Irish Arts & Entertainment, 30th. Anniversary Issue, October, 2022

Aft er a t w o year ?forced? COVID hiat us, Vent ura?s ow n ?all com ers Celt ic Fest ival? is ret urning t o t he only hom e it has ever know n, t he beaut iful Vent ura Count y Fairgrounds t his Oct ober 8 & 9, for a full w eekend of fun and gam es you w on? t w ant t o m iss! Every venue from Highland Dance t o Bagpipe & Drum Bands t o Scot t ish Heavy

At hlet ics t o Highland Herding Dog Dem os w ill put on t heir best perform ance for your ent ert ainm ent ! Scot t ish singers and st rum m ers w ill keep t he t w o st ages rocking cont inuously! Com pet it ions in t he Celt ic Art s for honors and prize m oney!

Don? t m iss t he huge Grand Parade and Opening Cerem onies Sat urday at NOON sharp! Shop t il you drop at t he endless Vendor boot hs. Many m ore sight s and sounds o your personal t ast e

Ticket s are available online at w w w.seasidehighlandgam es.com

For m ore inform at ion cont act Pam ela at 818 554 6923

See you on t he Fairgrounds Sat urday & Sunday, Oct ober 8 & 9,

Let t er From THE PUBLISHER

Dear FriendsandReaders

This issue is a celebrat ion!! Our 30t h Anniversary issue!!

We are also delight ed t o be part icipat ing in t he Seaside Highland Gam es! St art ing on Page 2, w e have a preview of t he event . Covid forced a 2 year break but t hankfully t hey are back. You can get t icket s on line and det ails on t heir w ebsit e, a link t o it is on our inside front cover in t he Seaside ad!

In t his issue and in our m id m ont h updat e, our Celt ic Cam era feat ure has been enlarged int o a Ret rospect ive Pict orial of som e of t he am azing event s and aw esom e new s w e have covered.

On Oct ober 16t h, t he Irish Spot light t akes place as part of t he New port Beach Film Fest ivl This is t he 23rd year and t he Irish Art s and Ent ert ainm ent and Muldoon's Irish Pub have part icipat ed every year Act or/ Film m aker Ow en Dara w ill be represent ing us t his year at t he event !

Finally, w e are st art ing our Subscript ion Drive, w e need you t o subscribe if you can. We are doing a draw ing for a pair of t icket s on AER LINGUS from LAX t o Dublin! Det ails on Page 37

To all our friendsand readers, we will be in Ventura for the Seaside Games! Please invite your friends and family and please drop by our booth and say HI!

We are working on our expanded Mighty Irish Network and we will have details for you on that very soon too

Jim McDonough, Publisher irishmissive@gmail.com

The Seaside Highland Gam es, Vent ura's very ow n Scot t ish/ Celt ic Fest ival, w ill ret urn t o t heir hom e on California?s Cent ral Coast t his Oct ober 8 & 9, 2022 The Vent ura Count y Fairgrounds s t he ideal spot for t his m any-facet ed Fest ival. Every Gam es act ivit y from bagpipe bands t o sheepdog dem os is w it hin easy access of t he Fairgrounds?Main St reet ? our ?Clan Row ? Beginning in 2002, t he Organizers believe t hat a proper Highland Fest ival m ust have as it s backbone a good represent at ion of Scot t ish Clans and Societ ies St ill t rue, you w ill find over sevent y (70) such Societ ies ready and able t o discuss t heir st rong connect ion t o t rue Scot t ish soil. And t o w elcom e you as eit her a new com er or old friend? and direct you t o som eone best able t o help you t race your fam ily lineage

Perhaps you just cam e for t he m usic? Well, do not dism ay m y friend. We are so pleased t o offer a fine array of art ist s st art ing w it h t he our am azing regulars t he Brow ne Sist ers and George Cavanaugh on t he Alex Beat on Cent er St age, t he alw ays fine m usic of Sligo Rags t aking a break from Disneyland appearances The popular Plougboys led by Mark Rom ano and The Angry Brians (w ho are not at all angry) w ill headline t he Celt ic Rock St age.

Dancing has alw ays been a huge part of Seaside?s st age present at ions from yout hful Scot t ish Highland Dance t o the more m at ure Scot t ish Count ry Dance (and,

yes, you can m ost cert ainly join in)!

