Desert shamrock may june 2014

May – June 2014 ~ Arizona’s Original Irish Newspaper ~ Vol. 25, No. 3 ~ $2.00

Randall Wallace Scotsman Extraordinaire Feature Film Director, Screenwriter, Novelist

PAGE 20

THE DESERT SHAMROCK 2011 E. Gwen Street Phoenix, AZ 85042

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Arizonan wins gold in Sochi Page 5

publisher’s note

The Desert Shamrock – New Look and Wider Circulation

THE DESERT SHAMROCK

T

he Desert Shamrock is committed to serving the entirety of Arizona and wherever the reaches beyond. And, we are committed to serving the Irish, Scots, and Welsh groups, which represent over one million of Celtic descent in the State, to share our rich heritage and traditions.

We believe that readers across demographic lines will find topics of interest in every issue, whether foreign-born or home-grown native, or others of nonCeltic origin. I don’t have red hair (although 1st cousins do), but really, who can resist Who is the Reddest of them All? on Page 23?

A worldwide movie phenomenon, Braveheart, elicits a passionate plea for freedom in Scotland or wherever downtrodden humans find themselves. And, what woman doesn’t want to be loved by a man like William Wallace? The screenwriter who penned the story is Randall Wallace—our feature on Page 20. He was in the Valley at PhoenixFirst church talking about a variety of topics including the release of his latest movie, Heaven is For Real. To see a great clip compiling his major motion pictures and for the entire presentation, go to www.phoenixfirst.org/media/message-archive OR scan this QR. With a new look and format, the sidebars help you navigate categories of interest. Plus, you can now zero in on markets outside the greater Phoenix Valley, such as Sedona and Tucson. Look for Prescott and Flagstaff in the next issue. Use the Calendar and Directories to find great upcoming events; please tell the advertisers you found them in The Desert Shamrock! Our lifeblood is creating value and a tangible return on investment for the ads. Refer us to someone you know to keep the DS healthy and thriving – economical rates.

Publishing every other month has its challenges in presenting current events. As I’m writing, Trinity College in Dublin is considering taking the Bible off of their crest that has been a part of it since 1592. The first news I read seemed to announce it as a done deal, but those among faculty and others now have effectively given pause for further consideration. Hopefully, resolved soon to keep the legacy.

On a lighter note, Dáithí Ó Sé, TV personality in Ireland and the emcee of the Rose of Tralee Regionals and Finals, and his wife, Rita, the 2008 New Jersey Rose, are the proud parents of a baby boy. Micheal Og was born on St. Patrick’s Day; do you think they were holding out for March 17?

And for those of you helped the “Hallelujah Priest” Father Ray Kelly, age 60, go viral (I’m one of the 24 million as we go to press), hurray for good in the world! And, the rest of you don’t want to miss it! He surprises a couple getting married April 5 in Oldcastle, County Meath with personalized lyrics from the Shrek movie, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.

ARIZONA’S ORIGINAL IRISH NEWSPAPER Serving the Celtic Community 2011 East Gwen Street • 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 • Misty Voitovski Design & Layout • Gena Corcoran Contributing Columnists

Brian Hanrahan • Carmelita Lee • Dan Magee Ellen Harrington • Gary Woodside • Gemma Kavanagh Janice Bryson • Kathleen Walters • Katie Caufield Ginder Liz Warren • Lynn Herdman Mascarelli • Maureen Sullivan Publisher – Julie O’Mahar (2003 - 2013) Editor - Kathleen Wood (2003 - 2008) Publisher - Maureen O’Mahar (1996 - 2002) Founding Publisher - Robert E. Graham (1987 - 1996) Subscriptions are available at $15 per year, prepaid. Please mail your subscription request to the address above. Copyright©2014 - Niemann Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed herein are the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily those of ‘The Desert Shamrock,’ the publisher or the editorial staff. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Publication of advertising herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement of a product or service. Unsolicited materials become the property of Niemann Publishing, Inc. All unsolicited materials are greatly appreciated and carefully evaluated although publication is not guaranteed.

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May – June 2014

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May – June 2014 ~ Arizona’s Original Irish Newspaper

ARTS

11 Kitchen Poems - Thoughts of...The Glen 12 Celtic Artisan: Loraine Dalton Gist 14 Book Review - Empire Rising by Thomas Kelly Farrar 15 Music Review – The Young Dubliners “9”

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Arizonan Wins Gold in Sochi See Tribute to Josh Sweeney on Page 24

CULTURE

9 Young Ambassador to Northern Ireland 10 Keltic Kitchen - Irish Soda Bread 16 Shortening the Road – the Unexpected during Study Abroad

HISTORY

19 Irish Tales from Arizona Territory - John Harris Behan 28 Castle under Siege, Part 3

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NEWS

25 Army’s Strongest Warrior Competition in Arizona

Randall Wallace

TRAVEL

6 Killarney: The Kingdom’s Crowning Glory 7 Driving Tips from Left Lane Maureen, Part 2

TUCSON

8 Feile Rince Tucson coming May 16-18, 2014

CALENDAR 34-35

DIRECTORIES

SCOTS

Scotsman Extraordinaire

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17 An Italian Girl’s Perception of Scottish Culture Caledonian Society of AZ celebrates 50 years!

38-39

OUT AND ABOUT 31-33 Photo Galleries

SEDONA

18 Celtic Harvest Festival 2014

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SISTER CITIES

Irish Arizonans

29 Tullamore Delegation and Student Ambassadors Enjoy March in Chandler!

Who is the Reddest of them All? See Some of Arizona’s Redheads on Page 30

next issue sneak peek

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES

SPORTS

4 The Irish Currach Team of Phoenix Now Forming 4 Phoenix Gaels News - Gaelic Football and Hurling

The Desert Shamrock

Arizona Icons, Bill and Sada O’Brien Celebrate 66 Years of Marriage!

May – June 2014

Brock Baker, Singer, Songwriter, Actor in Hollywood

Nola Yergen, TV, Film, and Theatre Costume Designer

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SPORTS

The Irish Currach Team of Phoenix now forming

A

currach is a type of rowing boat that originates from Ireland’s seafaring heritage and was traditionally made from animal skins stretched over a wooden frame. It is similar to the coracle that emerged from Wales. However, the coracle is considerably smaller than some of the larger currachs.

It has traditionally been used both at sea and on inland waters.

The currach’s design and construction are believed to be unique to the Irish and Scottish west coasts, allowing for variations in shape and size by region. It is sometimes referred to as a naomhóg in the counties of Kerry and Cork and in West Clare as a canoe.

The usage of the currach is thought to date back to at least around the year 500 when a Latin account of the voyage of St. Brendan describes a similar vessel to the currach in its modern form.

Despite conjecture over the truth of the voyage, the implication is that the boat was based on one that was widely used at the time. Some accounts claim a much earlier presence of the currach from 100 BC as large ocean going sailing currachs roving the North Atlantic.

There are currently seven Currach Racing clubs in the USA (NY, CT, WI, OH, PA, MA, MD). Phoenix will be the 8th. The currachs will be demonstrated from time to time at the Tempe Town Lake Marina. This will give possible enthusiasts a chance to see, first hand, if they want to

participate in the Irish Currach Team of Phoenix. Those who have an interest can actually row a currach with a member of the ICTP (time permitting).

We hope to make this team one of the programs within Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation offerings. Our current plan is to row through the month of April 2014 and then suspend scheduled rowing until September 2014 to avoid the hottest months. If you are interested in being part of this project, please contact Paul Ahern, Vice President, Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation, at T. 623-572-5828; M. 702-497-3655; paulahern@qwest.net.

Phoenix Gaels News

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f you know any men who want to play either Hurling or Gaelic Football with the Gaels, contact Jason Ryan at jasonryan31@hotmail.com, 480-754-9943 OR through their Facebook page.

The Phoenix Gaels’ mission is to actively participate in one of Ireland’s most popular sports while promoting Irish heritage and culture throughout Arizona. We are committed to providing an opportunity to learn about and play these athletic sports, to meet new people, and for the team and their families to gather, socialize and develop strong friendships. Who can join the Phoenix Gaels? Anyone and everyone! We train or practice every Saturday at Palo Verde Park in Mesa at 5:30 pm. All are welcome!

Come watch the Phoenix Gaels at the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival in Flagstaff July 19-20!

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May – June 2014

By Ann Niemann

O

n March 15, the United States team scored 1-0 in the ice sled hockey match against Russia at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. And, it was Glendale, Arizona’s Josh Sweeney, who made the winning goal to bring home gold. At the medal ceremony, the crowd of nearly 7,000 in the arena erupted into cheers and applause.

A former Marine Corps Sergeant, Josh was serving in Afghanistan when on patrol almost five years ago he stepped on an explosive device. He lost both legs and his left arm. In the Paralympics final, Josh played against Vadim Selyukin, who was injured in a Tajikistan explosion while in the Russian army.

Making it to the final, NBC re-arranged its Sochi schedule to show the disability sport’s first live action play-off. The Associated Press quoted Josh, “I never thought that would happen,” Sweeney said. “I never knew about Paralympics growing up, and hopefully what this will do is get more kids and more adults into sled hockey so we can grow this sport to be a household sport.”

Josh earned a Purple Heart for his military bravery injured in the line of duty, and now a gold medal, which the latter really speaks to his courage and hard work to overcome great adversity in a tragic situation facing enemy combatants.

It was a brief visit in the Valley and a whirlwind of events to honor Josh. These included a ceremony at his alma mater, Ironwood High School, and a large party with friends and family at the Glendale Adult Center that evening. On Saturday at the Phoenix Coyotes hockey game, Josh was the esteemed guest to drop the ceremonial first puck. An able-bodied hockey player in high school, Josh followed the Coyotes as a fan and was thrilled to be on the ice with the team captains for this game.

The television exposure has thrust this humble young man onto a new platform as a spokesperson to inspire others with hope. He shared with me that he has “grown up working hard long before my accident. My grandparents never let me slack off for anything.”

Josh has a sunny disposition and purposely chose #13 for his jersey, proving there is life after suffering and lots of it!

NEWS

Arizonan Josh Sweeney Wins Gold in Sochi

photo by Norm Hall

At center ice with Captains Shane Doan and Mikko Koivu at the Phoenix Coyotes home game March 29.

Team USA with their medals

2014 Paralympics | Sled Hockey | USA vs Russia Gold Medal Game Period 2

Catch the second period, including Josh Sweeney’s goal, of the gold medal matchup between USA and Russia in sled hockey at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

Read more about Josh Sweeney’s Arizona celebration on Page 24

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Family support in Sochi, Russia (uncle Joe Fuller, wife Amber, brother Michael, parents Tracy and Walter Beresford

May – June 2014

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TRAVEL

Killarney: The Kingdom’s Crowning Glory

By Gemma Kavanagh

D

escribed as the place God made when he was in good humour, Killarney has been welcoming visitors from all corners of the globe for over 250 years. With its history, heritage, and world-famous hospitality, it is no surprise the County Kerry town remains Ireland’s premier tourist destination.

