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| Tuesday, November 24, 2009 |
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RECENT
PASSINGS |
Peggy Harpel, born 1925 in Cork, died in Olympia.
Maureen McGranaghan, born 1923 in Co. Monaghan, died in Tacoma.
Catherine Cunningham Merdich, born 1923 in Co. Donegal, died in Tacoma.
Agnes Reding, born 1927 in Co. Tyrone, died in Tacoma.
Joe Feldman, a longtime volunteer with Seattle's St. Patrick's Day Parade, in Seattle.
Virginia Hodges in Portland, the mother of Seattle's Áine McDonald.
Mary Allen, born 1931 in Liverpool to Irish parents, died in Renton.
Stanley Noonan, a well-known entertainer in the Big Band era and the father of Olympia's Carol Klacik, died in California aged 96.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha dílis
May their faithful souls be at God's right hand |
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Read the Seattle News in the most recent Celtic Connection, the voice of Celts around the Pacific Northwest. You can also pick up a copy each month at your local Seattle-area Irish Pub or Restaurant! |
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| IRISH CONSULATE
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| Click to read the latest issue of The Irish Echo. |
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| Rt. Hon. Desmond Guinness |
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The Right Hon. Desmond Guinness who will be Grand Marshal of Seattle's St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, March 13, 2010. |
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IRISH SEATTLE NEWS
FREE MOVIE PASSES - We have 50 free passes for an Irish film screening one week from today, Tuesday, December 1st at 8 pm at Pacific Place Cinemas (6th & Pine), downtown Seattle. LEAP YEAR is a romantic Irish comedy and each pass admits two people, but the seats are not guaranteed. First come first served for passes - email your name, address, and # admissions needed to film@irishclub.org.
DAIDÍ na NOLLAG - Seattle's Irish Community Children's Christmas Party with Daidí na Nollag (Father Christmas), is 1-4pm Sunday, December 6, Maplewood Church Hall, 19523 84th Ave W (on 196th St), Edmonds. Everyone is invited to meet Daidí na Nollag who arrives in his green robes at 2pm. Games and crafts for kids start at 1 pm, and dessert and tea will be provided. To make sure there's a present for every child, please register children in advance (names and ages) by contacting Nanci Spieker at 206-427-3027 or NanciS@IrishClub.org.
MOTHER'S CHRISTMAS - Only a few spots remain for the 2010 Nollaig na mBan (or Mother's Christmas) Dinner on Sunday, January 10 at Mick Kelly's in Burien (435 SW 152nd St). Cocktails 5 PM, Dinner 6 PM, cost $30 pp for the full dinner. This popular event has sold out every year since 2000! For information and reservations, contact CandaceD@irishclub.org or 425-745-1263.
YULETIDE CONCERTS - Magical Strings celebrates 31 Years of Celtic Yuletide Concerts with shows in Shoreline, Spokane, Kent, Friday Harbor, Bellevue, Mount Vernon, Olympia, Portland, Tacoma and Seattle. For all the details, visit www.magicalstrings.com.
SEAN-NÓS FESTIVAL - The Sean-nós Northwest Festival will be held at Evergreen State College, Olympia, January 15 - 16, celebrating and promoting sean-nós singing, dancing, and Gaeilge, the Irish language. Featured artists include Kevin Burke (fiddle), Kieran Jordan (dance), Lillis Ó Laoire (song/language), Maldon Meehan(dance), Alicia Guinn(dance), Sean Williams(song), Bob Burke(language) and David Ingerson(song).
 2010 GRAND MARSHAL - The Grand Marshal of Seattle's St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 13, 2010, will be the Rt. Hon. Desmond Guinness, the great, great, great, great grandson of Arthur Guinness who founded Guinness Brewery over 250 years ago. Desmond is also an expert on Georgian art and architecture and is President of the Irish Georgian Society. He lives at Leixlip Castle in Co. Kildare and this will be his first ever visit to Seattle. For more information on Desmond Guinness, visit www.irishclub.org. DIVERSITY VISAS -The US Diversity Visa Lottery application period ends November 30. Applications are free and can only be made online at the official DV Lottery website, www.dvlottery.state.gov. If you have any questions or need assistance, call Irish Immigrant Support Seattle toll-free at 1-877-517-3559.
