September Irish Arts and Entertainment Labor Day Week and Seaside Games

Coming To Ventura Fairgrounds

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

Marketing & Sales Director

Jam es McMahon

Writers

Tina Day

Maurice Fit zpat rick

Jim McDonough

John McNally

Barbara Singer

Pat rick Weld

Press Relations

Open; Send let t er or em ail t o Jim e

Graphics/ Ad Design

Jim , & Freelancers

Sales Reps Jim

Layout & Typos Jim

Cont act Us Via Em ail: irishm issive@gm ail com Jim 's Cell: 951 216-1493

More Inside This Issue

We are delighted to be in Warrenpoint, County Down, Norther Ireland this month working on our September issue.

The people hereare exceptionally friendly and helpful and we have been getting exceptional treatment.

This issue marks two very important milestones for us! First, it is our 32nd. Anniversary issue. We started with Volume 1, # 1 in September of 1992 in Santa Monica as a tabloid paper called The Irish News!

Now online: www.irishartsandentertainment.com

Secondly, weare officially growing our reach and becoming a national American Irish digital magazine. We already have subscribers in 20 states and five countries so this change has already been well received!

Our content has always been about great Irish topics so that will remain However, wehave been fairly California-centric on our coverage of events through our years of publishing and that has now changed.

Wewill be writing much moreabout Irish and Celtic Musi cand events around the USA and in Ireland

A comprehensive Irish Groups on Tour Issue (Maybe for January) is being figured out too!

In general, our Calendar will be expanded and our advertising basewill continue to grow.

So please subscribe and also spread the word, tell your family and friends about us Share the link: www.irishartsandentertainment.com

Point being, weneed our readrs to subscribe or re-subscribenow.

We have 2 Subscriber Contests Going On NOW.

You can win a Pair of R?T Air Fare Vouchers from participating Airlines including Aer Lingus in 2025 0r sooner.

In rcent issues, w e have had t hree feat ures t hat generat ed a lot of ext ra int erest ! The feat ure w rit t en by our t ravel & film w rit er Barbara Singer om IMAX Ireland generat ed a lot of int erest and w e have a follow up t his m ont h t o answ er at least som e of t he quest ions.

The Grace Kelly st ories w ere also really appreciat ed and shared m uch m ore t han usual w e even got a link t o t he feat ure on t he Grace Kelly Library and Museum w ebsit e w w w.pgil.m c/

Thanks t o our form er edit or and friend Troy Korjuslom m i for t hat one! In case you m issed it , Here is a link t o our June issueThe lat et issue t o garner a lot of at t ent ion w as our special t his sum m er on Nick Jordan and Wells of Life

We w ill have a lot m ore soon; som e of our readersife has really caught

The Mont hly Calendar for t he Auld Dubliner in Long Beach is on Page 5. They are doing m ore t o keep Irish Music and Dance in t he forefront t han any pub in SoCal so please support t hem ! w w w.aulddubliner.com TRIVIA, w e have a list ! See OnGoing Calendar! Som e of our favorit e Groups, Gaelic St orm and Celt ic Thunder at he ryoung Wolfe Tones are t ouring! See Calendar Section. Our avid & loyal readers w ant t o know about you and your business! Get your m edia kit now : Em ail us at : irishm issive@gm ail.com Or call Jim , our publisher at 951 216-1493

Jim McDonough

SEASIDE HIGHLAND GAM ES, Satur

Sout hern California is t he host t o one of t he nat ion?s best Scot t ish gam es and gat hering called t he Seaside Highland Gam es. This is t he prem ier Scot t ish fest ival on t he Pacific Coast and t his year t hey w ill launch t heir 20t h gam es and gat hering Oct ober 12 & 13, 2024 at t he Vent ura Count y Fairgrounds in t he beaut iful coast al cit y of Vent ura, California w here t he venue is t ransform ed int o a virt ual Scot t ish village Set up against t he t he Pacific coast shoreline, t he fest ival is fort unat e t o enjoy w arm sunny days and light ocean breezes virt ually every year! Oct ober is t he opt im al t im e t o visit and enjoy t hat perfect t im e bet w een sum m er and fall on t he deep blue shores of t he Pacific Ocean!

Part icipant s and guest s of t he Seaside Gam es t ravel from all t he w est ern st at es t o t ake part as w ell as from across t he Unit ed St at es and Canada There are alw ays a few nat ive Scot s t hrow n int o t he m ix t oo! Clans are a very im port ant part of t he fest ival Com e and m eet your Clan fam ily Enjoy t he m usic of t he Highland Bag Pipes in com pet it ion - solo and m any Bag Pipe Bands!

Friday night has an event called "A Scot t ish Evening" consist s of a sum pt uous buffet supper, great Scot t ish m usic, and a Scot t ish fashion show. A Single Malt Tast ing precedes t he dinner w it h a dozen-plus prem ium Scot ch brands t o t em pt you! Cont act Nellie Graham

Low ry at Low ryLines@aol.com for t icket s and inform at ion.

