October irish arts & entertainment first edition

E Fall 2015 E

& Entertainment

Vo l u m e 2 3 - I s s u e 7

An Irish American Profile

WALTER O’BRIEN From Boy Genius in Ireland to Acclaimed Business Leader and Producer in Los Angeles

Tom LaBonge, Walter and LA’s 2014 Rose of Tralee at LA City Hall

Cast of SCORPION with Walter O’Brien

Our in depth take on this

Multi Faceted Irishman Starts page 3

Page 2

Irish Arts & Entertainment

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

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Walter O’Brien An Irish American Profile

e first had the good fortune of meeting Irish born Walter O’Brien W at the St. Patrick’s Day Civic Day Lun-

cheon hosted by the Irish Fair Foundation at Tom Bergins Pub on Fairfax in March earlier this year. O’Brien was in attendance as he had been chosen as one

of the well deserving Irish Honorees in the City of Los Angeles by the City and the Foundation.

We had done a piece in the March Irish Arts & Entertainment on the honorees and I immediately recognized O’Brien from his picture. For our readers that do not know Walter O’Brien (and to set up the story of my self introduction), let me explain).

The CBS hit drama series Scorpion is based on the true life character Walter O’Brien who is one of God’s and/or Nature’s anomalies and gifts to the world. O’Brien by any standard is a genius, a problem solver, computer whiz and tactician of the First Order with an IQ much higher than Einstein’s.

The show depicts the exploits, many fictional but some based or drawn from the real life experiences of O’Brien and

his team of other high level geekish peers and specialized problem solvers.

It is a great show that has captivated viewers (Over 26 Million for the premier) and will surely become a mainstay of classic TV action drama for many years to come.

With this knowledge in hand, I calmly walked up to THE Walter O’Brien and introduced myself by glibly saying, “Hi, I’m Jim McDonough, it is a real pleasure to finally meet someone as smart as I am!” O’Brien smiled and shook my hand, he was quite cordial, very warm and by his reply obviously a good sport, “Well, there aren’t that many of us, we’ve got to stick together, it’s good to meet you!”

I was of course flattered and for a split second was not sure if he knew I was kidding (he knew) but I was delighted

at his cheerful and open response and how approachable this guy was.

We chatted for a couple minutes and agreed to follow up. By dint of good Irish Luck, we ran into him again as he was asked to walk in the Big Irish Fair parade again in June and we set up the ensuing interview. At the Irish Fair, Walter was relaxed, very friendly and obviously enjoying himself.

Our next conversation was by phone to set up our interview which transpired in early July at Tom Bergin’s Pub on Fairfax in Los Angeles. Even on our phone call, I could not help but notice how outgoing, open and interesting O’Brien was. I was looking forward to meeting him to learn more about this exemplary example of the good Continued to page 4

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

O’Brien

Volume 23, Issue 7

Continued from page 3

Irish Arts & Entertainment

natured Irishman.

Our first glitch was the time of the meeting. I had suggested 4:00pm at the pub on Fairfax and it turns out they do not open till 5:00pm. I was somewhat embarrassed for not double checking the time but I did not want to waste his time so I called him to apprise him of the situation. No problem was his immediate reply, traffic was heavy and he pulled into the empty lot a few minutes late.

He was driving kind of a non descript late model luxury car and we ended up sitting there doing a preliminary interview and gab session.

O’Brien is a multi faceted individual and he is so quick that frankly it was sometimes a little hard for me to keep up with him.

One of his facets, an ability to express sheer delight, is part of his charm. He was gleeful as he told me about his car!

Turns out the vanilla looking vehicle was a customized limo for government diplomats and was assigned to him to keep him safe. The car sported bullet proof glass and armor plating and a complex communica-

The opinions expressed by our columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Irish Arts & Entertainment or its Editor and staff.

Glenn Keogh (Irish Actor, plays Walter O’Brien’s Dad on SCORPION, Walter O’Brien and Piper Cindi McMcIntosh-Behr at the Big Irish Fair. tion’s system. Impressive as hell but the really neat part was watching Walter the kid at the wheel telling me about it!

The time in the Tom Bergin’s parking lot flew by as we just chatted and O’Brien told me about growing up in Ireland and his early life as a very smart, very inquisitive yet somehow very normal little Irish boy. He credits his parents and his Irish upbringing with his caring nature and desire to always be a decent and productive person.

This brings up another facet of Walter O’Brien, he is in many ways a very private and reserved person. For a lot of reasons,

The Hare and The Hounds

he likes to keep his family out of the limelight. He is proud of his parents and siblings and close to them but we respect his wishes on that topic so for that reason his early life is kept to a bare minimum. In general, O’Brien did share a couple early childhood memories with us.

Walter O’Brien was born in Wexford, Ireland on February 24, 1975 where his Father was a farmer. The family moved to a larger farm near Kilkenny about 10 years later. O’Brien always attended local schools Continued to page 6

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PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR James M. McDonough

2995 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks, CA OPEN: Mon.-Sat. 10:30am-5:30pm • Sun. 12-5pm

phone: 805-495-4042

E-MAIL jmcdonough44@gmail.com Copyright 2015.

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Seaside to Present an Amazing Entertainment and the Best in Celtic Music and Dance!

The premier Highland Games and Scottish Music Festival held annually on California’s beautiful Central Coast in Ventura will be held this year from Friday to Sunday, October 9, 10 & 11!

he Seaside Highland T Games is probably the most anticipated event on the Celtic Calendar for thousands of Californians, and for good reason! The organizers work as hard as possible to constantly strive to make this event fresh and exciting each year. That was the plan before the first year and that is the principle that has guided John and Nellie Lowry and their exemplary crew of volunteers ever since. The location and venue help a lot too! Freeway close from all of California, easy parking and the AmtrakMetro Station within walking distance make this the easiest Games in the country to get to.

The weekend kicks off this year with a Whisky Tasting & Scottish evening at the Four Points Hotel in Ventura. Great entertainment and a generous flow of the venerated drink of the Scots always makes this a grand night. See the website for tickets, plan on coming at 5:00pm and spending the

the BEARDED SCOT CONTEST. The Seaside Games have teamed up with a new Vendor --- Roger Scott of Scotsman Beard Oil and will be conducting a “Hairy Highlander Contest” to determine the wearer of the best facial hair! Simple!

Just bring your beard, mustache, goatee or mutton chops to Roger’s Scotsman Beard Oil booth and sign up for the judging.

