MOHAWK VALLEY IRISH CULTURAL
Volume 16, Issue 2 EVENTS NEWSLETTER Feb 2019 2019 Great American Irish Festival Features All-Star Lineup
When the 2019 Great American Irish Festival (GAIF) comes to the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in Frankfort on Friday, July 26, Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28, it will boast an array of Irish and Celtic performers ranging from the delicate to the raucous.
Headlining the traditional stage at this year’s festival will be an act that has become a cultural phenomenon, Ireland’s Folk Band of the year and winners of Irish Music Award’s Top Traditional Performance Show, the High Kings. Boasting a musical pedigree that few can match, and fresh off record-breaking PBS showings, four musical powerhouses -- Finbarr Clancy of the legendary Clancy family, Brian Dunphy, son of well-known singer, Sean Dunphy, renowned vocalist Darren Holden, and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist George Murphy -- have come together to create the most exciting Irish ballad group to emerge since The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem electrified the worldwide folk revival of the 1960s.
For those whose tastes are a bit more contemporary, back to headline this year’s festival will be the wildly popular band, We Banjo 3, plying their banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin skills in an innovation fusion of styles that they dub “Celtgrass.”
Joining the other headliners on the Contemporary Stage will be Central New York favorites, Enter the Haggis, returning to the festival that helped launch them to prominence in 2005. Making a long-awaited return to the festival will be Celtic rockers The Young Dubliners, who headlined at GAIF ’06. Back after a year away are Donegal’s Diver sisters, better known as The Screaming Orphans.
As they did the last two years, the American Rogues will fire up the contemporary stage crowds with their anthemic and powerful performance. Making their debut will be the darlings of Dublin and viral video stars, The Byrne Brothers (none of whom were even born when the first GAIF was held!). Other upper tier bands returning to the festival are the Ottawa Valley’s Searson, long-time favorites, the Glengarry Bhoys, multi-talented Colin Farrell and the Colin Farrell Band (this year, with his brother), and roots-rockers, the Town Pants.
Other GAIF favorites making their return to the festival are the husband and wife team, House of Hamill (Brian Buchanan from Enter the Haggis and Rose Baldino, from Burning Bridget Cleary); GAIF veterans the Blarney Rebel Band and Hair of the Dog (each making a record 15th appearance!), local trad groups Craobh Dugan and Arise & Go, and making their GAIF debut as a trio will be A Mighty Craic.
In addition to the non-stop music, merchandise vendors from across the U.S. and Ireland, carefully selected from a list of applicants, will be selling Irish and Celtic merchandise, and a variety of food booths will be providing a taste of the Emerald Isle for festival-goers. Returning again this year will be the 5k run, bagpipe competition, whiskey tasting and Irish Mass. Campsites are also available.
This year’s festival will be held from July 26-28, 2019 at The Herkimer County Fairgrounds, located just off Route 5s in Frankfort NY, just minutes from the New York State Thruway. For directions, tickets or more information, visit the festival web site at www.greatamericanirishfest.com.
