Welcome to the Irish Culture & Customs newsletter which is published every week or so and sent out to going on 4100 readers all over the world. You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for it - God Bless you! If you'd like to read past issues, they are archived at:
https://www.ymlp.com/pubarchive.php?Herself
If, for any reason, you wish to unsubscribe, instructions are at the very end - but we do hope you'll stay with us. And if you need to update your info' or change your email address, you can do that at the end, too.
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Greetings and blessings to all,
We hope this edition finds you in good health, good company and good spirits. As for ourselves, it's been even more hectic and chaotic than usual as we are getting the house we live in ready for sale while also looking for another one to move to. This is the main reason we haven't been writing every week. There's another: our newsletter hosting service has increased its fees while cutting us back on the number of newsletters we can send out. What this means is that we're now limited to just two or three letters a month. But with our schedule at the moment, may be that's just as well. Until we're settled in a new home, things are going to be a wee bit unpredictable. (If you'd like to see what our house looks like, send us an email and we'll send you the URL for the listing. You never know - there might be someone on our newsletter list who'd be interested in buying "Toad Hall!")
Meanwhile, the warmest of welcomes to everyone and a special hello to all of our new readers. We hope you will enjoy reading our musings and meanderings and if so, please feel free to share them with your family and friends. And thanks for joining us!
The last time we wrote, we mentioned that our resident Irish speaker Aideen is not able to assist us with translations or pronunciations. We know there are quite a few of you who speak Irish and we really need your help. Currently we have requests for how to write "one in ten" and how to pronounce the Our Father.
We also mentioned that our resident Irish Kitchen columnist Hartson Dowd had to have a leg amputated. Your prayers for his recovery have been answered as he is now home from the hospital and learning how to cope with his new circumstances. He's even back at his computer sending out his usual uplifting spiritual messages. God bless him!
June just around the corner? How did that happen? It would seem that we missed May altogether! Well, not quite! What an historic month it turned out to be. Did you ever think you'd live to see Dr. Ian Paisley and Bertie Ahern together at the site of the Battle of the Boyne? Or Bertie addressing a joint session of Parliament in London? Or best of all, the resumption of power-sharing in Northern Ireland? God seems to be smiling on the island of Ireland and we can only hope and pray that He will continue to do so.
Meanwhile, Pinch punch, first day of the month, White Rabbit! Also, just in case we're late again with the next edition, Comhgáirdeas to every grad and Lá na nAthar faoi shona dhuit to every Dad. Getting married this coming month? here's your special Irish verse:
Marry when June roses blow,
Over land and see you'll go.
Enough of the blitherin' on with the update!
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IN THIS ISSUE:
News
From the mailbag
Links
Quips, Quotes, Proverbs & Toasts
A Bit of the Wit
Joke of The Week
Did You Know
Know Your Writers
Riddle
The week That Is
Events
Leave 'em Laughing
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NEWS
GENERAL:
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is re-elected and it appears that FF will be able to form a government without a coalition.
ED. NOTE: This goes against Russ' policy of always voting the incumbents out. But then there's the perspective of better the devil you know!
FROM AROUND THE COUNTIES:
Antrim: Traditional bonfire to be replaced by beacon
The 11th night bonfire traditionally lit in the village of Stoneyford will this bear be replaced by a boxed steel beacon placed on top of a twenty-five-foot pole. The beacon, which will be filled with logs, will focus on inclusivity as well as reducing the amount of carbon gases released into the atmosphere. The lighting of the beacon will be preceded by a fireworks display.
Carlow: Local historian honoured by plaque
The late Bill Dillon, who spent much time transcribing inscriptions on tombstones in graveyards and churches, has been commemorated by the placing of a plaque in the picnic area beside the river in Leighlinbridge. Also an author, Bill published works including "The Fieldcrest collection of Tombstone Inscriptions and Maps" under the pen name of Reynolds Fieldcrest, after the factory where he worked in Kilkenny.
