vot e on Irish reunificat ion Over recent years, t he quest ion of reunifying Ireland as out lined in t he Belfast / Good Friday Agreem ent has risen t o t he forefront of polit ical discourse. Organizat ions such as Ireland?s Fut ure are host ing public forum s t o explore t he pot ent ial of a unit ed Ireland. San Francisco is host ing one of t hese event s on May 23rd. Try t o at t end or invit e your Bay area friends t o at t end

Mem bers of t he Friends of Ireland Caucus on Capit ol Hill over Saint Pat rick?s Day w eek acknow ledged t hat im port ant conversat ions on a possible border poll w ere already t aking place Cont act your Congressional Represent at ive and ask t hem t o join t he Caucus, safeguard t he Irish peace process, and allow t he Irish people t o det erm ine t heir ow n fut ure The Knight s of t he Red Branch and The Irish Herald w ill host a discussion on reconciliat ion and t he prospect of const it ut ional change on t he island of Ireland. We need your part icipat ion & support t o m ake t his a success.

- 7pm , Thursday, May 23rd. at t he Unit ed Irish Cult ural Cent er in San Francisco.

- Keynot e speakers represent ing Ireland's Fut ure are Niall Murphy, a Civil Right s At t orney, and t he Reverend Karen Set huram an, t he only fem ale Bapt ist Minist er in Ireland. Bot h are from Belfast .

- Ireland's Fut ure is an All-Ireland civic group t hat enjoys engagem ent from across t he polit ical spect rum , including from unionism .

- Our belief is t hat t he best w ay t o secure a fair and prosperous societ y for everyone living in Ireland, regardless of t heir fait h t radit ion, cult ural background or et hnicit y, is t o reunify t he count ry.

- The discussion w ill focus on how t o advance const it ut ional change, w it h a focus on reconciliat ion.

- Irish Am erica has a very im port ant part t o play.

- RELATED AD IN CALENDAR, ON PAGE 34

For m ore info on t he program & Speakers, please go t o: w w w.irelandsfut ure.com

John McNally

Our feat ured w rit er, colum nist and Irish Com m unit y Act ivist 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 .

Ireland's Cross Border Art Exchange

Crawford Art Gallery loans

14 paintings to Northern Ireland?sHillsborough Castle

In the largest ever loan from a National Cultural Institution in Ireland, Hillsborough Castle located in County Down, NI, hasbeen loaned 14 paintings from Crawford Art Gallery?s collection.

Hillsborough Castle isset to display these significant artworksfrom Crawford Art Gallery?scollection in their State Drawing Room, viewable via public tours that focus on art acrossthe island of Ireland

The State Drawing Room at Hillsborough Castle haslong been known for its impressive collection of Irish art and now thismajor rehang hasbeen announced by Historic Royal Palaces, the charity which manages the castle and gardens

The 33 works of art which are now on view is a veritable who?s who of Irish art. The impressive collection hasbeen assembled made possible by collaborations with a variety of lenders, primarily by the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork

ENTER OUR CELTIC WOMAN CD & DVD DRAWING! OPT IN TO OUR IRISH E-MSSIVE DETAILS ON PAGE 35

Update Coming As we reported in our April issue,

Cillian Murphy w ill st ar in t he Peaky Blinders film

t o st art product ion in t he UK t his Sept em ber

ht t ps:/ / peakyblinders t v

w w w inst agram com / peakyblindersofficial/

See Page Cillian Murphy in our Celt ic Cam era and page 20 for a feat ure on his lat est film , Small Things Like These.

Art Loan & Exhibit ion in NI

ABOVE: Shea Rourke's The Bliss of Village Life 1875

Catherine Martin, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media commented at the opening,

"I warmly welcome this loan of worksby the Crawford Art Gallery to Hillsborough Castle The sharing of art between institutionsand historic venuesacross the island of Ireland assists in bringing important works to new audiences, and contributes to a shared understanding of the island, asseen through the eyesof each artist. While each work reflects the artistic and interpretative style of the individual artist, they all reflect a deep love for the island of Ireland in all its diverse landscapesand seascapes In addition, the loan is also symbolic of a deepening overall relationship between North and South I saw this first-hand at the recent plenary meeting of the re-established North South Ministerial Council. I wish to offer my thanksto the Crawford Art Gallery and to Hillsborough Castle and Gardensfor bringing together the fourteen workswith those from other collectionsto create what is a unique window into our shared heritage."

