Newsletter Masthead
Saturday, January 21, 2012

 
RECENT
PASSINGS

Steve "The Mayor" Measures, 55, died last week in Seattle. English by birth, Steve lived on the fringes, but he became a character in Seattle's Irish community and was very well liked. A short video was made about him in 2011.

 

Teresa Maher (n�e Quinlan) who died in Co. Tipperary, on January 7, was a sister-in-law of Kay Quinlan of Gig Harbor.

Obit Notice

  

Mattie Fennell who died on January 7 in Kilrush, Co. Clare, was a brother of Ann Fitzgerald of Renton.

Obit Notice

  

Msgr. Martin Skehan, 92, a native of Tipperary, died on January 2 in Moses Lake. Msgr. Skehan came to the Seattle Diocese as a newly ordained priest in 1945, traveling on the same troop ship with Fr. Bill Treacy .

Obit Notice

  

 Peadar Kelly, 79, a native of Donegal and a brother of Ita Bray of Seattle, died recently in England.

 

Mary Fitzgerald, 90, a native of Co. Galway, died in Tacoma on December 31.

Obit Notice

  

Eddie Bray, 81, a native of Dublin who came to Seattle in 1954, died on December 30 in Kirkland, two weeks after the death of his wife Paddy.

Obit Notice

  

John Patrick Rogers, 85, a native of Ballinalee, Co. Longford, passed away in Amboy (north of Vancouver, WA) on December 29.

Obit Notice

  

Larry Hassard, 64, a long time Irish Heritage Club member, died in Snoqualmie on December 16.

Obit Notice

 

Patricia "Paddy" Bray, a former Treasurer of the Irish-American Club and husband of Dubliner Eddie Bray, died in Kirkland December 15.

Obit Notice

   

Samuel J. Kelch, 70, a native of Dublin, died in Kent on December 9.

Obit Notice

 

Evelyn Armstrong, 86, who died in Sequim on November 22, was a native of England who grew up in Dublin.

Obit Notice

 

Ar dheis D� go raibh a n-anamacha d�lse 
 

May their faithful souls rest at God's right hand

 

 

The Celtic Connection
 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!

 

IRISH CONSULATE

San Francisco

Irish Harp

Click to visit the website of the

Irish Consulate in San Francisco

 

 

 

Irish Consul

Contact John Keane, the Honorary Consul of Ireland in Seattle, for help with Irish Passports (renewal, new,  or emergency travel document), for information on getting Irish citizenship, or for any other Irish consular service in Washington State.

 

Irish Passport

Are you eligible for Irish Citizenship or for an Irish Passport?

 
 
IRISH WEEK 2012
Irish Week Poster
Click the Poster for information on all the events 

2012 Ireland Trip
Cliffs of Moher

Join us for a visit to DUBLIN and GALWAY, Ireland, this coming September. Click the photo for more details.

Seattle
 Area Irish Resources

 

Click the Photos below for listings and contact information

Irish Festival

Irish Dancing Schools

 

 Fiddle

Irish Musicians, Classes and Sessions

 

Irish Language

Irish Language Classes

 

Claddagh Ring

Irish Imports

 

Guinness Pint

Irish Pubs and Restaurants

 

Shamrock

Other Irish Links

  
Click the Photos above for listings and contact information
  

Seattle
Area Irish Resources

Jopin Our Mailing List 

Join Our Mailing List!

 

Facebook 

Join the Irish Heritage Club on Facebook

 

Interested in studying in Ireland?

Ireland Study
Click photo for more information

 

Should you become a US Citizen?
Green Card
Even though you have a Green Card, there are some mighty good reasons why you should become a US citizen!
  

Interested in Living or Working in Ireland?

Images of Ireland
What you need to know before you should consider moving to Ireland.

 

FAMILY VISAS 

Liberty
For information on some of the different ways to get a US Visa for family members, visit irishseattle.com.

 

 

Hugh Murray 

HUGH MURRAY, R.I.P.

Galway Traders' Hugh Murray died in Seattle last week following a long illness. Born in New York to parents from Co. Mayo, Hugh and his "War Bride" Evi opened the Galway Traders Irish Imports store in Ballard in 1983 in an old home "with shamrocks kindly carved in the eaves by the Irish contractor who built it in 1912". They treasured and promoted Irish music, the Irish language, Irish books, and Irish culture in general. They burned turf in the fireplace and a cup of tea welcomed one and all. Interest in Irish culture grew in Seattle because of their efforts, and Seattle's Irish community has now suffered a great loss. We extend our deepest sympathy to Evi, their three children and other family members. Hugh's Wake / Celebration / Music Session will be on Sunday, February 5, from Noon- 2pm at F. X. McRory's, Occidental and S King St, Seattle. All are welcome.

