Milwaukee Irish Fest - Aug. 17 - 20, 2006

Milwaukee Irish Fest offers a taste of Ireland featuring music, dance, song, sports, genealogy, poetry, and culture. But while the festival lasts only four days each year, the commitment to promote and preserve Irish culture throughout the year has earned Milwaukee Irish Fest national and worldwide acclaim. Come see to Milwaukee, August 17 - 20, 2006. 

Nova Scotia Showcase

Milwaukee Irish Fest announces a partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage to bring eight artists to Milwaukee. Nova Scotia, and particularly Cape Breton, is world-renowned for its musicians, singers and songwriters. In addition to performing on their own, eight of the top artists will participate each day in a traditional "Nova Scotia Kitchen Party" where they are featured in one show. Canadian tourism officials will also be available to discuss travel in Nova Scotia.

Among the performers:

* Academy of Irish Music
* Athas
* Atlantic Wave 
* Baal Tinne
* Bantry Bay 
* Barry Dodd 
* Blackthorn
* Blarney
* Bridies
* Cashel-Dennehy Dancers 
* Ce
* Celia Farran
* Celtic Keep
* Ceol Cairde 
* Colin O'Brien
* Cream City Ceili Band 
* Curtis Crossroads 
* Danny Doyle
* Dave Rowe Trio 
* David Munnelly Band
* Different Drums of Ireland
* Eidir
* The Elders
* Enter the Haggis
* Finbar MacCarthy
* Fiona Molloy 
* Frogwater
* The Fuchsia Band
* Gan Bua 
* Gaelic Storm
* Gavin Coyle 
* The Gleasons
* Glencastle Irish Dancers 
* Gráda
* Green Side Up 
* Green Tea
* Ian Gould
* Irish Fest School of Music 
* Irish Rovers
* Jeff Ward Band
* John McGivern 
* Irish Fest Choir 
 

* Kinsella Irish Dance Academy
* Last Gaspe'
* Leahy's Luck 
* Le Vent du Nord 
* Makem & Spain Brothers
* McMenamin Irish Dance Academy
* Michael O Suilleabhain & Mel Mercier
* Public House Ceili Band 
* Quagmyre
* Ragus
* Reilly
* Richard Thompson 
* Rira
* Rose Laughlin
* Scythian
* Sliabh Notes
* Steel Bonnets 
* Stone Ring
* Tea Merchants
* Theiss & O'Connor
* 3 Pints Gone
* The Tinker Boys 
* Tom O'Sullivan
* Tom Sweeney
* Tommy Makem
* Trinity Irish Dancers 
* U2Zoo
* The Young Dubliners 
* The "Nova Scotia Kitchen Party" featuring at different times:
Buddy MacDonald
Dave MacIsaac 
Beolach
Mary Jane Lamond
Dave MacIsaac 
Jerry Holland
Dave Gunning
The Cottars
J P Cormier 

Hedge School Schedule (south end of grounds 

Friday, Aug. 18

4:30 Mick Gleason,. Green Bay detective novelist
4:45 David Quinn. An Irish Settler in the Wild West
5:30 Malachy McCourt. An Irishman’s Tales
6:30 Irish Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv, Looking to Ireland’s Future
7:15 Susan Firer, featured Irish Fest poet
7:30 Tommy Graham, Turning Points in Irish History
8:30 Christine Hamlin, Celtic Migrations: The Genetic Evidence

Saturday, Aug. 19

12:15 Susan Firer, featured Irish Fest poet
12:30 Dennis McBride, The American Fenian Invasion of Canada
1:15 Mick Gleason, Green Bay detective novelist
1:30 Christine Hamlin. Celtic Migrations: The Genetic Evidence
2:30 David Quinn, An Irish Settler in the Wild West
3:30 Ed Ward & Mart Hintz,. The Founding & Flowering of Irish Fest
4:15 John O’Brien., writer
4:30 John Fitzgerald. The Emerald Diamond: Irish National Baseball Team
5:15 Tom Sweeney, book on Irish music
5:30 Tommy Graham, Turning Points in Irish History.
6:30 Nancy Madden Walczyk, Bite Me! Vampires in Irish Literature
7:30 Simon O’Dwyer, Pre-historic Irish Musical Instruments
8:30 Malachy McCourt, An Irishman’s Tales

For more information: 
Milwaukee Irish Festivals, Inc.
1532 Wauwatosa Ave. [North 76 St.]
Milwaukee, WI 53213-2623
Phone (414) 476-3378 Fax (414) 476-7712
ifest@execpc.com
http://www.irishfest.com

Celtic Fest Chicago

Grant Park
300 S. Columbus Drive

The 10th annual salute to Celtic music, dance and traditions features live entertainment, beer, food, arts and crafts vendors and more. Headliners include La Bottine Souriante and Kornog on Saturday and Natalie MacMaster and Bangor Male Voice Choir on Sunday. 

