St Brendan The Navigator Feast Day May 16th Ancient Order of Hibernians
St Brendan the Navigator Division Mecklenburg County Division # 2
ISSUE # 2 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER VOLUME# 7
February 2015 Our next business meeting is on Tuesday, February 10th at 7:30 PM
St Mark’s Parish Center Rooms 200 & 201
2015 Officers
Chaplain Father Paul McNulty President Dick Seymour Vice President Lee Madden Secretary Tom Dowd Treasurer Chris O’Keefe Fin. Secretary Ray FitzGerald Standing Committee Joe Dougherty Marshall Sean Ragan Sentinel Ron Haley Past President Ray FitzGereld
www.aohmeck2.org
Ní thuigeann an seach an seang. Translation: The well fed person doesn't understand the hungry one.
President’s Message Brothers,
The cold spells and snow storms have been creating chaos up in the North East. Thank God we are here in North Carolina. This gives new meaning to the phrase, “chill out.” Hopefully, you didn’t have any frozen or fractured pipes and your heating system is functioning. Things will begin to heat up for our Division as we approach St. Patrick’s Day.
Our January social was held on January 29, 2015 at Safari Miles. We had approximately twenty five Brothers and wives in attendance and a great time were had by all.
Our annual Hibernian Dinner & Show, in honor of St. Patrick will be held on Saturday evening, March 7th, beginning at 6:30pm. The evening will include a traditional Irish dinner, with chicken fingers for wee ones and for those who don’t’ eat corned beef. The entertainment will include Irish step dancers, a get up and dance Ceili, and an Irish sing-a-along, featuring musician-ventriloquist Brian Tiernan.
The cost of the tickets will be the same as last year $25 for adults and $15 for children (12 and under). The net proceeds will be used to support Catholic education. Contact Ray FitzGerald (704-992-1702) or myself (704-960-4500), for tickets.
With this price structure, we hope to see more of our members and their families at the Dinner & Show this year. If circumstances prevent you from being there, you can still support the event by selling tickets after the Masses and by encouraging family members and friends to purchase tickets. The Division will be selling tickets at St. Mark after the Masses on the weekends of February. 13th/14th and February 28th and March 1st.
Contact Ray FitzGerald with the dates and Mass times at which you will be able to provide assistance. Also, on the night of the event, we will need Brothers to help with set up, clean up, manning the admissions and beverage table, selling raffle tickets, etc., even if you can’t make the show.
A few other events related to St. Patrick’s Day: Saturday. March 14th is the annual Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Festival. As in the past we and our families will be marching with our Brother and Sister Hibernians. On the morning of Tuesday March 17th, we will be celebrating our annual St. Patrick’s Day Mass at Old St. Joseph’s Church in Mt. Holly. More details to follow.
Balloting is now open for you to nominate a Division Brother for the “Hibernian of the Year” award. We will present the award at our April Social (April 23th). Voting closes at our March10th meeting. As in the past, the prior year’s winner (Frank Fay) and the current and past president are not eligible to be selected. Send me your nomination.
While not Irish related, there is an upcoming event that you may find of interest. On Friday, Feb. 14th the Knights of Columbus at Holy Spirit Parish in Denver will be having a St Valentines dinner dance with live music if interested contact Ray FitzGerald. This will serve as our February social.
The 2014 annual dues are now payable. Please bring $35 cash or check to our February meeting or contact our Financial Secretary, Ray FitzGerald, to coordinate the payment.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 10th at 7:30pm in Room 200 of the St. Mark Family Life Center.
St. Brendan the Navigator, pray for us! Dick Seymour
St. Brendan the Navigator AOH Proudly Presents Our 2015 Hibernian Dinner & Show St. Patrick Celebration
When: Saturday, March 7, 2015 6:30pm to 10:00pm
Where: St. Mark Catholic Church Msgr. Kerin Family Center 14740 Stumptown Road Huntersville, NC 28078
Musician/Ventriloquist BRIAN TIERNAN’s dynamic guitar/banjo playing traditional lively, family-friendly, sing-a- long, songs followed by a set with the RINCE NA H’EIREANN School of Traditional Irish Step Dancers. Tis a grand time you’ll be having when you join us at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.