Where: Celtic Rock Stage When: 2:30pm each day What can I win: $25 cash grand prize plus Scotsman Beard Oil products and the • Large Men Throwing admiration of ALL! Anyone Stuff • Massed Pipe can enter, man, woman or bands • Scottish Fiddling child. Beard-making supplies • Competition • Scottish will be in the Children’s Glen!

Entertainers • Clan Tents The Fourth Annual Seaside • Children’s Glen Street Dance is back by • British and Scottish popular demand and we will Food • Highland be dancin’ on SUNDAY TOO! • Re-enactments • Dancing We’ll post a link to the dance • Dart Competition music and moves as soon as In addition, this year for the first time, Seaside offers Continued on page 10 evening. We recommend staying at one of the many hotels in the Ventura area which always role out the red carpet for the Seaside Games visitors, many offer a special discount.

For Saturday and Sunday, the action shifts to the beautiful Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Gates are open at 9:00am both days. The website for the Seaside Games is exceptionally well organized and gives you a great summary of what you will find at the games with sections for everything offered including:

The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, 71 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802 Phone: (562) 437-8300 www.aulddubliner.com

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

O’Brien Continued from page 4 run by the Christian Brothers as a child.

I asked him if he read a lot when he was little and he replied that he did not but then went on to relate how he did read and like adventure stories and war stories.

(Clues to a budding tactician and global strategist for sure!) He did remember being a very inquisitive and high energy kid who was constantly asking his older, calmer brother questions about everything.

He also was fond of taking things apart to see how the worked, radios and TVs. Signs of his high intelligence did emerge early however, he had an insatiable desire to solve riddles and puzzles of every sort.

He was always more of a problem solver than a reader, his Mother would buy him puzzle books well past his age level and he would quickly go through them and request more. His interest and affinity for computer technology began when he was just nine when his Dad picked up an early home computer, an Amstrad, made in the

UK around 1984. His next step was to get his first Commodore computer, a very early IBM running DOS. This was long before the internet or browsers existed but the young O’Brien figured out to go through his phone line to hook into networks and bulletin boards in England and eventually discover the early Compuserve network. He admits to running up the family phone bill in those early days too.

Walter’s Young Life and Early Exceptionalism

A

t school and through his early cyber outreach he became friends with other bright peers as he learned and exchanged information. This is also a big clue to O’Brien’s future and consummate networking skill that he uses so well to this day.

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O’Brien attended college at St. Kierans in Ireland and finished his degree at Sussex University in Brighton England south of London.

While a student there, he started to gain acclaim and recognition as a computer expert and programmer. He traveled to Argentina to the 1993 Olympiad in Informatics.

We got the true story of one of his early hacks, the Space Shuttle caper; it is actually more intriguing but less dramatic than the version that is the opening of the Scorpion TV Show. It happened as young O’Brien was delving into his information gathering via the primitive pre internet “networks” he stumbled on a very big file and he was curious as to what it was. After numerous attempts (and frequent disconnections) the then 13 year old Walter figured out how to download and save the information in the file in small pieces on his own computer. After about four days of steady undetected hacking, he had the whole file. He printed out all the pages and put them together “like a jigsaw puzzle” and had a detailed blueprint of NASA’s Space-shuttle on his wall as a trophy for his hard work.

Even at 13, he figured he might have gone a bit too far so he consulted with his young colleagues and was prepared with a defense and an extradition waiver agreement should any authorities track him down. Sure enough the NSA via some INTERPOL agents

paid a visit to the family home to check him out. He was able to explain his innocence and zeal and they ended up making a deal. At least that is all he is allowed to disclose about the incident.

Another facet of his being that O’Brien displayed and mastered at a young age was an amazing ability to focus. His determination and tenacity when working on a project are the stuff that legends are made from. An early example was his singleminded and singlehanded creation of one of the most complex computer generated code translation programs ever designed, WinLocX. He identified a need and problem and figured out how to solve it while still in college at Sussex University in the UK. At Sussex, he met and became friends with a group of linguists. He also learned a new concept: GlobalizationLocalization (See MORE in Business Highlights Box p.27). In this instance the concept was an opportunity. At this point in time, there was an immense amount of software on the market creContinued to next page

Irish Arts & Entertainment

O’Brien Continued from previous page ated, marketed and owned by a variety of companies including Microsoft, Oracle and others. The software was primarily written in English. There was a huge demand for the thousands of programs and applications already in use in other markets around the world. The enormous hurdle was how to efficiently and quickly translate the software for use in all of those new markets and in different languages. As daunting as the task seemed; O’Brien was convinced that a program could be written that could be adapted to help translate the

original software into dozens of other languages whilst taking into consideration all of the linguistic and cultural oddities and exceptions.

In fact, the project became his final thesis and he needed to turn his concept into a workable solution to graduate. The young O’Brien had a lot at stake and “Failure Was Not An Option.” Often working alone for months on end and with his degree, reputation and future all on the line; O’Brien persevered and finally the fourteenth version of the program worked. After he graduated from Sussex, he came to the United States where his software was adapted and enhanced to translate English software instructions into 49 different languages. He went on to provide the solution to fortune 500 companies and acquired countless customers (at about 12 cents per word translated) and the translation company was eventually acquired by a Microsoft subsidiary. That early stroke of genius at identifying the problem and monetizing the solution made O’Brien a wealthy man.

Walter the Unassuming Mogul

O In 1997 O’Brien moved to the U.S., and in 2004 he built a home in L.A. He entered the US on an EB1-1 visa. This is in itself an interesting segment in O’Briens story. This type of visa is given to very few immigrants to the U.S., and is set aside for people with “extraordinary abilities and/or who can be considered a national asset.” Other prominent recipients of the EB1-1 were Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill.

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’Brien is obviously an astute businessman and entrepreneur. These are traits and skills that he seemed to master and hone from his early consulting days back as a young consultant in Kilkenny when he founded Scorpion Computer Services as a teenager. To put it mildly, O’Brien has stayed busy for most of his life. Even as a young teenager he had started a business in his hometown in Ireland. He named it Scorpion Computer services, an homage to his hacker name.

He told me it was, “An early Geek Squad type enterprise, fixing bad floppy discs and setting up printers.” He even sold custom computers rivaling Dell in early sales numbers. O’Brien explained that he wore a suit to try to

The fledgling entrepreneur Walter O’Brien (about 15) at his first Scorpion office in Kilkenny. look older than his 15 years and even emulated a deeper voice on business phone calls.

