IAHC to Dedicate Library

The grand opening of the Irish American Heritage Center’s library will be held from 2-4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11. The library is scheduled to open to the public in January, 2006, housing literature, poetry, Irish language books, reference works and many other publications. For more information, call 773-282-7035.

Mullins Chosen as Saint Charles AOH Irishman of the Year

The Saint Charles Ancient Order of Hibernians has chosen Michael F. Mullins as its Saint Charles Irishman of the Year for 2005. Mullins, organizer of the Mississippi River Celtic Festival, is the second recipient of this award. Last year, the award went to Kevin Kast, retired president of the SSM Hospitals in Saint Charles County.

Some of Mullins’ Irish ancestors came to America as early as the 1700s. His mother was a Mahaffey, and her people hailed from a village on the shore of Lough Erne. Loch Erne is located in the north of Ireland. His maternal grandmother was a McBride from the province of Ulster. Some of his paternal ancestors came to America from Kent England in the mid 1600’s. 

Mullins and his wife, Anna, have lived off Wolfrum Road in Weldon Springs since 1992. They raise a few sheep and cows on their property, and rent land to local farmers. When the Mullinses first moved to Weldon Springs he said, "You could see the Milky Way very clearly, but with urban sprawl it’s getting harder and harder."

While in college, Mullins played highland pipes, with an Irish band called the Shamrock Pipe Band. On a visit to Dublin Ireland in 1965, he first heard the uillean pipes played and fell in love with the sound yet it was another 22 years, however, before he acquire a set of the Irish pipes. 

Mullins now works for a company that manufactures soft indoor play equipment for children. When he has a free moment he is playing the uillean pipes, or organizing the next Mississippi River Celtic Festival, also known as Tionol (pronounced "chun-ALL"). His latest venture is organizing the first St. Charles Irish Heritage Festival (www.failtestcharles.com) which will be held this upcoming September 24th. Jerry Dyer, of the Thistle and Clover on Main Street, is a partner of Mullins’ in bringing this Gaelic cultural undertaking to St. Charles. 

The first Mississippi River Celtic Festival, which I will just refer to as Tionol (an old tradition in which musicians gather for an informal ‘session’, in which they teach each other music and play continuously using a variety of instruments). Mr. Mullins organized the first Tionol one Friday night in 1997 at the now defunct San Patrico’s in Soulard. This was followed the next day by work shops at Washington University in the music department, and it became apparent the participants were too many for the facilities.

This past Tionol which took place with the help of fellow organizer Judy Stein from the Focal Point Traditional Arts Center in Maplewood was held April 8-10th. The festival which now spans three days has work shops for fiddlers, pipers, penny-whistlers, flutists, guitarists, harpist, bodhran players and Irish dancers. Invited teachers and performers come from all over the world to teach and play with fellow musicians. The musicians range in age from 7 to 80 years old. The Saint Louis Tionol has drawn students from as far away as Australia.

What started out as light-hearted craic (the Irish term for laughs) over a few pints at McGurks in Soulard with his fellow piper Michael Cooney, has now become a reality to hundreds of devoted musicians. 

The organizers knew that a Tionol would work in St. Louis from the number of proud Irish-Americans in the area, as well as the invitingly suitable pub-venues. Mullins is quoted as saying "The first year, we did it on a wing and a prayer". He has done a lot to show the talent of the Irish people and their love of music here in the Midwest.

Irish American Heritage Center Holds Afternoon of Irish Poetry 

The Irish American Heritage Center presented An Irish Poetry Reading on Sunday, Sept. 25, featuring the works of Irish poet, Padraic Colum (1881-1972). Tenor Mark Piekarz and Irish-born singer, Maureen O’Shea performed music of the Colum era. 
 

Padraic Colum was born in Co. Longford, Ireland, in 1881 and was a poet of the Irish Literary Revival. He was active in the Irish literary renaissance and helped found the Abbey Theatre. His verse includes Wild Earth (1907), The Story of Lowry Maen (1937), and Collected Poems (1953). He also wrote children’s stories based on Irish folklore. 

