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www.celtic-connection.com
JULY/AUGUST 2001
IRISH FUSION WITH AMERICAN TWIST OFFERED AT FADO PUBS
Bv CATHOLINE BUTLER
SEATTLE - Long tall Texan, Eric Peterson is the General Manager of Fado Irish Pub in Seattle. Part of a chain of 11 establishments across the United States, the pub derives its name from an Irish word meaning, " a long time ago or once upon a time."
The Seattle operation was launched eight months ago. What sets Fado Irish Pubs apart from others is its richly elaborate and authentic artifacts. Each and every room is an invitation to comfort.
On a recent visit, I spoke to Peterson about the pub's concept and his Texas background. He said, "I could best be described as pseudo-Irish, although there is an Irish connection in my family. I'm an American, and there's nothing worse than a guy claiming to be Irish and when you ask him where he's from...he's from Austin, Texas.
"Actually, after graduating from college in Austin, some college buddies and I opened our own Irish pub, or at least, what we thought was an Irish pub. It was very successful for a couple of years, until I sold out of the business and was immediately recruited by Fado.
"I was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia, which is headquarters for Fad6 Pubs. I worked there for a time, training incoming managers, until I decided that I wanted to branch out a bit more. When the Seattle pub came up, I asked for it and was shipped out here."
ERIC PETERSON (R), the General Manager of Fad6 Irish Pub with bartender Bill McDonald.
The concept for Fado was originally invented by two Dubliners and an American who put their first pub together in Atlanta almost five years ago. Peterson said, "the pub was a huge success, much greater than they had anticipated. In fact, it became the number one best seller of Guinness in the U.S. Next, they opened in Austin and branched out from there."
He said, "We pay strict attention to detail. In all our Fado pubs, we have hardwood floors, stained glass, fine china and lots of cabinets, and intricate tile work. In Seattle, we have several rooms such as the Victorian Room, which has a somewhat English influence.
"The Celtic Room is more traditional and this is where the musi-
cians play. The decor here includes cobblestones and lots of brass with a huge dolman for a chieftain. This would be comparable to an American tombstone. It's also the heaviest piece of furniture I've ever moved in my life, but it's very effective and makes a big, big, difference.
"We also have the Dungeon Room and the Cottage Room, which represents the cottage industry. This is kind of homey with lots of home-earth type stuff, such as fireplaces and washboards.
Every Sunday, from 4 PM to 6 PM, Fado in Seattle offers traditional Irish session and Peterson said, "whenever we can book the bands, we also try to have traditional music from Wednesday to Saturday.
"Our food could best be described as Irish fusion with some American twists, so there is more of a broader spectrum. We're also very much into the high-tech industry and that's what we try to do with our menu," he said.
"We have a lot of seafood, along with the traditional specials such as corned beef and cabbage. Our corned beef sandwiches are the greatest. We also have fish and chips, soda bread and a delicious rhubarb pie. And, of course, we serve Guinness, the perfect pint."
Future expansion plans for the chain include Las Vegas and possibly Canada at a later date. In Seattle, Fado Irish Pub is located at the corner of First Avenue and Columbia Street. For more information, call (206) 264-2700.
Dave Mulleady: Pub Owner and Filmmaker
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
SEATTLE - Mulleady's Irish Pub opened in the Magnolia area of Seattle this past February and bears the name of the co-owner and manager, Longford-born Dave Mulleady.
Every pub has similar characteristics, both in the layout and the people who manage the establishment. Mulleady's is very much a neighbourhood pub and Dave Mulleady has the personable manner to know his clientele and manage an Irish neighbourhood pub.
But Mulleady is more than a pub manager, he is also a filmmaker in both the United States and Ireland. He has written screenplays, completed a short film and worked as an intern at Seattle's 911 Media Centre.
He is currently working on a film project titled Maghera which tells the story of the centuries-old Murray's Pub in rural Ireland.
The inspiration for his latest film came about when his father mentioned how big corporations were taking over family-owned pubs in Ireland.
Mulleady knew he had to document that special atmosphere in these unique and dying pubs. So,
DAVE MULLEADY
with some assistance from 911 Media Centre in Seattle and another filmmaker, Roy Wilson, he went back to Ireland and shot about 15 hours of footage with a digital video on a shoestring budget.
