SEATTLE-IRISH NEWS - July/August 2008
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THE NEWLY ELECTED Officers and Board Members of the Irish Heritage Club: Front (L-R) Suzanne Green, Jane Sepede, Melissa Estelle (President), Nancy Spieker, Frank Gill (Membership Secretary). Back (L-) Candace Dunne, Mary Dunne, Jay Rathbun, Ralph Kosche (Secretary), Mardi Karr (Vice-President), John Keane (Treasurer). Missing are Board Members David Jacobsen, Áine McDonald, Kathleen Anderson and Charles Hadrann. |
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THE NEW MAYOR of Seattle's Sister City of Galway is Fine Gael Councillor Pádraig Conneely. He is shown above (center) at last September's Galway Oyster Festival with Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels (L) and Seattle Galway Association Secretary John Keane (R). |
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AT IRISH DAY AT THE RACES were Galwayman P.J. O'Donnell, Director of Irish Day Murdock MacPherson, Friends of St. Patrick representative Bob Larkin and Kerryman Fr. John Horan. |
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HONORARY STEWARDS for one of the races at Irish Day was the Steves family. From left is Anne Steves whose brother is the president of the University of Notre Dame, Rick Steves who has the nationwide travel show on PBS, and Andy Steve who is a Sophomore at Note Dame. |
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CONGRATULATIONS to Tracey Woods, part owner of three Seattle-area Irish pubs (The Wilde Rover, Molly Maguires and The Ould Triangle) and Michael Corbett from Co. Limerick, who were married on June 13 in Kirkland. They are shown above at their engagement party last year. About 150 guests attended the wedding. Michael had four siblings from Ireland who attended, while Tracey's brother traveled from Texas for the event. The couple were attended by four flower girls, including Tracey's youngest daughter Emma. Her oldest daughter Hayley was the maid of honor. |
CONDOLENCES
• To family of Patrick Joseph Dolan who died recently in Napa, California. Pat, 73, grew up in Blacklion, Co. Cavan and lived in Tacoma from 1952 to 1974, leaving many friends behind when he and his family moved to California. He is survived by his wife Patsy and four children.
• To Mickey Sheehy on the recent death in Tacoma of her husband, Thomas J. Sheehy. The proud son of Irish immigrants, Tom was also a proud son of Butte, MT, and a longtime member of Seattle's Irish Heritage Club.
• To Seattle Gaels Gaelic Footballer Beverly Case on the recent death of her father, Matthew Case, at home in Everett.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha - May their faithful souls rest at the right hand of God.
IRISH PICNIC - The Seattle area's Irish Community Picnic is July 20, from noon 'til 6 PM, at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore (see www.parks.wa.gov for directions, etc.).
All members of Seattle's Irish community are welcome, especially families, and the more the merrier. Barbeques, hot dogs and hamburgers are provided, and please bring your own favorite food and drink.
The hurling and Gaelic football games start around 12 noon and everyone is welcome to participate. There are also tug-a-war contests, kid's races, three-legged races, sack-races, water balloon toss, straw search for the kids, etc. No charge! For information, call (425) 290-7839, or e-mail: Picnic@irishclub.org.
IRISH BASEBALL NIGHT - Reduced price tickets to Irish Heritage Night at the Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland on August 21, are available at www.Mariners.com/Irish. Tickets normally $40 cost $25, and $20 tickets cost $11, and include a FREE Irish Heritage Night t-shirt and entertainment by bagpipers and Irish stepdancers.
A current Irish Heritage Club member will be drawn at random to help throw out the first pitch! E-mail: membership@irishclub.org, or call (206) 526-5993.
IHC AGM - The Irish Heritage Club recently had its annual general meeting and election of officers. Outgoing president, Melissa Estelle, was re-elected for another year. Also re-elected were Frank Gill as Membership Secretary and John Keane as Treasurer.
Newly elected officers are Mardi Karr as Vice-President and Ralph Kosche as Secretary while Ralph Kosche, Melissa Estelle, Jane Sepede and David Jacobsen were elected for four year terms as Members of the Board of Directors. For information, visit www.irishclub.org.
SEATTLE GAELS - The Seattle Gaels hurlers and the Men's and Women's Gaelic football teams are practicing hard for the North American Finals in Boston on the Labor Day weekend.
At the draw made in Boston last month, Seattle's Junior "B" hurlers were drawn to play either Washington (DC) or Denver in the NACB Semi-Final, while in Junior "C," Seattle plays Portland to determine who qualifies to meet either Chicago or Philadelphia in the NACB Quarter-Final.
In the All-American Hurling competition, Seattle plays Philadelphia in the Semi-Final. In Men's Junior "C" Football, Seattle plays the winner of Atlanta in Semi-Final, while in the All-American Football competition, Seattle meets Boston.