Carlow: Browne Clayton papers donated to library
Robert Browne Clayton, the current head of the family which settled in Carlow in the seventeenth century, has presented thousands of historical documents to the County Library. The family had a number of homes in Carlow and the surrounding counties, including what is now Tully's of Tullow Street, and the building housing Lennon's Pub on the same street.
Clare: Mountshannon en fete this weekend
The village is holding the 11th Iniscealtra Festival of Arts which his year has the theme "Our Fragile Earth". In addition to art exhibitions, poetry workshops, a range of different musical traditions and special activities for children, the week-long festival will also feature a number of outdoor activities. It will culminate in a multimedia event at the harbour on June 3.
Derry: Dungiven to host music festival once again
For the first time in almost twenty years Dungiven is to play host to the County Derry Fleadh Ceoil. The Benedy Community Centre is the venue for the opening of the Fleadh on May 31 where a concert will be given by a number of local musicians, singers and dancers. The competitions, meanwhile, which form such an important part of the event, will take place in St Canice's Primary School on the Curragh Road.
Derry: Festival to celebrate "Gallaher's field" landing
A festival is to be organised to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the landing in a field at Ballyarnett of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. Ms Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic when she completed the journey by landing in Derry in May, 1932. According to legend she asked a labourer where she was and he told her "Gallagher's field".
Donegal: Access to Muckish to be improved
Muckish Mountain, the fourth highest mountain in the country, has always presented a challenge with regard to access, but this is now to end with the official opening this weekend of the new Muckish Mountain Road. The upgraded Yellow Rock road has come about through the efforts of the Muckish Development Association, who also plan to improve the quarryman's path leading to the summit. There they will install an interpretation plinth so that climbers will be able to identify the various landmarks including islands off the coast of Scotland.
Donegal: Ballyshannon to celebrate rock musician
Some four thousand people are expected to gather in Ballyshannon on May 31 for the start of the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival, which takes place over four days. Eighteen venues around the town will be used to stage sixty-three events, with the Eric Bell Band being among the headline acts. Eric was the original guitarist with Thin Lizzy.
Dublin: "Monument to eccentricity" to remain on bridge
The plaque inscribed to "Fr Pat Noise" which is set into O'Connell Bridge is to be allowed to remain. This is the second such plaque, purporting to commemorate a priest who died in 1919, but actually a tribute to a father by two of his sons; "Fr Pat Noise" is an anagram of Pater Noster. The plaque was removed two months ago by the council while work was carried out on the bridge, but was later replaced.
Dublin: Moore Street becomes multicultural
With the opening of the country's first multicultural shopping centre Moore Street will no longer be exclusively associated with Dublin traders. Asian, African, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Polish and Italian traders will work alongside Irish retailers in the indoor centre to be known as Moore Street Mall where patrons can now avail of a Hungarian wine shop, a Polish supermarket, and an African ladies' hair salon,; a multicultural food court is also soon to be opened. Russ wonders if translators will be available at the entrance?
Fermanagh: New peace garden for The Graan
The Graan Passionist Monastery in Enniskillen is to have a new Peace Garden which will be completed to coincide with the anniversary of the arrival in Ireland of a Passionist priest who is due to be canonised. Blessed Charles of Mount Argus, who died in 1893, will be named a saint on June 3 and the Rector of The Graan, Father Brian D'Arcy, has been working on a peace garden in an area at the side of the carpark which housed the former greenhouse. Father Brian has also installed a bust of Blessed Charles in the "crying" room at the back of the chapel and this has been renamed St Charles Prayer Room.
Kerry: Pilgrims set sail from Dingle
Recently, Twenty-nine pilgrims set sail from Dingle on the replica Famine ship the Jeanie Johnston in a revival of a mediaeval pilgrimage to the Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela. Their departure was celebrated by ceremonies attended by the Spanish ambassador, Jose Carvajal, who also unveiled a plaque at the site known as the Spanish pier. Dingle is one of the few places in Ireland to have a church of St James, and in Northern Spain the town was known as "el Dingle de Santiago", emphasizing the link between the two centres.
