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Home , Beltane, Enter the Haggis, Finbarr Clancy, Imbolc, Irish calendar, Lughnasadh

MOHAWK VALLEY IRISH CULTURAL

Volume 13, Issue 2 EVENTS NEWSLETTER Feb 2016

2016 GAIF Lineup Includes a Mix of Old and New

The official lineup for the 2016 Great American Irish Festival was announced at the Halfway to GAIF Hooley held January 31 at Hart’s Hill Inn in Whitesboro, with a compact array of veteran GAIF performers and an equal number of acts making their first appearance at the festival, and styles 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, ’s Folk Band of the year and winners of Irish Music Award’s Top Traditional Performance Show, . Boasting a musical pedigree that few can match, and fresh off record-breaking PBS showings, four musical powerhouses, of the legendary Clancy family, Brian Dunphy, son of well-known singer, Sean Dunphy, Martin Furey of the famous Furey family of musicians, and renowned vocalist Darren Holden have come together to create the most exciting Irish ballad group to emerge since and electrified the worldwide folk revival of the 1960s.

For those whose tastes are a bit more contemporary, back to headline this year’s festival for the 10th consecutive year will be high-energy festival favorites, The Elders. Joining them on the Contemporary stage will be Central New York favorites, Enter the Haggis, making their long-awaited return to the festival that helped launch them to prominence in 2005.

Joining the High Kings on the traditional stage will be Philadelphia’s award-winning Irish roots band, Runa, and the band we predict is going to most open the eyes and ears of GAIF attendees this year, Dallahan; recently nominated for Best Up and Coming Artist of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards.

Back again will be The Moxie Strings (with fiery fiddler Diana Ladio sharing time with her other band, the Elders), Canada’s Kitchen Party and Kennedy’s Kitchen from South Bend Indiana. And continuing the GAIF tradition of introducing new acts to Central New York, this year’s lineup also includes first timers The Fitzgeralds, a family act featuring three time Canadian Grandmaster Champions and Ontario Open Step Dance Champions; The Gothard Sisters, a trio of award-winning multi-instrumentalist sisters from the Pacific northwest; Poor Angus, a progressive Celtic outfit from Ontario that is sure to turn heads at this year’s festival, Alana and Leigh Cline, a father-daughter duo from , and Rochester’s Celtic party band, Sisters of Murphy.

Adding to the non-stop entertainment will be a variety of other local and regional performers, including Pat Kane and West O’Clare, Donal O’Shaughnessy, Kilrush and Craobh Dugan, plus Irish dancers throughout the weekend.

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 and Irish Mass. Campsites are also available.

This year’s festival will be held from July 29-31 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.

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Christopher McGrath Named Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal

On Sunday, January 31st, the Grand Marshal of the Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade was named at the annual Halfway to the Great American Irish Festival Hooley. From a GAIF press release: “It is truly fitting that Chris, a local businessman and community supporter, lead the lineup in this year’s parade. Born and raised in the Mohawk Valley, Chris is a 1974 graduate of Ilion High School, a graduate of Herkimer College and Simmons School of Embalming and Mortuary Science. A NYS licensed funeral director since 1977, Chris, with his wife Debbie, owns and operates Nunn and McGrath Funeral Directors, Myslinski Funeral Home and Surridge and Roberts Funeral Home, all located on French Rd. in Utica. He is a member of Tri-County Funeral Directors, William E. Burke Utica Council 189 Knights of Columbus, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Justin F. Kelly Chapter, Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. As true with most Irishmen, family means everything to him, especially his children, Ryan, Caitlin and Patrick. Chris resides in Deerfield.” Chris will be feted at the Grand Marshal’s reception in March, where he’ll receive the ceremonial shillelagh from last year’s honoree, Steve McMurray. The Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on March 12, 2016 at 10 AM.

Celtic Harp Kicks Off “Sunday Irish Music” Series

Following a successful 2015 , The Celtic Harp in Utica will be launching its 2015 Sunday Irish Music series on 21st with the area’s premiere Irish band, The Blarney Rebel Band, with Donal O’Shaughnessey taking the stage the following . The party starts at 1 PM. Make it a part of your regular Sunday… it makes at least 1/7th more enjoyable.

