MOHAWK VALLEY IRISH CULTURAL

Volume 13, Issue 5 EVENTS NEWSLETTER May 2016

Remembering the Rising - by Sue Romero

The tables, bedecked in green, white, and orange, were filled to capacity with about 130 devotees of Irish culture at the 1916 Easter Rising Commemoration Dinner on April 30. Sponsored by the Utica NY Area Irish Coalition (UNYAIC), the event paid tribute to the valiant men and women who fought for Irish freedom from English rule, while also celebrating the vibrant culture they fought to preserve.

After a lovely Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, everyone met at Hart’s Hill Inn in Whitesboro. Gathering for cocktails to the traditional tunes of Craobh Dugan playing in the background, old friends caught up and new friends were made. As dinner was served, lively conversations ensued filled with stories of Irish ancestors, tales of Irish travels, and recommendations for Irish movies and musical bands, among many other subjects.

After dinner, the program began as we all sang the Irish and American national anthems. Then it was time to read the Proclamation written by Padraig Pearse. These words, first read on the steps of the General Post Office in on April 24, 1916, proclaimed the Irish Republic and set off the rebellion. First, local Irish language teacher Tom Malley read the famous document in Irish, and Geordy Austin, a native of Northern Ireland, followed with the English version.

In a celebration of Irish culture, poetry could not be forgotten, so UNYAIC committee members Colleen Martin and Sue Romero each read poems by Irish poets. Colleen read Mise Éire, by Padraig Pearse, and Sue read Easter 1916 by William Butler Yeats.

Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the worldwide Irish cultural organization, had asked each branch to choose seven people -- one each for the seven Irishmen who were executed for signing the original Proclamation -- who had made great contributions to their local Irish community, and present to them framed copies of the 1916 Proclamation. In Central New York, where generous acts abound, to choose only seven was very difficult, but the committee chose Russell Brooks, Pat Costello, Pat Dugan (RIP), Frank Kealy, Kevin Kearney, Jim and Diana O’Looney, and Mark Sisti. Each of their stories, summarized before they received their awards, would be long and inspiring articles for future issues of this newsletter.

Irish culture is also world-renowned for its music and dance, so popular local performers Deirdre and Jim McCarthy sang The , a hauntingly beautiful song about the Easter Rising. Then Deirdre demonstrated sean nos (old style) dancing. Joining in the fun, the Craobh Dugan Ceili Dancers and others took to the floor for a rousing version of Walls of Limerick performed by the Craobh Dugan musicians.

It seemed the delightful evening was over all too soon.

The Utica NY Area Irish Coalition, a combined effort of The Craobh Dugan branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, The Great American Irish Festival, the NYS Corrections Emerald Society, The Ancient Order of Hibernians (John C. Devereux Div. #1) and The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (Our Lady of Knock, Div. #17), wishes to thank everyone who put in many hours to make this lovely evening possible.

For more information on the Utica NY Area Irish Coalition and on all things Irish, visit the Facebook page.

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Local Community Loses Grand Lady of Irish Culture

But since it falls unto my lot That I should rise and you should not, I'll gently rise and softly call “Goodnight, and joy you be with you all.”

The Central New York Irish community suffered a devastating loss on March 31, 2016 with the passing of Patricia M. Dugan, 91, at Acacia Village, where she had lived for the past 18 months. Born March 23, 1925, in The Bronx, NY, Pat was the daughter of two Irish immigrants, Dublin native, Joseph A. Fox, and Ellen (Nellie) Dooley Fox from Rosbercon, County Kilkenny. For all her life, Pat was proud of her Bronx roots and her Irish heritage. And for that pride and for her endless promotion of all things Irish, the entirety of the Central New York Irish community has been greatly enriched.

At Saturday’s “1916 Easter Rising Commemorative Dinner,” Pat was slated to be honored as one of the seven notables selected to receive an award for her promotion of Irish music, language and culture in the local – and as you’ll see below, not so local – community. What follows is the write-up for her nomination, read by her dear friend Mike Hoke.

“Pat Dugan was chosen to receive this award on March 22nd, 9 days before her passing. Although very humble, she would have been proud and thrilled to be honored this way. Condensing into a couple minutes all that Pat has done to preserve and promote our Irish culture was a challenge. Thankfully, Pat’s daughters have provided much information. My wife and I have known Pat since the late 1970’s, so we have good insight into what Pat Dugan was all about.

