December 2016 ianohio.com Merry Christmas, from Guardian Angel Sully of Sullys Irish Pub, & All Your Friends at Ohio Irish American News 2 IAN Ohio “We’ve Always Been Green!” www.ianohio.com December 2016 Editor’s Corner enced, with each new master. It is Music Week, where we also held us, with a smile, a ride, advice or DNA of those that came before. probably more accurate to now call our annual conference. direction. Diamonds are the modern day Irish music, World Music. The Truro community has ad- A small-town feel, with great symbol to mark the 10th Anniver- I had the great opportunity to opted the event, and hopes to community support apparent at sary. How fitting. spend a few days in Nova Scotia make Truro the permanent home. every window sign, and bartender I don’t know how many issues for the Nova Scotia Music Week At every turn, a board member welcome, marked our week. Fes- are to come, but I can’t believe how 2016, held this year in Truro, about or volunteer (perhaps both) met tival organizers traded best prac- many have already left the station, forty-five minutes from Halifax. us, drove us, escorted us, guided tices, best experiences and the flip made stops in the valleys and More than forty Nova Scotia based side of the coin, covering mountains, and whistled away. It music performers played before many burning questions is a challenge and a joy to create it, John O’Brien, Jr. local and international fans. The inherent to most festival to reveal it, to hear feedback, much One of the reasons Irish music Association of Irish and Celtic organizers. Then we had more civil than the scorched earth is so beloved the world over is the Festivals, of which I am a member, a nightly showcase. of our just ended election cycle. fact that it never rests; it continues also sent representatives from The music, as always, The 45th President of the United to evolve, on its past and soon to more than forty U.S based Irish ruled the day(s), which States has been elected. Whether be past, to influence and be influ- and Celtic festivals to Nova Scotia blended into night, you were with him, or with her, the which often blended into election is now complete. a new day. Within you We don’t usually pick our CEO, will find a few pictures but then we adapt to the new from the event, and in leader, and either further our ca- July, you will find a few reers upward or resist and fight, of the Nova Scotia Music and watch our development, our Week bands, at the 35th place in our world, regress. At this Annual Cleveland Irish point, who we voted for no longer Fest, too. For more pics matters. What we do with it, how from Music Nova Scotia we choose to handle it, is entirely Week and other events up to us. going on in and around Moaning feels good sometimes. Ohio, check our Face- Booing feels good sometimes. The book page. now infamous, “Don’t Boo, Vote”, Time can often seem seemed to resonate for far too like a runaway train. few. Posting on Facebook is not This is the last issue of engagement. The discussion that 2016, and of our 10th can, tho rarely does, seem to take year of the Ohio Irish place there, is not an action that American News; 120 is- generates results. sues that are traced by Since the day the American our past, and prepared Revolution ended, there has never, us for the future, often ever been a violent protest in directed by, or revealing, America that generated any of the the diamonds and the results the protestors professed to be asking for. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, is the very defini- tion of insanity. Will you continue to boo, and not vote? To take no action, then, at the next presidential (or local) election, wonder why things are A full service law firm providing still so hurtful, stagnant, mind- quality representation throughout Northeast Ohio lessly, insane? Go dtí an mhí seo chugainn, slán a fhágáil (Until next month, goodbye) Patrick T. Murphy, Esq. John “Follow me where I go, www.dworkenlaw.com what I do and who I know; O’Bent Enterprises includes: 60 South Park Place 950 Illuminating Bldg. www.twitter.com/jobjr Painesville, OH 44077 55 Public Square www.facebook.com/ OhioIrishAmericanNews Cleveland, OH 44113 (440) 352-3391 www.linkedin.com/in/ (440) 946-7656 (216) 861-4211 jobjr/ http://songsandsto- (440) 352-3469 (fax) (216) 861-1403 (fax) ries.net/myblog/feed/ 4 IAN Ohio “We’ve Always Been Green!” www.ianohio.com December 2016 December 2016 “We’ve Always Been Green!” www.ianohio.com 5 by the New