The second half of the reading featured The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. Event organizers hopes to spark an interest in young people in Irish literature with the reading. Refreshments will be served. Poetry entries from the Center’s recent poetry contest in May were also read at the event. 

For more information on the poetry event, call the Center at 773-282-7035, ext. 10. 

The Irish American Heritage Center, located at 4626 North Knox, occupies an 86,000 square foot building on Chicago’s northwest side. The Center fosters the practice, study and celebration of Irish, Celtic and Irish-American cultural traditions. Membership in the Center is open to anyone with an interest in these traditions. The IAHC houses a 650-seat theatre, an authentic Irish pub, a Social Center, a museum, dance/music studios and meeting rooms. 

Nash's Reunion Held on Sept. 17

Old friends who frequented Nash’s Irish Castle Pub in Milwaukee held a reunion Sept. 17 at Packy's Pub, 4068 S. Howell Ave. For information, call 414-483-4546. 

A session and dancing was held outside from 4 p.m.-10 p.m., with bands continuing to perform until midnight. Revelers brought instruments and a dish to share. Guest also brought their own chairs for the outside program.

For almost 30 years, from 1970s unitl the early 2000s, Clontarf-natives Kit and Josie Nash held sway at their South Side "snug" at 1328 W Lincoln Ave. Nash’s was a popular place for musicians, politicians, poets and assorted others who appreciated a home away from home. Kit died in 2000 and Josie died in 2002.

Irish Priest Asks ‘Is There a Case for Poetry?’

"To live a human life we need not only sober reason; we need the play of the imagination." So writes the Rev. Paul Murray, O.P., a Catholic priest from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who is the third annual Joseph and Edith Habiger Artist-in-Residence at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.. 

In late September,Murray presented a lecture, "Is There a Case for Poetry?" in O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium on St. Thomas’ St. Paul campus. 

In his lecture, Murray pondered whether a university environment is the "natural place" to appreciate poetry: "How is it," he asked, "that a poem, even a modest poem, can communicate a magic which no academic lecture, however profound, can ever give us? Are poets and scholars natural enemies?" Appropriately not. 

Murray, a professor of spiritual theology and the literature of the Christian spiritual tradition at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, is the author of three collections of poetry: Ritual Poems (Dublin: New Writers Press, 1971); Rites and Meditations (Dublin: Dolmen Press, 1982), and The Absent Fountain (Dublin: Dedalus Press, 1991). 

His other books include The Mysticism Debate (Chicago, Herald Press, 1977), T.S. Eliot and Mysticism (Macmillan, 1991), and A Journey With Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment (Dublin, Columba Press, 2002). He has a doctorate from University College, Dublin, and has lectured widely in Ireland, South Africa, India, Lebanon, England and the United States. 

Murray’s lecture was sponsored by St. Thomas’ Center for Catholic Studies. 

2005 Irish Fest Contest/Scholarship Winners Announced

Music Scholarship Winner: 
Patrick Roe, Milwaukee. 

Roe began playing bodhran about 10 years ago at the Irish Fest Summer School. He has played with many bands in the Milwaukee area and for the last two years has taught at the Irish Fest School of Music and the Irish Fest Summer School. 

Academic Volunteer Scholarship Awards: 
Kristin Burke, Kevin Duffey, Brigid Hamill, Laura Kendellen, and Tim Russell 

Waltons Song-Writing Contest: 
1st Place - Melissa Schmidt, Spring Valley MN for The Fool's Hornpipe 
2nd Place [tie]- Sean Sutherland & James O'Dowd, Blacksburg VA for The Golden Token 
2nd Place [tie]- Kim McKee, Colorado Springs CO for Aghadoe
3rd Place - Kevin Fox of East Greenwich, RI for Ships Sailed Away 
Honorable Mention - Mary Buckley-Clarke & Cliff Wedgbury, Cork Eire for Angelus on 57th Street 
Honorable Mention - Sheri O'Meara, Maple Grove MN for Laughlin's Crossing 