"The Holy Land is in the news now This amazing book will give you some insight in understanding exactly why through the centuries many faiths and people have thought this sacred and special city was worth fighting for I love this book." Jim McDonough

SEAN GUNNING Is a Londoner from Irish st ock

This is t he First of Three inst allm ent s t o t his piece

Next issue, w e w ill cover m ore on how t his project cam e t o be, t he ARTWORKS and Art ist s and finally, t he part icipat ing inst it ut ions More info online: www hrp org uk

Aut hor of NO SAMARITAN (48 poem s) , he has w on poet ry cont est s in t he U.S. and Canada and has been published in m any ant hologies. THE BEST PRESENT EVER: A SINNER?S GUIDE TO THE HOLY LAND is his first w ork of lit erary non-fict ion He lives in Long Beach, CA w it h his Mexican-Am erican w ife, w ho aft er 34 years t oget her is st ill t he funniest girl he has ever m et He can be cont act ed at seangunning1@verizon net or w w w seangunning com ORDER ONLINE AT:

Ireland's Hidden Gem s; St ory and Phot os By

John McNally

Belfast 's Cave Hill

View ed from Belfast , Cave Hill's silhouet t e bears a st riking resem blance t o t he profile of a slum bering giant Originally know n as Beann Mhadagáin (Ben Madigan), a nint h-cent ury King of Ulst er, it is bet t er know n for it s five caves w hich w ere said t o be used as refuge from invaders Brian McArt of t he O'Neill dynast y, one of t he last Irish leaders resist ing t he 16t h cent ury Elizabet han conquest of Ireland, fort ified and held t he hillt op unt il being capt ured and execut ed by t he English In 1791, inspired by t he Am erican and French Revolut ions, t he Unit ed Irishm en, considered t he founders of Irish Republicanism , gat hered on Cave Hill t o pledge t heir com m it m ent t o Ireland's independence from Brit ain.

In 1898 a w ell at t ended cent enary com m em orat ion of t he 1798 rebellion t ook place on Cave Hill. It w as during t his t im e t hat W B Yeat s and Maude Gonne hiked up t he hill Gonne w rit es about experiencing profound visions t here The hill is also a sit e for loyalist bonfires, eit her in celebrat ion of visit s from Brit ish Royalt y or as a signal of w arning against nat ive Irish rebellions

Originally barren slopes, w hen Belfast Cast le w as built in t he 1860's t he current forest w as plant ed w hich encom passes t he first port ion of t he hike

Sally McNally surveys t he spect acular Fort McArt view

Sm all sign post s direct you t hrough t he w oods on t he m any pat hs t hat feed from various t rail heads unt il t he t rees end at a glorious lit t le valley resem bling a m iddle eart h shire. The low est of t he five caves is accessible here and a decision needs t o be m ade t o t urn right t o

follow t he est ablished t rail w hich circum navigat es t he st eepest slopes Or head st raight up t o Fort McArt , m y preferred rout e provided it 's not t oo w et as t he shale and grass can be slippery

At t he sum m it , only rem nant s of t he fort 's foundat ions rem ain. Belfast Lough lays before you w it h t he Germ an m ade shipyard cranes Sam son and Goliat h easily visible. On clear days, view s st ret ch t o Scot land and t he Isle of Man in t he east , w hile t o t he nort h lies a quarry w it h t he peak of Slem ish Mount ain in t he dist ance. The Sperrins dom inat e t he w est ern horizon, w it h Slieve Gullion occasionally visible t o t he sout h

Parking is available on Innisfayla Park or in t he Belfast Cast le car park The 750-acre Cave Hill Count ry Park, offers a relat ively easy 1-2 m ile hike t o t he peak, w hich st ands at 1,207 feet above sea level

LEFT: The im posing Cave Hill is only about 6 m iles (10km ) from Belfast Cit y Cent er and t here is public t ransport

En ter Our

Cel ti c W om an CDs/DVDs Dr aw i n g!

Details on Pages 2 & 35

w w w .cel ti cw om en .com

Not far from Belfast , View from inside t he low est of t he five caves on Cave Hill.

