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. He was a much-loved Pastor in many Seattle-area parishes over the years and also served as diocesan priest personnel director. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

A BLOOMSDAY CELEBRATION - For millions of people around the world, June 16 is "Bloomsday," that fictional day in 1904 when Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom took their epic journeys through Dublin as described in James Joyce's novel, Ulysses.

This year, Seattle's Wild Geese will present two staged readings of Ulysses, chapter 13, where Leopold Bloom and Gerty MacDowell eye each other at a distance on a Dublin beach.

The first staged reading is on Bloomsday, June 16, at 4:30 PM at Elliot Bay Books, 101 Main Street, in Seattle's Pioneer Square. The second on June 17, at 6 PM, at The Pike Pub & Brewery, 1415 First Ave (at Union Street), Seattle. Entrance is free, but donations appreciated. For more information, call (206) 768-1079 or visit www.wildgeeseseattle.org.

IRISH RACES - Free coupons for admission and a program for the June 24, Irish Day at the Races at Emerald Downs in Auburn, can be downloaded from www.irishclub.org, or can be had by calling (425) 745-1263, or e-mailing: Races@irishclub.org.

Families are especially welcome to attend with special activities organized for kids. For the first time, members of Irish organizations in Portland and Spokane will join us for Irish Day at the Races.

Members of the Spokane-Limerick Sister City Association and of Portland's All-Ireland Cultural Society will travel to join us at the Irish Pub on the Green at Emerald Downs.

The Irish Pub will be located in a tent beside the paddock with Guinness on tap, Irish music, Irish dancers and other Irish entertainment, etc. For racetrack information, directions, etc., call (253) 288-7000 or visit www.emeralddowns.com.

PRE-RACE CÉILI - A pre-race céili will be held on June 23, 7 PM at Vashon's Grange Hall. Seattle caller Alicia Guinn will be joined by Sam Keator of Portland for a céili the night before the races. You don't need any experience to have a great time at a céili dance. You don't even need a partner.

The dances are suited to adults and children over 12 and the Grange Hall is at the Vashon Island ferry dock parking lot, just a short 15 minute ferry ride from Seattle. For more information, call (206) 774-4047 or visit www.hoilands.com/ceilisteps.htm .

IRISH COMMUNITY PICNIC - Seattle's Irish picnic is July 22, noon - 6 PM, at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore (see www.parks.wa.gov for directions). Everyone is welcome, especially families. Just bring your own food and drink, and get there early! For information, call (206) 223-3608 or email Picnic@irishclub.org.

IRISH BASEBALL - Discounted admission tickets are available to Irish Night at the Mariners on July 31 at 7:05 PM, when the Seattle Mariners play the LA Angels at Seattle's Safeco Field.

The normally $18 view reserved seats are $10, and the $38 field level seats are $24. Each ticket also includes a free Irish Heritage Night Mariners baseball cap, and Irish activities including an Irish Tenor singing the national anthem, bagpipe music, etc.

A $1 per ticket fast charge will be added to your order. So, get your group together and visit www.mariners.com/IRISH. If you don't have internet access, call (206) 223-3608.

IHC AGM - The Irish Heritage Club's annual general meeting and elections on June 1 saw four board members elected for three-year terms, one for a one-year term, and five officers for one-year terms.

IRISH HERITAGE CLUB Officers and Board Members elected at the recent AGM were, front row from left: Nanci Spieker, Jane Sepede, Melissa Estelle (2007-8 President), Judy Donoghue, Wendy Zboyan, and Suzanne Green. Rear from left: John Keane, Aine McDonald, Frank Gill, David Jacobsen, Ralph Kosche, Jay Rathbun, Candace Dunne and Mary Dunne. Board Members missing from the photo are Charles Hadrann and Kathleen Anderson.

The new board members are Charles Hadrann (re-elected), Nanci Spieker (re-elected), Suzanne Green and Kathleen Anderson. Rev. Barry Keating, who had been a Board member for many years, resigned because of other commitments, and Judy Donoghue was elected to fill out the remaining one year left in his term.

The new Club President is Melissa Estelle who replaces David Jacobsen who didn't run for re-election. After an initial tie vote, Melissa defeated Ralph Kosche in a runoff, and Ralph was later elected Vice-President.

The new Secretary is Dublin-born Wendy Zboyan while Frank Gill is Membership Secretary and John Keane Treasurer.

For more information on the Irish Heritage Club, contact Melissa Estelle at MelissaE@irishclub.org or visit www.irishclub.org.

