SEATTLE-IRISH NEWS DECEMBER 2009
By JOHN KEANE
RECENT DEATHS
• Tom Harnett who died in Bremerton, was born in Co. Limerick in 1930 and came to Seattle in 1951.
• Phil Fitzpatrick who died in Seattle, was born in Dublin in 1926 and came to Seattle in 1953.
• June Kane who died in Bellevue, was the stepmother of former Irish Heritage Club Treasurer John Kane.
• Edie Henderson who died in Bothell, was a longtime active member of Seattle’s Irish community and a daughter of the late Mary Robinson from Co. Wicklow.
• Nora Henry who died in Birmingham, England, was the 77-year-old sister of Seattle’s Frank Shriane.
• Peggy Harpel who died in Olympia, was born in Cork in 1925.
• Mary Allen who died in Renton, was born in Liverpool to Irish parents in 1931.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha – May their faithful souls rest at the right hand of God
 ITA AND LEO Bray and Mary Shriane at the Irish Seniors Luncheon on November 7. |
 KITTY HYNDS, Peggy Byrne, Mary Mulcahy, Ann Fitzgerald and Frank Byrne at the Irish Senior’s Luncheon on November 7. |
 MAUREEN KEANE, Brendan Gallagher, Finian Rowland, Diane Gallagher and Kathleen Duggan at the Irish Seniors’ Luncheon. |
 SINGER Marie Kubo (from Co. Clare, now living in Bellevue) is accompanied on tin whistle by Kevin Dooley (from Co. Westmeath, now living in Ottawa, Ontario.) |
MOTHER'S CHRISTMAS - The 2010 Nollaig na mBan (or Mother's Christmas) dinner will be held on January 10 at Mick Kelly's Irish Pub and Restaurant in Burien. Cocktails 5 PM, dinner 6 PM and the cost is $30 per person for the full dinner. For information and reservations, contact Candace at (425) 745-1263.
NEW AUTHOR – Congratulations to Austin Dwyer, a Tipperary native living in Mukilteo, on the publication of his first novel, the Ring of the Piper's Tune, which has now been optioned for a movie. It's about three generations of an Irish family, one with many challenges involving love, wars, death, deception, corruption, determination and personal growth. Call 1-800-AUTHORS to purchase.
THE GRADUATE - Congratulations to Brianne Fitzpatrick from Mercer Island who graduated from Trinity College, Dublin on November 5 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Drama and Theater Studies. She plans on being a "Dubliner" for the next year at least and is teaching at the Independent Youth Theater in Dublin.
MÍLE BUÍOCHAS – A thousand thanks to the many individuals involved in organizing the Irish Night at the Glen dinner-dance on November 21. A capacity crowd of about 250 people attended and it really was a great night, more especially so because almost $20,000 was raised for the Food Bank at St. Mary’s.
So kudos to John O’Malley, Barry Carson, Dave and Linda Byrne, Michael Fahy, Sean Chambers, Dessie and Stacey Conway, Tom Jordan, Peter Johnson, Brian Clayton, Paul Yunker – and any other the committee members I’m forgetting – for organizing a tremendous evening.
Thanks also to Jack Geary and the Owl ‘n Thistle Band, to Brad Howe of the Kangaroo and Kiwi for being Auctioneer for the evening, and to Mick Purdy and the staff at Mick Kelly’s who catered the event. Photos can be seen online at www.irishclub.org.
MÍLE BUÍOCHAS-2 – Sincere thanks to Billy Whelan and his partners at the Wilde Rover Irish Restaurant in Kirkland who hosted the free Irish Seniors luncheon on November 6.
Despite the terrible wind and rain, 94 people turned out for a wonderful meal and a fun afternoon which included entertainment by Kevin Dooley who was visiting from Ottawa! Photos from the luncheon can be seen at www.irishseattle.com.
BOOK CLUB – The next Irish book club meeting will also be a holiday celebration on December 10 at Mulleady’s Pub in Magnolia. The book for discussion is An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor. Contact hudit@comcast.net.
SEAN-NÓS FESTIVAL – The Sean-nós Northwest Festival will be held at Evergreen State College, Olympia, January 15-16, celebrating and promoting sean-nós singing, dancing, and Gaeilge, the Irish language. Visit www.seannos.org for details.
BUTTE, AMERICA SCREENING – For those who missed it in October, that new feature-length documentary film, Butte, America (www.butteamericafilm.org), will be shown at Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) on January 14, at 7 PM.
The film tells the remarkable mining history of Butte, Montana and is narrated by Irish actor and 2009 Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne. Producer and director Pam Roberts and writer Edwin Dobb will speak following the screening. Cost: $5 for MOHAI members, $8 for general public at Brown Paper Tickets.
IRISH WEEK 2010 – The dates for Irish Week 2010 in Seattle are set and the 2010 St. Patrick's Day parade will be held on March 13; the Irish Festival will run at the Seattle Center on March 13, 14 and 17; while the St. Patrick’s Day Dash will be March 14. The full list and details for all the events of Irish Week 2010 are listed on the Irish Week website at www.irishweek.org.
DONEGAL BAND – The St. Catherine’s Band from Killybegs, Co. Donegal, will be marching in Seattle’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 13, 2010. Killybegs is a small fishing village on the northwest coast of Ireland and the 39 band members’ ages range from 12 to 17.
The band also hopes to visit Vancouver for a day while they are in the Pacific Northwest. For information on Killybegs, visit www.killybegs.ie.
MISCELLANEOUS
• To keep up with 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.
• Magical Strings continue their 31st annual Celtic Yuletide Concerts with shows in Portland, Bellevue, Tacoma, Seattle and Mount Vernon between December 12-21. For all the details, visit www.magicalstrings.com or call Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006.
• The Seattle Gaels’ annual general meeting and election of officers will be held on January 10. If you are at all interested in being a part of the 2010 committee, or if you just want to see or hear what Gaelic football or hurling is all about, call Terry at (206) 234-2141, or email Chair@SeattleGaels.com.
TO SEATTLE’S IRISH COMMUNITY AND ALL OUR FRIENDS AROUND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: Beannachtaí na Nollag agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go léir! Bí áthasach agus grámhar i do cheiliúradh!
The Blessings of Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you! Celebrate with love and joy!
 MIKE MARRON, John O’Malley and Linda Dalton at the Irish Night at the Glen fundraiser for St. Mary’s Food Bank. |
 MARY RODDY, Grace McLaughlin, Johnny McLaughlin and Donna Madath at the Irish Night at the Glen fundraiser for St. Mary’s Food Bank. |
 EAMAER AND LEO McGuigan at the Irish Night at the Glen fundraiser. |
 MICK PURDY and Kieran Whitney at the Irish Night at the Glen. |
 PHIL KELLEHER, his mother Colleen Kelleher, and his sister Kate Maughan at the Irish Night at the Glen fundraiser for St. Mary’s Food Bank. |
 Kelly Wilson, her husband Alan Gaskin, and Colm Dunne who came especially from Carlingford, Co. Louth where he now lives, to attend the November 21 Irish Night at the Glen dinner-dance. |
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