Sep. 16: 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 
Sep. 17: 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 

Price: Free.
Phone: 312-744-3315
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city

There are nine stages at Celtic Fest, as well as additional entertainment areas. 

The Petrillo Music Shell: National and International performers will gather to offer an amazing variety of traditional and cutting edge Celtic music. 

The Celtic Crossroads Stage: Celtic musical acts from Chicago and around the world present their music in a more intimate setting. 

The Next Generation Tent: Afternoon gatherings will feature young musicians who are keeping Celtic music alive and well. The evenings will showcase performances by established acts. 

Dance Stage: Chicago’s top dance groups and schools will perform a wide range of Celtic dance forms, ranging from Scottish Highland dancing to Irish step dancing. 

The Celtic Voice Tent: A celebration of the Celtic voice through poetry, storytelling and song. 

Harp Tent: Devoted to the Celtic harp, the Harp Tent will showcase the talents of professionals and students. 

Uillean Pipe Tionol: A gathering of Uilleann pipers, featuring special piping performances on Ireland’s native bagpipe. 

Ceili Dance Tent: Featuring music by local Celtic musicians, the tent will offer ceili dance demonstrations (or Irish social dancing) with instructors and open dance sessions. 

Evening Showcase: Starting at 5 p.m, the Uilleann Pipe Tionol becomes the Evening Showcase with an exciting line-up of entertainers. 

The Gathering: An informal meeting place where you can get up close and personal with the performers. Dancing is encouraged. Performances run in the evening 6-9 p.m. 

Bagpipe Circle: Bands from the Chicagoland area will gather to play a medley of marches, reels, jigs, hornpipes, waltzes and airs in the North Rose Garden. Don’t miss the daily bagpipe parade around the festival grounds. 

Celtic Kids’ Oasis: An interactive area for kids of all ages featuring miniature golf, face painting, a climbing wall and a pop-a-shot game. 

Art Fair: Celtic artists will display and sell their original hand-made creations, expressing the diversity of Celtic culture in media ranging from metals to paints to jewelry. 

IAHC Fifth Province Lounge Acts Announced

The best in live Irish music can be found every Friday and Saturday night at the Fifth Province at the Irish American Heritage Center. All shows
begin after 9 p.m. There’s no cover charge, plenty of free parking and pub food available from 6-10 p.m. The IAHC is located at 4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630. For more information on IAHC events, call 773-282-7035 or visit its website at www.irishamhc.com

Friday, 9/1-Ceili Dancing with the Francis O’Neill Band

Friday, 9/8-The Ploughboys

Saturday, 9/9-Donofinn

Friday, 9/15-Joe McShane

Saturday, 9/16-Tony Leonard and His Band

Friday, 9/22-Seamus O’Kane and Jimmy Moore

Saturday, 9/23-The Dooley Brothers

Friday, 9/29-Velvet Green

Saturday, 9/30-Mulligan Stew
 

Belfast's Oppenheimer Hits the Road 

http://www.myspace.com/oppenheimer

"…some fantastic summer listening" -Music For Robots

Since touching the hearts and minds of the many SXSW-goers, Oppenheimer has been across the pond playing for packed houses and on the radio (#37 early in August on CMJ chart) with their delightfully sun-soaked electro-pop. 

The duo from Belfast is trekking through the eastern half of North America in support of it self-titled album out now on Bar/None Records. Check the myspace page to find out what the kids in the UK are saying about this dynamic live set.

And if that's not enough they have a new video out for their song "Breakfast In NYC," you can find it on their myspace page as well, http://www.myspace.com/oppenheimer, not to mention, right here. 