Tickets: $25.00 per Adult $15.00 Children 12 and Under For Reservations: e-mail: [email protected] or contact: Ray FitzGerald at (704) 992-1702 Dick Seymour at (704) 960-4500 Ticket Includes: Entertainment, Irish Dinner, Dessert and Coffee Beer/Wine Cash Bar *50/50* Raffle Prizes
*PLEASE PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS BY MARCH 2, 2015* *NET PROCEEDS WILL SUPPORT CATHOLIC EDUCATION*
February Birthdays
Steve Witmer Division Brother February 1st Marguerite Dowd Daughter of Brother Tom February 1st Bev Leahy Wife of Brother Ted February 2nd Jim Mann Son of Brother Gene February 2nd Richard Clancey Division Brother February 5th Becky Rosintoski Wife of Brother Larry February 5th Sam Smith Son of Brother Ray February 11th Shane Connelly Son of Brother Brian February 13th Angeles Murphy Wife of Brother Bob February 14th Mark Brady Division Brother February 17th Catherine Knox Daughter of Brother Tom February 19th Molly Leahy Daughter of Brother Ted February 20th Denny Golden Division Brother February 24th J.Lauren Rosintoski Son of Brother Larry February 26th Ryan Stephan Son of Brother Scott February 29th
February Anniversaries
Cassie & Ed Albertson February 2nd
“Cuimhnigi ar na daoine ar thainig sibh” “Remember the people from whom you came”
Division Calendar of Events for February 2015 February 7th, 2015 NC State Board Meeting in Greensboro
February 10, 2015 Division Business Meeting St Mark’s 7:30PM
On Friday, Feb. 14th the Knights of Columbus at Holy Spirit Parish in
Denver will be having a St Valentines dinner dance with live music if interested contact Ray FitzGerald. This will serve as our February social.
Mother of seven making fringes for knitted shawls, Two fishermen and a boy, An Spidéal, Galway, Ireland, 31 May 1913 Galway, Ireland, 29 May,1913
Irish America News
Applications open for funding of US citizens to study in Ireland
Applications are now open for the 2015 Summer Gaeltacht Awards with a deadline of February 27. These awards, now in their fifth year, offer US citizens an immersion experience in Ireland, where successful candidates will spend two to six weeks studying Irish in the Gaeltachtaί (Irish- speaking regions). The courses not only offer language learning, but excursions, traditional Irish music, and storytelling in some of Ireland’s most picturesque locations. Grants include tuition / fees as well as room (based on sharing) and board. Successful applicants must pay their own travel and living costs. Applications are open to United States citizens who are learners and teachers of the Irish language and currently living or working in the US. To be eligible, applicants must be enrolled in an Irish language course in the US, have completed at least one year of Irish language instruction, or have been teaching the Irish language in the US for more than one year. They must also be able to participate in a program in its entirety (2-6 consecutive weeks during summer 2015). Please note that these are not Fulbright Awards, but grants from the Ireland-United States Commission for Education Exchange, supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht and the National Lottery of Ireland.
Visit www.fulbright.ie/gaeltacht-summer-award for full information and application details.
News from Ireland
Amazing facts about the Irish dance phenomenon "Riverdance"
It’s now 21 years since “Riverdance” debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, in 1994. Now celebrating it’s success with the “Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour” we decided to take a look at the figures behind the worldwide Irish dance success. - There have been 11,000 performances of “Riverdance” - It has been seen by over 25 million people in over 465 venues worldwide - Its played in 46 countries across six continents - The show has travelled 700,000 miles (or to the moon and back and back again!) - Its played to a global television audience of 3 billion people - The Grammy Award-winning CD has sold over 3 million copies - The DVD has sold over 10 million There have been... - 1,500 Irish dancers - 14,000 dance shoes used - 12,000 costumes worn - 200,000 gallons of water consumed - 60,000 gallons of gatorade consumed - 1,650,000 show programmes sold - 1,500 flight cases used - 12,000 stage lighting bulbs used - 40,000 boxes of tissues used - 16,250 guitar, bass and fiddle strings replaced - 284,000 t-shirts sold - 39 marriages between company members - 20,000 cumulative years of study in step-dancing by Irish dancers - 45,000 rolls of self-grip tape used by company physiotherapists - 15,000 hours of rehearsals on tour - 5,500,000 pounds of dry ice used on stage - 60,000 pounds of chocolate consumed (for energy!) by the cast Some background: The interval show at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest featured Irish dance champions Jean Butler and Michael Flatley as the leads, along with accompaniment by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the Celtic choral group Anúna. The score was composed by Limerick native Bill Whelan and the show was produced by John McColgan and Moya Doherty. Following its huge success it was expanded it into a stage show, which opened in Dublin, on Feb 9 1995. When the show transferred to London in June of that year, the reaction was unprecedented, with the original 10 performances being increased to 151 in subsequent months. There followed a hugely successful tour starting in New York in March 1996, where eight sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall heralded the start of 16 years of non-stop touring by “Riverdance” companies throughout North America. Since its inception “Riverdance” has packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia, Europe, South Africa and most recently South America.
