The Common Ground

Vol. IX, Issue 4

Cáisc Shona Dhaoibh

April  2011

Common Ground readers and other supporters of the Ireland Institute can now follow Jim on Twitter.

Log on to www.twitter.com, and enter Jim's ID in the search tab.  His ID is Jim_Lamb.

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News:

Sports:

Lifestyles:

Events:

HELP WANTED: ALL IRISH AMERICANS NEED APPLY...

A Message from our President James J. Lamb

To say the island of Ireland is going through a difficult time would be the understatement of the year. And I fear that if we, Irish Americans don’t do something about it now, Ireland may lose all sense of itself. Over a twenty-year period, Ireland has managed to squander or abandon everything that was important to her. Yes, with help from the US, she brought peace to her people. But now, I fear that peace is threatened, too.

We all know the history. After centuries of British oppression, and failed uprisings in every generation, the Irish finally succeeded in winning independence for most of the island in 1921. Six counties in the North remained part of the United Kingdom and the twenty-six county Republic of Ireland was formed. And for most of the twentieth century, the Republic of Ireland and the Catholic Church oversaw a compliant nation, of farmers, merchants, and their families, who encouraged their children to work hard, respect and obey the clergy, and aspire to one of two high callings—the religious life or the civil service. And for children lucky enough to go to school, that was as good as it got. Still a very poor nation, many were forced to emigrate, as their ancestors of every generation had done. Meanwhile in the North, Catholics remained disenfranchised while the Protestant working class protected and maintained her majesty’s important economic engines with unskilled labor—ship building and textiles.

In the second half of the twentieth century a number of events, both positive and negative, reshaped Ireland. In the 1960s, the Republic of Ireland implemented aggressive plans for economic expansion and education. And protests for equality in the North led to unspeakable violence and military occupation. In the 1970s Ireland joined the European Common Market while the war for the North raged on. And when a worldwide recession hit in the 1980s, thousands of jobs, North and South, disappeared. The Irish emigrated once again. And the working class Protestants, used to making their own way, begrudgingly took the dole. With no culture of education, future generations of working class Protestants would inherit an unproductive government-dependent lifestyle while Catholics pursued higher education, giving them an advantage in a competitive job market that would soon arrive. 

By the 1990s, everyone in Ireland, North and South, was simply tired and depressed from the drag of recession, conflict, an oppressive Catholic Church, and loss of family to emigration, not to mention what seemed like a constant rain. This backwater island on the western fringe of Europe held no opportunity for its people. Ireland needed a good shake.

The Irish government, Europe, and various new technology companies from around the world were, almost secretly, preparing for an economic explosion. Thanks to the investment in education a generation earlier—which created a highly skilled workforce—and an attractive corporate tax rate, those companies poured into Ireland. They created jobs and Ireland became one of the fastest growing economies in history. Unemployment dropped below three percent and labor was imported from Eastern Europe and elsewhere to meet the demand. And thousands of Irish who left for better opportunities started coming back. 

There was also a softening of attitudes around the Northern conflict. Republicans and Loyalists who had vowed to kill or die for their cause came to an understanding that violence was not the answer. In 1998, after ceasefires were called, both sides entered an agreement to establish a shared space.

Ireland had come of age culturally as well. A resurgence of Irish authors and playwrights, films, music, dance, and sport heightened the Irish brand around the world. And the world took notice. Tourism continued to increase throughout the 1990s. Ireland was no longer a third-world developing country. It was a model of economic expansion and cultural enlightenment.

The Celtic Tiger was born. People worked and earned a lot of money. And they spent even more. Credit from European banks was easy to get. And the Irish took more than they needed. They also ate and drank to excess. (Ireland now has serious problems with obesity and alcohol consumption). This was a party that emboldened the Irish, North and South, to challenge those authorities and institutions that formed Irish culture—the church and the government. It also brought a culture of greed and self interest to a nation that relied for centuries on community and charity. And the revelations of unfathomable abuse among Catholic clergy on Ireland’s most vulnerable young people over the past century surely did not encourage this emerging rich nation to behave. Participation in the church in Ireland was and remains at an all-time low.