Link directly to the video: 
http://fartingdogproductions.com/oppenheimer.htm
 

Oppenheimer US dates

8/3 Philadelphia – Khyber Pass
8/4 NYC – South Street Seaport w/Hot Chip
8/5 Park Slope, NY – Union Hall (Rocky’s birthday) 
8/6 Norfolk, VA – Relative Theory
8/8 Chapel Hill, – Local 506
8/9 Raleigh – Bickett Gallery
8/10 Atlanta – Drunken Unicorn
8/11 Nashville – The Basement
8/12 Louisville – The Rudyard Kipling
8/13 Columbus – High Five
8/14 Cleveland – Beachland Ballroom
8/15 Chicago – Beat Kitchen w/ The Like Young
8/16 Detroit – Lager House w/ Canada
8/17 Cincinnati – Comet Bar
8/18 Pittsburgh – Garfield Artworks
8/19 Wilmington – Mojo 13
8/20 Boston – Great Scott
8/21 NYC – Pianos
8/22 Washington DC – DC9
8/24 Toronto – Sneaky Dee’s
8/25 Ottawa – Zaphod Beeblebrox
8/26 Montreal
 

IAHC Hosts Course on Northern Ireland History

The Irish American Heritage Center is pleased to offer a class for adults on the history of Northern Ireland this fall. The 13-week class, The History of Northern Ireland, will be taught by Laura Weinstein. 

Weinstein holds a BA in European History from Northwestern University and an MA in Irish Politics from Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is currently working on a PhD in European History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her undergraduate thesis was on Sinn Fein and the IRA and her master’s thesis was on Irish republican women. 

The History of Northern Ireland runs on Saturday afternoons from Sept. 9-Dec. 16 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. There will be no class on Thanksgiving weekend. Tuition for the course is $125 and class size is limited to 25 students. Registration is required and class slots can be held by calling the IAHC office at 773-282-7035, ext. 10; or visit www.irishamhc.com. 

Irish Set Golf Outing

The Irish American Heritage Center will hold its 17h Annual Irish American Heritage Center Golf Open on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006, at Fresh Meadow Golf Course in Hillside, Ill. The event is open to all. 

The golf open is shotgun scramble style, with a noon start. The fee is $100 and includes lunch and dinner at the course, greens fees, a golf cart and open bar. Proceed from the day will benefit the IAHC. 

For more information, contact Alan Duggan at 312-401-2603 or Maureen O"Looney at 773-286-6866 or the IAHC at 773-282-7035, ext. 10.

If you have events that you would like publicized, please send them along. We will include them here and in our calendar of events at 
http://shamrockclubwis.com/page5.html/

Milwaukee Shamrock Club Chapter News
On July 29, the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin Milwaukee held its picnic will at Sacred Heart Church. The Tinker Boys, Glencastle Irish Dancers, Atlantic Wave, SCCGPD and Milwaukee Fire and Police pipe bands provided entertainment. 

The Shamrock Club monthly meetings are at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, except for the November meeting. Meetings start at 7 p.m. most months, and are always free and open to the public. 

The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin Annual Family Best Ball Golf and Dinner Outing will take place on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2006, at the Edgewater Golf Club, 1762 W. Cedar Creek Rd., Grafton. There will be Door Prizes, a Putting Contest, and other events too numerous to mention. Golf will begin at 1 p.m.., Carts Included. Cocktail Hour: 4:30-5:30, Buffet Dinner: 5:30-7:00. You will be notified of your Tee Time Aug.19-22. Golf and dinner is $40, golf is $22, and if you are just coming for the dinner, it is $18. Easy Day of Golf. Download and signup to play and eat.
http://shamrockclubwis.com/page200_files/06julygolf.pdf

The Green Bay chapter's next meeting is Sunday, Sept. 17t at St. 
Brendan's Inn. It will be a Special Event - 1/2 Way to St. Patrick's Day Celebration.

LaFayette County's Aug. 13 meeting will be at Annie's in Darlington. Its club picnic was held Aug. 5at the park next to the public pool in 
Darlington. 

The Rock County Chapter will be off for the summer, until the chapter picnic Aug.15. the Club Picnic will be held at the home of David and Sally Churchill at 2347 South Emerald Grove Rd. Take Hwy 14. east out of Janesville to South Emerald Grove Road. Turn right, the Churchill home is the first house past Cecilia's Golf Course. The Club is furnishing the food and beverages. Dinner starts at 6 pm. Regular meetings will start again September at the Janesville Senior Center.

The Shamrock Club State Advisory Board will be meeting at Irish Fest on Sunday, Aug. 20. All of the chapters will be represented at this meeting.

At the club's Sept. 7 meeting, Milwaukee author Dennis McBride will talk about the "Irish Roots of Modern Terrorism." He will review the way modern terrorists have based their setup on the base that Michael Collins developed in the early 1900's. 