To his great credit and once again that streak of determination, that first entrepreneurial venture has been in continuous operation, albeit now with Fortune 500 clients and the US Military. O’Brien has always had Scorpion, through his school years to the present, they are intertwined.

Again in college in the UK while delving into such cutting edge ideas and technology (remember this is in the early 90s) as Artificial Intelligence and Globalization Localization, he certainly was aware of the potential to make money from his endeavors. Our impression of O’Brien is that it takes a lot more than the money aspects of his work to challenge him.

What makes him tick is a deep sense of making a positive contribution along with solving the problem. Again, from an early age, the task itself combined with the solving of the puzzle brought and brings satisfaction.

Another facet that is unique about O’Brien is his desire to inspire and foster others to make a contribution; to lead by example.

We have interviewed a lot of highly successful and motivated people in the past twenty years. With O’Brien, there was a definite distinction, when we were discussing successes; he equat-

ed ScenGen and inspiring an 11 year old who developed an App because of watching Scorpion with equal pleasure.

We spoke of some rather esoteric principles related to the Common Good and the general well being of humans and society. O’Brien, despite the deep challenges and nature of his efforts and the very real dangers that he is helping to avert with US Government agencies; is still an optimist! In less than twenty years since his graduation from college. O’Brien has racked up a formidable and impressive list of business and technological breakthroughs and successes.

After he sold to a Microsoft subsidiary in 1997, his next big project was working for one of the biggest investment funds in the world. He developed complex systems and processes to mitigate risk and help ensure the smooth running of their worldwide computer and database networks for seven years. It was during this period that O’Brien built his residence just minutes from the office in downtown Los Angeles.

Meticulous calculations are part of O’Brien’s DNA. He chose his home location because it was close in time to his work; he explained that, “...at $1 million dollars a minute cost of downtime...you don’t want to be stuck in traffic.” His Ferrari, which he dreamed of as a boy sits in his garage most of the time. He Continued to page 9

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

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O’Brien Continued from page 7 calculates the risk and drives it minimally. He likes a motorcycle but insurance statistics indicate he would be 35 times more likely to die in a crash.

O’Brien cannot be summed up easily and his story will likely continue for decades or more as he is only forty. More than anything, he wants to foster the best, to find and nourish potential in others and to make a lasting contribution to humanity.

One thing we can say with certainty, he will be making a positive difference and solving problems for many years to come so stay tuned for more on Walter O’Brien in our humble pages here and around the Globe!

- Jim McDonough, Irish Arts & Entertainment

O’Brien Business News continued to page 27

{

“Many 12-year-olds watching the show now will hopefully in eight years’ time be graduates with computer science degrees because we influenced them to go study, believing that every problem has a solution.” – WALTER O’BRIEN

}

as quoted in the Silicon Republic

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

Seaside Highland Games Continued from page 3 they’re available, so check back to the website often for the latest.

And finally a message to Irish Arts & Entertainment Readers from the Seaside Chief, our good friend, John Lowry, “We are excited to bring to you this great Scottish/ Celtic Festival! The Festival atmosphere will transport you to the Scotland of yesterday and of today and will lay before you the music, dance, games, food and drink of that great culture. Please come and enjoy!

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Where: Seaside Park, Ventura County Fairgrounds - 10 W Harbor Blvd., Ventura, CA When: October 9 - Whisky Tasting & Scottish evening at the Four Points - 5:00 pm till 10:00 pm October 10 & 11, 2015- THE GAMES 9:00am to 5:00pm

www.seaside-games.com

historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the group has made an international name for its special brand of Scottish music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms. Over the years the Tannies have been trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes - their versatile piper Lorne MacDougall arranged and performed for for the 2012 DisScotland’s Tannahill Weavers will bring their dynamic, ney Pixar movie "Brave" under traditional Celtic music SoCal to the Ventura County the leadership of Patrick Doyle, and for Dreamworks’ “How to Fairgrounds in October!

Train Your Dragon 2". They are HE TANNAHILL WEAV- firmly established as one of the ERS are an acclaimed Scot- premier groups on the concert tish Traditional Group Scotland's stage; from reflective ballads to who are considered one of the footstomping reels and jigs, the best folk and roots music en- variety and range of the material

Brian Boylan Irish Born Artist

T

{

Meet him at the opening of his show

at The Wilde Thistle on Sunday, October 4 Please Visit His Facebook Page

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“An especially eloquent mixture of the old and the new.” -New York Times

sembles in the World! Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with ancient instrumentals, topical songs, original ballads and lullabies and their trademark humorous tales of life in Scotland.

Their music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people. These versatile musicians have received worldwide accolades consistently over the years for their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can't get better... yet continue to do just that.

Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland and named for the town's

}

they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits.

fine Celtic Rock at its best!!

T Their original songs and reinvented

HE ANGRY BRIANS de-

classics will burrow deep into your subconscious, leaving lasting impressions of their music and lyrics.

With their own style of Celtic Fusion, these talented musicians command a level of energy unparalleled to those within the genre.

On January 1, 2015, the band released their latest CD, We Came to Fight, which was produced by Jeff Tamalier (of Tower of Power fame). The CD is garnering lots of attention and airplay on Celtic Radio stations across the Country and abroad. The title track, “We Came To Fight,” is picking up steam along with “21st Century Irishman” and “Highland Call”. The CD includes ten tracks of mostly self-penned, bagpipe led, celtic-punk’n’roll. 67 Music review stated, “The songs, production values and recording rival anything I’ve heard from them to date. There are no snoozer tracks here, it’s a sonic ride from start to finish. ‘We Came To Fight’ is a fun, rockin’ album and will likely remain in my player for quite some time - pipe wrench optional.”

Celtic Radio gives The Angry Brians 5 Stars and comments, “With

Continued to page 26

The AnGry Brians formerly 1916, to Headline the Celtic Rock Stage at Seaside.

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

THANK YOU SO MUCH !

One of the greatest Irish Celtic Rock Shows Ever ...to the delight of record crowds at Murrieta’s Town Square Park

KUDOS and thank you are in order for the great work by Patrick Ellis and the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce, Paul Little, Graham Judge of the Shamrock Irish Pub & Eatery in Murrieta for bringing Get Shamrocked to Southern California!

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The Celtic Camera A

C

B

D E

G

F

OPT IN & WIN Get a FREE Digital Subscription to the The Irish Arts & Entertainment!

We will also send you our WEEKLY IRISH E-MISSIVE Calendar, Contests, News and more!