Irish Treasure Hunt: 
1st Place - Carol Poth 
2nd Place - Jeanne Peboda 
3rd Place - Gail Barrett 

Irish Baking Contest :
CATEGORIES

• Traditional Irish Breads - 1st Sharon Duffy, 2nd Mary Halloran-Trenkl, 3rd Lisa Brennan 
• Yeast Breads - 1st Lois Tongard, 2nd Lois Grady, 3rd Sr Mary Ellen Paulson 
• Sweet Yeast Breads - 1st Sue Urbaniak, 2nd Dale Darnell, 3rd Lois Tongrad 
• Quick Breads - 1st Dee Marczewski, 2nd Sharon Finlon, 3rd Catherine McWilliams 
• Biscuits and Scones - 1st Cheryl Killen, 2nd Tony Schiro, 3rd Sharon Finlon 

Photography Contest Winners:
EVENTS:
1. Scott Latus, Milwaukee WI
2. Diana Stroud, Milwaukee WI
3. Margaret M. Farrell, Milwaukee WI

PEOPLE:
1. Kelly Manion, Milwaukee WI
2. Linda O'Connell, Saukville WI
3. Trish Johnson, Brookfield WI

MUSICIANS/OTHER ENTERTAINERS:
1. Linda O'Connell, Saukville WI 
2. Stephanie Govin-Matzat, Milwaukee WI
3. Sheila Leary, Madison WI

IRELAND:
1. Maureen Kane, Chicago IL
2. Dave Wesolowski, New Berlin WI
3. Francis Coffey, Appleton WI 

Children's Red Hair Contest Winners:
1st Place 0-4 Katie Antkowski, Milwaukee WI
2nd Place 0-4 Bryce Sekey, Burlington WI
3rd Place 0-4 Matthew Vogt, sugar Grove, IL

1st Place 5-8 tie: Erin Breese and Aliyah Abdul-Muhyi 
2nd Place 5-8 Rowan Koll, Whitefish Bay WI
3rd Place 5-8 Kelly Carlson, EauClaire WI 

Photo Contest Winner:
1st Place 9-12 Isabel Seidel, Hartland WI
2nd Place 9-12 Ryan Carlson, EauClaire WI
3rd Place 9-12 Cecilia Skelton, Waukesha WI

Children's Freckle Contest Winners:
1st Place 0-6 Hugh O'Brian 
2nd Place 0-6 John Baylor
3rd Place 0-6 Molly Babcock 

1st Place 7- 9 Megan Bradford 
2nd Place7- 9 Laura Kevil 
3rd Place 7-9 Stephanie BrillI

1st Place 10-13 Brendan Burke 
2nd Place 10-13 Anya Folsom 
3rd Place 10-13 Katie Tolan 

American Sheet Music Festival Held Oct.14-15, 2005

The 2005 American Sheet Music Festival was held Oct.14-15, 2005, at the 
Ward Irish Music Archives, Milwaukee, Wis. This year’s program included more sellers, a reception and special informal "My Favorite Music" session on Friday (participants need to bring their sheet music), sheet music appraisals, opportunities to buy, sell and trade with the top collectors in the country and educational seminars.

Special guests included Donald J. Stubblebine, of Philadelphia, has been collecting sheet music for over 25 years and has one of the largest private collections in the country. Stubblebine has published four reference books, Cinema Sheet Music, Broadway Sheet Music, British Cinema Sheet Music and Broadway Sheet Music – The Early Years 1843 to 1918. Stubblebine’s music research business supplies hard-to-find songs to singers, performers and theater companies. He is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business of the Uninversity of Pennsylvania and retired after 40 years as controller of the Chilton Publishing Co.

Sandy Marrone of Cinnaminson, N.J., is widely recognized as one of the top sheet music collectors and authorities in the US. She writes, appraises and advises on the subject. A frequent speaker and author on sheet music collecting issues, Marrone presents sessions on a multitude of interesting topics using many rare and interesting pieces from her collection of more than 200,000 pieces. Marrone made her second appearance at the Sheet Music Festival and addressed issues of sheet music pricing and valuation.