Kildare: Silence to be broken at Maynooth
For the first time in more than thirty years residents and students in Maynooth will be able to hear the chimes of the clock in the tower of St Patrick's College. The clock tower, which is located above the college chapel, had been built in 1895 to mark the centenary of St Patrick's College. The chimes were put in place by Monsignor Edward Kissane during his presidency of the seminary in the middle of the last century. However in the early 1970s they stopped working and silence reigned over the town until now.
Limerick: Festival and flight to commemorate flying boats
To celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the first transatlantic passenger flight from Newfoundland to Foynes, a festival is to be held at the beginning of July. As part of the festivities a PBY Catalina, the Vintage Lady, will be flown from America to Foynes where it will be greeted at a Clipper Club reception on the shore at the start of the three-day festival. The original flight was operated by Pan American Airlines and landed in Foynes the day after leaving Botwood in Newfoundland.
Longford: Launch of "Longford Women's Voices"
Irish Times journalist Kathy Sheridan was in the Longford Arms Hotel last week for the launch of a book penned by five writers. Joy Burns, Gen Doherty, Ann Donohoe, Margot Gearty and Stephanie Igoe, all members of the Irish Countrywomen's Association, taped interviews with sixteen women as the basis for "Longford Women's Voices". The interviewees had lived through the years from the 1920s to the 1950s, a particularly difficult period for families and especially mothers. The tapes were subsequently presented to the Longford library, the first time that the library has received such a donation.
Louth: Property upgrade for guillemots
The colonies of guillemots present at Gyles Quay, Clogherhead and Greenore have experienced a property upgrade after Birdwatch Ireland provided artificial nesting holes for the sea birds. At Gyles Quay the pier wall was suffering from storm damage and pipes have been inserted into the wall to provide secure nesting for the birds, which now number sixteen pairs. At Greenore the nesting boxes are being constructed by woodwork students at Bush Post-primary School, who will append their own names to each box so that they can see how the birds take to them. The nests will be placed on the breakwater. At Clogherhead, however, the new nesting cavities have not yet proved too popular with the guillemots.
Meath: New walking route launched in Navan
The new Slí na Sláinte route has un-numbered posts marking out the route. These are placed one kilometre apart along the almost five kilometres of the walkway, which begins at the bridge at Newbridge. It follows the banks of the River Boyne before crossing the new bridge opposite the Ardboyne Hotel, and then leads towards Johnstown, onto the Kentstown Road and back to Navan.
Monaghan: 18th century temple to be restored
The temple built by Thomas Dawson in the mid-eighteenth century in honour of his late wife Anne is to be restored with the aid of the Dartrey Heritage Association. The temple, modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, is constructed of red brick and limestone and is located on a wooded island in a lake on the former estate of the Earls of Dartrey. It was so positioned in order for Thomas Dawson to be able to see it from the office of his house.
Offaly: Party on Davitt Street
Recently, the residents of Davitt Street in Tullamore were in party mood as they celebrated the centenary of the street with a Mass, a civic reception and a street party. On a site once known as the Workhouse Field, Davitt Street was built in 1907. The oldest former resident of the street, John O'Brien, cut a centenary cake and commemorative scrolls were presented to each household.
Sligo: Ten-year preservation campaign goes on at Killaspugbrone
The members of the Killaspugbrone Preservation Society have erected two signs to highlight the presence of the twelfth century church. The society has already carried out the reinforcement of the boundary wall, with funding from the county council, and its members are now anxious to promote the further preservation of the church. The unveiling of the new interpretative signs took place at Strandhill beach, opposite the Celtic Seaweed Baths.
Tipperary: Ardfinnan film for Swansea
A film shot in the Ardfinnan area and featuring a number of local people is to be shown at the Swansea Film Festival at the end of the month, as well as having a screening at the International Film Festival in South Africa in August. "Race the Drop" has been directed and produced by Will Nugent, who borrowed a camera from the South Tipperary Arts Centre and lights from a number of sources. The action of the film, which is based on the murder of a landlord's agent in the nineteenth century, takes place at Knocklofty House Hotel, Ballybacon church and cemetery and the Graigue pub.