Pat moved to the Utica-Rome area in 1956 where she and her husband Frank raised 6 children. With her Irish roots in County Kilkenny, Pat was interested in and a life-long learner of anything Irish. She was fluent in the Irish language--and if you know anything about the language, that is not easy! To maintain her language fluency, Pat regularly attended Irish-immersion weeks, even into her 80’s. Because of her knowledge of the language, Pat was awarded the ‘Fonnia,’ which signified that she had reached a certain proficiency in speaking Irish. Since we have known her, Pat has been teaching Irish language lessons…at schools and colleges, through the MVIRL, and privately in her home. She was still teaching Irish in her home until shortly before her death.

In the early 1970’s Pat and her husband started the Utica Gaelic Society, which met on Sunday evenings. Through that group, they taught Irish ceili dancing, tin whistle and of course, Irish language. That group was active for several years and had many members. In the late 1970’s, the Dugans learned of the Comhaltas movement in Ireland and attended a few events in Boston and New York City. Around 1980, the local branch of Comhaltas-- now called Craobh Dugan--was formed and has been a force in the Mohawk Valley ever since. For many years, the group met in Pat’s dining room weekly for music lessons and practice. Pat played the tin whistle and concertina, and was happy to instruct others, especially on the whistle. Pat was the secretary for our Comhaltas branch for many years, as well as Comhaltas regional chair, Provincial secretary, and Provincial Irish language officer. Pat was instrumental in spreading the Comhaltas movement across New York State, by helping to start branches in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and Binghamton. Pat was passionate about Irish culture and sharing it with others through the Comhaltas movement. She has received numerous accolades from Comhaltas Ireland for her contributions to Irish culture as well as recognition by the Irish government for her work to have Irish Gaelic recognized as an official language of the European Union.

Pat Dugan without a doubt has made a significant contribution to the preservation of Irish culture both here and abroad.”

Slán agus beannacht leat, Pat. Farewell and blessings on you.

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The University of Notre Dame Takes a New Look at Irish History - by Sue Romero

We were some of the first people in the United States to see the new documentary produced by the Keough- Naughton Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Gathered at New Hartford High School's beautifully appointed auditorium, we watched the three-hour film with great interest. Well, I should speak for myself, but I think most who were there would agree.

I’m a nut for the history of everything, but I have to admit the era of the Easter Rising is a fairly new study for me. So to confirm my enthusiasm for this film, I asked A.J. Pedone, recently returned from a year at the University of Galway where he earned a master’s degree in Irish Studies, what he thought. He agreed that 1916: The Irish Rebellion told the story very accurately.

Beginning with 1171 when King Henry II of England first turned his greedy gaze upon the Emerald Isle and ending with the resolution of The Troubles in 1998, the documentary led us through the story of Irish history and how the rising in 1916 was the pivot point of the nation's struggle for freedom. It could have been an exhausting journey seeing as it necessarily covered eight centuries, but the documentary's writer Bríona Nic Dhiarmada, set a very digestible pace. Weaving together historical photos, interviews with several professors, interviews recorded in the 1960s with eyewitnesses and participants in the Rising, and footage of present-day Ireland, the whole saga was told in a completely compelling way.

In a particularly powerful film technique, scenes of crowded Dublin streets today are cut between black and white photos taken during and right after the battle. It gave me a sense of what it may have felt like to be in Dublin while the bullets were flying. I'm very glad I was there in 2014 instead!

Woven throughout the film, a haunting melody sets the melancholy emotional tone. Later I found out there’s a story to the tune. The lyrics are from a poem written in 1912 by one of the most prominent Rising leaders, Padraig Pearce. At that time he was running a school called St. Enda’s, where he sought to mold young Irishmen in the ancient Irish culture and language. The poem, Mise Éire (I am Ireland), is set to music composed by Patrick Cassidy especially for the Notre Dame documentary. You can hear Sibéal Ní Chasaide sing the song here.

With a story as rich and as long as this one, of course there was much left out. But that just gives us ideas for more threads to follow, questions to ask and stories to research. That will keep me busy for a good long time, and hopefully will produce a few more articles for this newsletter.