Then, shortly after the turn of the millennium, the tiger started losing its teeth. Unsustainable real estate developments and bad investments by the banks, along with the global financial storm of 2008 simply wiped out Irish families. Unemployment now is at 14% and is expected to get worse by next year. Banks can’t be trusted. And they don’t have any money to make loans. So the economy is frozen. 

Families in despair have lost touch with each other. The sense of community has been lost. The church offers no respite and has no authority. And the government has no money and no capacity to help those who truly need it. And in the North, the bad guys are back. Dissident republican and loyalist gangs are recruiting. They are shooting police, terrorizing neighborhoods, planning bomb attacks, and exploiting the poor and the disadvantaged. 

This is Ireland today. And the Irish can’t do anything about it. But you can. In spite of all its troubles, Ireland still welcomes the stranger and the friend. Ireland still offers a competitive business opportunity to the company looking to enter Europe. Ireland still maintains an impressive export record. Ireland still has smart young people. She still captures the imagination with cultural expressions of art, music, and sport.

I encourage readers to take advantage of all that Ireland has to offer. Pay a visit to your cousins. Consider the opportunities for your business. Look to invest where the return will be great, financially and otherwise. This is a sad story that needs to find a happy ending. Your participation is key.

Enjoy the rest of this issue,

References for today's letter:

http://www.learningireland.ie/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19320&f_title=Schools%20'fail'%20to%20prepare%20students%20for%20life%20or%20work

http://www.nala.ie/literacy-ireland

IIP News

Jim Lamb, Paul Hederman, LAOH State President Colleen Bowers, and County AOH President Dan Devinney

The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh hosted Irish economist Paul Hedermen for lunch at the HYP Allegheny on April 6.  Local business and Irish community leaders gathered to hear about the rise and fall of the Irish economy over the past twenty years.  Mr. Hedermen suggested that one of the primary factors leading to the recent collapse was a temporary loss of Ireland's competitive edge.  In spite of the attractive tax rate, the cost of doing business was prohibitive.  Now prices have fallen dramatically and foreign companies are reinvesting in Ireland.  Hedermen mentioned significant investments from Google, Intel, and other corporate giants from around the world.  Of course the ordinary citizens of Ireland will be under a serious burden for a while, paying off a loan from the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.  But there is optimism about the business environment of Ireland.

 NEWS

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Centenary of Titanic's Launch

Belfast City Council is set to mark the 100th anniversary of the launch of RMS Titanic, with four days of events including exhibitions, talks, tours, plays and family activities.

Serving dishes and soap from the Titanic will form part of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum's collection on the liner's owners next month.  A variety of passenger lists, steamer tickets, posters, playing cards and even a steward's menu ideas will be on display at the center near Belfast.

It marks the centenary of the Titanic's launch from Belfast's Harland and Wolff shipyard and amounts to more than 7,000 items from the Titanic's parent company the White Star Line.

The Titanic sank in 1912 after striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage in the Atlantic. 1,517 people died in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.

William Blair, head of human history for National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI), said: 'For 50 years, from 1869 until 1919, there was never a day when Harland and Wolff did not have a ship under construction for the White Star Line so this collection reveals much about the maritime and industrial context of Titanic.'

TITANIC: The Exhibition is intended to correct many preconceptions which existed about onboard class distinction.  Mr. Blair added: 'While the content provides eye-opening insights into the strict class distinctions of the Edwardian era, surprisingly it also shows the unexpected levels of luxury and customer service provided to third class passengers.'

The collection was compiled over a lifetime by Paul Louden Brown, an authority on the subject.  It also includes uniforms, furniture, photographs, glass lantern slides, diaries, magazines, books and crockery.

Dr. Jim McGreevy, director of collections and interpretation for NMNI, said: 'We were very pleased to have acquired this unique collection of Titanic's parent company which is hugely significant to Northern Ireland's cultural and industrial heritage.  The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum holds a unique and extensive collection of artifacts relating to the Titanic itself and, importantly, its wider context within the White Star Line fleet.  This acquisition has equipped national museums with a body of material of international standard which complements its existing archival holdings.

Air India Eyes Dublin as its Transatlantic Hub

A delegation from Air India is expected to visit Dublin Airport in the next month with a view to making Terminal 2 its transatlantic hub.