And now it’s time to meet the bands:
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The High Kings
The High Kings are not just a musical act, they are a phenomenon. Boasting a musical pedigree that few can match, four musical powerhouses -- Finbarr Clancy of the legendary Clancy family, Brian Dunphy, son of well-known singer, Sean Dunphy, renowned vocalist Darren Holden, and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist George Murphy -- have come together to create the most exciting Irish ballad group to emerge since The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem electrified the worldwide folk revival of the 1960s. Ireland’s Folk Band of the year and winners of Irish Music Award’s Top Traditional Performance Show, The High Kings grew up in households steeped in the Irish Musical tradition and each member of the band witnessed firsthand the power of well-crafted Irish music on an audience. Since their inception, the High Kings have sold out hundreds of shows, in Ireland and the US, made numerous TV appearances, and their albums have achieved platinum status. The quartet now brings a new show that showcases their incredible versatility and skills as multi-instrumentalists, playing 13 instruments between them, bringing a rousing acoustic flavor to brand new songs as well as some old favorites. The High Kings are continuing to live up to their reputation as a phenomenal live band, serving up laughter, good times and even the odd sing along. We Banjo 3
For all the innovation and invention that goes into modern music these days, it’s the inspiration derived from one’s roots that proves the most enduring. So credit Galway, Ireland’s We Banjo 3 for finding common ground between old world tradition and authentic Americana by plying their banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin in an innovation fusion of styles that they dub “Celtgrass.” Variously described as “astonishing,” “the Gold Standard of Irish and American Roots music,” and “the Irish Punch Brothers,” it’s little wonder then that We Banjo 3 is literally taking both sides of the Atlantic by storm, carving a reputation as one of the world’s most imaginative ensembles. The Young Dubliners
Founded in 1988 by Dublin native Keith Roberts and Paul O’Toole, the Young Dubliners have grown from their beginnings as a traditional folk/pop band, influenced by Celtic musician Christy Moore and Irish band The Fureys, to a style marked by a fusion of Irish traditional instruments and music with modern rock. The Young Dubs have released eight albums of original material and one Irish ballad cover album, and are currently at work recording a new CD. They have headlined throughout the United States and Europe since 1994, and have shared the stage with Jethro Tull, John Hiatt, Chris Isaak, Jonny Lang, Great Big Sea and Collective Soul, and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. AllMusic.com states, “Their live shows (have) a jam-like appeal, similar to the vibes of Phish and the Dave Matthews Band.”
Enter the Haggis
Toronto’s Enter the Haggis has led the charge among Celtic folk/roots/rock bands, delighting fans with their memorable performances, inspired songwriting, musical proficiency and high-quality recordings, including 4 EPs, 8 studio albums, five live and one compilation CDs, as well as two solo side projects. With their signature Celtic rock sound and instrumentation of bagpipes blazing over a powerhouse rhythm section, they’ve long been a fan favorite in Central New York and throughout the continent.
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Screaming Orphans
Aptly described as “When honey and gravel collide,” The Screaming Orphans is an all-sister band from Co. Donegal, who’ve grown into one of the most sought-after Celtic bands in the US and Europe. Their powerful, award winning sound combines their own original melodic old-school pop songs with a unique and modern take on Traditional Irish music and song. Headliners for the 2017 Great American Irish Festival, the ladies are back…much to the delight of fans old and new.
The Byrne Brothers
The Byrne Brothers – Luca (14), Finn (13) and Dempsey (9) along with dad, Tommy -- are a traditional family band from Dublin who now reside in Orlando Florida. Despite their age, they have garnered multiple awards and championships for their dancing, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bodhran and button accordion skills, and the 2016 video of their ad hoc performance on a Galway street got 3.4 million views, making it the most viewed video from Ireland that year. The boys – and their parents – are beyond thrilled to be making their debut performance at the Great American Irish Festival.
American Rogues
Originally formed several years ago as a more traditional bagpipe band, The American Rogues have morphed into their own band, with their own style, and even their own genre: “CeltRockFolkWorldClassicalMusicForTheMasses.” One of the standout acts from the past two Great American Irish Festivals, American Rogues are taking on the world of Celtic rock, rock roots, patriotic, military and classical music. Said The Irish Echo: “The American Rogues know how to command a massive stage and animate a crowd with the sounds of fiddles, pipes, and an impressive miscellany of instruments and styles.”
Colin Farrell Band
Colin Farrell is no stranger to the Great American Irish Festival, having first appeared with the Elders. Having since gone out on his own and with the band Lúnasa, Colin continues his meteoric rise on the Celtic trad scene. In the Colin Farrell Band, he is joined by former Creel bandmate Damian McCarthy (guitar, vocals), Dan Lowery (flute/guitar /vocals), and for this go-around, he is joined by his brother Shane. Through their skill and virtuosity, they have established themselves as top entertainers in Irish traditional music with a vibrant and exciting show; delivering their tunes and songs with sublime musicianship.
Glengarry Bhoys
Described as bold, unorthodox, vibrant and evocative, the Glengarry Bhoys’ hybrid of Canadian Highland Scots and French Canadian musical idioms has evolved into a sound that is weighty, authoritative and extremely entertaining. Their blend of traditional music, fused with the multicultural sounds of modern and contemporary Celtic music, has brought them international acclaim. Fiery guitar and bass, intense percussion and fiddle, teamed with pipes and vocals, make for a memorable performance.