IRISH WEEK NEWS

2012 St. Patrick's Day

Parade Marshals

 Mike Reagan

The Grand Marshal of Seattle's 2012 St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 17 will be Michael Reagan of the Fallen Heroes Project. A Vietnam Veteran whose grandfather was born in Co. Cork, Mike was a noted professional portrait artist for over twenty years who did portraits for President Reagan, Pope John Paul II, Bob Hope, and many others. But he gave it all up in 2003 to start the Fallen Heroes Project to honor soldiers who lost their lives in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He provides each Gold Star family who requests one a free hand-drawn portrait of their deceased family member. To date, he has provided over 2,800 portraits to the families of deceased soldiers across the US and to families in Canada and Britain. He has also agreed to exhibit some of his portraits at the 2012 Irish Festival at the Seattle Center. Watch this 2010 CNN Report on the Fallen Heroes Project.

Fr. Tony Haycock 

Seattle's 2012 Parade Honorary Grand Marshal will be Fr. Tony Haycock. A native of Liverpool, Fr. Tony is a 75-year-old Catholic Priest who spent many of his early years in Co. Wexford where his mother was born. A talented Irish musician, he is very well-known and respected in Seattle's Irish community. He retired in 2011 as chaplain to the Port of Seattle and as Director of the Catholic Seaman's Club, the longtime institution in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood that caters to seamen from around the world. In 2006, he received the Maritime Achievement Award from the Propeller Club, Port of Seattle Chapter, the first time in 60 years that a chaplain was given the honor. He is also Parochial Vicar at St. Mary's Church which runs a food bank that feeds over two thousand people on a weekly basis.

 

 Irish Week Poster 

IRISH WEEK MEETING - An Irish Week Planning meeting will be held on Sunday afternoon, January 29, at 4 pm at Assumption Church Hall, 6201 33rd Ave NE (north of University Village), Seattle. The 4 pm meeting time will permit you to afterwards attend the Finn MacGinty benefit concert! If you can volunteer to help during Irish Week in March, please try to attend. However, if you cannot make the meeting but are still willing to help in some way, with the Parade, the Irish Festival, another Irish Week event, etc., please email your name and contact information to [email protected]. Candace will contact you to identify where you can help and the times you are available. See www.irishweek.org for a full listing of the 2010 Irish Week events.

  

Soda Bread

IRISH SODA BREAD COOKING CLASS, 1 - 5 pm, Saturday, February 18, at St. Patrick's Church Hall, 2702 Broadway Ave E (just off I-5 at Roanoke St), Seattle. Master Soda Bread Bakers Kaileen Shriane-Travis and Mary Shriane will demonstrate how to bake great soda bread, and nutritionist Maureen Keane will speak to the nutritional value of Irish food. $10 per person and you bring home your own loaf! For all the details and reservations, visit Irish Soda Bread Cooking Class, call Kaileen Shriane-Travis at 425-741-2527, or email [email protected].

 

Irish American Shamrock

IRISH GENEALOGY CONFERENCE - Sunday, March 11, 2012, 9 am - 5 pm, Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 NW 67th St (in Ballard), Seattle. Fintan Mullan, Director of AncestryIreland.com, aka The Ulster Historical Foundation, and Brian Trainor, former Director of Northern Ireland's Public Records Office, will present a full day seminar and workshop on Irish Genealogy. Cost is $45 per person ($40 before February 1) which includes a box lunch prepared by Classic Catering. For more information, visit IrishClub.org or email [email protected].

 

PORTLAND GENEALOGY - On Monday evening, March 12, Fintan Mullan and Brian Trainor will also present a three-hour Genealogy Seminar and Workshop on Irish Genealogy at the Oregon Stamp Society Building, 4828 NE 33rd Ave, Portland. For tickets and more information, visit brownpapertickets.com.  

 

FESTIVAL LOCATION - Note that Center House at Seattle Center will be closed for renovation in early 2012 which means that the 2012 Irish Festival will be held in the Seattle Center's Exhibition Hall on Mercer St at 3rd Ave (directly across from the Mercer St parking Garage). Click to see a map of the location.

 

PROGRAM ADVERTS - 10,000 copies of Seattle's Irish Week Program will be distributed this coming March. To place your ad in the publication (see the 2011 Irish Week Program), contact Tammy Greenaway at 206-461-1303 or [email protected], or view the Ad Sheet.

 

For a listing of all of Seattle's Irish Week 2012 events, visit www.IrishWeek.org.

 OTHER SEATTLE IRISH NEWS

 

Finn MacGinty

HELPING FINN - Irish musician Finn MacGinty lived in Seattle for about 20 years until four years ago when he moved back to Ireland. While here, he played with many local musicians, but especially with The Suffering Gaels, Setanta and Crumac. He recently suffered a severe brain injury in a fall at his home in Tipperary and is in a coma since the accident. A benefit concert to help Finn and his family is being held in Seattle's Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave NW, Sunday, January 29 starting at 5 pm. It's also a chance to hear some fantastic Irish music by local musicians including Leo MacNamara, Aurora Burd, Ray Carney, Randall Bays, Tom Creegan, Paul Mooney, Laura Ploudre and more! Suggested donation: $20. A similar benefit is also being held in Portland at the Alberta Street Public House on Sunday, February 5 at 4 pm.

