Irish Arts & Entertainment November. 2022 #12.2 w/ updated caalendar

AN IRISH CHRISTM AS 2022 Tour Set For 18 Cit ies

Kerry Irish Product ions w ill be back on t our in 2022 w it h it s acclaim ed product ion of An Irish Christ m as as seen on PBS in 18 different venues beginning Novem ber 25t h t hrough Decem ber 23rd.

An Irish Christ m as feat ures an aw ard w inning cast of dancers along w it h an incredible group of m usicians and singers t o celebrat e t he holidays as only t he Irish can Audiences w ill enjoy all t he holiday carols t hey know and love including Silent Night , Carol of t he Bells, and The Tw elve Days of Christ m as plus a spect acular high energy display of Irish dancing at it s very best

?Genuinely astonishing?electric!? Says The Village New s

An Irish Christ m as is a celebrat ion of fam ily and com m unit y t hat show cases som e of t he great Irish holiday t radit ions including, chasing t he w ren, but t er-m aking, and dancing on t he half-door. The show feat ures dancers from Riverdance, Lord of t he Dance, and Celt ic Wings and is produced by Margaret O?Carroll w it h m usical direct ion by Jesse Langen. In 2017 Kerry Irish Product ions part nered w it h PBS and Tourism Ireland in a t elevised present at ion of An Irish Christ m as t hat has aired for several years during t he holidays season.

Now everyone can experience Ireland and Irish traditions for the Christmas holidays too!

See relat ed feat ureL MEET THE CAST on page 10

Dear FriendsandReaders

Today is Novem ber 1, w e celebrat e bot h All Saint s Day and Sam hain.

We apologize t hat t his issue is out a couple days lat e. The Irish Art s and Ent ert ainm ent is sm all and w hen a sad life event happens, delays happen At t he end of Oct ober, m y older brot her Tom McDonough died and I w as sim ply unable t o get everyt hing com plet ed in t im e.

As publisher and chief of alm ost everyt hing including layout , if I am im pact ed, sorry t o say t hat our prim ary Novem ber issue w as delayed and w e did not do our You can see t he issue here in case you m issed it usual prom ot ion. t his publicat ion is delayed.

Overall, w e are doing quit e w ell in t his digit al age. Our online subscript ion sales are st rong and our base of loyal advert isers is st eady. Our readership m akes t his possible so t hanks t o all of you for your support .

We are already planning our annual Celt ic Christ m as Buying Guide issue.for Decem ber w hich is alw ays w ell received. Send us any, services, goods, pubs or event s t hat you w ish included.

We do have t w o request s from our readers Please subscribe or renew if you have not already done so in 2022. Please pat ronize our

t ell t hem t hat you saw t heir

Our Very Irish Perks program is growing. We just signed on with a few more Irish businesses to offer deals and discounts to our subscribers. We will send a comprehensive listing of the businesses involved to your inbox the middle of each month starting in November,

We are also working on our Mighty Irish Network and wewill have details for you on that very soon too

Jim McDonough, Publisher

Kerry Irish Product ions Inc. is an Irish ow ned com pany based in Los Angeles. The com pany prom ot es and celebrat es Irish cult ure and it s rich t radit ions t hrough t he m edium of m usic, dance, song and st oryt elling. The com pany?s Irish product ions are present ed in perform ing art s cent ers t hroughout t he Unit ed St at es.

Kerry Irish Product ions w as founded in Los Angeles in 2015 by Margaret O?Carroll (from Co. Kerry, Ireland) w it h t he int ent ion of prom ot ing and sharing Irish cult ure here in t he Unit ed St at es. The com pany has produced and present ed t he show s An Irish Christ m as, Christ m as from a Celt ic Table, St Pat rick?s Day in Ireland, Celt ic Wings and The Heart of an Irish Wom an in Perform ing Art s Cent ers t hroughout t he Unit ed St at es

Kerry Irish Product ions also w orks w it h m ajor corporat ions including Aer Lingus, Tourism Ireland, Flavors of Ireland, and t he Irish Consulat e t o produce special event s in various US cit ies and for m ajor com panies Just a sam pling of t he coporat e client s is im pressive and includes: Blackrock com , The Ireland Funds, The IMA Group, The Professional Dance Associat ion, The Irish Am erican Bar

Associat ion in Los Angles, Ireland Week, w it h headquart ers in New port Beach. PBS Aut um n Pledge Drives, ICN Net w ork (Chinese nat ional t elevision net w ork), The Irish Indust rial Developm ent Aut horit y, The Irish Technology and Leadership Group t o nam e a few ! The com pany w as invit ed t o lead t he ent ert ainm ent in a celebrat ion of Julie Andrew s?w ork on Broadw ay and in film in a sell out event at t he Beverly Hilt on Hot el

Kerry's founder Margaret O'Carroll is t ot ally dedicat ed t o Irish cult ure and m usic and is t ireless in her passion t o educat e and ent ert ain her audiences and client guest s O'Carroll is also a m ast er net w orker and w e here at t he Irish Arts and Entertainment bot h adm ire and appreciat e her abilit y t o share cont ent and net w ork w it h us on feat ures and int erview s w w w kerryirishproduct ions com

Em ail: info@kerryrecords com

The View from Ireland

Gam e Of Thrones

By Maurice Fit zpat rick

Writing in TheExpressabout the visit of King Charles III to Northern Ireland, former DUP leader Arlene Foster denounced the BBC for its focus on Sinn Féin Shemaintained that the broadcaster made it seem that the visit was about Sinn Féin and ?not marking the death of our sovereign and the first visit of her successor? TUV (Traditional Unionist Voice) leader Jim Allister chimed in a similar manner, arguing that the broadcaster ?gaveelevation and promotion to Sinn Féin?

