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Dear Friends and Readers,
We are happy t o be here and w e are delight ed t o share t his Special Kerry Irish Product ions St . Pat rick's Day In Ireland Supplem ent w it h you.
Ireland is t he land of saint s and scholars and w e are grat eful t hat w e are fort unat e t o have t he freedom t o honor and learn about all of t hem We
m ust alw ays be vigilant and rem em ber t hat t hrough hundreds of years of our hist ory, t he freedom of edcucat ion, t hought and religion w as rest rict ed.
That is why this Special Paddy's Day Supplement and our regular March issue are so important. We are here to honor our great heritage and celebrate our great saints great day because of the sacrifices and determination of our forebears. Erin Go Bragh (Ireland Forever!)
CLICK HERE for our MARCH issue
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St. Patrick?sDay in Ireland
Kerry Irish Productionsis pleased to announce a limited tour for the Saint Patrick?sDay holiday Saint Patrick?sDay in Ireland is a raucous evening of music and dance that carries on the Irish traditions of celebrating with music and family. Be prepared to be transported back to the Emerald Isle for a wild Irish night of fiddles, bodhrán, pipes, flutes, song and dance.
The program featuresthe talented multi-instrumentalistsfrom the Kerry Traditional Band: Colin Cotter, guitar/fidil/vocals; Ann Colliton, bodhrán/percussion, Sumaia Jackson, fidil and Tim Hill, uilleann pipes/flutes/vocalsalong with dancers from the Kerry Dance Troupe, solo dancers, and guest
dancersfrom highly regarded regional Irish dance academiesall under the direction of producer, Margaret O?Carroll of Kerry Irish Productions.
Sing your heart out with the band on some great Irish songsincluding: The Wild Rover (often referred to as Ireland?s2nd national anthem), Red isthe Rose, Leaving of Limerick, Spanish Lady, Ireland?sCall and many more
?St. Patrick?sDay inIrelanddeliversa night of rip-roaringmusicsonganddance? "
For 2025, Special Irish dance school guestsinclude: Kennelly School of Irish Dance, Rohan Murphy Irish Dance Academy & FIREDANCE- Irish Dance 805
Pictured Here:
from t he
St . Pat rick's Day In Ireland Tour
ABOUTTHECOMPANY:
Kerry Irish ProductionsInc. was founded in 2015 by Margaret O?Carroll (from Co Kerry, Ireland) with the intention of promoting and sharing Irish culture here in the United States
The company hasproduced and presented the showsAn Irish Christmas, Christmasfrom a Celtic Table, St Patrick?sDay in Ireland, Celtic Wings and The Heart of an Irish Woman in Performing ArtsCentersthroughout the United States Kerry Irish Productionsalso workswith major
corporationsincluding Aer Lingus, Tourism Ireland, Flavors of Ireland, and the Irish Consulate to produce special eventsin various UScities and for major companies: Blackrock.com, The Ireland Funds, The IMA Group, The Professional Dance Association, The Irish-American Bar Association, Ireland Week, PBSAutumn Pledge Drives, ICN Network (Chinese national television network), The Irish Industrial Development Authority, The Irish Technology and Leadership Group to name a few! Kerry Irish Productions
wasalso invited to lead the entertainment in a celebration of Julie Andrews?work on Broadway and in film in a sell-out event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel
The Ir ish Dancer s of St. Patr ick' s Day In Ir eland
The featured performers are the legendary star of Riverdance, Ryan McCaffrey, alongside another Riverdanceveteran, Courtney D?Angelo, and two beguiling newcomers Aubrey Stagnaro and Layla Giles.
Ryan McCaffrey began dancing at the age of 3 for the Finnuala Irwin School of Irish Dancing in Calgary, Canada By 10 he was a North American Champion, and continued hiscompetitive successat the World Championshipswhere he placed 2nd twice. He continued to place in the top 6 until he ended his competitive career to join Jean Butler and Colin Dunne?s production of DancingonDangerousGroundat the Theatre Royle Drury Lane, on London?sWest End After completing the run, McCaffrey moved to New York to join the cast of RiverdanceonBroadway at the Gershwin Theatre. He went on become the Principal Dancer of Riverdance?s North American, European and Asian tours a year later Ryan was also given the additional role of Dance Captain During his four yearsof touring, he performed asthe Principal Dancer for the continentsof Europe and Asia during the live telecastsof the EurovisionSongContest 50th Anniversary and the Chinese New Year SpringFestival, and at the famousRadioCity MusicHall.
After a break to get a degree in marketing and a stint in the world of business, McCaffrey returned join the original cast of Heartbeat of Home, a new production by the Director and Producer of RiverdancetheShow, as their Principal Dancer and Assistant Dance Captain
Courtney D'Angelo, dancer with Riverdance and Trinity Irish Dance
Courtney D'Angelo was born in Dublin, OH and began Irish dancing at the age of 6. She hasbeen seen on stagesacrossthe globe, including China, Japan, Australia, Canada, Ireland, the UK, and all 50 States She made her professional debut as a teenager with Chicago's Trinity Irish Dance Company. Later that year she joined the sensational "Riverdance",
After opening the production and touring Europe, Asia & North America for two additional yearsin these roles, Ryan re-retired and opened his own Digital Marketing Agency, Hunt &Gather Digital.