Main Ní Tuathail, a 14 year old girl from Mother and child outside dwelling, The Claddagh, Galway, Ireland the Claddagh wearing traditional 25th May 1913 Claddagh dress. Galway, Ireland, 26th May 1913.
"Outside car" on the route from Headford to Claregalway, Man cutting turf, South Connemara, Ireland, Ireland, 29 May 1913 29 May 1913
Cities & Towns of Ireland
Ennis, County Clare Ennis (Irish: Inis, meaning "island") is a town located in Mid-West Region of Ireland and is the county town of County Clare. Situated on the River Fergus just north of where it enters the Shannon Estuary, it lies northwest of Limerick and south of Galway. The town is also 19 km (12 mi) from Shannon Airport. The Irish name for the town is short for Inis Cluain Ramh Fhada ("island of the long rowing meadow"). In 2011, Ennis had a population of 25,360, making it the 11th largest urban centre in Ireland. The name Ennis comes from the Irish word "Inis", meaning "island". This name relates to an island formed between two courses of the River Fergus on which the Franciscan Abbey was built. The past of Ennis is greatly associated with the O'Brien family, who were descendants of Brian Boru. During the 12th century the O'Briens who were Kings of Thomond, left their seat of power in Limerick and built a royal residence at Clonroad on the then island. During 1240 King Donnchadh O'Brien ordered the construction of an extensive church grounds which he later donated to recently formatted followers of St. Francis. The centuries which followed bore great activity. The Friars keep was expanded and students came in great flocks to study at the theological college. The Friars, who were free to move about, met the spiritual needs of the local population. It was a religious centre until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Because it never had town walls it became a location for many Catholic merchants from Limerick when Catholics were forbidden to reside in the walled towns by the Penal Laws, and much of its past prosperity is attributable to this influx. It became a thriving market town in the late 18th century and this expansion continued unabated throughout the 19th century (except the period after the Famine in C. 1850).
During the colonial period a number of landmark structures were constructed, including the Mill and Courthouse. The town contains a number of old military barracks, most notably Old Military Barracks on the Kilrush road. Many locals served for the British Army during The First World War. The Clare Road and Clonroad areas contain terraced cottages, built in the Early 20th century to house soldiers. On Station Road, then called Jail Road, a Gaol once stood. Ennis was governed by a town council from around the 17th century on-wards, however the Local Government Reform Act 2014 effectively dissolved this with the creation of the Ennis Municipal District under the authority of Clare County Council. Politically, Ennis has always been considered a Fianna Fáil stronghold. Many of the Town's past councils are made up of members of this party. However in the 2009 Local Elections the party was reduced to just one member out of nine on Ennis Town Council. A monument to Éamon de Valera, founder of the party and former President of Ireland, stands outside Ennis Courthouse.[1] The River Fergus runs through the middle of Ennis, and is a well-known trout and salmon fishery. At one time small sailing boats made their way up river from the Shannon and berthed in the centre of the town at Woodquay.[2] This area of the Town along with Parnell Street and Mill Road was routinely susceptible to flooding, but the flood defence system put an end to the event in Parnell Street and the Mill Road areas,[3] although in November 2009 other parts of the town experienced severe flooding.[4] A new pedestrian bridge named "Harmony Row Bridge" was built over the river Fergus in June 2009.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Saturday, March 28th at 6:00 PM the First of Four IRISH FILM NIGHTS at St Mark’s Catholic Church’s Kerin Center hall. Admission is FREE. Refreshments will be available for purchase. This first film will be a FAMILY film, Darby O’Gill and the Little People. So bring the children and the grandchildren.