The Celtic Festival of

Imbolc, also known as the Feast of , celebrates the arrival of longer, warmer days and the early signs of on . It is one of the four major “fire” festivals (, referred to in from medieval Irish texts. The other three festivals on the are , , and ). The word Imbolc means literally “in the belly” in the old Irish Neolithic language, referring to the pregnancy of ewes (no, Autocorrect; it’s not “youse”).

St. Brigid represents the Irish aspect of divine femininity in her role as patron of babies, blacksmiths, boatmen, cattle farmers, children whose parents are not married, children whose mothers are mistreated by the children's fathers, Clan Douglas, dairymaids, dairy workers, fugitives, Ireland, Leinster, mariners, midwives, milkmaids, nuns, poets, the poor, poultry farmers, poultry raisers, printing presses, sailors, scholars, travelers, and watermen. Here’s a busy saint!

Brigid is said to walk the earth on Imbolc eve. Before going to bed, each member of the household may leave a piece of clothing or strip of cloth outside for Brigid to bless. The head of the household will smother (or “smoor”) the fire and rake the ashes smooth. In the morning, they look for some kind of mark on the ashes, a sign that Brigid has passed that way in the night or morning. The clothes or strips of cloth are brought inside, and believed to now have powers of healing and protection.

Imbolc is usually celebrated by modern Pagans on February 1st or 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere, and 1st or 2nd in the , or at the solar midpoint between the winter and spring , which now falls later in the first week or two of February.

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Cathie Ryan To Perform at Walton Theatre

The best-chosen superlatives don’t even come close to describing the angelic voice and the elegant grace and beauty of Irish American songstress Cathie Ryan. With her crystalline vocals and insightful songwriting, she is an original and distinctive voice in . Aside from her appearances at the Great American Irish Festival and the Kirkland Art Center in Clinton, there haven’t been many opportunities to catch Cathie in concert, but all that can change as she graces the stage at the Walton Theatre on Saturday, February 27th for a magical night of song and musical intimacy.

Cathie Ryan’s acclaimed seven year tenure as lead singer of was just the start of a career that has seen her honored by Irish American News her as Irish Female Vocalist of the Decade. The Detroit born Ryan has established herself as one of Celtic Music's most popular and enduring singer- songwriters with four critically acclaimed CDs. A captivating and deeply affecting performer, she has built a loyal following throughout Europe and North America with steady touring and appearances on national and public television in the United States and Europe, including NPR’s Mountain Stage and Thistle and Shamrock, PRI’s The World, BBC2 in England, Radio , and RTE, RnG, and TG4 in Ireland. She was voted one of the Top 100 by Irish America Magazine, and the LA Times recently named her “…one of the leading voices in Celtic music.” For over twenty-five years, including five solo albums, countless musical collaborations, and multiple awards, Cathie has been in the vanguard of Irish music. She is blessed with a voice of luminous clarity and a gift for unearthing gems from Irish and American song traditions, and creating her own heart-stirring originals. Wrap this musical integrity into a consummate entertainer and it is no wonder the Wall Street Journal calls her music, “a revelation.”

Her band represents unbelievable talent in itself. Patsy O’Brien (guitar, , vocals) is “Ireland’s best kept musical secret;” Matt Mancuso (fiddle, , octave , guitar & vocals) is a star fiddle player from Lord of the Dance; Patrick Mangan (fiddle virtuoso) is a two-time all-Ireland fiddle champion, and Brian Melick (percussion) performs with groups ranging from Celtic to classical guitar.

Tickets for the 7:30 show are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and $32 for a family, and they are available at the Walton Theatre Box Office, on-line, by phone (607) 865-6829, or via email [email protected]. The Walton Theatre is located at 31 Gariner Place in Walton, about an hour and 45 minutes south of Utica.

Gaelic Storm Returns to the Egg

On Wednesday, February 24th, the genre-bending makes a triumphant return to Swyer Theatre at the Egg, in Albany NY. From bluegrass fans and country cowboys to Deadheads, rock & rollers and Celtic fanatics, Gaelic Storm has built one of the most diverse fan bases in modern music. With a career that began as a pub band in Santa Monica, California, 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, , which earned a spot on iTunes World Albums’ “Best of 2015” album list. Matching Sweaters features Patrick Murphy and at their song-writing best, moving from drinking songs (“Another Stupid Drinking Song”) to energetic instrumentals (“The Narwhaling Cheesehead”) to rootsy pop/rockers (“Whiskeyed Up and Womaned Out”), gluing everything 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 7:30 show are $34, and are available in person at the Egg box office, by calling (518) 473-1845, via snail mail (PO Box 2065, Albany NY 12220) or on-line. The Egg is located at 1 Empire State Plaza, S Mall Arterial in Albany. And of course, there’s Kiana Weber.

