SEATTLE IRISH NEWS FOR NOVEMBER
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CO. LAOIS-BORN Fr. Tom Delahunty who died in Seattle on October 9. |
By JOHN KEANE
CONDOLENCES
To Seattle's Mary Jo Costello on the recent death of her brother, Denny Henninger, in Tigard, Oregon.
To the family and friends of Fr. Tom Delahunty who died October 9, less than a month after being diagnosed with liver cancer. From Co. Laois, he was 78 and had served the Seattle Diocese for over 50 years, during which time he also shot three holes-in-one on the golf course!
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha - May their faithful souls be at God's right hand.
IHC FILM & MEETING - The Irish Heritage Club will show 60 minutes of the historical documentary film, Saoirse? (Freedom?), on the evening of November 11, at 6 PM, at Assumption Church Hall, 6201 33rd Ave NE, Seattle. The film features fascinating photos and archive material from the period between 1918 and 1922 covering the creation of the Irish Free State, and ends just as the Irish civil war breaks out.
Commentary is in the Irish language (Gaelic) with subtitles in English. An IHC general membership meeting, including planning for Irish Week 2008, will start at 7 PM, followed by a social hour. All members and prospective members are welcome to attend and refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Melissa Estelle, at (206) 229-8512, or e-mail: MelissaE@irishclub.org.
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NANCI SPIEKER in the Irish Heritage Club booth at the recent Cultural Crossroads celebration in Bellevue, WA, where she distributed The Celtic Connection and other information on Irish activities and events. |
GAELS AWARDS BANQUET - The Seattle Gaels Gaelic football and hurling club will celebrate a wonderful 2007 season at the Wilde Rover Irish Pub, 111 Central Way, Kirkland, on December 1 at 7 PM.
Come raise a glass and join the revelry while they toast their accomplishments. The Gaels Ladies will be celebrating their NACB Championship win with a medal ceremony while all teams will announce their most valuable players, and the 2007 Poc Fada golf tournament blazer will also be awarded. Early bird tickets for the dinner cost $25 per person and include appetizer, dinner, and dessert. Please e-mail your reservation to: dinner@seattlegaels.com, or call (206) 953-8460.
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY - Seattle's Irish Community Children's Christmas Party with Daidí na Nollag (Father Christmas), is on December 9, 1-4 PM, at Maplewood Presbyterian Church Hall, 19523 84th Avenue West (on 196th Street at 84th Avenue West), Edmonds.
Everyone is invited to attend to meet Daidí na Nollag (Father Christmas) as he arrives in his green robes at 2 PM. Starting at 1 PM, we will have crafts, games, and light refreshments for all. For information and to register (so that Daidí na Nollag will be sure to have a present for every child), call Áine McDonald at (206) 734-2633 or e-mail: AineM@irishclub.org.
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CO. LAOIS-BORN Fr. Bill Treacy, with his niece Marian Phelan and former Washington Governor John Spellman, at the fortieth anniversary celebration of the founding of Camp Brotherhood. Located near Mount Vernon, Camp Brotherhood was founded in 1967 by Father Treacy and Rabbi Raphael Levine as a 200 acre "family friendly" retreat facility where people from different faiths, ethnic and racial backgrounds can come together and learn from one another. |
MONTHLY FEICEÁIL - Feiceáil is held on the 15th of each month to provide an opportunity to get together and share with friends, old and new, without any responsibilities!
November 15, meet at 7 PM at Tully's on Market Street in Ballard.
December 15, meet at 7 PM The Crest Theater, 16505 5th Avenue NE at 165th Street, where movies are $3 all the time.
For details, call (206) 321-4576, or e-mail: melissae@irishclub.org.
YULETIDE CONCERT - The Celtic-based ensemble, Magical Strings, once again brings an unforgettable evening of seasonal music, dance, song, story-telling and juggling to the Northwest with their 29th season of Celtic Yuletide concerts.
Enjoy Celtic harps, hammered dulcimers, whistles, concertina, strings, Irish dancing, and more. Between November 25 and December 21 the shows are held in Shoreline, Portland, Olympia, Kent, Tacoma, Seattle, Mount Vernon, Bellevue and Winthrop. For all the details, call (253) 857-3716, or visit www.magicalstrings.com.
IRISH TENORS - Anthony Kearns, Finbar Wright and Karl Scully, are back in Seattle for their fabulous Holiday Concert, December 17, 7:30 PM at Seattle's Benaroya Hall, in a benefit for the Ballard and Shoreline senior centers. Reserved seats range from $40 to $150 (latter includes a post-concert wine, dessert and photo reception). The Irish Tenors remain one of Ireland's most successful touring acts, second only to U2. For information and tickets, call (206) 215-4747 or visit: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/18869.
MOTHER'S CHRISTMAS DINNER - The tradition exists in parts of Ireland for mothers to be honored on Nollaig na mBan (or Mother's Christmas), on January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas.
