Desert Shamrock Mar-Apr 2018 e-Magazine

January Mar-Apr Aug-Sept – February 2018 2017 ~2015 Arizona’s ~ Arizona’s Original Original Irish Newspaper Irish Newspaper ~ Vol. ~ 28, 29, Vol. No. 26, 4 2 No. 1

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Inspiration seems to drive

Seamus Egan Performing live in Scottsdale March 11

T

he founding member of the seminal Celtic band Solas and composer of Sarah McLachlan’s Grammy Awardwinning song, I Will Remember You from the Edward Burns-directed film, The Brothers McMullen (1995), Egan was three when his Irish émigré parents, Mike and Ann Egan, moved from Hatboro, PA back to their native Ireland, settling in County Mayo.

At six, he was studying under button accordionist Martin Donaghue, eventually winning the first of four all-Ireland championships. Not long after, he learned of a television appearance by flutists Matt Malloy and James Galway.

“When we were living in Ireland, we didn’t have a television,” he recalled during an interview. “Matt Malloy was going to be on TV, so we went to a neighbor’s house who had a TV. I was fascinated by the sound of the flute. Up to then, I tried to play it, not with much success but much frustration.”

That frustration obviously gave way to great success leading to All-Ireland competition titles in flute and whistle.

Then, after hearing banjo player Mick Moloney on the radio, he picked up

(pun intended) that instrument. After his family moved back to America in 1980, he actually met Moloney and began taking lessons. Two years later, he walked away with All-Ireland awards in banjo and mandolin, the only person ever to win four titles on four different instruments.

Egan’s career path has taken him from recording studios to concert halls and to both television and film. He played uilleann pipes, a traditional Irish form of bagpipes, and bouzoki, a Greek stringed instrument, for the Oscarwinning film Dead Man Walking and even performed with two other musicians at iconic singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt’s wedding.

Since 1985, he has recorded five solo albums (Traditional Music of Ireland, A Week in January, The Brothers McMullen soundtrack, When Juniper Sleeps and Celtic Tapestry) and 12 albums with Solas.

He began touring with The Seamus Egan Project in 2017 with friends and musical guests to introduce fans new and old to his diverse body of work along with new music never recorded or performed live.

See Editor Ann Niemann’s interview with Seamus in the May-June MUSIC edition!

MARCH 11, 7:30 pm North Scottsdale

Arizona Musicfest

SEAMUS EGAN PROJECT Founding member of Celtic band Solas, Egan has helped to define the sound of Irish music today.

SAVE 25%

USE CODE: SE25

TICKETS: 480.422.8449 • AZMUSICFEST.ORG WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

MOTF 2018

The Alan McMurray MOTF founders ruck is a 4.5-mile ruck-march dedicated to honoring our fallen brothers & sisters who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the war efforts of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND). Their watch is over now so we carry their weight upon our backs and continue onward in their honor. Proceeds given to U.S. military charities.

VERRADO, ARIZONA - KABUL AND KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN

03.03.18 – 0700 VERRADO GOlF COuRse, ARIZONA Ruck backpack challenge carrying 45 pounds New 6-person stretcher carry event with Mogadishu Mile Challenge!

Family event; welcome to bring dog on leash REGISTER ONLINE AT

hTTp://FiGHTeRcOUNTRy.ORG/mOTF T-shirt provided with entry Military Challenge Coin provided to Ruck Marchers as Medal

AT EASE FOR YOUR WATCH IS OVER, NOW PROUDLY WE CARRY YOUR MARCHOFTHEFAlLeN.ORG “BE WEIGHT, ONWARD INTO THE UNKNOWN, WE MARCH FOR OUR FALLEN.”

Celebrate with the Celtic Community All Year.

ARIZONA’S ORIGINAL IRISH NEWSPAPER

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Serving the Celtic Community 2320 E. Baseline Rd., #148-623 Phoenix, AZ 85042 • (602) 568-3455 Visit www.DesertShamrock.com • E-mail: info@desertshamrock.com Owner & Editor in Chief • Ann Niemann Publisher • Niemann Publishing, Inc. Art Direction, Design & Layout • Erin Loukili, Jaclyn Threadgill Masthead Design • Elaine’s Design Emporium

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Contributing Columnists Janice Bryson • J Carro • Sharonah Fredrick Katie Caufield Ginder • Brian Hanrahan • Ellen Harrington Carmelita Lee • Iain Lundy • Lynn Herdman Mascarelli Maureen & Jack Sullivan • Eric McBride Chris Stevenson Kristie Stevenson • Marshall Trimble • Bob Wallace Lois Wallace • Liz Warren • Jan Whalen • Caroline Woodiel

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THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS March/April 2018 ~ Arizona’s Original Irish Newspaper

ARTS 2 Inspiration seems to drive Seamus Eagan 18 Culture Ministers Welcome Irish Musicians to Scotland 19 Celtic Thunder: PBS Special and North American Tour 20 Jan Whalen: You are the perfect age!

21 WELSH: Hinterland, Welsh-English BBC Crime Drama Series 33 Celtic Caterer gofundme for new TV cooking show!

CULTURE 3 Publisher’s Note: Irish Nat’l. Stud Gardens 6 Saint Patrick: More than a Day 12 Keltic Kitchen: Irish Apple Oat Cake 12 Celtic Caterer: Guinness Gravy on a dare 14 Humor: Are Ye Daft? A True Story 15 Celebrating in March!

16,17 Tribute to Norm McClelland & Shamrock Foods 29 Curling Originated in Medieval Scotland 29 Curling, Thomas Muirhead Keeps it in Family 30 Lauren Koll, 2017 AZ Colleen & Rose 31 Irish Language Immersion: 2017 Trip to Ireland 31 Stand-alone Irish Language Act

EVENTS 2 4 7 9

Arizona Musicfest with Seamus Egan, Scottsdale March of the Fallen for military charities, Verrado Irish Cultural Ctr & McClelland Library, Phx CONCERTS Phx: Altan, Runa, Socks in the Frying Pan 9 Experience Ireland, Phx 9 Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities Artists & Authors Int’l Showcase, Chandler 9 Kilt Run – Guinness World Record Attempt, Glendale 11 Bracken Irish Dance Step into Spring!, Mesa 11 Phoenix Scottish Games 13 CONCERT Mesa: Celtic Woman 13 Las Vegas Highland Games, Nevada 15 Irish Network AZ Breakfast & Speaker, Phx 18 AZ Renaissance Festival, Gold Canyon

NEXT ISSUE SNEAK PEEK

Celtic Music Tapestry: Old and New Arizona and Worldwide

23 Prescott Highland Games 23,25,26,27 Celtic Pubs & Eateries 33 Kiss Me I’m Irish Run/Walk, Glendale 34 Annual AZ Colleen & Rose Selection, Phx 34 THEATRE: “Outside Mullingar”, Phx 34 CONCERT ICC: Tartanic! Phx 34 Tucson-Roscommon Sister Cities Mayors’

FEATURES

Luncheon, Tucson

34,35 CONCERTS Chandler: Music of the Knights, Celtic Nights, Musical Thrones A Parody 34,35 ST. PATRICK’S EVENTS FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY 35 St. Pat’s Family Ceili (Irish Social Dancing), Phx 35 1916 Easter Rising Commemoration, Phx 35 Genealogy Workshop, Phx 35 History Café: Irish in AZ, Gilbert 35 History Café: Irish Genealogy, Gilbert 35 Good Friday Agreement with Consul General BACK Phx St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Faire

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Tribute to Norm McClelland & Shamrock Foods

HISTORY 8 Irish Tales from AZ Territory: St. Patrick’s Day 8 Arizona: Did you know?

22 Island Odyssey, The Difficult Route from Ireland to West Indies

23 NASA wearing the green!

TRAVEL 9 Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities Ireland Tour, Chandler

10 Driving Tips from Left Lane Maureen, Part 22: Driving through the byways 28 SCOTS: Bucket List – PS Waverley, Grande Dame of the Clyde 28 SCOTS: A Splash of Tartan, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Something for Everyone Throughout this Edition

DIRECTORIES 25 Celtic Pubs & Eateries 32,33 Organizations, Sister Cities, Dance, Musicians, Clans

CALENDAR 34,35 Schedule of Events

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Irish Language Immersion Trip

Survived Hurricane Ophelia!

WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

PHOTO BY NHEYOB

CULTURE

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Saint Patrick Catholic Church stained glass, Junction City, Ohio

Saint Patrick:

More than a Day

BY CAROLINE WOODIEL

T

he mention of Saint Patrick is likely to inspire images of parades and shamrocks in the modern imagination. St. Patrick’s Day is generally remembered as a day of revelry and celebration. Patrick’s name is synonymous with the month of March, and his holiday is closely associated with Irish culture in the United States. However, Saint Patrick was more than someone who inspired a lively celebration.

He was a man who left an enduring and profound legacy.

What we know of Saint Patrick comes from various sources. There are numerous stories and songs that have been passed down through generations. With Saint Patrick, we also have the good fortune of two pieces, written in his own words, which survived through the ages. These letters, “The Confession of Saint Patrick” and his “Letter to Coroticus,” shed light on not only the time of St. Patrick and Ireland of old, but provide information on the character and priorities of the man himself.

Both works are readily available by translation from Old Latin into modern day English for analysis, and to

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satisfy general curiosity. The John Skinner translation, of which there is a copy available at the McClelland Library in Phoenix, not only contains the translated texts, but a guide to common themes and emphasized points throughout St. Patrick’s writings. From his own words emerges the image of a man with a strong passion for a newly adopted nation, all the while sitting at the edge of the end of the Roman Empire.

Approximately 1600 years ago a teenage Roman citizen, Patricius, was taken captive during a raid of his town. He, like many other Romans, Irish, Scottish, and their neighbors, were whisked away by various nations and groups warring in the North Atlantic waters. Once ashore, Patrick found himself the captive servant of an Irish man.

During his six years of servitude in Ireland, Patrick’s spirituality grew. “The Confession of Saint Patrick” highlights how captivity led to his personal awakening. Within its text, a young “sinner” is transformed into a holy man and missionary, who escaped captivity, only to return to the land of his bondage to spread his faith.

St. Patrick’s “Letter to Coroticus,” shows a world of violence and tension, even between early Christian

groups, with Patrick trying to be a voice of peace and reason. Patrick’s letter to the fellow Christian and warring chief was intended to be read aloud to publicly shame Coroticus for his heinous crimes. Patrick sought to liberate his recent converts and followers with his writing, in addition to warning the people of Ireland what allegiance to rulers like Coroticus held in store for their earthly lives and immortal souls. Saint Patrick’s public plea is an appeal to the men and women of his time to face the difficulties of the day, and to unite as one: as Christians, and as Irish.

Despite the span of time that has passed since St. Patrick, his influence today is undeniable. Not only is there a holiday named after and for him, St. Patrick’s missions led to the establishment of monasteries across Ireland. The early Irish monks left us a treasure of music and brilliant art in the form of illuminated manuscripts.

The most famous of the Irish illuminated manuscripts sits in Trinity College Dublin, and is more commonly known as The Book of Kells. The McClelland Library proudly boasts one of the few rare, full color facsimiles of the famous manuscript on exhibit.

So, whether you dress in green, don a kilt, or march in a parade, take a moment to remember the real person behind the festivities. Truth is stranger than fiction, and Patrick’s story is so amazing, we celebrate it 1600 years later.

Caroline Woodiel is the Librarian of Public Services and Collections for the McClelland Library in Phoenix. She is a hobby photographer, border collie enthusiast, and a librarian with ancestors of both Irish and Scottish descent. Caroline holds a Bachelor’s of History from the University of Colorado and a Master’s of Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona.

Irish Happenings: Now thru May 26, 2018 2017-18 SEASON EXHIBIT AND LECTURE SERIES

PEAC

Peace and Reconciliation: the 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement

E BRI

DGE

Exhibit, Book Discussions, and Lectures

Saturday, March 17 35TH ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE AND FAIRE

Saturday, March 31 2018 COMMEMORATION OF THE 1916 EASTER RISING

E D A PAR

E R I A &F

Saturday, April 28 FAMILY FILM SERIES

The Secret of Kells

at sunset, weather permitting

t: ge ish r o f Ir es n’t i of

FAM

Do

d my Stu e ic m ad Ac Celtng Ter day n i d an Spr ts Mo 26 r rch Ma

Sta

ILY

FILM

SER

G

IES

R E T S

IN S I R

EA

See the calendar and directory in this issue for more information about us.

1106 North Central Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85004

Fall/Winter/Spring Regular Hours:

azirish.org

10AM – 3PM Tuesday – Saturday (Tours, Library & Genealogy)

Closed all major holidays Open Additional Hours for Scheduled Classes, Meetings & Events

602.258.0109 info@azirish.org The Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library are divisions of the Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation and are owned and maintained by the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department.

MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Irish Tales from Arizona Territory

When the Irish moved West, they packed light…

They brought their stories, their dreams – and their musical instruments. That was one of the only transportable parts of their culture.

St. Patrick’s Day

mike hughes

ARIZONA:

Did you know?

59. Petrified wood is the official state fossil. The Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona contains America’s largest deposits of petrified wood.

BY JANICE RYAN BRYSON

T

he love of music and dance is part of the Celtic DNA. The history of dance in Ireland reveals itself through migrations and invasions. The Druids danced in religious rituals; followed by the Celts from central Europe who brought their own folk dances. After the conversion to Christianity, the priests used the pagan style of ornamentation in manuscripts; while the peasants retained the same qualities in their music and dance. Customs and culture from the Anglo-Normans arrived in Ireland in the twelfth century.

The Irish arrived by the tens of thousands during the waves of Irish immigration to America. Many brought no more with them than the clothes on their backs and a special gift for music.

They turned St. Patrick’s Day into a celebration of Irish heritage to maintain ethnic solidarity. During the late 1800s, St. Patrick’s Day was marked with enthusiasm by the Irish and thousands attended events sponsored by various Irish organizations in cities with large Irish American populations.

The Irish didn’t come to Arizona Territory in the large numbers they did elsewhere, and the sheer effort to survive did not afford them the opportunity and leisure to create the fraternal and benevolent organizations typical of other large Irish American populations. St. Patrick’s

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Day Balls were mainly held in Jerome, Globe, Bisbee and Tombstone where the majority of the Irish had settled. The entire town was invited to dance and celebrate the wearing of the green. Dances would open with the Grand March and popular dances of the day included the quadrille, Virginia Reel, waltz, country dances, Schottische, and Varsovienne.

Tombstone’s Schieffelin Hall was inaugurated on March 17, 1881, with a St. Patrick’s Day ball as a fundraiser for the Irish Land League. Nellie Cashman was instrumental in planning the event and by the end of 1881, the Tombstone Irish had contributed $200.00 to the Land League. The Prescott Morning Courier in March 1900, exhorted readers not to forget the local St. Patrick’s Day Ball, which it promised to be “equal, if not superior, to any like event which ever happened in Prescott”.

Globe’s Irish outdid themselves with their Ball in March 1890. The Arizona Silver Belt wrote “The shamrock, the national emblem of Ireland, will be the fashion on Monday, particularly so at the Rink, on that night, where the 517th anniversary of the birth of St. Patrick will be commemorated. The occasion will be exceedingly interesting by a varied programs on which music and dancing will predominate. Mr. Jerry Ryan will appear as the harpist who will awaken the soul of music which for so long a time, has slumbered in its shell, in Tara’s Hall. He

will be accompanied by “four and twenty fiddlers all in a row” under the leadership of John Murphy, whose master spell will awaken a thousand melodies unheard of before. Your sisters and your cousins and your aunts will be there and none will weary of dancing or the concord of sweet sounds”. The next issue of the paper reported “the dancers went merrily on with but brief intermission until the dawn of another day”.

Irish Dancing in Phoenix Check out the schedule of the Ceili dances at the Irish Cultural Center, including March 17, and kick up your heels to an Irish tune. You will enjoy Irish social dances as they still follow the basic description of The Rinnce Fada, a country dance that goes back to sixteenth-century Ireland. The dance consisted of a row of men facing a row of women. Beginning at one end of the line, the couples start dancing one by one until all have joined in, dancing starting at one end, and going to the other and then back again. Bain sult as! Enjoy!

Janice Ryan Bryson descended from Irish Pioneers who arrived in the Arizona Territory in the 1880s. She is co-founder of the Irish Arizona Project and co-author of the book Irish Arizona. Janice was named an Arizona Culture Keeper for her research on the Irish in our state and is a recipient of the 2015 Anam Cara Award.

60. Phoenix originated in 1866 as a hay camp to supply military post Camp McDowell.

61. The best-preserved meteor crater in the world is located near Winslow, Arizona.

62. The Castilian and Burgundian flags of Spain, the Mexican flag, the Confederate flag, and the flag of the United States have all flown over the land we now know as Arizona.

63. Rising to a height of 12,643 feet, Mount Humphreys north of Flagstaff is the state’s highest mountain.

Read more fun and fascinating facts about Arizona NEXT edition.

PHOTO BY GARY M. JOHNSON

HISTORY

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Of Irish descent and Arizona’s Official State Historian, Marshall Trimble has been called the “Will Rogers of Arizona.” He’s a “cowboy philosopher,” educator, lecturer, author, folk singer and stage performer, and appears frequently on radio and television. He created and taught Arizona history at Scottsdale Community College for forty years where he was also Director of Southwest Studies.

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities 2018 IRELAND TOUR - TULLAMORE & BEYOND!

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CELTIC CONCERTS AND EVENTS AT MIM

JUNE 12 - 24, 2018 ACCOMMODATING AN INTIMATE GROUP OF 14 ON A MERCEDES MINICOACH WITH DRIVER GUIDE, IRELAND CHAUFFEUR TRAVEL

HIGHLIGHTS Dublin Fair City • Kildare Nat’l Stud • stay at Kinnitty Castle Westport, Clew Bay & Croagh Patrick • Ceide Fields Historic Site Kylemore Abbey • Cliffs of Moher • Waterford • Kilkenny Castle Clonmacnoise • Tullamore Dew Centre • Charleville Castle - more!

ALTAN Wednesday, March 7 | 7 p.m.

“More than any Irish group, this Donegal quintet is seen as keeper of the traditional flame.”

—Boston Globe

Optional Side Tours Dublin - visit Newgrange or tour of Powerscourt Gardens, Co. Wicklow Doolin - boat to Aran Islands or Cliffs of Moher Cruise Stays will be a mix of well-researched Bed & Breakfast lodgings in strategic and historic locales and the possibility of some Guesthouses or Hotels when a B&B cannot accommodate the entire group.

CTSC Members $3,000 USD • Non-Mbrs $3,300 USD - land pkg.

Euro fluctuations subject to change Hosted by Sullivan’s Travels For further information: Ellen Harrington, 480-600-8509 chan.to.tull@gmail.com, or visit www.chandlerirish.org

SOCKS IN THE FRYING PAN Friday, March 16 | 7:30 p.m.

This young trad trio from County Clare blend Irish traditional melodies with an innovative rhythmic and melodic garnish.

RUNA Saturday, March 17 | 7:30 p.m.

King Oak, Charleville

Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with one of the most innovative Irish folk groups of this generation.

Chandler Sister Cities EXPERIENCE IRELAND Saturday, March 17 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Sunday, March 18 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

2017 YOUNG ARTISTS & AUTHORS INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE: “WE’RE GOING PLACES!” Hosted by Chandler Unified School District #80 District Offices Lobby - 1525 W. Frye Road, Chandler March 6 - March 25; Lobby Hours 7:30am-4:30pm Chandler Sister Cities was chosen to host the 2017 Sister Cities International Showcase, featuring Young Authors and Artists from around the world! Veronica Driz, student from Hamilton High School, is one of the ten 2017 Sister Cities International’s Finalist Essay Winners, and is represented in the Exhibit. Also, Tempe student, Tesora Roman, is represented as one of the Art Finalists.

2018 YOUNG ARTISTS & AUTHORS SHOWCASE “THE ART OF DIPLOMACY” 3rd Friday Artwalk in Historic Downtown Chandler Reception: Friday, April 20 from 6:00 to 9:00pm

Make plans to experience Ireland at MIM with a celebration of Irish music and culture. Enjoy music, crafts, Irish dancing, cultural talks, and more; it’s a perfect way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day! Sponsored by

®

TICKETS AND LINEUP AT MIM.ORG 2018 Concert Series sponsored by

Exhibit will feature poetry, essays and artworks submitted by Chandler students for our 2018 Art and Author Showcase.

Hosting of the 2018 Art & Author Showcase is made possible by a grant from Chandler Special Events Sponsorship Funding and the Chandler Cultural Foundation, & through the generous support of Chandler Unified School District and the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership.

For further information: www.chandlerirish.org

2018 Kilt Run GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT A short “Irish K” (about a quarter mile)

Friday, March 16, 6pm

MIM.org | 480.478.6000 | 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ

Your ENTRY Includes a kilt, finisher’s medal, cold beverage & admission to McFadden’s After Party!

Proceeds to American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

$25 til Feb 16; $30 til Mar 15; $35 Tanger Outlets Westgate, Glendale, AZ

The record is currently held by Perth, Ontario, Canada.We need almost 1,800 runners wearing kilts to bring the world record to Glendale, Arizona!

register at

www.irishrunaz.com WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

TRAVEL

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

Leap, County Cork

DRIVING TIPS FROM LEFT LANE MAUREEN

PART 22:

Driving through

the byways

BY MAUREEN SULLIVAN, CTC

W

ell, here it is Saint Patrick’s Day again. The year has flown by! In the big cities of Ireland, everyone will gather for a day of celebration and revelry!

But, if you want to see the real Ireland, you must head for the secluded byways which are off the highways. The road less traveled isn’t always a road…

Many of our clients make their first stop in Doolin in County Clare. Up the road a bit from the matchmaking town of Lisdoonvarna, are the ruins of an old castle, Ballinlacken with a lovely guesthouse-hotel nestled beside it. It is a wonderful spot for viewing the Atlantic Ocean and making your way to the beauty of the Burren landscape.

The whole area of the Burren is

fertile, fragile, and plant rich, featuring 1,100 plant species. Especially in the spring one will see flowers that only bloom in the Arctic. Walking over the pavement like stone fields you might spot spring gentian, mountain aven, and bloody cranesbill to name just a few. If one wanted to brave the Corkscrew Hill drive, you will come upon Burren Fine Wine and Food. The food, especially the seafood chowder is excellent in this area. Also, a favorite is Monk’s Pub in Ballyvaughan.

One of my favorite spots in Ireland is the Dingle peninsula. The area is also signposted in the Irish language and is still spoken by many of the locals; but of course, they speak to you in English.

Dunbeg Fort, dating from the Stone Age is one of the best preserved promontory forts in Ireland. Just beyond are the Fahan beehive huts, thought to have been

built by the monks or early Christians for the pilgrims visiting the area. Dunmore Head is mainland Ireland’s most westerly point and features magnificent views of the Blasket Islands. Dingle town is very busy and lively, but one of the best spots for fresh seafood. Murphy’s pub is right on the main street.

Since our Sullivan family cottage is in County Cork, West Cork to be exact, I would be remiss not to mention some of our favorite haunts. The bottom of our driveway outside the town of Leap is the bay of the ocean. Because of the Atlantic’s proximity, I love the beaches, unique sites, and small villages in the area.

On one of my first visits to Leap many years ago, we made our way to the Glandore road, at that time pulling into a farmer’s field. We made our way to the Drombeg Stone Circle, dating back to 150 B.C. It is one of the best preserved stone

circles and nearby has an actual stone cooking pit. Union Hall is a lovely village with the fishing trawlers in the harbour and fresh seafood available in local pubs.

Four of our favorite beaches for walking are the Red Strand, Inchydoney Beach, the Long Strand, and Owenahincha.

These are family friendly beaches not far from Clonakilty. Surfers can be seen at some of the beaches.

It’s not where the path leads you, it’s what you find along the way!

Special thanks to Arizona photographer, Tim Murphy, for providing photos from his trip to County Sligo in the February edition, and the fabulous surfing photo below!

Maureen and John (“Jack”) are the owners of Sullivan’s Travels, Inc. Maureen has been a travel professional for 25 years, moving their business to Phoenix four years ago. www.sullivanstravels.com

On the road to Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry

PHOTO BY TIMHMURPHY.COM

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THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

S A T U R D A Y , A P R I L 2 1 st, 3 : 0 0 P M - 5 : 0 0 P M

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Bracken School of Irish Dance

@ THE HIGLEY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Experience traditional Irish music and dancing with a modern twist! Live music

by Stilicho and Ciara Archer and dancers from the Bracken School of Irish Dance!

Buy Tickets Online @ http://higleycenter.ticketforce.com/bracken

MARCH 3rd & 4th

THE 54th ANNUAL

PHOENIX SCOTTISH GAMES Highland Athletics

Pipe Bands

Phoenix, AZ

For Tickets and Info Go To

www.arizonascots.com

Clan Village

British Car Show

Children’s Area

Live Music

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

CULTURE

CELTIC CATERER

Guinness Gravy on a dare

BY CHEF ERIC W. MCBRIDE

Makes 2 cups

ecently, a fan wrote to me to help find her a really good Guinness gravy. She had tried one at a festival that was good, but she dared me as a true Celtic Chef to do one better. As I was already working on my new book (“Celtic Soup, Sauces, Stocks, and Stews”), I was ready for the challenge.