Air India used to route five flights a day through Frankfurt en route to North America but has since withdrawn, complaining of a lack of capacity and a high cost per passenger.

Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar was in India for St Patrick’s Day along with Dublin Airport Authority chief executive Declan Collier to try and secure Terminal 2 as an Air India hub.

The contract with Air India is up for grabs. Seven European airports were considered. Dublin is in the final two. The other is believed to be Birmingham Airport.

Birmingham has a large population base and a big Indian community, but a spokesman for the DAA said it had a “very compelling offer” as landing charges at Dublin Airport were among the lowest in Europe.

T2 also has a Custom and Border Protection pre-clearance facility for the United States. This would mean that Air India passengers could go on to regional airports in the US without having to go through customs again.

The potential move opens up the prospect of direct flights between Ireland and India for the first time creating a new tourism market in both directions.  Varadkar said Irish tourists traveling to Australia and New Zealand would be able to use Delhi rather than Dubai as a stopover point.

Ireland and India are now working on a bilateral Air Services Agreement and freedom rights which allow an airline to pick up and fly passengers from one foreign destination to another. Though India is already a popular tourism destination for Irish visitors, Tourism Ireland has identified India as a huge emerging tourism market with a growing middle class.

It said it will lobby the Department of Justice and Law Reform to facilitate a stopover visa in Ireland for Indian travelers en route to the US.

An office to facilitate Indian visitors to Ireland was opened in February 2004 and a training program for Indian travel agents, known as Shamrock Agents, has made some of the key players familiar with Ireland.

Tourism Ireland believes there is a lot of potential in India’s growing golfing market which already attracts between 500 and 1,000 Indian golfers a year to Ireland, most of whom are among the wealthiest strata of Indian society. Organizers of golf tours believe that market could grow to 10,000 golfers a year within five year.

95th Anniversary the Easter Rising:

Easter 1916 and Now

There has been much speculation in Ireland as to how much the founding fathers of the modern Irish State, the leaders of 1916, would shudder to see the country they created now.  On the 95th Anniversary of the gallant rising that "hurled the little streets upon the great" as Yeats wrote, it is a fair question to ask.

In a week when the ousted CEO of the utterly failed Allied Irish Bank was revealed to have pocketed a $4 million payoff, when Derek Quinlan, a former Celtic Tiger superstar now bankrupt, was revealed to have had a $140 million dollar mansion, and Sean Quinn, Ireland's richest man, turned out to be broke, but it is fair to wonder what the founding fathers would think of Ireland today.

In a year when the Irish leaders now go cap in hand to Europe and the International Monetary Fund to ensure their future, it is an even more important question.  

The 1916 rebellion took place against the backdrop of a primarily European war.  The British entered it, proclaiming the freedom of small nations after Germany overran many of its neighbors.  The Irish, justifiably, after being given promise of Home Rule and then having it set aside, felt strongly that as a small nation they were entitled to freedom too. 

That goal was achieved for the 26 counties in 1921, but the legacy of that war, the separated part of Ireland to the North would fester and suppurate for decades.  Only in recent years has it been settled, and we have what is as close to an agreed Ireland as can be attained.  

One suspects most of the leaders of 1916, especially the pragmatists like Michael Collins, would accept that.  Eamon de Valera, when later in power, did little to disturb the status quo between north and south which was considerably worse than it is now.

The current financial morass would, however, be far beyond most of them, though de Valera was no stranger to financial shenanigans, having used American funds for the new Irish government to start up his own newspaper chain, the Irish Press Group.

No doubt many of those leaders, surveying the legacy of greed and political corruption of the past decade, would echo Yeats words: "Was  it for this the wild geese spread, the gray wing upon every tide.  For this that all that blood was shed. For this Edward Fitzgerald died.  And Robert Emmet and Wolfe Tone.  All that delirium of the brave?"

But there is hope.  The new Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny has promised a new broom and to date has delivered on it.  The reformist government he leads seems intent on restoring honesty and integrity to the political process.

By the 100th anniversary on Easter 2016 we will know if he has been successful or not.  It is a profound moment for the life of Ireland, to see if the brave words and deed of 1916 men and women have been lived up to in the best way possible. 