 

Irish Network Seattle Logo 

IN-SEATTLE TALK - Irish Network Seattle invites you to the UW's Paccar Hall, Deloitte Lounge, on Thursday, February 2, at 6 pm to hear Hugh O'Doherty talk on Leadership in Tumultuous Times. A native of Northern Ireland, Hugh is a faculty member at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and has been involved in many executive leadership programs internationally, including at the University of Maryland. He also was Program Director for four years at the Glencree Center for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Also attending will be Barry O'Brien, Vice Consul of Ireland for the western US. To register for the talk, visit irishnetworkseattle.org.

 

Dave McCourt

SENIORS' HISTORY TALK - An Irish History Talk for Seniors (and anyone else interested!) will be given at 12 Noon on Saturday, February 11, at the Wilde Rover in Kirkland (111 Central Way), by David McCourt, retired professor of Irish and American History at Everett Community College. Entitled "What Led to the Easter Rising and Ireland's War of Independence?" the talk will cover Irish History from the Famine years of 1845-52 until 1916, and will last about 45 minutes. Organized by Irish Immigrant Support, admission is Free and all are welcome! Attendees will also be able to order from the Wilde Rover's regular menu. For more details, call Aidan at 425-823-5295 or email [email protected].

 

Pipers Club Concert

IRISH PIPERS TION�L (ASSEMBLY) - The 2012 West Coast Irish Pipers Convention featuring Pipers Denis Brooks from Ireland, Jerry O'Sullivan from New York, numerous West Coast Pipers, and other musicians like Fiddler Randall Bays and flautist Leo McNamara, will be held the weekend of February 18-19 at St. Benedict's School, 4811 Wallingford Ave N, Seattle. The Irish Pipers Club has been hosting this unique cultural gathering since 1982 as a showcase for the Uilleann (pronounced ill-in) pipes, Ireland's unique bagpipe. Workshops on the pipes and workshops by masters in fiddle, flute, and tin whistle will be available both days. The weekend's highpoint is a concert on Saturday evening in the school auditorium. Register for the Tion�l classes and/or concert at eventbrite.com.

 

IRISH BOOKS - The Irish Book Club will read Twenty Years A-Growing by Maurice O'Sullivan for its next meeting. Originally published in 1933, in Irish as Fiche Bliain ag F�s and simultaneously in English, it is the author's memoir of growing up on the Great Blasket Island off the coast of Kerry. In 1953, the last inhabitant left the island which was once Ireland's most westerly settlement. The book club's next meeting is Tuesday, March 27 at 7 pm - contact [email protected] for details.

 

KNIGHTS NIGHT - A great crowd of about 250 people attended his year's Irish Night at The Knights dinner, dance and auction which raised over $30,000 for the Food bank at Seattle's St. Mary's Church. In these tough economic times, St. Mary's Food Bank has been serving an average of 2,000 clients weekly and the money raised was really needed to help keep the Food Bank running. Kudos to John O'Malley and his crew for another great job organizing this now annual event.

Jack Geary

2011 IRISHMAN - Jack Geary, proprietor of Seattle's Owl 'n Thistle Irish Pub and the Galway Arms, was presented with the 2011 Irishman of the Year Award at the Irish Night at the Knights dinner and dance. Jack has been involved in the Seattle's area's Irish community since he arrived here from Boston in the early 1990s. A Galwayman, Jack is a good friend of Ireland's new President Michael D Higgins since the days they studied together at University College Galway and they most recently met in Galway last summer. A former Chair of the Seattle Gaels GAA Club, Jack is also a noted musician and is still the lead singer for the Owl 'N Thistle Band. Congratulations to a great gentleman on a well-deserved honor.

 

HANDS-4-BRIDGE - 2012 marks the 10th year of Hands for a Bridge at Seattle's Roosevelt High School. You're invited to a celebration dinner on Friday, January 27, at 6 pm, with music, dance, special guest speakers, and presentations on HFB past, present, and future. The Hands for a Bridge Foundation works to support students from Roosevelt High, two High Schools in Capetown, South Africa, and Oakgrove Integrated College in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland. For more information visit www.handsforabridge.org.

 

MARY RAFTERY - The death has taken place in Dublin of renowned investigative journalist and broadcaster Mary Raftery, whose brother Adrian is a Professor of Statistics and Sociology at Seattle's University of Washington. Mary was best known for the 1999 Irish TV documentary series that exposed child abuse in Ireland, revealing the extent of physical and sexual abuse suffered by children in Ireland's industrial schools. A tenacious journalist, she also focused attention on the concealment and gross-mishandling by Bishops of the priest sex abuse scandal, and did expos�s on the Magdalene laundries, medical negligence, deaths in Garda (Police) custody and the activities of property developers. Above all, she was a tireless seeker of the truth.