Tyrone: Strabane's canal to be reopened
The old Strabane Canal is to be restored to a working canal under the Waterways Project being carried out from the River Foyle to Strabane and Lifford. Just over a mile of the old canal will be restored, through Cramsies Lock into the town.
Waterford: Protection for Bilberry goats
A two-year campaign which has sought to have the grazing ground of Bilberry goats protected has found success at last, with Waterford City Council agreeing to rezone part of Bilberry Rock in Gracedieu from residential to agricultural. The move ensures the preservation of the grazing ground for the herd of twenty-one goats which had been threatened due to urban expansion. The council is also meeting with the voluntary group who look after the goats, which are believed to have been in the area for at least one hundred years, with a view to ensuring the animals' continued survival.
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Chicago, Illinois
Irish see green in Chicago real estate
Irish investors apparently have U.S. real estate on their minds and plenty of money to spend on it. Now some in the real estate community are banking on more of them taking a shine to Chicago. "The wealth coming out of Ireland is mind-boggling," said Chicago real estate broker Sean Conlon, who was born in County Kildare. "And the Irish love to own real estate. It's pretty much the national sport."
Destin, Florida
Confusing signs on the bathroom doors at McGuire's Irish Pub have played jokes on customers for years, sending women to the men's room and vice versa. But the father of a girl who was interrupted by a man in the women's room and Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation don't find the signs funny. The agency recently threatened the Panhandle tourist landmark with closure for "Lack of signage properly designating bathrooms." The state took action after the father filed a complaint, which said his 15-year-old daughter was embarrassed and left the restaurant crying after the bathroom incident. General Manager Billy Martin has removed the signs at his Destin pub, but left them at his original pub in Pensacola. "We're not trying to be malicious," Martin told the Northwest Florida Daily News. "It's an Irish joke kind of thing." More than 3,000 pub patrons have signed a petition to bring the signs back. The men's room sign has large print that reads "Ladies" and smaller text clarifying women shouldn't go in there because it's the men's room. The women's room has a similar sign. The signs have been up for 10 years in Destin and 30 years in Pensacola.
ED. NOTE: This reminded Bridget of the time we visited a pub in Glin. She asked directions to the bathrooms and the bartender said they were out the back. When she got there, the signs on the doors were in Irish. Fortunately, she knew enough of the language to choose the right door. She couldn't help but notice the disappointed looks on the faces of the locals when she returned to her bar stool and made no comment.
Nepal/China: Irish man conquers Everest in bid to break climbing record
Ian McKeever has conquered Mount Everest as part of his bid to climb the world's seven highest peaks in the space of just six months. Jan arrived at the summit of the world's highest mountain on may 16 after a six-day trek from Base Camp.
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FROM THE MAILBAG
Jaryd writes: I am just beginning to learn Gaeilge. I need to find an English/Irish dictionary that contains the phonetic pronunciations along with the Irish definitions. The older one gets, the more difficult it is to learn a new language. And the phonetic pronunciations would dearly help this old man.
ED NOTE: And us, too. Does anyone have a recommendation?
Judy asks: I am trying to find the poem or prayer that my Aunt used to say on May Day. The only part I remember is "God bless us and bind us and tie our hands behind us and throw us behind a log where the devil can't find us"...or somewhat. I would love to have the whole prayer. Can you help me?
Danielle has a poignant poetry request: I was wondering if you can assist me or lead me in the right direction to find a poem for my Irish grandmother. Sadly, she is slowly leaving us from Alzheimers. I would like to find an Irish poem about grandmothers to read at her wake and am overwhelmed with trying to find a good website or book.
Kelly writes: I've been trying to find the history behind a custom I heard about where a friend expresses his affection to another friend by holding his hand and shaking it while singing a traditional Irish song. This is often done in a pub. Do you know anything about this? And could you point me in the direction where I might find more information about it? Thanks!