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The Town Pants
With a decade’s worth of headlining Roots and Celtic festivals and clubs, The Town Pants’ own brand of Celtic roots rock rebel spans seven albums so far, backed up with a legendary live show that’s garnered them fans internationally from New York to Norway. Veterans of the 2005 Great American Irish Festival, this Vancouver BC based band combines aspects of Irish traditional, folk, rock and roots Americana, fusing their signature dual lead vocals from brothers Duane and Dave Keogh to create a unique form of high energy they call “West Coast Celtic.”
Searson
Building on their Ottawa Valley, Ontario roots, sisters Erin and Colleen Searson have developed their own original style of music, seamlessly blending high energy fiddling, passionate vocals and step dancing. Giving a more modern treatment to the traditional music of their upbringing, the sisters perform on a variety of instruments throughout their live show, which includes Colleen on fiddle, vocals and Ottawa Valley Step Dancing; Erin on piano, vocals, step dancing and tenor guitar; Dave MacDougall on drums and percussion, and Fraser Gauthier on bass/guitar. Searson recently released their 9th studio album, “Homegrown,” a tribute to the Canadian artists, songwriters and instrumentalists who have influenced the band. They are currently wading through two nights’ worth of concert footage to be used for their 10th CD and a Live DVD.
Hair of the Dog
The Great American Irish Festival is happy to be bringing back GAIF veterans and fan favorites, Hair of the Dog. Originally formed as an acoustic trio in 1993, Hair Of The Dog has become one of the world’s foremost Celtic rock bands, releasing ten wildly popular CDs including their most recent, “Liam Left The Lights On Again.” The Dog was also mentioned in Billboard Magazine as one of Irish Music’s biggest sellers. Their song “One Sunday Morning” was featured on the 2003 Colleen Records compilation CD “Songs of Irish Freedom Vol. 3.” In 2005 they appeared on “One Child At a Time,” a charity compilation which also included U2, James Taylor, The Chieftains and Carly Simon. Hair Of The Dog has repeatedly been named “Best Band” by Upstate New York’s top regional newspapers and magazines. 2018 marks HOTD’s 25th year and to mark the occasion, they began work on their 11th CD. Blarney Rebel Band
This year marks the 15th appearance at the Great American Irish Festival for area favorites the Blarney Rebel Band, making them GAIF’s longest tenured act. Hailing from the Celtic hotbed of Central New York, BRB performs all types of traditional Irish music, from rollicking pub songs to traditional folk fare, from rousing sea songs to moving ballads, from stirring rebel songs to hand-clapping jigs and reels. Their unique blend of out-of-the-box music, audience interplay and comedy has morphed into a genre called “Unique blend of out-of-the-box music, audience interplay and comedy;” a name that is not catching on at all. Their debut studio CD “Buy My Soul” has sold all over the world, with one cut, “Stand With Me Boys,” earning No. 1 in the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast Best of 2009 Listener’s Poll. Their 5th CD, “Ever Onward,” is an ambitious collection of original material penned by all five band members. They were recently named by the worldwide Irish and Celtic Music Podcast as one of 2015’s Top 20 Celtic bands.
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House of Hamill
House of Hamill is the very talented and very fun duo of Brian Buchanan (Enter the Haggis) and Rose Baldino (Burning Bridget Cleary). Brian and Rose are both accomplished traditional fiddle players and classical violinists, and despite being young, have over 25 years of writing and performance experience between them. Together, they write unusual new fiddle tunes and exciting, unpredictable original songs, while also breathing new life into traditional and contemporary songs. Both are confident and unique lead vocalists, and the blend of their two voices in harmony is hypnotic and irresistible, and their chemistry onstage is always engaging and often hilarious.
Craobh Dugan
Craobh Dugan, the Central NY branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann, has been preserving and promoting the traditional music, song, dance and language of the Irish culture with weekly Céilí, music and language sessions for over thirty years. They perform for local nursing homes and also at a variety of other venues including the Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Celtic Festival at Rome Capital Theater, General Herkimer Historic Site concert, Utica Monday Night Heritage Celebration, Great American Irish Festival, and the Western Town Hall cultural series.