There are hundreds of recipes for a Guinness Gravy. But after many hours of research, I concluded that I would need to create one from scratch.

Of course, the best way to achieve a more flavorful dish or sauce, is to use really good ingredients like Kerry Gold Butter and King Arthur Flour, as well as Tones Beef Base. We already know that Guinness is a choice ingredient. But it also helps to know a bit about how flavors evolve and what little nudges we can give to make it all come together. In this case, it was the use of Molasses at the end that rounds the whole sauce off (it takes a lot of the bitterness out of the equation).

4 T. Kerry Gold Salted Butter 3 T. King Arthur All-Purpose Flour 8 oz. Guinness Stout 1 c. Tones Beef Base mixture (extra strong, 2x what the label says to make) 4 Cremini Mushrooms ½ Chopped Onion 1 Clove Minced Garlic 1 T. Celtic Caterer Welsh Mustard Powder 1 t. Worcestershire Sauce ½ t. Fresh Cracked Black Pepper ¼ t. Celery Salt ½ t. Celtic Caterer Celtic Grilling Spice (Thyme, Rosemary, Sage) ½ t. Molasses

R KELTIC KITCHEN

Irish Apple Oat Cake

BY KATIE CAUFIELD GINDER

D

ia daoibh a chaired! (Hello friends!)

Moist, sweet, tender pieces of apple and cake all in one bite; yes, please! I have always wanted to try baking an apple oat cake but worried about the use of oats yielding too dense of a loaf. By including apple sauce, Greek yogurt, and diced fresh apple, the recipe below produces a cake that can be enjoyed for breakfast, tea time or dessert.

Feel free to have a slice straight out of the Yields 10-12 servings

INGREDIENTS: 2 c. or 240 g. flour 1 c. or 90 g. oats 2 t. baking powder ¼ t. salt 2 t. cinnamon 1 c. or 200 g. sugar 2 eggs 1 c. apple sauce ½ c. coconut or vegetable oil (I use coconut) ½ c. Greek yogurt 1 c. or 150 g. chopped apple ½ t. vanilla ½ t. almond extract

ICING GLAZE: 1 c. or 100 g. powdered sugar 2 T. or 30 ml milk ½ t. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C. Grease a 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 inch loaf pan and set aside.

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oven or at room temperature. If you do not end up eating the cake within a day, I recommend refrigerating any leftovers as the recipe includes fresh apples. Enjoy!

Katie Caufield Ginder lives in Gilbert with her husband and two sons. Her background is in higher education program management, instruction, and faculty recruitment. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, yoga, volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and learning about her Irish heritage. Katie’s great, great paternal grandfather was from Galway and immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1860s.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, apple sauce, oil, yogurt, chopped apple, vanilla and almond extract.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and begin making the glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and cinnamon until smooth. Once the cake has cooled slightly, remove the loaf from the pan, place on a plate, and pour the glaze over the top.

Check out Chef McBride’s gofundme campaign on page 33 to launch a Celtic cooking show!

Chef McBride is an awardwinning chef and author of four Celtic cookbooks (Scotland, Ireland, Wales & Manx, and Celtic-style vegetarian), and has a line of traditional Celtic Seasoning mixes. You can get his books via his website www.celticcaterer.com or on his Facebook page “the Celtic Caterer & Chef Eric W. McBride, or on YouTube.

Step 1. Melt Kerry Gold butter in sauce pan, then add in Onions, then Mushrooms and fresh cracked Black Pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.

Step 2. Add in minced Garlic, Mustard Powder, Celery Salt, CC Celtic Grilling Spice, and sauté for 4 more minutes.

Step 3. Add in flour to make a roux and mix thoroughly. Pour in Guinness VERY slowly, a little at a time and then stir with a whisk.

This allows for the beer to expand without needing to add any additional flour.

Step 4. Add in Beef Base (don’t use beef stock). Pour in slowly, a little at a time. Then add in remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for 10 minutes at medium low heat.

Serve hot over potatoes, sausages, steaks or more!

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

CULTURE

14

Are Ye Daft?

A True Story

BY CARMELITA LEE

I

f only I could laugh out loud in my job as a court reporter! But alas …

One of the funniest depositions I ever took was in Ennis, County Clare. It was San Francisco lawyers there to depose Farmer McNamara and his wife about their law suit against an American corporation. The couple were irritated to be there, she more than he. She looked exactly the way I had imagined a farmer’s wife should look, round, tall, bright red cheeks and even at deposition, wearing her apron. She fidgeted with the apron all during her husband’s testimony, pleating

the bottom, then unpleating it, then pleating it again. When she could catch my eye, she would roll hers, and sometimes she would just grin or chuckle under her breath as her husband explained his life.

One of the first question in a deposition is, “Tell us about your day.”

McNamara explained that he was present on the worst day because it was lambing and calving season, already in full swing.

“Well, forst,” he says, “et’s a deh when oi doesn’t get me tay. Oi hav’ta go straight to dem pens where de lamb bebies is. And if et’s a forst toim cow mooder, sometoimes oim deliverin dem

cow bebies meself.”

“Mr. McNamara, how do you deliver a cow baby?”

McNamara slapped the top of my very expensive machine. “What? Are ye daft? Why, you deliver dem cow bebies in exactly the sehm weh as ye deliver a Chrrrrristian beby.”

Anna McNamara was dryer, but just as funny, not holding back her disgust at having to mess up her day, either.

Her day also started at 4:30 in the morning, when she brought her man his tay. After clarifying that tay is tea -- “yous people calls it teeeeee in Americki,” she was asked, “Well, how do you do that?”

With eyes rolling and throwing her head back, she says, “Ye really are daft, aren’t ye?”

“Forst ye put the kettle, it’s a little round t’ing that ye add the wahter.

When the wee top sings, the water is hot, and ye put de bag in de coop, and ye swing, swing, swing de bag, den ye shout, Awree, Jack, yer tay is gettin’ cold.” All this was accompanied by a pantomime of the same.

But when she was naming off her eight children, she had us.

“Et’s six dauthers and two soons,” she was proud to tell us. Their names are Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary and Mary, and Patrick and Patrick. “ Perplexed, the American lawyer said, “How do you know who you want?”

Oh, I can tell them apart, you see.”

“How would you ask them to do something?”

“Oi would seh, Mary Katherine, bring me moy purse, and Mary Ashling, bring me moy porple sweater, and Patrick John, fetch me sewin’ basket, and Patrick Harold, come start the fire…”

Yup, it would be fun to be allowed to laugh in deposition…

How does a gal named Carmelita Lee claim to be Irish? Scottish, even? Granny Holland’s family hailed from Ennis, County Clare, and Grandpa Maxwell from the Borderlands, Scotland. Her husband’s mother was a Dowdall, and he had a Grandma O’Higgins…ye can’t be more Irish than that!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Matt’s grandparents, James Joseph Cunningham and Delia McNicholas, each emigrated from Co. Mayo, Ireland, met and married in Chicago

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THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018 Mother is Mary Patricia Doyle of the Doyle clan from County Galway, Ireland

Phone: 480-671-0207 • Cell: 847-481-9149 Phone: 480-671-0207 • Cell: 847-481-9149 480-617-5961 Fax:Fax: 480-617-5961 • www.sullivanstravels.com maureen@sullivanstravels.com • www.sullivanstravels.com maureen@sullivanstravels.com 67%

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Grandparents: John O’Dowd emigrated 1929 to NY from Castlebaldwin, Co. Sligo and Ellen Greevy from Roscommon 1938.

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PHOTO BY WILLIAM MURPHY, DUBLIN

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IRISH NETWORK ARIZONA

Jack’s parents were born in County Cork, Ireland, settling in Chicago in the 1920s.

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

A Tribute to a Great Irish-American in Arizona

Norm McClelland A

Speaking at an Anam Cara Awards Gala at the Irish Cultural Center

In front of donor wall in McClelland Library WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

fter serving as CEO for Shamrock Foods Company for 45 years, Norman P. McClelland continued as a guiding force for the company by serving as Chairman of the Board until the time of his passing on July 11, 2017.

Shamrock Foods Company–parent company of Shamrock Farms and Shamrock Foods–was founded by Norman’s father, W.T. McClelland, an immigrant from County Down, Northern Ireland, in Tucson, Arizona in 1922 with a Model T truck and 20 cows. After 95 years in business, it is now one of the top privately held companies in America, and one of the top 100 employers in Arizona.

Norman’s Irish heritage was a source of tremendous pride, and he dedicated much of his time to ensuring that Irish culture continues to thrive in Arizona. He kept in touch with his family in Ireland and frequently traveled there to see family and friends. He was actively involved in the Phoenix Irish Cultural Center and he is best known for envisioning and bringing to fruition the McClelland Library; located at 1106 N. Central Avenue, just north of Roosevelt.

The one of a kind library, bearing his family name, houses more than 8,000 books and other materials available to the public to educate and ensure the legacy of Irish writers, history, and culture in the desert Southwest. His hope was to establish it as a center for people to tell their story, and to leave a lasting legacy for the Irish Diaspora in this region.

Norman researched and published four detailed family history volumes, one on each of his grandparents who grew up within a ten-mile radius in County Down, N. Ireland. The family histories serve as the cornerstone for the library’s Genealogy Research Centre, named after his late sister, Frances H. McClelland. Norman’s dedication to his family and helping others discover and write their family histories is what guided his huge investment in developing an Irish library, housed in a modern-day castle, in the heart of downtown Phoenix.

Paul Ahern, President of the Board of the Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation (ICLF) explained further, “I have witnessed Norman McClelland’s tireless efforts to ensure that a one-of-a-kind Irish Cultural Center was built in Phoenix. His hard work and dedication to the cause revealed his genuine interest in introducing and fostering rich Irish culture throughout the community. He regularly lent his business expertise and strategies, which were aimed to create increasing financial stability for the Center. Norman led by example.

He was an active member of the ICLF board and once said ‘if you see an opportunity, act on it.’”

Norman was born in Tucson on June 21, 1927. He received a dual B.S. /B.A. degree in agriculture and business administration from the University of Arizona before

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

17

SHAMROCK FARMS®

A Tribute to Norm McClelland continues…

Some Interesting Milestones in Shamrock’s History

moving to Phoenix, where he raised his family and grew the Shamrock business. “My father was an iconic leader whose wisdom and leadership values will continue to be a guiding force for the company,” said Kent McClelland, current President and CEO for Shamrock Foods Company. “He was loved by all who knew him, and I’m honored to carry on his legacy of business leadership and devotion to public service.”

Norman personified Shamrock’s long-standing commitment to “treat associates like family and customers and suppliers like friends.” The impact of Shamrock Foods Company extends far beyond the quality products it manufactures and distributes, because Norman believed it’s just as much the company’s duty to give back to the community as it is to provide superior products. Thanks to Norman’s leadership, Shamrock Foods Company supports more than 80 non-profit groups and donates more than 450,000 pounds of food annually to local food banks.

Not only was giving back to the community a philosophy McClelland instilled in his company, but he himself served as a role model by actively supporting many charitable, business and community organizations including the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix Mountain Preserve, the Boy Scouts of America, Boys & Girls Club, and Interfaith Ministries, among others.

Throughout his lifetime, Norman served as a leader for organizations including the Arizona State Fair, 100 Club of Arizona, Phoenix Mountain Preservation Commission, Save Our Mountains Foundation, University of Arizona Eller School of Management, Rockford Institute, Howard Center, Goldwater Institute, Joe Foss Institute, Duet, and the Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation.

He placed a high value on education and remained an active supporter of his alma mater, the University of Arizona, throughout his life. Norman and his sister, Frances H. McClelland, were both alumni. In 2008, McClelland Park was built to house the John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, and in 1992 the new Eller College of Management facility was dedicated and named McClelland Hall in their honor.

Norm left an indelible mark on the Arizona Irish Community with his time, talented business sense, and personal monetary contributions to the Center and his beloved McClelland Library. Visitors are encouraged to avail the wonderful genealogical services there, whatever their ethnicities. Don’t miss the St. Patrick’s Faire on March 17 with a ceili Irish social dance for all ages afterwards (beginners welcome!); free parking and shuttle from 1850 N. Central Avenue (West side of Central & Palm Lane) OR take the light rail to Roosevelt.