But no Fest ival is com plet e w it hout t he huge and t alent ed Scot t ish Heavy At hlet es. Look t o Morgan Arena for t hese t alent ed fellas and gals t ossing, t hrow ing, heaving im possibly heavy im plem ent s t o new height and dist ance records! And, yes, t he long pole like cabers are t here t o be t urned as w ell. That event , like t he st age show s, cont inues nonst op t hroughout t he w eekend

If you can? t do w it hout bagpipes? and w hich of us can? you are in t he right place! Plan your w eekend t o arrive at Sat urday's NOON GRAND PARADE and OPENING CEREMONIES w hich w ill dazzle your eyes, ears and cellphone cam eras!! All t he guest pipe and drum bands w ill m arch int erspersed w it h Clan/ Fam ily groups past t he Alex Beat on St age t o officially open t he Gam es t o all com ers! Grab a chair or bleacher seat for t his spect acularly bright and colorful event

Classes in genealogy, Gaelic speaking, Scot t ish hist ory and Scot ch! So m uch t o be learnt !

If you don? t have your very ow n kilt or t art an garb, look no furt her t han t he m any high qualit y vendors t o find exact ly w hat you need

The Heavy At hlet ics are very popular Enjoy t hem for t he dem onst rat ion of st rengt h and skill Above: A fut ure cham pion t ossing t he caber and a seasoned at hlet e on

he ham m er t hrow

By all m eans, visit t he am azing Harp Glen sponsored by t he venerable St . Andrew s Societ y of Los Angeles!

FAMILY FRIENDLY

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The Quiet Girl(

An Cailín Ciúin

This film w as released t his year and it is t he opening film at The Irish Spot lingt (Screens @ 6:30pm ) It is a com ing of age film direct ed and w rit t en by Colm Bairéad and spoken m ost ly in t he Irish language

Set in 1981, t he film follow s a w it hdraw n nine year old girl w ho experiences a loving hom e for t he first t im e w hen she spends t he sum m er on a farm w it h dist ant relat ives in Rinn Gaelt acht , Count y Wat erford

An Cailín Ciúin w as film ed on locat ions in Count y Meat h

So far, t he film has been highly acclaim ed despit e lim it ed dist ribut ion and w on aw ards ar t he Berlin Film Fest ival

More on this and other Irish films: w w w irishscreen com

BELOW on the left: Red Carpet & Packed lobby at t he Big New port Cinem a w hich is next t o Muldoon's Pub Court yard of Muldoons

Dancers

Andy

View from Ireland

Banshees and Ghost s

By Maurice Fit zpat rick

Tw o Irish film s opened at t he Venice Film Fest ival in early Sept em ber: Mart in McDonagh?s

The Banshees of Inisherin and Adrian Sibley?s

The Ghost of Richard Harris

McDonagh?s film is rum oured t o have em erged from his ow n (unpublished and unproduced) play,Banshees of Inisheer Shot m ost ly on Achill Island, t he fict ional island of Inisherin clearly resides alongside McDonagh?s earlier Aran Islands w orks. McDonagh has m yt hologised t he Aran Islands like nobody else since J. M. Synge. Unlike Synge, McDonagh depict s a dram at ic cont ext w here people do not live as t he forebears, but nevert heless t hey live in t he unique cult ure of t he islands t hat has not quit e been erased by m odernit y.

The rat her slender st oryline of t he film is t hat t w o friends? Colm Dohert y played by Brendan Gleeson and Pádraic Súilleabháin played by Colin Farrell ? cease t o be friends for no apparent reason ot her t han t he form er no longer likes t he lat t er Dohert y t hreat ens t o cut off his fingers unless Súilleabháin desist s from follow ing him and seeking reconciliat ion When Súilleabháin persist s, Dohert y is as good as his w ord Against t he backdrop of t he severance of t his friendship and fingers, t he Irish

are t urning t he gun upon each ot her aft er t he Anglo Irish Treat y has been signed.

At a press conference just aft er t he indust ry screening in Venice, McDonagh w ondered if t his is his least violent film How ever, t here is brut al violence t hat happens off-screen: on t he m ainland, t he Free St at e forces execut e Ant i-Treat yit es in t he dying days of t he Civil War in 1923. The film alludes several t im es t o t he t ragic shift from t he Irish fight ing t he Brit ish in t he War of Independence t o fight ing each ot her in t he Civil War. But McDonagh rem ains in com ic m ode. To a Free St at e Garda, t he civil w ar execut ions m ean a t rip t o t he m ainland, overt im e and a free lunch To Padraig, t he Civil War represent s an aspect of t he ?big st at e? , t he int im idat ingly m odern m ainland

This film reunit es Gleeson and Farrell, w ho McDonagh first brought t oget her in his highly successful film , In Bruges Bot h are in excellent form and feed off each ot her as t hey did in t he previous film Gleesonalso has a side hust lei n t he film ? he is credit ed for t he t it le song, w hich he com posed on his fiddle.