The gateway to the renowned Ring of Kerry Peninsula, Killarney is situated at the base of Ireland’s highest mountain range, the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. The southwestern town’s population of 13,000 doubles during the busy summer season as the famed tourist spot welcomes visitors from both home and abroad.

Killarney’s tourism history dates back to the mid-18th century, when landowner Lord Kenmare began to attract visitors to the town. Queen Victoria’s four-day visit to Killarney in 1861 is credited with putting the town on the map. Indeed the landscape’s best known panorama, Ladies View, was named after her entourage. The monarch’s ladies-inwaiting were so enraptured with the stunning vista of the Lakes of Killarney that the viewing point was named in their honor.

Colourful Killarney

Photo by J. O’Grady

What to See Killarney National Park was Ireland’s first national park and is known for its native natural habitats and species. Experience the awe-inspiring 24,000 acres of mountains and woodlands on foot or on a traditional jaunting car.

Killarney’s most popular attraction, Muckross House and Gardens forms the centrepiece of the enchanting national park. The sixty-five room 19th

century Victorian mansion house was built in 1843 for Henry Arthur Herbert. During the 1850s, the Herbert family carried out extensive work to the estate in preparation of Queen Victoria’s visit to Muckross in 1861. Californian mining magnate William Bowers Bourn purchased the estate in the early 20th century as a wedding gift for his daughter Maud and her husband Arthur Rose Vincent.

Duck feeding at Ross Castle

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continued on page 10 Photo by J. O’Grady

The Desert Shamrock

May – June 2014

from Left Lane Maureen

By Maureen Sullivan CTC

M

ay the road rise to greet you!

To plan your Irish vacation, begin by flying into Shannon Airport where you will land on time, if they can get the sheep off the runway. In this way you will experience Irish driving in the countryside. Coming out of Dublin Airport, one starts out driving in 3 lanes of expressway, driving on the other side. If you land on the west side of Ireland, plan on completing your vacation by leaving from Dublin Airport. This saves crossing back to Shannon and 4 extra hours of driving.

Rent a car with an automatic transmission; it is worth the extra money. Since Ireland is very hilly, you will not want to kill the engine going into a roundabout because you were watching traffic and forgot to shift or put the clutch in. A valid driver’s license is all you need to drive in Ireland. The rental company will give you an auto information packet with driving instructions and advice in case of an accident. You should look this information over care-

fully. Familiarize yourself with the car before leaving the rental lot. Remember, you drive on the left side of the road! Your passenger is your navigator (map interpreter) and is as important to the operation of the car as the driver.

A great way to start your vacation is a visit to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. It is located 8 miles from Shannon Airport. You will be leaving the airport on N19. Take the turn towards Limerick, N18 motorway and you will see signs for the castle turn off. You’ll know you are in Ireland when you see Bunratty Castle.

Do not take the car into Dublin City! There are over 1.5 million people who now live in Dublin, not counting the Irish that drive to work in the city. It is a nightmare of one way streets, and the street signs are on the buildings, sometimes the second floor level. The streets change names every block--the Irish love their patriots! To top it off, the city has a train tram system called “Luas”. It runs on the street with the cars, and when the trains are not on the tracks, the cars drive on the tracks.

If you land at Dublin Airport, take a taxi to your Dublin hotel, tour there and then take a taxi back to the airport and pick up your car to start your journey through the rest of Ireland. If you finish your travels by visiting Dublin, drop off the car at the airport, and take a taxi to the hotel. Then, take a taxi to the airport to catch your flight. There is also a

Our cottage on the Sullivan family farm in Leap, County Cork where Jack’s mother Peg was born.

The bay at the bottom of the driveway is an inlet of the ocean.

The Desert Shamrock

Maureen and John (“Jack”) are the owners of Sullivan’s Travels, Inc. Maureen has been a travel professional for 23 years, moving their business to Phoenix four years ago. www.sullivanstravels.com

shuttle that goes from the airport to Dublin Centre. Dublin City is a safe walking city with cheerful streets. There are taxi ranks and you can also hail a taxi on the main streets.

On the M50 around Dublin there is “Barrier Free Tolling” “e flow” Pass for the toll (no cashier at the toll). You can prepay at any retail outlet or petrol station displaying the Payzone brand, nationwide. Toll is 3.10 Euro per journey. It must be paid before 8:00 p.m. the following day to avoid any penalties for late payment. So when you purchase gas before you get on the M50, buy the “e flow” pass. You will need to give the license plate number and as you pass through the toll it will register paid. All other expressways are paid in Euro. When you return the car, they will ask to see the “e flow” pass receipt.

The Irish have a way with words. “Traffic Calming” signs as you enter a town, means traffic may be slowing down ahead. When they build a bypass around a town, they call it the “Relief Road”. On dual motorways, always stay in the left lane. The right hand lane is used only for overtaking a slower vehicle.

“N” roads are national roads and are wider and faster to travel. When the “N” are made into a dual motorway, they will be called “M” roads, example N7 and M7 are the same road. “R” roads are local roads and are much more interesting.

Ireland is a place for doing nothing. Take a walk through a town, sit on a cliff overlooking the ocean, visit with an Irishman, stop at a pub and have a cold pint of Guinness. In the old days, we called this relaxing. Hyper-connected by our smart phone, texting frenzy and driven by our active lifestyles, we’ve lost touch with the elegance of doing nothing. Ireland has the beauty and tranquility offered by the unspoiled scenery of the rolling hills, mountains and rocky shoreline. Take time to experience the peace and sink into the luxurious sights and sounds of Ireland.

Dublin’s Fair City is a place where the air can dry out the palate to the point where nothing will moisten it again like a pint of the black stuff.

To be continued…

“It’s not where the path leads you, It’s what you find along the way.”

May – June 2014

TRAVEL

Driving Tips Part 2

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TUCSON

Feile Rince Tucson May 16, 17 and 18, 2014

F

eile Rince Tucson is Gaelic for “dance festival” and is held in the third weekend of May of each year at the Holiday Inn Palo Verde in Tucson. Commonly known as a “feis” (pronounced “fesh”) or “feisanna” (plural), this event is a very popular Irish dance competition and dancers are

Photos by Sara Plevel

welcome to compete from all over the world. Dancers range from beginners to world champions.

Feile Rince Tucson has been hosted in Tucson for the past 28 years and is currently presented by the Celtic Academy of Tucson in association with the Maguire Academy of Irish Dance. The Celtic Academy is a non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting Irish dance and culture in Arizona and The Maguire Academy is run by Darren Maguire, a former lead dancer with Riverdance and a world champion competitor himself.

The feis begins with a “Meet and Greet” on Friday evening and features a seisun with music provided by some of the top musicians in Tucson. Competition starts in earnest at 8 am on Saturday morning and continues on Sunday, featuring dancers of all levels throughout both days. Trophies and medals are presented throughout each day. Saturday includes an Irish soda bread competition for the bakers in your family, and ends with a music competition featuring musicians and vocalists of all ages.

Adjudicators are hand-picked from all over the country to judge the talent that con-

verges upon Tucson in May! On Saturday evening, Catholic Mass is held in the ballroom, as well as a disco and BBQ at the pool. Throughout the event, various vendors display a myriad of Irish products including t-shirts, jewelry and art. There is also a movie theater showing children’s movies for the dancers’ siblings and for the dancers when they are not competing.

All in all, this is a wonderful event, full of sparkle, glitter, bright colors, fairy dust, magic, music and culture. The public is welcome to come and enjoy the festival and there is no cover charge. Come join us and meet new friends; we look forward to seeing you there!

Contact: Catherine Harris, Co-Chairwoman, Feile Rince Tucson at englishcathy@tucsonfeis.com

See Photos in the NEXT Desert Shamrock

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May – June 2014

A

udrey Sullivan has been named the 2014 Young Ambassador by the Friends of Saint Patrick- Arizona Chapter. She will spend the first two weeks in June with the St. Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, touring, meeting dignitaries and working with others selected from North America for this honor.

The 23-year-old Arizonan will graduate from the University of Northern Colorado in May with a major in Theater Education and a minor in Dance. Audrey said she would love to intern at a theater or dance company where she can learn about their educational outreach programs. She wants to be a high school dance or theater teacher to advocate for the Arts because she believes they teach children many important lessons like how to listen and empathize with others.

Hats Off To Audrey - Fundraiser Grab your prettiest or funniest hat and come to the Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central in Phoenix, to wish Audrey bon voyage. The Dessert/Tea will be held on Sunday, May 18 from 1 to 5 pm. Admission is $15. There will be musical entertainment, a silent auction for baskets full of goodies, as well as a 50/50 raffle.

Gentlemen, you need not wear a fancy hat but you are most welcome. Please RSVP to Glenda Walker at auntguck@gmail or Sarah Hines at 480-313-8734.

The Desert Shamrock

CULTURE

Young Ambassador Named

Audrey Sullivan

May – June 2014

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culture

Keltic Kitchen

By Katie Caufield Ginder

Diadaoibh a chaired! (Hello friends!)

I

rish soda bread, one of the more popular Irish recipes, did not become a staple until the early 1800’s when baking soda was discovered.

Traditional Irish soda bread only consists of flour, buttermilk, salt, and baking soda. However, most Americans are familiar with a more flavorful soda bread that many times includes raisins and/or caraway seeds.

I have tasted a lot of dry Irish soda breads and have avoided baking my own because of previous disappointments. My aunt passed down the recipe below and much to my surprise it produced two tasty, biscuit-like loaves. While it may not be a traditional Irish soda bread recipe, it is a familiar American version that is moist and sure to please your family and friends.

Irish Soda Bread Yield: 2 loaves Ingredients: • 4 cups unbleached flour • 1 cup sugar • 2 tsp. baking powder • 1 tsp. baking soda • ½ cup butter (room temperature) • 1 cup raisins • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk • 2 eggs, lightly beaten • ¼ cup sanding or granulated sugar Directions: • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (9”x5”) loaf pans.

• Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter and mix thoroughly. Stir in raisins. Add buttermilk and eggs to flour mixture.

• Only stir until well moistened. Divide dough into two loaf pans. Sprinkle each loaf with sanding or granulated sugar.

• Bake for one hour. Test with a toothpick to see if done. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Killarney... continued from page 6

In 1932 the Muckross Estate was presented to the Irish State by Senator Vincent, in memory of his beloved late wife.

St. Mary’s Cathedral lies on the fringe of the town centre. Designed by celebrated architect, Pugin—he of Big Ben and Palace of Westminster fame—the breath-taking building is considered to be one of the best examples of Gothic Revival churches from 19th century Ireland.

Sitting on the edge of Lough Leane, Ross Castle was built in the 15th century and was a defensive stronghold throughout the centuries. It was the last fortress in Munster to hold out against Oliver Cromwell. A quick boat journey across the lake is Innisfallen Island. Home to the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey, the monastery was founded in 640 AD by St. Finian the Leper and was a seat of learning for 850 years. It is believed Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, was educated at Innisfallen.

Recently unveiled in the town centre is a memorial to Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty. The Killarney man, dubbed the ‘Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican’, led an escape organisation for Allied POWs and civilians in Nazi-occupied Rome during World War II. It is estimated Monsignor O’Flaherty and his colleagues saved over 6,500 lives. The monument is a fitting tribute to one of the town’s greatest sons.