T

here’s a reason Shamrock Farms® brand is America’s best-loved dairy. They are the largest family-owned and operated dairy in the Southwest. For more than 90 years, Shamrock Farms has been keeping customers happy with quality, convenience, variety and out-of-the-barn thinking. They produce and distribute a full line of great-tasting, fresh and healthy dairy products such as Milk, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese, Whipping Cream, Ice Cream, Half and Half, Cream Cheese, Butter and Eggs.

Mix. Whip. Beat. But never settle when it comes to your dairy products. For more than 80 years, Shamrock Foods has provided the best dair​​​y for the best dishes. Shamrock was one of the first distributors in the U.S. to deliver fresh dairy with other grocery supplies. Our dairy division, Shamrock Farms, has its own 10,000-cow herd so you can feel confident about always receiving the highest quality. Local farm-fresh ingredients, combined with rigid quality standards and state-of-the-art processing make delivering satisfaction easier.

1942

War constraints reduce milk delivery schedules to alternate days and daytimes only.

1950

The company’s first Employees’ Retirement and Profit Sharing Plan is instituted.

1951

Shamrock Dairy’s first refrigerated truck is purchased.

1954

A 10-acre building site is purchased on Black Canyon Highway for $50,000.

1981

Shamrock is cited as a “Great Distributor Organization” by Institutional Distribution magazine, which devotes 13 articles in its June issue to the Shamrock “success story.”

1990

A new addition expands the Commerce City, Colorado, warehouse from 3,750,000 feet to 9,000,250 cubic feet.

1992

Kent McClelland becomes president and chief operating officer of Shamrock Foods.

1993

Shamrock Foods Company is listed among Forbes magazine’s top 400 private companies in the United States for the first time.

2005

Shamrock Farms Farm Tour in Stanfield, Arizona will be a fun, educational experience that takes students and families inside the state-of-the-art dairy farm our cows call home. Hands-on lessons cover such topics as how cows produce milk, how dairy technology has evolved, Shamrock’s history in Arizona, and more.

2007

Shamrock Foods Company celebrates an 85-year history of excellence and introduces its Organic line of milk and dairy products. The Dairy Division’s single-serve ESL (extended shelf life) milk products are now distributed in all 50 U.S. states through the Subway restaurant organization.

2009

The Colorado Foods Division celebrated the opening of its own USDA-certified meat plant, with custom-cut beef, poultry, pork, and lamb products.

HISTORY

​​ Shamrock’s rich heritage began when W.T. McClelland (Mr. Mac), son of an Irish farmer, immigrated to the U.S. and bought a small dairy business in 1922 to serve a handful of customers in the Tucson area. His wife, Sara Winifred (Winnie) became the bookkeeper and christened the new business Shamrock Dairy. Together, Mr. Mac and Winnie forged an American success story.

After World War II, Shamrock Dairy built a processing plant in Phoenix and launched continuous expansion programs in both facility development and product line. Over the years, the product line has emerged to include frozen foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, fish and institutional foodservice supplies and equipment.

Today, Shamrock Foods Company is the umbrella for Shamrock Farms, the largest dairy in the Southwest, and Shamrock Foods, a nationally-ranked foodservice distributor. Now headquartered in Phoenix, Shamrock sends refrigerated trucks to 9 other states from distribution centers in Phoenix, Arizona, Commerce City (Denver), Colorado and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Eastvale, California.

…and the milestones keep coming!

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18

MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

ARTS

Culture Ministers Welcome Irish Musicians to Scotland Ireland Is Focus Country at Key Music Industry Event Part of GB18: Promoting Irish Arts in Britain

I PHOTOS BY MARTIN SHIELDS

(L to R) Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Ms. Fiona Hyslop and Ireland’s Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan T.D. with Aoife Scott and band

Dublin folk singer Aoife Scott and band. She is the daughter of famous Irish singer Frances Black and niece of singer Mary Black.

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(Glasgow, Scotland. Friday, February 2, 2018) reland’s Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan T.D. today launched a special year of Irish arts and culture in Britain GB18: Promoting Irish Arts in Britain.

Minister Madigan was joined by Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Ms. Fiona Hyslop as she launched the GB18 at Celtic Connections, Scotland’s annual festival of folk, roots and world music.

The event was notable as Ireland is being featured as a focus country in 2018 at Showcase Scotland, a key music industry event that takes place at Celtic Connections every year.

Speaking at the launch Minister Madigan said, “Ireland’s participation at Showcase Scotland this year is particularly special as it is the first flagship event of the GB18 programme. It offers artists the opportunity to gain further international touring contracts and work globally, continuing to enhance Ireland’s reputation.”

She continued, “This special year-long programme seeks to strengthen our cultural and artistic links across Scotland, Wales and England through an enhanced programme of cultural activity. I thank the artists participating for their commitment to their work and for giving us all such pleasure. I hope this special year serves as a platform for long reaching and enhanced cultural connections for Britain.”

The Irish artists showcasing are 2017 Choice Music Prize Nominee Wallis Bird, Dublin-born traditional singer and bouzoki player Daoirí Farrell, sean-nós singer, arranger and composer Lorcán Mac Mathúna, instrumental ensemble NOTIFY, Dublin folk singer Aoife Scott and acoustic instrumentalists The Young Folk.

With over 200 festival directors, programmers and presenters from all over the world attending this Irish showcase, emerging Irish artists are being given additional international opportunities for sustainable careers. This vibrant, contemporary and high quality programme of events across all artistic disciplines involves hundreds of Irish artists travelling to dozens of prestigious venues, institutions and festivals across Britain.

Christine Sisk, Director of Culture Ireland said, “Ireland is honoured to be the spotlight country at Showcase Scotland at Celtic Connections, one of the world’s most important showcases of folk and traditional music. We know that the six Showcase selections, as well as the wider programme of Irish artists at Celtic Connections will present international audiences a unique chance to experience the vibrant Irish music scene and further advance Ireland’s reputation for artistic excellence. This event is a great introduction to a strong programme of arts activity under the GB18.”

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

19

ARTS

Celtic Thunder

Public Television Special Airs March 1 75-City North American Tour Kicks Off September 2018

L

CTX_Desert_Shamrock9.25x5.25.indd 1

X that isn’t a new song but which never fails to bring the audience to its feet.

Celtic Thunder have sold over 3.4 million albums in the US, combined, toured the U.S. and Canada, coast to

We love singing songs that are a perfect mix of traditional and contemporary Irish songs, along with the fun we have performing hit songs that are known worldwide.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CELTICTHUNDER.COM

(New York, January 23, 2018) egacy Recordings - There’s no resting on your laurels for Public Television phenomenon Celtic Thunder! The multi-platinum Irish group disembarked from its third Celtic Thunder Cruise in November and completed a U.S. Symphony Tour in December, all the while making preparations for the all new CELTIC THUNDER X Deluxe Double CD, Deluxe Double DVD packages, to be released on March 2, 2018. The releases celebrate the group’s 10th Anniversary, and the Celtic Thunder X tour of 75 cities across the U.S. and Canada will begin in the fall of 2018.

The brand-new music and footage from CELTIC THUNDER X is also a highly anticipated television special, which will begin airing nationally on March 1, 2018. The special was filmed in Dublin on October 30, 2017 at the Helix Theatre. Celtic Thunder has become one of public television’s largest draws. Their shows have aired over 22,500 times across 50 states on PBS. The group is among the top five audience-generating acts on the network. Check local listings for airing dates/times of Celtic Thunder’s new CELTIC THUNDER X special.

Backed by the amazing Celtic Thunder Band, the singers (Damian McGinty, Ryan Kelly, Michael O’Dwyer, Emmet Cahill & Neil Byrne) deliver new ensemble numbers including “Sons of Light”, “Toora, Loora, Lay”, “The Wild Rover”, “Right all right”, and “Castle on the Hill” followed in the second act by nostalgic fun songs like “Celebration”, “I’m a Believer”, “Seasons in the Sun” and “Rise Again”. No Celtic Thunder show would be complete without an encore of their rousing anthem “Ireland’s Call”, the only song in CELTIC THUNDER

coast, 12 times, and Australia 4 times performing almost 1,000 shows to date, selling well over 1 million tickets.

Celtic Thunder has been hailed as BILLBOARD’s “Top World Music Artist,” along with “Top World Music Imprint” and “Top World Album” of in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015 and again in 2016.

The Celtic Thunder official YouTube channel, “Thunder Tube” has received over 98 million views since 2008 and has more than 138,000 subscribers.

The Celtic Thunder website www.celticthunder. com reached over 5.3 million users last year. Their Facebook www.facebook.com/celticthunder has 461,000 followers and over 42,000 on Twitter https:// twitter.com/CelticThunder. www.theceltictimes.com, Celtic Thunders monthly newzine has a readership of 1.2 million and 100,000 subscribers.

See Editor’s interview with tenor Emmet Cahill in the May-June MUSIC edition!

17/02/2018 00:08 WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

20

MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

You are the Perfect Age From Contradictions to Happiness

BY JAN WHALEN CONTRADICTIONS EVERYWHERE Life is filled with contradictions. Kind people can say mean things and organized people lose their car keys. We have contradictory feelings about our age as well. Sometimes we love it, sometimes we lie about it. We’re like the ancient map makers who labeled unexplored places in the world with the words: “Here be Dragons.” Many of us are both afraid and excited to step into a new year of life because the future is unknown.

Some of Irish Community members at Jan’s keynote address at Southwest Airlines’ Celebrating Arizona Women, October 2017

WHY STAY CONNECTED TO OUR IRISH HERITAGE? It’s important to stay connected to our Irish heritage because that’s where essential values are found. America is a country of great diversity of thought, and the cultural values in places like Tullamore and our American Irish groups are worth cultivating over a lifetime. Of course, not everything Irish is perfect, yet we want to make sure we remember that we are people who practice hospitality, loyalty, generosity, humility and at the same time, we are happy about life.

Connections cut through generations. The biggest contradiction is that age doesn’t matter. We can all be inspired by those who were born before us, share wisdom with our peers, and with those from younger generations—and if we listen, we can even learn from them.

You are the Perfect Age to connect your contradictions, to cherish your experiences, and advocate for the causes that call to your heart. True happiness begins with loving your perfect age.

Note: This article is an excerpt of Jan Whalen’s keynote, “You are the Perfect Age,” delivered at the Chandler-Tullamore Sister City Southwest Tea November 4, 2017.

READ

MORE

Read the entirety via a link on the home page of DesertShamrock.com!

Jan M. Whalen, MASL, is an award-winning author who creates books, workshops, and keynotes about loving your age, building self-trust and maintaining confidence. Her great-grandfather emigrated from County Waterford, Ireland. www.whalenvoices.com; jan@whalenvoices.com

You are the Perfect Age is a wonderful book to give any woman as a gift to help celebrate her perfect age!

One reviewer said, “Uplifting, heartwarming, motivating, and an easy read. I loved every story from every age. I would recommend this book to anyone.”

This book features ten women, each stepping into a new decade, from 10 to 100.

Contact Jan Whalen for Keynotes, Seminars and her new “WISE Workshop” to write the stories of your life.

Purchase on Amazon

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TWO IRISH WOMEN EMBODY THE BEAUTY OF CONTRADICTIONS Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley and Camilla Cullen show us the beauty of contradictions. Grace, born in County Mayo in 1530, loved the sea and forced her dad to let her sail with him and his crew—eventually becoming a fierce queen.

Yet, she married, had three children, and enjoyed her feminine charms. She sailed to England to meet with Queen Elizabeth I, demanding her son’s release from prison.

Camilla Cullen, a modern-day Grace O’Malley, is from Tullamore, County Offaly. She’s an advocate for the ChandlerTullamore Sister Cities and a fierce defender of her family, her beloved city, and her Irish legacy. Yet, she is one of the most generous hosts you’ll ever meet.

Saidhbhe, one of Camilla’s four daughters confirms this, “The main thing I adore about Mam is the way she raised myself and my sisters to be hard working women, and not settle for anything less than what we are passionate about.

Her love of feeding and hosting people is a powerful thing, and she empowers whoever she is talking to.”

By knowing complex and powerful women, we meet the many sides of ourselves. The qualities we admire in others—determination and strength of character, for example—lie dormant within us, but when they are expressed in someone else, we recognize them, and they wake up in us. We are changed through the push and pull of hard and soft qualities and assimilate them into our

daily actions. This can happen at any age.

So as women, we nurture and we defend, listen and we give advice. We make mistakes and we get back up—with the intention to improve. With time, women braid the good, bad, and valiant aspects of themselves together. It takes time to live, reflect and grow into your authentic life. So, when you think about it, age is our friend.

