Celebrate President Higgins Historic State Visit to Great
Britain!
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You've seen the pictures, now join the party! President Higgins' historic State Visit to Great Britain culminated in a fantastic celebration of contemporary and traditional Irish culture and the contribuition that Irish people have made to Britain at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday 10 April. The event which was attended by President and Sabina Higgins, and HRH Prince and Princess Michael of Kent showcased the strong artistic and creative links that exist between Ireland and Britain and featured performances by Paul Brady, Elvis Costello, Glen Hansard, Imelda May and many more. The renowned actress Fiona Shaw as well as journalists/broadcasters Dermot O'Leary, Olivia O'Leary and author Joseph O'Connor also took to the stage. You can watch the concert on the RTE Player here.
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IN-DC Professional Development Series--Buying Your First Home
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Gerry Dunn, Real Estate Broker and former mortgage broker (also champion Irish senior diver) and Isobel Murray, INDC's counsel who has many years experience practicing law in financial services and real estate sectors in both the United States and Ireland, will host a seminar followed by a Q&A. The event take place on Tuesday April 29th at 6 p.m. It will take place at the National Center for Higher Education Building. This event is for INDC members only. To join, or for more information, click here.
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The 2014 Washington DC Rose of Tralee will be selected at a gala dinner on Sunday April 27th at the Marriott at Metro Center. Who will it be?! Cocktail hour will begin at 4:30, with dinner to follow at 5:30 p.m. Come join the excitement and support your local Rose Center.
If you want to see Washington DC represented at the competition in Tralee in future years, get involved! To contact the Washington DC Rose Center, to book tickets for the selection dinner or for more information about becoming a Rose, Rosebud or Rose petal, click here.
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Rose of Tralee Race for Hope
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The Embassy was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dorothy "Dott" Henggler, the 2011 DC Rose of Tralee, and we extend our deepest sympathies to her friends and family.
Please join the Washington, DC Rose Centre and #TeamDott to walk/run the Race for Hope DC on May 4th. For more information, to sign up to run, or to donate please visit here. |
Solas Nua Poetry Blast
 | | Poetry Blast, April 2014: Lani O'Hanlon |
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Poetry Blast is our way at Solas Nua of celebrating and showcasing some of the best contemporary Irish poets on Solasnua.org. Each month, we'll ask one of these talented men and women to introduce themselves on video, give a context for one of their poems and then read it out loud. We'll invite our sudience to engage with the poem and the poet by sharing their reactions and thoughts about the poem.
The April 'blast' features Lani O'Hanlon reading her poem 'Cherry Blossoms'. The March reading featured DC-based S
iobhan Campbell, who read two poems: "Quick Thorn" and "These Women". All the blasts are available at www.solasnua.org.
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Washington D.C. Gaels GAA
Want You!
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The Washington D.C. Gaels GAA is an amateur sports club which promotes Gaelic games in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The D.C. Gaels have both Ladies' and Men's Gaelic football teams, hurling and camogie teams. The Gaels are looking to welcome players of all skill levels and nationalities for the 2014 season. Additionally, the D.C. Gaels have open positions for ladies football and camogie coaches. Practices occur from late April until September, twice a week from 7-8 p.m. in the Silver Spring area. If you are interested in learning more about the D.C. Gaels and the opportunities presented above, visit them online at wdcgaels.com, on Twitter @dcgaels or email them at pro@wdcgaels.com.
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Today's Ireland
 | | What is Today's Ireland? |
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Today's Ireland is available nationally on U.S. broadcast, cable and satellite. Today's Ireland is an initiative of MHz Networks, a media company headquartered in the U.S. capital which specializes in presenting international television programming to American audiences.
Today's Ireland brings Americans programs from RTE, Northern Visions TV, TV3, Donegal TV, TG4 and irishtv.ie, in addition to independent productions from Northern Ireland and Ireland, and regional specialty programming capturing unique cultural events. GAA games are aired on weekends and the Fleadh aired exclusively throughout the U.S. on MHz in 2013.
MHz Worldview, the national channel of MHz, airs three hours of Today's Ireland programming daily, from 1-4 PM ET. To see the national TV channels and where to watch, click here: http://www.mhznetworks.com/mhz-worldview/carriage.
Today's Ireland programs are also available nationally from 1-4 PM ET on MHz Networks iOS and Android apps for mobile and tablet, Google TV, Roku and at www.mhznetworks.com/mhz-worldview/live.
In the D.C. area, you can watch three hours of Today's Ireland daily from 3-6:30 PM ET on MHz Networks 1 on digital broadcast 30.1, Comcast 271, Cox 470, Verizon FiOS 451, RCN 30, Dish Network 8077 and DirecTV 56 and 2183.
For more information, visit www.todaysireland.tv, or contact MHz at: todaysireland@mhznetworks.com.