Cave Hill Count ry Park includes Cave Hill, Belfast Cast le, and several ot her landm arks. It get s it s nam e from t he five caves on t he side of t he cliffs The park offers a variet y of act ivit ies, including hiking, orient eering, and picnicking. Linked here is m ore info about t he park from Belfast Cit y Council

The View from Ireland

By Maurice Fit zpat rick

" Two Resignations and One Recognition"

Two resignationsthat shook Irish politics, and one recognition by a state that will have far-reaching geopolitical effects, just happened within a month of each other in Ireland

First up, theresignations

In wholly unexpected developments, the leader of the government in the South and the leader of one of the two governing partiesin the North resigned within daysof each other. On March 20th, Leo Varadkar resigned asTaoiseach. Nine dayslater Jeffrey Donaldson resigned as the leader of the DUP after being charged with rape and other historical sexual offences(which he denies).

When the DUP agreed to return to Stormont on February 3rd, Jeffery Donaldson wasexcoriated by elements of hardline unionism for accepting a Sinn Féin First Minister ? a perceived blow to unionist prestige. It isremarkable that Donaldson, who hasbeen in the public eye for nearly four decades, wasarrested six weeksafter his party finally accepted the Windsor Framework and restored the assembly. Almost nothing about the case or the source of the allegationsisknown yet, but the fact remains that his political enemiesin the North are pleased.

The DUP hasenemiesin London aswell, especially since it repeatedly held the Conservative Party to ransom during Brexit negotiationsand it stalled for so long before accepting the Windsor Framework ? a priority for London ? and restoring Stormont. The Donaldson investigation will not only hurt him, but his party (which hasdistanced itself from him) and indeed wider unionism. This isthe political significance of thiscase. The timing of the allegationsthat will probably destroy his political career is curious.

Varadkar?sdeparture wassomewhat explicable, even if it wasalso very unexpected. Fine Gael has been in government since 2011 and it isbereft of vision, coherence and drive. In a development without an analogue in Irish politics, one third of sitting TDsin his party have declared that they will not contest their seatsin the next general election. That is brutal for a leader of a party as it isinevitably perceived as a sign of no confidence in the leadership. Moreover, Varadkar wasvisibly shaken by the historically bad defeat of the government in the family and carer referendums in March. So, Varadkar followed the suit of many of hiscolleagues and resigned.

There are limits to what thisgovernment can hope to achieve, given that there isless than a year before a general election must be held, and a new government is formed in the South. Add to that the depleting energy and electoral strength of Fine Gael and the inevitable growth in factionalism between the coalition partiesreadying to contest seats in the election. Even so, the new Taoiseach, Simon Harris, will need to cite some achievementsin office at the hustings And that brings us to a recognition by the Irish State, already firmly tabled and imminent, that is of considerable international consequence

Ireland haslong since been among the most supportive nationsin the EU of the Palestinian cause. Since the horrific attacksin Israel by Hamason October 7th, 2023, Ireland has been steadfast in balancing itscondemnation of the terror attackswith itscriticism of Netanyahu?s mendacious regime Israel?sambassador to Ireland, Dana Erlich, hasbeen routinely in the spotlight arguing her government?s case: faulting Irish public opinion, the Irish government and personalising a criticism of President Higgins for spreading ?misinformation?when he argued last October that Israel?s actionshad reduced the Geneva Conventions ?to tatters? . Ambassador Erlich condemnstheir stances, which she refers to as a ?ground operation in Gaza to release the hostages and defeat Hamas? . Othersare apt to decry the Israeli Defence Forces?bombardment of Gaza, itspersistent targeting of civiliansand itsobstructing humanitarian suppliesintended to prevent famine in Gaza.

Leo Varadkar

Jeffery Donaldson

The language used to designate Israel?sactionsis extremely contentious, and that isalso true far beyond Irish-Israeli relations.

Nicaragua hasjust taken a case against Germany in the International Criminal Court, in which it allegesthat Germany supplying weapons to Israel isin defiance of the Geneva Conventions; in the same court, South Africa took a case alleging that Israel?s actions towards the Palestinians in Gaza are genocidal.