623.466.5067 jan@whalenvoices.com

www.whalenvoices.com

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

Y GWYLL, a bilingual Welsh-English BBC Crime Drama Series

BY LYNN HERDMAN MASCARELLI

T

hough of Welsh ancestry but not a student of Welsh language, I love the sound of it, the words spoken and sung. So I was delighted to find a Netflix English-language version of Hinterland or Y Gwyll, meaning “The Dusk.” It is for the most part shown in English in the UK and US, but happily, subtitled in Welsh; the words beautiful, full of consonants and covered with all kinds of accent marks.

Y Gwyll draws us into a remote, wistful place and the mystery heightens the spell. The setting is grim in the coastal town of Aberystwyth, Wales, County Ceredigion often called Cardiganshire where the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol converge. Images are bleak, covered in mist, telling tragic tales while DCIs struggle for justice.

With a soundtrack of falling rain and the roar of the sea, it is Welsh film noir at its best, a modern-day crime drama featuring the discerning but willful, brilliantly tragic and argumentative DCI Tom Mathias, played by award-winning Welsh actor, Robert Harrington. You may have seen his portrayal of Captain Andrew Blamey in Poldark, watched his performances in Lark Rise To Candleford and Bleak House.

When asked to explain his inwardly tortured character, Harrington smiles. “It’s pretty consistent of him being a slave to his own demons and his own way of life and state of mind.” He describes Mathias as emotionally raw, a man who has “a degree of sympathy with all walks of life. That’s a first. I don’t think there have been many characters like him on TV, who reach out to people as much as he does.”

But here’s the business and cultural end of it: in April 2013, Rhodri Talfan Davies, director of BBC Cymru Wales, was determined to showcase more Welsh language in programming on BBC. It required two and a half years to raise the production cost of £4.2 million (over $5.8 million USD). The Welsh Government provided £215,000 in repayable business funding. Production offices are contained within the former Ceredigion Council offices Swyddfa’r Sir, which nicely acts as the external scene of the series’ police station.

Completed over a 124day period in 2013, each scene was filmed twice, in both English and Welsh and thus, doubling the actors’ workload. The Welsh version was broadcast in eight parts on S4C 2013, with the bilingual version in four parts broadcast on BBC One Wales 2014 and later that year on BBC Four. In December

2016, Series 3 was completed. It is produced by Fiction Factory Films, distributed by All3Media International.

On a final note, main character actor, Richard Harrington, raised in an English-speaking family, studied in Merthyr’s Welsh Medium School and has schooled his two children in the language as well. He admits to having improved his Welsh skills in doing the series.

“Welsh is in my life almost every day because of my children, but I’ll never think in that language. It’s a joy to speak when it works.”

Watch every moment on TV or online. You must see Hinterland, binge on it, as they say...Hwyl am rwan/nawr! (“Bye for now”).

Lynn is a former high school teacher of art, history, and political science. She is a potter, illustrator, muralist in public venues and private homes, and wordsmith. Frequently a featured artist at the Irish Cultural Center, Celtic landscapes intrigue her. Her mom, a Williams, is totally Welsh with ancestry as far back as 1700s and the Isle of Anglesley.

Interested in studying Welsh online?

Grwpiau a Dosbarthau laith Gymraeg Learn the language of heaven!

Dysgwch laith y Nefoedd In Phoenix, Arizona: groups and Welsh language classes meet Tuesday evenings online at Google Hangouts. Beginners’ class at 5pm; continuing learners follow. All are welcome to stay for all segments. Call “good” John Good at 602 509 5223. http://www.welshleagueofarizona.org/classes.html

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

CULTURE

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22

Island Odyssey The Difficult Route from Ireland to the West Indies

BY DR. SHARONAH FREDRICK

W

hen sailors in late 17th century Jamaica spoke about St. Elmo’s fire dancing on the top masts of their ships at night, they were referring to a natural phenomenon

arising from electric charges in the ionized storm atmosphere. But the belief that St. Erasmus—as the Irish mariners told it—appeared before the end of a tempest to reassure them, was evidence of the continuity of the Celtic maritime tradition in Caribbean waters.

It was a shared belief, from the

West Coast of Ireland’s County Kerry through Spain’s heavily Celtic region of Galicia, that St. Erasmus, (or “St. Telmo” as the Galician crews referred to him), would protect the seamen during their long voyages West. Today in Barbados, Monsterrat, Jamaica, and Trinidad, one can hear the same story, told by the multiracial descendants of African and Irish slaves.

The tragedies of Black slavery in the New World are established facts, and to that must be added another dimension of human suffering: Irish individuals who went, supposedly as “indentured laborers,” to Britain’s West Indian sugar plantations.

They were shipped out from Ireland in the thousands, beginning in 1625, and died quickly. During Cromwell’s harsh campaigns in Ireland in the 1650s, the island’s population was depleted of supposed “malcontents” by being shipped off to the West Indies. There, the English Crown had established a system remarkably similar to that of the Spanish Crown in the Americas. Give disaffected noblemen grants of land confiscated from the islands’ original inhabitants, and allot them subjects—never called slaves, but in effect, they were this—to work the mineral, sugar, and cotton wealth of the Caribbean.

Many poorer, working-class English debtors and servants joined the Irish in their suffering. While their contracts as “indentured laborers” should have granted them freedom after a space of 7-10 years in exchange for hard labor on the sugar plantations, they frequently died of inhuman conditions within five years. Their deaths effectively nullified all

obligations on the part of the contractor (the plantation owner), and their families back in Ireland or England were never compensated. The policy of “shipping the Irish” to the West Indies was begun by the first of the Stuart Kings, James I. This would lead to a marked depopulation of Ireland by the turn of the 18th century.

And later monarchs viewed it as a good way to “thin out” the English working class as well.

English author and social critic, Jonathan Swift, penned his A Modest Proposal in 1729, scathingly suggesting that Ireland be depopulated by having its population cannibalize itself. He thereby unmasked, in his angry pamphlet, the aspirations of those who wished to see the Irish gone. Irish slaves in the Caribbean, ironically, spread knowledge of Irish culture throughout Britain’s overseas colonies. And ultimately, English indentured laborers shared more with their Irish companions than they did with the King’s men, as historian Marcus Rediker has observed in his writings on Atlantic social upheaval.

Sharonah Fredrick is currently co-editing a book of essays for Ibero-Vervuet publishers, about the influence of Peru’s greatest indigenous chronicler: Guaman Poma. She has a PhD in Latin American Colonial Literature; MA in Renaissance History; and BA in Cultural Anthropology.

She’s multi-lingual; attended Yeats Summer School and Merryman Literature Summer School in Ireland, as well as doing independent study in the Donegal Gaeltacht, and summer courses at Trinity College, Dublin.

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HISTORY • HERITAGE • CULTURE Lois Wallace - Your Celtic Travel Expert

C

by Lois A Wallace Creating unique journeys that honor your travel style, interests and needs, making memories that will last a lifetime.

Individuals – Families b. 602-501-7423 c. 775-671-0148 Groups -Small and Large 8050 19thC Ave #236 Phoenix AZ 85021 Customized and Guided C Self-Drive or Chauffeured C Rail Journeys & Passes C C

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2:04 PM

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by Lois A Wallace sandy p., tucson. traveled in 2017

Lois's Biz card Aug 2015 FINAL.indd 1

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Grandmother is from Tiree, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland

NASA wearing the green!

Freshly installed Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency shows he’s ready for St. Patrick’s Day with a green tie, sweater and other clothing as he takes a brief break from scheduled work aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station on the eve of the widely celebrated Irish-rooted day. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA, 2013] WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

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THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

Celtic Pubs & Eateries

If you're looking for some Craic, look no further!

Greater Phoenix Mountain View Pub

The Dubliner Irish Pub & Restaurant

7033 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (west of crossroads: Tom Darlington & Cave Creek) 480-575-7782; (480)-5757PUB Facebook: Mountain View Pub - Cave Creek Extensive lines of Irish whiskey and beers. Irish influenced pub fare.

Amazing mountain views experienced from our indoor/outdoor bar and patio!

3841 E. Thunderbird Road, #111, Phoenix, AZ 85032 (east of AZ-51); 602-867-0984 www.dublinerpub.com Arizona’s original Irish pub and very first to serve Guinness on tap, Irish and American fare, games on big-screen TV, live music six nights a week.

Gallagher’s Sports Grill

O’Connor’s Pub

7575 N. 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85020 (16th Street & Morten); 602-997-0084

2601 W. Dunlap Avenue, #7, Phoenix, AZ 85021 (east of I-17) 602-997-7714 www.oconnorspub.com Where You’re A Stranger Only Once! For some good ol’ Irish hospitality in the Valley of the Sun, drop in the best Irish pub in Phoenix!

3220 E. Baseline, Phoenix, AZ 85042 (NE corner of 32nd St. & Baseline); 602-437-0981 34406 N. Black Mountain Parkway, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (Carefree Hwy. & 48th Street); 480-595-8800 751 E Union Hills Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85024 (7th & Union Hills); 602-867-3222

Rosie McCaffrey’s Irish Pub

www.gallaghersaz.com Discover a great tasting menu, HD sports, daily and late night specials, weekend breakfast, karaoke, trivia and OTB! See ad page 23

906 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014 (additional parking on 10th Street! 100 feet away!)

602-241-1916 www.rosiemccaffreys.com Irish owned and operated pub in central Phoenix serving good food and drink, the traditional Irish way, showing all Celtic FC matches, daily specials. Sláinte!

The Harp Irish Pub 1744 S. Val Vista Drive, Mesa, AZ 85204 (just south of US-60 in Dana Park Village Square) 480-507-7827 www.theharpaz.com An Irish pub from our interior to our menu. We offer a perfect blend of modern and comfort Irish/American food and drinks in an authentic atmosphere. Dueling pianos Fridays 9pm; live music Saturdays 8pm.

Rúla Bula Irish Pub and Restaurant 401 S. Mill Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281 (between University and Rio Salado Parkway) 480-929-9500 www.rulabula.com Downtown Tempe, old world pub serving traditional and contemporary pub fare. Draft craft beer, premium whiskies and specialty cocktails.

Daily Happy Hour. Live Music weekends. See ad page 26

The Irish Wolfhound Restaurant & Pub 16811 N. Litchfield Road, Surprise, AZ 85374 (just south of Bell Road) 623-214-1004 www.irishwolfhoundpub.com Bringing a little piece of Ireland to the desert. Featured on PBS “Check, Please!” with award-winning Corned Beef & Cabbage and Guinness Battered Atlantic Cod. See ad page 27

Séamus McCaffrey’s Irish Pub 18 W. Monroe Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 (adjacent to historic Hotel San Carlos) 602-253-6081 www.seamusmccaffreys.com Downtown Phoenix’ Original Irish Pub & Restaurant. Est.-1991. Corned beef & cabbage, Irish stew, fish & chips, full menu, weekend brunch, AZ’s largest whiskey menu, 10 on tap, open late. See ad page 26

The Kettle Black Kitchen & Pub 1 N. First Street, #201, Phoenix, AZ 85004 (between Washington and Adams) 602-651-1185 www.thekettleblackpub.com Late night restaurant, bar and grill. Jimmy Culleton and Tom Montgomery bring you another great gastrobpub menu and Irish atmosphere. Grand opening was packed! See ad page 26

Tim Finnegan’s Irish Restaurant & Bar

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

BUCKET LIST:

PS Waverley, Grande Dame of the Clyde

BY BOB WALLACE

S

he is old enough to be considered the Grande Dame of the Clyde.

While the Clyde may be home port for her, she does spend time elsewhere around her island home over the course of a year. In one season, she’ll also visit the south coast, River Thames, Bristol Channel, and Irish Sea. She is the PS Waverley. Her keel was laid down in December of 1945, only months after the end of World War II. A shortage of materials held her construction back for a time, thus her launch didn’t come until 1947; service life began in June of that year. A very expensive refurbishment following the 1973 season saw her taken out of service.

The following year, she was taken over by a preservation society dedicated to the type of craft she is. The “PS” in her name means paddle steamer. Paddle wheels on each side propel the vessel on the waterways, not only of Scotland but other ports as well. (Note: Some paddle-type steamers worked waterways in the U.S., but most of us think of the sternwheel craft, those which worked the larger rivers such as the Ohio and Mississippi.)

Connected to a crank that controls both paddles, the vessel takes far more space in open water to make a turn than modern vessels.

Rather than independent paddle wheels, a rudder is used to turn the vessel while underway. Had two crankshafts been utilized to turn the paddle wheels independently, PS Waverley would nearly turn within its own length.

She is 239 feet, 11 inches long, 57 feet, three inches wide. Her 2,100-horsepower engine moves her through the water at a steady 14 knots (16 miles per hour).

