July 1 Irish Music & 2013 Dance Association Lúil 31th Year, Issue No. 7

The mission of the Irish Music and Dance Association is to support, coordinate, encourage and promote high quality activities and programs in Irish music, dance, and other cultural traditions within the community and to insure the continuation of those traditions.

Inside this issue: IMDA Presents: Tim Britton and Pat Egan Tune of the Month 2 The Irish Music and Dance Association is delighted to present Tim Britton and Pat Egan for a wonderful evening of traditional music in the intimate setting of a Gaelic Corner 3 house concert on Friday, July 5, at 3617 14th Avenue South, (Paul McCluskey's IMDA Grant Winner 7 house in Powderhorn Park.) July Calendar 10-11 Tim Britton is renowned as one of the leading players of the uilleann pipes, one of the sweetest and most complex bagpipes. He is also accomplished on the Northwoods Songs 12 wooden flute, tin whistle, Highland pipes, mandolin, and as a singer and storyteller. Ceili Corner 18 Tim’s unique style as an American with many influences is founded on a profound Smidirini 19 knowledge of the tradition. Pat Egan is highly regarded as one of the leading singers/ guitar players in traditional Irish music. His guitar backing displays a rare sensitivity and impeccable rhythm which manages to be tasteful yet driving and uplifting. Pat is equally admired for his smooth, lyrical vocals, honest delivery and repertoire of storied songs. Admission is $15 per person, at the door. Amenities include beer, cider, wine, and light food will be available. (Donations gratefully accepted; proceeds go to Tim and Pat.) Since this will be hosted at Paul's house, there is a great likelihood that a bit of ceili and/or set dancing will occur in the dining room. During the break and after the concert, feel free to roam Paul's yard and enjoy the outdoor fire. Send a note to Paul McCluskey at [email protected] for location information.

IRISH GOT TALENT! CONTEST Join the Irish Fair of MN as the best and brightest of Irish culture and talent compete for a chance to perform on stage during Irish Fair. The Irish history is full of legendary artists in all genres and lyrical usage of the voice is no exception. The winner will perform on Saturday of the Fair and will receive $250 cash. 1 st Runner up will perform on Saturday of the Fair. The Preliminary contest will be held at Kieran’s Irish Pub, July 27 th at 6pm. Each contestant(s) will be allotted a 10 minute set. The Final Four will go on to compete at Irish Fair on Friday, August 9 th from 3pm to 5pm. The winners will be announced from the Main Stage that same evening. Go to IrishFair.com to complete a brief application to enter the contest; or, contact Lisa Conway at [email protected] / 612.990.3122.* ALL SIGN UPS ARE DUE BY JULY 17 TH . 2012 Winners were: 1st Place – The Jolly Groggers (band); 2nd Place – Mike Lovestrand (tenor); 3rd Place – Alex Shaleen (dancer) *All acts must be Irish or Celtic in nature and can be music or dance, instrumental or voice, solo or group. Dancers must use recorded music for the contest. Singers can use recorded accompaniment – music only, no recorded voice. Groups or acts cannot be already booked to perform during the festival. Contestants must have enough polished material for a 45 minute performancewww.IMDAwww.IMDA- in the---MN.orgMN.org event that they win the contest. Irish Music & 2 Dance Association

The IMDA Board is : une of he onh by Amy Shaw President: Lisa Conway Treasurer: Mark Malone If you attended last month’s wonderful Minnesota Irish Music Weekend concert, Secretary: Jan Casey you’ll have heard Eamonn Cotter playing this slip jig. He also taught it during the Board Members: John Concannon Juli Acton flute classes, and it appears on the CD he released last year called The Knotted Paul McCluskey Chord . Eamonn is steeped in the music of West Clare, and indeed this tune is Joan Portel connected with that area. Kathie Luby Editor: John Burns Elizabeth Kelly was the mother of John Kelly (1912-1987), the influential fiddler and concertina player from West Clare who settled in Capel Street, Dublin. IMDA IMDA Board Meetings are open to the membership. readers will certainly be familiar with John’s son, James Kelly, who has taught and The Board meets regularly on the First Tuesday of each month at 6 pm at Perkins in HarMar. Members are encouraged to performed at a number of events here sponsored by the Center for Irish Music. For verify the time and location shortly before, as meeting times and the record, Elizabeth was herself a concertina player. In her day, you could hardly locations can change. throw a stone in Clare without hitting a concertina player. According to music scholar Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin, “By 1900, the concertina had replaced the uilleann Contact Information pipes as a household instrument in rural Clare. Women earning surplus income from Write to: Irish Music and Dance Association egg and butter sales, as well as other domestic industries, were among its chief 236 Norfolk Ave NW patrons. In the vernacular of West Clare, the instrument was referred to as a bean Elk River, MN 55330 cháirdín (female accordion), such was its popularity among female players. By 1910, Call: 612-990-3122 concertinas were being stocked by hardware stores and bicycle shops in Ennis, E-mail: [email protected] Kilrush, Kildysart, and Ennistymon.” (Imagine if our local Ace Hardware or Erik’s bike shops stocked concertinas!) Many homes in Clare had a concertina, even if it Newsletter Submissions was only played by visiting musicians. It was often kept safe and dry in a special We welcome our readers to submit articles of interest, alcove in the hearth when it was not being used to play tunes for set dancing. Of news, and notices of events to be published in the newsletter. course, these days there are many accomplished concertina players, female and The deadline is the 20th of the preceding month. male. Usual disclaimers: Any transcription errors are my own. The notation here is Send to: [email protected] not meant to be a substitute for listening. It is simply an aid to learning the tune.