THANKSGIVING CÉILÍ- Dance off the turkey and stuffing with Irish céilí dancing at the Vashon Grange Hall, Saturday, November 28. The Vashon Ceili Band (Martin Nyberg, Marilyn Kleyn and Steve Austin) starts at 7pm, Alicia Guinn teaches and calls the dances. Suggested donation is $10 ($7 for students and seniors). For info, call 206-774-4047. See photos from the October Burien Hooley and get the latest information on Irish or Celtic events in the Seattle area, at www.hoilands.com. CONGRATULATIONS - to Austin Dwyer, a Tipperary native living in Mukilteo, on the publication of his first novel, the Ring of the Piper's Tune which has also been optioned for a movie. It's about three generations of a strong Irish family, albeit one with many challenges involving love, wars, death, deception, corruption, determination and personal growth.
CONGRATULATIONS - to RoseMarie FitzSimons on her 6½ minute documentary film about the University District Food Bank. CONGRATULATIONS - to Seattle's Mike Ryan who was recently inducted into the US Adult Soccer Association's Hall of Fame at the USASA Annual Meeting in Mesa, Arizona. Soccer has been Dubliner Mike's life since the 1950s. In Seattle, he coached and helped build the University of Washington men's soccer program, he was the first head coach of the U.S. women's national team, and is still involved in Seattle High School soccer.
BOOK CLUB - The next Irish book club meeting will also be a holiday celebration on December 10th at Mulleadys Pub in Magnolia. The book for discussion is An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor. For more info, contact hudit@comcast.net. IRISH ECHO - The Irish Echo newspaper offers a special one year subscription to IHC members at a discounted rate of $39.95 for 52 issues (normally $50). Contact Madeline O'Boyle at moboyle@irishecho.com or call 1-888-447-4743 - mention code "Seattle Irish Heritage Club Offer".
On November 16, a group of representatives from various Irish organizations met with Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to express their appreciation for the Mayor's support during his terms as Mayor of Seattle. Click the above photo to see more pictures from the meeting.
St. Catherine's Band from Killybegs, Co. Donegal, will be marching in Seattle's St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, March 13, 2010. Click the photo to access the band's Bebo website.
SEATTLE GAELS - The Gaels Annual Awards Banquet will be Saturday, December 5th, at the Elks Club Hall in Lower Queen Anne. This is the end of the year event to have one last toast to the season, hand out awards, etc. Watch www.SeattleGaels.com for details. Then the Seattle Gaels AGM and Elections will be held on Sunday, January 10th. If you are at all interested in being apart of the 2010 committee, or if you just want to see or hear what it's all about, call Terry at 206-234-2141 or email Chair@SeattleGaels.com. AREA CONCERTS / CÉILIS, etc.
For the most up-to-date information on Irish and Celtic events in the Pacific Northwest, visit www.hoilands.com.
* Gaelic Storm performs January 22 at Tacoma's Pantages Theater.
* The ninth Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp, March 8-13, 2010, in beautiful Roche Harbor. Hosted by Randal Bays & Dan Paulson, visit www.fridayharborirish.com for all the details. |
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NEWS FROM IRELAND
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL - Ireland's Foreign Minister recently helped launch a newly formed Irish American Leadership Council at a New York meeting that included representatives from Irish American culture, business, philanthropy, sports, politics, education and media.
US VETERANS - Knocknagoshel (population 700), Co. Kerry, recently honored 10 men buried in the village cemetery who were killed serving as US soldiers in various wars during the last century. The ceremony was attended by the US defence attache to Ireland, representatives of the American Legion and the Irish Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen/women.
GRIFFITH'S VALUATION - The results of Griffith's Valuation of Ireland were published between 1847 and 1864 and detailed maps of all property were included down to individual field level. Those maps can be accessed online at www.askaboutireland.ie. IRISH GRAVESTONE - The body of an Irish immigrant lay undisturbed for 210 years in Manhattan's Greenwich Village until last month, when workers digging below Washington Square Park uncovered his gravestone which reads: "Here lies the body of James Jackson, who departed this life the 22nd day of September 1799 aged 28 years native of the county of Kildare Ireland."
SOURCES DATABASE - Irish books and publications held in libraries around the world have been catalogued online by the National Library of Ireland. Browse The Sources Database for Irish Research to find information about how to access documents held in research centers and universities in Ireland, the US, Britain, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
HAPPY CHILDREN - Irish children are happier and healthier than their neighbors in England, Scotland and Wales. An in-depth survey of almost 20,000 children aged 11-15 looked at issues such as eating patterns, physical activity, substance use and relationships with family and friends.