In Venice, Farrell ext olled t he need for conversat ion and defended it s ongoing validit y in a w orld subm erged by social m edia noise McDonagh?s fort e is dialogue and it com es t hrough in t his film as m uch as in any he has m ade. The speech pat t erns reside neit her in our t im e nor in t he 1920s and are uniquely his. McDonagh t ook t he best script gong at Venice and Farrell t ook t he best act or aw ard So, it w as w ort h t heir w hile com ing for t he chat

Adrian Sibley?s The Ghost of Richard Harris

is a very com pelling docum ent ary about t he act or, poet and singer Richard Harris. It is t old principally t hrough his t hree sons w ho revisit places in t heir fat her ?s life such as t he suit e he had in t he Savoy in London for 32 years The sons also open a cont ainer of his possessions and archives for t he first t im e on cam era Their fossicking t hrough t heir lat e fat her ?s object s and w rit ings enables t he film t o segue int o chapt ers in Harris?life Harris?hell raising get s plent y of focus. For exam ple, his exit ? t o buy t he new spaper ?and reappearance eight days lat er w it h a quest ion for his w ife: ?w hy didn? t you pay t he ransom ??

Direct ors and producers fret t ed about t he risk of Harris arriving on set drunk, t o w hich one direct or, Ken Hughes, found a novel w orkaround. During a t axing role as t he lead in t he 1970 film Crom w ell, Hughes scheduled a w eek off for Harris as w ell as a jet and a pilot

Writ er Malachy McCourt joined Harris on t he bender t hat t ook in Paris, Am st erdam , Durt y Nellies pub near Shannon Airport and t he red light zone in Ham burg Com prom ising phot ographs w ere splashed across t he new spapers

The incit ing incident in Harris?life com es, som ew hat incongruously, at t he end of t he film . A t all, dashing and st rong youngst er, he w as forced int o a long period of quarant ine aft er cont ract ing t uberculosis in his lat e t eens Suddenly he w as aw ay from t he at t ent ion of young m en and w om en in t he t ow n of Kilkee w here he grew up (Kilkee is apparent ly t he only place in Ireland w here t he sport of racket s is played; Harris excelled at it ) In his solit ude, he read Ham let and ot her w orks of lit erat ure and resolved t o becom e an act or.

The cent ralit y of t he film The Field in Harris? t raject ory com es t hrough w ell in t his docum ent ary. He had act ed in a st ream of unw ort hy film s, using him self as bait t o land roles for his second w ife in

"Harris m ade his nam e in London and t hen becam e a Hollyw ood st ar, but he rem ained a proud Irishm an w ho w ould have loved t o have played rugby for his count ry " MP

t he film

Hollyw ood product ions

Then he ret urned t o Ireland, w hich at t hat st age had hardly a film indust ry at all, t o play t he ?Bull? McCabe in The Field

Bull is a dem onic pat riarch w ho em bodied a great deal of Irish bit t erness over t he dispossession of land, im poverishm ent , fam ine and ecclesiast ically m andat ed class prejudice The docum ent ary focusses on one scene in part icular Confront ing t he ?Yank?in t he parish priest ?s parlour, Bull t hrow s dow n t he gaunt let t o ?any m an?w ho t ries t o t ake t he field aw ay from him . The direct or of The Field, Jim Sheridan, w as convinced t hat t he Bull should not break dow n in t his scene Against Sheridan?s w ishes, Harris played t he scene in a w ay t hat a m em ory of him priorit ising t he field over his .m ot her breaks t he Bull?s em ot ional m ask. Sheridan urged him t o re shoot it Harris refused and got his w ay

During t he product ion, Harris t old Sheridan t hat w hat t he direct or w as really confront ing w as his ow n fat her and out of t hat idea em erged Sheridan?s next great film , In t he Nam e of t he Fat her. Harris?w it could be revealing Int roduced at a gala event in LA as one of England?s best act ors, he ret ort ed t hat w hen he w ins an aw ard he is

int roduced as an English act or and w hen he is involved in a pub braw l he is described as Irish Harris defined him self as a 32 count y Republican

Yet he had t he m oral fibre t o urge Am ericans t o st op funding Noraid w hen he w as repelled by t he IRA?s

t arget ing civilians in England.

Harris m ade his nam e in London and t hen becam e a Hollyw ood st ar, but he rem ained a proud Irishm an w ho w ould have loved t o have played rugby for his count ry The direct or of t he docum ent ary, Adrian Sibley, an Englishm an, got t he nat ional nuances right in t his fine film .