The Easter Rising Proclamation 

The drafting of the Proclamation was one of the final steps taken by the Irish Republican Brotherhood Military Council who planned the Rising. Its flowing phrases suggest that it was composed mainly by Patrick Pearse, probably aided by the others, particularly James Connolly. Certainly all seven Council members approved it on 17th April 1916 and later signed it; in doing so, they were virtually guaranteeing that they would face the firing squad should the insurrection fail.

On 23rd April, the Council agreed to proceed with the Rising next day, Easter Monday. It also decided that the Proclamation should be read to the public outside Dublin’s General Post Office (after it had been occupied by the rebels), by the President of the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic. At the meeting this post was offered to Thomas Clarke in recognition of his services to the republican cause. He declined but as a tribute to his past sacrifices, his signature was given pride of place at the head of the list of seven names who had signed the document. It was then agreed that Pearse should act as president. He had the presence and the requisite oratorical gifts. 

As arranged, at 12:45 on Easter Monday, Pearse accompanied by an armed guard stood on the step outside the GPO and read the Proclamation. Though the occasion was momentous, the crowd who gathered there was sparse and uncomprehending. There were a few perfunctory cheers but no enthusiasm.

The Proclamation expressed the hopes and plans of the revolutionaries. Its primary purpose was to declare that an independent Irish Republic had been established and that a provisional government had been appointed - i.e., the seven members of the Council - to administer temporarily its affairs. Ireland’s ‘national right to freedom and sovereignty’ was powerfully asserted. Though a tiny minority, the rebels claimed: ‘Ireland through us summons her children to her flag’ and could thus ‘prove itself worthy of [its] august destiny’. This appeal for support sprang from their conviction that they were acting in the country’s best interests.

The Proclamation stated explicitly who had organized and planned the Rising and also referred to the help provided by ‘gallant allies in Europe’. In fact, German aid failed to reach the rebels. Nonetheless the claim damned their leaders in the eyes of the British government. It had been included in order to increase the likelihood of Ireland being granted independence at a post-war peace conference, when it was assumed a victorious Germany would dictate the terms.

In part, the text was concerned to justify the Rising; it did so by linking it to previous Irish history. It stated that: ‘the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom … in arms … six times during the past 300 years’. This implied that the present action was not a sudden, opportunist outbreak but part of a long-established nationalist tradition. The historical tradition the rebels identified with was the republican one. The document uses the term ‘republic’ on five occasions. Its signatories would have had difficulty agreeing on a definition of the term, nonetheless it is what the leaders declared in 1916 and what they fought and died for. Their actions and sacrifice helped implant this as a future national aspiration of the Irish people.

The Proclamation suggested that the Rising was not just a political event but also foreshadowed social and economic change. It provided a vision of a free Irish state which would oversee the welfare of all its citizens. The republic would guarantee ‘religious and civil liberty, equal rights and opportunities’ and would ‘pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation … cherishing all the children of the nation equally'. It held the brightest hope for the future but also the seeds of the deepest disappointment. In the years that followed, national energies focused on the struggle for political independence; questions of social, civil and economic reform received scant and secondary attention.

          lifestyles

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Why Easter is Such an Important Holiday to the Irish

Easter is a major holiday in Ireland, second only to Christmas, for a host of reasons, some of which are religious and some historical.  Socially, it's a high water mark of the year, arriving just as the spring is really being felt throughout the Irish countryside and summer fashions start make a first tentative appearance.

Religiously, of course, it's a time of solemn reflection and renewal, and even the least religious Irish person will acknowledge that the story of Christ's death and resurrection still holds an enduring power that speaks strongly to the Irish experience, whether you're a believer or not.

It's because the theme of renewal after deprivation or great suffering is a story the Irish understand in their bones. It was by no accident that the rebel leader Patrick Pearse chose Easter as the ideal time to declare the Irish Republic. After centuries of British oppression, Pearse wanted the nation to experience the promised renewal of Easter in a way that paralleled the resurrection.  At first the Irish scoffed at Pearse's presumption, then they took up his flag and fought for his vision.

So Easter in Ireland is both a secular and religious holiday, celebrating the foundational promise of Christianity and the birth of Irish independence, and inextricably binding the two together, in ways that most often illuminate each other.

