Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural

MOHAWK VALLEY IRISH CULTURAL Volume 15, Issue 5 May 2018 EVENTS NEWSLETTER Irish Festival Season Kicks Off in East Durham On May 26-27, the 2018 Celtic festival season unofficially gets under way, as the quaint little town of East Durham hosts its 41st 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, Shilelagh Law, Derek Warfield and the Young WolfeTones, Whistlin’ Donkeys, MacLean Avenue Band, Kilishandra, Narrowbacks, bagpipers, dancers and more. Admission per day is $20 at the gate, and two-day passes are available for $30. Children under 16 are free, as is parking. For further information, call 1-800-434-FEST, or check out their web site. 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. Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events - 1 Caffè Lena Presents Séan McCann Caffè Lena, recognized as the oldest continuously operating coffeehouse in the United States, is hosting Great Big Sea founding member, Séan McCann, on May 31, 2018. Séan’s approach to the traditional folk songs of Newfoundland and Labrador brought him international fame as a founding member of the renowned band Great Big Sea. After selling millions of albums, landing hit songs, and making record breaking tours around the world, Séan decided that, after 20 years, the time had come to start over. His new solo music reflects his ongoing journey toward peace, love, and contentment. His recent release, You Know I Love You, is a happy collection of acoustic songs. Between the intimacy of his music and his personal charisma, Sean’s concerts create genuine human connection. Tickets for the 7 PM show are $20; $18 for members and $10 for students/children. Rockin’ Road Leads to Syracuse What do you get when you combine the mastery of Irish dancers with the passion of rock music? You get “Rockin’ Road to Dublin,” a new and exhilarating show like you’ve never seen before. Rockin’ Road to Dublin is the new sensation changing the Irish Dance world. A mix of style and mastery, RR2D’s performance is a medley of fun vibes, highly original choreography, and technical mastery. Choreographer and lead male dancer Scott Doherty (Riverdance and Lord of the Dance) has teamed up with veteran Celtic rocker Chris Smith (formerly with GAIF veterans American Rogues) to produce this fusion of music, movement, and culture. It’s a breathtaking display of classic Irish tunes, jigs and reels, accented by rock riffs, contemporary costumes, and a dynamic light show. On May 2, RR2D roars into the OnCenter’s Mulroy Civic Center Theaters for a very special 7 PM performance. Tickets range from $25 to $52, and are available on-line. Make plans today to see the show that Irish Dance Magazine calls “A fabulous mix of charisma and personality. WORLD-CLASS.” Win a Trip for Two to Ireland! The Great American Irish Festival is pleased to announce its first ever “Ireland Trip” raffle. That’s right, a one- week trip to the Emerald Isle – including airfare, 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 Claire’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 Oct 14-21, 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 28th, 2018. The Great American Irish Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events - 2 Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley Update Well, it’s been a few months since we presented an update on the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley (ICCMV), and a lot has happened in those few months. We plan to continue this series over the next few months, which we hope will culminate in a lead article called “Irish Cultural Center Is Open for Business!” The Building – Progress and Plans The ICCMV’s business model is a combination of non-profit and for-profit entities. The Center’s downstairs portion is designed for-profit and will include an authentic Irish pub that’s being built in Ireland and shipped over, due to arrive in late May or early June. Center officials and engineers met with representatives of the Ireland build team on April 29-30 to compare notes and construction specs, and both factions left satisfied. The final coats of paint have been applied to the event center, which will be capable of accommodating 250-300, or can be trisected to support multiple events at once. A local caterer, A Moveable Feast, will be moving in and setting up shop. The second-floor, non-profit space will feature an Irish museum showcasing local and revolving exhibits from other Irish cultural centers, as well as office space, meeting and reflection rooms, and a performance area for reading, poetry and music, as well as rooms/infrastructure for conducting genealogical searches and other research of local Irish interest. There will also be an outdoor courtyard with a fireplace, and parking for about 150 vehicles. “The Five Points Tavern” The pub will be called “The Five Points Tavern,” hearkening back to the famed “Five Points” section in NYC, while also paying tribute to the fact that the pub – situated on the same spot once occupied by the original St. Patrick’s Church -- also sits on a five-street intersection. Capable of accommodating 100 patrons, it will be decorated with classic Irish fabrics, tiles and fixtures, and will also feature a traditional Irish “snug.” “Building the future, Uncovering the Past” Beginning on April 16th, the structure most recently known as “Al’s Auction House” was razed, both for safety reasons and to make way for a proposed parking area. As construction teams began to remove the rubble, foreman John Sullivan made an interesting discovery: a time capsule…or what was left of it. Believed to be the same time capsule that was the subject of a frantic search by German Lutheran School historians just days before the building’s demolition, it unfortunately had never been adequately sealed to protect its contents, and all that remains are some shreds of documents marking the dedication of the building as a school hall for the Zion Lutheran Church on Sept. 12, 1880. Museum/Collections Display The Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley has been chartered by the NYS Department of Education as a “Historical Society with Collections.” Over the past couple months, a small Museum team has been meeting to discuss the whats, wheres and hows involved in setting up a museum/historical society with collections.

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