Send us your FIRST NAME and your E-Mail: irishmissive@gmail.com

You are automatically entered in our contest to win an Irish/Celtic Gift Bag, valued at over $200.

Thanks to participating advertisers including The Shamrock Irish Pub, O’Brien’s Irish Pub, The Irish Import Shop, Celtic Artist Brian Boylan & many more!

Drawing on October 10, 2015

You can opt out at anytime.

H

A} Sacred Art by Steve O’Loughlin; LA based Celtic Artist.

B} The always popular band Dublin4 were one of the highlights at the Big Irish Fair in Long Beach: We caught them in the VIP Tent between performances, band members are from L to R: Paul Carr, Simon Quinn, Mark Lambe and Darren Corcoran.

C) Marcus Fox of Irish Film America, Los Angeles and his sister Caoimhe Fox, a publishing executive from Dublin, at the Big Irish Fair in June.

D) Keith Roberts of the Young Dublliners and Tim Conway, Jr from KFI AM 640 in the VIP tent at the Irish Fair in Long Beach in June.

E) Anne Colburn and her son Sean West at the Big Irish Fair.

F) This rare collectors auto was made in Ireland in the late 1950s. The classic car was a popular exhibit at the Big Irish Fair!

G) The Irish Import Shop in Hollywood has an extraordinary array of Irish imports and gifts on sale throughout the year. One of our readers may well become the new owner as the business is For Sale, See Page 2 of this issue.

H) Ron Cody, Thom MacNamara, Charlie Ezelle and Tom Kirk at the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums’ 4th Annual “Cigars Under the Stars” Fundraiser at Santa Anita Park in August, 2015.

Irish Arts & Entertainment

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California - Irish Community Calendar - By Date Concerts • Musical Events • Classes • Irish Dance • Socials • Special Events • Theatre OCTOBER

Friday, Saturday & Sunday October 9, 10 & 11 Seaside Highland Games

Games at THE HARP in Orange County & The King’s Head in Santa Monica Rugby World Cup NO COVER! Upcoming Matches include:

Sunday, October 4: Ireland vs Italy @ 8:45am

The Harp Inn Irish Pub 130 E. 17th Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 949-646-8855

www.harpinn.com On the Westside & Santa Monica

The King’s Head

Santa Monica Blvd. and Second Street 310-451-1402

www.yeoldekingshead.com Sunday, October 4 @ 1:00pm The Irish Center of Southern California’s informal “get together luncheon”

Hosted by Tom McConville Angeles National Golf Club 9401 Foothill Blvd. Sunland, CA 818-951-8771 If using the 210 freeway exit Sunland Blvd., and go north a short distance. Follow the signs to Foothill Blvd., then left on Foothill; in a few short blocks you’ll find Angeles National on your right side. Free parking and wheelchair access.

Sunday, October 4 @ 2:00pm Courtyard Concert with CRAIC HAUS Shamrock A Billy at it’s finest Muldooon’s Irish Pub 202 Newport Center Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 949-640-4110

www.muldoonspub.com Sunday, October 4 Starts @2:00pm

Irish Art Show featuring the works of Irish born/ LA Based artist Brian Boylan

Open Both Days from 10:00am to 4:00pm Features and Friday details throughout this issue! The premier Scottish Event on the Central California Coast!

Friday, October 5:00pm till 10:00pm Whisky Tasting & Scottish evening at the Four Points Hotel Saturday & Sunday Scottish & Celtic Music, Scottish & Irish Dancing Pipers, Pipe Band Competitions, fiddle Competition-- Sanction Highland Games with Scottish Heavy Athletics Celtic & Irish Vendores and so much more...

See full page ad on back page.

Seaside Park Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W Harbor Blvd, Ventura, CA More info and tickets online:

www.seaside-games.com

Official Opening & Reception!

Door Prize Raffle at 6:00pm Complimentary Appetizers Irish Butter Coffee Samples The Wilde Thistle 3456 Motor at Palms West Los Angeles, CA

www.obriensla.com

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The House Irish Duo Blue Deux

Saturday October 18

Piper Extraordinaire!

And @ 6:00pm

Muldooon’s Irish Pub 202 Newport Center Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 949-640-4110

www.muldoonspub.com

The American Wake Acclaimed Irish Group brings life to any party with great renditions of Irish Classics, Rock & Trad Get Yer Guinness On!!

Sunday, October 25 @ 2:00pm

Ken O’Malley And @ 6:00pm The House Irish Duo Blue Deux OPENS:

Sunday, October 18 @2:00pm

Celtic Art Show featuring the Art of Dublin Born/LA based Brian Boylan Reception and a Meet and Greet with the Artist The Wilde Thistle 3456 Motor Ave Los Angeles, CA Check out our Weekly Entertainment & Events

The Favorite Irish Sons of Orange County Return

Sunday, October 11 @ 2:00pm Courtyard Concert Eric Rigler in a very special

www.muldoonspub.com

Courtyard Concert with LA’s Own Irish Balladeer

Sunday, October 18 @ 2:00pm

Sunday Evenings

LA area’s only OPEN Irish Session Drop by & Join the Craic!

O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Restaurant 2226 Wilshire Blvd (at 23rd.)

Santa Monica, CA 310-829-5303

appearance!

THE FENIANS And @ 6:00pm The House Irish Duo Blue Deux

Muldooon’s Irish Pub 202 Newport Center Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92660

Muldooon’s Irish Pub 202 Newport Center Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92660 949 640-4110

www.muldoonspub.com OPENS December 1 for a limited run!

Riverdance,

Twentieth Anniversary Tour All of the original dazzle and excitement returns to the fabled Hollywood Pantages. Very special Ticket prices for our readers. Use Code IRISH

http://hollywoodpantages. com/irisharts See Full Page next page!

Pantages Box Office (opens daily at 10am) PANTAGES THEATRE 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

Continued to page 16

Irish Arts & Entertainment

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

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California - Irish Community Calendar - By Date Concerts • Musical Events • Classes • Irish Dance • Socials • Special Events • Theatre Continued from page 14

Check Website for courtyard Concerts and shows by the ...

TRIVIA NIGHTS! BRING OUT YOUR BRAINS!

House Irish Duo BLEU DEUX

202 Newport Center Dr Newport Beach, CA 949 640-4110

Every Monday Starts @ 9:00pm

Match wits with friends and other teams in the most upbeat and fun brain battle around!