CHURCH ATTENDANCE - Irish church attendance has increased in 2009. 46% of Irish adults aged 18 and over now attend church weekly while 65% attend monthly. 2008 figures were 42% and 54%. In the 18 to 24 age group, 53% attend monthly as opposed to 31% last year.
MEDIEVAL BRAIN SURGERY - An unknown medieval church and the graves of about 1,300 men, women and children were discovered during road construction in Donegal in 2003. The remains of one young female who lived about 800 AD showed evidence of brain surgery with the skull shows signs of bone growth after having a hole cut into it, meaning the patient survived the surgery!
FISH KILL - More than 50,000 dead starfish have washed ashore at Lissadell beach in Co. Sligo and marine biologists have been unable to determine the cause. A similar event occurred earlier this year when thousands of starfish washed ashore on Youghal Beach in Co Cork.
IRISH CLIMATE - Stating that "Ireland has been warming more quickly than some other parts of the world" and referring to the "overwhelming consensus among credible national and international organisations working in this area", the Irish Bishops have issued a Pastoral letter that calls for individual action to limit "the damaging effects of climate change".
N-D IRISH - The American Irish Historical Society awarded its 2009 Gold Medal award to Father John Jenkins, President of the University of Notre Dame. Fr. Jenkins' speech accepting the award was a wonderful statement of his own and Notre Dame's Irish heritage.
SOCCER CHEATS - Irish soccer supporters and even many French supporters are still disgusted and upset over last week's Ireland - France soccer international when France qualified for the World Cup by beating Ireland with a goal scored following several pretty obvious infractions of the rules including two hand balls. Several major Bookmakers felt obliged to refund any bets placed on Ireland, with bookie Paddy Power refunding almost $375,000.
RENT-A-BIKE - Dublinbikes rental bicycles are so popular that capacity is already being increased. Over 16,000 subscribers have signed up since the temporary bike rental scheme was introduced last month. There are currently 450 rental bikes available from 40 stations located about every 330 yards in the core downtown Dublin area.
CLARE CYCLING - Traveling guide Lonely Planet has listed a cycle route between Miltown Malbay and Doolin in Co. Clare as one of the top 10 cycle routes in the world. The route already attracts 102,000 visitors a year and is worth an estimated $116 million a year to the local economy.
CHARITY HOUSE-BUILDING - 950 volunteers with Irish charity, the Niall Mellon Township Trust, in October constructed 200 low-cost homes in a South African township near Cape Town. Over the past 8 years, the trust has built more than 12,500 houses across South Africa. Each trust volunteer raises €5,000 to cover the cost of their travel and to pay for construction materials.
GAA ANNIVERSARY - 125 years ago on November 1, 1884, a meeting in the billiard-room of "Miss Hayes's Commercial Hotel" in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, resulted in the founding of the "Gaelic Athletic Association for the Preservation and Cultivation of National Pastimes". The GAA, an amateur cultural and sporting organization focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, is now the largest organization in Ireland with over 800,000 members.
BLARNEY DONATION - The 4,000 items in the Blarney Castle Estate archives have now been donated to the Cork City and County by Sir Charles Colthurst of Blarney. The collection contains correspondence, some dating to the 14th century, involving banks, solicitors, agents, tenants and military authorities. The Blarney demesne is now about 1,000 acres and is best known for the Blarney Stone which is said to endow whoever kisses it with the eternal gift of eloquence.
WOMEN QUOTAS - An Irish Senator has proposed candidate quota legislation to bring more women into Irish politics, suggesting that political parties should face fines unless one-third of their election candidates are women. There are only 23 women TDs (Irish Parliamentary deputies) out of 166 total.
MV LAGUNA - Four Irishmen recently sailed 25 miles across the Irish Sea from Ireland to Scotland in a modified Renault Laguna car. Despite persistent sea-sickness, high waves and having to constantly bail water, they refused to abandon their craft until they reached land after a 7 hour trip.
IRISH WOLVES - He spent less than one year in Ireland (1649-1650), but besides brutally killing thousands of the native Irish, Oliver Cromwell was also responsible for the decimation of Ireland's wolf population. The wolf had been in Ireland for at least 20,000 years but substantial bounties for wolf-kills led to systematic hunting and large areas were devoid of wolves by the late 1600s.
GHOST ISLAND - Travel review website IgoUgo has compiled a list of the globe's top 10 ghost towns based on recommendations from its readers. Number nine on the list is the Great Blasket Island, the only European location on the list. Great Blasket Island, off the coast of Kerry, has been abandoned since 1953.