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Irish Unity, The Census, Death of a Queen, Special Envoy, Moore Street

ByJohn McNally

Support for Irish Unit y

is clearly on t he rise, as confirm ed by t he lat est Universit y of Liverpool Inst it ut e of Irish St udies survey A slight m ajorit y of respondent s w ho expressed a preference w ould vot e for a Unit ed Ireland "t om orrow " And t he num bers for a fut ure vot e are subst ant ially m ore in favor One of t he unusual result s of t he survey w as t he support it found for Irish reunificat ion am ong support ers of unionist part ies, w it h one in five saying t hey w ould vot e for a unit ed Ireland in 10 15 years

Meanw hile, Sinn Fein has increased t heir lead as t he largest part y in bot h jurisdict ions of Ireland, confirm ing t he Irish people's desire for const it ut ional change since Sinn Fein has a unit ed Ireland high on it s agenda

And in Scot land, an independence referendum proposed for Oct ober of 2023 w ill also have polit ical im plicat ions across t hese islands in t he com ing m ont hs ht t ps:/ / bit ly/ 3rjm gbe

Finally published in Sept em ber, Nort hern Ireland's 2021 Census result s show a Cat holic Majorit y for t he first t im e The proport ion of t he resident populat ion, eit her Cat holic or brought up Cat holic is 45.7% com pared t o 43.48% Prot est ant Alt hough not a religious conflict per se, t he Nort hern Irish st at elet w as set up by a religious headcount t o ensure enduring loyalt y t o Brit ain from a large m ajorit y of Prot est ant s The Orange

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

St at e is gone, and w e are closer t han ever t o a unit ed Ireland aft er census result s show ed t he dem ographics m oving decisively in t he Irish nat ionalist direct ion w w w nisra gov uk/ st at ist ics/ census/ 2021 census

On t he Life and Deat h of Queen Elizabet h

Am ericans t hink t he idea of a m onarchy as a t hrow back t o Im perial t im es and em pires long gone The belief t hat som eone is born t o rule, appoint ed by God t o head a church, and t hat ot hers are t heir subject s is absurd and validat es t he Brit ish rat ionale of a class societ y But Elizabet h, t he person, w as a peacem aker On her 2011 visit t o Dublin, she laid a w reat h and bow ed her head at a m onum ent t o t he rebel leaders of t he East er Rising w hom t he Brit ish execut ed in 1916. She opened a speech w it h Uacht arán agus cairde (President and friends), and subsequent ly m et and shook hands w it h form er IRA leader Mart in McGuinness Alt hough t he Royals are t he sym bolic heads of t he Brit ish m ilit ary t hat killed and t ort ured m any Irish people, w e should recognize Elizabet h's m eaningful gest ures of reconciliat ion SAVE MOORE STREET PRESERVATION TRUST

is cam paigning t o prot ect t he hist oric Moore St reet area of Dublin and t o see t he ent ire t errace & surrounding lanew ays designat ed a Nat ional Monum ent . Redevelopm ent t hreat ens t o erase t he sit e w here t he leaders of t he East er Rising m ade t heir last st and.

Special Envoy t o Nort hern Ireland

We urge you t o cont act President Biden request ing he appoint a Special Envoy t o Nort hern Ireland, a posit ion w hich has been vacant since he t ook office. The great legacy of t he hard w on Good Friday Agreem ent is current ly in jeopardy. Brit ain is at t em pt ing t o renege on it s Good Friday obligat ions w it h Brexit and t heir failure t o address t he conflict 's legacy by grant ing am nest y for crim es com m it t ed by it s m ilit ary personnel. w w w w hit ehouse gov/ cont act /

Mícheál Mac Donncha andStephen Rea at a SAVE MOORE STREET event in Dublin, the site of the Easter Rising leader's last stand

The Celtic Camer a

We are here looking for you! Submissions wanted.. send jpeg & caption to: ir ishmissive@gmail.com

This is t he 30t h Anniversary issue of t he Irish Art s & Ent ert ainm ent ! We have been doing our Celt ic Cam era feat ure for alm ost 20 years. This m ont h w e are doing a ret rospect ive Celt ic Cam era of t hose years w it h a look at som e of t he event s and people t hat w e have feat ured We w ill need t o break our coverage int o Tw o Part s

Ed note: Over 25 Years ago, O'Briens Pub on Wilshire opened Ii had m et Willy O'Sullivan w hen he had w orked at ot her pubs and he called and invit ed m e t o m eet him at t he rest aurant t hat he had just t aken over (A French Bist ro)) Willy t old m e of his plans and w e m ade a deal t o advert ise and prom ot e t he new pub He confident ly agreed t o a one year cont ract ; w e have renew ed t hat deal 22 t im es.

William WILLY O'Sullivan in t he early days of O'Brien's. Willy is a great publican, t ruly dedicat ed t o his craft and cust om ers, a loving fam ily m an & a w onderful friend of t his publicat ion!

