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www.celtic-connection.com
APRIL 1999
est. 1990
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By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER — If March is the month of green madness, then April is the month to recover our sanity. From Winnipeg to Seattle, the story was the same — green everywhere you looked, with long lineups, non-stop Irish music and dancing, Irish breakfasts, Irish stew with soda bread, Guinness, Tullamore Dew and Carolans. No wonder some of you need a rest, especially all the pub owners and staff and organizers of the many St. Patrick's events.
Along with numerous celebrations, Irish communities in Edmonton and Seattle held parades and St. Patrick's runs, while Vancouver and Calgary held St. Patrick's races. A good time was had by all and plans are already underway all over the world to celebrate St. Patrick in the year 2000.
The Celtic Connection and the Vancouver Irish Sporting and Social Club combined forces to present St. Patrick's First Annual Shamrock 5K Run/Walk along with an all-day celebration of Irish culture with food, dance and Irish merchandise at the Croatian Cultural Centre.
A very special thank you is extended to all who came out to make this event an outstanding success. Thanks also to Jerry Tighe of Sports B.C. for coordinating the 5K Run/Walk and to the many volunteers from the community and Irish Sporting and Social Club. Also, thank you to John Cheevers, the Honourary Consul of Ireland for British Columbia who fired the starter pistol to begin the race.
Many thanks also the Michelle Boyle and the women of the Irish Sporting and Social Club for their outstanding effort in
JOHN CHEEVERS, with his wife Teresa (Tess) and daughter Laura Patricia.
decorating the Croatian Cultural Centre which received many positive remarks.
Murphy's Law provided excellent entertainment during the day, while Coal Harbour played for the dance in the evening. Tony Duffy and Dave Abbott of Celtic Voices radio show were very gracious Masters of Ceremonies. The Moore, Comerford and Stewart Schools of Irish Dance gave magnificent displays of Irish dancing, while Padraig Buckley, all the way from Cork, Ireland introduced everyone to
the art of Irish set-dancing.
The exhibitors who presented Irish merchandise during the day included Tara Graphics, Aran Foods Inc., Irish Fancy Store, Stage Eireann, Celtic Voices Radio Show 96.1FM, Susan Hanna Irish dance shoes, and the Stewart School of Irish Dance.
Very special thanks to all the volunteers who worked on the door, on the bar, and selling food and bar tickets. Thanks also to Tom Butler and Ivan (The Great) Douglas who made the tasty Irish stew and all the women of the Vancouver Irish Sporting and Social Club who helped make sandwiches.
Special thanks also to The Celtic Connection Publisher, Maura McCay and Paul Stack, President of The Irish Sporting and Social Club who along with Liam Mackin and Tony Doyle of the Sporting Club oversaw the day's events and kept things running smoothly.
Many thanks to the following who provided services and prizes to help make our event successful: Celtic Voices Radio Show 96.1 FM, Vancouver TV The Breakfast Show, The Vancouver Echo Newspaper, Guinness Canada, Corby Distilleries, Pernod Ricard, ABC Boat Charters, Paul Merc Concerts, Foggy Dew Pubs, Dubh Linn Gate Pub, Marmalade Cafe, Celtic Creations, Culpepper's Restaurant, Emerald Plumbing and Heating, The Penny Lane Pub, Aran Foods Inc., Canadian Springs Water Company, William Kelly 86 Sons, Star Garden Group, La Baguette Bakery, The British Butcher, Safeway Stores, The Banana Grove, Windsor Meats. Sincere thanks to each and every one of you.
Resounding Success for Irish Week 1999 in Seattle
By JOHN KEANE
SEATTLE — Another very successful Irish Week has concluded in Seattle with record crowds participating in the various activities.
Most of the 15 Irish Week events were coordinated and organized by the Irish Heritage Club, and the club's Irish Week co-Chairs — Mary Shriane and Gabby Jacobsen — deserve tremendous credit for their very successful organizing of all the Irish Week 1999 events.
As usual, the high point of celebrations was on St. Patrick's Day starting with the annual Mass for Peace in Ireland at Plymouth Congregational Church. The Presider at the Catholic Mass in a Protestant church was Seattle Archbishop Alexander Brunett, while 16 local priests concelebrated with him.
Also speaking at the Mass was the Very Reverend John Dunlop, Pastor of Rosemary Presbyterian Church in Belfast, and a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland. As is now the standard, the attendance at the Mass was standing-room-only and the collection was donated to Northern Ireland reconciliation projects.
The parade which followed the Mass was one of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades ever in Seattle. The weather was terrible all morning with light drizzle and showers leading most people to expect a light turnout.
However, despite the rain, the crowd was huge, and literally as soon as the Parade Grand Marshal, Major General Pat Brady, raised the Irish Flag in front of the King County Administration Building, the rain stopped and disappeared for the rest of the afternoon.
Among this year's special guests was the new Consul General of Ireland in San Francisco, the Honorable Kevin Conmy, who was making his first visit to Seattle. A native of Chicago who grew up in Limerick, Kevin was appointed to the San Francisco post last June.
Also marching in the Parade was Pat Doherty, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Vice-Chairman of Sinn Fein. Pat was speaking in Seattle and raising funds for the Friends of Sinn Fein.
The Irish Festival at the Seattle Center this year expanded its format by running two simultaneous stages, one in Center
House and the other in the Flag Pavilion. The crowds which attended the three day Festival were much larger than in previous years with more performers and more booths than ever. The Irish Festival is now one of Seattle's main cultural festivals and gets better every year.
The Seattle Gaels took to the football field for ladies and men's seven-a-side games the weekend after Irish week. Enthusiasm is starting to build for the new season which will see a return of the Seattle seven-aside league which was first held in 1997. The intent is to have at least four ladies and four men's teams with games scheduled for Tuesdays starting in May.
The team is also gearing up for the return of the weekly telecasts of Gaelic Games from Ireland each Sunday which are expected to start on May 9. For more information on Gaelic Football or on the 7-a-side League, call Paul Reynolds at (206) 723-5025.
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Visit www.irishclub.org for more information on upcoming events in Seattle's Irish community, or call the Irish Information number at (425) 865-9134.