John Ritchie of Portland, Ore., is a retired public school teacher, a well-known collector and dealer and a leading expert on rock & roll sheet music. His passion for ‘50s and ‘60s rock & roll records led him to start collecting rock & roll sheet music. He co-authored with John Teel Rock & Roll Sheet Music – A Reference and Price Guide to the Golden Age of Rock & Roll – The ‘50s and Early ‘60s. Another of Ritchie’s passions is Western movies and TV-related music from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. He searches the world to find the rarest sheet music and is connected to dozens of collectors and dealers worldwide. 

Neil Jordan, Jim Sheridan & David Holmes to be Honored in Hollywood
 

Neil Jordan, Jim Sheridan and David Holmes will be honored at a Hollywood event in March, in a program entitled "Oscar Wilde: Honoring Irish Writing in Film."  The event, hosted by the US-Ireland Alliance just days before the awards ceremony involving another Oscar. Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook, Colin Farrell, Anjelica Huston, Cillian Murphy, Fionnuala Flanagan, and Brenda Fricker are among those that plan to attend the event, which will include the who’s who of Irish and Irish-Americans working in the international film industry.

Trina Vargo, president of the US-Ireland Alliance, said that the event is envisioned as an annual occurrence which will "honor the craft of writing and expand the existing ties between the entertainment industries in the US and Ireland, particularly in film production, gaming, music and animation."

Leading sponsors of the event include American Airlines, The Irish Film Board, Tourism Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. Neil Jordan has just completed filming Breakfast on Pluto starring Cillian Murphy, and Liam Neeson. Jordan wrote the screenplay with the book’s author Pat McCabe and the film is expected to be released later this year. In 1992, Jordan wrote and directed The Crying Game, which was nominated for six Academy Awards. He won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for that film. Other screenplays written by Mr. Jordan include The Good Thief, The End of the Affair, In Dreams, The Butcher Boy and Michael Collins.

Jim Sheridan is currently completing work on Get Rich or Die Tryin’ starring rapper 50 Cent. The film will be released later this year. In 2002, Mr. Sheridan wrote and directed the semi-autobiographical In America. He also wrote and directed The Boxer, In the Name of the Father, The Field, and My Left Foot and wrote Into the West and Some Mother’s Son. Jim’s films have garnered 16 Academy Award nominations and have
won two Academy Awards, as well as numerous prestigious international awards.

Music producer David Holmes wrote the scores for Steven Soderbergh films Out of Sight and Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Twelve. He also wrote the scores for Resurrection Man, Code 46 and Stander. He began his music career as a DJ and house mixer in Belfast, including at the legendary Sugarsweet Club. His albums include: Come Get It, I
Got It, Bow Down to the Exit Sign, Let’s Get Killed, and This Film's Crap Let's Slash The Seats. Most recently, he produced the soundtrack for the independent film, The War Within, which debuts in the Toronto film festival this month. 

John O’Donoghue, Ireland’s Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism welcomed the event: "I am delighted that The Irish Film Board and Tourism Ireland, both bodies under my Department's aegis, are co-sponsors of this event. The US market is of prime importance to Ireland's tourism and film industries. Large numbers of American tourists visit our country every year because of seeing positive images of Ireland on screens large and small. This is a wonderful opportunity to promote Ireland as the best place in the world to make films or take a vacation. We look forward to honouring the unique contribution that Jim Sheridan, Neil Jordan and David Holmes have made to the film business at the highest international level."
The event will be held at the Ebell, a 75,000 square foot Italian Renaissance building in Los Angeles. Vargo noted, "the Ebell is the perfect venue to hold what will be a casual, fun, Irish party." The guest list will be limited to less than 500 people and the ‘invite only’ admittance promises to be one of the hot tickets in Hollywood. In addition to the honorees, the guest list will include entertainment industry executives from the US and
Ireland, including actors, actresses, directors and producers, as well as gaming and IT executives involved in the film industry.