Page 19 October

w it h a follow up issue w it h m ore of t he past and an updat ed Irish Calendar. in about 10 days

We hope you enjoy t hese special issues. To m ake sure you don't m iss anyt hing, please subscribe! AER LINGUS has agreed t o run a cont est w it h us and all subscribers are ent ered! See Pages & for

A Beacon of Irish Hospit alit y for t he West Side & Sant a Monica! Fine food and great bar! Congenial at m osphere, excellent st aff and service.

w w w.t om m yandt hebrot hers.com

OUR YEARS WORKING Wit h THE CHIEFTAINS

The Irish Art s and Ent ert ainm ent has been around for a seem ingly long t im e and w e have had t he great honor of m eet ing and prom ot ing som e great event s and individuals!

In our second year, w e got an ad for The Chieft ains at t he Hollyw ood Bow l!

We got t o go backst age and w e got t o m et Paddy Moloney and all of The Chieft ains. From t hen on, every t im e The Chieft ains cam e t o SoCal, w e w ere lucky t o int erview t hem , advert ise t hem and w e alw ays got t o see t heir show s. It w as t ruly heart breaking in 2021, w hen Paddy died suddenly.

The Greening of t he World!! For several years, one of t he best and m ost m em orable prom ot ions ever! Tourism Ireland got w ell know n places t o honor St Pat rick's Day by t urning t he w orld's m ost fam ous sit es green The pandem ic put it on hold, w e hope t he pract ice ret urns.

Paddy Moloney, founding m em ber of The Chieft ains RIP B 1938 D 2021

Paddy loved life, Irish Music and his fam ily, friends and fans He alw ays t ook t im e t o t alk & list en t o everyone!

COLLECTOR'S

ABOVE: John and Sally McNally aft er hiking up Cave Hill in Belfast

ABOVE RIGHT: Jay Hart , Chief of Police for Torrance, being present ed w it h his Belfast Am bassador Medal by New York Assem blym an Mike Fit zpat rick at t he Belfast Int ernat ional Hom ecom ing.

RIGHT: Sally McNally at an Im elda May concert in Belfast , as part of t he Feile na Phobail (Peoples Fest ival) in August

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

hat have becom e Irish Tradit ions.

ehow during, t his sam e t im e, t w o

agnificent Christ m as CDs w ere produced

sold

Ticket s for all show s

Christ m as CDs can be found at :

Ann and Andy Scot t at t he Clan Scot t enclave at Scot t ishFest ! Alw ays a great pleasure t o cat ch up w it h t hese folks and t heir clan m em bers at event s t hroughout t he year!

Guest Commentary

Dear Readers of t he Irish New s and Ent ert ainm ent

My nam e is Andrew Scot t , aka ?Andy,? and I have been friends w it h your edit or Jim Mc Donnough for m any years. Because I play t he bagpipes and play Irish pub-songs I have a long hist ory of playing for t he Irish on St . Pat rick?s Day as w ell as for w eddings, funerals, Not re Dam e foot ball gam es and birt hdays. I have had m any m eaningful experiences, as w ell as m any joyful t im es providing t hat special sound of t he pipes. Not only can I play ?Danny Boy? but I can sing it , bot h verses.

It should be no surprise t hat I am not Irish w it h a nam e like Andrew Scot t . My root s com e from t he Scot t ish Borders, and I am a vet eran host for t he Clan Scot t t ent at various Highland Fest ivals over t he years.

I have t o share w it h you w hat occurred at t he m ost recent fest ival in Cost a Mesa, California. I set up m y t ent and sign t he day before and t hought it looked pret t y good. In fact , it looked really good, for w hen I arrived t he next m orning I w as surprised t o see an Irish Band, ?Craic in t he St one,? playing right in front of m y t ent and being film ed for KTLA TVNEWS.

All w eekend long t he Highland Gam es w ere feat ured in t heir program ing, and m y lovely t ent w as t he w elcom ing locat ion. I felt honored and delight ed t he w hole w eekend. Especially w hen your edit or cam e by and t ook a pict ure. By t he w ay I change m y nam e t o Andrew O?Scot t every March 17.

LEFT::

Denis Doyle Right : Mart in McDonagh

Feat ures com ing in

m

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

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Dance of Masks and Bonfires

First of three installments

By Greg Pat rick

?I see t he com pany of t im id ghost s At evening also w hen t he sun is low Each w it h it s finger t o it s lips goes by poor w ild unut t erable m yst eries?

William But ler Yeat s

West of Ireland

2019

Lat e Oct ober

It w as his first Hallow een aft er m ourning, yet t o Niall Collins it felt cent uries had t ranspired since t hat bit t erly cold Oct ober night , since t he deadly accident ret urning from a part y Every st ep st abbed w it h pain as he rose sw aying aft er craw ling from t he flipped car He st aggered t hrough t he burning t w ist ed w reckage, calling his girlfriend?s nam e He scream ed it int o t he darkness for all t he agony in his chest , clut ching it t o st aunch t he bleeding as he scoured t he w reckage Then he saw it , t he fam iliar red hair st irred by t he w ind, am id t he debris and t w ist ed w reckage He t ouched shreds of her princess gow n, envisioning her in t heir t ender slow dance at t he part y

?Maeve! Maeve!!!?