The British Royal family?sshow of force after the queen?s death was decades in the planning. Known as ?London Bridge/Operation Shamrock?, officials of the royal family and British civil servantshad programmed in detail the manoeuvres that King Charles III would make across theUK The method deployed was a form of soft coercion exercised through enforced handshakes with governing powers in the UK; the objective was to augment the royal family?s stature and ensure the perpetuation of the institution What was uncertain, until the last minute, was how Sinn Féin would respond, given the republican identity it claims to have.

That was why the political power that Sinn Féin burnished when Charles visited Belfast? the First Minister in waiting, the Speaker and theMayor of Belfast are all members of Sinn Féin, and all turned out to greet him warmly? was difficult for the DUP to stomach. By dominating the welcomefor Charles III, Sinn Féin usurped a unionist prerogative That fact was so remarkable that it almost buried any memory of Sinn Féin?s stated republican stance against the monarchy It also served to obscure Sinn Féin?sformer stance against Charles dueto his incumbency as Colonel in Chief of the Parachute Regiment (infamous in Ireland as the branch of the British Army that perpetuated theBloody Sunday murders).

Maybe the BBC did give disproportionatefocus to Sinn Fein?s love in with King Charles III However, what Foster could not bring herself to say is that her gripe has nothing to do with the BBC or any other media outlet The ire that dares not speak its name in unionist circles is the obvious favouritism that Sinn Féin received from the newly crowned British monarch (Charles inherited noneof his late mother?s discretion). It has induced jealousy and panic in Foster and others The myth of the union in Ireland was constructed to debar the possibility of Irish nationalism gaining a higher status than unionism in the

eyes of the British ruling elite It did not help that the new-broom British Prime Minister Liz Truss praised the Queen as being ?the very spirit of Great Britain?(Ulster Unionists insist on ?the UK?since that includes Northern Ireland)

Foster?sresponse is a good example of how putatively conciliatory gestures can awaken hostility in someonewho has something to gain from enmity. The DUP and the TUV miss the boycotting and petulance that attended Sinn Féin?s response to thedeath of the Queen Mother in 2002 In October 2018, when Mary Lou McDonald presented herself as president of Sinn Féin at a specialArdFheis in Dublin, she ended her speech with thewords ?up the rebels? No such squawk could be heard from Sinn Fein when King CharlesIII graced them with his company Twenty years ago, Sinn Féin upheld a rejectionist tradition whereas today it leads the charge in embracing the monarchy

If Sinn Féin would quote from the Easter 1916 leader James Connolly?s article, ?The British Monarchy Is an Affront to Democracy?, it would suithardlineunionist leaders much better. Responding to the visit of King George V to Ireland in 1911, Connolly wrote: ?the occasion will be utilised to make propaganda on behalf of royalty and aristocracy against the oncoming forces of democracy and National freedom?

Sinn Féin is well ahead of unionists in gaming the benefits of their relationship with the monarchy. The party has decided to pay the price of suppressing dissent about the travesty of royalty and silencing criticism such as Connolly?s It does so under the banner of ?maturity?and ?leadership?. The narrative weaved around the peace process in Northern Ireland has been responsiblefor the production and promulgation of such deadening norms. Evidently, it would have been quite possible to behave decently when the queen died and yet uphold a basic principle that any republican worthy of the name would observe: the absoluterejection of monarchy

To hew Connolly?s statement to contemporary circumstances, theoccasion of Queen Elizabeth?s passing was utilised to make propaganda on behalf of royalty and aristocracy against the tolerance of freespeech that criticises the validity of the British royal family For example, much vitriol was directed at Glasgow Celtic Football Club fans for refusing to observe a minute of silenceto mark the death of the queen

Continuedonext page

What was not emphasised is that Celtic fans targeted the institution rather than the deceased. They clapped in response to the banner and refrain ?If you hate the royal family clap your hands? Denouncing thosefans, former Glasgow Rangers manager Graeme Souness failed to find a moral rebuff Instead, he found it anti commercial: ?Celtic now have a major problem because if you?re a major company looking to sponsor a team in Britain or Scotland, would you consider Celtic anymore??

Despite Sinn Féin?s new found affection for royalty,there was dissent aplenty expressed about the British royal family in the past month In an act of lèse majesté, the disgraced Prince Andrew was booed as he walked down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh with hisfamily. Protesters also confronted Charles in Wales. As a young scientist, Laura Thomas-Walters, said: ?In the 21st century in a democratic country, an unelected head of state has no place It?san

antiquated system of class oppression and classinequalities?. Prince William travelled to Belfast with his wife, Kate, where sheshook hands with a woman behind a barricade who informed her: ?Ireland belongs to the Irish?