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Traditional Powerhouse Altan Comes to Troy Music Hall

On February 28th, the quaint Troy Savings Bank Music Hall welcomes “…the world’s foremost Irish traditional group,” Altan, as part of their 25-date Winter/Spring 2016 US tour. Fronted by founding member and lead vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Altan has moved audiences from Donegal to Tokyo to Seattle with their exquisitely produced award-winning recordings, ranging dynamically from the most sensitive and touching old Irish songs all the way to hard hitting reels and jigs, and with their heartwarming, dynamic live performances. In their 30 years of performing and recording, there has been the unwavering commitment of the band to bringing the beauty of traditional music, particularly that of the Donegal fiddlers and singers, to contemporary audiences in a way that brings out all its qualities and destroys none. In fact, Altan has always believed that is a modern music in every sense and its growing influence and popularity have proved them right.

Tickets for the show range from $24-$29, and can be purchased by calling (518) 273-0038, or by going on-line. Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is located just a hop, skip and jump away (depending on the length of your hops, skips and/or jumps) at 30 2nd St. in Troy, NY.

MVCC Offers “8000 Years of Irish History in Eight ”

Can you really learn 8000 years of Irish history in 8 weeks? Of course not. But you can learn enough to give yourself a basic knowledge of Irish History. You will learn about the places, names and history that you always knew but never understood. What were the plantations? Why is Cromwell the most hated man in Irish history, even more than ? What were the causes and results of the Great Hunger? What year was the Insurrection of 1916? You won’t learn all 8000 years, but you will learn enough to make you want to learn more on your own. The course will meet at MVCC’s Utica campus on Mondays from 6:30-7:30 PM, from March 22nd to May 10th. To register, go to https://cced-reg.mvcc.edu/.

From the Irish Kitchen (recipes suitable for clipping)

This month’s recipe – “Roasted Salmon With Leeks” -- By Margaret Johnson Leeks, a popular member of the onion family, are one of the oldest Irish vegetables and combine well with everything from potatoes to fish. Because of their distinctive flavor, leeks have been used most often as a flavoring, but more and more they’re turning up on their own, often as a kind of bedding or nest for meat or fish fillets.

INGREDIENTS:

3 large leeks, white part only, thoroughly 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill washed and cut into 1/4-inch slices 4 salmon steaks, about 1/2 pound each 2 tablespoons water 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon zest Lemon wedges and fresh dill (for garnish)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 425°F. In an ovenproof casserole dish large enough to hold all 4 steaks, combine leeks, water, olive oil, and lemon zest. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes, stirring once half way through. Remove from oven, push leeks aside, and add steaks to the dish. Spoon leeks evenly over the fish, season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, until salmon is opaque, about 10 to12 minutes. To serve, divide the leeks onto four plates and top with the salmon steak. Serves 4.

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

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“Requiems for the Departed” Book Review by Mark Sisti

As regular readers of these reviews have probably caught on by now, I have two particular literary passions. I am especially fond of the genre known as “noir” fiction, which includes (usually but not always) mysteries that are dark, cynical and morally ambiguous. I also have a bit of an obsession with mythology, particularly Irish mythology. So my interest was naturally piqued when I came across a short-story anthology called “Requiems for the Departed,” a collection of dark crime fiction stories based on, inspired by, or otherwise connected to Irish myths. Add to this the fact that the contributors included many of my favorite authors – names like Ken Bruen, Adrian McKinty, Stuart Neville and Brian McGilloway, and I’m hooked. With that combination of subject matter and talent, how could it possibly go wrong?

Well, the answer is, apparently, it can’t. Or at least it didn’t this time. Not every one of the 17 stories is a home run, but there aren’t any swings and misses. The influence of the myths on the stories is varied. Some are thinly disguised modern adaptations, some just give their characters the names from the old tales, and some are fairly straightforward retellings. While a familiarity with the myths and legends behind the stories might increase your appreciation, the stories can be enjoyed with no foreknowledge.