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he aelic orner By Will Kenny When you are thirsty and want to order a carbonated Connacht (West): Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? Cén t-ainm atá soft drink, do you use proper English ("pop")? Or do you ort? Cé as thú? call it "soda"? As most of you know, there are regional differences, Munster (South): Conas tánn tú? Cad is ainm duit? Cad as even in the U.S., in the way we speak English. Not only duit? do people in different locations As you might expect, then, there are sometimes use different words, many word differences between they also use different sounds. regions. "Rain" is báisteach for some We all know that someone from speakers, but fearthainn for others, for Alabama sounds different from instance. The three dialects even tend to someone from Minnesota , who use different words to refer to the Irish sounds different from someone from New Jersey. (I can language itself, with the Gaeilge in the West, Gaeidhlic in tell you that when my kids were in grade school and we the North , and Gaolainn in the South. took them to Boston for the first time, their first taste of the local accent was at the auto rental counter, and they Again, even in American English we know that different didn't have a clue about what was being said.) regions speak with different accents and use different One of the great challenges of the Irish language is the words to some extent. But you've probably never thought regional differences. We refer to the three main dialects, about grammar differences across the U.S.. In Irish, even Ulster (mostly Donegal, the North), Connacht the grammar can vary, in how plurals are formed, in verb (Connemara, Galway, the West), and Munster (Cork, endings, and especially in regard to the rules for what we Kerry, Dingle, the South). The differences among these call "initial mutations," that is, the consonant changes at the three dialects, in the sounds of the language, the beginning of words, depending on grammatical usage. vocabulary, and even the grammar, are wildly beyond Take, for example, the simple sentence, "The cat is in anything most of us have experienced in English. the box that is on the table." In Irish: There is a standard version of the language, and that is Ulster: Tá an cat sa bh osca atá ar an bh ord. often taught. But as learners become more advanced, they Connacht: Tá an cat sa mb osca atá ar an mb ord. often become interested in a particular region -- perhaps Munster: Tá an cat sa bh osca atá ar an mb ord. from ancestry, perhaps just because they like that area -- As you can see, dialects in Irish are indeed quite and then the fun begins. challenging. But they are also a lot of fun, and when Naturally, it is hard to convey in a printed column how students reach the level where they can choose to pursue a the accent, in the sense of the sounds of the language, particular dialect, it only deepens their interest in, and varies. Suffice it to say that if you think about how enjoyment of, learning Irish. accents from the deep South, from New York and Boston, There is still time to get a $25 discount on the fee for and from the midWest compare, you might have an idea our Summer Weekend Workshop! The ev ent takes place of what's involved. (In local terms, if you overheard a Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28, on the lovely campus of conversation in Irish between musician Dáithí Sproule St. John's University in Collegeville, MN (a little over an and long time St. Thomas Irish instructor Fintan Moore, hour's drive from the Twin Cities). Whether you are an even without understanding what they were saying, you absolute beginner or capable of conversation in Irish, we'll would be able to hear the substantial differences in the have a class for you. (And if you're trying to get into our way each of them pronounced the language.) Monday evening classes, this will do the trick.) To get your But you can see the differences in basic vocabulary. savings, visit www.gaelminn.org for complete details and Imagine this simple introductory conversation: "How are registration forms, and get your form in by July 12 for the you? What is your name? Where are you from?" discount (or by July 19 in any case). Depending where you are in Ireland, you could expect this to be expressed in Irish by: -- Ulster (North): Cad é mar atá tú? Cá hainm thú? Cá has Will tú? www.IMDAwww.IMDA----MN.orgMN.org Irish Music & 4 Dance Association

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NEW BOOK EXAMINES IRISH---AMERICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN MEMOIRS, ESSAYS, POETRY