Yet how many non royalist Irish people (the vast majority ofus) have spoken frankly about theaffront that the monarchy is to democracy in response to the orgy of royalism since September 8th? The grip of Britain?s elite on free speech regarding their royal family remains very tight, and it is now aided by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 that enabled the police to arrest young people for asking (about Charles) ?Who elected him??That rhetorical question prompts another that we should be asking on thisside of the Irish Sea: do we elect Irish republicans to acquiesce with and validateroyalist agendas such as Operation Shamrock in our name?

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Colm Alba

MEET THE CAST

Championships

Colm began dancing at the age of four with the Kinsella Academy of Irish Dance, founded by his brother Ryan and sister in law Brigid Throughout his dancing career he has competed at both the national and world stage levels winning awards in both solo and team competitions, placing in the top 10 on several occasions Becoming Kinsella Academy?s first Mid America Oireachtas Champion is his most prized accomplishment Colm has performed on the theater stage in numerous high school and college productions. He graduated in May 2022 from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse with a degree in history education Colm is very excited to take part in hissecond tour with An Irish Christmas

Sarah Dillon has been dancing for 11 years with the Clan Rince School of Irish Dance in San Diego, California. She has competed at the World Championships 3 times and in thesummer of 2022 placed 14th at the North American

Sarah is delighted to be returning to An Irish Christmas again thisyear, her second year with the company!

Ronan Kristufek began Irish Dancing at the age of nine with the Onórach Mulhern Geraghty School in Chicago where he quickly developed a strong passion for the art form Since then, Ronan has become a three time Mid American Oireachtas champion, two-time North American champion, and three time world medalist Though he has performed a variety of times, Ronan began his professional career thisyear as a member of the original cast of Aisling by the American Company of Irish Dance. He is very grateful to have An Irish Christmas as his next show and would like to thank everyoneinvolved!

Maia Krusee Leaver hasbeen dancingfor 9yearsand isproudtohave representedCelticIrishDanceAcademy at theRegional andNational Levelsaswell as at competitionsasfar away asSydney, Australia Sheisgrateful for all theamazing opportunitiesshehashadtoperformwith artistssuchasCelticWoman andGaelic Storm andinPageantry Productionsworld renownedHollywoodChristmasParade.She hasalso performedwithNathanCarter on GertrudeByrne'sIrishCruisetoMexico andintheEmmy winning62ndAnnual Holiday Celebrationat theDorothy Chandler PavilionLosAngeles Continued next page

Elizabeth has been dancing since she was two and found her true passion for Irish Dance when she was seven years old. She is an Open Champion with the Clan Rince School of Irish Dance and has competed at the Regional and National levels She toured with An Irish Christmas in 2021 and is so excited to be a part of the tour again thisyear

Elizabeth Gerhardt

Every show present ed by Kerry Irish Product ions feat ures an am azing highly t alent ed and professional group of individuals as dancers, m usicians and singers This issue w e are profiling The Dancers w ho are m em bers of t he 2022 An Irish Christmas Dance Troupe.

Maialovedbeingaguest dancer inpast seasonsof theIrishChristmasandthe Kerry IrishProductionsSt Patrick'sDay inIrelandshow andshe'slooking forwardtoasecondyear ontour with theKIPI team

During Kelly?s competitive career she qualified for the World Championships fivetimes, achieving multiple placements in the top 10i n Mid America and the top 20 in North America. While pursuing her competitive goals, Kelly also attended the University of Minnesota and graduated summa cum laude with a B A in Philosophy Kelly has toured the U.S. and Europe with multiple productions including the American Company of Irish Dance, Celtic Rhythmsof Ireland, and Kerry Irish Productions' CelticWings and An Irish Christmas Most recently Kelly performed as a lead dancer in her fifth season with Celtic Fyre. She is a certified Irish dance teacher (T.C.R.G.) as well as a Barre instructor and Registered Yoga Teacher Kelly is honored to be returning for her fourth season with An Irish Christmas and is excited to share her passion for dancing (and the holiday season!) with audiences and performers alike

Cian was born in Dublin, Ireland and spent most of the first part of his life on tour, with his parents who danced with Riverdance and Celtic Woman After moving to Georgia when he was 11, he decided to try Irish Dance himself. He quickly started competing and it all took off from there! Cian has won many titles and became a huge viral success with his brother over the last few years Cian spent thelast year working with Riverdance, which has been a dream come true. A highlight this year was performing on Capitol Hill for the president of the United States Cian has also performed with Irish stars such as The High Kings, The Chieftains, Chloe Agnew, Lisa Kelly and many more. Cian can?t wait to take part in an Irish Christmas this year!

Connor Reider

Faith was born in a small town called Ballybofeyin County Donegal, Ireland. Irish dancing has been a part of her life from a very young age, with her mum as her dance teacher Faith is a very accomplished Irish dancer both competitively and professionally and has several titles to her name. She has toured the world with numerous shows including the world famous Riverdance and is very excited to take part in an Irish ChristmasTour

Kelly Pearson (DanceCaptain) hailsfromMinneapolis, Minnesota, and hasbeenIrishdancingfor morethan20 years, first withScoilnadTriIrishDance Academy andthenwithCordaMor Irish Dance

Connor danced under the direction of the late Ann Richens and John Timm for fourteen years, competing at local, regional, national and world levels. In his final year of competitive dancing, he placed in the top 5 in Mid-America, top 10 in North America and top 20 in the World Championships Connor graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2014 and is currently pursuing an MBA at Case Western Reserve University?s Weatherhead School of Management He has also performed in Celtic Fyre at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Celtic Foot Force and Kerry Irish Production Inc ?s Celtic Wings and St. Patrick?s Day in Ireland.