If you missed the Utica NY Area Irish Coalition’s exclusive advance showing, complete with delicious scones and other Irish delicacies, you can still see 1916: The Irish Rebellion for just $1.99 per episode on Amazon. The only thing is, you’ll have to make your own scones.

Irish Festival Season Kicks Off in East Durham

On May 28-29, the 2016 Celtic festival season unofficially gets under way, as the quaint little town of East Durham hosts its 39th annual “East Durham Irish Festival.” Billed as the “…longest running Irish festival in the U.S…,” the East Durham Irish Festival carries on its outstanding tradition of bringing in the finest music, food, children’s entertainment and family fun, at the Michael J. Quill Cultural and Sports Centre Headquarters, on 2119 Route 145 (off Thruway exit 21). This year’s festival features the Andy Cooney Band, Seven Nations, Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones, Girsa, McLean Avenue Band, Celtic Cross, Narrowbacks, Blackstone Cúil, bagpipers, dancers and more. Admission per day is $15 in advance, $18 at the gate, and two-day passes are available for $30; $25 in advance. Children under 16 are free, as is parking. For further information, call 1-800-434-FEST, or check out their web site.

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Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour

Shea’s Performing Arts Center (646 Main Street, Buffalo) will be playing host to the international Irish dance phenomenon, Riverdance, direct from a sold-out run across Europe and Asia. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures in an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song. Of all the performances to emerge from Ireland – in rock, music, theatre and film – nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance. There are three chances to catch the show, on May 31st, June 1st and June 2nd, at 7:30 each night. Single tickets, ranging from $27 to $67, are available by calling 1-800-745-3000, or by going on-line.

Gaelic Storm Takes Syracuse By… Well, Storm, I Guess

On Sunday, May 8th, the genre-bending makes a triumphant return to Syracuse’s Westcott Theater. With a career that began as a pub band, through their appearance as a Third Class party band (“third class” is a location, not a rating!) and now to the present, they’ve topped the Billboard World Chart five times and regularly headline the largest Irish Festivals across the country. Oh, and there’s Kiana Weber.

This show supports their latest CD, Matching Sweaters, which features Patrick Murphy and at their song-writing best, gluing all the tracks together with the spark and spirit of a band that’s spent close to 20 years on the road. And then there’s Kiana Weber.

Tickets for the 8 PM show are $20, and are available in person at the box office or on-line. The Westcott Theater is located at 524 Westcott Street in Syracuse. And of course, there’s Kiana Weber.

From the Irish Kitchen (recipes suitable for clipping)

This month’s recipe – “Coleslaw Salad With Blue Brie Dressing”- By Margaret Johnson Start the picnic season off with this tasty homemade coleslaw topped with a mouth-watering creamy Brie dressing.

INGREDIENTS:

Blue Brie Dressing: Coleslaw: 4 ounces Abbey Blue Brie, or similar, 1 green apple, cored and peeled cut into cubes 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup cream 1 small head green cabbage, quartered and cored 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 small head red cabbage, quartered and cored 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 carrot Salt and pepper, to taste 1 red pepper, seeded and diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 bunch thinly sliced spring onions 1 tablespoon caraway seeds

METHOD

Blue Brie Dressing: In a food processor or blender, combine the cheese and cream and process until smooth. Add the wine vinegar, salt and pepper and blend again for 30 seconds. Gradually add the oil and blend until the sauce thickens, about 15 seconds. Reserve. Coleslaw: With a hand held grater, shred the apple into a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice to prevent discoloring. Shred the green cabbage, red cabbage and carrot into the bowl. Add the pepper, onions, salt, pepper and caraway seeds and toss. Pour dressing over the salad and toss until thoroughly coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours. Serves 8.

If you try this recipe, feel free to share your experience with all of us. As always, if you have a recipe you’d like to share, please contact Beth Loftis at [email protected].

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“The Mark and the Void” - Book Review by Mark Sisti

“What I would like to know is, when are our writers going to address the banking crisis, what it’s done to society and so on. There must be a great novel to be written about that.”

So says one of the characters in Paul Murray’s latest novel, “The Mark and the Void.” Well, Murray may not have written THE great novel about the world-wide economic crash, but he has written a pretty darn good one.