On the same day asSimon Harrisbecame Taoiseach, Tuesday April 9th, the Irish government (through Minister of Affairs Micheál Martin) moved for Ireland to formally recognise the Palestinian State. This, predictably, has raised Israel?sire. Micheál Martin responded on RTÉ recently: ?how isit in any way rewarding terrorism to say that we recognise a Palestinian state??

In Brussels, on April 11th, Harrisinformed President of

the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen of Ireland?sintention to recognise Palestine, in coordination with a handful of other EU states, including Spain. It may be assumed that von der Leyen hasa somewhat different perspective on the matter. Last April, she praised Israel for having ?made the desert bloom? , which the Palestinian Foreign Ministry characterised asan ?anti-Palestinian racist trope?that wilfully ignored Palestine?s existence before and since Israel wasfounded. Von der Leyen?s stance becomeslesstenable across the EU (Israel?sbiggest trade partner) with every day that the invasion of Gaza continues. If a coterie of EU nations recognisesthe Palestinian State, the other member states may feel pressure to do the same. Ireland isamong the nationsdetermined to recognise Palestine?s statehood and the human rightsof itscitizens. This isan important and necessary move.

Israel has lost most of the support it once had in Ireland The Israel Times has reported that 45%of residential buildingsin Gaza are destroyed beyond repair according to the World Bank.

Ireland is expected to formally recognize Palestine as a state imminently Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin announced on April 10, 2024 that the recognition would happen "in the next couple of weeks". "DUBLIN, April 12 (Reuters) - Ireland is close to formally recognising a Palestinian state and would like to do so in concert with Spain and other like-minded countries, new prime minister Simon Harris said on Friday after meeting his Spanish counterpart." This follows a long history of Ireland supporting a two-state solution and Palestinian statehood.

DAD' S & GRADS Gift HQ

Father'sDay isSunday, June 16th.

IrelandWeek present s, Fam ily Sport s Day Sunday, May 12 An Irish Classic Sport s Day for all t he fam ily w it h all your favorit es! Egg & spoon, 3-legged race, pot at o sack race, face paint ing, refreshm ent s and m ore Puc Fada com pet it ion and Irish hurling dem onst rat ion gam e. Venue: Sunken Garden 1 LMU Drive, Ignacious Circle, Los Angeles, CA 90045 More on ALL EVENTS: w w w.IrelandWeek.com

Celt ic Art ist St eve O'Loughlan has a gift for m aking LA Freew ays a w ork of art He has also paint ed m urals and Ut ilit y Boxes!. Now t he Pet erson Aut om ot ive Museum is put t ing one of his creat ion on Exhibit .

Celtic Cam er a!

Details on Pages 8 & 35

We

In Sant a Monica y en Mexico

San Pat ricios. Their m em ory is honored in Mexico Cit yw here , a plaque com m em orat es t hem at San Jacint o Plaza There, a m ont hly t ribut e is held w it h Mexican bagpipers honoring t heir service.

Irish Net w orking at it s finest ! John McNally at O'Brien's Irish Pub on Wilshire! Writ er m eet s advert iser!

A very special t hank you and shout out t o our good friend up in Redding, our new m arket ing and prom ot ions guru, Jim Mc Mahon He is t he form er ow ner of Habourside Radio in Warrenpoint , NI w ho w as our part ner in our acclaim ed Livest ream Alone/ TOGETHER on St . Pat rick's Day 2021 during t he height of t he Covid Epidem ic.

McMahon t ook t his m oving pict ure of t he San Pat ricios Mem orial in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico A very st rong rem inder t hat w e are bet t er unit ed t han fight ing and bet t er finding com m on ground t han being divided. Check out his Facebook Page; t he Nort hern CA chapt er of Friends Of Ireland!

Pat rick Weld's Irish Rail Advent ure is com ing Mid-Mont h!!

Celtic Cam er a!

We ar e her e looking for you!

The Cafe 50s above and The Prat t ies below ! What do t hey have in com m on?

The Art of Irish Film & Film m akers

Sm all Things Like These St arring Cillian Murphy

A new film t hat about t he horrible condit ions t hat t ook place in Cat holic run hom es in Ireland and t he plight of unm arried pregnant girls is raising m ore aw areness about som e of Ireland's recent dark past .The Film is set in Ireland, 1985,and follow s Bill Furlong, a coal m erchant and fam ily m an As Christ m as approaches, he encount ers a young w om an at t he local convent and uncovers a w eb of dist urbing secret s about t he inst it ut ion and t he t reat m ent of t he w om en w ho are forced t o reside t here The film t ackles t hem es of pow er, inst it ut ional abuse, social injust ice, and individual act s of kindness in t he face of oppressive syst em s Sm all Things Like These prem iered in February 2024 at t he Berlin Int ernat ional Film Fest ival.