Finison next page

FaithMoore

Cian Porter

Connor has also danced with musical groups such as the Chieftains, Eileen Ivers, and Danú Connor is thrilled to perform with the crew of An Irish Christmas 2022 sharing his love for Irish dance with hiscolleagues and audiences alike.

Aubrey Stagnaro as The Wren

Aubrey began Irish Dance at the age of four and has been competing and performing for over ten years Dancing under the direction of Maeve Coughlan and the Celtic Irish Dance Academy in Los Angeles, she is a two time World Qualifier, has placed in the Western

Region U S Top 10, and placed in the Top 25 at the North American Irish Dance Nationals

Aubrey first performed with Kerry Irish Productions as part of the pre show entertainment at the Scherr Forum in Thousand Oaksin December 2015. Aubrey is a freshman in High School When she?s not doing Irish dance, shecan be found (performing) on the sidelines or in the gym as part of her High School Cheer Squad She is also a Senior Girl Scout and is currently working on her Girl Scout Gold Award

Inour December issue, wewill continue MEET THECAST withprofilesonBand MembersandSingers.

The Irish Arts & Entertainment

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Dance of Masks and Bonfires

Third Final Installment

By Greg Pat rick

He seemed to see the tomb at a distance and surreally the landscape had changed. There were more trees and much younger ones. He alsorealisedhewas far from alone. He found himself following a crowd of people heading for the site They were garbed in period clothing, ancient looking Their masked faces were lit in crimson

?Excuse me. Is this gathering a protest?? he asked.

No answer.

They seemed neither to see or hear him Hedonned a ceremonial mask on impulse and mingled with theprocession They seemed oblivious to his presence

He cringed asa horn sounded in a throaty sonorous bray ending in a shrill quaver He cried out as he was jostled and swept away in the momentum of the crowd that became a torch lit procession Then he saw her Maeve Her hood had been drawn back and red hair cascaded down her back. She wore the diadem now. She rode a chariot, garlanded, and gowned in a palerobe She was hailed by the crowd and resplendently illuminate by bonfires and torches

?Maeve!? he cried after her.

Her eyes were spellbound and transfixed An array of pale hooded figures silhouetted against roaring bonfires awaited Their cowled heads were wreathed in holly and gripping ritual sickles and mistletoe.

?Druids!? he gasped in awed recognition

When theyspokeit was in an ancient Irish that only he as an antiquities scholar could understand A blind folded druid pointed with a sickle and people were drawn from the crowd

?Our crops are barren, our cattle starve, a malady has ravaged our clan. Our land is accursed by the wraith of the gods they must be appeased with blood!? he cried

?Aye while the nobles feast on mead boar and stags!? someone in the crowd called out defiantly.

?Trust the will of the gods!? the Archdruid declared ?Let the ritual of sacrificecommence,? he cried

Sunken cheeked children verging on emaciation watched sadly,clutching their elders The chosen were herded and forced at spear point to climb ladders into storied compartmentsin the wooden giant. A hooded figure approached with a torch. Hesaw terrified faces illuminated.

The torch was touched to the wooden giant igniting it Revelers painted in serpentine blue patterns danced around the wicker man in atavistic rapture. Warriors beat their swords against their shields in percussion as the ritual reached its climax Cries of terror and begging turned to anguished screams as the captives burned alive The flaming abattoir blazed, bathing the onlookers in almost blinding crimson light Eventually the last agonised scream ceased to be replaced by the roar of the flames. The wicker man

collapsed in a shower of sparks to a collective gasp from the crowd.

?Let the ritual of sacrifice continue Only the finest will suffice Maeve daughter of Aoife?, you are summoned hither!? the Archdruid commanded

Shewas beckoned forth by the archdruid who stood likea gaunt spectre in flowing robe She seemed so frail and vulnerablethen like a moth in an aerial dance with the light

The warriors parted ranks and she seemed to gliderather than stride between the torch bearing figures The Druids chanted in solemn baritone as he placed a chalice to gather theblood beneath her neck and drew a jeweled dagger Niall pushed his way to her and stepped across thecircle as the tempo of the chanting intensified Only then did they see him

?Hold!? the ArchDruid commanded as he stepped between Maeveand the descending dagger. Niall was immediately encircled by ranks of warriors bearing ornate oblong bronze shieldsscrawled with swirling spiral patterns. The moonbeams gleamed off varnished bronze helms and brandished swords and spears Their faces were streaked with blue warpaint Niall was swarmed and grasped by pale robed and hooded figures, ritually masked in flayed human and animal skins.

A Druidess pointed an overgrown finger hooked like a raven?s talon

?Bring him hither??

Shecaressed his face with the ?claw? prickinghischeek with it. A trickle ofblood began.

?Who do you think you are? To challenge the will of the gods??

?Niall of Kilkea, son of Cormac ?

" Why do you do this? It is an honourto be chosen by the gods," Maeveexplained in a dreamy voice.