Outdoor Pursuits Killarney is a must-visit for any outdoor enthusiast. Nestled in the area’s rugged landscape are numerous walks, hikes and cycling routes. Ireland’s highest peak, Carrauntoohil, towers tall amongst the magnificent MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and is ideal for those hoping to scale new heights.

A glacial valley formed two million years ago, the picturesque Gap of Dunloe has long proved popular with visitors. The 11 kilometres of winding pathway can be traversed by jaunting cart, on horseback, on foot or by bicycle.

Killarney has long been a golfing destination, playing host to the Irish Open in 2010 and 2011. Golfers can perfect their game on one of the area’s three spectacular golf courses.

Play & Stay Famous for the ‘ceoil and craic’, the town centre is the ultimate night-time destination with a number of live music venues and regular trad sessions. A plethora of restaurants line the streets of the town. Killarney town and its surrounding area boast accommodations to suit all tastes and budgets, ranging from hostels to five star resorts.

A wise man once declared that ‘a day out of Kerry is a day wasted’ and in no place does this ring more true than in Killarney.

Gemma Kavanagh lives in Killarney, County Kerry. The 26-year old freelance journalist received an honours Law degree from University College Cork in 2009 and completed a Master’s degree in Journalism in 2010. Gemma represented her county in the Rose of Tralee International Festival as the 2013 Kerry Rose.

Notes: In lieu of purchasing buttermilk, I made my own by adding 5 ½ te spoons of white vinegar to 1 ¼ cups milk. Stir to combine and then let the milk sit for 10-15 minutes or until it starts to curdle. Sanding sugar is a coarser version of granulated sugar. If you prefer a sweeter soda bread, I recommend sprinkling each loaf with sanding sugar prior to baking.

Katie Caufield Ginder lives in Gilbert with husband and son. 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. Her great, great paternal grandfather was from Galway, immigrating to Pennsylvania in the 1860’s.

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The Desert Shamrock

Gap of Dunloe

May – June 2014

Photo by J. O’Grady

Published Dec. 2013 They are about a variety of topics, all written in the Kitchen.

Thoughts of...The Glen

By Dan Magee

arts

Kitchen Poems... Poems Written After Work.

It was a time to worry ...the draft, the fear of war.

But things just fell together Instead of less...was more.

The breath of God just pushed us Like leaves upon the sea We sailed into each other And strolled the Glen so free.

The stream so swift and rocky Was just like life would be But the hills were always high above The way to climb and see.

The gift of love is seeing What really matters most.

The time that never fades away Is more than just a ghost.

Glen Esk, Scotland

It's a little glimpse of heaven For those upon the soil A time to see the value Of a little bit of toil.

A view from up the Highlands Just a look from higher ground To see what lies before us And tells us what we found.

Dan is a licensed swimming pool contractor for 38 years, and owns Arizona Custom Pools in the Phoenix area, specializing in pool remodels. The poems are therapy for him at the end of a work day. His dad, Edward, was born in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland and emigrated to New Jersey in 1923. Dan is a Navy veteran and spent his active duty in Scotland, where he lived in a flat in a castle.

He has been to Ireland 45 times. www.thekitchenpoems.blog.com

The Desert Shamrock

May – June 2014

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ARTS

Celtic Artisan: Loraine Dalton Gist

By Lynn HerdmanMascarelli

Devoted to the life and crafting of the Celt in the traditions of Ireland, Scott a beautiful tea land and Wales, the Phoehosted by lovely nix based group depicts the confectioner/ merchant class at fairs and graphic designer, Elaine festivals, but welcomes all Price, I met a gracious ethnicities to learn period woman with a pascrafting. The word croft sion for knitting and refers to an enclosed piece sewing. Tea tables were of land with a cottage and heaped with scones and tenured dwellers working jams and delights of all the fields. Most crofts are kinds, but covering the teapots, were knitted cozies found in the Scottish Island in gorgeous colors and design, among them replicaand Highland areas today. tions of the Irish, Scottish and Welsh flags. They Loraine credits CROFT were a comfort to behold, their creator, Loraine with the opportunity to Callan and Loraine Dalton Gist Dalton Gist. share her Irish heritage in an A six-year member of C.R.O.F.T., Loraine has interactive way with family Her genealogy traverses both sides of the Irish turned her art making into a search for the authenand others. In the Crofter tradition, she researches Sea, her father born in Kilkenny, a grandmother tic, her craft not a hobby, but a way of life lived sim- the uses and history of the old crafting tools, and from Tipperary. Her maternal grandmother was ply with her husband and children in the richness the textures and fibers replicating the time peIrish, her mother, Patricia, born in Manchester, of tradition, Crofter-style. During our interview, Lo- riod accurately. A crafter of all that is needed for England as was Loraine herself and whose own chilraine spoke frequently of CROFT, a singular group hearth and home, Loraine sews and knits, baking dren are the first generation to be born in the States. devoted to replicating the Celtic lifestyle circa 400 her scones and pastry, making her jams, lemon England became her Irish father’s home when no BC-1745 AD. Its name is an acronym for Celtic Re- curd and marmalade. She spoke with pride of work drove him from Ireland to enlist in the British enactment Organization for Fellowship and Trade. homeschooling her children who have learned Army gaining citizenship and the opportunity for the traditions. Callan, employment to raise his family. her daughter, named for Like many of our featured crafters, Loraine her grandfather’s place of learned from her mother, who was always a knitbirth in Ireland, has been ter and seamstress, and Loraine would do the same happily involved in Irish with her own children. She admits to never being an Lass and Colleen competi- artist-illustrator, but was always “good with textiles, tions, honing her craft on sewing and knitting,” recalling her first hand sewn an Inkle table loom...her piece was part of her gym uniform, “a short kilt, brother, Caleb, learning pleated in back, flat in front.” She had dreams to the skill of the blacksmith. turn her love of craft into her life where she was Their mother explained, raised, but her family’s exodus to America would “For the Crofter, crafting alter her dreams. Uprooted, Loraine reluctantly left is not just a hobby; it is a home she loved dearly to re-locate to a bustling a way of life, sustaining Chicago. Tales of the Irish coming to America have Supported by Joe Lewis jhlreps@aol.com them, serving others.” filled volumes; the Daltons were not alone, but they would adjust to our nation’s turbulent sixties.

I was delighted when Loraine brought samples of her craft: tea cozies, lucets, fingerless hand warmers, and duffers; each with their own tradition and history. Cozies are muffs for keeping teapots warm, many of linen and often embroidered, but Loraine’s Scottish Made Kilts.

Rent - Sell - New - Used woolen creations will warm an entire tea table with their color and design. Her lucets are narrow, square braids of good length with some elasticity for www.KiltRentalUSA.com lacing and formed by a series of loops and knots, info@kiltrentalusa.com closely resembling finger looping and plaiting.

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The Desert Shamrock

May – June 2014

ARTS Loraine with CROFT at Arizona Renaissance Faire

Knitted Tea Cozies

or sheep for the twin pronged implement required, Today the craft tool is of wood with a handle and holes for threading and a handle.

Loraine explained her fingerless woolen hand warmers are knitted on a circular in the round with needles connected by a cable creating seamless tubes as opposed to the horizontal rows of flat knitting.

Often bejeweled and scented, they were once worn only by the upper classes, later by everyone for warmth and finger dexterity. Crafted from every possible textile, William S. Beck’s Gloves, their annals and associations: a chapter of trade and social history (1969) mentions the use of unusual fibers like nettles and even byssus or filaments from the beards of clams.

Though the term duffer bears the lowly connotation of bumbling and on the golf course, one with a lack of skill for the game, Loraine’s felted woolen slippers bear the same name and are knitted as well on a circular; the felting process done with soapy warm water and some agitation and voila! The cottage shoes are ready for wear.

When I asked Loraine to recall one of her fond-

est craft making memories, her face lit up when she described a medieval dress she had designed and sewn for her daughter’s 16th birthday costume party. ”When she put it on, everything fell into place...it was perfect. It was a joyous moment for me, absolutely perfect, thrilling!”

But what were her artisan dreams for the future?

Loraine smiled. She has many projects to complete and the art of quilting to learn. Then she will hand

Lucet, a tool for braiding or cordmaking

sew into quilts, the carefully saved button down nighties her deceased mother wore during her final illness. She will make ring bearer’s pillows and christening gowns from the fabric and lace of her mother-in-law’s wedding dress. On a deeper note, Loraine hopes to do mission work for her church.

She will continue to crochet hats for the children of Nepal with a blessing.

Had her crafting presented any unpleasant experiences? She said without hesitation, “Never!

There is nothing negative, just something to be learned during such times.” Once more an artisan was affirming...what touches us for better or worse is painted and knitted and woven and quilted into our pieces.

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.

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MANUFACTURERS REPRESENTATIVES

JOE LEWIS

P.O. Box 1768 10611 N. 11th St. Salem, NH 03079 Phoenix, AZ 85020 jhlreps@aol.com

Electrical, Mechanical, Plastics, Metals, and Contract Mfg. Joe Lewis Cell 617-510-9260 Joe Jr. 603-365-1301

May – June 2014

13

arts

book review

empire Rising

by Brian Hanrahan Contributing Columnist

E

mpire Rising

By Thomas Kelly Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2005 Hop aboard as Thomas Kelly rolls out another Big Apple white-knuckler.

Leading readers to the gaping Manhattan cavity left by the demolition of the old Waldorf Astoria, we meet Michael Briody, late of Cavan Town in Ireland, who drives the first rivet into the first steel column placed at the Empire State Building site. Cigars glow, flash bulbs pop, backs get slapped and Irish dandy Mayor Jimmy Walker smiles the smile of a man who gets a kickback, a commission he calls it, on every construction project in New York. Yet the winds of reform swirl. It’s 1930 and the feds are on to miscreant Walker---Jimmy knows his time is short.

Walker runs New York under the guise of benefactor and patron to the city’s immigrant poor and teeming masses. Behind his dapper, populist front, lurks a man who controls Tammany Hall, arguably the most ruthless and corrupt political machine in American history. Walker’s silky smile and engaging manner belie the pyramidal network of crooked cops, judges, assassins and thugs of every ilk who execute the misdeeds of the Tammany machine. American-born Irish like Walker and his right-hand ‘judges and jackhammers’ man, Johnny Farrell, pull the strings while immigrant Irish like Briody fight to rise out of the gutter, keeping one foot in the aulde sod and one foot in their adopted America. Michael Briody served time in Curragh prison for anti-Free State, republican foot soldiering after Ireland’s 1916 Rising. A man

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possessing knowledge of explosives, Briody curiously joins the British Army and fights in World War I before coming to America.

He remains a staunch Irish republican.

Under Mayor Walker, money talks and illegal liquor flows in the speakeasies, or speaks, as they’re called. The Market crashed in 1929 and former big-time players peddle apples in the streets. A smart, tough Irishman can rise up in this environment and become wealthy if he knows who to pay homage and money to. He can also wind up in a grave if he backs the wrong horse.