The plot synopsis will be short because what happens has very little to do with what this book is about. Claude is a non- descript banker toiling in anonymity. He is successful in his occupation but appears to have no life or any friends outside the workplace. One day he is approached by Paul, who introduces himself as a writer and tells Claude he's working on a novel about an Everyman banker, and would like to shadow Paul for a few days to learn about what he does. Claude agrees, although the book idea makes little sense to him. There’s a reason for that: Paul is not planning on writing a book; he is planning to rob the bank.

Paul’s plan falls through for one simple reason: there is no money held at the bank. Even after Claude realizes that Paul was trying to use him, however, the idea of the book has triggered something, and he and Paul embark on a growing – if bizarre – friendship. Claude wants Paul to, in effect, write his life instead of writing a book about his life. He is attracted to a painter/waitress and he wants Paul to plot him into a relationship. (A scene where Paul tries to use modern technology to play Cyrano is farcically hilarious.)

In the meantime, plots, subplots, twists and turns swirl like a tornado. To try to trace them all would be impossible, but the main one deals with Claude’s firm trying to deal with, and profit from, the financial meltdown that is spreading throughout Ireland and the world. Murray’s description of the mindset of these financial wizards is surreal, but all the more frightening in its plausibility.

If none of this makes sense, don’t worry. That’s part of the fun, and the seemingly disparate threads are all part of Murray’s overall tapestry, an exploration of maintaining a sense of humanity in an increasingly inhuman world. Claude comes off as anonymous and without much personality, but this is not a flaw in the writing; Claude has avoided any kind of self-searching, that is, until Paul’s idea for the non-existent book leads him to question the worth of what he does for a living. He deals, literally, in nothing; the whole reason Paul’s scheme fails is because the money the firm is trading doesn’t exist. It’s significant that we learn nothing about Claude’s personal past until we’re more than 250 pages into the novel in a brilliantly written section about his relationship with his father. (“I sat on the ancient couch they had never replaced, and went through the pictures over and over. I laid them out in patterns on the coffee table, little colored squares of time, as if I were playing Solitaire, as if there were some perfect configuration that would win the game, retrieve the past in its totality.”)

The title itself reflects Murray’s theme about reality and illusion. A mark is the sign that we were here, an indication of presence, that we can leave something lasting. A void is the absence of anything. The parallel discussions of global banking and art that Murray intertwines so seamlessly may seem incongruous, but both professions are, at their core, about the same thing: creating reality out of nothing.

Murray may be the best absurdist writer working today; think “Catch-284,” or “Slaughterhouse 25” (That’s 22 squared or 5 squared for the math impaired.) One of his secrets – and also one of the reasons some readers have trouble with him – is his refusal to dumb down his subject matter, no matter how complex it may be. Whether it’s discussions of quantum physics in “Skippy Dies” or convoluted economic theories in “The Mark and the Void,” Murray writes with unapologetic intelligence, paying his readers the compliment that they can follow him.

Murray’s satire is acidic, sometimes wielded like a rapier, sometimes swung like a bludgeon. But it is relieved by his dark humor – parts of this novel are uproariously funny – and by his humanity. He honestly appears to like the characters, however flawed they may be. Characters in this book are without any sort of moral compass whatsoever, but none of them come off as villains.

I would question whether any other writer could have pulled this book off so successfully. As in his other books, the balance between comedy and tragedy is so precise you’re left unsure which it is, but that doesn’t really matter, since it works as either. It’s not without flaws and it’s not a particularly easy read because of the technical nature of the subject matter, but Murray’s unsurpassed writing skills and his satiric mastery make it well worth the effort.

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Craobh Dugan “Tune of the Month” – Bonnie Kate & Jenny’s Chickens by Skip Mansur

Often a topic of discussion among Irish fiddle players, the different counties and regions of Ireland have quite different fiddling styles and characteristics. Northen fiddling styles in Ireland are often influenced by Scottish styles and sometimes characterized by shorter strokes and slurs to produce a more syncopated rhythm, along with piping influenced ornamentation including crans and occasional double stops to imitate pipe drones. In contrast, the Sligo fiddling style is lively and bouncy, with a noticeable rhythmic swing which gives the music its lilt, and it incorporates a liberal use of complex ornaments and melodic flourishes like the runs of successive triplets. For a more in depth discussion, try perusing An Introduction to Irish Fiddle Styles.