Arise & Go
“Arise and Go” – their name comes from the opening lines from W. B. Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” – is an exciting young trio of talented and dedicated musicians from Ithaca who combine their varied musical backgrounds to produce a sound which is both rooted in tradition and uniquely fresh and driving. Band members Michael Roddy (pipes, whistles), Ellie Goud (fiddle), and Tim Ball (guitar) are veterans of the session scene in western NY, and all have years of performing experience throughout the eastern US and Canada. The group released their debut eponymous EP in March 2017.
The Mighty Craic
The three musicians making up The Mighty Craic come from totally different musical backgrounds – Bill Fahy (vocals, guitar, mandolin) played bluegrass, swing and country; Amanda Straney (vocals, fiddle) is more classically trained, performing with the Hamilton Orchestra; and Jessica Hilterbrandt (percussion, accordion) is a drummer with the popular rock band, Crazy Fools. Although having performed several times at the festival as members of Craobh Dugan and the Blarney Rebel Band, this appearance marks their GAIF debut as a trio.
…and there you have it, folks: the 2019 lineup for the Great American Irish Festival; the fastest growing festival in the Northeast! However, if history is any indication, this may not be the final lineup… the festival has been known to add acts at the last minute, if financially possible. On a totally unrelated note: Did you know you can become a sponsor for the festival? That’s right, sponsorships are available at multiple levels, either in cash or through in-kind donations (check it all out, here). Why, you can even sponsor your favorite band if you’d like to! Say-y-y… I guess that wasn’t so unrelated after all.
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John Sullivan Selected as 2019 Parade Grand Marshal
On Friday, January 25th, local contractor and businessman John Sullivan was named Grand Marshal of the 2019 Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The announcement was made at the annual Halfway to the Great American Irish Festival Hooley.
A lifelong Whitesboro native, John, with his company, John Sullivan and Son Construction, is the general contractor for the Irish Cultural Center, which is nearing completion in Utica’s Brewery District.
A member of The Ancient Order of Hibernians, John has also been a dedicated volunteer for many years in the area, generously contributing his time as Chairperson of Mother Marianne’s West Side Soup Kitchen, devoted Perpetual Adoration at St. Joseph-St.Patrick’s Church (where he also teaches Confirmation classes), as well as being a former Pop Warner Football coach and past treasurer of Whitesboro Youth Hockey Association.
Surrounded by his wife Debbie and their friends and family, John accepted the honor with equal parts reverence and humility.
“I'm absolutely thrilled,” Sullivan said. “I feel it’s a great honor, I’m just crazy about it.”
Sullivan is the first born of first generation in the United States -- his parents hailed from County Cork and County Galway, Ireland -- and being nominated as the Grand Marshal, and being Irish, is not something Sullivan takes lightly.
“Any time you get an achievement or an honor like this, it’s because of the people you’re surrounded with,” Sullivan said. “And I’m so happy to be Irish.”
John will be feted at the Grand Marshal Reception on March 12th, where he’ll receive the ceremonial shillelagh from last year’s honoree, Judy Weeks. Besides leading the Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade down Genesee Street on Saturday March 16th at 10 AM, John will also serve as an ambassador for the Great American Irish Festival throughout the year.
Halfway to GAIF Hooley a Rousing Success
On January 25th, the Great American Irish Festival hosted its annual “Halfway to GAIF Hooley” at the Saranac Brewery, located in the heart of Utica’s historic brewery district. The evening, which marks the beginning of the festival year, was filled with food, music, dancing, and Irish community spirit.
Since its inception in 2006, the very popular celebration has provided a much-needed respite from the winter doldrums, with great music, food and drink, and a chance to see what hundreds of Great American Irish Festival volunteers look like in their winter clothes. The Hooley is the festival’s way of saying “thank you” to the hundreds of tireless volunteers who helped make the Great American Irish Festival the fastest growing Irish festival in the land.
This event has also become the forum for presenting the performance lineup for the upcoming festival, as well as the announcement of the board’s selection for the Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal.