O’Brien’s Irish Pub 2226 Wilshire (at 23rd) Santa Monica, CA 310-829-5303

www.obriensla.com

www.muldoonspub.com Every Tuesday

SARAH MCQUAID

Sept.-Oct. U.S. Tour & CA Performances in Support of her Critically Acclaimed New Album Walking Into White. Tour starts on

Sept. 11, check the website for all dates. www.sarahmcquaid.com

Hard on the heels of her Cornwall Folk Festival performance, MCQuaid will be flying out to the USA for a two-month, coast-to-coast 36-show tour, then returning just in time for her first of 22 UK dates on October 30th.

Starts @ 7:00pm

Tuesday, October 13

King Trivia Night

Fiddlers Crossing -- 206 East F Street, Tehachapi, CA 93561 661-823-9994 -- Tickets $20 -- 7pm (Doors 6:30pm) http://fiddlerscrossing.org Refreshments included with ticket.

Robin Hood Pub 13640 Burbank Blvd.

Sherman Oaks, CA 818-994-6045

Most Thursdays: Ken O’Malley,

Every Wednesday 7.30pm PUB QUIZ..Prizes !

The Harp Inn Irish Pub 130 E. 17th Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 949-646-8855

Solo Show Virtuoso Balladeer & Songwriter Appears on a regular basis for an after work concert. Drop by and see why both the Auld Dubliner and O’Malley are on the top of their game!

The Auld Dubliner Irish Pub 71 South Pine St. Long Beach, CA 562 437-8300

www.harpinn.com

www.aulddubliner.com

Wednesday, October 14

City of Camarillo Public Library -- 4101 Las Posas Road, Camarillo, CA 93010. Phone: 805-388-5222 -- Tickets Free! -- 7pm (Doors 6:30pm) www.camarillolibrary.org

Friday, October 16

San Diego Folk Heritage -- Templar’s Hall, 14134 Midland Road, Poway, CA 92064. Tickets $18 (Members $15) -- 7:30pm (Doors 7pm) http://sdfolkheritage.org In addition to her Friday evening concert, Sarah will also be giving a 90-min. DADGAD guitar workshop www.sarahmcquaid.com/workshops.html on Sunday October 18 at 11:30 in The Great Room, next to the park office in Old Poway Park, 14134 Midland Rd, Poway, CA 92064. Workshop cost $35 www.meetup.com/Poway-Folk-Circle/events/224318120/ for more info. For more info on the concert, visit

http://sdfolkheritage.org

Graphic Design & Production 805-402-0567 • • • •

Logos Business Cards Advertising E-mail marketing

• • • •

Posters / Banners Flyers / Newsletters Brochures Websites

Saturday, October 17

The Living Tradition Concert Series -- Anaheim Downtown Community Center, 250 E Center Street, Anaheim, CA 92805. Phone: 714-955-3807 -- Tickets US$16 (Members $13, U18 free with paid adult) -- 7:30pm (Doors 7pm)

www.thelivingtradition.org For our readers in Arizona: Friday, October 21 Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music -Episcopal Church of the Epiphany 423 N Beaver St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Irish Arts & Entertainment

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E Fall 2015 E

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

The Celtic Camera One of the most popular and talented Family Groups in America, CELTIC SPRING will share their amazing Fiddle and Dance program at Seaside!

At the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums’ 4th Annual “Cigars Under the Stars” Fundraiser, Pipe Major Scott Walton and his wife Jessie.

Ad Clone Contest Spot the duplicate ads in this issue and WIN! The prize is a Celtic Gift Bag loaded with Irish Goodies including CDs, Imported Candy, Apparel and more!

Go through this issue and let us know which ad has a “clone”by telling us the advertiser and the two pages on which the ads appear.

E-Mail your answer and contact info to:

irishmissive@gmail.com

The winner will be drawn at random from entries received.

Contest closes on October 25, 2015

The organizers of the Seaside Highland Games and Celtic Music Festival (above) are out to host the very best event in their history according to the Founders, John and Nellie Lowry. Since the inception of the Seaside Highland Games in 2001, the Lowrys, their very able volunteers and all members of the organization have always worked hard to deliver a first rate Scottish and Celtic experience for everyone who has the good fortune to attend. See ad back for details on the Seaside Highland Games coming October 11 & 12th.

Ron Cody, Thom MacNamara, Charlie Ezelle and Tom Kirk at the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums’ 4th Annual “Cigars Under the Stars” Fundraiser at Santa Anita Park on August 15, 2015.

Caber Toss is gaining popularity each year in all classes of competition at the Seaside Highland Games.

Irish Arts & Entertainment

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HALLOWEEN, the Celtic American Holiday!

Legends and Lore

by True Thomas the Storyteller

W

e Celt’s have always had a thing for Scary.

Werewolves, vampires, and murderous fairies were part of our culture long before they inspired the likes of Bram Stoker who was Irish, by the way.

Some of our traditional myths and legends involve things that would never be allowed on TV. Cuchullain going into warp spasm comes to mind, what with the 9 ft of spurting black blood, twisting around in his own skin, and so on. And that is one of our happier legends! The scary stories are intense indeed.

Pronounced “Sow-en!”

Halloween is roughly based on Samhain (pronounced Sow-en) the Celtic New Year.

According to tradition, this is the beginning of the dark time, heading into the lean part of the year. Harvesting is finishing, and the long wait for spring begins.

With the nights at their longest, our ancestors believed that on Samhain, the veil between the worlds was at its thinnest, and things that go bump in the

night often did. The spirits of the dead could and would come back to visit, and that the fairies would run amok on this eve. Rituals included bonfires, setting out offerings, and doing things to scare unwanted spirits away. These traditions slowly merge with other cultures and traditions, until our families migrated to the US, and Voila’ a billion dollar holiday is born.

Here are some factoids that you can use to educate our less informed brethren.

By any other name- Spooky!

Halloween is short for “All Hallows Eve, or All Hallow e’en.” This is the evening before the Catholic Christian observance of “All Saints Day” A mass was said called “All Hallowmas” The fact that this event takes place on Samhain, is no coincidence. Pope Gregory the first, back in 601 AD decreed that it would be a great way to spread the faith, that if the locals were having a celebration, that adding a Christian celebration to it, would be great marketing.

So well in fact, that Christmas, and Easter both coincide with religious celebrations of other major religions. A kind of “Join them, and then Beat them policy.” Pope Gregory IV in 835 A.D. moves All Hallowmas to Nov. 1st. And our genesis of word Halloween is born. I should add, that another fine Harvest (Roman) holiday was co-opted, one celebrating a Harvest Goddess (of apples, in particular). Her name was

Pomona…hmmn..where have I heard that name before?