A book launch to celebrate the publication of Extended Family: Essays on Being Irish American was held on June 25 at O’Gara’s Bar in St. Paul. Edited by James Silas Rogers, the book brings together 11 personal essays, three annotated articles and a long poem that originally appeared in New Hibernia Review, a quarterly journal published since 1997 by St. Thomas’ Center for Irish Studies. Rogers, a St. Paul resident who served as president of the American Conference for Irish Studies from 2009 to 2011, is director of the center and has edited New Hibernia Review since 2005. The first copy of the journal was presented to Ireland’s president, Michael D. Higgins, when he was the country’s minister of arts. “This collection came into existence when at a certain point, I realized that New Hibernia Review has accumulated a striking body of work, grounded in the lived experience of Irish and American writers, that drew close to the question: What does it mean to be an Irish American?” Rogers said. A tradition of New Hibernia Review is to open each issue with a memoir or first- person essay. Rogers selected 11 of them for Extended Family . Of those, four have been recognized as “Notable Essays of the Year” in Houghton Mifflin’s annual Best American Essays series. An example is “Stories From Down Cellar,” an essay by Brian Nerney, now chair of the Communication, Writing and Arts Department at Metropolitan State University. Nerney will read from the essay at the June 25 event. As Rogers writes in his introduction, Nerney’s essay “overturns an enforced silence. Working backward from a short, one-off conversation with his father, Nerney uncovers the specifics of a family tale concerning his grandmother, the daughter of immigrants, who had witnessed a murder and testified at the trial. “In a sense, keeping the secret came to define the family experience: we get the feeling that Nerney needs to know the story in order to fully understand the family experience, but also that he has somehow violated a trust by telling the truth. “Nerney’s inclination to reveal the truth collides with the earlier generations’ insistence on keeping secrets. From the beginning, he knows instinctively that Irishness was a key to understanding the full dimensions of the family’s reticence. But what he understood Irishness to mean differed from his forbears’ understanding; the obsession with respectability that dominated the generations before him no longer makes sense,” Rogers wrote. Extended Family opens with “The Narrows,” a long poem by Daniel Tobin. The poem “sets out many of the themes that percolate through the book,” Rogers wrote. “Loss is here, but so is the expansive sense of belonging to a great historical narrative.” Other essays delve into the concept of Ireland as “a source country”; a father’s one and only trip back to his native Ireland; the Midwestern town of O’Neill, “the Irish Capital of Nebraska”; marriages of Irish to American Indians; the 1944 film “Going My Way”; Irish life on Prince Edward Island; Emily Dickinson’s Irish connections; the long- forgotten novel Moon Gaffney , in which Dorothy Day appears as a character; a small eighth-century Irish artwork, the Emly Shrine; a trip to the Black Hills; and the oak trees of Ireland and California. Rogers observes that “pretty much everything ever written about Irish identity in America has concluded that it rests on Catholicism, attachment to urban neighborhoods, the Democratic Party and a passion for the national struggle back in Ireland. “One of the things that is remarkable about the work in Extended Family is that those elements are almost nowhere to be seen. And yet all of the authors have an abiding sense of their own Irishness – not just the fact that they are Irish by descent, but that their Irishness is key to who they are – the Rosetta Stone that will explain everything.” For more information about the new book, contact Rogers at (651) 962-5662 or [email protected] .

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2013 Irish Fair of Minnesota Interns

This year, the Irish Fair of Minnesota has eight interns working diligently throughout the summer to make the fair as successful as possible. Coming from a variety of backgrounds, each intern brings in essential skills. Take Erin , she’s studying graphic design at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She is designing documents for the Fair. She is also involved in the Fair’s Kids’ tent and the Cul- tural area. Randall studied International Relations and Spanish in Tulane Univer- sity in New Orleans. Randall is handling projects in social media, including the development of Instagram accounts for the fair. She is also working with the marketplace, sponsorship, and volunteers. From Wisconsin Dells, Terry , is a marketing graduate from Madison College, and works with managing Baarry’s schedule, and helping with Friends of the Irish Fair.

Other interns include Janelle , a professional writing and literature student at the University of Wisconsin- River Falls. She focuses on writing and editing Fair documents, such as the eNewsletter. Sadie is a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota with a degree in public relations. She helps to maintain the Friends of the Irish Fair database, and participates in street marketing events to promote the fair. Graduate of St. Tho- mas, Sarah, has experience as an event coordinator and works with in-kind donations, hospitality tickets, and production phases for the Fair.

Brandon works with entertainment at the Fair. He has experience booking bands on college campuses and has organized many types of events. Blair (not pictured) takes a part with social media, volunteers, and Friends of the Irish Fair. These eight interns are working hard this summer to help create the best Fair yet. They can’t wait to see everyone at the upcoming event in August!

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rish ancer es er ighs igh

Lauren Adams-Plehal of Plymouth, MN, fell in love with Irish dance as a Kindergartener! She was already doing tap, ballet and jazz when she saw an Irish dance number at her dance recital. She signed up for a two-week introductory class – and has been an Irish dancing ever since!

Lauren, 14, began her study with Theresa McKenna-Nahorski at the McKenna School of Irish Dance and has studied with Erin Cooney at Rince Nua Irish Dance for the last four years.

Lauren is a member of the Rince Nua Performance and Competition group Team Rince Nua. As such, she performs in a variety of settings, including IMDA’s St. Patrick’s Day Irish Celebration and Day of Irish Dance, Irish Fair Minnesota, various local pubs, schools and senior cen- ters throughout the year, as well as competing in CRN feiseanna. Lauren competed in the CRN Irish Open in Dublin, Ireland last year and in the CRN North American Dance Championships in Washington, DC this last February.

Erin Cooney, who directs Rince Nua, tells us that Lauren is a very dedicated dancer who shows great con- centration and perseverance in her study.

Lauren will use her IMDA Educational for private lessons to further improve her overall technique in her solo competition dancers. Lauren’s goal is to qualify to compete in the CRN World Championships.

The Irish Music and Dance Association is delighted to help this dedicated young dancer continue to grow as a dancer.

Welcome the New Executive Director iof Irish Fair Minnesota

The Irish Fair of Minnesota has a new executive director, Colleen Healy! Healy brings new energy and perspective to the fair. Formerly the Centennial Events Director for the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys, our new executive director has an impressive background in planning large events. Winner of the Star Award for “Best Logistics” from the international Special Event Society (ISES), Healy has proven her abilities in event planning. She is currently the vice president of membership at the local ISES Board. Healy brings leadership to the preparation of this large event, and maintaining the cul- ture and integrity of the fair, and keeping the fair free. We look forward to see- ing her work at the fair August 9-11!

