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CelticFest Vancouver 2008 Celebrates their Biggest and Best Year

VANCOUVER - One of Vancouver's best-loved entertainment events wrapped for a fifth great year, with a new title sponsor and was the biggest and best year ever!...more

Standing Room Only at Sellout Revue

VANCOUVER - "My grandfather used to know Percy French;" "My uncle was best friends with Percy;" and so the stories came out, swallowtail coats and all!...more

A Multi-Talented Champion

VANCOUVER - What do Irish dancing and speed skating have in common? Michelle MacKay's fast feet...more

The Great Irish Stew Challenge: Tough Competition for First Place

WHITE ROCK - On March 9 the Great Irish Stew Challenge took place in the courtyard just outside the Celtic Treasure Chest Shop and Bakery in White Rock...more

Benefit for The Celtic Society of Canada

VANCOUVER - The Celtic Society of Canada was honoured to welcome acclaimed author Peter Behrens for a book reading of his novel The Law of Dreams....more

A Great Weekend of Scottish Music and Scottish Country Dancing

VANCOUVER - In early May, Vancouver is the place to be for enthusiasts of Scottish Country Dancing and its music.....more

Gaelic Vocalists, Fiddlers, Harpers, Bagpipers Embrace Living Tradition in Concert

SEATTLE, WA - Embrace a rich living tradition. Surround yourself with Scottish Gaeldom's leading musical talents sharing the stage in a rare North American appearance......more

The 100th Anniversary of the Gaelic Society of Vancouver

VANCOUVER - Scottish Gaels in the Vancouver area will mark an important milestone on May 3 at the Scottish Cultural Centre to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Gaelic Society of Vancouver....more

Vancouver Proclaims Tartan Day

THE City of Vancouver passed a motion to officially recognize April 6 as Tartan Day.....more

ST. PATRICK'S DAY 2008 VANCOUVER ROUNDUP

VANCOUVER - In many cities St. Patrick's is now a week-long event, and it takes two weeks to recover.....more

SEATTLE IRISH NEWS APRIL 2008 By JOHN KEANE

2008 IRISH WEEK - We had what can only be described as a fantastic St. Patrick's Day celebration in Seattle this year!....more

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Alan Jones Entertains the Dylan Thomas Circle

VANCOUVER - The Dylan Thomas Circle welcomed Alan Jones back to the Cambrian Hall on February 22 to give a talk on some of the poet's work....more

Local Youth to Compete in Belfast

VANCOUVER - More than 4,000 competitors are expected to make their way to Belfast this month to participate in the World Championships of Irish Dance...more

Seattle's Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Annual Banquet

John Costello Jr. is the president of the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Seattle...more

St. Patrick's Day Party at The ACT Featuring Will Millar

MAPLE RIDGE - The ACT Theatre will present a St. Patrick's Day Party on March 15, featuring Will Millar ....more

Vancouver Celtic Festival: 5 Years of Celebration - 5 Millennia of Inspiration

VANCOUVER - Tickets go on sale February 6 for the fifth annual Edgewater Casino CelticFest Vancouver, to be held from March 12 to 16....more

Annual Fundraiser for Irish Pipes and Drums

VANCOUVER - The BC Regiment (DCO) Irish Pipes & Drums invites everyone to attend their annual scotch tasting event....more

IRISH WOMEN'S NETWORK Nollaig na mBan Celebration

VANCOUVER - Over 90 women gathered to celebrate Nollaig na mBan (Irish Women's Little Christmas) along with the 10th anniversary....more

A Celtic New Year: A First Class Show

N. VANCOUVER - The nasty weather on January 26 did not deter the many lovers of Irish music and dance from attending 'A Celtic New Year' concert....more

February is the Month to Remember St. Brigid

THIS stained glass window representing Ireland's St. Brigid was commissioned for St. Mary's Anglican church....more