As the Empire State Building and city rise metaphorically in tandem, we find Briody as he connects with Bronx-born Tough Tommy Touhey, a homicidal brute who owns a few speaks and a piece of the Empire State project.

Tough Tommy coaxes Briody into entering a cops-only boxing match. That Briody is not a police officer is no stumbling block to him, beating his cop opponent to a pulp. In attendance at the match is our Johnny Farrell, who squires Grace Masterson, a fatally-flawed femme fatale. She takes a liking to Briody, and him to her, when they meet in a speakeasy after the fight. She’s an artist and late of Cavan herself, having lost heart, two sons, a husband and her faith on the trail from Ireland to Spain to Cuba, to Florida and finally New York.

She’s also mistress to the married Farrell---infidelities seemingly a requisite to Hall membership.

Grace also performs as bag woman to Farrell, to wit, she makes money drops at banks around town.

Ill advisedly, Grace occasionally siphons a little pre-deposit money off the top.

Clan Na Gael, the arm of the Irish republicanism in New York, hovers in the background. Michael Briody is a natural recruit for Clan Na Gael, having demonstrated his willingness to kill for a cause. As his relationship with Grace burgeons, Briody enlists and partners with Clan Na Gael, participating in gun and explosives running to Ireland--and worse.

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Inching its way to power is the Italian syndicate and the sadistic ‘Dago’, of whom Tough Tommy Touhey says, “He wants what we got,” meaning the rackets, speakeasy’s and protection payoffs.

Observing a soft spot in the Tammany machine, the Dago glad-hands and threatens Farrell into working with him to acquire a piece of the action.

As reform movements gather steam in Albany and Washington, our player’s world turns upside down.

A judge formerly on the take suffers an untimely demise after demonstrating reluctance to adhere to a machine directive. The philandering Farrell discovers that his pilfering girlfriend Grace is unfaithful.

Touhey disappears and turns up dead. But is it really him? After a moment of epiphany, Briody decides that killing only begets more killing and suffers a dangerous falling out with Clan Na Gael.

It’s best to turn the rest of the tale over to Thomas Kelly.

Along with his previous novels, Payback and The Rackets, Kelly’s Empire Rising is a must for readers fascinated by crafty historical fiction.

Brian’s great great grandfather arrived in Canada on a coffin ship out of Limerick in 1852. After a year or two in frigid Montreal, he migrated to balmy Wisconsin where he joined dozens of other Irish immigrants to farm in Erin Township, which even today remains replete with Irish surnames.

May – June 2014

By Gary Woodside Dia daoibh mo chairde!

Gary John (GJ) Woodside is ainm dom. I will be reviewing new CD releases from Celtic artists or containing Celtic inspired themes.

I thought it would be fun to rate these by the number of pints you can enjoy while listening. I will be starting with one pint and working up to five pints, by having one pint just to get through it or having a few more and truly enjoying the musical journey. Let’s get started, shall we?

T

oday I am reviewing the band that was my introduction to the Celtic rock scene: The Young Dubliners and their newest release is 9 (nine, naoi). This time out Dublin natives, Keith Roberts (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Brendan Holmes (bass/vocals) along with Chas Waltz (violin/piano), Dave Ingraham (drums/percussion), and Bob

The Young Dubliners and their newest release 9 (nine, naoi)

Boulding (guitar/banjo/violin/lap steel) with help from longtime collaborator Eric Rigler on uillean pipes, have put forth their first crowd-funded and completely independent release.

My first experience with the Young Dubs was in 2000 back when my beloved Guinness was very hard to find in Montana. The promise of a pint of the black led me to the Irish Times in Butte. My brother and I made our way to the pub and were told about this band that packs the house, plays rocking Irish music, and the crowd breaks into “jig mosh pits.”

There was no way we were missing that, and we were not disappointed. Their energy, songwriting, and use of Celtic music left an everlasting impression and fueled a new love of Irish music. With All Due Respect – The Irish Sessions is still one of my all-time favorite albums.

While the opening track, “We The Mighty,” has been floating around for almost a year, the official release of this CD wasn’t until March 2014. Featured in a Uni (ONE) – Verse (SONG) mini-documentary on YouTube, it is an anthem written for the immigrants that still come to the United States in fairly large numbers from Ireland

in search of a living. It’s a classic Young Dubs driving rock song that would get the crowd jumping in those “jig pits.” Next is “Say Anything,” a mid-tempo track that shares a message of encouragement. “Speak from the heart, show them what you’re made of.” Great lyrics. That is followed by the peppy, “Up In The Air,” which keeps your foot tapping.

Slowing a bit, “Rain” is a sweet ballad of saying goodbye. I have always loved Keith’s unique, gravelly voice. After that interlude, the disc picks up again with fiddle leading into the rocking “Seeds of Sorrow” that once again wants to get ya jumping. I like their positive and inspiring lyrics, which seem to be missing in most modern music.

Driving drums and smooth fiddle start, then are joined by uillean pipes on “Abhainn Mór.” This Celtic-style instrumental breaks up this disc nicely. “The Deep” is just a cool laid back song. I really dig the lyrics here, too. Next, a slick and unexpected banjo riff reminiscent of Mumford and Sons starts “Fall,” which again rocks a catchy chorus.

The track “One Touch” with its happy beat, sounds perfect for a big movie soundtrack of some romantic comedy. The disc ends with slow piano and Keith’s smoldering voice starting out the ballad “Only You & Me.” As a longtime fan, I feel their lyrical arrangements seem creative and not typical.

Often simple enough, they really don’t sound like anyone else. Keith pushes his voice to the edge here, and you can really feel the emotion. This is a nice ending to this disc.

Consistently releasing quality material and putting on great shows everywhere they go, I often wonder why the Young Dubliners aren’t a huge mainstream success.

Overall, this is an enjoyable production from this well-seasoned band. Being only about 38 minutes long, I am left wanting a bit more. Not instantly my favorite of their catalog, it has definitely grown on me quite a bit. I give it 3 and a half pints...ah, heck.

I never leave a half of a pint behind. I guess it will be 4. Sláinte!!

Any artist who would like to be featured, please contact me at www.celticmusicaz.com. Also, there you will find a calendar with dates for Irish and Celtic bands’ local live events. Slán go foil.

arts

Music Review

A musician/songwriter for 20+ years, Gary has a small recording studio and experience in recording, mixing, mastering, etc. With an extensive collection of recorded music, 10,600 of all styles and genres, he has a special fondness for Celtic music with his da’s ancestry from Ayrshire, Scotland and his mom’s from Moylough, County Galway, Ireland.

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15

CULTURE

Shortening the In Ireland the inevitable never happens and the unexpected constantly occurs.*

by Liz Warren

M

y husband Mark Goldstein and I were enjoying a few days holiday in Ireland last summer before the beginning of Mesa Community College’s Study Abroad Ireland program. The students were due to arrive on the first Saturday in June, and Study Abroad Ireland’s director, Barry Vaughan, asked us to go to Emo Court to make the lunch and tour reservations for the students’ visit there on the following Monday.

We were happy to do that, since Emo Court boasts a beautiful tea room, expansive gardens, and a stately neo-classical mansion. We were just coming out of the grand house when four vans whisked right up to the bottom of the steps. Three of the vans were official County Laois Civil Defense vans with their blue lights flashing on top. With the

Road

gravel crunching and spraying, the vans came to a stop and out came pouring dozens of absolutely gorgeous young women in splendid spring garb, sporting chic hats at rakish angles. The Rose of Tralee regional contestants had arrived for their tour of Emo Court!

I knew Arizona sent a contestant and since each one was wearing a banner with her point of origin, it was easy to find Holly Nordquist. I had met her in Phoenix at the Colleen and Rose of Tralee Tea a few weeks earlier. The serendipity of it all was very exciting, and of all the beauties arrayed there, Holly was still a stand-out!

The Rose of Tralee is an international competition that culminated in August. The purpose of this Regional Festival was to winnow the group of 61 contestants down to the 32 that would appear on the nationally televised finale. When we met her at Emo Court, Holly had already competed, but we didn’t find out until the

Photos BY Mark Goldstein

Holly Nordquist and Liz Warren

next day that she had, in fact, made it to the finals.

Congratulations to Holly and to the Arizona Rose of Tralee organization for all the hard work it takes to make this happen.

Who knows what will happen this summer? I may well meet up with the 2014 Arizona Colleen and Rose, Sarah Hines, as she tours Ireland with the Rose Regionals competition, representing our Irish Community! Wouldn’t that be grand!

Liz Warren is the Director of the SMCC Storytelling Institute (to learn more, check out www.mesacc.edu/ academics/sai/). She teaches the Irish Storytelling Tradition every summer in Ireland as part of MCC’s Study Abroad Ireland Program (https://sites.google.com/site/ smcstorytellingnow/home).

Lots of fun hats - Holly is third from the right

Emo Court, County Laois, Ireland

*Reverend Sir John Pentland Mahaffy (1839-1919), quoted in W.B. Stanford and R. B. McDowell’s Mahaffy (1971). I found it in Heroic Landscapes by Rod O’Donoghue.

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May – June 2014

Perception of Scottish Culture

by J. Carro

A

half century.

It’s a long time in the context of measuring an organization’s history.

A landmark, achievement, and milestone; last month marked the Caledonian Society of Arizona’s 50th Anniversary. The 501c3, non-profit organization whose mission is to promote Scottish culture through art & culture, education, athletics, and food set out to party and that they did!

I’m not Scottish. But what I’ve learned from my Scottish friends is that people in general, celebrate all good things—the same way. Under a rich blue Arizona sky families gathered to spend

time together. Friends became family and were included in the festivities, cheering one another on, eating, drinking, laughing and dancing.

Acquaintances, perhaps folks that meet up only once or twice a year, enjoyed their time together, sharing news and stories from their corner of the world.

Thank you to all who came to our party. We had a stellar representation of clans, competitive dancers, pipers, drummers, entertainers, athletes, educators, re-enactors, judges, car clubs, and volunteers.

Thank you to our sponsors who have supported us for years and years. The partnerships we share are valued and revered. Thanks to Jason Temple, our Games Chairman and also to our legendary committee on a 50th Games well done!

Everyone had fun, Scots and non-Scots alike.

The press even came out and weathermen attempted to lift and throw heavy objects. Mark your calendar for next year. We’re already in the “throes” of planning March 21-22, 2015.

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Photos by Sally M. Estrada

SCOTS

An Italian Girl’s

Jackie Carro is the owner of Marketing Ideals Company, a boutique agency offering marketing, public relations and video production services. Celebrating 20 years, the company promotes cultural events in the Valley and has been working with the Caledonian Society of Arizona for nearly 18 of those years.

May – June 2014

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SEDONA

Celtic Harvest Festival

by Dorothy O’Brien

Sedona 2014

T

he Sixth Annual Celtic Harvest Festival Sedona will be held at the Verde Valley School (3511 Verde Valley School Rd., Sedona, AZ 86351) on September 20, 2014. This traditional Celtic Festival features the rich sound of acoustic instruments including harp, mandolin, guitar, flutes, whistles, fiddles, and string bass; Highland and Welsh Bagpipes; Ancient Stories; Championship Irish Step Dancing; Scottish Highland Dancers; Sheepdog Herding Workshops; Clans; Vendors; a Fairy Village, and some Highland Games.