POC HIGH - A group of hurlers from Galway plans to compete in the most remote game of Poc Fada ever played, in the Himalayas. Poc Fada involves striking a hurling ball, usually miles over hilly terrain, with the winner being the one who takes the fewest strikes to cover the agreed distance. For six days, these hurlers will cross the world's highest peaks and play the game along the way, while simultaneously raising funds to build school classrooms in Nepal.
O'PROBLEM - US Transportation Security Administration plans to require passengers' boarding passes to exactly match their IDs - including apostrophes, hyphen and initials - may cause problems for some Irish people since most computer systems don't recognize apostrophes. People with names like O'Brien are usually listed as OBrien which does not exactly match an O'Brien driving license.
ANNIVERSARY COIN - The 125th anniversary of the GAA was marked by the launch of a limited edition silver €15 coin featuring the GAA crest and a figurative representation of Ireland's oldest field sport, hurling. Available at €36 plus postage.
HALL OF FAME - Galwayman Christy O'Connor was recently inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in St Augustine, Florida. O'Connor won 24 titles on the European circuit plus countless wins on the domestic Irish Tour and he has now joined fellow-Irishman Joe Carr among the 130 golfers in the Hall.
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC - Cork has been listed in a new Lonely Planet travel guide as being one of the top places in the world to visit in 2010. The guide says Cork was now "at the top of its game: sophisticated, vibrant and diverse". The Peoples Republic of Cork website has the whole story!
SUPERNATURAL EVENT - The ninth annual World Ghost Convention was held October 28-31 in the spooky confines of Cork City Gaol Heritage Centre. Every year since 2001, paranormal devotees travel from all over the world to attend the society event of the supernatural calendar.
O'CONNELL'S GRAVE - The refurbished crypt of Daniel O'Connell has been reopened at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin after being closed since the early 1970s as a result of a loyalist bomb scare. O'Connell, known as 'The Liberator', died in Genoa in 1847 while making a pilgrimage to Rome and his remains were entombed in the crypt with its 170-foot round tower. ANTARTIC TREATY - As a tribute to Ernest Shackleton, Tom Crean and other Irish polar explorers, Ireland will sign the international Antarctic Treaty to maintain the region as a "continent for science", protect its environment and ensure it remains a non-military zone. 47 states have now signed the agreement.
CLANN CHAOMHÁNACH - The 11th International Gathering of Clann Chaomhánach will be in Bunclody, Co. Wexford, September 15-19, 2010 for presentations and discussion sessions on family history and genealogy. A heartfelt "céad mile fáilte" is extended to all Caomhánachs (Cavanagh, Kavanagh, Kavanaugh, Kavner, Cavana, etc), their descendants, and anyone interested. For details, visit www.kavanaghfamily.com. FIRST ROOTS - Like her husband, US First Lady Michelle Obama also has Irish roots. She is descended from Melvinia Shields, a young slave girl sold for $475 who had children by an Irish-American slave-owner named Shields whose ancestral home is in Ballysheil, Co. Offaly.
KILKENNY CONNECTION - Meanwhile, the US Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney, last week visited St. Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny to view the grave of John Kearney, an Anglican bishop who died in 1813 and who was the great, great, great, great granduncle of President Obama.
KELLY'S SKULL - The skull of legendary Irish-Australian bushranger Ned Kelly, stolen from a display case at the Old Melbourne Gaol in 1978, has now been recovered by Australian authorities. Kelly was hanged in 1880 because of outlaw exploits, despite a petition signed by 30,000 people protesting his execution. He has inspired films, TV series, songs and books - and to many, he is a revered Aussie icon and a national hero. Kelly's father was born in Moyglass, Co. Tipperary. |
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TID BITS
* Ireland is currently experiencing the worst flooding in living memory with the south and west most severely affected. 80,000 people in Cork city are without water service because of flood damage to the city's main pumping station.
* Irish President Mary McAleese recently hosted a reception at Áras an Uachtaráin (the President's official residence) for 50 widows of Royal Ulster Constabulary officers killed during the Troubles.
* Dubliner Colum McCann became the first Irish person to win one of America's most prestigious literary awards when his Let the Great World Spin was the winner of the US National Book Award for fiction.
* The European Court of Justice has ruled that airlines, in most cases, must pay compensation to passengers who are delayed for more than three hours.