Steve McVittie: Vancouver's St. Patrick's Day Parade Marshal

VANCOUVER - Steve McVittie has been the St. Patrick's Day parade marshal for the past four years....more

Seattle News

CONDOLENCES To Bernadette O'Mahony, Principal of Seattle's St. George Parish School, whose mother Peg O'Leary died last month in Co. Cork....more

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Thirteenth Annual Crabtree Corner Charity Luncheon

Diane Forsythe-Abbott's 13th Annual Crabtree Corner charity luncheon took place at Hy's Encore on December 5 ....more

Local Kids Take Top Honours at Western Canadian Irish Dance Championships

VANCOUVER - Five dancers from a single Lower Mainland Irish dance academy have qualified to compete against the best in the world....more

Moray, Nairn and Banff Association Celebrate St. Andrew's Day

VANCOUVER - The Moray, Nairn and Banff Association held a St. Andrew's Night fund raising event ...more

SEATTLE IRISH NEWS FOR DECEMBER/JANUARY By JOHN KEANE

CONDOLENCES - Sincere sympathy to Tom and Kathleen Harrigan of Mukilteo on the death of their 51-year-old son Michael ...more

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The Alexander Brothers Continue to Delight Audiences

VANCOUVER - It was another full house for the Alexander Brothers concert on October 20 at the Scottish Cultural Centre. ....more

Calendar Girls a-Calling!

VANCOUVER - So how many Calendar Girls do you know? No, I'm not referring to the 2003 film with Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, but to our very own Irish Women's Network Charity Calendar Girls ....more

Place and Family in Celtic Mythology Discussed at SFU Lecture Series

VANCOUVER - Dr. James Acken of the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University presented a lecture on Place and Family in Celtic Mythology at the Harbour Centre campus on October 17...more

Join the SFU and RMM Pipe Bands in Celebrating Scotland's Most Famous Bard

VANCOUVER - Enjoy music of the Highlands and the hospitality of the Scots while celebrating Scotland's favorite bard with two world-class bands...more

A Five-Concert Christmas Series for Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir helps celebrate Christmas with another five-concert series, beginning December 5 at the White Rock Baptist Church....more

SEATTLE IRISH NEWS FOR NOVEMBER By JOHN KEANE

CONDOLENCES - To Seattle's Mary Jo Costello on the recent death of her brother, Denny Henninger, in Tigard, Oregon. ....more

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Christmas Celtic Harp Workshop at Place des Arts

COQUITLAM - Place des Arts is pleased to host the third annual Celtic Harp Workshop on October 27.. ..more

A Night in November Returns to Vancouver

VANCOUVER - The award-winning one-man play, A Night in November, by the Belfast playwright Marie Jones, will be presented starring Irish actor Frank Talbot....more

Hopscotch: Canada's Only Whisky and Premium Beer Festival

VANCOUVER - Canada's only whisky and premium beer festival is back on November 12 to 17 for its eleventh year....more

New 2008 IWN Calendar: Baring It All for a Good Cause

VANCOUVER - It was standing room only at Mahony & Sons Public House when the veil was drawn back to reveal "A Glimpse of the Irish Women's Network" - their new 2008 calendar....more

Upcoming Free Lecture Series at Centre for Scottish Studies at SFU

VANCOUVER - The Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University will present a series of lectures this autumn....more

A Great Evening to Help Out Our Young Irish Dancers

VANCOUVER - There was a great turn-out on September 8 when the Stewart School of Irish Dance hosted a Tinker's Ball at All Saints Parish Hall in Coquitlam.....more

SEATTLE IRISH NEWS FOR OCTOBER By JOHN KEANE

MASS IN GAELIC - Seattle's Irish community Mass of Remembrance in the Gaelic language will be on October 26, at 7:30 PM.....more

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Thank You For Your Support At Our Annual Golf Tournament

VANCOUVER - Thank you, thank you, thank you....to everyone who participated in our annual golf tournament fundraiser....more