Nowadays Irish many people still follow the centuries old practice of ambitious spring cleaning attempts around the Easter holidays, a gesture that's as powerfully symbolic as it is practical.

In the countryside, wall's get whitewashed and halls get swept clean, and the first flowers of spring are placed in vases. After the deprivations of Lent, when Catholics fast and forgo, the dreamed of Easter Sunday feast often has a festival atmosphere, with relatives visiting and elaborate meals being prepared in the kitchen.

Irish children especially love Easter for the selection of chocolate Easter Eggs - a reward for giving up candy for Lent - that go on sale nationwide.  It's the first major indulgence since Christmas and a nice prelude to your First Holy Communion, if you're making it in the same year.

Ireland is not a Mediterranean country but there's a kind of spiritual quickening that arrives around Easter Sunday that would be familiar to anyone who has grown up in warmer climates.  Windows are opened, table cloths set, wine flows freely and bread is baked. All that renewal after the scarcity of winter is a signal to the world (and oneself) that winter has ended.

There are few countries in the world who understand the occasional need for a new beginning like Ireland. If you've never experienced Easter there, we strongly recommend you visit in 2011.  Few places shrug off the winter doldrums as completely as Ireland does, or hang out the Easter flags with as much pride and optimism. After a quick visit we promise you'll feel as dramatically renewed yourself.

Easter Traditions in the United Kingdom

In the UK Easter is one of the major Christian festivals of the year. It is full of customs, folklore and traditional food. However, Easter in Britain has its beginnings long before the arrival of Christianity. Many theologians believe Easter itself is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn and spring - Eostre.

In Britain Easter occurs at a different time each year. It is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This means that the festival can occur on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Not only is Easter the end of the winter it is also the end of Lent, traditionally a time of fasting in the Christian calendar. It is therefore often a time of fun and celebration.

The Friday before Easter Sunday and the Monday after are a bank holiday in the UK. Over Easter schools in the UK close for two weeks, just enough time to digest all the chocolate.

Cupla Focal as Gaeilge 

Easter
Gaeilge: An Cháisc
Pronunciation: On Khaw-ishk

Lent
Gaeilge: Carghas 
Pronunciation: cahr-ahss

Fasting
Gaeilge: troscadh
Pronunciation: thrus-kah

Fish
Gaeilge: Iasc (singular) Éisc (plural)
Pronunciation: ee-usk (singular) ayshg (plural)

Palm Sunday
Gaeilge: Domhnach na Pailme
Pronunciation: dhoh-nukh nah pah-il-meh

Holy Thursday
Gaeilge: Déardaoin Cásca
Pronunciation: djayr-dheen caw-skah

Maundy Thursday
Gaeilge: Déardaoin Mandála
Pronunciation: djayr-dheen mahn-dhawla

Good Friday 
Gaeilge: Aoine an Chéasta (literally Crucifixion Friday)
Pronunciation: een-neh on khay-sthah

Holy Saturday 
Gaeilge: Satharn Chásca (Easter Saturday)
Pronunciation: sah-hahrn khaw-skah

Easter Saturday
Gaeilge: Satharn Cásca
Pronunciation: sah-hahrn caw-skah

Easter Sunday
Gaeilge: Domhnach Cásca
Pronunciation: dhoh-nukh caw-skah

Easter Monday
Gaeilge: Luan Cásca
Pronunciation: loo-un caw-skah

Easter egg
Gaeilge: cúbóg or clúdóg
Pronunciation: koo-bohg or kloo-dhohg

Chocolate eggs
Gaeilge: uibheacha seacláide
Pronunciation: iv-ekh-ah shockh-lawi-dj-eh

Lamb
Gaeilge: uaineoil
Pronunciation: oo-in-oh-il

Chicken
Gaeilge: sicín
Pronunciation: shi-keen

Ham
Gaeilge: ioscaid
Pronunciation: iss-kidh

Rabbit/Bunny
Gaeilge: coinín
Pronunciation: kuh-neen

Lily
Gaeilge: lile
Pronunciation: lih-leh

Stations of the Cross
Gaeilge: Turas na Croise
Pronunciation: thruss nah kresh-eh

Paschal Candle
Gaeileg: Coinnle na Cásca
Pronunciation: kwenn-leh nah caw-skah

SPORTS

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Ireland League Finals

The GAA has confirmed that all four Nationa Football League finals will be played at Croke Park, while the Division 1 hurling decider between Cork and Galway has been fixed for Semple Stadium.