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Saint Mathias Celtic Festival Seriously Celebrating Celtic Arts

The fourth annual Celtic Festival will be held at The Farm on St. Mathias (7579 St. Mathias Road, Brainerd, MN 56401) on Saturday July 27th, 11am - 6pm. Saint Mathias Celtic Fest was featured on Lakeland' PTV's "Northwoods Adventure" last year: http:// www.stmathiascelticfest.com/information/saint-mathias-celtic-fest- 2011/ The Farm on Saint Mathias is proud to be partnering with Finnegans - not only to bring you a great Celtic festival, but also to support the Emergency Foodshelf Network’s Harvest for the Hungry pro- gram. Buy beer from Finnegans' truck at the festival and all proceeds will be donated to the Harvest for the Hungry. Finnegans is "turning beer into food." Live entertainment on the Main Stage by The Fauxtatoes, the Gunn Slingers, Todd Menton , and Center for Irish Music student musicians - all emceed by Welsh storyteller John Dingley . Special guest is Irish crime author Erin Hart who will be speaking on fascinating Irish topics (including bog people!) and chat- ting casually with you in the Farm Market building. Check the website for the schedule! Traditional Celtic craft demonstrations of sheep shearing, fiber spinning, dyeing and weav- ing. Demonstrations by stonecutters, blacksmiths, metalsmiths, fiber spinners and the Blue Ox Brewers Society. Try Irish ceili dancing or just dance! Activities for children including facepainting and a children's parade they'll love. Mr. Fun will be on hand to teach skill toys and entertain kids of all ages. Don't forget to visit the Alpacas of Whistling Wind Farm! Featuring vendors selling Celtic clothing, soaps, music, and craft items. Vendors include: From the Ground Up Pottery, Fiber Creations by Tammy Severtson, handcrafted soaps by Backwoods Bath- ing, Celtic Cottage, Reclaimation furniture, The Center for Irish Music and more. Food by our friends at Prairie Bay! Admission at the gate for the entire days’ worth of events is Adults $8.00 (age 12 and up) and $4.00 for children (ages 3-11) with age 2 and under free. For more information, visit www.stmathiascelticfest.com

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Irish Music &

Dance Association Saturday 6 6 Tree Greenwood 9am Market Farmers St. Paul Road 1pm Locklin Cannon Winery, River Cannon Falls Bedlam 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Irish Morrissey’s 13 Green of Shades 40 9:00am Market Farmer’s St. Paul Road Locklin 11am Grove Maple Street, Main MacKenzie & Ross Noon: Wing Red Ctr, Anderson The Tree Greenwood 6:30pm Afton Away Café, Sail Wright & Lehto 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Morrissey’s Colleens Sweet The 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Kieran’s

Friday 5 5 Session 8pm Celtic Mpls Rest, Merlins Colleens Sweet The 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Irish Morrissey’s 12 Session 8pm Celtic Mpls Rest, Merlins Colleens Sweet The 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Kieran’s Bhoys Colonial Wild 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Morrissey’s Cowboys Belfast 9:30pm Mpls Bar, Music Bunkers

Thursday 4 4 Quiz Pub 6:30pm Quiz Pub 8pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Carlson Geno 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Morrissey’s & Devlin Scottie 9:30pm Akers Shane Paul St. Pub, Dubliner 11 Quiz Pub 6:30pm Quiz Pub 8pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Tree 7pm Greenwood St. Grounds, Coffee The Paul Ginny & Dahill 5pm Tom Johnson & Devlin Scottie 9:30pm Akers Shane Paul St. Pub, Dubliner

Wednesday 3 3 Session Irish 7pm Traditional Northfield ‘n’ Stein, Rueb Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Rest, Merlins Quiz Pub 8pm Park St Louis Pub, Kip’s Dance Social Irish 7:30pm Trio Tap Two 9:30pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Irish Traditional 9:30pm Session Mpls Pub, Irish Morrissey’s 10 Session Irish 7pm Traditional Northfield ‘n’ Stein, Rueb Green of Shades 7pm 40 Ctr Community Shoreview Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Rest, Merlins Quiz Pub 8pm Park St Louis Pub, Kip’s Dance Social Irish 7:30pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Irish Traditional 9:30pm Session Mpls Pub, Irish Morrissey’s

Tuesday 2 2 Hour Irish 5:30pm Pub Merlins Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Trio St. Dominic’s Mpls Nye’s, McCauley Pete 9:30pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner 9 Hour Irish 5:30pm Pub Merlins Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Dancing Set Irish 7:30pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Trio St. Dominic’s Mpls Nye’s,

IMDA Community Calendar July 2013 2013 July Calendar Community IMDA Monday 1 1 Monday 1st 7:30pm Sing Pub Mpls Pub, Morrissey’s 8 Sea Big Great 7:30pm Apple Zoo, Minnesota Valley Monday 2nd 7:30pm Sing Shanty Paul St. Dubliner, The

Sunday

www.IMDAwww.IMDA----MN.orgMN.org 7 Session Traditional Noon: Mpls Pub, Kieran’s Session Irish 4pm Learners Music Irish 6pm Advanced Session Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Rest, Merlins Quiz Pub 8pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Irish Music & 11