One highly notable Irish fiddler was Michael Coleman (1891-1945), who has had a large influence on Irish music since the early 1920s. Michael Coleman was born in the district of Killavil in County Sligo, a very active region of traditional music, with a fiddle in almost every house. Michael listened intently and learned the style of the local musicians, including fiddlers and also pipers. At the age of 23, he sailed to Massachusetts and a few years later settled in New York City. Michael, with his showmanship and flashy technique found himself at home playing and dancing in Vaudeville shows (an early version of Riverdance!). Between 1921 and 1936 he recorded around 80 78-rpm records which preserved his style and left a legacy to influence many other fiddlers. Most are recorded with piano accompaniment, though a few have guitar, and some also have flute or second fiddle. The tunes Michael recorded have become some of the mainstays of Irish traditional music repertoire, and sets are often still played at sessions in the same order as he recorded them. The two tunes presented this month are one of those sets, Bonnie Kate and Jenny’s Chickens, a pair of lively reels, often highly decorated with ornamentations.

Bonnie Kate was first published in 1760 with the name The Bonnie Lass of Fisherrow. As mentioned in The Complete Fiddle Player by Peter Cooper, a story is told by Alan Ward about the Sliabh Luachra fiddler Padraig O’Keefe: “ I was in the front bar,” Padraig says, “and in came these people – two men and a woman. And they said, ‘Padraig, will you play a tune and she’ll dance to it.’ And I got the fiddle and started with a reel – Bonnie Kate. And then suddenly there was a raid. It was after hours. The Gards in. And I was playing away engrossed in Bonnie Kate and the girl dancing and I wasn’t watching out. I played away with my backside to the counter. ‘What’s your name?’ – the Gards. And she had gone, the dancer, all scattered, all gone like that. And there I was with my backside to the counter, flogging Bonnie Kate. Seven-and- sixpence Bonnie Kate cost me!” (about £23.96 today!). Jennys Chickens is similar to the Scottish reel Sleepy Maggie and some believe Michael adapted it from that tune. Bonnie Kate is set in the key of D major, while Jenny’s Chickens modulates to the relative minor of D (Bm), however, it is played with one additional sharp (A major), making it the modal key of B Dorian. Occasionally substituting G chords for Bm gives the tune a nice progression and lift.

Here is Michael Coleman himself playing a set of Five Reels (The Liffey Banks, The Shaskeen Reel, Lord McDonald's Reel, Bonny Kate, and Jenny's Chickens – Bonnie Kate starts at 6:14).

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“Our Revenge Will Be The Laughter Of Our Children” – by Mark Sisti

Thursday, May 5, is the 35th anniversary of the date Bobby Sands died following his hunger strike. While we here at the Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events Newsletter try to avoid the pitfalls of political issues, occasionally there are events so significant and so universal in their application that they should not be forgotten. We believe this is one of them.

BOBBY SANDS was born in 1954 in Rathcoole, a predominantly loyalist district of north Belfast. His family moved several times due to constant intimidation of Catholics by loyalists. On leaving school, he became an apprentice coach- builder, until he was forced out at gunpoint, again by loyalist intimidators. His early experiences led him inexorably to the Irish republican movement and he joined the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1972.

Although often smeared as a “convicted IRA terrorist,” his only conviction was in fact for possession of a revolver, a crime for which he received fourteen years. In 1976 he was arrested with four others who were in a car containing a handgun. Charged in connection with an earlier bombing, he was held on remand for eleven months until his trial in September 1977. There was no evidence to link Bobby, or the others with him, to the bombing and those and other serious charges against him were dismissed, but he was convicted of possession of firearms and sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment.

Like much of the Bobby Sands story, the goals of the hunger strike are often misunderstood today. There were no outrageous requests made, no insistence on total British withdrawal from Ireland, no demands that prisoners be freed. In retrospect, the actual demands made by the hunger strikers were remarkably innocuous and reasonable, and it is mind-boggling today to realize that the authorities refused to even consider them.