He cradled her head and t ried desperat ely t o resuscit at e her Suddenly he looked up aghast , t hen blinded by headlight s as a car roared t ow ards t he bridge, sw erved t oo lat e and st ruck t heir car, show ering glass like shrapnel and t hrow ing t hem over t he edge int o t he w at er. He w as lacerat ed by t he sharp m et al edges as he st ruggled t o free her as t hey sank. He gasped at t he shock of t he cold w at er as he w as im m ersed. He breat hed t hrough her lips in int ervals, rising gasping t o t he surface, pinned in t he sunken w reckage. Her grip loosened and he w at ched t he bubbles of her last breat h rose past him .

?You have t o let m e go? ?

The last w ords w ere m out hed by her lips, as his hands lost t heir grip and he rose t o t he surface He rem em bered t he m oon like a ghost ly port al light ing t he surface He aw oke pant ing drenched in sw eat , disorient ed, feeling around him ?

?Where? Where am I??

His bedside alarm w ent off m om ent s lat er, bringing

him back t o t he present Niall scram bled t o t hrow on his clot hes and hurry t o t he sit e. It w as st ill dark out side and punishingly cold. His old accident w ounds pulsed in t he chill air like bat t le scars and his breat h st eam ed in a heavy sigh. The recurring dream s int ensified in t he night s leading t o t he anniversary.

Had it been a year already since t hat Hallow een night ? The night t hat ruled his night m ares like a t yrant on a dark t hrone He had been so im m ersed in researching t he past t hat he had lost t rack of t im e

?Maeve? ? he w hispered w it h a painful dept h of yearning.

The nam e echoed in his soul like t he last st rains of a bard?s harp song t railing t he echoes of her w ords like lyrics of a song one could not get out of one?s head

The archaeological com m unit y w as in a flurry of excit em ent t hat w as lost on t he w eary m an. An elaborat e syst em of ancient passage t om bs and cham bers had been discovered and w as in t he process of being excavat ed Yet perhaps t hey had delved t oo deeply int o t he ancient t om b?s secret s. St range happenings began in t he night s approaching Hallow een, unnerving t he m ost st alw art of t he dig?s st aff

Niall w ent about t he t oil of excavat ion robot ically.

Like groaning zom bies, t he w eary crew of int erns lurched t o t he sit e in t he m orning m ist The Professor Mr O?Hanlon w as w ait ing im pat ient ly He jealously guarded his st at us as supervisor of t he project against his rivals like a feudal lord fending off usurpers t o his rule Feverish w it h excit em ent he w as arelent less t askm ast er in t he process This m orning he w as pacing and fret t ing

?Where is everyone? I expect punct ualit y on m y digs! Do you not underst and t he enorm it y of t his sit e? Do you not appreciat e w hat it w ill cont ribut e t o our discipline, t o t he field of archaeology? Of course, you don? t . No m at t er. Tim e is slipping. Chop chop. I expect t he ut m ost diligence!? t he professor exhort ed.

Niall w as responsible for t he unenviable painst aking t ask of t he cat aloguing of art ifact s He had arranged a t rove of art ifact s t agged on a long t able Suddenly he gasped and held a gold band t o t he light Cleansed

?Loot ing art ifact s Niall?

I m ight have know n!? he heard a jarring voice The Professor confront ed him accusingly

?No t his t his belonged t o m y girlfriend! How did it get here???It m ust have been m ixed up int o t he art ifact s Be m ore careful in t he fut ure!? t heprofessor scolded

?It ?s been m issing since t he night of t he accident . Why w ould it have been found am id offerings in a sealed ancient t om b? Nobody living has been inside for cent uries? m illennium s? ?

Suddenly t he professor w as all congenial sm iles as an elegant chauffeur driven car pulled up. A w ealt hy prospect ive pat ron pulled up.

?Warm est of w elcom es m y dear Mrs O?Connor Thank you for gracing us w it h your presence and graciously considering us for your generous pat ronage. lease allow m e t o give you a personal t our of t his int riguing archaeological sit e and our st at e of t he art cut t ing edge facilit ies ?

Abrupt ly t he professor ?s at t ent ion w as draw n t o a gat hered crow d gaw king at som et hing. He pushed his w ay t hrough t hem only t o recoil at a grisly sight confront ing him A severed black ram ?s head had been m ount ed on a m edieval looking spear plant ed in it s rit ually disem bow eled carcass Flies buzzed around it Dripping blood had frozen int o icicles under it An ogham rune paint ed in blood graffit ied t he st one. He frant ically ordered an int ern t o usher Mrs. O?Connor aw ay before she saw it . Too lat e.