Dance Association 20 20 Eddies The Mpls Mkt, Farmers Mill City Book O’Brien: Paddy & Hart Erin Chat Shakopee Landing, The Road Locklin 10am Mpls Kitchen, Hell’s Finn of Hounds 7:30pm Stillwater Pub, Irish Charlie’s Trio Dominic’s St. 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Kieran’s Cowboys Belfast 9:30pm Mpls Junction, Whiskey Ginny & Dahill Tom 9:30pm Johnson Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Script The Casino Island Treasure 27 Festival Celtic Mathias St. Brainerd Tree Greenwood 9am Market Farmers Lake Prior Ginny & Dahill Tom 7:30pm Johnson Stillwater Pub, Charlie’s Wright & 8pm Lehto Excelsior Coffee, Brothers Dunn Groggers Jolly 9pm The Mpls Pub, Morrissey’s Trio Dominic’s St. 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Kieran’s Licko Jennifer 9:30pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner 3 Ceili Saturday 2pm First Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Cowboys Belfast 9:30pm Mpls Lounge, Liquor Lee’s 19 19 Eddies 4pm The Market City Farmers Chisago Finn of Hounds 7:30pm Stillwater Pub, Irish Charlie’s Session 8pm Celtic Mpls Rest, Merlins Trio Dominic’s St. 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Kieran’s 26 Ginny & Dahill Tom 7:30pm Johnson Stillwater Pub, Charlie’s Session 8pm Celtic Mpls Rest, Merlins Finn of 9pm Hounds Pub, Duluth Irish Carmody Trio Dominic’s St. 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Kieran’s Licko Jennifer 9:30pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner 2 Kerry of 7pm Ring Pavillion, Beach Spirit Lake Menahga Session 8pm Celtic Mpls Rest, Merlins Bhoys Colonial Wild 9:30pm Mpls Pub, Morrissey’s 18 18 MacKenzie & Ross Paul St. Ctr, Lyngblomsten Quiz Pub 6:30pm Quiz Pub 8pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Rumgumption 7:30pm Paul St. Café, Black Dog & Devlin Scottie 9:30pm Akers Shane Paul St. Pub, Dubliner 25 Quiz Pub 6:30pm Quiz Pub 8pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Adam & Griffin Stacy 9pm Cox Mpls Pub, Irish Morrissey’s Music Live 9:30pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner 1 of Day LUNASA—First Autumn Quiz Pub 6:30pm Quiz Pub 8pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s

17 17 Session Irish 7pm Traditional Northfield ‘n’ Stein, Rueb Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Pub, Kieren’s Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Rest, Merlins Dance Social Irish 7:30pm Ginny & Dahill Tom 9:30pm Johnson Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Irish Traditional 9:30pm Session Mpls Pub, Irish Morrissey’s 24 Session Irish 7pm Traditional Northfield Cafe, Brothers Hogan Quiz Pub 77:30pm Mpls Rest, Merlins Quiz Pub 8pm Park St Louis Pub, Kip’s Dance Social Irish 7:30pm Music Live 9:30pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner 31 Session Irish 7pm Traditional Northfield Cafe, Brothers Hogan Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Rest, Merlins Dance Social Irish 7:30pm Ginny & Dahill Tom 9:30pm Johnson Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Quiz Pub 8pm Park St Louis Pub, Kip’s

16 16 Hour Irish 5:30pm Pub Merlins Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Tree 7pm Greenwood Pk, Lake Parker’s Plymouth Trio St. Dominic’s Mpls Nye’s, 23 Finn of Hounds 5:30pm Stillwater Park, Lowell Hour Irish 5:30pm Pub Merlins Set Irish 7:30pm Dancing Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Trio St. Dominic’s Mpls Nye’s, Malloys Tim 9pm The 30 Hour Irish 5:30pm Pub Merlins Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Pub, Keegan’s McCauley Pete 9:30pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner Trio St. Dominic’s Mpls Nye’s, Amsterdam Bar, St. Paul Paul St. Bar, Amsterdam 15 15 & Erin Hart Noon: Book O’Brien: Paddy in Brainerd Chat Brainerd Library, Public Monday 3rd 7:30pm Sing Pub Mpls Pub, Morrissey’s 22 Monday 4th 7pm Singing Shanty/Pub Mpls Rest, Merlins 29

www.IMDAwww.IMDA----MN.orgMN.org 14 14 Session Traditional Noon: Mpls Pub, Kieran’s Road 2pm Locklin Grove Maple Street, Main Session Irish 4pm Learners Music Irish 6pm Advanced Session Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Rest, Merlins Quiz Pub 8pm Paul St. Pub, Dubliner 21 Eddies The Cheese, Farmstead LoveTree WI Grantsburg Book O’Brien: Paddy & Hart Erin Chat Shakopee Landing, The Tree Greenwood 10am Afton Away Café, Sail Sing Pub Sunday 2pm Third Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Rest, Merlins Session Irish 4pm Learners Music Irish 6pm Advanced Session Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Quiz Pub 8pm Paul St Pub, Dubliner 28 Session Traditional Noon: Mpls Pub, Kieran’s Session Irish 4pm Learners Music Irish 6pm Advanced Session Mpls Pub, Keegan’s Quiz Pub 7:30pm Mpls Rest, Merlins Quiz Pub 8pm Paul St Pub, Dubliner Irish Music & 12 Dance Association

Northwoods Songs: Irish Songs from Lumberjacks and Great Lakes Sailors By Brian Miller

My research has been primarily in songs that were collected from men (and some women) who lived in the white pine region that stretched from New Brunswick, Canada west through northern Minnesota/northern Ontario. There was a whole culture of singing in lumber camps and on Great Lakes ships throughout the 1800s that was hugely influenced by the Irish ballad tradition and celebrated much of the Irish ballad repertoire while also adding new North American songs based on the old ones. Lots of the singers were Irish too. In the Midwest it was mainly second-generation guys - children of famine immigrants in many cases. That's the stuff I plan on drawing on for the series. And there's a lot of it! Once you include Wisconsin, Ontario, Michigan, Upstate New York, Maine and New Brunswick there are piles of great songs out there.