At the October 5 meeting, Irish born poet James Liddy will be presenting portions of his new book, On the Raft with Friar Roselip, poems by James Liddy. James was also the focus of a new book, James Liddy, A Critical Study, by Brian Arkins. James was the head of the Shamrock Club's UWM scholarship committee for many years.

In November, the Shamrock Club moves to the Irish Fest Center, 1532 N. Wauwatosa Ave., for its annual Irish Fest meeting. Kaitlin Hahn and members of the Irish Fest School of Music will be providing entertainment.

On Dec. 7, the annual Christmas party will take place at the ICHC, starting at 6 p.m. More details will be released later.

In February, John Gleeson will return with a new topic. His yearly addresses are always popular.

For more information on the Shamrock Club, please go to http://shamrockclubwis.com There you will be able to find calendars on Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Midwestern Irish Events. If you wish to join, you can find information and download an application form. We also have a 24 hour Irish Activity line, 414-77-Irish (774-7474.)

http://shamrockclubwis.com/page200_files/06julygolf.pdf

Eileen O'Leary Stein recently died. Under the name "Irish", she was a
mainstay in the entertainment community of Milwaukee for decades. An imposing presence, Irish O'Leary sat at her piano, sang ballads, asked forrequests, and occasionally got cranky if asked to sing the same song too many times in a night. And for the longest time she was the greatest proponent of Irish music in this area. For better or worse, she kept Irish music going in this city. Fifty plus years after her debut, all one has to do to see how far we have grown musically and culturally is look down the calendar page of this email. There is more Irish music and dance in the month of July than there was in the entire year in 1960. Someone had to make it happen. Others had to come after to make it greater.

Goodbye, Irish. Hope it is a grand piano they give you up there.

Micheal O'Domhnaill

The Irish music world is lessened by the death on Sunday of Micheal
O'Domhnaill at his home in Dublin. In a message from John O'Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, he expressed his sadness at the sudden death of "renowned musician Micheal O'Domhnaill. A native of Co Meath and with family roots in Donegal, Micheal had a glittering career as a member of Skaru Brae and later The Bothy Band as well as being the presenter of the first series of "The Long Note" on RTE. 

Minister O'Donoghue said "Micheal O'Domhnaill was one of Ireland's most gifted and well loved musicians. His contribution to the world of traditional and folk music was enormous. His passing is a great loss and he will be sadly missed."

Micheal, (pronounced 'Mee-hall'), was born in Kells, Co Meath, to a Donegal family. He grew up in an Irish speaking household, and his and his sisters, Trioa and Mairead's, journeys to the Rosses in Donegal for the annual Irish language classes helped to spark a musical interest for the siblings. There they met Daithi Sproule, a Derry native, and the band Skara Brae took off. Most of the songs were in Irish, and the vocals and harmonies were polished. And the rest was musical history.

Afterwards came the Bothy Band, which was said to be a rock and roll band in trad clothes. Following loosely in the footsteps of Planxty and Na Fili, the Bothy Band created raucous rhythms and dynamic vocals on their own terms. With Paddy Keenan, Matt Malloy, Kevin Burke, Triona Ni Dohmnaill, and Donal Lunny, Micheal blazed new trails for the music. Some say they altered traditional music forever. 

And they did, as many newer bands would emulate the speed and decibel levels, without looking at the fact that all of these people were steeped very much in the music. The fact that the Bothy Band lasted for as long as it did was amazing, considering the egos involved, and the competitiveness on stage during solos. But this band resonates in the world three decades after its founding.

After the breakup in 1979, Kevin and Micheal toured together. They played the first two Irish Fests, and for those who would walk by the Miller Stage and hear Micheal singing in Irish and Kevin's fiddle adding to the often plantive sounds, it was an eye opening experience for those only familiar
with the Clancy Brothers style of music. Later, he and sister Triona started Puck Fair, a jazz-oriented quartet, then joined with brothers Phil and Johnny Cunningham to form Relativity. Two albums of exquisite quality resulted. Later Johnny would start the new-agey Nightnoise with Micheal and Triona on the Windham Hill label.

At the 1981 Irish Fest, Micheal and Kevin would complain to festival founder Ed Ward that traditional music had no home in Ireland, and that all the ballad and rebel bands were what Americans associated with Irish music. The two musicians were living in Portland, Oregon, at the time, not finding music to be a paying proposition for them. Somehow, it did, and had Micheal set the standard extremely high for those who would follow him. His guitar stylings are still the base for most traditional musicians. Thequality of the music produced by him, in whatever venue he chose, was amazingly great.