Also, for Celts, the holiday was never about anything Satanic, originally. Our ancestors saw the Samhain tradition as dangerous, but not evil. The evil tinge comes courtesy of some fire and brimstone Christian influence.

Oídche na h-aimléise: Mischief Night. (Scare them before they Scare us!)

Now some folks might sit quietly quivering in the darkness, but many Irish and Scots, took a more pre-emptive tact. Go out and cause mischief before the ghosts and ghoulies do. Scare them before they Scare us!

Going out and knocking over outhouses, and playing harmless tricks and such. Presumably this was effective, and a good excuse for fun, anyway. This ends up being combined with the tradition of Mumming or Guising (dressing in costumes, which was part of a variety of holidays, including Christmas!)

And, which, I might add, make for handy disguises to protect the innocent, of course.

Who wants (soul) Cake?

“Trick or Treat” actually has more to do the traditions of Nov. 2nd, All Souls Day. Early Christians would go begging for “soul cakes” or go “a-soulin” and promise to say prayers on behalf of people that had passed that year (actually a European tradition). More modern Scottish traditions

(1800’s forward,) probably considered going around “begging” beneath them. On the other hand, singing a song, etc. for a treat was fair trade, hence, a “trick for a treat”. This tradition by the way was more associated with the Christmas season. Bribing someone not to do a Mischief was not Celtic viewpoint as the “trick or treat” tradition implies today. Why bribe someone, when you can thump them instead?

that is free swinging, Bobbing for Apples, and doing forms of Divination. Some of these included baking a special cake, which included small items that would predict wealth, love, and so on. There were lots of tradition rituals where young ladies could attempt to divine the name of the man they were going to marry, and much more.

And now, Scary Americans

You might not recognize the original Jack O’ Lanterns. In Ireland they had a tradition of carving turnips and putting candles in them! The practice is linked to folktale of “Hard Jack, or Stingy Jack” a mean spirited man who managed to trick and beat the devil. When he dies, Heaven and Hell won’t take him. He begs the Devil for something to keep him warm in Limbo, and the devil tosses

When some of our Celtic forefathers (and mothers) move to the slums and tenements of New York, Mischief Night turns deadly in the hands of Irish gangs and local upstanding citizens start organizing Halloween parties as a healthy alternative to raising Heck.

And the Holiday as we know it is born. Some of the other Celtic traditions associated with Halloween are “Snap Apple” attempting to bite an apple

Jack of the Lantern, or “Jack O’ Lantern” (Irish Head Lights!)

Continued to page 26

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Music News & CD Reviews:

The Ne’er Duwels

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

th their recently released, self-titled CD, The Ne’er Duwels transcend the Wiboundaries of Irish music while remaining faithfully connected to its roots.

Band members include well known local Irish singer Ken O’Malley, virtuoso Irish uilleann piper Patrick D’Arcy, multi string instrumentalist/producer Bryan Dobbs and Grammy winning drummer/percussionist Forrest Robinson. The Ne’er Duwels began two years ago when Ken enlisted Bryan and Pat to join him for a weekend of shows in a casino near Las Vegas and it was there that the magic began. Later, Forrest met Ken at one of his solo concerts, another flame was lit and the four became the Ne’er Duwels.

Their debut album features traditional Irish music combined with the lush backing and textures of Bryan’s guitars, locked in by the explosive nature of Forrest’s drumming with Pat’s whistles and pipes hauntingly woven throughout. Ken’s rich voice and solid guitar playing complete the sound that is the Ne’er Duwels. Ann Peck McBride of The Celtic Music Hour on KMUZ in Salem, Oregon calls it “a strong CD with powerful renditions of not only Celtic favorites, but new ones that certainly deserve to be heard”. Guest artists on the album include Brett Anderson, leader of the famous all-female rock ‘n’ roll band The Donnas, local recording artist Hale May, Ken’s daughter Angela O’Malley and Scottish actor/ singer Kevin McKidd notably of television’s “Grey’s Anatomy” fame.

This is an album where traditional Irish music meets modern world sounds and rhythms. There are several original songs as well as some Celtic gems given a new luster and energy as only the Ne’er Duwels can. It is available on their website both as a CD and as an MP3 download:

www.neerduwels.com

The Ne’er Duwels will be performing locally at Muldoon’s in Newport Beach on October 25, The Coffee Gallery in Altadena on November 7 and have just announced a show at Boulevard Music in Culver City on January 30, 2016. More shows to be announced soon; you will find a link to the mailing list here:

http://neerduwels.com/mailing-list

Irish Arts & Entertainment

E Fall 2015 E

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND:

HAGGIS EATING CONTEST Enjoy a Taste of Scotland at Seaside Yes, it seems that many of you couldn’t get enough of Charlie Lamb’s delicious and delectable (and just plain guid!) Scottish Haggis last year so the Seaside Food Court will once again be the location for an “All-You-Can-Eat Haggis Contest!” Drop by Kevin Haggard’s Heritage Meat Pies booth to indicate your eagerness to participate so Kevin will have ample haggis on hand. Hey, last year’s winner Garth McGlasson chowed down about a pound and a half of the stuff before Haggis Master Dennis Strawhun’s timer called a halt to the onslaught! It was a sight to see!! And you need to get your name in early this year for a place at the table! No charge—just that fulfilled feeling. Know what I mean?! See you there at 3:45 pm Saturday only.

Seaside Street Dance Back By Popular Demand!

The Scottish Take on a Flash Mob, more or less!

An

Irish

May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you, and heaven accept you!

On October 10 & 11 2015 @ approximately 1:00 p.m. Sat & 12:30 p.m. Sun (Immediately following the opening ceremonies on Saturday and immediately following the Parade of the Pipe Bands on Sunday.

An exciting Public Participation Invited Activity at the Seaside Highland Games!

The musicians will begin playing “spontaneously” the fiddler, the guitarist, the accordianist, the bodhran player. The core dance group will assemble into 2 circles with the gentlemen on the outside looking in and their lady on the inside facing their partner - out. After approximately X bars the gentlemen will turn their partner all the way around with right hands and then turn their partner all the way around using left hands. Each goaround begins with the gentlemen turning their partner with the right hands followed by turning partners with left hands. Before or during this time new dancers can just walk in with their partner and begin dancing by doing the next steps. It’s as easy as that. Dance Moves and details online: Seaside Park, Ventura CA on Main street in front of the first vendor building.

www.seaside-games.com/streetDance/streetDanceN.php

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

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IN MEMORIUM Robert Hunter

obert Hunter who was R know to many of our readers and members of Southern *Robert “Billy” Hunter was good enough to organize several seminars over the years on James Joyce.