VANDIEMENS LAND

Come, all you lads of pleasure and rambling boys beware, Whenever you go hunting with your hounds, your gun and snare, Whenever you go a-hunting with the valleys at your command, Think of the tedious journey, boys, going to Vandiemens Land.

There was Joe Brown from Nottingham, Jack Williams and Jack Jones, They were three as jolly fellows, so well their country knows; They were taken one night near the bay, all with their gun in hand, And for fourteen years transported unto Vandiemens Land. www.IMDAwww.IMDA----MN.orgMN.org Irish Music & 13 Dance Association

There was a girl from Nottingham, Sally Simons was her name, For seven years transported for carrying on the game; Our Captain bought her freedom and he married her off hand, She gave us good usage going to Vandiemens Land.

The landing port we went to was on a foreign shore, The planters they surrounded us, full a score or more, They yoked us up like horses and sold us out off hand, And they hitched us to the plow, me boys, to plow Vandiemens Land.

The houses that they built for us was made of sods and clay, The beds we had to sleep on were made of rotten hay; Oh, rotten hay for beds, me boys, and slumber if you can, Oh, they gave us the very worst usage while on Vandiemens Land,

Last night as I lay down to sleep I had a pleasant dream, I dreamt I was back in Ireland, down by a purling stream, With my Irish girl beside me and her at my command, But when I awoke my heart was broke, off on Vandiemens Land.

Anthony Van Diemen of the Dutch East India Company chartered an expedition led by explorer Abel Tasman resulting in the first European landing on territory (later discovered to be an island) off the south-eastern coast of New South Wales (Australia) in 1642. The island, later renamed Tasmania, was colonized by the British in 1803 as a penal colony with the name Van Diemen's Land. Convicts were sent to the island from that time until 1853. Several traditional ballads mention punishment by transportation to Van Diemen’s Land. In this one, once prevalent in England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia and North America, the crime is poaching. This version, collected from Minnesotan singer Mike Dean, seems to locate the crime in Nottingham, England and also implies that the singer is Irish. Other versions localize the hunting and apprehension of the criminals to Ireland itself. In the 1800s, the right to hunt in England and Ireland was limited to the aristocracy. Poaching was not the violation of animal protection laws it is today but rather an assault on the property of the wealthy who kept game on their lands. Poachers were usually people from the lower classes seeking food or money from the sale of wild game on the black market. Mike Dean was himself an avid hunter who made many trips around Minnesota and eastern South Dakota hunting prairie chickens while living in Hinckley in the late 1800s. It is interesting to imagine what this song meant to him as the son of Famine immigrants from County Mayo.

You can read Northwoods Songs online at www.evergreentrad.com/ northwoods-songs

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u eoil This month's Music Hound is Tom Lockney , original member of the Twin Cities Ceili Band (tenor banjo, which he teaches at CIM, and fiddle), and a session addict.

I’m honored to recommend some recorded music in our IMDA newsletter. But where to start, and how to decide what to include? My first thought was the old “desert island,” cliche, if you were stranded indefinitely on a desert island with, I suppose, only bananas or coconuts to eat, and a music playing machine, which 5 or 10 recordings would you want to be stuck with as your only music for perhaps the rest of your life? But I thought that would present more difficult choices than what I decided on--a list of the recordings that most influenced me. I’ll do it in more or less chronological order, from oldest to newest. Tommy Peoples with Daithi Sproule, The Iron Man Back when I played only guitar (Bluegrass and Old Time) up in North Dakota, I remember being in the Twin Cities for a weeked and going to a Peter Ostroushko concert. When the concert started, he introduced this fellow from Ireland as his accompaniest for the night, Daithi Sprouule! Next day, I went to Homestead Picking Parlour and asked if they had any recordings of “that Irish style guitar” and they recommended The Iron Man. I listened to it all the way home to North Dakota (5 hours) and discovered the driving fiddle of Tommy Peoples accompanied by the fellow I’d heard the night before. Still a favorite recording. De Danann, The Mist Covered Mountain I’m not sure when or where I first discovered De Danann, but I do remember it was either this recording or the next that connvinced me I needed to get a tenor banjo, and try to learn to play it. What did that to me was less the frenetic playing of the whole band, but rather just the introduction to Track 9, where Charlie Piggott on banjo begins solo on The Cottage in the Grove. Charlie’s solo banjo, while not flashy, was so compelling that it, together perhaps with the next couple I mention, drove me to get a banjo. Across the Waters, Irish Traditional Music From England This is a recording from a Cork festival featuring Irish musicians from England. Track 9 is John Carty playing solo banjo versions of The Heathery Breeze and Finbar Dwyer’s. This beautiful banjo solo, as with Charlie Piggott’s on Mist Covered Mountain, really made me sit up and say, “Wow, what a beautiful sound.” Both feature the low growl of the G string, an octave below most any other Irish trad instrument. Still gives me goosebumps to listen to John on that track. Or maybe I’m wrong, it might have been Mick Moloney’s Strings Attached recording that first got my hair to stand on end. It features Mick playing banjo and mandolin on alternate tracks, and the combination of those plucked sounds and the energy of the traditional dance music he played pushed me in the direction that’s taken over my life ever since. Another early influence, was Sean O’Driscoll. On Mick Moloney’s advice, I looked him up on one of my first visits when my wife began grad school in the TC. Sean was very encouraging of me, a then middle age newbie to both the tenor banjo and Irish music. Thanks again Sean, and the first recording I had of Sean was