Details are sparse as to what the cause of death was. He was 54.
http://www.ceolas.org/artists/Bothy_Band

***************

INTO THE FUTURE

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ICHC Concert Schedule
Halfway to St Patrick's Day Celebration - September 16
Blood or Whiskey - September 17
Liz Carroll and John Doyle — September 30
Fenians — October 21
Celtic Fiddle Festival — November 11
The Crossing's Christmas Show - December 15
http://www.ichc.net

Gaelic Storm
August 10 — Bayfield — Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua
August 16 — Tosa Tonight; Hoyt Park; 7 p.m.
August 17-20 — Milwaukee Irish Fest
November 8 — EAU CLAIRE — State Theatre; 7:30 p.m.
November 9 — MADISON — Barrymore Theatre; 7:30 p.m.
http://www.gaelicstorm.com

Brother — August 9 ; River Rhythms; 7 p.m.; Marquette Park

Different Drums of Ireland — August 16; Boerner Botanical Gardens; Whitnall Park; 7 p.m.

The Bridies — August 23; Milwaukee RiverWalk District Night; time tba

La Crosse Irish Fest — August 11-13 - La Crosse Festival Grounds; Gaelic Storm, Liam Clancy, Erin Rogue, The Kissers, Seven Nations , Amadans, Larkin and Moran Brothers, 9 Yards; Southside Festival Grounds
http://www.irishfestlax.org

Milwaukee Irish Fest — August 17-20 —; Henry Maier Festival Grounds;
Academy of Irish Music; Athas; Atlantic Wave; Baal Tinne Bantry Bay; Barry Dodd; Blackthorn; Blarney; Bridies; Cashel-Dennehy Dancers; Celia Farran; Celtic Keep; Ceol Cairde; Colin O'Brien; Curtis Crossroads; Danny Doyle; Dave Rowe Trio; David Munnelly Band; Different Drums of Ireland; Eidir; The Elders; Enter the Haggis; Finbar MacCarthy; Fiona Molloy; Frogwater; The Fuchsia Band; Gan Bua; Gaelic Storm; The Gleasons; Glencastle Irish Dancers; Gráda; Green Side Up; Green Tea;Ian Gould; Irish Fest School of Music; Irish Rovers; Jeff Ward Band; John McGivern Irish Fest Choir; Kinsella Irish Dance Academy; Last Gaspe'; Leahy's Luck; Le Vent du Nord; Makem & Spain Brothers; McMenamin Irish Dance Academy; Michael O Suilleabhain & Mel Mercier; Tom O'Sullivan; Public House Ceili Band; Quagmyre; Reilly; Rira; Scythian; Sliabh Notes; Steel Bonnets; Stone Ring; Theiss & O'Connor; 3 Pints Gone; Tom Sweeney; Tommy Makem; Trinity Irish Dancers; U2Zoo; The Young Dubliners; The "Nova Scotia Kitchen Party" featuring: Buddy MacDonald, Beolach, Mary Jane Lamond, Jerry Holland, Dave Gunning, The Cottars, and J P Cormier
http://irishfest.com

Schooner Fare
November 18 — ICHC; 8 p.m.

Ongoing Events

For a listing of ongoing events, please visit our calendar pages.
Our electronic Milwaukee Calendar of events is at 
http://shamrockclubwis.com/page5.html
Our state calendar of events at http://shamrockclubwis.com/page65.html
Our Midwestern Calendar is at http://shamrockclubwis.com/midwest.html
Or call our 24 hour hotline of Milwaukee Irish events, at 414-77-Irish.

For another listing of events and locations, try CTYMurph at 
http://www.ctymurph.com/
For Madison and environs - Try the Celtic Community Center - 
http://www.celticmadison.org/
And for Illinois, try Stress Cafe at 
http://www.stresscafe.com/music/givealisten/current.html

And for Irish-American news, go to http://www.irishamericanpost.com for The Irish American Post, or http://www.irishamericannews.com for the Irish American News. 

The Wisconsin Irish Week is sent out each week by the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin. If you want to pass on a happy remark, please write to the shamrockclubwisco@hotmail.com. Shamrock Club of Wisconsin http://shamrockclubwis.com

Milwaukee AOH Irish Mass of Remembrance at St. Rose, Oct. 7

Mass followed by The William Ryan Drew Scholarship Spaghetti Dinner. Proceeds provided to St. Rose Catholic Urban Academy, Nativity Jesuit Middle School, Notre Dame Middle School and local Irish cultural activities. 

Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006 4:30 p.m. at St. Rose of Lima Church – 30th and Michigan streets, Milwaukee; Celebrants: Rev. William J. Kelly S.J and Rev. Dennis J. Lewis, Pastor

Featuring: the Irish Fest Choir for Peace and Justice, Knights of Columbus and the Shamrock Club Color Guard Pipes and Drums.

The William F. O’Donnell Civic Achievement Award will also be given at the mass.

4:00 pm program: District Atty E. Michael McCann will speaker - "38 years as the District Attorney of Milwaukee County".

Following the mass all are invited to the William Ryan Drew Spaghetti Dinner. Doors open at 5:00 pm in the St. Rose Gym adjacent to the church. Tickets are $7.00 (half price for kids) and can be purchased at the door or through AOH members.

Names of loved ones entered in the Book of Remembrance located in the back of the church before mass or by printing their name on a piece of paper and send to the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, c/o ICHC 2133 W Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee WI 53233. A call can also be placed to Cary Merkl (414-453-1960).

IAHC Presents Rousing Tynan

The Irish American Heritage Center is presenting Hitting the High Notes: Living Life To The Fullest, a motivational speech by Ronan Tynan, 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29.

Irish-born Ronan Tynan is a champion disabled athlete as well as a physician and celebrated tenor, Tynan’s life was the subject of an ABC 20/20 profile and the BBC documentary, Dr. Courageous. Born with a lower limb disability, Tynan had both of his legs amputated at age 20. Within a year after the operation, he was competing in the Paralympic Games; both in track and field and as an equestrian. Between 1981 and 1990, Tynan won 18 gold medals and set 14 world records, nine of which are still in place today.

Tynan was the first disabled person ever admitted to Limerick’s National College of Physical Education and became a doctor specializing in orthopedic sports injuries. He then set his sights on yet another goal. Less than one year after he began studying music, Tynan won both the John McCormack Cup for Tenor Voice and the BBC talent show Go For It. The following year, he won the prestigious International Operatic Singing Competition in France. 

In 2002 he starred in a PBS concert, Ronan Tynan: The Impossible Dream; published his memoir, Halfway Home: My Life ’Til Now; and came out with his first solo CD, My Life Belongs to You.

Tickets for Hitting The High Notes: Living Life To The Fullest are $35 and $25, with group and corporate rate discounts available and can be purchased by calling the IAHC at 773-282-7035, ext. 10. 

Programming at the Irish American Heritage Center is supported, in part, by generous grants from The Illinois Arts Council, CityArts grants, from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Illinois Humanities Council.

For more information, call 773-282-7035, or visit www.irishamhc.com. 

Ireland to Host World Rally Championship

The prestigious World Rally Championship will straddle the border during three days of autumn racing planned as North and Ssouth co-host the event.

A round of the hair-raising motor sport will be held on Nov. 18-20 2007 – bringing in around $58m to economies North and South. Routes have yet to be finalized but it will be a cross-border event.

Max Mosley, president of Motorsport’s world governing body the Federation International de l’Automobile (FIA) praised the Irish event and said he was pleased to welcome Ireland to the championship.

"Your team worked hard in their bid and set very high standards. Rally Ireland will bring many new and unique features to the championship including being the first round to run competitive stages cross border," he said.

The success is the culmination of 18 months work by Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Events Company. John O’Donoghue, Minister of Arts, Sport & Tourism, said: "this is a wonderful success for Irish motorsport and Irish sport in general and all the more so as it is a cross-border initiative.

"The WRC has an annual TV viewership of more than 800 million, so the images of Ireland shown abroad will be of great benefit to the tourism industry." Direct-rule secretary Peter Hain said "As a motorsport fan, I am delighted with this decision made by Max Mosley and the FIA."

"Having seen at close hand the impact that Rally Ireland has made to date, I am excited by what hosting a full WRC round will be able to contribute to the economy and the development of social cohesion."

The season has 16 rounds and begins with the historic Monte Carlo rally. The championship visits countries as diverse as Argentina, New Zealand, Japan and Sweden.

Madison Language Class

The Celtic Cultural Center of Madison is hosting its annual "Deireadh Seachtaine", Oct. 20-22, 2006. This is a chance for you to come and learn a few words of Irish and to meet other language enthusiasts! In addition to formal instruction, there are also social events with Irish music and dancing. It's a fun and relaxed atmosphere, and all levels of learners are welcome. For registration information, please visit our website at: http://www.celticmadison.org