Gail writes: I have been searching for a recording of the song "Little Golden Locket" by Jimmy Kennedy. Can you tell me where I could find a record of this song? I believe it may have been played on the radio in the 40's or 50's. It means a lot to my husband. He can remember most of the lyrics and I'd love to surprise him with a recording. Thank you
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LINKS
Beautiful America
We are very grateful to our good friend Eileen McTiernan for this wonderful link. It seems most appropriate for Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy.
http://mybeautifulamerica.com/mybeautifulamerica.htm
Irish Soldiers in the First World War
When the Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip fired the shots that killed the heir to the Austrian crown Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife during their state visit to Sarajevo in June 1914, he started a chain of events that would directly affect Irish people in every part of Ireland and some of those living in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. A very interesting page put together by the Department of the Taoiseach: Please click
http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/index.asp?docID=2517
The Sullivan Brothers of Waterloo, Iowa
Do you know their story? The sacrifice Sullivan family made in World War II is impossible to comprehend. If you'd like to know what happened, please click
http://www.castletown.com/Brothers.htm
ED. NOTE: Just incase you might be interested, this week, we are featuring theHollywood movie The Fighting Sullivans in the margin of our home page.
Flight of The Earls - Why it matters 400 years later
This is a special Irish Times supplement was written by Jonathan Bardon, author of A History of Ulster; Shane Hegarty, Irish Times journalist and co-author of The Irish Times Book of the 1916 Rising; author and journalist Joe Carroll and Irish Times columnist and author Fintan O'Toole; Supplement edited by Kieran Fagan. Please click
http://www.ireland.com/focus/earls
The Irish Page
This time around, Jack & Vivian offer an Irish version of the famous song Wild Bunch of Thyme. Turn your sound up to hear the tune. There are also pop-up phonetics on this one. When you place your mouse arrow over an Irish word, the translation and the pronunciation will pop up. Just click on the link below.
http://www.irishpage.com/songs/thyme.htm
Free Mammograms!
Do you know of a woman who can't afford a mammogram? Here's how you can help. Go to the Breast Cancer site and click on their free mammogram link; if they get enough clicks , they'll be able to donate at least one free mammogram a day to underprivileged women. It takes just a minute and there's no cost involved:
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com
Free Pet Food!
Last but certainly not least - our ongoing gift to AG in California and all friends to animals, please click this link today and everyday. It only takes a second to feed an animal. Thanks!
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites.woa
Free People Food!
It only takes a second to feed hungry people, too:
http://www.thehungersite.com
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QUIPS & QUOTES , CURSES & PROVERBS, TOASTS & SAYINGS
"Ireland, thou friend of my country in my country's most friendless days, much injured, much enduring land, accept this poor tribute from one who esteems thy worth, and mourns thy desolation." George Washington, speaking of Ireland's support for America during the revolution.
"It is a curious contradiction, not very often remembered in England, that for many generations the private soldiers of the British Army were largely Irish." Cecil Woodham-Smith
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A BIT OF THE WIT
"Those who drink to forget, please pay in advance."
Sign at the Hibernian Bar, Cork City.
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FAVORITE JOKE OF THE WEEK
A Kerryman man and his wife were sitting in the living room and he said to her, "Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug." His wife got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all of his Guinness.
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DID YOU KNOW
1. Over 400,000 Irishmen served France in the famous Irish Brigade between 1690 and 1792?
2. There is a German military cemetery near Avoca, County Wicklow? It contains the remains of servicemen who crash-landed or whose bodies were washed up on the coast of Ireland during World War II
3. The famous phrase "War is Hell" is attributed to the Cavan-born American Civil War General Phil Sheridan?
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KNOW YOUR IRISH WRITERS
But first the answers to our last quiz:
1. The Dramatist by Ken Bruen
2. Confessions of a Shanty irishman by Michael Corrigan
3. The Beauty of the Moon by by Anne M. Haverty
A tip of the hat and a pat on the back for the following Irish bibliophiles:
Roger S. Weist
Beyond the Pale
WRUW/FM 91.1
Cleveland, Ohio
Sunday 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
http://www.wruw.org
Rita Roche
Baltimore MD
Susan O'Brien
Whichever way you spell it, this Website was formed to promote the interests of all O'Briens (O'Briain, O'Brian, O'Briant, O'Breen, O'Bryen, O'Bryon, O'Bryan, O'Bryant, Bryan, Bryant, Bryen, Brian, Brien, Briend, Briens, Brine, Brion, MacBrien, MacBryen, McBrian, McBrien, McBryen and other fine families) who are descended from our progenitor, Brian Boru.