It has been an outstanding campaign so far and all the indications are that the finals, which feature teams from all four provinces, will live up to expectations and provide a feast of entertainment on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

A busy weekend at Croke Park will kick off with the NFL Division 4 final between Limerick and Waterford on Saturday, April 24. The Division 3 decider, featuring Antrim and Sligo, throws in two hours later.

The following day, Sunday, April 25, sees Down and Armagh contest the Division 2 final in the first game of an exciting double header, before the climax of the weekend, the Division 1 showdown between Cork and Mayo.

The NHL Division 1 final meeting of Cork and Galway, as expected, will be played at Semple Stadium in Thurles on Sunday, May 2 as part of another mouth-watering double header, with the Division 2 decider serving as the curtain raiser.

The previous evening, Louth and Wicklow will face off in the NHL Division 3B final at Parnell Park.

Meanwhile, both of next Saturday's Under-21 All-Ireland FC semi-finals will throw in at 7.30pm, the CCCC has confirmed.

Munster champions Tipperary will play Donegal at Parnell Park, while Roscommon and Dublin go head-to-head at Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan.

WIDER HORIZONS PROGRAM

If you are interested in becoming a Host Family for the Wider Horizons Program in 2011, please contact Robert Tierney at  rtierney@iiofpitt.org or phone (412) 394-3900.

                                events

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Our Mission:

Help the Institute:

April 21st

Mullaney's Harp and Fiddle, 2329 Penn Ave., in The Strip, 412-642-6622 features Trivia with Johnny Connolly.  Proceeds benefit the Youth Gaelic Football Club.

April 23rd

Pittsburgh Gaelic Athletic Association (PGAA) is sponsoring a "Trivia & Monte Carlo Night" at the Sokol Club, 2912 East Carson Street, South Side. 7:00PM, Donation $20 includes refreshments.  Information: www.PittsburghGAA.com

April 30th

"From An Gorta Mor to Riverdance," The Irish Famine in History and Memory, a spoken performance by Chuck Lanigan.  A Work-in-Progress sponsored by the Steel Valley Arts Council and Advanced Labor & Cultural Studies.  Venue: Art Space 105, 105 E. 8th Avenue, Homestead (by the Grays Bridge).  Reading and Discussion from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.  Free Admission.

AOH Division 1, South Hills presents "Annual Night of Irish Music" with Ballad Singer Mike Gallagher & Bob Banjeree on fiddle, Corned Beef & Curry, Bell School of Irish Dance.  Tickets - Rich O'Malley 412-401-3945.  Doors open 6pm, Donation $15 in Advance, $20 at door.  Refreshments & snacks included, BYOB.

May 1st

IN IRELAND - 30th Anniversary Hunger Strike Commemoration March.  

Doneraile Literary & Arts Festival 2011 - Canon Sheehan Short Story Competition, Prise 1,000 Euro.  Edmund Spenser Poetry Competition, Prize 500 Euro.  Deadline for submission is June 1, 2011.  Contact hudnerdiarmuid@gmail.com or Diane Byrnes for a copy of "Conditions of Entry" diane.byrnes@verizon.net

May 6th

"A Benefit for Michael Labella" (grandson to Jim Graven, President of the Irish Centre of Pittsburgh).  "Trivia Challenge" with Johnny Connolly, music with Mark Dignam, Terry Griffith, Tony Egan, Bruce Foley and Na Gaels; Silent Auction, Refreshments,etc.  Venue - Irish Centre of Pittsburgh, 6886 Forward Ave., Squirrel Hill, 7:30pm.  Donation $20, children under 18 are FREE.  Information Beth Carroll 724-513-5832, Email: bethcarroll@aol.com

May 7th

Commemoration for the 30th Anniversary of the 1981 Hunger Strikes with Mass at St. Patrick's Church, 17th Street & Liberty Ave., in The Strip at 4:00pm.  Matt Morrison featured Speaker and Exhibit following at Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle, 24th Street & Penn Ave. in The Strip.  Organized by the IAUC & TYORC, Participation by all in the community.  For more information contact Sarah:  sarahm1916@comcast.net /412-512-9388.