A Week-Long Immersion in Irish Arts and Sports

VANCOUVER - The sixth annual Ceili Irish Music and Dance Camp held at Harrison Hot Springs from August 12 to August 18, was a great success!...more

Fred Nguyen Takes the Irish Dancing World by Storm

VANCOUVER - After a fourth place medal at the World Irish Dancing Championships this past spring in Scotland, Fred Nguyen of the De Danaan School of Irish Dance in Burnaby...more

Irish Language Classes Starting this Fall

VANCOUVER - An Irish-Gaelic language class is scheduled for every Tuesday evening from September 18 to December 4...more

IRISH WOMEN'S NETWORK Official launch of 2008 Calendar

VANCOUVER - When Irish eyes are smiling....10 years later in Vancouver, we think that's something to celebrate...more

B.C. Highland Dancers Qualify in Top 20 at Worlds

DUNOON, Scotland - At the Cowal Highland Games 20 dancers qualified for the World Highland Dancing Finals in each category...more

Huge Win Fiona Lee in Scotland

VANCOUVER - Fiona Lee was the winner of the 2007 Junior World Highland Dancing Championships held at the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon, Scotland ...more

St. Vincent de Paul Volunteers: A Very Special Group of People

VANCOUVER - The St. Vincent de Paul Society held their annual summer barbeque on July 22....more

SEATTLE IRISH NEWS By JOHN KEANE

CONDOLENCES To Seattle's McHugh family - Mick and Tracy, Mud, Sheila and Marco, Tucker and Mimi, Frank and Ofelia, and the McHugh and Magnano children ...more

Meet Melissa Estelle: President of the Seattle Irish Heritage Club

Melissa Estelle, the president of the Seattle Irish Heritage Club, is also a university student working on research for her PhD...more

Seattle's 'Bit of the Ould Sod'

SEATTLE - A marble headstone at Seattle's Calvary Cemetery stands over the graves of Terence O'Brien from Co. Tipperary and his wife Maria O'Brien from Co. Clare...more

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Ireland Monument Committee Seeks List of Top 100

VANCOUVER - The Ireland Monument Project committee is seeking submissions to help compile a list of prominent Irish-Canadians who have helped make Canada such a great country. ...more

Another Great Day at the B.C. Highland Games

COQUITLAM - The annual B.C. Highland Games is always held on the last Saturday in June and generally the weather is scorching hot....more

Four-Time World Champions SFU Pipe Band Heading Back to Compete in Glasgow

VANCOUVER - On June 23, Canada's four-time world champion pipe band - the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Pipe Band ....more

Annual Feis Hosted by Stewart School of Dance

BURNABY - The Stewart School of Irish Dance held their annual Feis at the Bonsor Recreation Centre in Burnaby on June 16 and 17. Over 600 dancers from across North America competed at the event....more

Combined Choirs to Highlight Welsh Society Centenary Celebrations

By EIFION WILLIAMS This coming November, a Grand Concert celebrating the 100TH anniversary of the Vancouver Welsh Society, will feature two popular Vancouver male voice choirs. ....more

Round Up of Seattle Irish Pubs and Shops By CATHOLINE BUTLER

On my recent trip to Seattle I dropped in to visit several Celtic businesses to meet the owners and get an update on events in the Irish pubs and shops of the Seattle area....more

SEATTLE-IRISH NEWS JULY-AUGUST 2007 By JOHN KEANE

CONDOLENCES - Catherine McMorrow, born in County Cavan in 1909, died last month in Edmonds aged 98....more

Seattle Report: An Exciting Irish Day at the Races

SEATTLE - It was Irish Day at the Races at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington on June 24. The cream of the Irish communities from Seattle, Portland and Spokane, were all on hand to enjoy the day....more

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Calgary Welcomes Tony Griffin With a White Stetson Night Fundraiser