In March of 1976, an announcement had been made that republican prisoners would be stripped of their “special category” status and would from that point on be treated like ordinary prisoners. This set off a series of protests by republicans seeking to regain their previous status of political prisoners and not be subject to ordinary prison regulations. This was not an effort to lessen their hardship (although there is little dispute that the Irish Republican prisoners were treated abysmally) but was rather an answer to the British plan to paint those involved in the Irish fight for freedom as criminals in the eyes of the world. The hunger strike was the final desperate stage of these efforts against “criminalization.” The five specific demands over which the republicans were striking included:

1. The Right not to wear a prison uniform; 2. The Right not to do prison work; (they were willing to maintain their own portion of the prison grounds) 3. The Right of free association with other prisoners; 4. The Right to organize their own educational and recreational facilities; 5. The Right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week

Bobby Sands began refusing food on March 1, 1981 and was followed by other prisoners at staggered intervals for maximum effect. The hunger strike received little publicity at first. Then came the turning point. Following the death of Frank Maguire, an independent nationalist MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Bobby Sands was put up for election. Other nationalist candidates withdrew giving Sands a clear run against the Unionist candidate, Harry West. Bobby Sands was duly elected by 30,492 votes to 29,046, on a massive turnout of 86.8%. Sands was by now forty days into his hunger strike. Many feel this election was highly significant in that it prompted the republican movement to move towards politics, and indirectly paved the way for the Good Friday Agreement and the success of Sinn Féin many years later.

Attempts to end the hunger strike, including a personal intervention from the Pope, proved fruitless. The British government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, refused to accede to or even consider the demands. Spending his last few days on a water bed to protect his fragile bones, Bobby Sands died in the early hours of the morning, on May 5 1981, after 66 days on hunger strike, soon to be followed by nine other prisoners who died as a result of the hunger strike. Bobby Sands was 27 years old. The announcement of his death prompted several days of riots in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland. Over 100,000 people lined the route of his funeral.

While the hunger strike did not accomplish its immediate goals, it was a seminal event in modern Irish history, galvanizing nationalist politics and thrusting Sinn Féin to the forefront as a serious political force.

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Blessed Beltane to You and Yours – liberally borrowed – w-what!? Stolen!? Potato-potahto --from several web sites.

Beltane (also known as Bealtaine or Bealltainn), is an ancient Gaelic holiday celebrated around May 1. The word Beltane means “Fire in the sky.” Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain (see MVICE, Oct 2005 for more on Samhain), divide the year into its two primary seasons: winter (Dark Part) and summer (Light Part). As Samhain is about honoring Death, Beltane, its counterpart, is about honoring Life. It is the time when the sun is fully released from his bondage of winter and able to rule over summer and life once again.

Beltane, like Samhain, is a time of “no time” when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest; when the two worlds intermingle and unite and the magic abounds! It is the time when the Faeries return from their winter respite, carefree and full of faery mischief and faery delight. On the night before Beltane, folks would place rowan branches at their windows and doors for protection; as many otherworldly occurrences could transpire during this time of “no time.” Traditionally, the youngest member of the family would be sent out to gather primroses on the eve before Beltane and throw the flowers at the door of the home for protection. Then his older brothers would lock him out of the house. Haha! Just kidding; that wasn’t on the web site.

Somewhat less mythical, Beltane marks the midpoint in the Sun’s progress between the vernal equinox and summer solstice, which is traditionally considered to be May 1st. Traditionally, Beltane festivities marked the beginning of the pastoral summer season when the herds of livestock were driven out to summer pastures and mountain grazing lands. These festivities began days before May 1st, or “May Day,” when villagers traveled into the woods to gather the nine sacred woods needed to build the Beltane bonfires. The tradition of “May Boughing” or “May Birching” involved young men fastening garlands of greens and flowers on the windows and doors of their prospective ladyloves before the fires are lit Beltane night.

RANDOM RAMBLINGS

“Nuacht as Craobh Dugan”---news from the Dugan Branch Chris Hoke writes: “Six member of Craobh Dugan traveled to St. Louis for the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Convention. Besides the meetings, there were sessions, ceili, workshops, and the annual banquet, etc. All in all it was a great weekend. Mike Hoke was the recipient of the Service Award for the Northeast Region, along with Bridget English from Buffalo. They each received a medallion and a framed certificate. … Performances this month include: May 3 - Nail Creek Session, 7:30 PM; May 6 - Ceili Dance Class, Seton Center, 7 PM; May 8 - Woodlands Session, 3 PM; May 13 - Ceili Dance Class, Seton Center, 7 PM; May 17 – Stockdale’s Session, 7:30 PM; May 20 - Ceili Dance Class, Seton Center, 7 PM; May 22 - Woodlands Session, 3 PM; May 27 - Ceili Dance Class, Seton Center 7 PM.”