GALWAY TRIP - Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is traveling to Ireland this year to make a Sister City visit to Galway during Galway's Oyster Festival from September 28-30. Members and supporters of the Seattle Galway Sister City Association are invited to join the Mayor and his party in Galway during the festivities and the more the merrier!

If you would like to join the group in Galway, call Heidi Kinsella at ETI Travel at (425) 822-2333 or visit www.etitravel.com/galway. For information on the Galway Oyster Festival, visit www.galwayoysterfest.com.

SAMMAMISH CONCERT - June 24, 7-9 PM, an evening of Irish music and dance with acoustic guitarist Dan Carollo (www.celtograss.com), uilleann piper Eliot Grasso (www.eliotgrasso.com) and the Baile Glas Irish dancers (www.baileglas.com) at Sammamish Presbyterian Church, 22522 NE Inglewood Hill Road, Sammamish. Visit www.spconline.org for more information.

IRISH CAMP - Seattle's Tír na nÓg Day Camp will be July 9 -13, 9 AM - 2 PM daily, in Seattle Center House, fourth floor. Aimed at four to eight year-olds, the camp consists of sessions focusing on Irish culture, céili dance, language, and folklore and crafts. Cost is $195. Contact (206) 335-5013 or celticroots_seattle@hotmail.com.

FEIS - Hundreds of dancers from around the United States will compete at Seattle's Dance for Life Feis (Irish dancing competitions) to be held at the Seattle Airport Marriot, 3201 South 176th Street, on July 28-29. Admission is free. For details, visit www.srsirishdance.com/DFLhome.htm.

IRISH FILM - "Once" is a wonderful film that was filmed entirely in Dublin. It won the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival last January and is being released in the Seattle area on June 15. Make sure you see it!

GAELIC GAMES
HURLING LEAGUE - The Seattle Gaels hurling league kicked off on June 3 and a fine game of hurling was witnessed by all when the Romio's Red Eagle Bears overcame the defiant Wild Blue Beyonders.

The games started off at a relentless pace under the hot sun as the teams traded scores in the first half with the red team leading 2-5 to 1-2 at half time. The tough going got to the Blue team in the second half and the absence of their star player Brian Delahunty was really felt. In the end the Reds ran out comfortable winners 6-10 to 2-5.

MEMBERS of the Seattle Gaels Women's Team wore their Gaelic football jerseys to Magnuson Park to watch the Rat City Rollergirls in some classic roller derby! All in all, a fun night for all.

I'm sure the Blue team will be looking for payback when the teams meet again on June 28. Scores: Romio's Red Eagle Bears: Kevin Mullen 2-0; Justin Meaney 1-3; Larry Ray 1-1; Wade Chitwood 1-1; Paul McGarry 0-4; Kevin Brown 1-0; Lorcan French 0-1. Wild Blue Beyonders: Traelach Touhy 1-1; Sean Douglas 1-0; Aaron Philips 0-2; Ron Lorensten 0-1; Scot Morrow 0-1.

The next game is June 7, Romio's Red Eagle Bears vs Black Hurling Ninjas, and other games will be played on June 14 and 28, July 5 and 12, with the final on July 28. Spectators are welcome at the games which will all be played on Thursdays at Magnolia Playfields, West Barrett Street and 34th Avenue West. For more information, visit www.seattlegaels.com.

YOUTH CAMP - The Seattle Gaels will sponsor a two day Gaelic football and hurling youth sports camp, for boys and girls seven and older, on July 14 and 15, 10 AM to 2 PM daily.

The coaching staff will introduce the games, teach skill fundamentals and end both days with a fun scrimmage. Cost is yet to be finalized but participants will receive an official Seattle Gaels hurling and football youth camp t-shirt. For more information, call (206) 953-8460 or email youth@seattlegaels.com.

TOURNAMENT - A Seattle Gaels Gaelic football and hurling tournament will be held on July 21, at Marymoor Park (near Highway 520 and West Lake Sammamish Parkway) in Redmond. Teams from Seattle, Portland, Denver, Vancouver B.C., San Diego and San Francisco will descend on Seattle for a great day of Gaelic sport and a great party afterwards.

Two fields with non-stop sports action - come to watch and cheer on your favorite teams - fun for the whole family. Stay tuned to the www.seattlegaels.com website for more information or e-mail the Gaels at tournament@seattlegaels.com.

GAA TELECASTS - There won't be any live telecasts of Gaelic football and hurling games from Ireland in a Seattle pub this year as so many people now watch the games live on their home computers. To watch the GAA games live online, you need high-speed internet access and you must also subscribe to Setanta Broadband Service at www.setanta.com. The annual fee is $150 to watch about 50 GAA games.

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