http://www.obrienclan.com/
Mike Moore
Fact-filled site about the island of Ireland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland
Helen Boyle
If you're interested in the Irish spelling of your last name and what it means, this is a very interesting page:
http://www.irishsurnames.com/gaelicmeaning.htm
Want to see your name and favorite web site in our next newsletter?
Who wrote:
1. Irish Voices from the Great War
2. They Shall Not Grow Old - Irish Soldiers Remember the Great War
3. We Band of Brothers - The Sulllivans & World War II
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RIDDLE
To begin with, here's the answer to our last mind mangler:
Q. What can be driven, but has no wheels. What can be sliced, and still remain whole?
A. Golf ball
This one was just too easy for our brilliant Riddle People; we had hundreds of correct answers, but first in was: Mary Rugierro. Well done!
And now for our next head banger:
Pronounced as one letter,
And written with three,
Two letters there are,
And two only in me.
I'm double, I'm single,
I'm black, blue, and gray,
I'm read from both ends,
And the same either way.
What am I?
THE WEEK THAT IS
1. Article: St. Brendan the Navigator
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ASaints/BrendanNav.html
2. Article: Whitsuntide in old Ireland
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/Whitsuntide.html
3. Article: It's a Long Way to Tipperary
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/VetsTiperary.html
4. Article: The Irish Soldiers in World War I
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/VetsWW1.html
5. Article: Danny Boy
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/VetsDannyBoy.html
6. Article: The irish Soldiers in the American Civil War
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/VetsCivilWar.html
7. The Irish Kitchen - Aunt Hettie's War Cake
8. Basic Irish: Going on Holiday/Vacation
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/3Focloir/1Home.html
9. Kids' Ireland - The Soul Traps
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/1Kids/SoulTraps.html
10. May Music Factory: The Gaelic Hit Factory
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/index.html
11. Circle of prayer - Novena #4 in this cycle began on May 23 and continues through May 31. We've already mentioned Hartson who just went through major life-changing surgery. Please keep him in your prayers or meditations. Also Manuel & Christine, 15 month old Dominic Intervallo who is going through chemo, David & Jenn's tiny daughter Maggie; Sr. Cindy who broke her ankle; "The Bits" - Arlene's very sick born blind companion ; our "Cat Lady" Pauline Dewberry; Bridget's cousin Louise in Galway, Alice Savage, Ellie, Josephine and her mother in Waterford, Patricia Edward's daughter Heather; Bob Kelly; Simon Shepherd.; baby Joseph; little Emma-Josephine, Mickey, Jane Fitz., Scott H and so many others, especially our men and women in the military serving their country all over the world. Please God, they will all be home safe and sound soon.
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Blessings/CirclePrayer.html
12. May Trivia Contest: Have you entered yet? Time's running out. All entries must be in by midnight, May 31st. Congrats to the winner of our April contest: Fred Pellerito from Missouri.
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/TriviaContest.html
So there you have it until we write again. Between now and then, if you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other important event we hope it's an occasion filled with joy. We also hope that all of our readers in the USA enjoy a safe and happy Memorial Day holiday weekend and the same goes for readers in the UK and Northern Ireland celebrating the Spring bank Holiday.
Until next time, may the good Shepherd of us all hold you and yours in the palm of His hand, but not close his His fist too tightly upon you. And as they say in Ireland, mind yourself!
Slan agus beannacht!
Bridget & Russ
Get down on your knees and thank God you're still on your feet!