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Sean O’Driscoll, Up The Airy Mountain a cassettte tape issued by Green Linnett and never properly marketed, so I doubt it’s still available as I never saw it issued as a CD. It featured some wonderful banjo playing, not to mention guitar and singing! Next, I want to describe how I got from banjo to fiddle. Well, even before I owned a fiddle, I had Matt Cranitch, The Irish Fiddle Book . It’s a great tutor for Irish fiddle. It comes with a CD of tunes in the tutor section. Two companion recordings, Take a Bow, and Give it Shtick, are also available with tunes in the book played not just for learning, but also in sets for listening, with fellow musicians like Dave Hennessy and Mick Daly, to mention just two. I learned tunes from the book and CDs on banjo, and then reading it inspired me to get a fiddle and give that a go, so Matt was a big influence via his book and CDs. I subsequenty took lessons from him twice in the Catskills and learned that he is not only a superb teacher, but also a wonderful person. Seamus Creagh and Aidan Coffey, Traditional Music From Ireland I found this recording at Irish On Grand (a place you should support). Jode Dowling, an early influence on me and my playing of Irish tunes, had recommended fiddler Seamus Creagh. I might have remembered Aidan Coffey from listening to De Dannan, as he played with them for a while. I took this CD home to ND and let my friend Mike Gregory listen to it. He was dumbstruck by it (in the good sense of being dumbstruck) and it sent him, and thus me because he was the main person I had to play Irish tunes with in North Dakota, into the realm of Sliabh Luachra music. Of course Matt Cranitch would fit that category too, but I’m not sure when I was first aware of Cork and Kerry leanings. Creagh and Coffey, in any event, gave me a big push in that direction. Apoligies to my TC friends who’ve had to listen to Johny O’Leary’s Polkas 1 and 2, learned from this CD, perhaps one or two hundred times too many. James Kelly, Paddy O’Brien, Daithi Sproule, Traditional Music of Ireland Three legends, two of them residing in the Twin Cities. The third, James Kelly, has taught numerous workshops and classes here. He’s not to be missed, as either performer or teacher. I’ve done a bunch of Skype lessons with him (he lives in Miami, Fla.) and recommend him highly as a teacher. I can hardly touch my fiddle or listen to another fiddler without thinking of a pearl of Kelly wisdom. This recording is a CD compilation of two older LPs. This is definitely one of the most influential recordings of Irish music ever. Gerry Harrington, Eoghan O’Sullivan, Paul De Grae, The Smokey Chimney You may be starting to see a pattern here. Although one of my first recordings was from a Northern fiddler (Tommy Peoples), for one reason or another, my main influences have been from counties Cork and Kerry, even before I started playing for set dancers. Although I’ve never heard him perform live, I decided early on that Gerry Harrington is one of my favorite fiddlers. This CD influenced a lot of people, including me. Denis Murphey and Julia Clifford, The Star Above the Garter Once you discover the joys of Sliabh Luachra music, you inevitably encounter this recordings and many of the tunes on it--by two of Padraig O’Keefee’s most influential students, brother and sister Denis and Julia. Truly a classic!

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Peter Carberry, Angelina Carberry, John Blake, Memories from the Holla You might have noticed that one of my favorite combos in Irish music is box and fiddle (barely second, is banjo and box). This recording was the first time I’d hear of or listened to the Mulcahy family. Wonderful tunes played with great feeling by father on box and daughter on banjo. Hard to beat. MacDara Ó Raghallaigh, Ego Trip Although a “recent” CD, I’ve listened to it literally hundreds of times. Solo fiddling recorded live, of the highest quality and excitement. If you love Irish fiddling, you have to have this. Matt Cranitch and Jackie Daly, The Living Stream Another recent CD, by two of my favorites. These two were here at the CJ last year, so it’s nice to have them together on a recording. Martin McHugh, with Daithi Sproule and Laura McKenzie, The Master’s Choice And the most recent from three Twin Cities inspirations, including the master himself, Martin McHugh. Hard to imagine a Minnesota Irish musician or music afficionado who doesn’t know and love Martin. Thanks to Laura for instigating the long overdue masterpiece. * * * I hope you’ll give a couple of these a listen. One thing you might notice that happened to me over time, I became less interested in the “big” sound of the “big” bands, and more interested in solo, duet, or trio playing. But that’s me--I wish you your own enriching musical journey listening to Irish music, wherever it takes you.

♣♣♣ Attention bakers! Irish Fair’s baking contest is near!

Bake up your favorite soda bread or scone recipe and enter our contest. Entries will be judged on the Saturday of Irish Fair. Prizes will be awarded to most delicious breads and scones in each category. The registration deadline is Friday, August 9. Go to http://www.irishfair.com/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=199 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

Photographers — Irish Fair wants you!