The Archdruid seemed a gaunt wizened apparition confronting him, enshrouded in a flowing robe. His arms spread in af lourish, his hands raised in supplication. He wrenched two torches from their hands to hold them at bay Warriors closed in with spears

?Stay behind me Maeve,? Niall urged

" Alas his trickery will not avail him Hark His tortured screamswill be testimony to our devotion to our gods for the outrage of hisaffront. A boy on bent knee offered an assortment of hooked and barbed instruments to the druids. The Arch Druid wearing a mask of flayed skin like a grisly executioner mask confronted Niall

Niall suddenly lunged in and lit the druid's robes, enveloping hisassailant in flame

As if oblivious to the fires consuming him, the ArchDruid strodetowards him, seemed to float phantasmaly towards him likea flaming red ghost, clutching a sacrificial dagger and scythe He hooked Niall?sarm and lunged at Maeve Niall shielded her with his body, feeling her tender touch around his waist With grim finality he grasped the burning Druid?s throat as blades lacerated

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Haunted by flashbacks of himself trying to resuscitate her in the aftermath of theaccident, he forced himself to endure

?Yield your weapons No mortal can defeat death!? a druid challenged.

?Can?t I now??

Niall lashed out again at hisassailants bloodily

?If you truly love her, you will relinquish her. You will let her go,? the ArchDruid urged

Provoked by the hauntingly familiar words he dug his fingers into the druid?s throat as he thrashed, ignoring his followers who slashed and slashed tearing his clothes and flesh to shreds

?Niall? Niall! Niall wakeup! Let go this instant!?

He found himself gripping the professor?s throat

?Unhand meat once! Wake up Niall Wake up You fell asleep over your books again. You must have been having quite the nightmare ?

?Maeve...you...you?re not dead?

?You were having a nightmare...? sherepeated in her lilting Connemara brogue

?I assure you that after that incident the nightmares for you have only begun,? the professor growled rubbing his sore neck

Niall ignored him.

?You are? alright??

He felt her disbelievingly in awe?

He embraced her passionately.

?Wow? What?sgotten into you. It?s only been since yesterday? ?

His lips met hers tenderly then passionately.

?Umm? wow Niall What?s gotten into you Haha ?

?I missed you ?

?Missed me? I saw you just last night...at the pub... Feeling alright love??

?For once in a long time ?

?Come on. Let'sget out of here grab some coffee...?

?Perhaps a rabies shot instead of espresso might be in order,? the professor sneered

?Sorry professor...Yes...yes sorry...?

?I'll drive ? Maeve offered

?You know, let's walk instead please ?

Adream? yes? yesthat?sall it was?

?What's that blue paint on your face? You weren?t attending a party?? hewas questioned suspiciously by the professor

Niall shrugged him off.

?Mr Collins you are fired ?

Niall seemed neither to hear nor care. The professor snarled as he watched them walk away together laughing blissfully in the bright morning Then regaining his composure, the bitter professor turned and furtively made his way to the tomb?sentrance Heunlocked the chains securing the grate iron gate, that only he had the key to And who would suspect the devoted caretaker of the ruins, he smiled cunningly to himself Who would see past the mask and façade? Hewould gather the cache of golden artifacts he had hidden in the deepest corner of theburial chamber, looted on Samhain eve itself from the ancient dead ?You won?t tell willyouold girl?? he jokingly asked a skeleton It was good he was a man of science not superstition, he told himself ?One I overlooked? ? he smiled greedily. Hebegan to pry a ring from her finger Helooked up realising he wasn?t alone Hesaw the outline of a girl confronting him. She raised a finger to her lips.

?Shhh? ? ?You there!?

Helunged towards her. Suddenly the chamber shuddered and began to shower dust, then stones The entrance caved in, burying him alive He coughed dusting himself off in the aftermath.

?Where is the emergency switch?? Hecursed as he fumbled in the dark.He gasped as the light came on and he was confronted by a pale faced figure dressed in authentic Celtic period costume

?Oh, dear me Haha! you gave me a fright there A trespasser? Well, we will sort that out later with the authorities Wait? whereare you going young lady? Stop. There are sensitive artifacts and fragile.?

Shewas leading him into the labyrinthine depths of the tomb? luring him Hestopped suddenly ?Where...where am I? where did she go? Clumsy interns, to not seal theentrance from collapse No matter They would realiseI am missing It would not be long before I will be rescued,? he reassured himself.

Helit an emergency lantern Hewas in the burial chamber ?The red room? he called it. The sacrificial chamber. He gloated to himself at how clever he had orchestrated his plot They were all so easily exploited? theinterns? the gullible press and donors, funding his dig only so he could peddle the pricelessartifacts from the tomb to black market dealers he had a pressing appointment with It wouldn?t do to be late Hewould gather the artifacts he told himself. By then his absencewould surely be noticed and rescue crews would arrive any moment. Then he would be on his way and a very wealthy man

And where were his accomplices? They were supposed to have met him here to help him load and smuggle the artifactsout discreetly Hefound them Laying on the slabs or altars

In t his w onderful Sam hain st ory, t he w rit er delves int o t he supernat ural in a com pelling w ay But as it happens art im it at es life here t oo Irish archeologist s know t hat near New grange alone t here are m any m ore sit es t o be explored Ireland's has been hom e t o long forgot t en people and cult ures for cent uries. Who know s w hat is hidden under it 's verdant ground? For m ore: w w w bbc com / new s/ uk nort hern ireland 50015582

?Sleeping on the job. I might have known. Up with you! Can?t you hear me?? They wereunresponsive Then he saw their ghastly wounds, fresh and bleeding out They had been sacrificed Then he noticed something There was a note pinned with an ancient dagger. He could just decipher it. The same words were written on the walls in red letters ?Grave robber,? he read with trembling hands. Then he noticed eerie beady lights seemed to constellate the walls in myriads Eyes belonging to countless spiders emerging then from the crevices in a hordeas if oozing from the walls likea reopened wound gushing

?So many of them!?