Upon his return to Seattle, he discussed the film with his old friend Carl Rogers, the owner of The Old Pequliar Irish Pub in Ballard.
It was during the course of this
discussion that the two decided to become business partners in an Irish pub in the Magnolia area -hence the launch of Mulleady's.
Dave has plans to return to Ireland sometime within the next year to finish filming his documentary on Murray's Pub. He then plans to enter his film into 911's Irish Reels Film Festival in Seattle.
Mulleady's Irish Pub offers entertainment Friday and Saturday nights with a trivia quiz on Wednesdays. Kitchen and full bar facilities have just been installed, along with a European-style beer garden just opened at the side of the pub.
In addition, Sunday brunches have just begun, with something for everyone from vegetarian to meat-eaters. Dave said, " this is the first pub I've owned, but I've been on both sides of the bar in Ireland."
So, whether you just want to drop in for a few pints of Guinness, read the Irish papers, partake of some good solid pub food, enjoy the music and "craic" or just talk to Dave... the ingredients are all there at Mulleady's neighbourhood Irish pub on Dravis Street in Magnolia.
Book of Kells
Designs Emphasized at Gaelsong
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
SEATTLE - Gaelsong Celtic shop owner, Colleen Connell, recently spoke to me about her business and about her Irish background.
She said, "I was raised in an Irish-Catholic neighbourhood in San Francisco. One of my grandparents is Irish, I believe the family originally came from Kerry. In 1998, I moved to Seattle and opened Gaelsong."
Speaking about the concept for her store, she said, "we place a lot of emphasis on designs from the Book of Kells. We also represent modern Irish and Scottish craft people. For instance, we sell a lot of Celtic wedding rings which are mostly made in Ireland or Scotland."
While the market for Celtic products might appear limited, Connell said, "We have found that although we operate within a very narrow niche, there are sub-niches.
"There are a lot of different people interested in what we have. We have some people interested in the art, history and calligraphy, while others in the heritage, or Celtic spirituality.
"That runs the whole gambit from pagan to wicca, right through the druids, and all the way over into mainstream Christianity.
"One of the most interesting historical aspects is that in Europe Christianity was really forced upon people but in Ireland it wasn't such a difficult transition and there was some blending of the cultures. A lot of the current interest is among people who are trying to make some peace between the two ends of the spectrum."
The shop is stocked with a diverse variety of high-quality merchandise, including some beautiful capes by Irish designers, especially by Jimmy Hourihan of Dublin. Connell said, "We have soaps and perfumes and some are made from rare plants from the Burren in County Clare."
Gaelsong also offers a mail order catalogue which Connell says, "at this point, it is the dominant part of our business, however it's a very challenging project and it takes up virtually all my waking hours.
"We also go around to the Celtic festivals throughout the United States. I think we will be doing between 20 or 25 festivals this year such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati.
"Of course, the biggest festival is the three day festival in Milwaukee. This is the premiere event in the nation with about 100,000 people attending. They have six stages with music going simultaneously featuring some really big names in the Celtic world."
So who minds the store while Colleen is away at festivals and on the road most of the summer? She said, "I'm blessed that I have some really good assistants whom I feel really confident about.
ORLA of Gaelsong Celtic Shop in Seattle offers in depth product knowledge.
"Orla and Marie are both from Ireland and they have really contributed so much to what the store is all about, to the atmosphere, to the type of service we give to our customers. They come by their product knowledge naturally, they understand culturally.
Gaelsong is located at 2207 North East, 65th Street in Seattle. To order their free catalogue call (206) 526-8350 or 1-800-205-5890, e-mail: www.gaelsong.com. Canadian residents add 82 for shipping.
Let There be Light
GALWAY - The lives of hundreds of islanders are to be lit up when they get plugged into the national power grid for the first time.
Up until now the islanders on some of the country's smaller, least populated islands have had to rely on diesel-powered generators. But, an announcement by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the Electric Supply Board (ESB), means that the days of the noisy island generator are numbered.
In the past year, Inishfree Upper, Inislyre and Inisgort in County Mayo, and Inisbarrachain off Con-nemara have been connected. The Aran islands, Cape Clear off County Cork, Inishbofin and Clare islands off County Mayo have also been connected at a cost of £8 million. Half of the funding was provided by the EU through the Department of Public Enterprise.