Sat urday noon brings t he gala Opening Cerem onies and Grand Parade of bands and clans for all t o see. A t rue full color t art an spect acle all w ill enjoy! Four st ages of w onderful m usic w ill be playing cont inuously t hroughout t he w eekend feat uring Celt ica, St and Easy and Sligo Rags, The Brow ne Sist er

day and Sunday, October 12

and m ore, w hile nearby t he Highland Heavies, t he braw Scot t ish at hlet es, w ill am aze you. The herding dogs dem os w ill am use and t hrill you and t he dancers of all ages w ill ent hrall you! The Harp Glen is an aw esom e st op and t he World War II m ilit ary encam pm ent w ill t each you a t hing or t hree about our t rem endous hist ory Fine vendors, t ast y Celt ic food and drink w hen t he need arises, and a precious Children?s Glen for t he w ee ones add t o t he am azing offerings. There?s so m uch m ore as w ell.

We invit e you all t o join us at Seaside Park and see it all!

Oct ober 12 & 13 at t he Vent ura Count y Fairgrounds!

w w w :seasidehighlandgam es.org

A Brief Hist ory of t he Irish and Labor In Am erica

The Am azing Cont ribut ions of Irish Born and Am ericans of Irish ancest ry t o t he Labor

Movem ent in t he Unit ed St at es are t he st uff of legends! Here is a but a sm at t ering of t he st ruggles and t rium phs of just som e of t hese heroic people.

THE MOLLY MAGUIERS

Most of us are aw are of The Molly Maguires; t hanks m ost ly t o a classic fict ionalized film of t he sam e nam e. We can st art here w it h t his epic st ruggle!

The Molly Maguires w ere a secret ive Irish-Am erican labor organizat ion t hat em erged in t he ant hracit e coal regions of Pennsylvania during t he m id-19t h cent ury. The group is know n for it s involvem ent in labor act ivsm and oft en resort ing t o violent m eans t o address t he harsh w orking condit ions and low w ages faced by coal m iners.

Background on Mine Ow ners, Wages, and Working Condit ions:The ant hracit e coal indust ry w as a m ajor econom ic force in Pennsylvania during t he 19t h cent ury. The m ine ow ners, w ho w ere prim arily indust rialist s and capit alist s, sought t o m axim ize t heir profit s by keeping w ages low and w orking condit ions poor. Miners, predom inant ly Irish im m igrant s, faced dangerous w orking environm ent s, long hours, low pay, and lack of basic am enit ies.

The Molly Maguires em erged as a response t o t hese dire condit ions Nam ed aft er a secret societ y from Ireland t hat resist ed landlords during t he Great Fam ine, t he Am erican Molly Maguires w ere believed t o have engaged in act s of violence, sabot age, and int im idat ion against m ine ow ners and t heir agent s These act ions w ere seen as a w ay t o fight back against t he

exploit at ion and abuse faced by t he m iners. The Molly Maguires' act ivit ies included at t acks on com pany propert y, int im idat ion of st rikebreakers, and t arget ed killings of m ine forem en and ot her officials. Tensions bet w een t he Molly Maguires and t he m ine ow ners reached a boiling point . The m ine ow ners, support ed by local law enforcem ent and Pinkert on det ect ives, init iat ed a crackdow n on t he organizat ion A series of t rials w ere held in t he 1870s, result ing in t he convict ion and execut ion of several alleged Molly Maguires The t rials w ere cont roversial and m arred by allegat ions of w it ness t am pering and unfair legal proceedings

The heroic and t ragic labor st ruggle of t he Molly Maguires w as brought t o t he big screen in t he 1970 film " The Molly Maguires," st arring

Connery as Jack Kehoe, a charact er based on a real-life figure associat ed w it h t he Molly Maguires. The film direct ed by Mart in Rit t focuses on t he t ensions bet w een t he m iners and t he m ine ow ners, as w ell as t he conflict w it hin t he Irish-Am erican com m unit y about how best t o resist exploit at ion. The film explores t hem es of social injust ice, labor right s, and t he challenges faced by im m igrant w orkers in a host ile environm ent . In popular cult ure and hist orical m em ory, t he Molly Maguires have com e t o sym bolize t he st ruggle for fair labor pract ices and t he lengt hs t o w hich w orkers m ight go w hen faced w it h ext rem e exploit at ion While t here is st ill debat e am ong hist orians about t he exact nat ure and ext ent of t he Molly Maguires' act ivit ies, t heir st ory rem ains an im port ant chapt er in t he hist ory of labor act ivism in t he Unit ed St at es Continued on next psge

ABOVE: Coal Breaker Boys, harsh condit ions and low w ages w ere t he norm . Photo from the Library of Congress, Digit al Archive

Sean

MOTHER JONES

Early Life and Tragedies:

Mary Harris Jones, lat er know n as Mot her Jones, w as born on August 1, 1837, in Count y Cork, Ireland. She w as one of four children in her fam ily. Her fam ily faced econom ic hardship, and as a young girl, she w it nessed t he devast at ing im pact of t he Irish Pot at o Fam ine. In t he early 1850s, she im m igrat ed t o Canada and lat er m oved t o t he Unit ed St at es. She set t led in Michigan and t rained as a t eacher. In 1861, she m arried George Jones, an ironw orker and union organizer. The couple had four children: t w o sons, Terence and Richard, and t w o daught ers, Cat herine and Mary Tragedy st ruck her fam ily in a series of event s The w orst of t hese w as in in 1867 w hen her husband and four children fell vict im t o a yellow fever epidem ic t hat sw ept t hrough Mem phis w here t he young fam ily had set t led Mary herself survived t he illness, but her husband and all of her children died