There's no official w ord yet on a US release, but since it 's based on a w ell-regarded book and has got t en posit ive crit ical recept ion, t here's a

good chance it w ill be released in t he US sooner t han lat er and w e w ill keep our readers inform ed

- Aw ards:It w as w ell-received crit ically and w on an aw ard at t he Berlinale

- Based on t he novella of t he sam e nam e by acclaim ed Irish aut hor Claire Keegan w rot e t he novella "Sm all Things Like These."

- Fact ual Basis: While not a direct ret elling of a specific t rue st ory, Keegan's w ork draw s inspirat ion from t he very real hist ory of Ireland's Magdalene Laundries, inst it ut ions w here "fallen w om en" (oft en unm arried pregnant girls) w ere confined and subject ed t o harsh t reat m ent .

Cillian Murphy brought t his w ork t o t he screen and st ars in "Sm all Things Like These"

Bronx Nat ive, Thom Mac Nam ara's Acclaim ed Film The Boys Of Kingsbridge Screening Set

OpeningNight Benefit

Thursday, May 23 ? 6:30-10:00pm

Special feature presentation of the acclaimed documentary TheBoysof Kingsbridge,with post screening conversation with award winning filmmaker Thom MacNamara, and his featured friendsBrendan Carroll, Danny McNally, and Mike Hussey with Inwood Art Works?Founder and Executive Producer, Aaron Simms.

Five friendsfrom the same neighborhood in the NW Bronx grow up and go separate ways. Amazingly, four of them come to be at the same place at the time on that fateful day in September 2001

Written, Produced and Directed by Thom MacNamara, the "5th unseen friend", TheBoysof Kingsbridgeisa compelling, gritty and honest story of survival, community, and what selflesspeople do in a time of crisis

Plus, experience deliciousfood from Amores Café, unlimited wine and refreshing beer from Dyckman Beer Company, and delectable desserts in celebration of our incredible filmmaking community!

The Inw ood Film Fest ival is a com m unit y film fest ival show casing film s w it h connect ions t o t he Inw ood neighborhood of New York Cit y. It 's run by t he non-profit organizat ion Inw ood Art Works

Here are som e key det ails:

- Focus: Feat ures film s m ade in t he Inw ood neighborhood or by film m akers w ho reside or have resided in Inw ood.

- Program m ing: Includes short film s, feat ure-lengt h film s, docum ent aries, and m ore. Sem inars, film w orkshops, and Q&As w it h film m akers

- Next Fest ival:The 2024 Inw ood Film Fest ival w ill t ake place May 23 - 26, 2024 Keep an eye on t heir w ebsit e for fut ure dat es

- Who Runs It :Inw ood Art Works, a non-profit art s organizat ion dedicat ed t o support ing art s and cult ure in t he Inw ood neighborhood w w w inw oodart w orks nyc/ film -w orks/ inw ood-film

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Over 20 Years ago, w e pioneered a calendar blast via AOL and t hen cont inued t he service for 10+ years using Const ant Cont act .

Our digit al edit ion of t he Irish Art s and Ent ert ainm ent is soon going t o be dist ribut ed via paid subscript ions only.

So w e are bringing back our Free Weekly for t w o reasons:

As a service t o t he Irish Com m unit y and for our advert isers t o help rem ind our readers of event s t hat m issed our m ont hly deadline, CLICK TO SIGN UP

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Em ail:

In Memoriam RIP

Allyn

Francis Anderson

1941 t o 2024

Allyn?s education was interrupted by being drafted into the United States Army, and proud to serve as a helicopter gunner in the 1st Infantry combat unit.