 

JOE HEANEY - Watch the late Joe Heany (Seosamh hEana�) singing in Irish in a 1982 Irish TV program. Born in County Galway, Heaney was Ireland's most famous sean-n�s (old-style) singer, composer, and storyteller. He moved to the US in 1966, and in 1980 became artist in residence and teacher of sean-n�s singing at Seattle's University of Washington. He died in 1984 and his Seattle legacy includes the UW's Joe Heaney Collection, the most heavily used collection in the UW Ethnomusicology Archives.

 

 Ireland_National_flagErin Go Bragh FlagShamrock FlagShamrock Flag

IRISH FLAGS - Buy any Irish-themed flag from our Seattle partner, C. Anderson & Co. Custom Flagmakers, and they will make a donation to the Irish Heritage Club to support our Irish Week activities.

 

  Dublin Banner

The initial deadline may have passed but you can still join us on the Trip to Dublin and Galway, Ireland, this coming August and September. Click for more information. 

Seattle Galway 2012 Trip

 

MISC IRISH/CELTIC EVENTS

  • If looking for Irish entertainment for around St. Patrick's Day, make sure to check out the Irish Heriatge Club's listing of Seattle area Irish Dancing Schools and Irish Musicians.
  • Celtic Singer Colleen Raney at the Thumbnail Theater, 1211 4th St, Snohomish, Saturday, February 18 at 7:30pm
  • Jim Malcolm, on a US tour from Scotland, performs in Duvall Friday, February 10, 7:30 PM. Tickets $15 at duvallculture.org.
  • Note that the 2012 Friday Harbor Irish Music Week has been cancelled. 

For the latest information on these or other Irish or Celtic events in the Pacific Northwest, visit Hoilands.com.

NEWS FROM IRELAND

 

IDA RESULTS - The IDA, the Irish Development Authority, is charged with encouraging foreign-based companies to invest in Ireland. In 2011, the IDA secured an additional 148 investments in Ireland, and the number of people now directly employed by IDA companies in Ireland is about 146,000. IDA companies spend almost $25 billion annually in the Irish economy, and are responsible for two-thirds of business-spend on research & development.

 

MOVABLE FEAST - Because St. Patrick's Day 2012 falls on a Saturday, the White House celebration of St. Patrick's Day will this year be held on Tuesday, March 20. This now annual event features the President receiving a bowl of shamrock from the Irish Taoiseach (PM), while the evening party will include President Obama and the First Lady, former president Bill and Hillary Clinton, numerous US and Irish politicians, and other dignitaries. The day will also include the traditional luncheon in honor of the Taoiseach hosted by the Speaker of the House, John Boehner.


GUINNESS EXPANSION - Diageo, the conglomerate that owns Guinness, will invest almost $200 million to build a new Guinness brewery at its famous St James's Gate site in Dublin. The new brewery
will produce more than 1.2 billion pints a year, 40 percent more than the current maximum capacity, all on the spot where Arthur Guinness began brewing Ireland's famous stout in 1759.

 

BUSY DUBLIN - More than 500,000 people access Dublin city center each day - 235,000 workers, 45,000 students, 120,000 shoppers or other visitors, and 116,000 inner city residents. Projections for 2020 suggest the numbers will be 350,000 workers, 70,000 students and 180,000 residents.

 

TECHNOLOGY SALE - Cartrawler, an Irish company based in Dublin with a small office in Seattle, recently was purchased by UK private equity firm ECI Partners. The company provides car-hire booking software to airlines, travel agencies and the tourism trade, and over 500 car hire firms, including global giants Avis and Hertz, currently use their software.

Boyne Bridge

McALEESE BRIDGE - Former Irish President Mary McAleese has agreed to have the Boyne bridge on the M1 motorway named in her honor. The proposal from the Meath County Council seeks to recognize her efforts to bring together the different communities and traditions in Northern Ireland which was a major focus of her 14 years as president. Opened in 2003, the landmark cable-stay bridge on the Dublin-Belfast motorway spans the Boyne river near Drogheda, and overlooks the location of the 1690 Battle of the Boyne.

 

HUNGER STRIKE DIARIES - The full text of the 'red book', intermediary Brendan Duddy's handwritten account of the 1981 hunger strike negotiations, has now been made available online by the University of Galway as part of the Brendan Duddy Archive.The papers include coded diaries as well as messages exchanged between the British Government and the Provisional IRA leadership, and provide a unique insight into the Troubles.

 

IRA INTERVIEWS - A US court has ordered Boston College to hand over to British authorities tapes of interviews with former IRA member Dolours Price, although the order is temporarily blocked pending an appeal. As part of a research project, Price was one of 26 former IRA members who gave a series of interviews to BC researchers between 2001 and 2006 on condition that the material would not be released until after their deaths.

 

CENTENARIAN BOUNTY - In 2011, 368 Irish-born centenarians, 154 of whom live outside the Irish Republic, received a gift of €2,540 ($3,214) from Ireland's President on their 100th birthday. The Centenarian Bounty is a national award made to Irish-born people who have reached 100 years of age. On each subsequent birthday, the person also receives a special commemorative coin in a presentation box, along with a congratulatory letter signed by the President.