The young Irish w idow m oved t o Chicago and w orked as a t each and began her act ivism m ot ivat ed by her grief and her desire t i ease t he pain povert y and injust ice t hat she saw , Short ly aft er, in 1871, t he Great Chicago Fire devast at ed t he cit y of Chicago, dest roying m any hom es and businesses, including Mary Jones's ow n This event left her hom eless and facing even m ore adversit y

These t ragic event s had a profound im pact on Mary Jones's life She developed an even st ronger sense of em pat hy and a fierce det erm inat ion t o fight for t he right s of w orkers and t o im prove t heir living and w orking condit ions She channeled her grief and anger int o her act ivism , event ually becom ing one of t he m ost prom inent and influent ial labor organizers in Am erican hist ory She becam e involved in t he labor m ovem ent and organized num erous st rikes and prot est s t o fight for bet t er w orking condit ions, fair w ages, and im proved t reat m ent of w orkers She w as know n for her passionat e speeches and her abilit y t o inspire w orkers t o st and up against pow erful corporat e int erest s and corrupt polit icians

LIVE MUSIC AT THE HARP

Join Us for Live Music Every Friday, Sat urday & Sunday

Saturday and Sunday September 7 & 8

Mother Jones continued

Starting in 1872, Mother Jones dedicated herself to the causeof organizing in theUS Labor Movement Shewas tireless in her work for the protection and rights of workers and against injustice in general Despite facing legal challenges and imprisonment, Mother Jones continued her work as a labor and social activist, advocating for workers' rights and social justice until her death in 1930 Early on in her work, shegained National Prominence In 1902, Mother Jones was called " the most dangerous woman in America" by theWest Virginian district attorney, ReeseBlizzard, during an anti-labor trial. Shehad been arrested on the flimsy chargeof ignoring an injunction prohibiting gathering to protest during a strke, This label was intended to paint her as a radical and agitator

The outcome of thetrial was that Mother Jones was found guilty of violating the injunction and was sentenced to twenty years in prison. However, this harsh sentence drew national attention and widespread public sympathy for her cause. Eventually, her sentence was commuted, and she was released from prison after serving about a year.

Just a few of the early and historically important actions, causes and strikes in which she played a significant role are outlined here. It is amazing that Mother Jones work spanned decades!

Just some of her most notable actions & vcontributions include:

Coal Miners' Strikeof 1902: Mother Jones played a significant role in organizing coal miners during theCoal Miners' Strikeof 1902, which sought to improveworking conditions, reduce work hours, and secure fair wages for miners.

Textile Workers' Strikeof 1903: Jones was a key figurein theTextile Workers' Strikeof 1903 in Philadelphia, whereshe supported thedemands of femaletextile workers for better pay and improved working conditions

Ludlow Massacre (1914):

One of the most tragic events shewas involved in was theLudlow Massacre in Colorado. Shesupported striking coal miners and their families who were living in tent colonies. Theconflict escalated, and theColorado National Guard attack-ed thetent colony, resulting in numerous deaths, including women and children.

Steel Strike of 1919: Mother Jones continued her advocacy during theSteel Strikeof 1919, whereshe worked to organize steel workers and their families in their fight for better wages and working conditions

Child Labor Activism: Jones was also known for her campaigns against child labor. No doubt theloss of her own children made this a very

Cork, Ireland born.

Mary Harris Jones (1837 - 1930)

Beloved Am erican labor leader, know as Mot her Jones

She rem ains a significant figure in t he hist ory of Labor Organizing in Am erica

personal effort Shefirmly believed that children should be in schools rather than working in dangerous and exploitative conditions in factories and mines.Her fierce dedication to workers' rights earned her thenickname " the most dangerous woman in America." Despiteher advanced age, shecontinued to be a powerful forcein labor activism until her death in 1930

There arescores of Irish Born and Irish Americans who have served their country and the American Labor Movement. Here are but a few of these illustrious patriots.

Terence Powderly (1849-1924):

Powderly was an Irish-American labor leader and the head of the Knights of Labor, one of the largest and most important labor organizations of the late 19th century.

James Connolly (1868-1916):

An Irish revolutionary and socialist, Connolly was a leader of the Easter Rising in Ireland in 1916 Healso had ties to theAmerican labor movement through his involvement with the Socialist Labor Party and the Industrial Workers of the World.

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (1890-1964):

Born in New Hampshire to an Irish immigrant family, Flynn was a labor leader and women's rights activist. She was a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and worked closely with the Industrial Workers of the World

Harry Bridges (1901-1990):

An Australian-born labor leader of Irish descent, Bridges was a key figure in the labor movement on the West Coast of the United States. He founded the International Longshoreand Warehouse Union (ILWU) and played a significant rolein improving working conditions for dockworkers.

Michael Quill (1905-1966):

Quill was an Irish-born labor leader who co-founded the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU). He played a vital rolein organizing public transportation workers and advocating for their rights.