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Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
Review of Irish Diaspora
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The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore T.D., recently launched a public consultation process as a part of a comprehensive review of the Government's engagement with the Irish abroad. During the launch, the Tánaiste discussed the importance of engaging with the diaspora, as they develop economic links such as trade and tourism, as well as form deep cultural and kinship links. The achievements of the diaspora instill great pride in the people of Ireland, and the government would like to hear from individuals and communities about their views on the Diaspora. The consultation document, with details about how submissions should be made can be found here. NB the deadline for receipt of submissions is Wednesday 23 April. | |
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Irish Music
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Join us at the following locations for good music and good people!
Murphys Pub, Old Town Alexandria, VA April 13-14, 24-28: Ronan Kavanagh, 9 p.m. (17-19 in DC location) April 15-19: Rocky Guttman, 9 p.m. April 17-21: Glasgow/Strutton, 9 p.m. April 22-26: Sanford Markley, 9 p.m. April 29-30: Pat Garvey, 9 p.m. For more information, click here. Irish Channel, Crofton, Maryland April 18: Brendan Phelan, 6:30 and 10 p.m. For more information, click here.
Dubliner, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC April 13-19: Brian Gaffney April 20-26: Conor Malone April 27-May 3: Sean Fleming For more information, click here.
Irish Inn at Glen Echo, MD April 14, 21, 28: Irish Inn Mates, 7 p.m. For more information, click here.
O'Connells, Old Town Alexandria, VA April 14, 21, 28: Traditional Irish Music with Brian Gaffney and Brendan Mulvihill, 8 p.m. For more information, click here.
Rira Georgetown, DC April 14-20: Cray and Dempsey Experience, 9:30 p.m. For more information, click here.
Flanagan's Harp and Fiddle, Bethesda, MD April 18: Sean Fleming Band, 9 p.m. For more information, click here.
The Auld Shebeen, Fairfax, VA April 19: Brendan's Voyage, 7 p.m. For more information, click here.
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Nothing is more Irish than an informal music "session" in the local pub. For details of the sessions taking place in the DMV area, please click here. |
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We want your feedback!
We hope you enjoy our newsletter. We aim to highlight Irish cultural and community events taking place in the DC, Virginia and Maryland area. If you would like us to advertise your event, or if have any comments on the newsletter, please contact us at washingtonembassy@dfa.ie.
For information about Irish cultural and community events elsewhere in the country, please contact our consulates in New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco.
Finally, follow us on twitter @IrelandEmbUSA for all the latest news from Ireland.
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Irish language night at the Embassy of Ireland
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Are you curious about the Irish language? Have you ever wanted to speak Ireland's native tongue? Or did you learn some once, but have now forgotten it? Join us for an Irish language evening at the Irish Embassy on Thursday, April 24th, from 6:30 - 8:30pm! Rónán Ó Conghaile, Director of LetsLearnIrish.com, DC's own Irish Language School, will be teaching a class alongside fellow language teacher Jennifer O'Riordan.
The Irish language is currently enjoying a renaissance in Ireland, and the number of Irish language students in America is growing every year. This 50-minute introductory Irish language class is designed for absolute beginners, and at the end of the evening participants will be able to introduce themselves and say where they are from, and more.
Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to try out your new language skills over some light refreshments.
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Participation is open to all, but advance registration is required. For more information or to register, please click here. |
Vaudeville's Melting Pot: Irish and African Americans on Stage
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In the tumultuous social mix of late-19th century New York City, there were precious few ways that outsiders or newcomers could stake a claim to their piece of America's promise. And though the competition was fierce, some found their road to success led through the stage door.
Cultural historians Lenwood O. Sloan and Mick Moloney explore the vaudeville-era exchanges and rivalries between African Americans and Irish immigrants through the song, dance, and comedy of the popular performances of the time. Whether from Harlem or Hell's Kitchen, audiences first began to see their vernacular, their lives, and their identities reflected (and often caricatured) on vaudeville stages. That experience offered a new and wider visibility to these communities, provided new messages and means of assimilation, and turned performers and creators like Bert Williams and the team of Harrigan and Hart into influential stars.
In a lively program that follows entertainers from the periods of the cakewalk and ragtime to the beginnings of Tin Pan Alley and beyond, Sloan and Moloney reveal how show business created some unlikely but surprisingly potent connections between two very different groups striving to define their place on America's national stage.
Lenwood Sloan served as Pennsylvania's film commissioner and as director of the state's Cultural and Heritage Tourism program. Mick Moloney is a global distinguished professor of music and Irish studies at New York University.
The lecture will take place on Tuesday April 15th at 6:45 p.m at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW. Tickets are $20 for Smithsonian Associates Members and $25 for the general public. For more info, click here.