Sandwiched between sets of music from Binghamton’s The Stoutmen, GAIF Co-chairman Jeff Ball took to the mic and announced this year’s lineup (see earlier article) to the oohs and aahs of an anxious crowd (really…oohs and aahs; I was there). Following that, David Wood introduced local businessman and venerable Irishman John Sullivan, who had been chosen as the 2019 Grand Marshal of Utica’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade (see above).
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Call of Caledonia – by Kari “McKendrick” Procopio Whisky Different Ways By the time this newsletter has reached you, dear reader, Burns Night (January 25) will have passed. However, it would be a crime upon the Celtic brethren if I didn’t share some Burns Night whisky cocktail recipes found straight from Scotland’s finest pubs and eateries. And really, is there ever a wrong time for whisky? *(Where I can, I’ve tried to find an equivalent ingredient) The Surf ‘n’ Fodder - From Badger & Co., Edinburgh. “The definitive Scottish Whisky served with the salinity of the coastal air and sea spray. This drink is best served with a tempura oyster.” Ingredients: 25 ml (Half a shot) Highland Park - 12-year-old Dash of oyster brine Samphire (*Or sea beans, which I read you can find at a Whole Foods store, if you can find one of those.) to garnish
Method: Lightly mix the whisky and brine together. Using the oyster shell as a glass, pour in the whisky mix and garnish with a sprig of samphire. Fiery Skies – from Badger & Co, Edinburgh. “Rich and bold like the Viking kings of Orkney, this drink is best enjoyed with cock a leekie terrine*.” (Hearty peppered chicken and leek soup with barley or rice)
Ingredients:
37.5 ml (three quarters shot) Highland Park 12-year-old 21.5 ml (half a shot) Cherry liqueur* (Chambord will work) 12.5 ml (quarter shot) sherry 2 dashes of walnut bitters* (Angostura bitters might do) Dehydrated bloody orange wheel, to garnish* (whatever) Handful of ice
Method:
In an Old-Fashioned glass, add some large cubes of ice and pour in all of the ingredients apart from the dehydrated blood orange. Using a bar spoon, lightly stir and combine the drink. Once sufficiently stirred, garnish with the wheel of dehydrated blood orange.
Magnum Espresso’tini - From Canny Man’s, Edinburgh. “This twist on the traditional Espresso Martini swaps vodka for whisky to help give the Burns Night cocktail a more of a Scottish theme. The depth and light smoke of the whisky adds to the flavor.”
Ingredients: 35ml (three quarters shot) Freshly made espresso 35ml (three quarters shot) Johnnie Walker Black Label 25ml ( a wee more than half shot) Magnum Cream Liqueur* (I honestly could not find a domestic equivalent to this decadent sounding cream liqueur. You’ll just have to order it online) 5ml (a wee bit) Sugar Syrup (or simple syrup)
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Method Shake all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice and strain. Served in a martini glass and garnish with coffee beans.
After all of that, what did I toast with on Burns Night? An x amount of Auchentoshan Single Malt 21 Year. Neat. * (No equivalent)
Speak for Yourself – contributed by Tomás Maol O'Meallaigh (Tom Malley)
Ceacht 2 (Lesson 2)
Last time we learned how to say “How are you?” Okay, how about learning some answers?
Tá mé go maith (pronounced Taw may guh mah). Translated: I am good (well). Tá mé an-mhaith (Taw may an wah). Translated: I am very good. Níl mé chomh maith (Neel may ho maith). Translated: I am not so good. Tá me tinn (Taw may tinn). Translated: I am sick Tá mé fuair (fu-ir). Translated: cold. te (cheh). Translated: warm, hot. fliuch (flook). Translated: wet. tais (tash). Translated: soaked
Sometimes a condition is “on me” or “at me”
Tá ochras orm (Taw uh-chras or-um). Translated: there is hunger on me, I am hungry. Tá tart orm (taw tart orr-umm). Translated: there is thirst, I am thirsty.
Lá Imbolg shona daoibh (Law im-bollig deev!). Translated: happy Ground Hog Day to you all!
Questions? Write me at [email protected]
Win a Trip for Two to Ireland!