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Help keep the newsletter coming
Officially, our annual dollar drive is over but we are always happy to receive donations at any time of year. If you'd like to help us out you can send a little something through PayPal:
http://www.paypal.com
and to this account:
bhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com
or by snail mail to:
Bridget & Russ Haggerty
5670 Meryton Place
Cincinnati, OH 45224.
Go raibh maith agat in advance for your generosity and kindness.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS
Please check with the Wild Geese - they have a huge listing of events and we don't want to duplicate their efforts:
http://thewildgeese.com
If we receive a unique event not mentioned there we will be happy to list it here.
Various venues in ireland- Now through June 21
The national tour of Under the Lintel presented by Landmark Productions. For dates and places, please click
http://www.thetouringexperiment.ie/detail.asp?ID=38
Dublin -May 25, June 1, 25, 27, 29, 31 and June 2
Opera Ireland presents Don Pasquale Donizetti at the RDS Concert Hall, Ballsbridge. With RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Opera Ireland Chorus. For more details, please click
http://www.rds.ie
Cincinnati, Ohio - May 28, June 1, June 2
Upcoming Silver Arm Performances:
Friday, June 1 - Molly Malone's, 6111 Montgomery Rd., Pleasant Ridge 9:00pm - 1:00am
Saturday, June 2 - Celtic Heritage Days, Miami Whitewater Forest Harbor -- a two-day festival which includes many of the areas best Irish and Scottish bands and dancers. We play at 6 pm on Saturday. For complete details about their schedule, please click
http;//www.silverarmmusic.com
Limerick
The Daghdha Dance Company continues its summer programme of events by hosting it's second series of Framemakers 2007 - This is a series of lectures, events and short performances investigating choreography as the creative act and features a lecture-performance from world renowned dog-whisperer Henry Desreux, more commonly known as the Wolfman. For more information, please click
http://www.daghdha.ie/indexflash.html
Ireland - June 6 through July 14
Nationwide tour of Mushroom presented by the Story Tellers Theatre Company. For places and dates, please click
http://entertainment.ie/event/Mushroom/2361060.htm
Dublin - June 18 through August 18
Tall Tales Theatre Company celebrates its tenth birthday in collaboration with Bewleys Café Theatre by presenting this exciting season of new writing - Txts:Irish plays by women. For complete details, please click
http://www.talltales.ie/
Co. Carlow - June 8th through June 17th
Éigse 2007 Arts Festival returns to the streets of Carlow for 10 long summer days. Now in its 29th year, Éigse has become a landmark on the Irish cultural calendar and continues to present work of an innovative nature that challenges and inspires. For complete details about all the events, please click
http://www.eigsecarlow.ie
Co. Galway - July 10 through July 15
Galway Film Fleadh celebrates 19 years of screening the very best in new and classic Irish and World Cinema. For more information, please click
http://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/
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LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING
Since it's the week of the National Elections in Ireland, we leave you with this hilarious list entitled "These People Vote." This is not to imply that "these people" are just in Ireland - they're everywhere!
Some guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: "Free to good home. You want it, you take it". For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it. He eventually decided that people were too un-trusting of this deal. It looked to good to be true, so he changed the sign to read: "Fridge for sale $50". The next day someone stole it. Caution! These people Vote
While looking at a house, my brother asked the real estate agent which direction was North because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, "Does the sun rise in the North?" When my brother explained that the sun rises in the East, (and has for sometime), she shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff"... She ALSO votes!
I used to work in technical support for a 24/7 call center. One day I got a call from an individual who asked what hours the call center was open. I told him, "The number you dialed is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." He responded, "Is that Eastern or Pacific time?" Wanting to end the call quickly, I said, "Uh, Pacific" . . . He ALSO votes!
My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard one of the administrative assistants talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the shore. She drove down in a convertible, but "didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving". . She ALSO votes!
My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car It's designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk. . My sister ALSO votes!
I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, "Wouldn't the chain rip out every time she turned her head?" I explained that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned. My friend ALSO votes!
I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. "Now," she asked me, "has your plane arrived yet?". . . SHE ALSO votes!
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