 

DIASPORA VOTING - Many countries, including the US, have global parliamentary constituencies that permit their citizens living abroad to vote. Ireland is not one of them, and now some members of the Irish Diaspora are organizing a petition in support of Voting Rights for the Irish Living Abroad. The petition will be submitted to the Irish Government on July 1, the 75th anniversary of the adoption of Ireland's Constitution. Irish Citizens are invited to add their names at change.org/petitions.

 

IRELAND STORY - The Story of Ireland DVD is a BBC Northern Ireland TV series, co-funded by Ireland's RTE TV, which charts the turbulent changes in Ireland from early prehistoric communities to the present day, and also shedding new light on Ireland's relationships with Britain and continental Europe. This series sees Ireland as an international island which is both changed by, and helps to change, the world beyond her shores. The DVD will be released for sale in the US on February 21.

Comm. Barry gate

BARRY GATE - The pedestrian gate at the US Naval Academy's visitor center in Annapolis, MD, has a new archway honoring Commodore John Barry. Born in Wexford, Barry served his adopted country in the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War. He captured 20 British ships, was seriously wounded, and fought in the last naval battle of the Revolutionary War in 1783. 14 years later in 1797, President George Washington presented Barry with Commission Number One in the newly formed United States Navy. At his death in September 1803, Barry had served as head of the US Navy under Presidents George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

 

SCHOOL VIDEO - Friends' School Lisburn in Co. Antrim, one of four Quaker Schools in Ireland, was the Northern Ireland School of the Year in 2011. Now the High School has a Glee-type music video with about 1,000 students and faculty lip syncing and dancing their way around the school building.

 

GAEILGEOIR SOLDIER - Sergeant Seamus Fennessey ( Fianghusa) is an Irish-speaking US soldier now fighting in Afghanistan. A member of the famed 69th 'Fighting Irish' regiment in New York, he is the son of an Irish father and Korean mother and was raised in Brooklyn. Ireland's TG4 Irish language TV station did a story on Seamus on Monday night. 

 

BUSKER BONO - On Christmas Eve, U2's Bono busked with Damien Rice, Glen Hansard and Liam O'Maoili on Grafton Street, one of Dublin's busiest shopping thoroughfares, to raise money for two nonprofit groups  providing services to the homeless. Hansard became famous playing a busker in 2007's film Once, and Bono and Hansard also busked together for charity in 2009 and 2010. Watch them performing Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)".

 

FBI TRAINING - The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has held talks with the PSNI (Northern Ireland's Police Force) about using the PSNI facilities at Desertcreat in Co Tyrone when they open in 2015. The $216million facilities on a 250-acre site will be used for anti-terrorism and public order training.

 

MAJORITY TOGGLE? - Northern Ireland's 2001 census reported 53.1% of the population as being from a Protestant background and 43.8% from a Catholic background. However, current figures from Northern Ireland's schools show 120,415 Protestants and 163,693 Catholics, and at third level 20,995 Catholics (59.3%) and 14,410 (40.7%) Protestants. The 2011 census figures will be known later this year.

 

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM - The Irish Way Program, organized by the Irish American Cultural Institute for the past 37 years, has sent more than 3,000 high school students to Ireland on a summer study-abroad program to study the history, arts and culture of Ireland while also having a great time. For more details, visit www.irishway.org.

 

UCD PROGRAM - University College Dublin has launched a summer program for high school students from July 12th - 27, and consisting of an Irish studies course and a variety of field trips and social activities. On-campus housing will be provided for all students in single rooms in UCD Residences. For information, email [email protected]
 

CHARITABLE IRISH - Ireland has been ranked the most charitable country in Europe and the second most charitable nation in the world behind the USA. The 2011 World Giving Index reports that 75% of Irish people donated money to charity in 2011 while 38% volunteered their time each month. Ireland also had the highest percentage of residents who said they had "helped a stranger" the previous month, at 65%. Last year, Ireland was in third place internationally in the index.

Nast anti-Irish Cartoon
Nast Cartoon captioned: The Usual Irish Way of Doing Things

NASTY NAST - The Irish anti-defamation league has attacked the New Jersey Hall of Fame for nominating Thomas Nast for inclusion in their list of inductees. Qualifications include being a "significant and powerful role model"! While Nast was the cartoonist who created the modern visuals of both Santa Claus and Uncle Sam, he routinely portrayed the Irish as drunken apes. His images contributed significantly to the "No Irish Need Apply" signs that were common in the late 1800s and to the stereotypes that remain even today. Nast also penned cartoons which were degrading to Italians, Germans, and other ethnic groups who are also complaining about the nomination. You can voice your concerns to the Hall of Fame Executive Director at [email protected].

 

IRISH CLANS - The Great Irish Online Clan Gathering (operated by the Irish Clans Network), is an effort to connect and engage all those people throughout the world who have an Irish surname at least within their family tree. The Irish Clans Network is an official registrant of Irish Clans as an authoritative network involved in promoting the learning, understanding and impact that each Irish Clan has contributed to the world.