The Great American Irish Festival is pleased to bring back the very popular “Ireland Trip” raffle. That’s right, a one-week trip to the Emerald Isle – including airfare from Albany, hotels and coach transportation – could be yours, for a mere investment of $20.
The raffle, which will benefit the Great American Irish Festival and the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley, promises a week of sightseeing, shopping and guided tours, covering the length and breadth of the island. Conveyance and tours will be facilitated by Go Ahead Tours.
In this 7-day/6-night trip, you’ll experience the sights and sounds of Galway, the splendor of County Cork’s awe- inspiring Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, the quaint town of Cobh, Blarney Castle, and places, old and new, in the beautiful city of Dublin. The trip is scheduled for October, but there may be flexibility based on availability.
Only 1000 tickets will be sold for this golden opportunity to experience the landscape, history and culture of one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Sheila Knapp at [email protected]. The drawing will be held at the Great American Irish Festival, at 10 PM on July 27th, 2019.
The Great American Irish Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.
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“Fifty Grand” -- Book Review by Mark Sisti
This month I intend to correct a glaring omission. As anyone who has read these reviews is aware, I am a huge Adrian McKinty fan. From the Northern Ireland author’s Dead Trilogy to the Sean Duffy series and everything in between, I’ve read and loved everything he’s written. With one exception.
When he released his standalone novel “Fifty Grand,” I was in the middle of his Michael Forsythe series, and nothing was going to distract me from those books, so I put “Fifty Grand” aside to read later. Well, “later” turned into “much later,” and eventually, “years later,” so when I came across it the other day I decided now is the time.
“Fifty Grand” opens with one of the most gripping scenes you’ve ever read, and then works backward from there to explain how we got to that point. It’s a technique that’s often used – most recently, for me, in the recently reviewed “The Good Son” – but rarely is it used as effectively – and as naturally – as it is here. (I would advise that, when you get to the part of the book where this scene would fit, you should go back and re-read this chapter.)
Six months previous, on a snowy isolated road in an exclusive Colorado mountain resort town, home to Hollywood's rich and famous, an illegal immigrant is killed in a hit-and-run in which the driver left the victim to die a horrible death. Police have no interest in investigating the accident, since the victim was merely the town rat-catcher, and the driver was more than likely one of the wealthy celebrities or hangers-on upon whom the town depends for its status.
However, the victim was not merely a lowly illegal. He was an intellectual exile and the father of a Cuban policewoman named Mercado whom she had not seen in fourteen years. As a Cuban defector, he should have been able to get a green card, so his situation raises a number of questions. Mercado, working from information her brother has acquired, embarks on an obsessive quest for information and, ultimately, retribution.
Of course, leaving Cuba is not as simple as taking a few personal days off from work. She concocts a plan whereby she requests permission to travel to Mexico and, from there, undertakes the arduous and dangerous trip to illegally enter America with other immigrants. The problem is that she has only three days to find out who killed her father, exact her revenge, and return to Cuba before Cuban intelligence declares her a defector.
Things don’t go as planned almost immediately, and we get a good glimpse into her survival skills and determination when the Land Rover transporting the immigrants to their new life is held up and one of the attackers tries to rape her. Let’s just say that, too, didn’t go quite as planned.
She manages to reach the resort town, Fairview, where she obtains work as a maid, but immediately runs afoul of the sheriff who runs the town. As she insinuates herself into the resort town she begins to systematically cross suspects off the list her brother has given her, until she arrives at what she is satisfied is an inescapable conclusion, and we are back to where the book began.
Because of the limited timeframe, the story unfolds at warp speed. While this strains the bounds of credulity, it does allow for a frantic pace that lends itself well to this tale of single-minded revenge.
This is not a perfect book by any means. The powerful tension of both the beginning and the conclusion bookends a middle section that can be fairly mundane, the lack of action only made readable by the brilliance of the writing. No novelist blurs the lines between prose and poetry quite the way McKinty does. The writing, the language, the styling, it all shows absolute mastery, brutal yet lyrical and even comical at times.