GeorgeMeany (1894-1980) and Lane Kirkland (1922-1999):

Both Meany and Kirkland were of Irish descent Meany and Kirkland were influential leaders of the American labor movement who worked closet together for many years Meany was the first president of the AFL-CIO, while Kirkland succeeded him and continued their work to improve labor conditions.

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

BROWNE SISTERS Ret urn To Seaside!

TThe Brow ne Sist ers & George Cavanaugh are LIVE on st age bot h Sat urday and Sunday at Seaside in 2024!

Their silvery harm onies, beaut iful arrangem ent s, and ent ert aining personalit ies have m ade t hem one of t he m ost popular Celt ic m usic groups perform ing t oday. Their set s alw ays include several rousing num bers and a few t radit ional and not so t radit ional ballads, and alw ays a Gaelic song or t w o They are know n for m aking any song t heir ow n, w hile st ill keeping t rue t o t he original w ork

Sist ers Diane, Pam ela, and Laura bring pow erful lead vocals and haunt ing harm onies t o every song, w hile Cousin George's st rong, unaffect ed vocals and original guit ar st yle brings a rich and aut hent ic sound t o each piece.

They have been called " The folk group for people w ho t hought t hey didn't like folk m usic," and have opened for act s such as Andy M St ew art and shared t he st age w it h t he likes of Alex Beat on, Alasdair Fraser, Men of Wort h, Seam us Kennedy and Seven

Don't m iss t he Highland Dance Com pet it ion on Sat urday, Oct ober 12, 2024 Not hing capt ures t he spirit of Scot land bet t er t han t he sight of a Highland Dancing t o t he sound of t he pipes.

Pict ured: World Cham pion & Teacher Em m a Schiff

Celt ica Nova Set For Seaside St age at Vent ura Fairgrounds

Celt ica's hist ory st art ed in 2009 w hen several European and Am erican m usicians got t oget her in Phoenix, AZ t o record t heir first CD ?Rising? and headed t o Grand Canyon and Monum ent Valley for t heir first video shoot The com binat ion of t he t radit ional sound of Scot t ish bagpipes w it h t he pow er of a Rock Band prom ised t o becom e a recipe for quick success.

During t he sum m er t ouring season of 2010 t hey played m ost of Europe's m ajor Celt ic and/ or Scot t ish t hem ed fest ivals, as w ell as m any local Music and Art Fest ivals, t aking t hem t o It aly, Germ any, Sw it zerland, Croat ia, and Aust ria, just t o nam e a few. Their first CD ?Rising? becom es a ?Celt ic? favorit e on European radio st at ions and a hot seller on Int ernet Music out let s

The 2011 season ext ends Celt ica's ?t ouring t errit ory? t o m ore count ries (Net herlands, Slovenia) and even bigger fest ivals, w hile t hey st art w orking on t heir second CD ?Oceans of Fire? Trying t o ext end t heir popularit y ?across t he pond?, t hey st art gaining not oriet y w it h several US and Canadian prom ot ers, leading t o t he planning of t heir first Nort h Am erican Tour for Fall of 2012.

Energized by t heir second CD release ?Oceans of Fire?, Celt ica w as booked solid on t he European fest ival circuit from May t o Oct ober 2012, follow ed by a st ring of appearances in Canada and t he US, including prest igious Celt ic Fest ivals at New Ham pshire Highland Gam es, Canm ore (CAN),

Oklahom a Scot fest , and Pipes in t he Valley (CT).

In 2013, Celt ica perform ed at m any of t he biggest Celt ic Music Fest ivals: Grandfat her Mount ain HGs, Pleasant on HGs, New port Celt ic Rock Fest ival (alongside Dropkick Murphys!), Longs Peak Scot t ish Irish Fest ival, Alaska HGs a m m , in addit ion t o anot her ext ended European t our, including Spain, France, Net herlands, Germ any, and It aly.

A special m om ent in band hist ory occurred w hen bot h t heir CDs sim ult aneously occupied spot s No.1 & 2 in CDBaby's Celt ic Top Seller list .

In 2014, t he release of t heir t hird CD "Legends and Visions" w as accom panied by t heir longest US and EU t ours t o dat e: 59 show s in 8 Mont hs, including renow n "Nort h Texas Irish Fest " , "Galw ay Bay Irish Music fest ival" a.m .m ., and opened up invit at ions t o Sham rock Fest DC and Milw aukee Irish Fest ival for 2015.