He held up the light to keep them at bay. They at first shrank from it. Then as the light began to flicker out and darkness filled the tomb, they closed in. He backed away only to thrash violently as he was snared in the webs, like ghostly banners enshrouding the walls Sharp clawed legs pricked him torturously with venomed fang His screams echoed in the confines of the tomb. His mouth frothed from the venom and he shuddered convulsively. He collapsed and the room seemed lit in an eerie spectral glow Restless shadows seemed to be granted form and face as if conjured by disembodied chanting in an ancient tongue Sacred runes were illuminated in harsh crimson light He found himself encircled by robed hooded figures. One slab was vacant. He fell onto it, his arms splaying amid looted artifacts, piled likeofferings. Braziers ignited and bladesshimmered, as the figures struck again and again with their blades.

The next morning, the newspapers headlined his looting and the mysterious circumstances of his grisly demise Niall was offered the honour of oversight of excavations He politely declined

Gregory Brendan Pat rick

While not exploring Ireland and t he w orld, our feat ured w rit er likes t o use his considerable im aginat ion and t alent t o conjure t ales of heroes, love and m yst ery!

ED NOTE:

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Also show n Vint age Post er...alw ays one of our favorit es, Scot ch Tast ing and Aedan MacDonnell on

On the left: We broke our ow n record for Subscript ion Sales and Renew als in a single m ont h in Oct ober! Thanks t o our w arm recept ion at SEASIDE and our Subscriber Cont est w it h a grand prize of Aer Lingus t icket s t o Dublin from LAX

John McNally and Jim McMahon at t he Irish Art s and Ent ert ainm ent 's Celt ic Com m unit y Out reach Boot h at Seaside

Ow en Dara and Jessica Lancast er at t he Irish Spot light . Ow en, w ho is current ly w orking on his t hird feat ure film w as kind enough t o represent t he Irish Arts and Entertainment at t he event on Oct ober 16 In Decem ber, w e w ill bring our readers an updat e on Ow en and his 3rd film w w w.ow endara.com .

Three w onderful Irish film s w ere prem iered t o Am erican audiences at t he 23rd Annual Irish Spot light t his year. See coverage here. The real st ars of t he show how ever w ere t he Irish Spot light Team and t he t alent ed st udent s from t he McNult y School of Irish Dance (See link and ad t his issue on

The Irish Spot light Team and Dancers from t he McNult y School of Irish Dance ar t he 23rd Annual New port Beach Film Fest ival

Online Genealogy Course ?

Wint er 2022

Ulst er Hist orical Foundat ion's last online Genealogy Course of 2022 is set t o begin on 23 Novem ber and w ill run unt il17 January, 2023

Take t he t im e t his w int er t o get t o furt her explore your fam ily hist ory, gain a bet t er underst anding of t he archives and genealogical sources in Ireland and find your elusive Irish and Scot s Irish ancest ors

IRISH MUSIC News& Reviews

The Coronas?New Album

?Tim e St opped? Debut s at #1 on Irish Chart s During First Week of Release

Covid-Delayed Nort h Am erican Tour Kicks Off in Toront o

Irrish singer Róisín O, w hose solo album

COURAGEOUS was released in the spring to positive notices, is joining Ireland?s popular band The Coronas as their special guest on their covid delayed tour of North America Róisín will join the popular Irish band as their support act as well as playing keyboards and singing backgrounds on their headlining shows The tour kicks off tomorrow (November 2) at Axis in Toronto and runs through November 19

During her support set, Róisín Owill showcase songs fromCOURAGEOUS, a ten song collection of original material that charts a course through love, heartbreak and redemption, all having taken shape during the isolation of the pandemic lockdown Riffmagazine.comwrote of her: ?Her vocals rise and roar, like high tides closing in on you? a flood of emotions and the only way out is to go through Stunning and moving ?

TIME STOPPED,the aptly titled new album from The Coronas, was released on October 7 and debuted at #1 on the Irish album charts the following week It is the third consecutive Coronas album to do so, following TRUST THEWIRE(2017) and TRUELOVEWAITS (2020) TIME STOPPED, the band?s 7th album, bears a through line of hope by addressing the pandemic head on via 11 original songs It is available on the band?s imprint SoFarSoGood Records (distributed by Blix Street)

The Coronas recently released the latest of several music videos from the new album, this one for the song ?If You Let Me ?You can view it here: ht t ps:/ / yout u.be/ efLzZz9IHr4

Known for high energy live performances and audience singalongs, it is not surprising that The Coronas,

com prising lead singer Danny O?Reilly, bass guit arist Graham Knox and drum m er Conor Egan, were named #1 Live Act of the Year in Ireland?sHot Press2022 Readers' Poll. In addition to Róisín O on keyboards, well known All Tvvins guitarist Lar Kaye, who plays on the new album and has also appeared on other Coronas?recordings, joins the trio on the road.

