SEATTLE-IRISH NEWS APRIL 2007
By JOHN KEANE
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METHODIST MINISTER and Theologian Dr. William Abraham speaks at Seattle's St. Patrick's Day Mass for Peace in Ireland which was celebrated by Catholic Archbishop Alex Brunett.
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A JESUIT PRIEST from Dublin, Fr. Hugh Duffy, chats with Danny and Cathryn Quinn from County Down, at Seattle's Friends of St. Patrick Dinner.
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THE CROWD in front of the stage at the Irish Festival at the Seattle Center.
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FR. WILLIAM LANE, originally from County Limerick, leads the congregation in singing the Our Father in Gaelic at Seattle's St. Patrick's Day Mass for Peace in Ireland
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ELLEN COYLE, Maura Donegan, Cindy Crerand and Olivia Bermingham-McDonagh at Seattle's Friends of St. Patrick Dinner.
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LISBURN Mayor Trevor Lunn, Parade Grand Marshal John Curley and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels wait for the start of Seattle's St. Patrick's Day parade.
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ARTIST Linda Mullin with Galway Director of Services Tom Hernon and Irish Festival Director Nanci Spieker, at Seattle's St. Patrick's Day Friends of St. Patrick Banquet.
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A LARGE CROWD of Seattle Gaels football team members marched through the rain with their 2006 North American Hurling Trophy in Seattle's St. Patrick's Day parade.
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ST. PATRICK'S DAY parade Honorary Grand Marshals Mary and Frank Shriane hold on to their granddaughter Aislin Travis to make sure she won't fall off the reviewing stand.
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SEATTLE'S Tara Academy "danced in the rain" at Seattle's St. Patrick's Day parade.
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CONDOLENCES - Howard Robinson, son of the late Mary Robinson from Avoca, County Wicklow, was buried in Steelacoom on March 19, aged 55. Sincere condolences to his sisters, Edie Henderson and Kathleen Reilly, and to his many nieces and nephews in the Seattle area and in Avoca. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis - May his faithful soul be at the right of God.
MEMORIAL - On April 14, the ashes of Mary Tomkins Dunn, who died recently in California, will be scattered off the Edmonds/Kingston ferry followed by a lunch reception at the club house in Indianola. For information, contact Mary's sister Kathleen Donahue at (425) 885-9301.
SEATTLE IMMIGRANT CONFERENCE - The Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers (CIIC) holds its annual conference at Seattle's Renaissance Hotel from April 13-15, hosted by Seattle's Irish Immigrant Support Group www.irishseattle.com.
The CIIC is a national umbrella organization representing Irish immigrant organizations throughout the United States who provide services to Irish immigrants. There are member organizations in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, California, Wisconsin, Washington State and the District of Columbia, and each provides their own unique array of services, outreach and assistance to Irish immigrants.
All centers provide support and assistance through advocacy, education and the exchange of information, and offer a safe and reliable source for information, referral and culturally sensitive assistance on a variety of issues including: employment, immigration, citizenship, housing and returning to Ireland.
The CIIC also strives to be a strong advocate for fair and comprehensive immigration legislation in the U.S. Congress. The main focus for the first day of the 2007 conference is youth suicide intervention and prevention.
About 45 delegates from around the U.S. will be in attendance including Consul General Émer Deane from San Francisco, along with representatives from the Irish Embassy in Washington, DC, and the Irish Abroad Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. For more information on the CIIC, visit:www.ciic-usa.org.
IRISH SURVEY - We are still hoping to hear from Irish-born residents of Washington State and British Columbia who are willing to complete a 32-question non-intrusive survey co-sponsored by Seattle's Irish Immigration Support Group and done in connection with a PhD. research project.
You do not even have to put your name on the survey and all replies are confidential. The goal is to survey Irish-born people presently in the northwest regardless of when they were born or when they left Ireland. If you or someone you know is willing to participate, please contact Melissa at (206) 229-8512 or melissae@irishclub.org.
IRISH WEEK THANKS - Thanks to everyone who organized or helped at any of Seattle's Irish Week events celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Without a doubt, Seattle's Irish had a great Irish Week. Despite the non-stop rain, there was a huge crowd participating in and watching the St. Patrick's Day parade and the Seattle Center Irish Festival was jammed, especially on Saturday.