A triple-expansion steam engine is used to turn the paddlewheels that move the craft through the water. Able to generate 2,100 horsepower, the marine steam engine can move the PS Waverley through the water with relative ease. On one maiden run in the 1940s, she made a top speed of just over 21 miles per hour at 57.8 revolutions per minute. Passageways along each side of the main propulsion system allow passengers to view what makes the Waverley work.

By contractual language dating back to the 1974 transaction that moved the craft from public ferry to excursion service, PS Waverley is not allowed to compete with modern ferry craft carrying passengers across bodies of water.

A Splash of Tartan Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

BY LOIS WALLACE

A

one of a kind event turned into a one of a kind experience for a group of us from Clan Wallace! What is the Tattoo? It is first and foremost a fantastic performance held in the dramatic setting of the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.

The word “tattoo” derives from a 17th century term in Dutch doe den tap toe (“turn off the tap”) as each night the drum corps

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Depending on the day of the week between May and August, a published destination guide names the various ports departed from during summer months. Rather than traveling back and forth between two ports each day, the PS Waverley makes excursion trips for those looking for a day out on a historic vessel.

For additional details on this historic paddlewheel steamer, go to: http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/ welcome-aboard/

Bob Wallace is a Council member and past president of Clan Wallace Society. He and his wife, Lois, have traveled to Scotland many times. Since joining the Clan, Bob has become highly interested in Scotland’s First Wars of Scottish Independence, in particular the history associated with Sir William Wallace and King Robert I, the Bruce. Bob is Chief Research Assistant for Authentic Celtic Travels.

Lois’s travel business. They now reside in Phoenix.

would play as a signal for the pub owners to turn off the beer taps so the soldiers would go to their billets. It has morphed into a ceremonial form of evening entertainment performed by military musicians.

The first official Edinburgh Military Tattoo performance was held in 1950. In 2010, HM Queen Elizabeth awarded the Royal title in honor for its sixty years of being. The performance is nonstop for an hour and a half and consists of the best of: pipe bands, Scottish dancers, choirs, military bands, and drum corps; musical entertainment from around the world.

Every year a pre-performance act is included. In 2017 two clans for each performance were invited to take part in “A Splash of Tartan.” Clan Wallace took part on August 14. Bob and I extended our stay in Scotland so we could be part of this unique honor. After all, the planning and expense was it worth it. Heck yeh!

There were more the two dozen of us American Wallaces from all over the country. Arizona was well represented by us and Tim and Sue Wallace of Phoenix.

The Lonach Highlanders, led by Falconer Wallace, marched with us.

We all had been given special wrist bands to clear security so we could gather at the opening of the bleachers to be lead up through the castle to the meeting area in the Great Hall. The castle having been

closed earlier and cleared of visitors was tranquil and welcoming for us modern clansmen. We waited in the Great Hall to be welcomed by the officials of the Tattoo and given our marching orders by the Sergeant Major of the British army.

I was infused with the spirt of those who had lived within that space and thought how wonderful it is the Scots have protected and cherished this ancient place. The Wallace Pipes and Drums of Malta requested the privilege of playing and leading us. Making our way down the hill through the gate and on to the esplanade in front of 10,000 attendees for that evening’s performance was a thrilling experience. Standing on the parade grounds showing the crowd and world the pride we take in our Scottish heritage. Moving! Being a small part of such a unique event even for a brief moment. Priceless!

Lois Wallace is the owner of Authentic Celtic Travels, based in Phoenix, AZ. Not only is her heritage Scottish and Irish, she married into Clan Wallace. Her business focus is on all Celtic nations.

She has extensive knowledge of Scotland, having traveled there numerous times individually and leading groups.

29

The Curlers, Edinburgh 1838

by Sir George Harvey and Wm. Howison

Curling match at Eglinton castle estate, North Ayrshire, Scotland, 1860 by Roger Griffith

Arizona Cardinal Larry Fitzgerald trying his hand at curling

Thomas Muirhead Keeps it in the Family

Curling Originated in

The Scottish Curler is one of three siblings going for gold in Pyeongchang

Medieval Scotland teamwork go into choosing the ideal path and placement of a stone for each situation, and the skills of the curlers determine the degree to which the stone will achieve the desired result. This gives curling its nickname of “chess on ice.”

• Equipment: Curling brooms, stones (rocks), curling shoes; curling pants, made to be stretchy to accommodate the curling delivery. A stopwatch to time the stones over a fixed distance to calculate their speed.

Stopwatches can be attached either to clothing or the broom. Curling gloves and mittens, to keep the hands warm and improve grip on the broom.

• Highest governing body: World Curling Federation • First played: Evidence that curling existed in Scotland in the early 16th century includes a curling stone inscribed with the date 1511 uncovered (along with another bearing the date 1551) when an old pond was drained at Dunblane, Scotland.

• Team members: 4 or 3 per team (2 in mixed doubles) • Registered players: estimated 1,500,000 • Nicknames: Chess On Ice, The Roaring Game Source: Background info from Wikipedia

The Coyotes Curling Club, located in Tempe, Arizona, is proud to offer a wide assortment of leagues, learn-tocurl classes, corporate events, training, and practice time in the United States most Southern dedicated ice curling facility! Whatever your skill level or interest, the Coyotes Curling Club has a program or league for you. www.coyotescurling.com

Source: www.olympic.org PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

M

inneapolis native and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald becomes an honorary Team Visa Olympian as he takes on a local curling team at Four Seasons Curling Club on February 1 in Blaine, Minnesota. As part of a Visa promotion, Larry demonstrates one-handed tap! He pays Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey with his contactless card while shuffling down the curling sheet.

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice towards a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard.

Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called rocks, across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a circular target marked on the ice. Each team has eight stones. The purpose is to accumulate the highest score for a game; points are scored for the stones resting closest to the centre of the house at the conclusion of each end, which is completed when both teams have thrown all of their stones. A game usually consists of eight or ten ends.

The curler can induce a curved path by causing the stone to slowly turn as it slides, and the path of the rock may be further influenced by two sweepers with brooms who accompany it as it slides down the sheet, using the brooms to alter the state of the ice in front of the stone.

Sweeping a rock makes it curl less and decreases the friction that slows the rock down. A great deal of strategy and

Some athletes stake out new ground from their parents. Thomas Muirhead, though, is very much his father’s son. Gordon Muirhead, Thomas’s father, won medals of every colour at the World and European Curling Championships during the 1990s. Indeed, Thomas’s middle name is Brandon, named after the Canadian city in which his father was competing when Thomas was born.

Thomas has followed in Gordon’s footsteps, and he’s not the only member of the family to do so. There are three Muirhead siblings in PyeongChang, all doing something their father never did – competing in an Olympic medal event. Gordon’s lone appearance at the Olympic Winter Games came in 1992, when curling was a demonstration sport. His children have all gone one better, and will be battling for gold in PyeongChang for Team Great Britain.

Eve, Thomas, and Glen WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

SCOTS

PHOTO BY PETER BARRERAS/ AP IMAGES FOR VISA

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

CULTURE

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Lauren Koll, 2017 Arizona Colleen & Rose

Wow,

what a year!

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Lauren with her “Rosebud” from County Kerry

Lauren with her parents WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

y year, as the 2017 Arizona Colleen and Rose has truly been an amazing experience that has brought me closer to my Irish heritage and brought me closer to so many friends in Arizona and new friends throughout the world. I am so blessed to have so many people who worked so hard to make this year possible and one of the most amazing years of my life.

My role in representing the Arizona Irish Community allowed me to attend so many events throughout our state. I am convinced that I truly live in the best state and city in the USA. I believe that by being part of the Arizona Colleen and Rose program that I have grown immensely in this past year, in my confidence, public speaking and all-around demeanor. I originally applied because I wanted to become closer to my Irish heritage and wanted the opportunity to meet new people.

Being selected as its spokesperson has exceeded all of my expectations.

From the moment I arrived in Ireland last August, I knew I would have an experience that would last me a lifetime. To me, it was more than just going to have a good time. It was about honoring my family’s roots and being the best representative that I could be for the state of Arizona.

In County Kildare, our first stop, I met my fellow Roses with a sense of excitement followed by an unexplained calmness. I believed that I was in Ireland for the right reasons and felt that I was up to the task of representing Arizona and the Irish Community that sent me.

I am grateful for the Sweeny family for being my sponsor during the Selection night, and Chandler Tullamore Sister Cities for planning one of my send-off parties. A special thanks to Ellen Harrington, who supported me

throughout this whole process. I believe that without her support I would never applied to the program. Thank you to the Colleen and Rose committee for guiding me. Thank you to the Arizona Irish Community and the Irish Cultural Center for taking me in and supporting me throughout my year. I am especially thankful to the City of Chandler, where I am employed, for their support and kindness during this past year. The City of Chandler is an amazing public institution with an extremely kind and dedicated staff.

Most importantly, I wanted to thank my family. I can’t tell you how important it is to me to have family and friends around me. I really appreciate that so many were able to fly all the way to Ireland and be there to support me. I believe that this is part of being Irish. May we all be blessed with family and friends.

To all my fellow Roses and Jennifer Byrne, the 2017 International Rose of Tralee, who has been an amazing representative for our 2017 class, thank you for making my year wonderful and so memorable! I was clearly part of something that was much bigger than me. I knew then that it was very important to take in every moment I could because it all goes by in a blink of an eye.

I hope that I can encourage others to be part of the Arizona Colleen and Rose and I hope that everyone has an opportunity to travel to this wonderful and magical country. The country is beautiful, and the people are extremely gracious and kind. I look forward to seeing many of you at the St. Patrick’s Parade in downtown Phoenix where I will be co-emceeing with FOX TV-10’s Ron Hoon on March 17. See you there!

The 2018 Arizona Colleen and Rose Selection is Saturday, March 3. www.azcolleen.org

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

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History of Inis Oírr through Irish language

Irish Language Immersion

2017 Trip to Ireland Vicki with Síne Nic an Ailí from Conradh na Gaeilge

Music workshop in Dublin with Seo Linn (bilingual band that sells out stadiums)

Sewing Lessons in Aran Islands

Only a strong rightsbased stand-alone Irish language Act can ensure sustainable government Acht Gaeilge neamhspleách, ceart-bhunaithe amháin a chinnteoidh rialtas buan as seo amach

“High time Irish recognised as Official Language with legislative protections and services, visibility and an independent commissioner.”

conradh na gaeilge

[In Irish: “Thar am ar fad go mbeadh an Ghaeilge aitheanta mar theanga oifigiúil, go mbeadh cosaint agus seirbhísí ann, go mbeadh comharthaíocht agus coimisinéir neamhspleách ann.”]

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eported on February 12, 2018, as the negotiations draw to a close and the question of rights for the Irish language community once again take centre stage, Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League) reaffirms essential criteria for any Irish language legislation; official status, public services, visibility and an independent commissioner, as per existing legislation in Wales and across the world.

Dr. Niall Comer, President, Conradh na Gaeilge, says, “The Conradh na Gaeilge proposals for an Irish language Act are based on linguistic, legislative and international best practice; we have made our proposals to ensure the Irish language is protected and promoted for all in our society. As we have heard from many politicians, parties and commentators over the last 12 months, the Irish language belongs to us all, and so it must be protected for all.”

Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, Advocacy Manager, Conradh na Gaeilge, shares, “The community is waiting, we have had

3 public consultations on this and all returned majority support for and Irish language Act; the last of which in 2015 saw 94.7% of more than 13,000 respondents support Irish being officially recognised in legislation as an official language. We are ready to go. The past year has witnessed a reawakening and the days of Irish no longer being seen or heard are over…Only a strong, rights-based, stand-alone Irish language Act can ensure sustainable government here. Now is the time.

The Conradh na Gaeilge discussion document can be downloaded at: http://bit.ly/2uApcES

Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh Communications Executive, Conradh na Gaeilge 00 44 28 90 315647 | 00 44 77 16690237 padraig@cnag.ie

contact:

WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

CULTURE

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icki Champion teaches Irish at The Academy of Irish and Celtic Studies provided at the Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix. She is the founder and director of Aiséirí (ash-eye-ree), an official branch of Conradh na Gaeilge. Their branch name is Gleann na Gréine.

Aiséirí is an active group of Irish Language Learners based in Phoenix, Arizona. Under the direction of highly qualified instructors in Ireland, eight classmates traveled with Vicki last year to attend two Irish schools, one week each: Oideas Gael in Glencolmcille, County Donegal; and Feicim in Inisheer, Aran Islands, County Galway. More information: aiseiriarizona.com Despite braving Hurricane Ophelia on the Emerald Isle (hid in Tigh Ned pub to survive; it was rough!), the photos help share their experiences!