Allyn?s tour of duty was with distinction, that earned him a BronzeStar

Military Honors Services were held for Allyn on April 29th at the Los Angeles National VA Cemetery in Westwood, CA

Allyn was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and as a child was raised in Burbank, CA He was active in swimming, diving, and Boy Scouts

The family moved back to Cleveland where Allyn, as a teenager, became excited about cars and racing. Allyn was accepted into the Otis Cleveland School of Art, wherehe excelled in auto designing

Later in life, hebecame a self taugh computer graphic artist and designed many ads for the Irish Fair which ran in this publication for many years. Hewas always quite cheerful and pleasant to deal with

Upon returning from Vietnam, Allyn completed his education at UCLA and then had a career in theairline industry with United Airlines . Allyn loved being part of theUnited Airlines family, and his many travel experiences None moreimportant than his trip with his brother Terry to Mulranny, Ireland ThereAllyn and Terry found their Irish family that sparked his interest in the LA Irish American community. Hewent on to becomeVice President of Division One of theLos Angeles Chapter Ancient Order of Hibernians. Later in the late 1970?s, he co-founded and chaired 50 years of TheGreat Irish Fair, Beverly Hlls Saint Patrick?s Day Parade, and numerous Civic Center Ceremonies. Allyn was known for his lighthearted stories of his full lifethat included racing cars, his 62?Corvette, travels, and his brothers? Terry, Dale, and Gary After retiring to Capistrano Beach, Allyn married his sweetheart AlaneAnderson

Allyn is survived by his widow Alaneand brother Gary

IRISH ARTS & ENTERTAINM ENT CALENDAR

The Cost a Mesa, CA. SCOTTISH FEST & HIGHLAND GAMES

are on t his w eekend! There are m any m ore Popular Com pet it ions around t he US each year!

Som e of t he m ost popular Highland Gam es com pet it ions in t he USA include:

· Grandfat her Mount ain Highland Gam es: Held annually in Linville, Nort h Carolina, t his is one of t he largest and m ost prest igious Highland Gam es event s in t he count ry.

·Ligonier Highland Gam es:

This Pennsylvania-based event at t ract s t op at hlet es and feat ures a w ide range of t radit ional event s

· New Ham pshire Highland Gam es: Know n for it s pict uresque set t ing and lively at m osphere, t his event offers a unique experience for com pet it ors and spect at ors alike

Pleasant on Highland Gam es: Locat ed in California, t his event show cases t he diversit y and cult ural richness of Scot t ish herit age in t he w est ern Unit ed St at es

Sanct ioning Bodies

While m any Highland Gam es com pet it ions are organized by local clubs and organizat ions,several nat ional and int ernat ional bodies help t o prom ot e and regulat e t he sport .These include:

· Associat ion of Scot t ish Gam es and Fest ivals (ASGF): This organizat ion provides resources and support for Highland Gam es event s across t he Unit ed St at es.

Scot t ish Highland Gam es Associat ion (SHGA): Based in Scot land, t he SHGA prom ot es and governs Highland Gam es com pet it ions int ernat ionally

While t he m ajorit y of Highland Gam es at hlet es are am at eurs,t here are som e professional com pet it ions and opport unit ies for at hlet es t o earn prize m oney.

KRIS COLT & as the Lady Black Rose

solo & with fr iends som e dates!

M ay 25- 27, June 1- 2, 8- 9, 15- 16, 22- 23

10am - 7pm Satur days

10am - 6pm Sundays and M em or ial Day Kor onebur g Renaissance Fest

Check out their them ed weekends and activities!

ht t ps:/ / renfest corona.com /

The SoCal Irish Fair and Music Fest ival t hat w as planned in Torrance for t his July has been post poned t o 2025.

Please follow t he Reorganizat ion New s and Plans on t heir Facebook Page. Irish Com m unit y input is im port ant . So, please join t he page and support t he effort !

- Thousands of people have learned m ore about Ireland's m ost fam ous w rit er because of t his series of event s!

- The European Com m ission aw arded "Jam es Joyce, A European Odyssey" a grant of ?1.72 m illion t hrough t he Creat ive Europe Fund.

- Tot al Project Cost :The t ot al project cost w as approxim at ely ?3 m illion. This suggest s t hat addit ional funding w as secured from ot her sources, likely including t he part icipat ing cit ies, cult ural inst it ut ions, and possible privat e sponsors.

MORE IRELANDWEEK

Sat urday, May 11

The w orld?s #1 part y event t hat originat ed in Ireland, ?Bingo Loco? is a global phenom enon! IrelandWeek is t hrilled t o w elcom e t hem t o Los Angeles for an out rageous evening of fun and laughs!