 

CALLING KAVANAGHS - Clann Chaomh�nach, representing the Cavanaghs, Cavanaughs, Kavanaghs, Cavanas , Kavners and numerous variations of the name, hosts their next biennial International Gathering from September 12-16 at the Millrace Hotel in Bunclody, Co. Wexford. The program will include bus tours, genealogy, clan DNA and clan history presentations, Irish musical and dancing evenings and above all, great craic. Details from [email protected] or at kavanaghfamily.com.

James Hoban $1 Coin

WHITE HOUSE COIN - In 1992, the US Mint issued a commemorative coin for the White House Bicentennial, a Silver Proof Dollar celebrating the 200th anniversary of the White House. The coin's reverse motif is the image and name of James Hoban, the Irish-born architect of the White House. Born in a thatched cottage near Callan in Co. Kilkenny, Hoban rose from journeyman carpenter and wheelwright to become the architect of the world's most famous house. He started the project in 1792 and by 1800 the exterior of the residence looked finished. However, it took two more years to complete the interior's architectural details.

 

WHISKEY SALE - US spirits company Jim Beam has purchased Cooley Distillery in Co. Louth, for $95million. Among the Cooley Irish Whiskey bands are Tyrconnell, Connemara, Kilbeggan and Greenore, and the purchase also includes the oldest licensed distillery in the world in Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath. Sales of Irish whiskey globally have soared in recent years with 4.86 million cases sold in 2010.

Kilbeggan Whiskey 

OLDEST DISTILLERY - Kilbeggan claims to be the oldest licensed distillery in the world having continuously held its license since 1757. The Old Bushmills Distillery also claims to be the oldest surviving licensed distillery in the world, having received a license from James I in 1608. However, the Bushmills company was not established until the late 18th century.

 

TULLAMORE DEW - Tullamore Dew is the world's second largest and fastest growing Irish whiskey, selling almost 8.5 million bottles worldwide in 2011. The whiskey distillery was founded in Tullamore, Co Offaly, in 1829, and the name derived from the initials of the manager, Daniel E. Williams or D.E.W.

 

90 YEARS AGO - On January 7th, 1922, Ireland's D�il (Parliament) ratified the Anglo-Irish Treaty by seven votes, 64 to 57, officially bringing to an end the Irish War of Independence.The treaty had been signed by envoys in London on December 6, 1921. The split over the Treaty eventually led to the Irish Civil War (1922-23) during which the treaty's two main Irish signatories, Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins, both died. Now an exhibition in the Irish National Archives for the first time displays original Irish Government records from that period.

 

RT� HISTORY - Ireland's public radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular TV broadcasts began 50 years ago on December 31, 1961. Today's RT, which started as 2RN, and later became Radio �ireann and RT, is one of the oldest continuously operating public service broadcasters in the world. Until 1960 the broadcaster operated under the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, and its employees were directly employed by the Irish Government and regarded as civil servants.

Colleen Bawn

IRISH SILENT FILMS - A Trinity College project has made available online for the first time nine Irish Silent Films, made in Ireland and America between 1910-1915. Five of the films deal with Irish historical figures and are set mainly during the 1798-1803 period. One is the first Irish migration film, The Lad from Old Ireland (1910) and others are adaptations of well-known Irish literary works.

 

WILDE'S TOMB - During the 1990s a tradition developed of kissing the tomb in Paris of Irishman Oscar Wilde, but the lipstick started to damage the stone. The renovated tomb is now protected by a glass shield.

 

MASTER McGRATH - Whelped in Co. Waterford in 1866, Master McGrath was a greyhound who won 37 of his 38 races, including a hat-trick of successes in British coursing's top race, the Waterloo Cup. In 1869, 12,000 people were present when the Irish dog beat the unbeatable Scottish champion. Although Master McGrath died in 1871, he is remembered today with a monument in Dungarvan, a ballad called Master McGrath, a mention in Finnegan's Wake, and a row of houses in London with a plaque identifying them as "Master McGrath Terrace".

 

IRISH EXECUTIONS - Ireland's last execution by hanging was in 1954 when capital punishment was effectively abolished. All 20th-century Irish hangings were carried out by members of the Pierrepoint family from Yorkshire, England, who travelled to Ireland to hang 35 murderers between 1926 and 1954. The standard hangman fee was �10 (about $120 in 2011 money), later increased to �15, but the Irish government was never able to find a local hangman for the job. Murderers in Ireland today receive a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, and while the sentence lasts for life, not all of the life sentence is generally served in prison custody.

 

MILITARY ARCHIVES - Ireland's Defence Forces have recently put the country's Military Archives online at www.militaryarchives.ie. As the depository for records of the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and the Army Pensions Board, the Archives holds the personnel records of those who served in Ireland's military from 1922 to the late 1970's, as well as material pertaining to the Irish Volunteers and the War of Independence, 1913-1921. Maybe that uncle actually did serve in 1916!