Conradh na Gaeilge is the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community. The Conradh has over 200 branches, including Aiséirí Arizona; and numerous individual members registered around the world, members that work hard to promote the use of Irish in their own areas. Conradh na Gaeilge’s main aim is to promote the use of Irish as the standard language in Ireland. Established in 1893, it hosts the international Irishlanguage festival Seachtain na Gaeilge; manages the Irish-language information hub PEIG.ie and the Irish-language bookshop An Siopa Leabhar; supports Raidió Rí-Rá; and much more. www.cnag.ie

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

DIRECTORIES

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME! IRISH CULTURAL CENTER & McCLELLAND LIBRARY

GRAND CANYON CELTIC ARTS ACADEMY

Our mission is to provide a link between the people of Arizona and the people of Ireland and other Celtic cultures. The Irish Cultural Center serves as a central meeting place for cultural groups, affiliate groups and people looking to celebrate their Irish/Celtic heritage. The McClelland Library is a three-story building resembling a traditional 12th century Norman castle from the Emerald Isle. The Library houses 8,000 books from Irish authors, poets, and genealogical sources, a permanent exhibit on The Book of Kells, several reading rooms, and computer access to various disciplines of Irish and Celtic studies including genealogy. Their current exhibition is on the Historical Context and Cultural Legacy of the 1916 Easter Rising. The mission of The Academy of Irish & Celtic Studies is to spread the knowledge and wisdom of the Celtic nations through music, dance, art, literature and language. We do this by providing many musical and Arts programs, open to young and old alike. The Center is also available for private rentals, being a beautiful venue for all occasions! www.azirish.org, 602-258-0109

Dates: July 16-20, 2018 at Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy. It offers classes for Youth and Adults in: fiddle, whistle, dance, guitar, and more! Scholarships Available through Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society. Contact: Kari@GrandCanyonCelticArts.org, 928-600-1365. www. grandcanyoncelticarts.org

IRISH FOUNDATION OF ARIZONA Formed in the 1970s to bring together people of Irish heritage in Arizona, the group sponsors social events throughout the year. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm at the ICC. Contact: Anna O’Hara, President, 480-345-9517

IRISH NETWORK ARIZONA (INAZ) Irish Network Arizona is part of IrishNetwork USA organization.

Members connect with their peers and develop relationships that foster success in their business, cultural, and social interests. Come to a monthly breakfast or event to explore membership benefits. Facebook.com/IrishNetworkArizona; IrishNetworkArizona.com

ARIZONA COLLEEN PROGRAMS

ARIZONA

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The Arizona Colleen and Rose of Tralee Selection, Arizona Irish Lass and Little Miss Shamrock programs select young ladies of Irish descent to participate as spokespersons at area events. Prize packages for each competition. The Colleen wins a trip to Ireland and $1,000 scholarship. For details, visit www.azcolleen.org or contact Ciara Archer, Chair, 480-358-7504, info@azcolleen.org.

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This bagpipe and drum school is dedicated to excellence in bagpiping as well as camaraderie and fun. All levels of students are welcome! Instructors are brought from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the U.S. Contact: Eric Poleski, Administrator, ericpoleski@cox.net, 702-270-8974 home, 702340-8859 cell, 928-556-3161, www.nachs.info

ARIZONA LAW ENFORCEMENT EMERALD SOCIETY (ALEES) ALEES was incorporated in 2004 to promote and celebrate accomplishments of Irish-Americans in law enforcement. Its members, families and friends support ALEES Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) created in 2012 to provide financial assistance to the families of injured and fallen brothers and sisters in Arizona law enforcement. If interested in becoming a member or volunteering, contact us at azemeraldsociety.org.

LAS VEGAS CELTIC GATHERING & HIGHLAND GAMES LAS VEGAS CELTIC SOCIETY One weekend each April the non-profit Las Vegas Celtic Society throws the Las Vegas Highland Games, a massive festival for the community featuring Celtic music, dancing, food, retail vendors and athletics. Enjoy live Celtic music all weekend, Scottish heavy Athletic events, as well as sanctioned Highland Dance and Bagpipe & Drum Competitions. Go to LasVegasCelticSociety.org for more information.

THE CALEDONIAN SOCIETY OF ARIZONA Our mission is to promote Scottish culture through art, education, and athletics. Each year we grant scholarships to aspiring and professional Highland athletes, musicians, dancers and/or any other individuals or organizations whose mission, project or program promotes Scottish heritage. We meet the 2nd Thursday of each month for drinks, entertainment and Scottish fun! Everyone welcome!

ArizonaScots.com.

LOS SAN PATRICIOS DE ARIZONA (ST. PATRICK’S BATTALION) The organization honors the 150-year-old bond of friendship existing today between Mexico and Ireland. Los San Patricios de Arizona was founded by Wm. “Bill” Howard O'Brien; Hector Corona, El Teniente; and Ernie Patino, El Teniente. For information, please call 480-951-1152 or email whoco@cox.net.

THE CELTIC ACADEMY OF TUCSON Dedicated to promoting Irish dance and culture in Arizona, the board of directors are Betsy Lopez, Catherine Harris, and Beth Solinsky. They provide information on classes at the Maguire Academy of Irish Dance and on various Celtic gatherings. They sponsor Feile Rince Tucson, an annual Irish dance festival now in its 32nd year. www.tucsonfeis.com

NORTHERN ARIZONA CELTIC HERITAGE SOCIETY The nonprofit organization is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving Celtic culture. Each year we host the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival (July 21-22, 2018), the Jim Thomson U.S. School of Piping & Drumming, and the Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy. Contact Jude McKenzie, information@nachs.info, 928-556-3161, www.nachs.info.

DAUGHTERS OF SCOTIA DESERT THISTLE LODGE #260 Formed in 2005 to promote Scottish heritage. Ladies of ancestry, married to a Scot or born in Scotland may join.

We hold monthly meetings, tea socials, a teahouse at the AZ Highland Games and attend Scottish events. We support Highland dance competition and other charities. Contact: Tammy Gonzales at dos260recsec@gmail.com, 623-707-5032.

PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE & FAIRE COMMITTEE Formed in 1983, the Committee has the responsibility for organizing the annual Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Faire that follows, which are held on Saturday (the closest before or falling on March 17); and the Arizona Colleen Programs throughout the year. It is entirely volunteers and meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 pm at the ICC. Contact: Harry Sexton, President, 602-863-9198.

FRIENDS OF SAINT PATRICK CENTRE – AZ CHAPTER The nonprofit organization was formed in 2011 to promote positive relationships between Arizona and Northern Ireland.

Through education, cultural exchanges and charitable events, the Chapter nurtures St. Patrick’s legacy. Meetings held quarterly at the ICC. Contact: Kelsey.Kelleher@ AZIrishLibrary.org, 602-301-1083.

IAIN LUNDY Freelance Journalist

• Writer, Author, Blogger, Proofreader, Copy Editor • Expert in all things Scottish • Scottish genealogy a specialty

iainlundy@lundyink.com 480-737-5090

www.lundyink.com

WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

JIM THOMSON U.S. SCHOOL OF PIPING & DRUMMING

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Maternal grandparents from Co. Kerry, paternal from Co. Clare

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

It is one of the largest parades in Arizona! Celebrate being Irish with the entire Valley. Coming up Saturday, March 17, 2018, 10am; route is Third Street south from Sheridan to Moreland, FREE. Contact: John Corcoran, Chair, 623-9391183, www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org.

PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY FAIRE Fun for the entire family, it showcases Irish music, step dancing, Irish and Celtic arts and crafts, plus traditional Irish foods and beverages. Coming up Saturday, March 17, 2018, 10am-5pm at the Irish Cultural Center and Margaret Hance Park grounds. Contact: Mary Moriarty, Chair, 602258-0109, www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org.

RIORDAN MANSION STATE HISTORIC PARK Built in 1904 for two Irish brothers, Riordan Mansion is an architectural treasure offering a glimpse into the lives of Flagstaff’s early Irish settlers. The “fairy ring” seen on the outdoor self-guided tour hints at the Irish tradition of providing fairies an outdoor dancing space, preventing mischief inside.

For admission rates and hours call 928-779-4395.

SCOTTISH-AMERICAN MILITARY SOCIETY (SAMS), FLAGSTAFF Chartered on April 21, 1981 in North Carolina, membership is open to all Active Duty and Veterans of the USA and the British Commonwealth who are of Scot or Scot-Irish lineage.

For more information, contact SAMS Flagstaff Post 2000, George G. Shoemaker, 928-607-1600, gduffer@suddenlink.net.

TUCSON ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE AND FESTIVAL Celebrating our 31st year on March 18, 2017! The parade starts at 11am and winds through downtown Tucson ending up with a great festival at Armory Park from 10am until 6pm. Serving Guinness and Harp! Great food, Irish music and dance, a Kids’ Corner, face painting and much more!

Established 1987. www.tucsonstpatricksday.com

WELSH LEAGUE OF ARIZONA Our mission is to promote Welsh language and culture with performing arts and literary events, classes, and participating in Celtic festivals and other community events.

We endeavor to enhance relations between the U.S. and Wales by being a point of contact for visitors, businesses, and expatriates. We warmly welcome travelers, offering assistance and networking.

Contact: Mary Gilchrist marygilchristmg@gmail.com. www.welshleagueofarizona.org

CLANS

CLAN MACINNES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION Arizona Convenor: Steve McKinnis 11505 E. Calle Javelina, Tucson, AZ 85748 macinnes@macinnes.org • 520-290-1268 • www.macinnes.org

CLAN MACCALLUM-MALCOLM SOCIETY, N.A. Arizona Convenor: Ashleen O’Gaea Ashleen@Comcast.net w/MacCallum in subject line www.Clan-MacCallum-Malcolm.org

CELTIC SISTER CITIES

CHANDLER-TULLAMORE, IRELAND SISTER CITIES Ellen Harrington, Chair, P.O. Box 1474​, Chandler, AZ 85244-1474, 480-600-8509, chan.to.tull@gmail.com, www.chandlerirish.org

PHOENIX-ENNIS, IRELAND SISTER CITIES Mary Hill-Connor, Committee Chairperson 602-635-9760, mary.hillconnor@gmail.com www.phoenixsistercities.org

TUCSON-ROSCOMMON, IRELAND SISTER CITIES Colleen Kelly Beaman, Chair 520-743-7979, Ckbeaman@hotmail.com 1670 N Country Club, Tucson, AZ 85716; and Facebook

CELTIC DANCE SCHOOLS

BRACKEN SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE Classes in Chandler, 480-699-2455, www. brackenirishdance.com Thomas Bracken, ADCRG. | Kieran Noe, TCRG thomas.bracken@brackenirishdance.com, Kieran.Noe@Brackenirishdance.com

MAGUIRE ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCE Classes in Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, and Houston Info@maguireacademy.com (520) 319-0204. Darren Maguire, TCRG, ADCRG www.maguireacademy.com

MASCHINO SCHOOL OF HIGHLAND DANCE Kari Maschino, 480-242-7760, Kari@maschinodance.com Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria www.maschinodance.com

MICHAEL PATRICK GALLAGHER SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE MPGirishdance@yahoo.com Michael Patrick, TCRG, ADCRG, Ann Paitel, TCRG www.mpgirishdance.com

Help us take the Celtic Caterer to the next stage, by creating a Pilot episode of a

100% CELTIC COOKING SHOW!

It doesn’t take much, just $5, $10 or $20 and this will move mountains. Everyone who donates will get a free invitation to the taping and those who donate over $20 will get a coupon for 20% off purchase at the Celtic Caterer booth.

Just mention code #1314 and we will doublecheck it on our donation list. All donors over $50 will get a copy of any one of my 5 Celtic Cookbooks, and those who make a donation of over $100 will get an additional choice of any 3 Celtic Caterer Spices. For the price of a fancy cup of coffee or less than a pint of Ale, you can say, you helped create a Cooking show for Television.

Thank You for Any Contribution that You Can Make!

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY GOING TO THIS LINK:

https://www.gofundme.com/ celtic-caterer-cooking-show-pilot

See his recipe this edition on page 12!

WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

DIRECTORIES

PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

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MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE DESERT SHAMROCK

MARCH-APRIL 2018 [All events are in Arizona USA unless otherwise noted]

THE ACADEMY OF IRISH AND CELTIC STUDIES Spring Semester Classes March 26 - May 31 Register online at www.azirish.org

PHOTO BY MICHAEL BAXTER

CALENDAR

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IRISH MUSIC IRISH LANGUAGE IRISH AND SCOTTISH DANCE Info: www.azirish.org/education-and-classes/ academy-classes

ON THE DRUIDS: LECTURE SERIES

IRISH CULTURAL CENTER (ICC)/ MCCLELLAND LIBRARY

PUBLIC WALK-IN HOURS (TOURS, LIBRARY & GENEALOGY) Tuesday-Saturday • 10am–3pm Wednesday Evenings (Library only) • 3pm–6pm Closed all major holidays Frances McClelland Genealogy Centre available these hours; Open Other Hours for Scheduled Classes, Meetings & Events 1106 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix 85004 602-258-0109, www.azirish.org See ad on page 7

EXHIBIT: FROM PROTEST TO PEACE

NOW through May 26, 2018 As part of the 20-year commemoration of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, showcasing Georgia Southern University’s traveling exhibition, “From Protest to Peace: Murals by the Bogside Artists of Northern Ireland.”