“Nail Creek Sessions” Celebrates 6th Anniversary Time flies when you’re enjoying traditional Irish music, doesn’t it? It doesn’t seem possible, but it was May 2009 when we announced that Café Domenico was ending its monthly Craobh Dugan open session nights, and that Chris and Tracey (then Smith) Talgo of the Nail Creek Pub and Brewery were picking up the mantle, giving birth to what has come to be known as “the Nail Creek Sessions.” Held the first Tuesday of each month, these sessions have averaged 16 outstanding musicians each month, and they show no signs of slowing down. Here’s wishing you another great year!

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Mother’s Day with Triskele On May 08, Triskele will be appearing at Caffè Lena (47 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs) for a very special 3 PM Mother’s Day show. This sweet and saucy, fun-loving quartet has become the Capital Region’s premiere all-female Irish group. Their mystical harmonies on traditional Gaelic music touch the soul, and their humor and high spirits spread smiles and good cheer. A perfect choice for Mother’s Day, this group features Dublin-born Noeleen Whelan on guitar on bodhran, her daughter Christine on bass, multi-instrumentalist Sharon Wheeler, and Jennifer Kiliniski on flutes, vocals and percussion. Tickets, which are $16 ($14 for members), are available on-line.

An Introduction to William Butler Yeats Whether you’ve been a longtime fan of William Butler Yeats or only heard for the first time his poignant poem “1916” as read by Sue Romero this past Saturday, there is much about this tremendous poet – and spirit – that you need to know. And on May 18th, you’ll get that chance when Eugene Paul Nassar, Professor Emeritus of English at Utica College, gives a talk called “An Introduction to William Butler Yeats” at The Other Side, 2011 Genesee St. The presentation, which runs from 7:30-9 PM, is free and open to the public. For more information, call Kim Domenico at (315) 735- 4825 or email her at [email protected].

Celtic Club Calendar Finally, here’s the Irish Musical and Cultural calendar for May:

May 3 Nail Creek Sessions Nail Creek Pub Utica 7:30 PM Free May 6 Blarney Rebel Band Piggy Pat’s Washington Mills 6-9 PM Free May 8 Blarney Rebel Band Celtic Harp Utica 1 PM Free May 8 Traditional Irish Session Woodland Brewery Marcy 3-8 PM Free May 8 Gaelic Storm Westcott Theater Syracuse 8 PM $20 May 8 Triskele Caffe Lena Saratoga Springs 3 PM $8-$16 May 14 Traditional Irish Session Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 2-5 PM Free May 14 Pat Kane Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 8:30 PM Free May 15 Traditional Irish Session Irish Amer Ass'n Albany 2:30-6 PM Free May 15 Syracuse Irish Session J. Ryan’s Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free May 17 Traditional Irish Session Stockdale’s Oriskany 7:30 PM Free May 20 Donal O’Shaughnessy Piggy Pat’s Washington Mills 6-9 PM Free May 21 Hair of the Dog The Parting Glass Saratoga Springs 8 PM $13 May 22 Blarney Rebel Band Celtic Harp Utica 1 PM Free May 22 Traditional Irish Session Woodland Brewery Marcy 3-8 PM Free Donal O’Shaughnessy/Brian May 22 Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Hyland May 28 Traditional Irish Session Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 2-5 PM Free Michael J. Quill East Durham 10 AM-10 PM Sat $18/day ($15 adv); May 28-29 East Durham Irish Festival Cultural and Sports 11:30-10 PM Sun $30 ($25 adv) Centre (mass at 10 AM) weekend May 31, Shea’s Performing Riverdance Buffalo 7:30 PM $27-$67 Jun 1-2 Art Ctr

If you have anything you want to share with us, feel free to send it to us ([email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]), and we’ll be happy to include it. As always, while we try not to make mistakes with dates, times, places, etc., we are often mistaken for people who make mistakes by people who are mistaken. It always makes sense to call ahead to confirm some of these further-out trips. And if I’m not mistaken, Mother’s Day is on May 8th, so do something nice for yours. Also, as we celebrate Memorial Day on May 30th, please remember those who have died in service to our country.

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