CALGARY - Irish hurling champion Tony Griffin has put his career on hold as he aims to raise EU150,000 by cycling across Canada ....more

World Championships A Thrilling Experience for Young Irish Dancers

VANCOUVER - It was a thrilling experience at the Irish Dancing World Championships for 20 dancers of the Penk O'Donnell School who competed in Glasgow, Scotland this past April.....more

Stewart School: Celebrating Irish Culture and Dance Traditions

VANCOUVER - Preparations are well underway for the 27th Annual Stewart School Feis. The largest Irish culture festival and competition in British Columbia, the feis attracts 500 to 600 competitors each year.....more

Mòd Vancouver: The End of a Long and Glorious Tradition

By CATHOLINE BUTLER - VANCOUVER - The Scottish Cultural Centre on Hudson Street in Vancouver hosted the Mòd from May 8-12.....more

Talented Ensemble Off to Italy and France

By JIM MCWILLIAMS - VANCOUVER - Forty members of two well-known local groups will represent Canada at two international tattoos, the annual Festival international de Musiques militaires in Albertville, France, and the Festival Internationale di Bande Militari in Modena, Italy....more

The SFU Pipe Band - A Truly International Act

VANCOUVER - When the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band takes the stage at the Red Robinson Show Theatre on June 23, those who travel furthest to take in the show will be some of the band members themselves.....more

SEATTLE-IRISH NEWS JUNE 2007 By JOHN KEANE

CONDOLENCES - To the family and friends of Father Ibar Lynch, born in Dublin in 1924 and who recently died in Seattle....more

Irish Language School for Beginners in WA

SEATTLE - Aidan Maher has been teaching basic Irish in his Irish Language School/ Scoil na Gaeilge on Mercer Island, which is located between Seattle and the Eastside (communities), for two and a half years.....more

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Busy Year at Edmonton Irish Sports and Social Society

EDMONTON - It has been a hectic year at the Irish Club in Edmonton so far. Two new events have been introduced to their busy calendar...more

Edmonton's Rose of Tralee The First in Western Canada

Moira Quirke of the Irish Sports and Social Society Edmonton is the organizer for the Edmonton Rose of Tralee contest ...more

Chris Whelehan of Edmonton Recognized for His Achievements

Each year, an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the communities we serve, is selected to receive "The Celtic Connection Person of the Year Award."...more

The B.C. Highland Games Needs Volunteers - Can You Help?

VANCOUVER - The 76th annual B.C. Highland Games will be held again this year at Coquitlam Town Centre Stadium on June 30 and once again volunteers are vital to making the Games a success...more

Schedule of Upcoming Highland Games

It's getting close to that time of year when we look forward to the skirl of the pipes and the grunts of the Caber tossers...more

Art Competition Sponsored by White Rock Irish Club

SURREY - Students from Star of the Sea School in White Rock and the Immaculate Conception School in Delta recently participated in an art competition sponsored by the White Rock Irish Club...more

SEATTLE-IRISH NEWS MAY 2007 By JOHN KEANE

CONDOLENCES To Mary O'Brien and the O'Brien family of Seattle on the recent death of John L. O'Brien, 95, the former Speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives...more

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Great Music on St. Patrick's Day in Prince George, B.C.

PRINGE GEORGE - Two bands, Clann Cara and Out of Alba, hosted a St. Patrick's ceilidh on March 17 at the Ramada Ballroom and the event was a complete sell out. ...more

Sons of Scotland Host Fundraising Concert for Coast String Fiddlers

VANCOUVER - "The Sons of Scotland is firmly committed to upholding its motto: preserving family, history, and heritage,"...more

Ninth Annual Anniversary Lunch and Irish Woman of the Year Award

VANCOUVER - On April 29 at 12 noon sharp, the Irish Women's Network will host its ninth annual anniversary lunch at Country Meadows Golf Course ...more