 

SLAVE PORT - Sullivan's Island in Charleston Harbor became the disembarkation port for over 40% (around 200,000) of the slaves shipped to Britain's North American Colonies, making it the largest slave port in North America. It is estimated that nearly half of all African Americans have ancestors that passed through Sullivan's Island. The island is named for Florence O'Sullivan from "Kingsayle", Co. Cork, who came to Charleston as Captain of one of the first ships that arrived in the area in 1670. He later served as lighthouse keeper on the island.

 

PUFFIN ISLAND - Atlantic puffins, also called "sea parrots", are odd looking birds that live only in the North Atlantic Ocean. Recent studies have discovered that Skellig Michael's population of tiny puffins (make sure to listen to the Puffin Call) fly every autumn several thousand miles to the east coast of Canada and the US, and to Greenland, before returning to Kerry the following spring. The birds are "nest-faithful" tending to return to the same burrow each year. 

ID BITS

  • In 2011, Ireland exported to the USA goods worth a record $35.6 billion and imported in return goods worth $6.8 billlion.  
  • According to the 2010 Census, 34,669,616 US residents claim primarily Irish or Scotch-Irish ancestry, while in Washington state, 878,411 Washingtonians or 13.08% of the state's population, did likewise.
  • Future US Census forms will list Irish, Scotch-Irish, and Irish-Scotch as three separate ancestry definitions in their annual community surveys. The distinction between Scotch-Irish and Irish-Scotch is unclear.
  • Ireland's Central Bank will issue a special €10 commemorative coin to mark the 90th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins who was killed in an ambush at B�al na mBl�th, Co. Cork, on August 22nd, 1922.
  • The New York Times writes about An Irish Billionaire Lending a Hand to Haiti.
  • Irish Ancestors is a series of e-books on Famous Irish people in history, each costing about $1.
  • According to the Lonely Planet Guide, one of the world's best-selling travel guides, Ireland still has its "mojo" despite the recession.
  • A number of old artillery shells dating from the early 1900s were recently found and neutralized on Rossbeigh Beach in Co Kerry.
  • Britain's deputy prime minister was in Ireland last week to attend the British-Irish Council summit at Dublin Castle, which involved leaders from London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
  • Drogheda in Co Louth will host Ireland's 2012 National Famine Commemoration in May. During the Famine from 1845-1852, Drogheda was the second largest port of departure for those trying to leave Ireland.  
  • In 2012, Boston will host an International Famine Ceremony in honor of the 1.5 million Irish people who died or emigrated during the Famine.
  • France is the fourth largest market for visitors to Ireland.
  • Cook Medical, the largest privately owned medical device company in the world, will invest up to $21million over four years at its Limerick plant.
  • Watch a slide-show of Irish photos from 2011.
  • Dublin Zoo attracted just over a million visitors in 2011.
  • A total of 186 people died on roads in the Irish Republic last year, the lowest number since records began in 1959.
  • The Holles Street National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, one of Europe's oldest and busiest, has its first female head in the hospital's 118 year history. Almost 10,000 babies were delivered at Holles Street in 2011.
  • Former president Mary McAleese and her husband Senator Martin McAleese will jointly receive the 2011 Tipperary International Peace Award.
  • With ticket sales of 2.39 million and a total gross of $231.9 million, Irish band U2 has claimed the title of top grossing music tour of 2011.
  • Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will chair the 56-nation Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2012.
  • Copyright on James Joyce's works expired at midnight on December 31.
  • The Irish Times previews what to expect at the Navy-ND Game in Dublin on September 1, 2012.. 
  • In 2011, there were 8,000 applications for Irish citizenship through foreign births registration, mostly claimed by descent from an Irish-born grandparent.
  • There is increasing public confidence in the PSNI (Police) in Northern Ireland with 82.7% now feeling that the PSNI "treats Catholics and Protestants equally".
  • Irish whiskey sales experienced a growth of 11.5% in 2010, which equates to about 4.86 million cases sold worldwide.
  • A new law to ban corporal punishment in the home is under consideration in Ireland, or to at least to restrict the circumstances in which parents can plead a defense of "reasonable chastisement" of their children.
  • At a pre-Christmas meeting with Taoiseach (PM) Enda Kenny, Bono, the U2 star, offered to represent Ireland abroad as a global ambassador.
  • Newbay, the Irish mobile phone software firm that has its Americas headquarters in downtown Seattle, has been bought by Canadian Blackberry maker Research in Motion in a $100million deal. Newbay was founded in Dublin in 2002.
  • PopCap Games, a Seattle company which has had operations in Ireland since 2006, was acquired for $1.3 billion by industry juggernaut Electronic Arts.
  • Despite high unemployment and mass emigration, Irish citizens remain among the wealthiest in Europe. Research shows that Ireland had the third highest GDP per capita in the EU in 2010.