Artistic Director, Welsh Master of Music John Good, announced that Festival Favorites, David Brewer and Rebecca Lomnicky, will return as Special Guests. David Brewer is a Master of Highland Pipes, a dynamic showman who delighted the audience. Rebecca Lomnicky is the Glenfiddich World Champion Scottish Fiddle Player who enchants hearers with her joyful style. Ryan O’Donnell of 3TV is our gracious Master of Ceremonies and always adds to the fun!

The stunning setting of the Celtic Harvest Festival Sedona, The Verde Valley School, was the original home of Sedona Jazz on the Rocks. The panoramic views encompass Cathedral Rock and the sweeping majesty of the Seven Sisters. Please plan to join us for this special celebration of our tra- David Brewer and Rebecca Lomnicky ditional Celtic Culture. Tickets will go on sale soon and for more information, please check the Festival Facebook page at www.facebook.com/celticharvestfestivalsedona or www.celticharvestfestival.com.

Falcon with Holly Nordquist, 2013 AZ Colleen and Rose

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Bud Ellis Photography

Sarah Hines, 2014 AZ Colleen and Rose for C.R.O.F.T.

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May – June 2014

PHOTO Ann Niemann

from Arizona Territory

by Janice Ryan Bryson

J

ohn Harris Behan is best known for his association with Tombstone, Wyatt Earp and the gun fight at the OK Corral.

He was born in Missouri in 1845 to Irish immigrant Peter Behan and wife Sally, a native of Kentucky. John traveled to California as a young man where he mined and worked as a freighter. In 1862 he joined the California column as they traveled to Arizona Territory and fought with them at Apache Pass near Fort Bowie. The following year he settled in Tucson working as a freighter at Fort Lowell and later at a mine in Pima County.

John eventually made his way to Yavapai County where he worked as a clerk in Prescott; later becoming undersheriff to John Bourke. There he earned a reputation as an honest lawman. John married Victoria Zeff in 1869. The couple became parents of a daughter, Henrietta, who died as a child of scarlatina (also known as scarlet fever), and a son, Albert. In 1871 John began serving a twoyear term as Sheriff of Yavapai County and was a representative to the 7th Territorial Assembly. John and Victoria divorced in 1876. John moved to Mohave County and served as the County’s representative to the Territorial Assembly.

When mining increased in southern Arizona, John moved south becoming a deputy under Sheriff Charles Seibell of Pima County. When Cochise County was created in 1881, John was appointed the County’s first sheriff by Territorial Governor John Fremont. The County Seat was in Tombstone where Virgil Earp was City Marshal. His brothers, Morgan and Wyatt, served as his deputies. This is where John’s history as an honest lawman becomes murky.

The first conflict between John and Wyatt was over a woman, Josephine Marcus. She lived with John and used his last name. She soon turned her affections to Wyatt and they lived together sporadically in a cottage John rented for her. Historians differ on all the causes that lead to the gunfight in Tombstone between the Earps and Doc Hol-

liday and a gang known as “The Cowboys.” The outlaw cowboys consisted of the Clanton and McLaury families along with Johnny Ringo and Curly Bill Brocius. They were rustlers taking cattle across the border into Mexico as well as robbing trains and stage coaches.

Many Tombstone residents believed that John encouraged lawlessness by not fulfilling his obligations as Sheriff. The town became split into two camps; one supporting Behan, and the other supporting the Earps, hoping to bring law and order to Tombstone. Some historians believe that John had a direct role in the famous gunfight; he had no intention of doing anything to prevent the battle and hoped to benefit from it. Even if John would have attempted to intervene, it is doubtful he could have stopped it. He watched the action from the safety of C. S. Fly’s Rooming House near the OK Corral.

The Earps and Holliday were cleared of any charges resulting from the gunfight as the Judge ruled they had acted within the law. Tombstone became dangerous for the Earp brothers. Morgan was killed with a shot in the back at the Campbell and Hatch Saloon and Virgil lost most of the use of his left arm from wounds received in an ambush.

He also lost his job as City Marshall. The Earps and Holliday soon left Tombstone. John aggressively tried to bring them back to stand trial again but was unsuccessful. His career in Tombstone ended as he attempted re-election as Sheriff. There was a general dissatisfaction of his handling of The Cowboys and Earp conflict, as well as charges he had misused public funds. John had somehow banked $5,000.00 during his term as sheriff; where the money came from was never discovered.

In 1888, John was appointed Deputy Superintendent of the Territorial State Prison at Yuma. One Tombstone resident remarked that he was on the wrong side of the bars. He later became an Inspec-

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HISTORY

Irish Tales

John Harris Behan

tor for U.S. Customs in El Paso and served in the Spanish American War as well as in China during the Boxer Rebellion. John returned to Arizona working for the Arizona Eastern Railroad, dying in Tucson in 1912.

Historians agree that the untamed conditions of the West allowed men like Behan and Earp to define what the country was to become. Frontier lawmen walked a fine line between the law and lawlessness; a man had to have a bark to be a lawman. The issues surrounding the gunfight at the OK Corral are still being debated today and John Behan is an intriguing part of the story.

Janice Ryan Bryson descended from Irish pioneers who arrived in the Arizona Territory in the 1880’s, she is co-founder of the Irish Arizona Project and co-author of the book Irish Arizona. Janice is a member of The First Families of Arizona, Daughters of the American Revolution and several women’s agriculture organizations, and serves on several Boards.

May – June 2014

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Randall Wallace Scotsman Extraordinaire Screenwriter, Feature Film Director, Novelist

Personal Interview and Research By Ann Niemann

B

orn in 1949 in Tennessee, Randall Wallace now lives in California as noted screenwriter, producer, and director of major motion pictures we all know and recognize like We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson, Man in the Iron Mask with Leo DiCaprio, Pearl Harbor with Ben Affleck, and Secretariat with Diane Lane and John Malkovich.

Braveheart As a novelist and TV scriptwriter, it was Braveheart (1995) that catapulted Mr. Wallace to success and an Oscar nomination for an original screenplay for his very first film. Interested in the origins of the Wallace name, he and his wife had vacationed in Scotland and became intrigued with the story that honored William Wallace and Robert the Bruce with a pair of statues at Edinburgh Castle. With a scarcity of factual details, Randall wrote the story from beginning to end straight through, to capture the emotions and spirit of the Scottish people as they faced the tyranny of England’s Edward I. “Creating plausibility and relatability,” he then continued to research the period and go back to fill in historical details of weaponry and living conditions. The romantic poem about William Wallace (1272-1305) by Scottish writer, Randall Wallace interview at Phoenix First Henry the Minstrel (“Blind Harry”) in the 15th tion represented key source documents for the procentury provided inspiration. ject. Randall doesn’t know in fact that he is directly descended from the legendary William, “but in spirit, Wallace Clan and spirit is stronger,” he confides.

Members of the Clan Wallace living in Glasgow became on-set technical advisors with Clan Chief Filmed in Scotland and Ireland Seoras Wallace and others cast as members of WilThe early scenes of Braveheart were filmed at the base liam’s closest comrades. They are said to descend of Glen Nevin, which has the highest rainfall in Eufrom one of four surviving family members at the rope. For the six-week shoot, it was almost nonstop time of William’s death. Their collection of diaries rain except for three days much needed to complete and memorabilia passed from generation to genera-

Arizona’s members of Clan Wallace

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photo by Ann Niemann

the wedding scene when William first returns to his homeland as an adult.

Moving the cast and crew to Dublin, they filmed within a 30-mile radius including Curragh and Ballymore Eustace near the medieval castles of Trim and Dunsoghly. Randall describes it as a “fantastic place.”

The battle in Sterling was filmed in this vicinity with 1,700 of FCA Irish Army volunteers playing the Scottish patriots. Up at 4 am, there were four large tents that progressed from costume, hair and makeup, weaponry, etc. to be ready for the 8 am cast call.

Randall chuckles in recalling that “wherever you have two Irishmen together, there’s a party or a fight

May – June 2014

or both. They were whacking each other with their he doesn’t wear a cross necklace because he doesn’t rubber weapons and laughing but when Mel Gibson want people judging Jesus by his actions or missteps. rode in on horseback, it wasn’t Mel; it was William The “issue for anyone is authenticity. If someone is Wallace.” You could hear an intake of breath from preaching a philosophy, people are suspect, but if livthe troops and then complete silence as he gave his ing a reality, then people respect them.” famous speech to rally the troops to fight for freedom.

“The most dangerous time in my life was not that With seven cameras I was being crushed by going, what was supfailure, but rather that posed to happen was that I was being crushed by partway through, the resuccess.” With Bravesponse was to be disbelief heart as his first screenwith one soldier stepping play and the resulting forward to question the phenomenon it became, huge odds against them. “suddenly my life However, Mel was so became so isolated and convincing that the army so lonely” because so erupted in thundermany saw what he now ous shouting with great had and they wanted to enthusiasm saying they use him to get what they would kill their enemy; wanted. “And I felt what kill all of them! They a tragedy this would be had to film a re-take on if I get to this point and that one. Randall adds, then I start to wor“What I love about that ship money, or power, is it’s a great story and a or success...I’d rather great experience to tell, have Jesus than silver or but it was because he gold.” He paused, his [Mel as William Wallace] eyes began to tear as he Actors Greg Kinnear and Connor Corum believed it, they [the warreflected that those things riors] believed it, and Mel are not who we are but believed it because I believed it. I couldn’t have writrather “when our hearts are with God, then our hearts ten those words if I didn’t believe every one of them. are with each other and we Despite some criticism as to the historical details, have everything.”

Braveheart continues to be a classic and successful on all counts, having spurred a surge in tourism Heaven is For Real there. The greatest complement, Randall says, was Released April 16 when he attended a Highlanders Convention in The newest movie is based Colorado. He was introduced that what Randall on the international bestsellWallace has done for Scotland in Braveheart, captur- er true book about a fouring the spirit of Scottish people, was more than year-old boy’s near-death several centuries of efforts to bring the country to experience, who comes back the forefront of public attention. to tell his family what it’s like to be in heaven. Even Success and Personal Faith his father, a pastor, grapples Mel Gibson and Wallace were talking early on before with what his son shares, filming Braveheart. “Mel said ‘You know, Randy, the realizing he’s too young and truth is that writers write, actors act, directors direct innocent to not be truthfully from their essence as human beings. Who you are will sharing such concrete and show in your work and in your life.’ That was a proliteral descriptions. found message to me about how do I do this. What As the film’s co-ScreenI know from then until now, is that there are two writer and Director, Ranthings: you love God and you love your neighbor.” dall describes HIFR as an An important part of Randall’s core values, he wants “epic in the way Braveheart these elements to always show through. is, not on the battlefield When asked about aspiring young actors, Wallace but rather battles in beliefs shared, “The first and last thing: you have to do what and within is your heart. You have to be who God has made you the human to be, not who God has made someone else to be... heart.” the greatest call you can have is the call God has for Where you,” whether clergy or secular professions.