An Irish Christ m as and St . Pat rick's Day In Ireland

Over t he last couple years a force has em erged in Irish Music & Dance via Kerry Irish Product ions under t he direct ion of Margaret O'Carroll. Am azing st age show s

t hat have becom e Irish Tradit ions. Som ehow during, t his sam e t im e, t w o m agnificent Christ m as CDs w ere produced and sold t oo! Ticket s for all show s and Christ m as CDs can be found at : w w w.kerryirishproduct ions.com

The Joy of Christ m as in Ireland

No one celebrat es Christ m as w it h m ore joy t han t he Irish. Kerry Irish Product ions is excit ed t o be back on t he road spreading t hat joy t o audiences here in Am erica w it h t heir show An Irish Christ m as. Music and dance are t he heart of Irish cult ure, and t hey are at t he core of t he show The com pany feat ures t op flight m usicians and vocalist s such as Mark Alfred on percussion and bodhrán Mark, from Carrickm across Co Monaghan, is t he aw ard w inning m usical direct or for Riverdance and an in dem and percussionist for m ajor recording art ist s across t he U.S. and Europe. But Mark really shines on t he bodhrán? playing w it h an energy t hat brings crow ds t o t heir feet w it h excit em ent .

Maeve Coughlan, dance direct or for t he show , has assem bled a cast of aw ard w inning dancers t hat have appeared in Riverdance, Lord of t he Dance and Celt ic Wings Having danced w it h Riverdance for 10 years herself, Maeve brings a love and in dept h know ledge of Irish dance t o t he show Maeve com m ent ed: ?Irish dance has been m y passion since m y childhood in Wat erford, Ireland I?m so proud t o w ork w it h t hese dancers and t o share a bit of m y hom e w it h

audiences in t he U S ?

The show , w hich has been broadcast on PBS, is a celebrat ion of fam ily and com m unit y t hat show cases som e of Ireland?s great t radit ions including blessing t he but t er churn, chasing t he w ren, and dancing on t he half door A segm ent of t he show feat ures sean nós dancing, an old st yle of dance originat ing in Connem ara, t hat st rips dow n t he convent ions of Irish dance w it h an im provisat ional approach t hat focuses on t he rhyt hm s and t he joy of dancing

An Irish Christ m as is a labor of love for it s creat or Margaret O?Carroll w ho fell in love w it h Irish m usic and cult ure grow ing up in Count y Kerry in sout hw est Ireland. When Margaret w as asked about w hy she put t his show t oget her she said: ?It is ext raordinary how closely connect ed w e are t o our past We are a product of so m uch t hat cam e before us, and our t radit ions inform w ho w e are now Our Irish cult ure m at t ers? w e com e from it , w e are shaped by it , w e ident ify w it h it , w e draw from it ? and w e m ust celebrat e it !"

Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir!

ABOVE: But t er Churn Dance ABOVE Right , The Wren!

Bot h dances are fine Irish Folklore brought t o life!

""Lit t le bird, lit t le bird, w here is your nest ? 'Tis in t he bush t hat I love best It ?s in t he t ree, t he holly t ree w here all t he boys do follow m e"

Irish Arts & Entertainment's VERY IRISH PERKS (VIP) PRIMER

The VIP program is a very im port ant com ponent of our subscript ion program . It has a m ult it ude of posit ive fact ors built int o t he program It serves as a bonus/ rew ard syst em for spending hard cold cash on our publicat ion AND it is a good net w orking t ool for t he Publisher. We are able t o at t ract subscribers and advert isers t o our publicat ion and keep t hem int erest ed w hile delivering great Irish int erest cont ent and inform at ion t o our readers. The advert isers benefit by having a readership int erest ed in our excit ing niche m arket and t hey can t arget our readers w it h special offers. The volum e m akes it w ort hw hile for t hem t o part icipat e The Pandem ic has set us all back a bit in one w ay or anot her and w e are rebuilding our VIP benefit s package We w ere count ing on discount s and deals at pubs and event s but t hat plan is now on t he back burner as t here are few event s and pubs need volum e t o m ake t he discount s pract ical. In t he m eant im e, w e are w orking hard t o line up new offers for our subscribers Throughout t his Buying Guide, w e have som e list ings on good deals and w e w ill be adding special offers t o our w ebsit e as w e find t hem .One VIP, w e have now of int erest is Buy ONE SUB and get a Gift Subscript ion! Be sure t o check out t he Very Irish Perks each issue and on our Facebook pages

VERY IRISH PERKS VIP CLUB

All subscribers become members of our VIP Group.

Current ly w e are offering som e really good prom ot ions and as t he Pandem ic eases w e w ill add m ore

At Present : O'Brien's On Wilshire in Sant a Monica w ill give our subscribers a Free Appet izer w it h purchase. w w w.obriensla.com Go t o t he m enu click here Thom at t he Irish Im port Shop (Free Delivery) ext ends 10% OFF all purchases t o our Subscribers See Pad or his ad and num ber! An am azing offer for our ow n VIP Mem bers and Subscribers! Buy a GIFT SUBSCRIPTION bet w een now and March 15 and w e w ill give you a FREE ONE YEAR EXTENSION on your ow n subscript ion.