The Irish Fair photo contest is coming up soon! Enter your photos of people, scenery, and studies in black and white. The best photos in each category will win prizes, courtesy of Celtic Journeys. The deadline for submitting photos is Tuesday, August 6. Go to http://www.irishfair.com/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=201 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

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An Leabhragán

(The Bookcase)

Country Girl: A Memoir by Edna O'Brien Published by Little, Brown & Co. 2012

At 82 Edna O'Brien, the doyenne of Irish writers, has seen it all and done it all with everyone there is to know in the literary scene and public life, from the 1950s to the present. She was born in small-town Tuamgraney in 1930, educated by convent nuns and trained as a pharmacist. Married at nineteen, she wrote her first novel, Country Girls, at her kitchen table. In 1960 it burst onto the literary scene, shocking the prudish, church-dominated hierarchy and becoming an instant best-seller. In an era which barely acknowledged or tolerated women as sexual beings, she wrote frankly and without sentimentality about the desires and lives of ordinary Irish women. For this she was vilified, denounced from the pulpit, and essentially drummed out of Ireland. Her family shunned her and she found provincial Ireland impossible to live in, moving to London to live for decades. Edna O'Brien established herself as one of the foremost voices of her time, her fingers on the pulse of social upheaval, feminism, and the great changes in the drawing rooms (and bedrooms) of Irish homes. She was exactly in the right place at the right time. Women were aching to read the truth about their lives, and she delivered it in unsparingly honest prose and with caustic wit in such books as Country Girls, Girls In Their Married Bliss, and A Pagan Place, to name a few. Beautiful as well as brainy, the young, recently divorced (after a nasty custody battle for her two sons, made difficult by her jealous ex-husband's charges of "depravity" and "unfitness as a mother") novelist and playwright wrote prolifically while raising her sons and hobnobbing with Who's Who of the sixties and seventies. She dropped acid with R.D. Laing, counted Jackie Onassis and Seamus Heaney among her closest friends, and once spent a chaste night with Marlon Brando drinking tea and discussing poetry in her kitchen. She chronicled everything with her sharp observations and quick wit; talents which remain undiminished in her eighties. Still fearless, still beautiful, Edna O'Brien lives in Dublin, where she was at last convinced by her sons and friends that "writing down what happened" might be a good idea. It was, it is: a testament to the human heart and its wildest and deepest impulses, especially those of women. We have indeed come a long way.

Sherry Ladig, frequent contributor to this column, is a Saint Paul based trad musician and composer and a former reviewer for the Hungry Mind Bookstore's newsletter, Fodder. Sherry welcomes suggestions for books for her to review--or write a review yourself! Sherry may be reached at [email protected] . Happy Summer Reading!

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eili orner By Bhloscaidh O’Keane First Saturday Afternoon Céilí - Dubliner Pub, 2162 University Avenue in Saint Paul, from 2:00 to 5:00. The suggested donation is $2.00 per person. The dances are taught and called by Paul McCluskey. First Saturday Night Set Dancing Céilí - The Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Ave., No, St. Paul. Third Saturday Night Céilí - The Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Ave., No, St. Paul. Irish Dance Classes: Céilí Dancing - Wednesday Nights Dubliner Irish Pub - 2162 University Avenue in Saint Paul. Learn Irish dancing in a genuine Irish pub with a wooden floor that has known a whole lot of dancing feet. Steps and dances are taught by Paul McCluskey, Súin Swann, and Kirsten Koehler. Basic beginning steps are taught beginning at 7:30, with advanced lessons and dancing continuing until 9:30 PM. Year-round; no children, and must be of legal drinking age. Free. Set Dancing - Tuesday Nights Dubliner Irish Pub - 2162 University Avenue in Saint Paul. Set Dancing at 7:00 pm on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month, music by the Twin Cities Ceili Band. The cost is $5 for the band, beginners welcome, for more information call Geri at the Dubliner (651)646-5551.

Check www.lomamor.org for all up-to-date Irish folk dancing information.

The Center for Irish Music

Come check us out at The Celtic Junction 836 Prior Avenue, St Paul MN

Please check the website for information on our full range of instruction in traditional Irish music, language , culture and fun.

For class schedule and other information call or email 651-815-0083 [email protected]

Or visit our website

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Smidirini* By Copper Shannon (*Irish for ‘Bits and Pieces’)

♣ Bíodh saol fada agaibh, a Anna agus a Danny! (May you have a long life Anna and Danny). Congratulations and best wishes to Anna Lethert and Danny Diamond , who were recently married here in Minneapolis. The newlyweds are making their home in Dublin, hopefully with frequent visits to Minnesota.

♣ What’s better than pie? Pie flavored with 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey! Sara Hayden is making Sara’s Little Tipsy Pies – some flavored with 2 Gingers, others with locally made beer and wine. They’re available at Fresh Fields Bakery in Stillwater! Get the background at http:// photos.twincities.com/2013/06/17/saras-little-tipsy-pies/

♣ Best wishes to a budding author! Look for a new fantasy novel by our own Welsh cousin John Dingley. Titled “The Timeless Cavery: Marged Evans and the Pebbles of Time”, the story is set in Wales, this is a first in a series. Publication is planned for Fall.

IMDA Membership Want to know what’s going on in the local Irish scene? Interested in music, dance, theatre and culture? Be the first on your block to subscribe to the IMDA Newsletter. It’s a mere $20 for an annual individual membership and $25 for a family membership. Sign up yourself or sign up a friend, but whatever you do, support your local artists!

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