Some of the most well attended were memorable presentations at the LA County Irish Fair in Pomona. Billy enjoyed sharing his passion for Joyce and showing people copies of precious volumes from his amazing collection.*

California’s Irish Community died on September 11, 2015 after a lengthily illness. He was a complex and wonderful human being, yet he was recently summed up quite succulently and poignantly in a Facebook post by a dear mutual friend;

an irony that Luddite Robert Hunter would have appreciated.

Robert Hunter (Billy to his intimates) November 5, 1929 - September 11, 2015 Requiescat in pace, dear King of Curmudgeons, raconteur, longest note-holder at the end of the happy birthday song, learned gentleman and scholar, gourmand, Master Margarita Mixer, bibliophile extraordinaire, Joycean, Shavian, ever-bereft widower of the classiest dame ever, eclectic, eccentric, and larger-than-life Friend. You created a family of friends who will mourn you with a thousand, thousand stories.... and a few might be true. By Maureen O’Connell Reprinted with permission.

However Dear Readers, this is the Irish Arts & Entertainment and as touching and as

wonderful as O’Connell’s tribute to Robert Hunter is; we are not capable or willing to sum up our true to the end friend and mentor so easily or quickly. On a personal note, let me explain that I was in business with and a close friend to Billy for almost 42 years. He was always a great supporter and reader of our paper and we featured him and his Joyce Collection and his roll as co-founder of the James Joyce Colloquium several times over the last twenty years. The late, great Robert Hunter was the epitome of the idea that if you want something done, give it to a busy man. Billy was a diligent and positively driven Sales Manager and Entrepreneur of many talents; chief among them a Motivational Genius. He had Continued on next page

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Irish Arts & Entertainment Continued from previous page the gift and ability to bring out the best in the many hundreds of individuals who worked for his enterprises over the years.

Billy ran large national sales and consulting organizations from the Great Books, Encyclopedia Britannica to MoneyQuest and Cost Segregation Services from HQ offices in New York to Los Angeles and literally hundreds of branches over a fifty-year business career.

Not just business but life it-

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E Fall 2015 E self was a game of numbers to Billy, He firmly believed that the more you try, the more you do; the more you will fail AND succeed. Those he mentored, including me, learned that failure and closed doors always laid bare the path to open doors and success! For that outlook and many more things, I will be forever both in his debt and grateful. I was one of many, another extended family member wrote: “RIP my dear Billy, you sponge of life, learner, mentor, teacher.

My earliest memories had you in it, and when I draw my last

All Joyce First, signed and rare editions!

breath, you will assuredly be there. I cry not for what I have lost, but rather shed tears of joy for what you gave me. Thank you! “ Ray Eliot Kirkhus THE JOYCE CONNECTION Billy was above all else and old school gentleman, a scholar and Joycean. He had been an avid collector of all things by and about James Joyce, his life, times and works for well over sixty years. As a Joyce Collector he was also tireless in his quest for not just every edition, every printing of every title but of everything related to or about James Joyce. He had amassed a huge and diverse collection, one of the largest privately owned trove of First Editions, Signed copies, memorabilia and ephemera related to Joyce in the world. You can see a part of his collection online at:

Bibliophile’s Living Room

Coming Soon...

Our New Digital Magazine

www.joycecollection.com

In another wistful turn of fate, Billy’s ashes are residing in a hand made custom case for a rare edition of Finnegan’s Wake.

Jim McDonough, September 29, 2015

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Thanks to participating advertisers including The Shamrock Irish Pub, O’Brien’s Irish Pub, The Irish Import Shop, Celtic Artist Brian Boylan & many more!

Drawing on October 10, 2015

You can opt out at anytime.

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Irish Arts & Entertainment

Bogside Artists Restoration Project Moving Forward in Ireland “What you didn’t know about The Bogside Artists and were afraid to ask”

R

ecently completed is the Hunger Strike Mural of The Bogside Artists, a pivotal mural in their People’s Gallery of murals situated in The Bogside Area of Derry, Northern Ireland.

The mural depicts Peggy O’Hara mother of Patsy O’Hara and Margaret McCauley sister of Michael Devine. Peggy O’Hara died recently.

Mrs. McCauley died in 2005. Both Patsy and Michael are depicted in the mural.

Michael James "Mickey" Devine (26 May, 1954–20 August, 1981) was a founding member of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). He died in prison during the 1981 Irish hunger strike.

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This mural shows a little girl who is a symbol of the new generation and, above all a symbol of innocence, the central theme of the mural. Please visit our facebook page to learn more about The Bogside Artists.

Patsy O'Hara (11 July 1957 – 21 May 1981[1]) was also a member of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) who also died on hunger strike. They were both from Derry.

The Bogside artists have been restoring their twelve murals for some months thanks to funding from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, that being the only body willing to support them. At home they are marginalized and discriminated against by the ruling Sinn Fein party.

This is largely because the work of the three men is art first and foremost and, as their spokesman explains… “as far removed from propaganda as we can get. Therefore not to the liking of the incumbent die-hard Republicans who have been voted into office. What we tried to do was universalize what would otherwise be seen as a merely parochial conflict. Our understanding was that what we experienced was not confined to Derry or Northern Ireland but could be found elsewhere in the world from Sarajevo to Palestine. A fact all the more true when one considers that the Civil Rights Movement of the late sixties in Northern Ireland had been inspired by Martin Luther King’s heroic march for civil rights for Negroes in America. This was our unique vision. Art is not about the parochial but about the universal. This is the nature of the language of art.

The parochial is still present in it but is transcended by its semantic, universal reach… or does anyone suppose that a toothache in Syria is a different phenomenon from a toothache in New York? Our work is recognized as art of the highest standard by many intelligent people around the world. The Bogside Artists do not fly the flag for Sinn Fein or any other political party. We do not paint propaganda. We leave that to the well-funded and lavishly marketed muralists of Belfast. We are independent and will remain so taking the view that the artist has sold his birthright if he devotes his skill to creating propaganda, or mind persuasion, on behalf of an elite. ”

You can help: Click here for Facebook Link https://www.facebook.com/bogsideartists.derr

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E Fall 2015 E

• Sports • Live Music

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Page 26

Irish Arts & Entertainment

E Fall 2015 E

THE PATRIOT MAID

Halloween

Anon

Continued from page 19

An Irish girl in heart and soul, I love the dear old land; I honour those who in her cause Lift voice or pen or hand.