A m ovable feast ! Tom m y Moloneys Irish Meat s and Im port s w ill alw ays have a special for our subscribers. It changes every couple of w eeks but so far Tom m y's have given Free Shipping, Free food it em s an up t o 15% off any order. Check out t heir w ebsit e t o see m ore goodies in st ore for you www tommymoloneys com

Count y Leit rim 's Family owned Shed Distillery has been nam ed Int ernat ional Spirit Brand of t he Year for t heir Drum shanbo Gunpow der Irish Gin, at t he 2022 Wine Ent husiast Wine St ar Aw ards.

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The aw ards celebrat e t he innovat ion of individuals and com panies t hat have significant ly cont ribut ed t o t he success of t he w ine and alcohol beverage w orld.

Drum shanbo Gunpow der Irish Gin, creat ed by Pat (PJ) Rigney, com pet ed against t he w orld's biggest spirit brands in t he annual competition to be crowned and was the only Irish com pany in t he short -list w hich also included Dw ayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Terem ana Tequila. The fam ily-ow ned Shed Dist illery w here t he gin is produced em ploys over 80 people in Drum shanbo.

John McNally, our feat ured w rit er and Irish Com m unit y Act ivist and Colum nist shares his t hought s on t he lat est new s, react ions and updat es, Different opinions and view s are essent ial in any free societ y We deeply appreciat e our press freedom s Now , m ore t han ever, it is im port ant t o have Irish Com m unit y act ivism , diversit y and input

Only launched in 2016, Drum shanbo Gunpow der Gin now sells in over 80 count ries and t he com pany says it is one of t he fast est grow ing super prem ium gin brands in t he w orld w it h list ings in prest igious venues including Disney and Cunard in t he US, Claridge's in London and The Four Seasons in New York.

A

Highlight Tour of t he Nat ional Museum of Ireland Archaeology

Ireland bound, check t his out : Throughout the month of November, you are invited to join one of the FREE public tours to find out more about life in Ireland from the Stone Age to Early Medieval Ireland and see some of Ireland's most iconic treasures.

Friday, Novem ber 4 opening at 5:30 AM MDT t o

Wednesday, Novem ber 30 at 8:15 AM MDT

Nat ional Museum of Ireland ? ArchaeologyinDublin, Ireland

Sundays, Decem ber 4, 11 & 18

Sound of Christ m as com es t o Sout hern California w it h sing-along event s at 3 m ajor SoCal venues

Caroling is a t im e honored Christ m as t radit ion t hat brings joy t o ent ire com m unit ies This holiday season t he caroling t radit ion is elevat ed in t hree special concert s around t he Sout hland on t hree consecut ive Sundays during Decem ber The Sound of Christ m as Sing Along is a special w ay for all ages t o celebrat e t he holidays w it h concert s at t he Lobero Theat re in Sant a Barbara on Decem ber 4, t he Fred Kavli Theat er in Thousand Oaks on Decem ber 11, and t he Balboa Theat re in San Diego on Decem ber 18 All concert s are at 2:30pm www.ticketmaster.com For m ore inform at ion cont act : Karen Drew s Hanlon 949.929.7891 HanlonGroupSolut ions@gm ail com

Sunday, December 11 @ 2:pm

Irish Social & Christmas Party hosted by Denis Murray of The Mulligans (from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.)

Cornelius Church Hall

A Very Special Celt ic Sunday at The Coffee Gallery Backst age!

Novem ber 20t h 2 Show s!

MEN OF WORTH A SCOTSMAN AND AN IRISHMAN WALKED INTO THECOFFEEGALLERY BACKSTAGE

This is an except ional int ernat ional act In 1986, Scot sm an Donnie Macdonald.and Irishm an Jam es Keigher cam e t oget her t o perform Irish and Scot t ish folk m usic, com bining t radit ional and cont em porary st yles The nam e"Men of Wort h" w as chosen from t he t it le of a folk song w rit t en by t he Scot t ish singer/ songw rit er Archie Fisher. Toget her Men of Wort h blend t heir voices w it h harm ony and support t heir collect ion of songs w it h t heir varied select ion of inst rum ent s They have a very sim ple approach t o t heir present at ion, and in keeping w it h t radit ion, rem ain t rue t o t he m usic and st ory Thr duo earned m

Music from Olde England, Scot land, and Ireland, t o across t he pond NORTHHENGE are an eclect ic Celt ic, Brit ish Isles, and Nort h Am erican acoust ic m usic experience This Sout hern California based act present s a profusion of songs ranging from Olde England, Scot land, and Ireland, t o across t he pond. and t heir perform ances w eave hist oric t ales w it h folklore and hum our Lead vocalist Carol Schryver has been capt ivat ing Celt ic m usic audiences for over t hirt y years Ron Bloom is skilled on m andolin, Irish bouzouki, and guit ar, and cont ribut es w arm vocal harm onies. Paul Marshall lends invent ive upright bass virt uosit y, as w ell as sm oot h vocal harm ony cont ribut ing m em ber of m ult iple

World Cup 2022 takes place

Rare US Concert

Van Morrison in Bost on w w w vanm orrison com