?Oh, m y dear w om an please do not be dist ressed in any w ay Wait ! Whereare you going? Com e back There is so m uch t o see!?

Her car w as already pulling aw ay as he chased t hen st opped seeing t he t ant alising m irage of euro signs vanish before his eyes He rounded on t he int erns in a rage

?Disperse at once! Niall, t ake dow n t his hideous display and dispose of it !?

Again, he overheard rum ours of t he sit e being haunt ed.

?I w ill not have t hat idle t alk! I can't have unsavoury charact ers and vandals t respassing and int erfering w it h t he excavat ion New age freaks t he lot of t hem ! I w on't t olerat e int ruders of any kind. This is m y dig!? he declared t yrannically.

Niall cringed as he st orm ed aw ay t o his t railer and slam m ed t he door behind him He w at ched his professor reassure an irat e sheep farm er confront ing him .

?Yes, yes, m y good m an, you w ill be fully com pensat ed for t he loss of your anim al Yes, I w ill hire a night w at chm an t o pat rol t he sit e ?

Like a rept ile changing skin t he professor shed t he charm ing beam ing façade t hat he w ould greet t he press and cam eras back t o relent less t askm ast er He basked in

t he m edia at t ent ion. Less and less report ers he fret t ed as days passed. We need t o find som et hing t hat w ill get t heir at t ent ion back, he m used. Then just t he discovery he needed Hum ans rem ains had been found in t he passage t om b They w ere sacrifices found eerily by t orchlight ?Sacrificial vict im s! This w ill bring t hose new spaper vult ures flocking back,? he grinned

Yet t he first crow d t o greet his sight w ere figures t hat gat hered in t he dusk t hat cast t he sit e in sanguine crim son. They w ere t he vanguard of prot est ors confront ing him . They accused him of desecrat ing a sacred sit e The professor bared his t eet h in feral rage like a scavenger defending a kill

Niall?s eyes inexplicably lingered on one of t he prot est ors, st anding aloof from t he ot hers as if oblivious t o t heir presence Before t he hooded face bow ed aw ay, he caught t he flash of st art lingly green eyes w it h haunt ing recognit ion He w as draw n t o t he st ranger w hen his professor ?s jarring voice barked at him

"You are not t o speak t o t hem underst and? No fam iliarit y! Now , st art shoveling dirt . I w ant t his done before night fall."

His eyes st rayed again t o t he prot est ors. The m yst erious w at cher had vanished Suddenly t he Professor shift ed from Mr. Hyde t o Dr. Jekyll as an elegant chauffeured car arrived w it h a prospect ive w ealt hy donor.

In t he night s leading t o Hallow een Niall had t aken t o sleepw alking He w as st rangely draw n t o t he ruin and it haunt ed his dream s. One m orning he had been found w andering aim lessly t here and feverish from exposure t o t he elem ent s. He aw oke disorient ed in t he m ist enshrouded dream scape There w as no sym pat hy only reprim ands by his zealous professor w ho w as desperat e t o have his nam e associat ed w it h t he sit e.

ED NOTE: In this wonderful Samhain story, the writer delves into the supernatural in a compelling way But as it happens art imitates life here too Irish archiolegsts know that near Newgrange alone there are many more sites to be explored Ireland's has been home to long forgotten people and cultures for centuries. Who knows what is hidden under it's verdant ground?For more:

w.bbc.com

He had dream t of his girlfriend again, beheld her laying on a horde of golden offerings as if float ing on a sea of gold She w as resplendent and radiant t o behold by t he brazier light . The sealed cham ber had preserved her feat ures The skelet al figures of horses and w arriors of her m ort al High Queen?s guard had been arranged in et ernal vigil surrounding her. Gow ned in a jew el encrust ed dress she lay basking in t orchlight t hat danced over t he horde of sw ords and shim m ering t reasures As t he night ?s chill air flooded in; her beaut iful facial feat ures disint egrat ed t o a diadem -adorned skull. His scream s as he aw oke drew t he night w at chm en, finding him blinking and disorient ed in t he flashlight beam . He looked back at t he ruin under a m yriad of st ars, as he w as sent hom e.

Gregory Brendan Pat rick

While not exploring Ireland and rte world, our featured writer likest o use his imagination and talent to conjure tales of heroes, love and mystery!

Look for part 2 of this tale in our mid month

"Get a hold of yourself Niall! The last t hing w e need is bad publicit y!?