Braveheart Randall carries a cross in his wallet. For him, needed an

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R rating, this film is for the entire family and can be viewed together.

“I really want people to have the experience of believing what the title says, that heaven is real, that it’s not simply a hope. It’s not simply an abstract idea.

“When I’m making a movie, I don’t ever want to preach at someone in terms of my own understanding, which changes all the time, but that experience, that certainty you feel at moments in your life, when you feel what God is, when you feel what love is, then you want that for all of your life.

So for me, it was: tell the story and let people feel this story as if they are experiencing it themselves.

And then come away and we’re not going to argue.

As John Wesley said, ‘Let’s not argue about whether our heads are together. If our hearts are together, then let’s join hands.’”

When asked what was HIFR’s personal effect on him, he said, “It caused me to see God as even bigger than I imagined before.”

Randall Wallace, the Man He paused to reflect and then described, “It’s not about the man, not about me. Braveheart is the story I needed to hear. It was like a story God told me through my heritage, my genes, my emotions, the story I heard. When I sat down to write, I was literally trying to tell the story that was moving me...at times it gave me chills; at times I wept.”

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May – June 2014

Who is the reddest of them all?

By Alistair Moffat, Melrose, Scottish Borders, UK

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ot who you might think!

But more of that later. In August 2013 a remarkable event took place in Crosshaven, County Cork. The Irish Redhead Convention gathered for a weekend celebration of red hair and all its glories. After redgistration, there was carrot-tossing, a competition for the best red eyebrows and foxy braids. But IrelandsDNA attempted to introduce a light touch of science. Geneticist, Katie Barnes, gave a fascinating talk on the red hair gene variants. She explained to a rapt audience of redheads that they were all of them the product of parents who both had to have carried one of the different sorts of variants. There are three common red hair variants, but many rare ones – 47 in all!

And who is the reddest of them all? Not the Irish! The map shows that the largest concentration of carriers of the red hair gene variants is in Southeastern Scotland with a staggering 40% of the population.

Many people who took the DNA test had no idea because red hair does not always appear in the children of carriers. In fact the chances are only 25%. In my own family, who live in Southeastern Scotland and therefore boost the numbers, we had startling results. Neither my wife and I have red hair and yet two of our children are blessed with different colours of red hair (our scientists are working hard to work out if different combinations of the variants produce different colours of red hair – but no-one is yet sure). So this turned out to be a secret hidden in our genes.

Launched in April 2012, IrelandsDNA immediately set out to innovate. By combining historical analysis with the genetic information that can be gleaned from testing for ancestral DNA, we aimed to achieve a new understanding of Ireland’s history, a

people’s history.

A commercial company closely involved in scientific research, IrelandsDNA offers a unique package of information featuring thorough historical analyses of results currently unmatched by any other European DNA ancestry testing company. The Chief Scientist responsible for the study is Dr. Jim Wilson.

Perhaps migration provides an answer. The Northern Isles, the Hebrides and the Atlantic coastlands saw significant Viking incursions and settlement after c800AD, and in the southeast of Britain, the Anglo-Saxons settled in numbers after c400AD. These in-migrations may have significantly diluted the red-hair variants present in the indigenous populations before those dates.

Or perhaps Tacitus was right. The Roman historian wrote the Agricola, an account of his father-in-law’s governorship of the province of Britannia in the 1st century AD. Tacitus supplied the first recorded descriptions of

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the Caledonians and their rainy country. He noticed that many of them had Œred-gold hair. Perhaps not much has changed in 2,000 years.

When Katie Barnes finished her talk at Crosshaven, there were lots of questions. Why do proportionately more people in Britain and Ireland carry the variants?

Was it the climate? Living in a cloudy country do we need the lighter skin that goes with red hair so that we can absorb more vitamin D because we don’t see so much of the sun? Or was it to do with attractiveness? Red heads are better looking? Perhaps the highlight of the whole convention was the last question put to Katie, herself a blonde. A wee girl in the front row with lovely, curly red hair put up her hand and asked “Don’t you wish you had red hair?”

If you are wondering if you are lucky enough to carry the red hair gene variant, have a look at www.irelandsdna.com and find out!

May – June 2014

continued on page 27

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NEWS

A Tribute to Josh Sweeney

By Sue McGraw, Excerpts March 28, Glendale, AZ

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hen Tracy, contacted me if I could lend a hand with a party of Celebration for Josh, I was thrilled. You see, I regard myself as one of his longest running fans having followed Josh’s progress from the very early days. On the Facebook page set up for Prayers and Support, I had viewed Josh’s with his first set of legs, which for those of you

who don’t know are small stubby ones. In an early video Josh waddled towards the camera and won my heart by saying a quote from Pinocchio “I’m a REAL boy.” That was it, I was hooked.

Then, along came this beautiful young woman starting to pop up in photos more frequently. At first I was simply pleased for Josh, but it was their wedding photos and the simplicity of manner in which this young couple tied the knot that earned my respect for Amber in her own right. Not to mention her going on to become a nurse. Neither of them would know until this moment, that their life journey assisted mine.

When I moved to Luke A F Base with my family almost six years ago I was very low, my heart had broken in two at the friends I had left behind as I knew I was saying “goodbye” for good. I knew this as the average age of my friends was 90. Not unlike a couple of my friends here today. Following Josh’s progress helped me keep things in perspective; remember what’s a true problem and what is not.

Josh’s inspiration to others cannot be measured or underestimated.

One common trait I have come across in the Heroes I have chosen to love is the fact they are always humble. In fact, I stand here now because

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Tracy, Josh’s mom, is humble. This is Josh’s party the Army to end his career at thirty years as a Lt. yet Tracy wanted Josh to get to meet my friends and Col. Hal flew Chinook helicopters in Vietnam with herein lays a sweet irony tonight. They are here to the 1st Cavalry. honor him and Tracy wanted Josh to meet and honor I would also like to acknowledge two retired vetthem. So it is with great pride I would like to intro- erans here, USAF Capt. David Berling and Marine duce a few of my dear friends.

Vietnam Veteran Rick Romley. They are both also Capt. Jack Nemerov is a D-Day Veteran of wounded warriors like Josh.

Omaha Beach. My husband, MSGT Douglas I would be amiss not to acknowledge my friend, McGraw, was born on D-Day’s anniversary. So was Theresa Koonz, Blue Star Mom, Army wife of 30 Josh. My husband is 3rd generation military and years and mom to active duty serving military memdue to our blessing of a long posting overseas, we bers. She didn’t just step up to the plate to help with have had the honor of being on the D-Day beaches tonight, she ran at it. If you know of any military for six anniversaries with the veterans. After D-Day, family in need, most especially when a warrior is fallJack went on to become what is perhaps even more en, please, put them in touch with Blue Star Moms. important to him as he is Jewish. Jack is a Liberator The Lord God has blessed me with my husband’s of Dachau as was my husband’s granddad, William grandfather surviving the Battle of the Bulge and McGraw. I can’t imagine what on earth it must have then a Liberator of Dachau; then his father being been like to walk in that place and share the bond of 82nd Airborne and surviving the battle of L Z X-ray. religion with those victims. Jack is 95 years old and Without those men coming through those battles, is staying up late to honor Josh! (Photo at left; credit: my two daughters would not be here today. When I RickNelsonAZPhotography.com) honor my friends, I am actually honoring God, and Horrace Griffin is a WWII Falcon Field saying thank you for the survivors.

Instructor Pilot. He was to become a great football I feel that Josh is an American hero and American player when God decided to take things in hand and citizens ought to have the opportunity to offer a Horace blew his knee out for want of a better way of little assistance. ALL proceeds from raffle tickets saying it. So bear that in mind young people, some- and donation buckets assist Josh and Amber in times your dreams fade just in order for you to take their move from Texas to Oregon and help towards the path meant for you. Horace couldn’t enter the expenses for this party. Thank you to Chaplain Rush military because of that injury so became an instruc- who did a lovely invocation, and Sgt. Samantha tor pilot on the Stearman aircraft at Falcon Field. He Runner, regarded as the best anthem singer on base taught Royal Air Force cadets to fly, and he watched and we got her! them sometimes die in the course of that learning.

Finally–to give the last thought to Disney’s Fairy Horace is instrumental in keeping the memory of (or was it an Angel, who knows?) from Pinocchio, it the 23 Royal Air Force cadets buried at the City was her instruction to Pinocchio that if you, “Prove of Mesa Cemetery alive, and is active with Falcon yourself brave, truthful and unselfish,” Pinocchio Field Museum. He did not receive the salutes, med- would be turned into a real boy. Josh Sweeney, like als or appreciation that active duty military receive, my veteran friends here to honor you, you are withyet none the less served his country, and my origi- out doubt, a real boy! nal home country in Britain, with the heart of a true patriot.

Lt. Col. Harold Richards is a Vietnam veteran.

Like my other Heroes, Hal is a humble man but unlike some he takes the humbleness to a whole new level.

It’s hard to get him to pose for a photo; he’ll slip away into the background. Hal began as an Air Force Jet Mechanic and then found the opportunity Photo By: Bob Shane by moving across to McGraw Family at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale

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May – June 2014

Irishman Jeremy Robbins sets sights on success

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elected soldiers from the 108th Training Command (IET) traveled from all over the nation to compete in an intense, challenging and arduous 2014 Best Warrior and Drill Sergeant of the Year Competition from March 23-30. Held at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, the seven days of rigorous and strenuous challenges tested their mental and physical state.

Among the competitors visiting Arizona is Sergeant First Class Jeremy Robbins, of Irish descent. Having been deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, he is now an Army Reserve Soldier who competed for the Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Robbins, age 35, is a brick mason from Muncie, Indiana. He serves in Unit: B. Company, 1-334th Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 104th Training Division.

During the contest, each Warrior has to complete numerous scored events that are based on time, accuracy and knowledge, which test their tactics training and experience in a variety of combat training tasks. This year the categories included Army physical fitness test, day and night land navigation, urban orienteering courses, road march, weapons qualification on rifles and pistols, hand-to-hand combative tournament, tactical combat casualty care, a written test and essay, and appearance boards. In addition, there were several mystery events which required participants to endure very difficult challenges.

The Best Warrior Competition was developed by retired Sergeant Major of the Army Jack Tilley in 2002, testing one’s physical endurance, military knowledge, and mental perseverance. The competition is an opportunity for Warriors to highlight their military skills in a competitive environment.

Beginning at unit level, it advanced to 108th Training Command (IET) level, where the two winners of the BWC, a noncommissioned officer and a junior enlisted Soldier, continued to compete against all Army Reserve Soldiers at the U.S. Army Reserve command level. The 2014 Noncommissioned Officer of the Year was awarded to Staff Sgt. Martin Delaney, 14th Military Police Brigade, another proud Irish surname.

NEWS

Best Warrior and Drill Sergeant of the Year Competition

Heartfelt Condolences

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A

s the former Chair of the Arizona Rose Centre, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Dorothy “Dott” Moriarty Henggeler, who passed away peacefully at home in Baltimore on April 3. I remember her smile that immediately included everyone around her. The 2011 Arizona Rose, Jenny Knatz, recalls “Dott had an adventurous, fun-loving spirit. She once found a free golf cart, piled it with Roses [participants], and took off down the Port Laois Golf Club. I stood on the back as we bounced our way along the grass.” Friends and family have many wonderful memories to keep. After a five-month battle with brain cancer, Dott was one week away from her 28th birthday.