It only t ook a few years for Celt ica t o be invit ed t o play t he w orld's biggest Met al Fest ival: W O A in Wacken, Germ any Sharing st ages w it h Judas Priest , Rob Zom bie, and t he Trans-Siberian Orchest ra w as one of t heir 2015 highlight s. Soon aft erw ards, t hey w ere invit ed t o play several of show s on Haw aii, USA, w here a spect acular m usic video w as m ade

CELTICA Continued...

coveted MacDudel Music Award by European Celtic Radio giant "Schottenradio" More than 250000 votes and 4 weekson the top of the Celtic music charts brought thismusic award for the original song "Cape Horn"

2016 wasthe year of their latest Symphonic/Celtic Rock masterpiece, the album "Steamphonia" Featuring classical orchestra arrangementsand a 30 piece choir, a new standard wasset for the bandssophisticated sound, consisting of all original compositions

Italy'sbiggest Celtic Music festival in Montelago wasthe backdrop for Celtica's biggest project in 2017: recording for a live DVD/BluRay with a classical orchestra and choir It wasalso their first appearance at what isconsidered the ?world's largest Irish Music festival?, the Milwaukee Irish Fest

Asmentioned earlier, the live double CD from their epic performance with choir and orchestra wasreleased later in 2017, whereas 2018 brought the long awaited release of their live DVD from the same show

Hartford, CT based promoter Gail McClellan callsCeltica ?THEnew band on the international Celtic music scene?, and she goeson to say, ?I really loved the Celtica CD; their music isvery appealing, they have exciting stage presence, not to mention the fire show which people love; their appearance in the U Sand especially New England isa rare and unique opportunity?.

2020 wason track to bring several new heights, like being part of the ?Release the Craic?n Irish Rock Cruise?from NYC to the Bahamas, but was tragically derailed by the COVID-19 lockdown measures and the ensuing ban on live music events (and cruise ships altogether) The year was used to record and release several more songsand videos and enjoying unprecedented successon Facebook?s ?watch?video page

The fall of 2021 saw the rebound of the live music scene, and with bookingsall throughout 2022, Celtica continued to entertain their fansat USfestivals. Notably, band member Jane Espie wasrecruited to star in ITV?s U K version of ?Game of Talents?(Episode 7), airing on a Saturday prime time slot to 1M+ simultaneous viewers New festivalsinclude the New Mexico Celtic Renaissance festival in Edgewater and the Sun Coast renaissance festival in Sarasota, FL.

The 2022/23 season brought a full touring rebound, with bookingsin CA, TX, AZ, NM, OK, HI, WI, NY, CT, PA, AK, and FL

Their appearance at the inaugural ?Yule Viking Festival?in Eastern Texas(3 weekends back to back) helped the festival be awarded ?Favorite Fantasy/Fairy/Irish/Celtic Festival?at the ?2023 Renaissance Festival Awards?

Links: www.celtica .us

www facebook com/celtic aUS

Spiced Minced beef Kofta with a Tomato, Spring onion, Cucumber Mixed leavesSalad a Pomegranate Drizzle and a minted chilli yoghurt dressing

The Koftas

200 g lean minced beef

1/2 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika

1/2 teaspoon of Cumin

1/2 teaspoon of dried Coriander

1/2 teaspoon of Chilli Powder

2 tablespoonsof dried mixed herbs

1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped)

2 Clovesof garlic (crushed)

1 handful of fresh coriander (chopped)

1 lemon (squeezed and juiced)

Salt and pepper to Season

1 egg(beaten)

A sprinkle of Smoked paprik

First off Make the Koftas2 hours in advance before cooking.Gather a large bowl and combine all the ingredientstogether.

Once all the ingredientshave been mixed together shape into ballsaccording to the size you prefer. My Tip (I made slightly smaller than ping pong balls) then gently roll on the Palm of your hand this Will allow 10 koftas My tip isput on a plate cover with cling film place the Kofta on top and once completed cover again this will help prevent sticking and keep their shape)

Refrigerate for 2 hoursbefore cooking or leave overnight if preferred

The Salad

2 large tomato (halved then Sliced)

4 cherry tomatoes(halved)

1/2 cucumber (cut lengthways and sliced at a angle)

1 Spring onion (rinsed and sliced fine)

1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)

4 handfulsof mixed leaves

Salt and pepper

A drizzle of olive oil to blend the ingredients together

The Yoghurt Dressing

6 Tablespoonsof Natural yoghurt

1 lemon (squeezed and juiced)

1 teaspoon of chilli flakes

1/2 bunch of fresh mint (picked and chopped)

Salt and pepper to season For the dressing mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and leave in the refrigerator

The pomegranate Syrup (available in all good stores) By thisStage you will be ready to Start cooking So Remove the Kofta from the refrigerator and drizzle a little olive/rapeseed or veget

Belf ast Based Ch

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 bot h delight ed and very appreciaat ive t o be associat ed w it h him .

A LL YOUR FA VOURITE TEA BRA NDS FROM the UK & IRELA ND A RE IN STOCK!

The View from Ireland

Em pow ering EU Cit izens t o respond t o Israel

By Maurice Fitzpatrick

Those of us w ho possess an Irish bum ow e a great debt t o Sudocrem The m ult ifarious dem ons t hat assail a baby?s behind, from nappy rash t o bed sores, are all assuaged by t he curat ive cream designed by Dubliner Thom as Sm it h in 1931 Like Guinness, it w as an Irish product unt il it w as not : Teva bought Sudocrem via Act avis in 2016 for ?53 billion ($57 billion) and closed it s Dublin plant in 2022, w hen it began t o produce t he soot hing cream in Bulgaria. I exam ined a t ub of Sudocrem in Dublin t his m ont h and found ? only w hen I peeled off a st icker t hat concealed t he label ? t hat it w as indeed produced in Bulgaria No m ent ion w as m ade on t he t ub of t he com pany t hat ow ns Sudocrem , Teva Is t hat because t he pharm aceut ical giant is Israeli?