A Warm Reception for Stage Eireann's New Production

VANCOUVER - After a prolonged absence from the local arts scene, Stage Eireann launched a new season under the direction of Catherine Brennan at the Wolf and Hound on West Broadway on March 15....more

Credit to St. Patrick Himself for Keeping the Rain Off His Parade

VANCOUVER - Amazingly, it didn't rain on March 18, the day of the fourth annual CelticFest St. Patrick's Day parade ...more

St. Patrick's Day Round-Up

VANCOUVER - St. Patrick's Day, March 17, dawned wet and damp in Vancouver. In the early hours, I joined a small gathering at St. Pius X Church ...more

Vancouver Welsh Society Celebrates Centenary Dinner

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Welsh Society's 100th Anniversary St. David's Day dinner was held at the Cambrian Hall on March 3....more

SEATTLE-IRISH NEWS APRIL 2007

CONDOLENCES - Howard Robinson, son of the late Mary Robinson from Avoca, County Wicklow, was buried in Steelacoom on March 19 ...more

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Watt School of Irish Dance Training for World Championships

FORT ST. JOHN - Four dancers from the Watt School of Irish Dance are busy training for the up and coming journey to Glasgow, Scotland ....more

Irish Pipes and Drums Whiskey Tasting Event

BURNABY - On February 24 The B.C. Regiment Irish Pipes and Drums held their annual fundraising Scotch Tasting Night ....more

Annual IWN Auction Supports Everyone is Our Community

VANCOUVER - A huge round of applause to the women of the Irish Women's Network (IWN) who organized their annual auction in aid of the Celtic Society of Canada on February 16....more

RCMP Pipeband Fundraiser

VANCOUVER - The Moray, Nairn and Banff Association is hosting the newly formed RCMP Community Pipe Band in a fundraiser at the Scottish Cultural Centre ....more

Tartan Pride's 'Celtic Ceilidh' Features World Champion

VANCOUVER - World Solo Drumming Champion Steven McWhirter will be a surprise feature at this year's Celtic Ceilidh....more

SEATTLE-IRISH NEWS MARCH 2007

CONDOLENCES To Kathleen Anderson on the death of her mother in Everett on Thursday....more

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The History of the Rose of Tralee

"She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer, Yet 'twas not her beauty alone that won me. Oh no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee."....more

Casual Waterfront Dining Specializing in Seafood and British Fare

By CATHOLINE BUTLER VANCOUVER - As usual, each month after The Celtic Connection has been distributed, Colleen and I will generally drop in to some of our local Celtic establishments for lunch. ....more

A Colourful Music and Dance Exposition of Celtic Talent

Every two years, Delta Police Pipe Band and the Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir combine their talents in a joint concert at South Delta Baptist Church. The biennial concert for 2007 will take place at 7:30 PM on March 30 ...more

VANCOUVER CELTICFEST The Largest Celebration of Celtic Culture in Western Canada

By CATHOLINE BUTLER VANCOUVER - Are you fed-up with the ice, snow, rain and wind? Well, relief is on the way to help you shake-off those winter blues....more

Mass in Gaelic

VANCOUVER - A Mass in Gaelic will be celebrated at St. Piux X in North Vancouver on St. Patrick's Day, March 17...more

Nollaig na mBan: Another Roaring Success

By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER - The Irish Women's Network of B.C. (IWN) held their ninth annual celebration of Nollaig na mBan (Women's Little Christmas) on January 6. ....more

Northwest Junior Pipe Band Announce Fundraising Events

SHORELINE, WA - It's been nearly 40 years since the last youth bagpipe band in Washington State planned a trip to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland....more

SEATTLE-IRISH NEWS FEBRUARY 2007

By JOHN KEANE....more

The Irish Horse Show Extravaganza: An Irish Way to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

LANGLEY - Everyone is invited to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the most Irish way - at the second annual Irish Horse Extravaganza on March 16 and 17. ....more

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