The US-Ireland Alliance is a non-partisan, non-profit organization established in 1998 by Trina Vargo, former foreign policy adviser to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The Alliance is best known for establishing the George J. Mitchell Scholarships. A nationwide competition is held annually in the US to send an average of 12 future American leaders to Ireland for a year of post-graduate study. 

Only six years old, the scholarships are already established as one of the most prestigious in the US, with applicants dropping out of the long-established Rhodes and Marshall competitions to pursue the Mitchell. The Alliance also hosts an annual golf tournament at the K Club (site of the 2006 Ryder Cup) to introduce US executives to Ireland. Following
Sept. 11, the Alliance initiated the ‘Innisfree’ program and sent to Ireland for a respite, the families of the firefighters and police officers who died in New York. The Alliance has also teamed up with Microsoft to take members of the Congress to Ireland.

Midwestirishradio Continuing to Make Small World Even Smaller 

Ireland’s only dedicated Internet radio station has been joined by presenter Úna has joined the team and will broadcast a nightly three-hour show from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Irish time, Monday to Friday. 

Flanagan was brought up in Limerick but her roots hail from Mayo. She began her career as a nighttime presenter with Radio Kerry and has since racked up an impressive amount of broadcasting experience. Her unique and friendly personality is guaranteed to be a big hit with listeners all over the globe. 

Of her appointment, Flanagan said, "I am really excited about all the possibilities that Internet radio presents and I am really looking forward to settling in and getting to know the Irish listeners all over the world".

Midwestirishradio was launched in May 2005. With the announcement of Flanagan’s appointment, the station now is live for 14 hours of every day, with a repeat of its most popular shows nightly for listeners in different time zones. 

Chief executive Paul Claffey said, "We always knew there is a huge market out there that nobody is catering for, we are providing a service that is unavailable to people around the world, a dedicated stand alone station for Irish people and the lovers of all things Irish around the world. The response has been phenomenal since our launch which tell us we are on the right track." 

Midwestirishradio will broadcast live and exclusively to listeners on line from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. Irish time every weekday Irish time. For any further information, contact Keith Fahey 00353 94 96 31720 or keith@mnwr.ie.

Irish Heritage Singers Present Solstice/Grianstad for Winter Concert

The Irish Heritage Singers will kick off the winter season with a concert in December. The concert, titled "Solstice/Grianstad" will take place on 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3 at in the Irish American Heritage Center Theatre, Chicago. The program will consist of traditional Christmas music as well as music devoted to the changing of the season; the winter solstice, which was so important to the ancient Celts. 

The Singers will be joined by guest musicians, including students from Noel Rice’s Academy of Irish Music and members of the Normennenes Singing Society. The Normennenes is a Norwegian men’s chorus, celebrating its 135th year. Their new director, Chuck Kessell, also directs the Irish Heritage Singers and shares a common heritage with both groups.

The Irish Heritage Singers, under the direction of Kessell, are the Irish American Heritage Center's resident choir. The Singers have distinguished themselves throughout the Midwest by performing and expanding the great Irish and Irish American vocal tradition. Their performances have been as distant as Sligo, Ireland and as local as Celtic Fest Chicago and have included performing for two Presidents of Ireland as well as senior citizens in Evanston.

Tickets are $12 for Center members and if purchased in advance and $15.00 at the door. Refreshments will be available in the Fifth Province before the show and during intermission. 
To purchase tickets, call the Center office at 773-282-7035, ext. 10.

The Irish American Heritage Center, located at 4626 N. Knox, occupies an 86,000 square foot building on Chicago’s northwest side. The Center fosters the practice, study and celebration of Irish, Celtic and Irish-American cultural traditions. Membership in the Center is open to anyone with an interest in these traditions. The IAHC houses a 650-seat theatre, an authentic Irish pub, a Social Center, a museum, dance/music studios and meeting rooms.