McClelland Library; Tickets: $10 adults; $8 seniors; $5 children and Members www.azirish.org/from-protest-to-peace

THIRD FRIDAY CEILI

Saturday, Mar 24, Apr 28, May 26 1:30pm-3pm • Norton Room The Academy & Grove of the Rising Phoenix present an 8-part lecture series. Individual lectures available for purchase.

Register: www.azirish.org/project/on-the-druids

2017 YOUNG ARTISTS & AUTHORS INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE: “WE’RE GOING PLACES!”

Mar 6-25 • Lobby Hours 7:30am-4:30pm FREE Presented by Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities Hosted by Chandler Unified School District #80 District Offices Lobby, 1525 W. Frye Road, Chandler

IRISH NETWORK ARIZONA BREAKFAST & SPEAKER

Second Fridays, Mar 9, Apr 13 • 7am-8:30am The Great Hall, Irish Cultural Center Members and First-Time Guests FREE Returning guests $10 RSVP for headcount: info@irishnetworkarizona.com

See ad page 13

“OUTSIDE MULLINGAR”

NOW through March 4 Arizona Theatre Company at The Herberger Romantic comedy set in rural Ireland Reader Discount 50% off; use code “SHAMROCKP” Arizonatheatre.org

Saturdays, April 20, May 18 • 7pm Family oriented Irish social dances.Taught by Jim & Anne Daugherty with live music in the Great Hall!

Cash bar Admission: $6 each; one free child under 12 with each paid adult www.azirish.org/iclf-programs/ceili-dancing

2018 ARIZONA COLLEEN & ROSE SELECTION Saturday, March 3 • 2p.m.

Hosted by Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Committee 1300 N. Central, Phoenix 85004 Tickets: $50 • Open to the public Purchase via azcolleen.org

54TH ANNUAL SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES

Saturday & Sunday, March 3 & 4 • Gates open 9am Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix www.arizonascots.org, See ad page 11

DAIMH - IN CONCERT

Tuesday, March 6 • 7pm Only Arizona appearance Community Presbyterian Church 800 West Main St., Payson Tickets: $15 in advance; $20 at door Contact: 928-478-6350

ALTAN - IN CONCERT

Wednesday, March 7 • 7pm From County Donegal, Ireland MIM.org, See ad page 9 Friday, March 9 • 7pm Every year since 2009, Tartanic graces the Great Hall at the Irish Cultural Center. Created as a full-on concert and benefit to the Center, the McClelland Library (The Castle), the Cottage, and memorials celebrating Irish history through the ages to present. Also features Irish Step Dancers and unpredictable shenanigans.

Open to the public. Tickets available online and at the door www.azirish.org/concerts

29TH ANNUAL AZ RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL AND ARTISAN MARKETPLACE Saturdays, Sundays NOW through Apr 2 • 10am–6pm RenFestInfo.com; See ad page 35

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Saturday, February 24 • 10:30am–12:30pm Come discuss “Reading in the Dark” (novel, 1996) by Seamus Deane McClelland Library - Norton Room; FREE

MUSIC OF THE KNIGHTS

Saturday, February 24 Commemorating the music of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Elton John, and Sir Paul McCartney Chandler Center for the Arts

See ad page 21

WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

Saturdays, Mar 3 • 10:30am–Noon Filled with stories, discussions, and crafts. Introduces parents and children to Irish authors, stories and traditions in a fun and interactive fashion.

Irish Cultural Center - in Castle Keep; FREE

TARTANIC! IN CONCERT

“IRISH CELEBRATION OF TEA”

Saturday, Apr 21 • 1:30pm–3pm Learn history and how to make a perfect pot of tea!

Norton Room - Advance Reservations Only Members: $22.50, Non-Members $25 Register: www.azirish.org/project/irish-tea-ceremony

FAMILY STORY HOUR

CELTIC NIGHTS

Sunday, March 11 • 3pm Chandler Center for the Arts

See ad page 21 SEAMUS EGAN IN CONCERT • ARIZONA MUSICFEST Sunday, March 11 • 7:30pm North Scottsdale Tickets: 480.422.8449 www.azmusicfest.org

See ad and story page 1 ANNUAL MAYORS’ LUNCHEON

Friday, March 16 • 11:30am Tucson-Roscommon, Ireland Sister Cities Roscommon guests Tom and Pauline Crosby Pastiche, 3025 N Campbell Ave., Tucson 85719 Info: 520-743-7979

KILT RUN - GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT Friday, March 16 • 6pm It’s ONLY a Quarter Mile Run/Walk!

Benefits American Cancer Society Relay for Life Fee: EARLY BIRD $25; includes kilt, medal, beverage, and McFadden’s After-Party Glendale, AZ, www.IrishRunAZ.com, See ad on page 9

THE DESERT SHAMROCK MARCH/APRIL 2018

HISTORY CAFÉ: IRISH IN ARIZONA

See ad page 9

Author and historian Janice Bryson Gilbert Historical Museum

Friday, March 16 • 7:30pm MIM Music Theatre, Phx

Tuesday, Mar 20 • 7pm-8pm FREE

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

KISS ME I’M IRISH RUN/WALK

Saturday, March 17 • Race starts 7:17am 1k, 4k, 8k, Half-Marathon Portion benefits Prostate On-Site Project Westgate Entertainment District, Glendale www.IrishRunAZ.com, See ad page 33

Saturday, March 24 • 10:30am–12:30pm Deirdre Madden, One by One in the Darkness (novel, 1996) Led by Dr. Joyce East, a retired professor of Irish Studies, and Mary Wilber, a retired librarian and former member of the Scottsdale Library Board. The group seeks to engage members of our community with the tradition and excellence of all forms of Irish Literature.

Admission: FREE (donations requested); in Norton Room www.azirish.org/iclf-programs/book-discussions

THE MCCLELLAND LIBRARY 2017/18 LECTURE AND EXHIBITION SERIES PEACE AND RECONCILIATION: THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT Friday, Apr 27 • 6:30pm Robert O’Driscoll, Consul General of Ireland to the Western United States Special Series Concluding Event in Great Hall Cost: FREE (Donation Requested) Contact/Info: Chas Moore chas.moore@azirish.org

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

HISTORY CAFÉ: IRISH GENEALOGY

Saturday, April 28 • 10:30am–12:30pm April 28, 2018: David Park, Truth Commissioner (novel, 2007) Led by Dr. Joyce East, a retired professor of Irish Studies, and Mary Wilber, a retired librarian and former member of the Scottsdale Library Board. The group seeks to engage members of our community with the tradition and excellence of all forms of Irish Literature.

Admission: FREE (donations requested); in Norton Room www.azirish.org/iclf-programs/book-discussions

ANNUAL 1916 EASTER RISING COMMEMORATION

FAMILY FILM SERIES

Tuesday, Mar 27 • 7pm-8pm FREE How to find your Irish Ancestors without Going to Ireland Cindy Patricki with McClelland Library Gilbert Historical Museum

Saturday, March 31 • 10am–1pm Presented by Jim Daugherty Multimedia presentation features live music, historical perspectives, and reflections on the causes and outcomes of the 1916 Easter Rising. In Great Hall www.azirish.org/1916-easter-rising-commemoration

35TH ANNUAL PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S PARADE

Saturday, April 28 • 6pm Join us for a free family-friendly showing of “The Book of Kells” in Great Hall.

Admission: FREE (donations requested) www.azirish.org/family-film-series

2018 IRELAND TOUR TULLAMORE & BEYOND!

JUNE 12 - 24, 2018 Presented by Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities Hosted by Sullivan’s Travels 14 seats; RESERVE NOW

Saturday, March 17 • 10am FREE 3rd Street from Virginia south to McDowell, Phoenix www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org See ad on BACK

See ad page 9

PHOENIX ST. PATRICK’S IRISH FAIRE

Saturday, March 17 • 10am–5pm Margaret Hance Park & Irish Cultural Center Tickets: $12; Kids12 & under FREE; Senior (55 & over) and Military $10 www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org See ad on BACK

EXPERIENCE IRELAND

Sat. & Sun., March 17-18 • 9am–5pm Seventh annual celebration of Irish music and culture.

Enjoy live music, crafts, Irish dancing, storytelling, and more!

MIM.org, See ad page 9

ST. PATRICK’S DAY CEILI AT THE ICC

Saturday, March 17 • 6pm–10pm Join us for a traditional Saint Patrick’s Day evening in the Great Hall, filled with entertainment and fun! Ceili dancing, live traditional Irish music, and sing-a-longs.

Admission: $10 adults; $5.00 children 13 and under Cash bar, www.azirish.org/st-patricks-day

RUNA IN CONCERT

Saturday, March 17 • 7:30pm MIM Music Theatre, Phx

See ad page 9

CELTIC PUBS & EATERIES

Saturday, March 17 Food and Entertainment!

Gallagher’s See ad page 23 Irish Wolfhound See ad page 27 Kettle Black See ad page 26 Rula Bula See ad page 26 Seamus McCaffrey’s See ad page 26 Tim Finnegan’s See ad page 26

MUSICAL THRONES, A PARODY Sunday, March 18 • 7pm Chandler Center for the Arts

SAVE THE DATE FAMILY STORY HOUR

Saturdays, Apr 7 • 10:30am–Noon Filled with stories, discussions, and crafts. Introduces parents and children to Irish authors, stories and traditions in a fun and interactive fashion.

Irish Cultural Center - in Castle Keep; FREE

GENEALOGY WORKSHOP

Saturday, April 14 • 10:30am–12:30pm “Griffith’s Valuation and Other Irish Land and Property Records” with Miles Davenport McClelland Library- Norton Room Members $15; Non-Members $20

LAS VEGAS HIGHLAND GAMES Sat, Sun, April 14-15 www.lasvegascelticsociety.org

BLOOMSDAY AT ICC

Saturday, June 16 www.azirish.org/bloomsday

CELTIC WOMAN IN CONCERT Saturday, May 16 • 7pm Mesa Arts Center

See ad page 13

14TH ANNUAL PRESCOTT HIGHLAND GAMES AND CELTIC FAIRE September 15 and 16, 2018 Watson Lake Park, Prescott, AZ Presented by the Prescott Area Celtic Society www.prescotthighlandgames.com

See ad page 29

See ad page 13

2018 YOUNG ARTISTS & AUTHORS SHOWCASE “THE ART OF DIPLOMACY”

Reception: Friday, April 20 • 6pm–9pm Presented by Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities 3rd Friday Artwalk in Historic Downtown Chandler Exhibit will feature poetry, essays and artworks submitted

by Chandler students See ad page 9

STEP INTO SPRING! PRESENTED BY BRACKEN SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE Saturday, April 21 • 3pm–5pm Live music by Stilicho band Higley Center for the Performing Arts www.higleycenter.ticketforce.com/bracken

ROSE OF TRALEE INT’L FESTIVAL August 17-23 Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland Support our 2018 Arizona Rose! www.roseoftralee.ie

See ad page 11

See ad page 15

WWW.DESERTSHAMROCK.COM

CALENDAR

SOCKS IN THE FRYING PAN

35

35th Annual Phoenix

Ou r E mera ld A nni v ers ary

St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Faire

Parade Irish Faire

Begins 10am on 3rd Street & Sheridan; goes south to McDowell

Grand Marshal Craig Fouhy, ABC TV-15

Marching Bands Irish Dancers Government Dignitaries Police & Fire Vehicles 2018 Arizona Colleen & her Court Bagpipers Floats

10am to 5pm at the Irish Cultural Center & Margaret Hance Park Admission $12 Senior (55+) & Military $10 ATMs AVAILABLE 3 Stages of Irish Music and Dancers Kids Area Food and Beverages Crafters Book Sale at the McClelland Library

Chance: Win a Trip To Ireland Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation

Irish Person of the Year:

Don McMasters

FREE PARKING & SHUTTLE TO FAIRE at 1850 N Central Ave (West side of Central & Palm Ln)

or take the light rail to Roosevelt

Saturday March 17 StPatricksDayPhoenix.org Info: 602-280-9221