We celebrate the day in Seattle by taking the women in our lives to dinner. At last January's dinner, we ran out of room and had to turn people away. So, get your reservations in early for the 2008 celebration which is held on January 6 at 6 PM, at Mick Kelly's Irish Pub and Restaurant, 435 SW 152nd Street, Burien, near the intersection of Hwy 509 & Hwy 518, west of Sea-Tac Airport.
The $25 Dinner choice is chicken or corned beef, and includes soup, Ballymena cake dessert, and a flower for the ladies. For details and reservations, call (425) 745-1263, or e-mail: CandaceD@irishclub.org.
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AT THE SOCIAL HOUR following the Mass in Gaelic at Seattle's St. Patrick's Church, were Fr. Hugh Duffy SJ, a Seattle University Professor originally from Dublin, Fr. John Madigan, a Seattle Archdiocesan priest originally from Limerick, and Fr. Tom Marti, a Maryknoll priest from Seattle who lived for a year in Dublin. |
AS GAEILGE - The Irish language (Gaelic) conversational gathering for those who already know the basics of the Irish language, meets every second Tuesday! Even if your Irish is a little rusty, you will fit right in and will be very welcome. For details, call (206) 423-7297, or e-mail: WendyZ@irishclub.org.
MUSIC CAMP - The sixth annual Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp is March 3-9 in Friday Harbor. Registrations are being accepted for a week of classes in the fiddle, flute, concertina, button accordion, guitar, sean-nós singing, tinwhistle, dance, ear training, and Irish ensemble. For the details, visit www.fridayharborirish.com.
MISCELLANEOUS
VISA LOTTERY - The DV-2009 Visa Lottery ends at Noon EST on December 2. The entry form and instructions are at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1318.html.
AGM AND ELECTIONS - The Seattle Gaels AGM and Election of Officers will be held on January 13, 2008.
RIVERDANCE - The show returns to Seattle's Paramount Theatre from January 29 to February 3, 2008. For tickets and information, visit: www.theparamount.com.
CELTIC CALENDAR - To keep up to all the Celtic events in the Seattle/Portland area, including Irish and Celtic concerts, céilis, sessions, etc., check the calendars online at: www.hoilands.com.
MARITIME AWARD - Congratulations to Seattle's Father Tony Haycock who recently received the Maritime Achievement Award from the Propeller Club, Port of Seattle Chapter, the first time in 60 years that a chaplain has been given the honor.
Haycock was honored for his years of ministry to seafarers of all religions and none. As chaplain to the Port of Seattle, he runs the Catholic Seaman's Club, a longtime institution in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood. Born in Liverpool, England, Haycock is a talented Irish musician who spent many of his early years in Co. Wexford where his mother was born.
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PORT OF SEATTLE CHAPLAIN, Fr. Tony Haycock, who was recently presented the Maritime Achievement Award by the Port of Seattle's Propeller Club. |
2008 GRAND MARSHAL - John Bruton, the former Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and current Ambassador of the European Union to the U.S., will be the Grand Marshal of Seattle's St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 15, 2008.
While Taoiseach (1994-1997), Bruton helped transform the Irish economy into the "Celtic Tiger," one of the fastest growing economies in the world. While Bruton was Taoiseach, the Irish economy grew at an annual average rate of 8.7 percent, peaking at 11.1 percent in 1997.
Bruton was also deeply involved in the Northern Ireland peace process that led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
From Co. Meath, Bruton was first elected to Dáil Éireann (the Irish Parliament) in 1969 at the age of 22 as a member of the Fine Gael Party.
He became Party Leader in 1990 and led it into government in 1994. He resigned from the Dáil in 2004 when he was appointed EU Ambassador to the U.S. On his Seattle visit next March, he will be accompanied by his wife Finola.
HISTORY IN SONG - John Boyle O'Reilly, John F. Kennedy's favorite poet, was born in Co. Meath in 1844 and died in 1890 aged 46. Transported to Western Australia in his youth because of his membership in the Irish Republican Brotherhood, O'Reilly escaped to the U.S. where he became a prominent spokesperson for Irish causes.
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THE THREE IRISH TENORS, Anthony Kearns, Finbar Wright and Karl Scully, who will perform in Seattle's Benaroya Hall on December 17. |
He was editor of The Pilot newspaper in Boston and gave lectures and talks all over the US. One of those lectures was at the Armory in Seattle which was attended by several thousand people. The Seattle lecture was held in 1889, the year of Seattle's Great Fire!
Now traditional Irish musician Sean Tyrrell plans to tell the story of John Boyle O'Reilly through songs of the Nineteenth Century. His Cry of the Dreamer tour starts next April with a show in Seattle and on his U.S. tour, he plans to visit all the places that O¹Reilly visited in his short life. For more information, visit: www.seantyrrell.com.
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FORMER IRISH TAOISEACH John Bruton, the new European Ambassador to the U.S., presents his credentials to President George W. Bush in the Oval Office. It has just been announced that Bruton will be Seattle's 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade Grand Marshal. |
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DAIDÍ NA NOLLAG (Father Christmas) with a friend at the Irish Children's Christmas Party some years ago. |
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