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www.celtic-connection.com
JUNE 2009
SEATTLE IRISH NEWS
RECENT DEATHS - Condolences to the families and friends of the following who passed away recently:
• David Gallagher, a native of Dublin, died suddenly in Poulsbo, aged 61. David and Eavanne and family emigrated to Seattle in 1987.
• Nora Joan Clark, aged 85, died on April 23 in Shoreline. Born in London to an Irish mother, Joan was an accomplished harpist and author.
• Bridget (Roche) Topalian, 88, from Co. Kilkenny, died in Seattle.
• Catherine "Kate" Larsen, 86, a Dublin-born resident of Centralia, died in Seattle.
• Florence Stack died in Monroe, on May 12. Born in Ireland in 1907, she was 102 years old. She came to Seattle in the early 1930s.
Ardheis De go raibh a n-anamacha -May their faithful souls rest at the right hand of God
BLOOMSDAY 2009 - You're invited to attend the Wild Geese Players performance of a staged reading of Circe, chapter 15 of James Joyce's Ulysses, on June 13,1:30-4 PM, at the University Bookstore, 4326 University Way N E.Seattle.
Bloom has hallucinatory encounters with the denizens of Nighttown, Dublin's red-light district, and confronts some of his deepest fantasies and fears, before emerging victorious.
Seattle's Wild Geese (www.WildGeeseSeattle.org) has been staging annual readings of Ulysses and other Irish literature in Seattle since 1998.
IRISH RACE DAY-Irish Day at Emerald Downs inAuburn is June 14, 2-6 PM. Free couponsforfree admissions and free race programs can be printed off the Irish Heritage Club website at www.irishclub.org on any kind of paper, in any ink color, as many as needed, etc.
The $50,000 Irish Day Handicap features spectacular thoroughbred racing with a backdrop of Irish music, Irish stepdancers, free kids activities (free pony rides, free inflatable slide, free face painters), etc.
For information on Emerald Downs, visit www.emeralddowns.com. For seating and dining reservations, call (253)288-7711.
ST. PATRICK CEMETERY - Go to
www.irishclub.org to see photos taken when over 200 people attended an open-air Mass on Memorial Day at Seattle's Irish Pioneer Cemetery, St. Patrick Cemetery located just off I-5 on Orillia Road in Kent.
Four priests concelebrated, a Knights of Columbus Honor Guard provided the honors, a local Irish choir and Irish musicians from Galway performed, and the biggest problem was finding parking as the cemetery is only four and a half acres!
DAY-CAMP - Emerald Ballet Theatre hosts a Traditional Irish Arts summer day camp from July 6-July 10 in Bellevue, daily from 1 -4 PM. Children aged 6-12 will enjoy lessons in beginning Irish step dancing (for nonaffiliated, non-competitive dancers), penny whistle tunes, and Ceili (group) dances, along with crafts, stories, songs and Celtic art projects taught through an entertaining dance-drama of an Irish fairy tale. Maggie Corrigan
TCRG and friends of Baile Glas Dancers lead the fun! For details, visit www.emeraldballet.org or call (206) 324-6141.
DAY CAMP-Tirna nOgday camp of Irish culture and dance offers a fun introduction to Irish culture for children aged 4-10 years, through ceili dancing, Irish language, folklore and crafts.
Students are divided by age groups and rotate through each class on a daily basis. 9 AM - 1 PM daily, from July 6-10 in Shoreline, and from July 13-17inTacoma.
For details, contact Eamaer McGuigan or Melissa Curtis at (206) 335-5013 or celticroots_seattle@hotmail.com, or visit www.celtic-roots.org.
IMMIGRATION REFORM - Seattle's Irish Immigrant Support Group (www.irishseattle.com) has joined The Campaign to Reform Immigration for America, a nationwide effort to bring "together individuals and grassroots organizations with the mission to build support for workable comprehensive immigration reform."
A June 8 White House meeting is being held to highlight the issue and supporters are asked to contact their Senators and Members of Congress to urge support for the campaign.
IRISH ATTORNEY - Seattle attorney Jenny Durkan has been nominated by President Obama to be head of the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western Washington, based in Seattle.
She will be keeping the office in "Irish" hands as the current U.S. Attorney in Seattle is Jeffrey C. Sullivan who in turn replaced Mike McKay, infamously fired by President George W. Bush in May 2007.
Durkan is the grand-daughter of Martin Durkan, a Co. Mayo man who emigrated to Montana in 1898 and who became a Montana state legislator.