In Women's Junior "A" Football, Seattle plays Philadelphia while in Junior "B," Seattle meets the Midwest winner (Detroit, Cleveland or Pittsburgh).
In all, Seattle will have seven teams heading for Boston on August 28 and we wish them all the very best over their weekend series of games. For more information, visit www.seattlegaels.com.
FESTIVAL EVALUATION - An Ethnic Heritage Council evaluation of the Irish Festival last March reported in summary, "Irish Festival 2008 did a superlative job in meeting the mission of Festál and serves as an example to other Festál organizers.
"From the stage programming of Irish music, singing, and dancing, to the films, lectures, workshops, art, exhibits, cultural displays, booths, and marketplace vendors selling Irish and Celtic products, Irish Culture and traditions were celebrated and shared with the community at large.
"The Irish Week festival was the largest attended festal event I have encountered to date. I thoroughly enjoyed the festival and appreciated the hospitality of the event organizers."
The Irish Festival is annually sponsored by the Irish Heritage Club and the full eight-page evaluation can be read on the Irish Heritage Club website at www.irishclub.org.
JULY FEIS - The 2008 Dance for Life Feis (Irish step dancing competition) is at SeaTac's Marriott Hotel, July 26-27 starting at 8 AM both days. Sponsored by Scoil Rince Slieveloughane (www.srsirishdance.com), spectators are invited to attend at no charge.
BELFAST RAFFLE - The Seattle Galway Sister Cities Association is a member of Sister Cities International which will hold its 2009 Annual Conference in Belfast from July 29-August 1, 2009. Now Sister Cities has launched its annual raffle and the top prize is a customized eight-day vacation for two to Belfast including a choice of hotels! Tickets are $25 each or five for $100 - visit www.sister-cities.org.
BUTTE IRISH WEEK - An Irish language and culture immersion week in Butte, Montana, runs from July 19-26. For detailed information, visit www.irishmontana.com or contact Terry O'Riordan at (406) 544-0311.
BUTTE FESTIVAL - An Rí Rá Montana Irish Festival is August 8-9-10 in Uptown Butte, Montana, and features groups like Beoga, Makem & Spain and the Trinity Dancers. The festival also includes an Irish art show, film festival, genealogy, drama and history programs, music, language and dance workshops, children's activities, and food and product vendors. For details and reduced price tickets, visit www.mtgaelic.org/Festival1.html. To arrange car-pools from Seattle, e-mail: mjhoiland@yahoo.com.
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT - Irish President Mary McAleese is scheduled to visit Portland this December to unveil an Irish Famine Memorial at Portland's Mount Calvary Cemetery, a High Cross memorial sculpture that is 13 feet high and weighs five tons. It is a replica of the Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly and was sculpted in Donegal.
This will be the first time since Eamon de Valera in 1919 that a president of the Irish Republic will visit Portland. In 1919, Dev's visit was marred by protests that prevented him speaking in a civic auditorium and caused his speech to be moved to the Catholic University of Portland where he spoke to several thousand. President McAleese visited Seattle in May 2005.
MISCELLANEOUS IRISH/CELTIC EVENTS
• For the latest information on Irish/Celtic events in the Seattle area, visit www.hoilands.com.
• The next Irish-born Seniors' Luncheon will be September 20, at the Wilde Rover Restaurant in Kirkland. For details, e-mail: siisg@irishclub.org or call (425) 290-7839.
• The Irish Heritage Club will have a booth at the 2008 Skagit Valley Highland Games (www.celticarts.org), July 12-13, in Mount Vernon.
• The Dublin City Ramblers perform their unique blend of ballads, folk, humor, wit and foot-tapping music on August 9, 7:30 PM at The Triple Door (www.thetripledoor.net), Second and Union, downtown Seattle. Advance tickets are $30 and all ages welcome.
• Live telecasts of Gaelic football and hurling games from Ireland are held weekly at Fadó Irish Pub at First and Columbia, downtown Seattle. Call (206) 264-2700.
• The Chieftains in concert, 7 PM, July 20 at Marymoor Park, Redmond. Visit www.Ticketmaster.com.
• FINGAL, with traditional musicians Randal Bays, James Keane and Dáithí Sproule, perform on July 24, 7 PM at Mukilteo Coffee Roasters, 5331 Crawford Road, Langley, on Whidbey Island. Tickets $18 at (360) 321-5270.
• July 26-27 is The Pacific Northwest Highland Games in Enumclaw.
• July 27, Rose Laughlin performs 7-9 PM at Kenyon Hall, 7904 35th Avenue SW, Seattle.
• July 30, 7-9 PM, Brían Ó hAirt, the noted musician, sean-nós singer, and fluent Irish speaker, performs and teaches at 910 - 20th Avenue, Seattle. Information and registration at maithcailin@yahoo.com.
• Irish author Tana French reads from her second novel, The Likeness, August 5, 7:30 PM, at Seattle's Elliot Bay Book Company.
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