featuring a run at the world-famous Radio City Music Hall. Courtney made her West End debut with "Heartbeat of Home" at the Piccadilly Theater During her competitive years, Courtney placed in the top 3 at the All Irelands, All Scotlands, North American National Championships aswell as6th place at the World Championships. Courtney currently livesin LosAngelesand is also an actress, singer, pianist, and fashion designer
Meet the Talent, Continued
Layla Giles began Irish Dance at the age of four and hasbeen competing and performingfor over twelve years. Dancing under the direction of Jeannie Thornton and Clan RinceSchool of Irish Dance in San Diego, she is a World Qualifier, has placed in the WesternRegionUSTop 10, and placed in the Top 30 at the North American Irish DanceNationals.Beyond competition, Layla has showcased her talent as a featured dancer withthe Na Scéalaithe Irish Dance Collective and danced in the acclaimed An Irish Christmasshow at San Diego?sBalboa Theater Thisseason, she isthrilled to make her debut tourwith Kerry Irish Productions
Aubrey Stagnaro returnsfor her fifth year with Kerry Irish Productions, delighting audiencesin both "St. Patrick'sDay in Ireland" and "An Irish Christmas." Her Irish dance journey began at age four, leading to over twelve yearsof competition and performance experience Training under Maeve Coughlan at the Celtic Irish Dance Academy in LosAngeles, Aubrey has built an impressive competitive record: she'sa four-time World Qualifier, has ranked in the Western Region USTop 10, and achieved Top 20 placement at the North American Irish Dance Nationals Her talent hasearned her notable television appearances, including two performances on the Jennifer Hudson Show and a featured dance in the Hollywood Christmas Parade A particular highlight washer performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion during the Emmy-winning 62nd Annual Holiday Celebration, which took home the award for Best Live Performance Beyond Irish dance, Aubrey serves as Captain of her High School Cheerleading Squad and remains deeply committed to Girl Scouts, where she has achieved Ambassador level and iscurrently completing her Gold Award.
The Ir ish M usic M aker s of St. Patr ick' s Day In Ir eland
ANNA COLLITON (BODHRAN/PERCUSSION)
isone of America?sleading exponents of the bodhrán Based in New York City, she hasshared the stage with Cherish the Ladies, Eileen Ivers, the Paul McKenna Band and many more. Anna lived in Orlando, Florida, from 2013 to 2017 and performed daily as part of a residency at Walt Disney World. After returning to New York, she wasa sub for the bodhrán chair with the original company of theBroadway hit ?Come From Away." Anna hasperformed and taught at festivals acrossthe country, including CatskillsIrish Arts Week, The Swannanoa Gathering Celtic Week, The O? Flaherty Irish Music Retreat, CCEMAD Week, and Augusta Celtic Week, to name a few. Asa teacher dedicated to advancing the tradition of bodhrán playing, she inspiresstudentsof all levelsto incorporate both ?the old?and ?the new?into their playing, emphasizing the importance of both personal style and ear training in traditional music.
COLIN COTTER (FIDDLE, GUITAR, VOCALS)
isa multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, recording artist from the San Francisco BayArea. He hasplayed from coast to coast in the USA, toured internationally in Canada, Ireland, and Spain,and teachesregularly at some of the top folk music camps in the country. Colin grew up immersed inIrish, Finnish, and American folk music In addition to being a fine fiddler and singer, Colin is anaccomplished guitarist Asa recording artist, he hasreleased albums with the bands he co-founded,MAC(Perfectly Manufactured Reality, 2018) and A Thousand Years at Sea (4 releases between 2009-2014) Cards, and Colin Cotter? playingplacessuch asthe Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Celtic Connections, Planet Bluegrass, and theEdmonton Folk Festival. She isalso a member of the Real VocalString Quartet (who composed andrecorded music for a world music Culture Kin project) and she playsduo with award-winning Canadianfiddler, Adrianna Ciccone. Jackson released her debut fiddle record? Möbius Trip? on May 1st, 2019
Irish Music Makers, Continued
TIM HILL (UILLEANN PIPES/FLUTE)
One of the finest uilleann pipers in the US, Tim hasbeen immersed in traditional Irish musicsince he was a small child. Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, he started playing the uilleann pipesat the age of 11 and took up the flute in his early twenties. In 2019, he released his first solo album, Musicat the Gate. In the summer of 2022, Tim wasasked by Na Piobairi Uilleann to teach and perform in theirheadquartersaswell as at Dublin'slegendary music hub The Cobblestone Additionally, he was featuredin the uilleann piping recital at the famedWillie Clancy Summer School in Co. Clare, one of a smallnumber of Americans over the yearsto have done so. After living in the San Francisco area for severalyears, Tim relocated to Portland, Maine, where he continuesto perform regularly
SUMAIA JACKSON (FIDDLE/VOCALS):
Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Jackson was surrounded by many innovative and inimitable coastal string players Throughout her teenage yearsshe played in classical orchestras, youth symphony, and chamber music settings, refining her sound, and winning multiple awardsand competitions. Jackson's musical path widened asshe sought out roots communitieswho played Irish, Scottish, Appalachian, Bluegrass, and Jazz Jackson spent years soaking up tunes and stylesat fiddlecampswhich she still attendsas student, teacher, helper, coach & organizer She holdsa bachelor?sdegree from Berklee College of Music in the American RootsMusic department. Jackson tours all over the world with Jayme Stone?sFolklife, and Laura Cortese & the Dance
The Irish Arts and Entertainment
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