* 260 Irish volunteers flew to Haiti last month with the Cork-based charity, Haven, where they spent 5 days building 41 houses, a new playground, an extra classroom for the local school and a basketball court.
* Seven months after it closed, Sweny's Chemists has re-opened in Dublin, again selling the soap famously bought there by Leopold Bloom in James Joyce's Ulysses.
* You can digitally access copies of old books and documents from various Irish libraries at askaboutireland.ie.
* An Irish Times columnist argues that the Irish economy is not as bad as the media proclaim.
* Most people in Ireland have never eaten corned beef and cabbage.
* An Irishwoman has written and produced a DVD, "Horse Racing Syndicates - It Could Be You", to give first-hand advice about becoming a syndicate owner of a racehorse and, hopefully, reaping the rewards.
* 25% of 16- to 17-year-olds in Ireland say they drink alcohol at least once a week.
* There are 110,000 full-time undergraduate students in Ireland.
* It has been proposed to establish a Council of the Irish Abroad to be a representative body for the 70 million people outside Ireland who claim Irish ancestry.
* The new 2,000 square foot Bengal Brasserie on Belfast's Lisburn Road is Ireland's largest restaurant.
* The average age of Catholic priests in Ireland today is 63.
* Despite the worst economic downturn in a generation, 73% of Irish people in a recent survey claim to be optimistic and quite content with their way of life.
* Irish people were surveyed about their favorite sport and 32% preferred hurling and/or Gaelic football, 25% soccer and 24% rugby.
* The Irish Cabinet plans to make deer-hunting with hounds illegal in Ireland.
* Two of every three Irish 18-year-olds attend university, one of the highest participation rates in the OECD.
* During Prohibition in the US (1920 - 1933), Guinness requested approval to import stout from Ireland by declaring it to be a medicine, but the request was denied!
* Badgerwatch Ireland claims that almost 7,000 badgers were slaughtered by Irish Department of Agriculture trappers in 2008 trying to prevent the spread of bovine TB.
* U2's 360º Tour plays Seattle's Qwest Field on Sunday, June 20, 2010.
* The kidnapped 79-year-old Columban missionary, Wexford man Fr Michael Sinnott, was released last week in the Philippines after being held hostage for 32 days.
* The Lisbon Earthquake on November 1, 1775 generated a large tsunami that hit Ireland, partially destroying Galway's Spanish arch and carrying away many people.
* Passengers who turn up at Ryanair airport check-in without their pre-printed boarding cards will in future be charged from €40 to €100 ($60-$150) extra.
* Waterford Crystal will restart production next June, according to the new owners.
* Irish Times has suggestions for enjoying Ireland on the cheap.
* Northern Ireland's Traditional Unionist Voice party has apologized for referring in a press release to the Irish language as a "leprechaun language".
* Notre Dame is the largest center for the study of the Irish language outside Dublin
* A survey of 5,000 women from around the world confirms that Irishmen have the sexiest accent, beating out Italians and Scots for the top spot.
* The Dean of International Education at Maynooth University, Ireland's main Catholic university, is a New York Jew who speaks fluent Irish and is an expert in the anthropology of Irish Catholicism.
* Ireland's Supreme Court has ruled that Portmarnock Golf Club outside Dublin has the legal right to restrict its membership to "gentlemen".
* To mark the 125th anniversary of the GAA, a single ash tree was planted close to the statue of Sir Edward Carson at Stormont, while a further 1,000 trees will be planted elsewhere in the grounds.
* Ireland's drinks industry claims that 1,500 Irish pubs stopped operating in the past five years due to falling demand and stricter enforcement of drink-driving laws.
* 66% of foreign-born people living in the Republic of Ireland were born in England or Wales.
* The first Irish synagogue was built in Dublin in the mid-1600s.
* In 1795, the Orange Order was founded in Dublin, and the Grand Lodge was first opened on Dawson Street in 1798. | |
IRISH PROVERB
Is fearr bothán biamhar ná caisleán gortach.
A cabin with plenty of food is better than a hungry castle.
Lá Altaithe faoi Mhaise! - Happy Thanksgiving!
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ARE YOU A 2009 IRISH HERITAGE CLUB MEMBER? Please show support for Irish activities in the Seattle area by becoming a member. Membership is open to anyone interested in "Things Irish". Dues are $20 (single membership) or $30 (family membership), and you can pay by cash, check, or Secure Credit Card. For more information, email Membership@irishclub.org or visit www.irishclub.org. |
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2009 Members remain in good standing until March 31, 2010 |
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