The story shifts back and forth from the snowy setting of Colorado to the brutal heat of Cuba, and the contrast goes well beyond mere climate; Mercado comments at one point that her Starbuck’s espresso costs more than the average daily wage in Havana. Despite the fact that most of the action takes place in Colorado, this is as much a story about Cuba as it is about America – not coincidentally, the book shares its title with a Hemingway short story – and McKinty shows an intimate knowledge of the country, its people and its politics that belies his Northern Irish background. At the same time he’s isn’t afraid to examine the plight of Illegal immigrants who are at the mercy of people and systems that abuse them and leave them too afraid to report the abuse.
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RANDOM RAMBLINGS
“Nuacht as Craobh Dugan” ---news from the Dugan Branch Chris Hoke writes: “We were in need of a trailer or flat-bed truck to carry the musicians in the Parade. I believe we have secured a trailer, but we may need a truck and driver to pull it.” Any takers? “Performances this month include Feb 1- Ceili Dance Class, Seton Center, 7 PM; Feb 5- Open Session at Nail Creek Pub, 7:30 PM; Feb 8- Ceili Dance Class, Seton Center, 7 PM; Feb 15- Ceili Dance Class, Seton Center, 7 PM; Feb 19- Open Session at Stockdale’s Pub, 7:30 PM; Feb 22- Ceili Dance Class, Seton Center, 7 PM.”
Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade Raffle Tickets On Sale! Raffle tickets to help offset the cost of the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day Parade are now available. All tickets are $1, with chances to win seven great prizes: 1st: a party for 20 in the 1888 Tavern, FX Matt Brewing Company; 2nd: a $100 Certificate for The Tailor & The Cook Restaurant; 3rd: private catered dinner for 6 in your home by O’Connor’s “A Moveable Feast;” 4th: a $100 certificate to the Celtic Harp; 5th: two tickets to “Rael -- Genesis Tribute Band” show at the Stanley Theater; 6th: four weekend passes to the Great American Irish Festival, July 26-28, 2019, and 7th: Utica Comets Team Signed Jersey. For tickets, contact Mary Lou Manchester at [email protected], or track down any GAIF committee member. The drawing will be at 3 PM on March 24th at the Celtic Harp.
Arise & Go Honored From Arise & Go founder Michael Roddy: “Look what came in the mail! Last year we were honored to perform on Bound for Glory, the longest running live folk radio program in North America. We recently found out the Friends of Bound for Glory voted us their favorite act of the 2017/2018 season!” Congrats to Arise & Go!
Celtic Club Calendar Finally, here’s the Irish Musical and Cultural calendar for February:
Feb 2 Blarney Rebel Band Woods Valley Westernville 2-5 PM Free Feb 3 Traditional Irish Session McCarthy's Irish Pub Cazenovia 4 PM Free Feb 5 Nail Creek Sessions Nail Creek Utica 7:30 PM Free Feb 8 Blarney Rebel Band Piggy Pat’s Washington Mills 7-10 PM Free Feb 9 Traditional Irish Session Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 2-5 PM Free Feb 10 The Stoutmen Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Feb 14 Donnybrook Fair The Parting Glass Saratoga Springs 7 PM $20 Feb 15-16 Lewington/Downie Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 8:30 PM Free Feb 16 Syracuse Irish Session Funk’n Waffles Syracuse 2-5 Free Feb 17 Traditional Irish Session Irish Amer Ass’n Albany 2:30-6 PM Free Feb 17 Donal O’Shaughnessey Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Feb 17 Blarney Rebel Band Celtic Harp Utica 1-5 PM Free Feb 19 Traditional Irish Session Stockdale’s Oriskany 7:30 PM Free Feb 23 Traditional Irish Session Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 2-5 PM Free Feb 24 Blarney Rebel Band Celtic Harp Utica 1-5 PM Free Feb 23 Get Up Jack The Parting Glass Saratoga Springs 7 PM $12 Feb 24 Green Beer Sunday Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse Noon on Free
If you have anything you want to share with us, feel free to send it to us ([email protected] or [email protected]), and we’ll be happy to include it. As always, while we strive for accuracy, Kari sometimes spells things strangely, claiming “it’s a Scottish thing.” It always makes sense to call ahead to confirm some of these further-out trips. Next month will be our jam-packed and Guinness-stained St. Patrick’s Day issue… you don’t want to miss it!
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