The anthology is broken up into three sections. The first section, “Ulster,” is made up of five stories dealing with myths from that area: Cuchullainn, Queen Maeve, the Red Hand, and the goddess . (As those who took the brilliant Irish Myths and Legends class at MVCC know, the heavily pregnant Macha was forced to race against a team of horses; she won but died at the finish and cursed the warriors of Ulster with her dying breath.)

The second section, “Myth,” is made up of stories that deal with… well, myths, including the , the triple goddess Morrigan, the Tuatha da Danann, Tuan McCarrell, the seal-women and one of the three great sorrows of Ireland, the Children of .

Finally, the third section, “,” is a series of stories taken from the tales of the Fianna, the legendary band of Irish warriors noted for their heroic deeds. Stories in this section include a tale of their leader, Finn McCool and the Salmon of Knowledge; the land of eternal youth, Tir Na nOg; and two completely different takes on one of the great romantic tragedies in all world literature, Diarmaid and Grainne. (There’s also a story based on St. Patrick that, while a good story, feels forced and out of place.)

As stated earlier, there are no out-and-out failures in this collection, but as with all anthologies, there are stories that will stand out:

 “Queen of the Hill” by Stuart Neville is the perfect lead-in for the stories to come. If you haven’t encountered this author yet, you should, and this chilling tale of a seductive but dangerous modern-day version of the vengeful goddess Macha is a great introduction.

 “First To Score,” a Damon Runyon-esque take on the Diarmaid and Grainne legend by Garbhan Downey takes this tragic tale and somehow makes it hilarious, filling it with characters named Tommy Bowtie, Harry the Hurler, Switchblade Vic and Stammering Stan.

 Adrian McKinty’s treatment of the same story, “Diarmid and Grainne,” could not be more different from Downey’s. Although the connection to the myth is tenuous, this story of an undercover police officer’s hope for a future with the woman he has come to love is every bit as heartbreaking as the original legend.

 Neville Thompson’s “The Children of Gear” is very faithful to the original tale, placing the famous tragedy among the drug addicts and dealers of modern day's Dublin.

 “Red Milk,” by T.A. Moore, successfully transforms the warring Tuatha DaDanann and into rival 21st century drug organizations. (Incidentally, the author claims it’s inspired by the tale of King , but I don’t see it; still a good story though.)

All in all, if this were a report card, there would be three or four A’s, a bunch of B’s and two or three C’s. It may not be good enough to get you into Harvard, but, trust me, if I brought home a report card like that, my parents would consider it a success; I’d say the same about this book. (I’m not sure if this was released in the states, so you may have to track it down online.)

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Craobh Dugan “Tune of the Month” – Barbeque Beef by Skip Mansur

“Born at the exact moment of daybreak, Brigid rose into the sky with the sun, rays of fire beaming from her head. She was the daughter of Dagda, the great ‘father-god’ of Ireland.” The Celtic year was divided into two halves, the dark and the light. Quoting Aine Minogue once again: “[…] the were not as important to the ancient Irish as the major fire festivals.” As mentioned earlier in the newsletter, two of the other fire festivals marked these halves: Samhain was the beginning of the dark half and its counterpart, Beltane was the beginning of the light half. The Feast Day of Brigid, known as Imbolc, is the second of the four great fire festivals with significance placed upon the Light from fire, and is celebrated at the start of February, midway through the winter. The origins of St. Brigid the Irish Saint most certainly mingle with that of the Celtic Goddess Brigid. Like the goddess herself, Imbolc is meant to give us hope, to remind us that spring is on its way. Her fire is the spark of life, as well, Brigid’s Cross is a woven symbol of St. Brigid, also remembered on this day.

Imbolc was believed to be when the (the divine of Gaelic tradition) gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter. Legend has it that if she wishes to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. Therefore, people would be relieved if Imbolc is a day of foul weather, as it means the Cailleach is asleep and winter is almost over. This tradition is quite similar to our very own , however, the Goddess Brigid was not magically transformed into a groundhog by a group of Christians. The American celebration of Groundhog Day was begun by the Pennsylvania Dutch (a group of German descent). Early European versions of Groundhog Day featured badgers and bears instead of groundhogs, but where exactly the tradition came from remains a bit of a mystery…