IRISH MUSIC News& Reviews

Strings & Things

This great Irish Band is one of our favorit es and it is nice t o see t hey are going on a t our! We hope t o see t hem again soon They w ere one of t he m any bands, groups and individuals w ho w ere part of last year 's LIVE STREAMED St Pat rick' Day show ALONE/ Toget her The show w as produced by t he Irish Art s and Jim McMahon's int ernet radio st at ion in Warrenpoint N. Ireland

St rings & Things garnered m ore posit ive feedback and generat ed m ore int erest t han m ost of t he act s on t he show In Part II of our Ret rospect ive of our 30 years, w e w ill bring you a lot m ore on Alone/ Toget her.

We can honest ly saw t hat doing t he show w as really excit ing and w e t ot ally appreciat e everyone w ho helped

BONO Announces 14 Cit y

Tour in support of his new book Surrender. Each t icket purchased for t he t our com es w it h a copy of SURRENDER, released on Novem ber 1, and all t icket s purchased online w ill be delivered as secure m obile t icket s There w ill be a t w o t icket lim it per person. Tw o are in California:

Sat Nov 12 ? San Francisco, CA ? Orpheum Theat re - Sun Nov 13 ? Los Angeles, CA ?

The Orpheum Theat re

AER LINGUS Once Again Flying from US t o Shannon

From New York: 4 Non st ops per day. From Bost on: 3 Non st ops per.

Connect ions from all over t he US. Once t he gat ew ay t o all of Ireland before t he spect acular grow t h of Dublin's Airport , New York and Bost on are delight ed t o have flight s direct ly t o Shannon near Lim erick

IRELAND?S

7t h ALBUM ?TIME STOPPED? ON OCTOBER 7 AHEAD OF WORLD TOUR

UK, Europe, Nort h Am erica and Aust ralia Dat es

THE CORONAS SET TO PLAY at ECHO in Los Angeles in Novem ber

Ireland?s popular band The Coronas are finally heading out on t he w orld t our t hat w as sidelined by t he pandem ic, not t o m ent ion t he derision associat ed w it h sharing a nam e w it h t he virus t hat shut dow n t he w orld. The band m ade good use of t heir t im e off t he road, ret urning w it h a st rong, new album apt ly t it led TIME STOPPED Set for release on Oct ober 7 on t he band?s im print SoFarSoGood Records (dist ribut ed by Blix St reet ), TIME STOPPED addresses t he pandem ic head on via 11 original songs bearing an underlying t hem e of hope

The band?s 7t h album , TIME STOPPED overall is an album grounded in opt im ism Lead singer Danny O?Reilly explains t hat t he album ?s t hrough line addresses how w e all sought t o st ay connect ed in t he t im e of global panic ?When everyt hing is suddenly upside dow n,? he says, ?relat ionships and our place in t he w orld are given a new perspect ive Even t hough it cam e t oget her in an uncert ain t im e, TIME STOPPED is a posit ive album about t oget herness and support ?

Know n for high energy live perform ances and audience singalongs, it ?s not surprising t hat The Coronas w ere nam ed #1 Live Act of t he Year in Ireland?s Hot Press 2022 Readers' Poll The Coronas, com prising O?Reilly, bass guit arist Graham Knox and drum m er Conor Egan, are ecst at ic t o be able t o ret urn t o live appearances, kicking off t he sum m er season w it h sold out show s at t he Marquee in Cork and t he grounds of Trinit y College in t heir nat ive Dublin Most recent ly, t hey w ere on t he bill for t he Elect ric Picnic m usic fest ival, w hich drew m ore t han 70,000 people.

The Irish Poet ry Corner is looking for original poem s w it h a spooky t hem e for our SAMHAIN issue

We w ill aw ard t he poet a $25, gift cert ificat e from See's

Som et im es t his call out has been a dud and if t hat happens, w e w ill reprint t he poem Alm ost A Ghost w hich w e have already used once and w e w ill eat t he candy ourselves!

Send your poem t o Jim at jm cdonough44@gm ail com

We are opt im ist ic so w e w ill print t he best t w o poem s t hat are subm it t ed

A r ts & En ter tai n m en t Calen d ar

NOW WITH By Date& On Going Listingsand Links

Reader 's Tip...We som ehow

m issed t his one! Thanks t o our loyal reader Kevin Drum m ond for t he subm ission!

NOW t hrough at least t his Friday: God's Creat ures, a film by t w o w om en Am erican direct ors is playing at t he Alam o Draft house in DTLA & in WLA at t he Laem le Royal in WLA unt il Friday at least It is beaut ifully film ed in an Irish fishing village Em igrant son ret urns from dow n under t o rest art t he oyst er farm ing biz w it h his Mom , w ho is w orking for a fish sort ing com pany. He is just ly/ unjust ly accused of a sex crim e & Mom gives him an alibi w it hout know ing w hy t he Irish cops (Na Gairdei) seek him . Go for t he scenery, if not hing else Click icon for t he t railer

Peace Lut heran Church Irish Sessions