In the latter half of the 1900s, Jenny's father, Martin Durkan Sr., was one of Washington State's most-influential politicians and later was an influential lobbyist in Olympia.
Jenny received her law degree from the University of Washington, and spent her junior year of college in Dublin. She also attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
She has served on civic panels relating to police integrity, chaired the former Attorney General's Task force on Consumer Privacy, and served as Counsel to Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire.
She also taught Trial Advocacy at the University of Washington Law School. In 2008, she was recognized by Irish America Magazine as one of the "Top 100 Irish Lawyers in America."
After confirmation as U.S. Attorney, she will represent the United States in most lawsuits in Western Washington, both criminal and civil, overseeing a staff of approximately 64 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and various support staff.
CELTIC RADIO - Radio De Danaan plays music from all over the Celtic world - Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Breton, Asturian, Clinicians, Manx, Orkney Islander, and from Cape Breton. Hosted from the Seattle area by Nan Hawthorn who lives in Mill Creek. Listen live online at
www.live365.com. Nan also invites mp3 submissions from Seattle-area Celtic musicians. Contact hawthorne@nanhawthorne.com.
VASHON CEILI - Celebrate summer with dancing and live music at the Vashon Ceili, 7:30 PM, June 27, at the Grange Hall at the end of the Vashon Island Ferry parking lot. Ceili dances are "barn" style dances accessible to nearly everyone, and no partner is required.
The Vashon Ceili Band (Martin Nyberg, Marilyn Kleyn, and Steve Austin) play the tunes and Kathleen O'Grady-Graham teaches and calls the dances.
It's a family type of event, kids are welcome! Photos from previous Vashon Ceili'sand more information can be found at www.hoilands.com, or call (206) 774-4047. Suggested donation is $8 or $6 for students and seniors.
SENIORHELPLINE-ASenior Helpline USAhas been established in New York to cater to the large numbers of Irish-born and first-generation Irish seniors who feel isolated or who live alone. The service operates Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 - noon (NY time) attoll-free 1 -877-997-5777.
SHORT STORIES - Blue Mountain publishing company is looking for inspirational Irish stories and wisdom to be published in an anthology, non-fiction essays, stories, or poems that in some way capture the Irish or Irish-American heritage, region, or lifestyle. The deadline is by June 30 - for details, contact Kimberly Castanon at bmpbooks@sps.com.
MISCELLANEOUS
CONCERTS/CEILIS - For the latest information on all the Irish / Celtic events in the Seattle area, visit www.hoilands.com.
• GAA TELECASTS - Watch Gaelic Football and Hurling games telecast live from Ireland at Fado Irish Pub, First and Columbia, downtown Seattle, (206) 264-2700.
• Seattle's Irish Community Picnic is July 19, at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore. Free admission, games and fun for the entire family, and all are welcome.
• Irish Night atthe Seattle Mariners is August 12, 7:10 PM, vs. Chicago White Sox. Reduced price tickets ($40 tickets for $25, $20 tickets for $11) include a Mariners cap with a shamrock design, Irish stepdancers and bagpipe music! For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Mariners.com/lrish.
• The Irish Book Club meets monthly and new members are always welcome. For information, contact Judith at hudit@comcast.net.
• Irish Set Dance Lessons are held Sundays at 7 PM at Mick Kelly's Irish Pub and Restaurant, 435 SW152nd Street, Burien. Lessons are $5 and beginners are very welcome - drop in anytime.
PERFORMING at the open-air Memorial Day Mass at Seattle's Irish Pioneer Cemetery, St. Patrick Cemetery in Kent, was a group visiting from Galway called the Galway Ramblers.
THE SCENE atthe open-air Memorial Day Mass at Seattle's Irish Pioneer Cemetery, St. Patrick Cemetery in Kent.
FINIAN ROWLAND, Pat Noonan, Father Treacy, Bernadette Noonan, and John Keane atthe 90th birthday celebration at Camp Brotherhood for the Seattle area's oldest Irish-born priest, Fr. Bill Treacy.
ATTHE 90TH BIRTHDAY celebration at Camp Brotherhood forthe Seattle area's oldest Irish-born priest, Fr. Bill Treacy, were (L-R) Fr. Treacy's niece Bernadette King visiting from Co. Westmeath, Finian Rowland of Seattle, Fr. Treacy, and another of Fr. Treacy's nieces Ann Phelan visiting from Co. Kilkenny.