  • The Irish Dipper bird, which dives underwater hunting for small aquatic creatures, has flaps to keep the water out of its nose.
  • Ireland's last wolf was run down by hounds in 1786 on Mount Leinster.
  • Ireland leads the ranking in the IBM Global Location Trends, having the highest average value when measured by inward investment.
  • Ireland is the 45th most expensive in the world for office rents. In 2006, it was the 5th most expensive.
  • Ireland's most popular attractions by number of visitors in 2010 were, in order, Dublin Zoo, Guinness Storehouse, National Gallery of Ireland, National Aquatic Centre, Cliffs of Moher, National Botanic Gardens, Book of Kells, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Fota Wildlife Park, and Blarney Castle.
  • The Kerrymens' Association in New York recently unveiled a plaque in Kerry Hall in Yonkers honoring the 10 US Medal of Honor recipients who were born in Co. Kerry.
  • St Patrick's College, Maynooth, the principal seminary in Ireland for the training of Catholic priests, was created by an act of parliament in 1795.
  • Registered relationships entered into by same-sex couples in 32 jurisdictions outside Ireland will be treated under Irish law as equivalent to civil partnerships.
  • Dedicated to the Irish abroad at Christmas, a compilation of images and song by Galway singer Julie Feeney.
  • The people who built Newgrange are a near total mystery.
  • A photograph of a Co Westmeath woman and her five sons who perished in the Titanic disaster in 1912 was sold at auction in Dublin recently for $2,830.
  • The film Albert Nobbs which was filmed in Dublin got three Golden Globes Nominations. Glenn Close plays a woman passing herself off as a man in order to work and survive in 19th century Ireland.
  • An inquiry into the 1975 Miami Showband massacre in Northern Ireland has uncovered the likely involvement of an RUC (Police) Special Branch agent in the killings.
  • A weather buoy recorded a wave height of 67 feet off the coast of Donegal on December 13, the highest wave ever recorded in Irish waters.
  • Irish political party Sinn Fein raised just over $1,550,000 in the US from 2009 to 2011.
  • The population of Co. Leitrim today is just 17% of what it was at the time of the Famine.
  • Of the 1.15 million children living in Ireland, 75% live with two married parents, 18% with a lone parent and 6% with cohabiting parents.
  • Bridie Gallagher, the Irish singer who delighted audiences for decades with her renditions of Irish ballads, especially The Boys from the Co. Armagh, died last week at the age of 87.
  • 2011 was Knock Airport's busiest year ever with more than 654,500 passengers using the Co Mayo airport which has been in business since 1986. 
  • The Certificate of Irish Heritage is an official recognition by the Irish Government of those who are proud of their Irish Ancestor and their own Irish heritage.
  • Jameson Irish Whiskey is the second most stolen item from stores in America according to Ad Week.
  • The BBC says that, like the Greeks and shipping, the Irish have a presence in the airlines business that far outstrips their size.
  • Ireland's Austerity is Hailed as Example of Financial Survival.
  • There are 240,000-plus people in cohabiting relationships in Ireland.
  • Facebook had at first refused, but now they've relented and the Co Limerick village of Effin, whose name had been branded "offensive", can  be listed on Facebook.
  • More than 31,000 people applied for the 100 tickets. available to visit Newgrange during the winter solstice on December 21.
  • However, Newgrange is not the only megalithic site in Ireland.
  • Although potatoes remain the most popular carbohydrate on Irish dinner plates, consumption has fallen by around 25% since 2005.
  • The 1947 All-Ireland Football Final was played in New York to commemorate the centenary of the Famine.
  • A book cataloguing the best of music from Ireland over the past 50 years, called 101 Irish Records You Must Hear Before You Die, charts the greats of the Irish music scene from Se�n � Riada to Rory Gallagher, the Golden Horde to Lisa Hannigan and the Yeh Deadlies.
  • "Lord of the Dance" Michael Flatley created a painting by applying paint to his shoes and then tap-dancing on a canvas. The result was auctioned for charity for $8,500.
  • Dublin ranks as the 26th best city in the world for quality of living in a list of 221 cities rated in Mercer's 2011 Quality of Living survey.
  • There are over 300 golf clubs in Ireland today.
  • The Traveler population in Ireland totals 40,129, with 36,224 in the Republic and 3,905 in Northern Ireland.
  • Check out Ireland's reputation for high quality education.
  • The vast majority of new jobs in Ireland come from companies that are less than five years old.
Seanfhocal - Proverb
 
De r�ir a ch�ile a th�gtar na caisle�in!
It takes time to build castles!
(or Rome wasn't built in a day!)
 
Sl�n go f�ill�n, Goodbye for now!
 
John Keane 
 
2012 John Keane. Items may be copied if
[email protected]� is credited
 Irish Heritage Club Logo
PLEASE BECOME AN IRISH HERITAGE CLUB MEMBER FOR 2012! Show your support for Irish activities in the Seattle area by becoming a member. Membership is used to support all IHC activities throughout the year, including the St. Patrick's Day Parade and the Irish Festival, and 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 [email protected] or visit www.irishclub.org

2012 Members remain in good standing until March 31, 2013