Academ y

-6021 Hollyw ood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 9002

Monday, May 13

Kat ie Boyle Live Com edy

Show case

Dynast y Typew rit er 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

w w w aulddubliner com

Mark your calendars:

Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday & Sunday

MAY 25-26, 2024 10am-6pm Sat, 10am-5:30pm Sun

SoCal's premier Celtic Event will be held in Orange County at the OC

Com ing soon t o SoCal Sat urday, May 17

Kiet h & THEBAND are back!

Aft er t hirt y years as one of t he w orld?s leading Celt ic Rock bands, The Young Dubliners have begun w ork on t heir t ent h st udio album w hile st ill m aint aining t heir busy t our schedule.

Opening band, The Uninvit ed The Caynon Club

DOORS OPEN @ 6:PM DUBS @ 9:PM 28912 Roadside Drive Agoura Hills, CA 91301

ht t ps:/ / w herem usicm eet st hesoul.com / canyon-agoura-hills/ Please consider Advert ising and prom ot ing your business, concert . event or Pub w it h McDonough Media. Cost Effect ive and m ult i-plat form 33 Years of m aking m arket ing and advert ising cam paigns t hat w ork. We are nice and we are sincere! Click here for our lat est MEDIA KIT If you w ant m ore info, please Em ail us at : irishm issive@gm ail.com

IRISH SOCIAL SUNDAY Irish Pot Luck! Please bring a dish t o share Host ed By & Music By DENNIS MURRAY EVERY THIRD SUNDAY From 2PM t o 6PM St Cornelius Church Hall 5500 E. Wardlow Long Beach, 90808 FREE PARKING!

FIFA Euro Championship (UEFA EURO 2024) starting in mid- June: June 14th ? July 14th ,2024

- Host Count ry: Germany

- First Gam e:Germany vs. Scotland at the Munich Football Arena Munich

- Team s: A total of 24 teams will compete You can find a full list on the official UEFA website: w w w.uefa.com / euro2024/

- Scotland has qualified and will be playing in the tournament!

- Unfortunately, Ireland did not qualify for EURO 2024

-

OWEN DARA is back at The 1881 Club in Pasadena!

8 PM t o 11 every Tuesday night . Says Owen about the show, " I mix some Irish songs with comedy and original songs It?s always a fun night And there?sno cover charge. The 1881 hasa variety of beers winesand mixed drinks And the Guinness there is exceptionally good! Especially on a Tuesday night!!"

at

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

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 St andard 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

KRIS COLT

is a uniquely Am erican Celt ic vocal art ist , w ho brings w it h her t he hist orical t radit ion of t he BardicSt oryt eller. Thelyrical singer draw s on her ancest ors in Scot land Ireland, England, and Wales, perform ing songs bot h original and ancient . She is an accom plished songw rit er, and brings her love of count ry, bluegrass and Am ericana st yles t o her Celt ic-st yled songs

Go t o Band Cam p for her new st ory and song, CHARMED ht t ps:/ / bit .ly/ 3QQNIKH

w w w.inw oodart w orks.nyc

w w w.kriscolt -blackrose.com /

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Irish Art s & Ent ert ainm ent

VERY IRISH PERKS VIP GROUP

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

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 EXTENSION on your ow n subscript ion.

PubGuide E New s LA Count y Irish Event s

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.

We are expanding and w e are using new and im proved m et hods for reaching out t o our readers!

We have set up a new affiliat ed Irish Art s & Ent ert ainm ent Channel on Telegram .

We also have updat ed our Websit e.

w w w.irishart sandent ert ainm ent .com

First publicat ion ever of t he post er for "A Lesser Gift " t o be released lat er t his year. "A Lesser Gift " t ells t he st ory of an Irish couple w ho are facing challenges aft er having t heir first child Their sit uat ion is furt her com plicat ed w hen an Am erican w om an ent ers t heir lives. Set in pict uresque Ireland, w rit t en and direct ed by Ow en Dara. His t hird feat ure film is current ly in post - product ion in Los Angeles For More on Owen Dara and his films may we suggest the following links and digital resources:

w w w.ow endara.com

Owen Dara on...