Last May, t he European Com m ission announced t hat it w ould require Israel t o add a code, ?Y864? , t o designat e Israeli product s By cont rast , Israeli product s t hat em anat e from t he Golan Height s, East Jerusalem and t he occupied West Bank t errit ories are not perm it t ed t o bear t he code What an im pact t hat has m ade: w e can all rem em ber m om ent s, as w e rushed t hrough a superm arket , becom ing suddenly arrest ed by t he sight of a Y864 code in size 8 ont St ill, it w as a st ep by t he European Com m ission t ow ards recognising t he right s of people t o be educat ed about purchasing product s from a highly cont roversial place So t iny a st ep as t o be alm ost m eaningless, perhaps, but it did creat e a precedent of dist inct rules for Israeli export s ent ering t he EU

There is no end in prospect for w hat is alm ost an apocalypse for t he people in Gaza Prim e Minist er of Israel Benjam in Net anyahu and his cabinet are cont em pt uous of t he UN, and even m ore so of t he applicat ion by t he Int ernat ional Crim inal Court for arrest w arrant s for Net anyahu and his defence m inist er, Yoav Gallant The charges against t hem are for ?causing ext erm inat ion, causing st arvat ion as a

m et hod of w ar including t he denial of hum anit arian relief supplies, deliberat ely t arget ing civilians in conflict ? Palest ine?s Arab neighbours are not st anding w it h Palest ine In t he US, Kam ala Harris claim s t hat she ?w ill not be silent ?but does not specify w hat she w ill say or do And if Trum p w ere t o be elect ed again, t he Palest inians know w hat t hey can expect from him based on t heir bit t er experience of his presidency That leaves Israel?s biggest t rading part ner: Europe 25 6% of Israel?s export s go t o t he EU Europe can and should act If consum ers w ere t o becom e m ore broadly conscious of t heir act ions w hen t hey purchase goods from Israel, t he consequences could be dram at ic So, how m ight t hat happen?

Irish beef is com m only ident ified t hroughout Europe w it h an Irish flag Germ ans buy st eaks on t he basis t hat t he m eat can be t raced t o Ireland?s bevel hills Flags also proclaim t he origin of Sw iss cheese, French w ine and so fort h Miniat ure nat ional flags do not im pose any condit ions: t he buyer decides w het her t o m ake t he purchase, but t hey are explicit ly inform ed of t he product ?s provenance w hen doing so.

Is it not t im e t o put t he Israeli flag on Israeli product s? That is t he sam e flag w orn and w aved by soldiers of t he Israeli Defence Forces as t hey have razed schools, universit ies and hospit als over t he past 315 days (and count ing) in Gaza, during w hich t hey have killed 40,000 people ? t he vast m ajorit y innocent civilians An Irish solicit or, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, form s part of Sout h Africa?s legal t eam in it s case against Israel for violat ing t he UN Genocide Convent ion. She argued in t he Int ernat ional Crim inal Court in January t hat t his is t he ?first genocide in hist ory w here it s vict im s are broadcast ing t heir ow n dest ruct ion in real-t im e in t he desperat e and so far vain hope t hat t he w orld m ight do som et hing There is no safe space in Gaza and t he w orld should be asham ed?

UNICEF has charact erised it as ?a w ar on children? . Consum ers of olive oil and lem ons can decide if t hey are happy t o buy product s t hat cont ribut e t o t he t ax base t hat funds t his slaught er. To quot e t he ironic t it le of a Ken Loach film , It?s a Free World

There is no overest im at ing t he im pact t hat clearly ident ifying Israeli product s w it h it s nat ional flag could have in Europe t oday It could generat e m yriads of conversat ions The debat e w ould surface in rest aurant s, sum m er picnics, school open days and fairs Making Israeli product s visible as such w ould at a st roke do m uch t o illum inat e t he cleavage bet w een a const it uency t hat w ould never buy som et hing Israeli w hile current ly doing so unw it t ingly and t hose w ho are w illing t o support Israel. Assum ing t he preponderance of t he form er, t he recoil from econom ically support ing Israel w ould give a m andat e t o polit icians w hen form ing policy on Israel The Israeli governm ent could claim t hat t he cat egorisat ion w ould set Israel apart from ot her count ries export ing goods int o t he EU Yet t hose count ries have not been found t o be apart heid st at es ? as Israel w as, in a 2022 report com piled by UN appoint ed Special Rapport eur Michael Lynk

A clear m ajorit y of Ireland?s 14 MEPs vot ed against t he re-elect ion of Ursula von der Leyen as President of t he European Com m ission in July In advance of t he vot e, Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan lam bast ed von der Leyen on t he floor of t he European Parliam ent for greenlight ing ? t his genocide? The m ajorit y of Irish MEPs are broadly in agreem ent , as are m any MEPs from ot her EU st at es Are t hese denunciat ions prelude t o act ions t o redeem Europe?s reput at ion? The European Com m ission has in t he past adopt ed report s from t he European Parliam ent and t he European Council regarding food and product labelling. Som e MEPs already have a clear m andat e t o oppose t he m ass m urder and w ar crim es being perpet uat ed in Gaza. It is w it hin t heir gift t o t able a m ot ion in t he European Parliam ent t o insist t hat Israel com plies w it h new regulat ions and, if t hat m ot ion w ere successful, t o put it t o t he European Com m ission for rat ificat ion