Irish Week also received the best publicity ever, with the Seattle Gaels hurlers on television on March 13, and other Irish Heritage Club individuals and dancers on television on March 14, March 15 and also on March 16, St. Patrick's Day, along with several radio interviews.
There was television coverage of the luncheon and the green stripe, and the March 19 Evening Magazine on KING-5 TV was all about Saturday's parade. Starting with the soda bread contest, which had the largest number of entries ever, all of Seattle's Irish Week events were tremendously successful.
Even USA Today, on March 16, had Seattle in first place on their listing of great places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and the story was accompanied by a large photo from Seattle's 2006 St. Patrick's Day parade. So, kudos to all of you who were part of organizing such a great St. Patrick's Day celebration. Photos from Irish Week in Seattle can be seen at www.irishweek.org.
IRISH VISITORS - The Deputy Mayor of Galway missed his flight to Seattle so that Tom Hernon, Galway City Director of Services, was the only representative in Seattle from our Sister City of Galway.
There also was a delegation from Lisburn (outside Belfast) in Seattle for St. Patrick's Day, led by Mayor Trevor Lunn. The Alliance Party Mayor was supposed to have been accompanied by Sinn Fein Councillor Paul Butler and Ulster Unionist Councillor Ivan Davis, but because of INS complications, only Councillor Davis made the trip to Seattle.
Two other Lisburn City officials, Jim Rose and David Mitchell, also traveled with the Mayor so altogether there were five visitors from Ireland for St. Patrick's Day. They all participated in the St. Patrick's Day events, including attending the luncheon, the Mass for peace, the raising of the Irish flag, the St. Patrick's Day parade, the Irish Festival and the Friends of St. Patrick banquet.
NEW DANCING SCHOOL - On May 1, Kevin and Meg Doohan start teaching Irish dancing in Lynnwood as the Delfosse-Doohan Irish Dance Academy, teaching both beginners and advanced dancers. Both Kevin and Meg competed and placed at Regional, National and World Irish Dancing Competitions, and later toured the world for several years dancing with Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance show. For more information and details on times and locations for classes, call Kevin or Meg at (425) 361-1541.
CONGRATULATIONS - Currently on tour with the Trinity Irish Dancers, Seattle's Carin Nash was just awarded her TCRG certificate by the Irish Dancing Commission in Dublin and plans to teach with the Slieveloghane School when she leaves the tour.
CONCERTS - Gaelic Storm plays the Tractor Tavern in Ballard on April 29 - visit www.gaelicstorm.com. And Celtic Woman visits Seattle's WaMu Theatre on May 12 - visit www.celticwoman.com. Tickets to both shows available at Ticketmaster.
PIPING FUNDRAISER - The Northwest Junior Pipe Band is planning a trip to the World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland and have organized an auction and concert on April 14 to raise funds for the trip. The auction (see auction items atwww.nwjpb.org/supporters) starts at 2 PM and the concert at 7 PM, all at Shorecrest HS PAC, 15343 25th Avenue (www.shorecrestpac.com). For more information, call (206) 508-1261 or concert@nwjpb.org.
LÁ NA GAEILGE - An Irish language day is being held in Portland on May 19 from 9 AM to 5:30 PM. It will be a day of immersion in the Irish Language for beginners, continuing students, those who would like to rediscover their language and fluent enthusiasts. All are welcome to this first Irish language day at Marylhurst University, 10 minutes south of Portland and one mile south of Lake Oswego on Highway 43 (www.marylhurst.edu). There will be classes and workshops throughout the day and a seisiún at the end of the day. So, bring your dance shoes and musical instruments. For more information, e-mail: AnRoibeard@Comcast.net.
"BARLEY" FILM - The Irish film The Wind That Shakes the Barley opens on April 20 in Seattle's Varsity Theatre, 4329 University Way NE, in the University District. The film was shot entirely in Cork and Kerry and won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival last May. For more information, visit: www.ifcfilms.com.
IRISH SEATTLE - To read various reviews of Irish Seattle, the new Pictorial history of the Irish in Seattle, or to purchase an autographed copy, visit: www.irish-seattle.com
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