Since Imbolc involves gathering firewood for the remainder of the winter and also a fire festival celebration, often with , let us also celebrate with a fine Celtic Strathspey, Bó Mhín Na Toitean. Loosely translated, Bó=cow or bull, beef mhín=tender, delicate, toiteán=fire, therefore we have “Barbeque Beef,” or my own personal favorite, “Cow on fire in the meadow” (!) Actually, according to a comment on theSession.org, Min na Toitean is a townland in N.W. Donegal. Johnny Doherty gave this tune which is a great variation of The Highland Lassie going to the Fair, the title of the cow and an equally good take on the Drunken Piper he titled the March of the Min na Toitean Bull. Granted, that may be stretching the fire festival theme a bit…. in any case, this tune is a fine March in A Dorian (key of G but tonally centered on A), sometimes played with snaps as a Strathspey (we will talk more about those in a future TOTM). So strike up the seisiún, light some candles to celebrate the light of Brigid, and have some barbeque beef:

Here are two fine versions of the tune for your enjoyment: Fullset , and Fidil.

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RANDOM RAMBLINGS

“Nuacht as Craobh Dugan”---news from the Dugan Branch Chris Hoke writes: “Our performances this month are: Feb 2 - Open Session at Nail Creek Pub, 7:30 PM; Feb 5 - Ceili Dance Class at Seton Center, 7 PM; Feb 11 - Heritage Healthcare Center, 7 PM; Feb 12 - Ceili Dance Class at Seton Center, 7 PM; Feb 14 - Session at Woodlands Hop Farm, 3 PM; Feb 16 - Session at Stockdales 7:30 PM; Feb 18 - Woods Valley 7PM; Feb 19 - Ceili Dance Class at Seton Center, 7 PM; Feb 26 - Ceili Dance Class at Seton Center, 7 PM; Feb 28 - Session at Woodlands Hop Farm, 3 PM.”

Caffè Lena Welcomes McKrells Kevin McKrell leads a stellar band in song at the historic Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, on February 24th. McKrell, founding member of the McKrells and Donnybrook Fair, brings his daughter, Kate McKrell, along with McKrells bandmate Brian Mellick and stellar North Country fiddler John Kirk. Tickets are $18, $16 for members, and $9 for child/student. Caffè Lena is located at 47 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs. Showtime is 8 PM.

Searson in Lowville On February 27th, Ottawa’s Searson will perform at the Lewis County Historical Society (7552 South State St., Lowville) as part of the 2016 Black River Valley Concert Series. Tickets for the 7:30 PM show are $18 in advance, or $20 at the door, and are available at www.lewiscountyhistory.org, at the Historical Society, Cafe Z in Lowville, and Dr. Guitar in Watertown.

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

Feb 2 Nail Creek Sessions Nail Creek Pub Utica 7:30 PM Free Feb 7 Syracuse Irish Session J. Ryan’s Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Feb 12 Blarney Rebel Band Piggy Pat’s Washington Mills 6-9 PM Free Feb 13 Traditional Irish Session Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 2-5 PM Free Feb 13 Pat Kane Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 8:30 PM Free Feb 14 Traditional Irish Session Woodland Brewery Marcy 3-8 PM Free Feb 14 Blarney Rebel Band Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Feb 16 Traditional Irish Session Stockdale’s Oriskany 7:30 PM Free Feb 21 Blarney Rebel Band Celtic Harp Utica 1 PM Free Feb 21 Traditional Irish Session Irish Amer Ass'n Albany 2:30-6 PM Free Feb 21 Syracuse Irish Session J. Ryan’s Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Feb 24 Gaelic Storm The Egg Albany 7:30 PM $34 Feb 26 Donal O’Shaughnessy Piggy Pat’s Washington Mills 6-9 PM Free Feb 27 Cathie Ryan Walton Theatre Walton 7:30 PM $15 adults, $13 Srs $18; $16 mbrs; $9 Feb 27 Kevin McKrell and band Caffè Lena Saratoga Springs 8 PM students/children Feb 27 Searson Lewis Co. Hist Soc. Lowville 7:30 PM $18 adv; $20 door Feb 27 Traditional Irish Session Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 2-5 PM Free Feb 27 Causeway Giants Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 9 PM Free Feb 27 Hair of the Dog Saratoga Springs 8 PM $13 Feb 28 Traditional Irish Session Woodland Brewery Marcy 3-8 PM Free Feb 28 Altan Troy Music Hall Troy 7:30 PM $24-$29 Feb 28 Donal O’Shaughnessy Celtic Harp Utica 1 PM Free

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, there was this one time… Anyway, it always makes sense to call ahead to confirm some of these further-out trips.

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