President von der Leyen has gone som e w ay t ow ards assum ing t he m ant le In t he days aft er t he horrific at t acks by Ham as on Israeli civilians on Oct ober 7t h, 2023, she aut horised t he light ing up t he European Com m ission w it h t he Israeli flag, m uch t o t he const ernat ion of hundreds of Eurocrat s w ho w rot e an open let t er crit icising her act ion Von der Leyen?s uncondit ional support for Israel could have cont ribut ed, ironically, t o a profound econom ic problem for Israel in it s num ber one export m arket Given t hat von der Leyen has am ply proven her fondness for t he Israeli flag, surely she w ill not hesit at e t o advocat e for it s placem ent on goods?

Even if t he European Parliam ent m em bers t ry and fail, t hey w ould at least engender an int ernat ional conversat ion about Israeli export s t o t he EU and have t he com panies and product s t hat em anat e from Israel read int o parliam ent ary record, w hich w ould be w idely report ed At t em pt ing t o ident ify Israeli product s w it h t he Israeli nat ional flag could be fundam ent al t o raising consciousness in Europe and em pow ering people t o act according t o t heir principles.

As if t o answ er Kissinger ?s fam ous quest ion, ?w ho do I call if I w ant t o speak t o Europe? , new ly re-elect ed

Despair and Gaza are now synonym ous; The bombing and destruction at the last hospital in Gaza, al Sharif has the WHO alarmed/ Thousands of children, woman and men will now die with this fine medical fascility in ruinds.,

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

New s & Com m ent ary

By John McNally

30th Anniversary of the cease-fire Commemoration for the hunger strikers

In August , t housands of Irish Republicans and t heir support ers gat hered in Derry t o honor t he m em ory of Irish hunger st rikers and affirm t heir object ive of Irish Unit y The t radit ion of hunger st rikes is deeply em bedded in t he Irish psyche, t racing back t o t he 1840s w hen Irish people laid dow n at t he doors of landlords and st arved t o deat h during t he Fam ine/ Genocide

The elect oral success of t he 1981 hunger st rikers, t en IRA volunt eers w ho chose t o die rat her t han be t reat ed as crim inals, dem onst rat ed t he significant support and unw avering com m it m ent of t he Irish people t o t he cause of ending Brit ish rule in Ireland These event s underscored t he Republican resolve t o achieve freedom w it h "an Arm alit e in one hand and a ballot box in t he ot her."

It ?s rem arkable t o not e t hat t hirt y years have passed since t he Irish Republican Arm y declared a com plet e cessat ion of m ilit ary operat ions, effect ively bringing an end t o t he arm ed aspect of t he Anglo-Irish conflict , w idely know n as The Troubles. Irish Republicans had m ade t he pivot al decision t o shift t o an ent irely polit ical st rat egy. This m ove w as influenced by President Bill Clint on, w ho, urged on by Irish-Am erica, played a key role in challenging Brit ish censorship of t he conflict and appoint ing a special peace envoy, ult im at ely leading t o t he Belfast / Good Friday Agreem ent

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 .

I w as in Ireland for t he West Belfast Fest ival just before t he IRA announced it s ceasefire in August 1994. Securit y w as, as usual, t ight , but t here w as a palpable sense of change in t he air A fellow Irish Am erican from m y hom et ow n w as det ained and lat er released for refusing t o hand over his cam era aft er t aking a phot o of a Brit ish soldier st anding in front of an Irish Republican w all m ural. There w as an at m osphere of excit em ent am ong t he people of Crossm aglen, Count y Arm agh, w here a friend disclosed t o m e t hat big changes w ere com ing? and t hey w ould be for t he bet t er

This year, t he Irish Hunger St rike Com m em orat ion t ook place in Derry, as t he event is m oved t o a different cit y each year and feat ured a w ide array of act ivit ies. Beginning on Friday w it h a 3k and 5k run, Sat urday had a panel discussion w it h form er hunger st rikers w hich included Raym ond McCart ney and Sile Darragh and lat er a t our of Derry's Republican graves, plus t hose of several vict im s of Bloody Sunday in 1972 Each night , rebel bands perform ed at t he Maldron Hot el, but t he focus of t he w eekend w as a m arch t hrough Derry Cit y st art ing at t he t op of t he Creggan w inding dow n t o t he Bogside, st opping briefly at t he hom es of m art yred hunger st rikers Pat sy O'Hara and Micky Devine, ending at t he Gasw orks w it h a rousing rally and m oving songs The t urnout w as likely affect ed by t he near-const ant rain, but m any not able figures w ere st ill in at t endance

One of t he few living survivors of t he 1981 hunger st rike, Laurence McKeow n, w ho's fam ily aut horised m edical int ervent ion t o save his life on t he 70t h day of his hunger st rike pict ured here w it h John McNally at t he recent com m em orat ion in Derry

John McNally w it h President of Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald, and Nort hern Ireland's First Minist er Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill in Derry

A Night in Novem ber

Writ t en by Marie Jone

The m ult i-aw ard w inning one-person play, set in Nort hern Ireland, cent ers on Kennet h McCallist er, a bored prot est ant dole clerk w ho, aft er w it nessing t he hat red and bigot ry of his ow n com m unit y set s out on a voyage of discovery and redem pt ion Racism , sect arianism , belonging and soccer collide in t his oft en hilarious and deeply m oving exam inat ion of unconscious bias, and nat ional ident it y.