She was buried in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, where her mother is from. ROTIF created a lovely video tribute to share. – Ann Niemann

May – June 2014

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Randall Wallace

...

...continued from page 21

Raised Southern Baptist, Wallace was once an aspiring songwriter; and he has a black belt in karate, competed and taught it to work his way through seminary. Randall has three sons, two of whom were involved with the filming of HIFR in Canada. A very special memory is when his middle son was in college. They took “an epic journey” to the north of Scotland with Wallace Clansmen from Glasgow. They lived for a week near one of the lochs in kilts, camping outdoors. The scenery was spectacular.

On March 9, Randall was interviewed during a church service at Phoenix First on Cave Creek and was asked, what is your secret? “The key it seems to me, if I were to say who I was as that boy in Tennessee and who I am now, honestly I wish I could tell everyone of you as I sit here and watch what was on the screen [film clips of his movies]...When I would [used to] look at a movie—at how remote, how strange, how distant it all seemed to me. But in fact, it’s completely personal. Everything you’re talking about in your life is exactly what is true of mine.

“It’s completely personal. I had written the story about my roots in search of my family and what my heritage was that I found the story of William Wallace that became the story of Braveheart.” For the full interview and composite of his film clips, go to www.phoenixfirst.org/ media/sermon/randall-wallace.

What’s next? Randall disclosed that he is looking to write another book. This time about Braveheart and Christianity.

Above: Wallace on set filming Heaven is for Real

Right: The Burpos, real-life Heaven is For Real family, dad is a pastor and volunteer firefighter

705 N. 1st Street Downtown Phoenix www.theturfphoenix.com 26

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May – June 2014

Irish Redhead Convention County Cork

Reddest... continued from page 23 IrelandsDNA

Here are some headlines from Ireland’s DNA research:

Redhead carrier frequencies across Britain and Ireland [Based on the three most common redhead variants]

Scotland North & West

1. The most red-headed part of Britain and Ireland is the Southeast of Scotland with Edinburgh as a redhotspot. 40% carry one of the three common red hair gene variants.

Scotland North East

Scotland Central

Scotland South West

Scotland South East

England North

Ireland - Ulster

England Yorkshires Ireland - Connacht Ireland - Leinster

Wales England East

Ireland - Munster

England Central

2. Scotland as whole has a higher percentage than Ireland, 36.5% as against 34.7%.

England South East

England South West

Percentage of ancestral populations

www.irelandsdna.com | info@irelandsdna.com | @IrelandsDNA

Alistair Moffat is Managing Director for ScotlandsDNA, BritainsDNA, IrelandsDNA, YorkshiresDNA; MA (Hons), M.Phil, Cert.Ed. Born and bred in the Scottish Borders, Alistair is the author of many bestselling history books, most of them about Scotland. A former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Director of Programmes at Scottish Television, he now runs the Borders and Lennoxlove Book Festivals and Book Nation, a national literary project. Alistair’s Y chromosome is in the I-S142 group and his mtDNA is in the W1 group. Alistair has a copy of the red-head variant Arg160Trp in his MC1R gene.

3. Wales is higher than Ireland with 38% - so some preconceptions of the Irish as the most red-headed nation are being reorganised.

4. But the big surprise is England as a whole with 32.4% and that skewed significantly towards the

north of England and Yorkshire/Humberside with 34.4% very similar to Ireland. East Anglia is by far the lowest at less than 21%, while in the Midlands 26% are carriers.

5. The number of people is Britain and Ireland who are carriers is very large indeed. We estimate a total of 20.4 million people are carriers of the red hair variants. That should help play down ginger jibes.

6. The percentage of red heads is lower but also varies, with about 6% of Scots having red hair, about 300,000. About 4% of English are red-heads, around 2.1 million people.

See photos of Arizona’s Redheads on page 30

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history

Castle Under Siege Part 3

By Carmelita Lee

C

harleville Castle is not really a castle, although to this starry-eyed Arizonan it looks like a castle. You know, if it walks like a duck, right? Of course, since many of us are hooked on Downton Abbey, we realize that there was such a thing as an elegant manor house, and that is what Charleville actually is. It is classified as a gothic house, albeit, a house with its own chapel, stables and outbuildings on thousands of acres of oak forest. It was built on older ruins, said to be a Druid monastery and cemetery, and an older castle. The first Earl of Charleville was Charles William Bury, who commissioned the local people to build the house, which was designed by Ireland’s foremost architect of the day, Francis Johnston. It took fourteen years to build. It is said Bury, who was Irish by birth but English by ancestry, had compassion on the people who tended the land, and sought to employ them. It was they who actually built Charleville Castle.

The magnificent old building has passed through a number of descendants of the original owner, and different remodels to keep it from going to ruin. The long hiatus from 1912 to the 1960’s, the years when it sat empty, didn’t do the building any favors. The Charleville Heritage Trust does make good on its promises to upkeep the castle, and in the years since it has had partial control, they have been able to stop the destruction and keep the areas they lease dry and under roof. To meet expenses, Charleville has been leased to moviemakers for the filming of Becoming Jane and Northanger Abbey, both in 2007. Revenue comes into the trust, enabling the repair work to continue, a fitting gesture to the original Lord Char-

I wanted to know about the original Lord Charleville, who provided twenty small cottages for the people who tended his property. He was a kind-hearted soul who looked after them well. He wrote that while out walking he had come upon a terrible sight of a widow with four small children in less than an eight square foot hut. The eldest and youngest were “in a state of dying,” and she wept as she told him her plight. He was moved to help her, sent the woman to the town’s infirmary, and provided her with a spinning wheel and a job making hats for the poor. In another entry he wrote of finding a school master as destitute as his small, ragged charges, and did the same for them.

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leville’s hope for the place.

The latest group to take an interest is Explorers Museum (see www.explorersmuseum.org). They may even become a permanent resident there, a welcomed addition so far as the Charleville Heritage Trust is concerned. They will feature the life and writings of Colonel Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury, a descendant of the original owner, who was known as an explorer and botanist in the Himalayas, but also known for being the first to lead a climbing expedition up Mt. Everest. Although he didn’t make it to the top--remember, these guys went up there without oxygen canisters (!) – he has been credited for the climb. George Mallory, who did make it to the top, was on the expedition.

Charleville is hosting a number of festivals this year, another source of revenue. The first is Shakefest, May 31 and June 1, the Tullamore version of a Renaissance Faire, complete with music, sword classes, belly-dancing classes, food and merriment. www.shakefest.net/about The biggest festival at Charleville yearly is the August bank holiday romp known as Castlepalooza, August 1-3. It has been voted winner of the best small European festival. It is a three-day, high spirited camp out. You can rent one of their comfortable boutique tents (complete with a bottle of champagne), or you can bring your own tent, or just a sleeping bag to camp out under the stars. The concessions provide everything from a first-class massage to novelty gifts, and of course, food, drink and nonstop live music from morning until midnight. www.castlepalooza.com Not only do these festivals help the castle, but they help the town and people of Tullamore with the influx of visitors. And for the not-so-flexible oldies like meself, hotel accommodations in Tullamore fit every budget.

How does a gal named Carmelita 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!

May – June 2014

Enjoy March In Chandler!

By Ellen Harrington

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handler-Tullamore Sister Cities (CTSC) celebrated their five-year anniversary by hosting Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland officials

this past March. Tullamore’s Mayor Paddy Rowland, Vice Mayor Tony McCormack, and Town Manager, Declan Kirrane, were greeted by Chandler’s Mayor Jay Tibshraeny and other City officials at a luncheon.

During the following days, they met with Christine Mackey, Chandler’s Economic Development Director, Terri Kimble, President, Chandler Chamber of Commerce, members of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, and Chandler businesses, with a unique interest in pursuing trade relations. Irish Network – Phoenix hosted the Tullamore officials at a breakfast meeting where Mayor Rowland also visited with owners of the DeLorean cars on display and was interviewed by 10-TV live at the Irish Cultural

Tullamore officials and Chandler Police Chief

Center. (Scan QR for interview) A relaxing afternoon was spent with CTSC Board Members aboard the Dolly Steamboat at Canyon Lake. The Town officials also marched with the student ambassadors in the Phoenix St. Patrick’s Parade, where the Mayor was interviewed by local newscaster, Cory McCloskey. The productive visit ended with a joint

meeting between the two Sister City Boards, reviewing the past years’ accomplishments, and looking forward to the future.

Twenty students from Sacred Heart School in Tullamore, with their Principal, Pauline McKenna, and Vice Principal, Orla Healy, were hosted by families from Seton Catholic Preparatory High School, Chandler, and attended classes for several days. One afternoon, the Chandler students were treated to a Camogie Clinic by the Tullamore girls, an Irish stickand-ball women’s team sport played by over 100,000 women in Ireland. One of the highlights was participating in the Phoenix St. Patrick’s Parade – marching with their new Chandler “sisters” – followed by a Light Rail trip to the Arizona Science Museum, ending with a dinner at Joe’s BBQ and dessert at Dutch Brothers.

Students and host parents attended Mass at St. Mary Magdalene, Gilbert, then enjoyed a potluck dinner and concert at the home of Mary and Terry Ryan, host parents. On Monday, March 17, the students traveled by bus to Tucson for guided tours of San Xavier del Bac Mission, then through the majestic Tucson Mountain Park to the Old Tucson Movie Studio, where they were given a behind-the-scenes tour of how the Western movies are made. The week culminated in a day of wild rides at Castles and Coasters. The students and host families made fond continued on page 30

CTSC Board members and Tullamore and Chandler City officials - March 2014

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Sister Cities

Tullamore Delegation And Student Ambassadors

May – June 2014

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Tullamore...continued from page 29

out & About

farewells, vowed “Happy Trails, Happy Memories ... Until We Meet Again!”

Barbara Olivieri, Education Chair of CTSC and faculty at Seton Catholic, noted, “The twin school relationship between Sacred Heart Secondary School in Tullamore, Ireland, and Seton Catholic Prep in Chandler, AZ was established by the Chandler-Tullamore Sister City organization three years ago. Since that time, the two schools created a cookbook together, cooperatively undertook a plastic bottle recycling effort and have had two student exchange programs. Each exchange has produced many new friendships and a mutual respect for the cultures, music, history and government of both countries.” Elise Fraher, president of the Seton Catholic Sister School Connection Club, said “The Sacred Heart students brought a new kind of joy and excitement to my week. This experience has allowed me to develop sisters across the seas. Overall it was an unforgettable experience that I will cherish for years to come!” The Tullamore students were glowing in their comments about their trip to Arizona.

Amy Todd exclaimed that the trip was “just unbelievable, I’ve made lifetime friends!” Muireann Cullen “loved every second of the trip. We were made to feel so welcome; it’s my home now too!” “It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity,” summed up Aoife Doheny.

See more photos on page 33.