And may I live to see her free From foreign lord and knave, But Heaven forbid I’d ever be The mother of a slave.

him a burning ember. He can’t carry it in his hands, and so carves out a turnip to carry it in, to find his way. So now the ghostly visage of “Jack of the Lantern” wanders forth on Halloween, trying to find someplace to call home.

When the Irish emigrate to the U.S., they find pumpkins are easily available, and a new American tradition is born. There is some evidence that since the ancient Celtic warriors collected heads, and displayed them, that perhaps there is more to this old tradition than meets the eye.

After all, a carved turnip, with a candle in it, looks eerily like a glowing human skull!

God bless the men who take their stand In Ireland’s patriot host; I’d give the youth my heart and hand Who serves his country most; And if he fell, I’d rather lie Beside him in the grave Than wed a wealthy loon and be The mother of a slave.

Thro’ many a blood-red age of woe Our nation’s heart has bled; But still she makes her tyrants know Her spirit is not dead.

God Bless the men who for her sake Their life and genius gave; God Bless the mothers of those sons, They nursed no dastard slave!

Some on the scaffold place of doom For loving Ireland died: And others to the dungeon-gloom Are torn from our sad side.

But God the just who nee’er designed His image for a slave, Will give our country mind and might And raise the true and brave.

As the Hundredth Anniversary of 1916 draws near, we have been thinking more of Ireland’s struggle. We’ve decided that will be publishing more Irish Poems of Rebellion in coming issues. If you have written one or know of more that we can legally publish; please send them to us. Thanks to our own Patrick Weld who found this Anonymous work in the Irish Reader 1998 and he suggested it for this feature! For SAMHAIN, next issue we have a very spooky poem for you by Greg Patrick, one of our best and most frequent Poetry Corner contributors.

Seaside Continued from page 10 tracks such as ‘21st Century Irish Man’, the group almost reminds me of iconic rock legends such as The Who, albeit with a less stadium-y flare and the unmistakable Irish lead melodies. I particularly enjoy how the band can balance beautiful harmonies and great energy….”

The AnGry Brians®, have played The Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas on St. Patrick’s Day, the UFC Fight Week and the National Finals Rodeo week.

Formed in 2006 and hailing from Bakersfield, CA. the band now plays all over

the Western United States!

The AnGry Brians are: Rich Cheney –guitar/mandolin/ lead vocals. Chelsea Joy – bagpipes/whistles/vocals. Douglas Kirk – bass/vocals. Kathy Ross Sierra – violin/acoustic guitar/vocals. Kyle Appleton – lead guitar. Walter Baldwin – drums.

A Celtic Holiday of our very own!

Unlike St. Patrick’s day when everyone is Irish, few of the millions of Halloween revelers know how AmericanCeltic this holiday really is.

This Halloween, people will use their imaginations, scare each other silly, and feast on way too much candy. And underneath it all are the Celtic traditions that you can now regale your friends with. But as you celebrate your Halloween / Samhain, be careful. The veil between the worlds can be very ragged, and some of our old folktales are lively indeed.

So lively they might want to follow a kindred Celt home!

After all, our hospitality is legendary. Happy Halloween!

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O’Brien Continued from page 19 Business Highlights: After the completion of the senior thesis, O’Brien worked briefly with ISOCOR and Oracle’s Worldwide Translation Group in Dublin which soon led to moving to the US. Says. O’Brien about that period and the ensuing products, “The system I developed made it possible for technology companies to quickly translate code into 49 languages. “I basically developed a dictionary that remembered context so the results could be replicated. Sometimes in different versions, 95% of the translations would be the same and it was very efficient and quick for them to use my software.”

Move to Los Angeles: His next big project was in 1999 with an ex-Aero-space company in El Segundo that produced manufacturing software. He moved then to Los Angeles and took on a performance based contract translating a system with 20 million lines of code to Chinese and Japanese. The end result was a product line that was so successful in Asia that the El Segundo company was acquired by a $55bn corporation, Fujitsu. At 24. O’Brien was made the youngest Director in the newly merged entity.

Financial Consulting: In 2001, O’Brien began a 7 year consulting stint with one of the largest mutual funds in the world with its HQ in downtown L.A. The company managed $1.9 Trillion in assets for 59 million people’s retirement and college plans.

Under O’Brien’s guidance, the system’s efficiency went from 92% to 99.9% resulting in billions of dollars in savings.

2012 to the present: Creation of ScenGen: Walter O’Brien created a scenario generation simulator (ScenGen) used by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Gruman as well as the US Navy’s Command and Control system. This system has been used for the battle in Afghanistan and resulted in the saving of lives of American military members.

ConciergeUp.com:

Most recently according to a joint customer press release, the Scorpion Consulting spin off, ConciergeUp. com which uses Scorpion’s expertise and experience to solve business problems assisted a company called GiBaCon. GiBaCon provides artificial intelligence avatars for tablet computers for seniors and they used ConciergeUp.com to put in place a team to complete a project in 5 weeks that landed the company its first contract with Vodafone for $139 million dollars.

Cast of SCORPION with Walter O’Brien.

Scorpion Computer Services which he founded as a kid in Ireland was a forerunner of the “Geek Squads” of today. Says O’Brien, “I have had Scorpion from the beginning, no matter what, and to this day; it is always a part of what I was doing” Scorpion is evolving, O’Brien now sees it not just a high level consulting group but as a model of a think tank that will solve and assist business and society.

He explained, “Think of it this way, we want to find and concentrate on harnessing genius, to put the best and the brightest people together. So instead of having an underpaid brilliant teacher working alone, an incredibly smart kid (Maybe a hacker) in jail and not understood or a genius misfit in the corporate world; all of them not connected. We connect them with other highly capable individuals and we solve problems. That is my vision of Scorpion.”

SCORPION, the hit CBS Show is based on the precept...

When Failure is Not an Option

O’Brien is also the creator and the Executive Producer of Scorpion which went into its second season on CBS in September. It is a great show with several very positive messages delivered via the sometimes poignant and always entertaining plots. The messages are that every problem has a solution which is a wondrous idea especially with today’s seemingly endless barrages of dismay and failure from the news and most of the dystopia peddled as entertainment.

Another incredible message is taken away by thousands of young smart viewers is that “being smart is cool,”

More online:

www.scorpioncomputerservices.com www.cbs.com/shows/scorpion