From t he very out set of t his 100-m inut e solo perform ance, Alan Sm yt h engages t he audience w it h his effort less charm and com edic t im ing His abilit y t o inhabit each of t he charact ers w it h care and specificit y has t he effect of t he audience becom ing alm ost unaw are t hat t hey are w at ching a single individual. A Night in Novem ber is a com pelling play t hat offers a surprisingly fresh and unexpect ed insight int o t he conflict s and prejudices of Ireland?s nort h Sm yt h?s st ellar perform ance paired w it h an ext rem ely w ell-craft ed script .

(Running t im e 1hr 40 m inut es, no int erm ission)

The Pico Playhouse- 10508 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Feat uring Alan Sm yt h

Direct ed by Tim Redm ond

CIACLA is proud to be a producing partner of this production.

The Celtic Camer a

We are here looking for you!

Submissions wanted.. send jpeg & caption to: ir ishmissive@gmail.com Page 24

HIGHLAND GAMES in Seaside

w ill present com pet it ions at all levels in t he Heavy At hlet ics! Real crow d pleasers w irh really t ough guys t hrow ing st uff has been t he Seaside prom ise since t he first year!!

September ~ Mean Fomhair 2024

Part Tw o of Greg Pat rick's St ory w ill be published in our Oct ober issue. Greg Pat rick w orked as a horse t rainer earlier in life, He is pict ured here in Haw aii on t he beach w it h one of his favorit e horses.

Top: At t he helm of t he LEADER on t he Irish Sea just off Warrenpoint , Nort hern Ireland

Right: Greet ing t he daw n on t he Irish Sea en rout e t o Belfast .

Below: Arrival, dusk at dockside aft er a day at sea not far from t he Irish coast but an experience root ed far in t he past !

The w ooden ship LEADER w as built in 1892

Phot os by Seb Lat ura

Yet anot her am azing part of m y Spring in Ireland We m et t he ow ners of t he LEADER, w hich is a "Brixham Traw ler Gaff Ket ch" built in 1892 in Gam lm pt om , Devon It is on t he UK

Regist ry of hist oric ships. The ship fished in Brit ish, Irish and Sw edish w at ers for over half a cent ury.

Current ly ow ned by a t rust ; for m uch m ore inform at ion, go t o : w w w.silverylight .org

Int ro t o Irish Language

On-Going

This online class assum es no prior know ledge of t he Irish language; if you have already been exposed t o t , t his class m ay serve as a refresher course on t he basics The prim ary m at erials are "Progress in rish" and "Gaeilge Gan St ro - Low er Level", bot h of w hich m ay be purchased online The course nst ruct or, Jam es Murphy, w ill be circulat ing t he init ial course m at erials as w ell The first few classes w ill focus on pronunciat ion. If you are int erest ed in part icipat ing or w ould like m ore det ails, please em ail us at language@ celt icart scent er.com .

IRISH M USIC News& Reviews

Ireland's The Coronas' new album "THOUGHTS&

OBSERVATIONS"

to be released on September 27

Ireland?spopular band The Coronas, whose trajectory took a curiousdetour in 2020 due to sharing a name with a certain virus, made up for their coronavirus setbacks by supporting Bruce Springst een in front of m ore t han 65,000 people in London?s Hyde Park, playing for President Joe Biden during his visit to Ireland (they previously played for President Obama) and making chart history as the only independent Irish band to have scored three consecutive chart-topping albums.

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.

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

KEN O'MALLEY

Irish Dancers

and so m uch m ore!

Click icon for a brief clip of last year

More Coronas

Known for their high energy live performances, The Coronas were voted #1 Live Act of the Year by Ireland?s Hot PressMagazine Some 20 yearssince forming while still in high school, The Coronascontinue to electrify audienceswith their high energy live showsand refreshingly original recorded work. Their forthcoming 8th studio album,THOUGHTS& OBSERVATIONS, arriving on September 27, isno exception.

Recorded in London, once again with Grammy? award-winning, producer and long-time collaborator George Murphy (Mumford and Sons, The Specials, Ellie Goulding) at the helm , THOUGHTS& OBSERVATIONSisa collection of 12 songsthat lay bare the upsand downsof relationshipsand life via clever, introspective lyricspaired with soaring melodies

The darlingsof Ireland?s large summer festivals, they took time off to perform for Ireland?sOlympic team at Team Ireland House in Paris and will return to the U S for shows in November

www thecoronas net

Wednesdays

The Harp Inn Irish Pub Pour House Trivia Every Wednesday Evening at 7;00pm

Sundays

The Irish Arts & Entertainment

This year w e celebrat ed 32 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 2025, w e w ill fully launch our new ALL THINGS IRISH on Medium .com

Our fledgling w ebsit 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

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