Plans are being made for a Chandler delegation of officials, CTSC Board Members and CTSC Membership to visit Tullamore and County Offaly in August. For more information on Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities, please contact Ellen Harrington, President at chan.to.tull@gmail.com, or (480) 600-8095. Visit their website, www.chandlerirish.org, or on Facebook at “ChandlerIrish.”

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2014 Students at San Xavier del Bac

photo by bud ellis

photos by Ann Niemann

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May – June 2014

out & About

photo by justin o’brien

photos by ann niemann

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out & About

photos by ken henderson

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May – June 2014

out & About

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CALENDAR

Irish Cultural Center, Phoenix

Reception May 3 • 5-8pm • No Charge

Photography Exhibit – Free

Fourth Annual Jimmy O’connor Memorial Golf Tournament

SEE AD ON BACK PAGE

Twenty-five Years of Through Each Other’s Eyes: a Cultural Retrospective April 24-June 12 Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-3pm Thursday evenings 6:30-8:30pm Shemer Art Center • 5005 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix 85018• Showcases images from the nonprofit organization’s 25 years of cultural exchanges in Ireland and Scotland, among many other countries.

Saturday, April 26 Peoria Pines Golf Club 7am Tee Time Lunch after at the Pub, Raffles, Prizes 4 person teams, 2 man scramble $65 per golfer • $100 Hole Sponsorships $360 Galway Gold Sponsorship (4 Golfers and Hole Sponsorship) All proceeds benefit the Irish

Cultural Center.

Contact Brian Tobin 602 997-7714, 602 803-1511, briantobin@q.com

Getting Started With Irish Genealogy Research Saturday, April 26 • 11am-1pm McClelland Irish Library, Phx Fee: $15; ICC/MIL members $10

Fiesta—Mexican Rodeo— Charro

Sunday, April 27 • 10am-10pm Tournament showcasing Charro (cowboy) & Escaramuza (8 women riding side saddle), teams in competition for cash prizes. The Mexican national sport demonstrates distinct abilities and showmanship in conjunction with the vestige that is worn preserving our tradition of Charreria. The Escaramuza in their traditional vestige brings much folklore to our sport.

At Corona Ranch, 29th Avenue & Baseline Rd., Phoenix.

Sponsored by Héctor Corona (an officer with Bill O’Brien in Los San Patricios SEE Celtic Directory).

Benefit the Family of Fallen Phoenix Policeman

Detective John Hobbs Sunday, April 27 • 11 am Rosie McCaffrey’s Irish Pub 906 East Camelback Road, Phoenix 85014 Live music by RGFM, Screamin’ Javelinas, and a surprise guest celebrity.

Cristina Pato IN CONCERT

Thursday, May 1 • 7:30pm Galician bagpiper with vibrant style MIM Music Theatre 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix Tickets: $27.50-$37.50 www.mim.org or 480-478-6000

Spring Floral Arrangement Workshop

Saturday, May 3 • 2:30 pm Fundraiser at home of Irene Boland Benefits Arizona Law Enforcement Emerald Society.

Cost $55; light refreshments will be served Space is limited.

Register: iboland@me.com

Irish American Club Dinner & Dance

Wednesday, May 7 Last one for the season until October

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May – June 2014

CALENDAR

Members: $21.00; Guests: $23.00 Information and RSVP: 623-933-3698

The Scots of the West Valley

Thursday, May 8 • 5:30pm, Dinner 6 pm Sun City Christian Church at 9745 W. Palmeras. Tommy Dolan and the Maschino Highland Dancers.

Cost: $10 includes barbecued chicken and ice cream.

Attendees are asked to please bring a side dish to share. Please send your checks, made payable to “Scots of the West Valley”, to President Sharon Gearhart, 10701 N. 99th Avenue, Peoria, AZ, 85345 by May 2. Sorry, but no refunds after that date. Questions? 602-644-1275

Irish Literature Book Club

Saturday, May 10 • 10:30am – 12:30 pm Juno and the Paycock by Sean O’Casey (this is a play). Join us on the second Saturday in May to explore genres and writers in Irish literature led by Mary Wilber and Joyce East. McClelland Irish Library. FREE. For details about selected books: 602-864-2351, info@ azirishlibrary.org, or join the book club at “mcclellandirishlibrary” on Facebook.

10th Annual Prescott Highland Games

Saturday-Sunday, May 10-11 For full schedule, visit www.prescotthighlandgames.com

Cillian Vallely & Ryan McGiver IN CONCERT Wednesday, May 14, 2014 • 7pm Coconino Center for the Arts 2300 N. Fort Valley Rd., Flagstaff 928-779-2300

Rose of Tralee Regionals Selection

2014 Arizona Rose, Sarah Hines competing May 29-June 1 in Portlaoise, Ireland Tickets will be available at www.roseoftralee.ie

Michael Londra’s

Celtic Fire

Sun. March 8, 2015 · 2:30pm On Sale to Members April 28 On Sale to General Public July 7

Annual Bloomin’ Beerfest Saturday, June 14 Irish Cultural Center, Phoenix For details: www.azirish.org

Arizona Highland Celtic Festival, Flagstaff Saturday-Sunday, July 19-20 For full schedule, visit www.nachs.info

w w w . C h a n d l e r C e n t e r . o r g • 4 8 0.78 2.26 8 0 The Desert Shamrock

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BUSINESS

American Safety Shoe Co. • Shoemobile Available • ESD SHOES • STEEL & NON-STEEL TOED SHOES • SLIP-RESISTANT SOLES

Watch Those Doggone Toes!

1605 W. University #108 Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 894-1881 FAX (480) 967-8865

Home Ownership Discount Appreciation Program for First Responders: Fire, Police, EMT In recognition of your contribution to our community, local real estate professionals have created a home buying discount program especially for you. Each industry professional is offering savings to your closing costs whether you are buying, selling or refinancing.

Cara Czarnecki REALTOR®

623.738.5380 Geneva Real Estate & Investments 1018 E. Guadalupe Rd. Tempe, AZ 85283 cara.czarnecki@gmail

18 W. Monroe • Phoenix, AZ 85003 www.seamusmccaffreys.com

Alyssa Axelrod 602-677-1125 Marketing Representative aaxelrod@gcta.com

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

Maternal Grandfather Murphy from Co. Waterford and paternal Great Grandparents Morrison from Co. Cork

When Your A/C Throws a Tantrum, Better Call Antrim

Valleywide Service Family and Locally Owned Authorized Independant Dealers of Trane and Goodman

“Treating our customers like family with the highest level of honesty, integrity, and quality.”

Anthony Gilmore’s ancestry is from Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland and wife Talitha’s great grandmother is from Co. Cork, Ireland.

PO Box 7264 Chandler, AZ 85246 • 480.664.6575 antrimair@gmail.com

www.antrimair.com

Licensed, Bonded, Insured ROC#272807

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directories

Arizona Colleen Programs 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 call Mary Corcoran Wnek, Chair, 623-221-2325.

Friends of Saint Patrick Centre – Arizona 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: Glenda Walker at 602277-1376, www.saintpatrickcentre.com

Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy It offers classes in Irish music, dance, and language to children ages 7+ (July 14-18, 2014) and adults (July 15-17, 2014). Come learn something new or improve your current skills with members of Runa and Zac Legér. Classes in fiddle, whistle, guitar, bodhrán, Irish language, dance, and more!

Contact: Kari Barton, 928-600-1365, kari@grandcanyoncelticarts.org

Irish American Club West Valley Our purpose is to bring together individual of Irish descent and others interested in Irish culture through our monthly socials. Everyone is welcome; it is part of our Irish hospitality.

The Club meets monthly October through May for dinner and dancing at the Sun City Country Club. Dues are $10 per year. For information or a complementary newsletter, contact Maura McConnell, Secretary, 623-933-3698, hummel4fun@aol.com.

Irish Cultural Center The mission of the ICC is to provide a link between the people of Arizona and the people of Ireland and other Celtic cultures. The Academy of Celtic Studies and the Celtic Concert Series are major programs. The Center is available for private rentals; call direct to 602-258-0109. Info and tours: 602-392-7850, www.azirish.com

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

Jim Thomson U.S. School of Piping & Drumming 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, 702-3408859 cell, 928-556-3161, www.nachs.info

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. Each year, a fiesta celebrates with a dinner saluting those of Irish and Mexican heritage. Contacts: Wm. Howard O’Brien, El Capitán, 480-951-1152, whoco@cox.net; John Reilly, Captain, 602-242-1555; Héctor Corona, el Teniente (Lieutenant), 602-722-7589; Felix Corona and Ernie Patino, El Tenientes.

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

Phone: 480-671-0207 • Cell: 847-481-9194 Fax: 480-617-5961 maureen@sullivanstravesl.com • www.sullivanstravels.com Travel Europe, Mexico, Cruises & South Pacific

5628 E. Thomas Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85018 Bus.: (480) 990-1900 Fax: (480) 481-9551 E-Mail: daveb@isugsw.com http://www.isugsw.com

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Dave Binsfeld, CIC,

Vice President

The nonprofit organization is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving Celtic culture. Each year we host the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival (July 19-20, 2014), the Jim Thomson U.S. School of Piping & Drumming (July 11-18, 2014), and the Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy (July 15-18, 2014). Contact Jude McKenzie, information@nachs.info, 928-556-3161, ww.nachs.info.

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.

Phoenix St. Patrick’s Day Parade It is one of the largest parades in Arizona! Celebrate being Irish with the entire Valley. Coming up Saturday, March 14, 2015, 10am; route is Third Street south from Sheridan to Moreland, FREE. Contact: John Corcoran, Chair, 623-939-1183, 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 14, 2015, 10am-5pm at the Irish Cultural Center and Margaret Hance Park grounds. Contact: Mary Moriarty, Chair, 602-258-0109, www.stpatricksdayphoenix.org.

CELTIC SISTER CITIES

Chandler-Tullamore, Ireland Sister Cities Ellen Harrington, President 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 P.O. Box 42543, Tucson, AZ 85745; and Facebook

CELTIC DANCE SCHOOLS

Maschino School of Highland Dance Kari Maschino, 480-242-7760 Kari@maschinodance.com, www.maschinodance.com Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria

Michael Patrick Gallagher School of Irish Dance MPGirishdance@yahoo.com, www.mpgirishdance.com Michael Patrick, TCRG, ADCRG, 602-896-4078 Ann Paitel, TCRG 602-316-3199

CELTIC MUSICIANS

The Strand Traditional Irish and Irish-American Music, 480-2084687, info@thestrandmusic.com, www.thestrandmusic.com, www.facebook.com/thestrandmusic

DIRECTORies

Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society

WONG FUJII CARTER, PC An Arizona Professional Corporation

Counselors & Attorneys

Phoenix Corporate Center 3003 North Central Avenue Suite 1000 Phoenix, Arizona 85012 Telephone (602) 287-3360 Facsimile (602) 287-3365 www.WongFujiiCarter.com

Heritage includes grandfather, Joseph Patrick McGurk I, who emigrated in 1926 from Co. Tyrone (Upper Strabane) with his wife, Anna O’Reilly from County Cork, Ireland.

Joseph P. McGurk, Esq. jmcgurk@WongFujiiCarter.com Shareholder

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