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Solas Nua Book Day 2014
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On March 18th, Solas Nua held it's annual Irish Book Day. Thousands of copies of
What's the Story?, a compilation of Irish stories and poems, were distributed free of charge at metro stops around Washing DC. The Washington Post named it as one of the top ten things to do on St. Patrick's Day!
It doesn't stop there however! The Solas Nua Book Club will meet to discuss What's the Story on Monday, April 14th at the Teaism Penn Quarter from 7-9 p.m. For more information, click here.
If you haven't got your copy already, you can get one in the Embassy of Ireland's public waiting room Monday to Friday from 09.00-13.00 and 14.00-16:00, whilst stocks last!
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| The Cripple of Inishmaan in Tysons Corner, VA | |
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From March 28-April 20, 1st Stage in Tysons will hold performances of The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh. Tickets will be $27 for General admission, with specials for seniors, students, and military. The play follows the story of a young boy landing a screen test when Hollywood filmmaker plan to shoot a movie on a neighboring island, causing the oddball citizens of Inishmaan mount a heartbreakingly hilarious campaign bursting with dark humor and touching devotion. Tony Award-winning McDonagh creates a quirky, sincere, and scathingly funny fable of the thin line between cruelty and kindness. For more information, click here.
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IN-DC Members Invited to Reception in Honor of Her Excellency Anne Anderson
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The Board of Admissions of The University Club will host a reception in cooperation with Irish Network DC, in honor of Her Excellency Anne Anderson, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States. The event will take place on Tuesday, April 15th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Keefer Memorial Library. This event is for INDC members only. To join, or for more information, click here.
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Filmfest DC to Feature Irish Films
 | | Life's a Breeze |
 | | The Bachelor Weekend |
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Filmfest DC will feature two films from Ireland: Life's a Breeze and The Bachelor Weekend. The festival will take place on April 17th in the nation's capital. For more information, please click here. |
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David Monahan in DC
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Organized by Solas Nua, DC's contemporary Irish Arts group, and in conjunction with IN DC, Dublin-based photographer David Monahan will speak about his "Leaving Dublin" project, a series of portraits of Irish emigrants on the eve of their departure and on arrival in their new environs. To find out more about this project, click here. David will deliver two lectures on his work in the DC area:
Wednesday, April 23
5.00 - 6.30 p.m.
Pryzbyla Center, Great Room A
The Catholic University of America
For more information, click here.
Thursday, April 24,
6.30 - 7.30 p.m.
RiRa Irish Pub in Georgetown
3125 M Street NW, Washington DC
Followed by the IN-DC April social.
For more information, click here.
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Let'sLearnIrish.com Presents 'Irish with Gerry'
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Let's Learn Irish is delighted to announce that Gerry, 'the world's furmost authority on Irish language learning', will be publishing his first book. The glossy guide, titled 'Irish with Gerry', will include basic Irish phrases pertaining to Gerry's purrfect lifestyle in downtown Washington D.C. The book launch will take place on Thursday, April 24th in Friendship Heights, as part of the Seachtain na Gaeilge DC Irish Week. For more information, click here.
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Irish Network DC April Social
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The IN-DC will host its April Social on Thursday, April 24th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Ri Ra Irish Pub in Georgetown. This is also a great opportunity to bring any friends who may be interested in joining IN-DC as they can meet other members and get a feel for what IN-DC is all about. For more information, click here. |
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Maryland Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Cash Bingo
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The Maryland Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians will hold a cash bingo event at St. Joseph's-Fullerton Parish Hall in Baltimore on Friday, April 25th from 6-8 p.m. The event will feature games, food, raffles and more, and benefits Columbian Irish Missionaries and local churches. The venue is at 8420 Belair Road, Baltimore, Maryland, 21236. Tickets are $15 before April 14th, and $18 at the door. For more information, click here. |
Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Éireann 2014 Convention & Mid-Atlantic Fleadh
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On April 25th to April 27th, the Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Éireann Mid-Atlantic Region will host a weekend of Irish Music and Dance! Come and enjoy Ceilithe and Concerts; Instrument, Singing, Set Dance, Ceili and Sean Nos workshops and be a part of our celebration of the "bloom of youth," the future of our movement! For more information, click here.
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Irish Popcorn! Presents Silence
 | | Official Silence Trailer |
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Solas Nua / Irish Popcorn! presents Silence, on Monday, April 28th at 7 p.m. at RíRá Georgetown at 3125 M St. NW, Washington, DC. Irish Composer and GW Artist in Residence Sarah O'Halloran will introduce the film.
The film follows
Eoghan, a sound recordist who is returning to Ireland for the first time in 15 years. The reason for his return is a job offer: to record landscapes free from man-made sound. His quest takes him to remote terrain, away from towns and villages. Throughout his journey, he is drawn into a series of encounters and conversations which gradually divert his attention towards a more intangible silence, one that is bound up with the sounds of the life he had left behind.
For more information, click here.
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