Barleycorn) was our house beforehand. We sat at the John conversation about memories of the place due to the energy these two Carroll table (we are both proud alums – we called home for four years. It was a night performances gave to Ball Class of 1981 and 2014, respectively), which of endless laughter and fun, and the two of attendees. I am not the best provided us the opportunity to share in us are already looking forward to next year. dancer, I will be the first to admit that, but I busted out some serious moves on the What an exciting time it is to be living in night of October 15th. I swung the skirt Cleveland! The Indians just wrapped up of my dress around, pumping my unused a wildly successful season that ended in a hand in the air and laughing as I tried to si- thrilling seventh World Series game, incred- multaneously kick my feet forward in front ible plays are coming through our theatre of me. I spent the night spinning around the district (another run of the Christmas story floor with Ohio Rose Centre friends, singing is in session throughout the month), and the along (loudly and off-key) to whatever song Mayo Society of Cleveland hosted another was playing at the time. It is a memory I will cherish for years to come. What was so special about this evening, though, is that I got to share it with my dad. His side of the family is where my Irish heritage comes from, so I knew he would enjoy the evening. And enjoy the evening, he did. We took goofy, Prom-like photos at Gaelic Imports 5633 Pearl Rd. Parma, OH 44129 440-845-0100 fabulous Ball on the night of October 15. fax 440-845-0102 This year, the Mayo Society honored Paul 800-450-2725 Dolan, the Chairman/CEO of the Cleveland Indians, as their Person of the Year. Rep- resentatives from County Mayo – County Irish Sausage, Irish Bacon, Soda Bread, Council Chief Executive Peter Hynes and Black Pudding, Sausage Rolls, Pork Achill GAA player Liam Gallagher just to Bangers, Potato Scones, Imported name two – spoke, making remarks about Groceries, Flags, Buttons, Jewelry, the exchanges our communities have made Music and much more! with each other, and how those exchanges www.gaelicimports.com are improving quality of life for members of our global Irish Diaspora. The Mayo Society of Greater Cleveland’s mission statement is “to promote cultural, charitable, scientific and/or literary ex- changes between the People of the United States and the People of Ireland, with par- ticular emphasis on County Mayo, including but not limited to research into the life and times of Irish immigration to America and the study of Irish and Irish-American his- tory,” so to hear about how these exchanges are happening in real-time was equal parts engaging and moving. I am still referring back to the Ball’s program thinking about these speeches, using them as motivation for my school work, my interactions with my peers, and the time I spend with my family. After the speeches, it was time for the entertainment portion of the evening. Danc- ers from Murphy Irish Arts performed a set of impressive dances, and our own Ohio Rose Kathleen O’Donnell performed a hoop routine just like the one that wowed the crowd at Rose Selection Nights in both Ohio and Tralee. I’d like to think what happened next (some serious dancing set to music provided 6 IAN Ohio “We’ve Always Been Green!” www.ianohio.com December 2016 On This Day in Irish History About Our Cover December 2016 Sully’s Irish Pub Fear an tí (Man of the House) John (Sully) Sullivan, the Irish communities Guardian Angel and great friend. 6 December 1921 -Eighteen ‘Articles of Agreement for a treaty between Great Britain and Ireland’- the Anglo-Irish Treaty - is signed. 11 December 1225 -Lawrence O’Toole DECEMBER 2016 Vol. 10 Issue 12 is canonized by Honorius III. It will be Publishers 750 years before another Irish person is John O’Brien Jr. / Cliff Carlson canonized. Editor John O’Brien Jr. 13 December 1955 -Grace Gifford Website and layout Plunkett, Irish patriot, dies. She famously Cathy Curry Carlson married Joseph Plunkett hours before Columnists his execution in 1916 for his part in the Behind the Hedge- John O’Brien, Jr. Easter Rising. Blowin’ In- Susan Mangan 17 December 1834 -The first railway Cleveland Irish- Francis McGarry in Ireland is opened from Dublin to Crossword Puzzle- Linda Fulton Burke Don’t Forget Us-Lisa O’Rourke Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire), covering a Growing up Irish- Maureen Ginley distance of six miles.