Pittsburgh Irish Dance Schools

            Bell School of Irish Dance  http://bellschool.com/about.htm  

            Burke Irish Dancers          http://www.burkeirishdance.com/  

    Pittsburgh Irish Reelers    http://www.pghirishreelers.com/  

    Shovlin Academy of Dance  http://www.shovlinacademy.com/  

    Pittsburgh Ceili Club        www.pittsburghceiliclub.org/  

Pittsburgh Irish Sports

    Pittsburgh Gaelic Athletic Association (PGAA)

- a representative organization of the Pittsburgh Celtics, Pittsburgh Banshees, and Pittsburgh Celtics Youth

Secretary@PittsburghGAA.com 

www.PittsburghGAA.com

Pittsburgh Hurling Club (PHC)

-a representative organization of the Pittsburgh Pucas

Open Practices: Tuesdays @ 5:30pm, Frick Park

info@pghhurling.org

www.pghhurling.org

Pittsburgh Irish Rowing Club (PIRC) 

  http://www.pittsburghirishrowingclub.com/

ecome a regular at these local programs!

 The Echoes of Erin is marking its 22nd year!  It airs every Sunday afternoon at 12:30-2:00p.m. on WEDO, 810 AM.  Diane Byrnes continues to provide Irish music, news, and other great information from the Emerald Isle.  Keep up the good work, Diane!

Paddy's Pour House located on Main Street in Carnegie, PA hosts live entertainment every Friday and Saturday night starting at 9:00 p.m.  Tuesday nights, come for Irish Night: Guinness, Smithwick's, and Half and Half specials 8-12 p.m.  For more information, visit their website or call (412) 279-0770.

Catch the Thistle and Shamrock every Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. on WYEP 91.3FM for Celtic music performances and discussions.

We're always looking for events to include: If you'd like to include your next event in this newsletter, please send event information including date, time, location, admission cost, and contact information to info@iiofpitt.org. 

LOCAL IRISH ENTERTAINERS WEBSITES

Check Performance Schedules, Etc.

Aran from Johnstown PA -              http://www.people.iup.edu/rahkonen/Bands/Aran.htm

George Balderose  -  http://www.pittsburghpiper.com/

Carnival of Souls -  http://www.carnivalofsouls.com

Ceann  -  http://www.ceannmusic.com/  

Cue Ball Music  -  http://www.cueballmusic.com/index.asp  

Cahal Dunne  -  http://www.cahaldunne.com/

Tony Egan   -  http://www.tonyegan.info  

Michael Gallagher  -  http://www.mike-gallagher.com/

Terry Griffith  -   http://www.pittsburghirish.org/griffith  

Guaranteed Irish    -  http://www.guaranteedirish.info/

Hiraeth  -  http://lugh.as.cmu.edu/Hiraeth.htm

Hooley  -  http://www.hooley.info

John McCann  -  http://www.johnmccannlive.com/

Corned Beef & Curry - http://www.cornedbeefncurry.com/

Michael Murphy & TSRB  http://www.michaelmurphy.us/

Na Gaels  -  http://www.pittsburghirish.org/nagaels

Jack Puskar  -  http://www.jackpuskar.com  

Red Hand Paddy  -  http://www.redhandpaddy.com/

Rolling Scones  -  http://www.rollingscones.com

The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh’s mission is to promote mutual understanding of the Catholic and Protestant traditions in Northern Ireland and economic development throughout all of Ireland. The Institute fulfills its mission by providing quality programs in job training, economic development, leadership development, educational alliances and reconciliation. The Institute is a change-oriented organization that collaborates with industry, educational and government institutions in the development of all programs.

The Ireland Institute relies on its donor and volunteer network to continue its mission of mutual reconciliation and economic development. Your generosity is kindly appreciated.

The Ireland Institute is available to accept donations through the United Way. Please remember our code for the United Way Campaign of Southwestern Pennsylvania: 4534. We are also listed as a non-Profit under the Combined Federal Campaign. Our number is: 12438. A third option is to donate through the local Federal campaign. This number is: 9016.

If you prefer, a tax-deductible donation can also be made directly to the Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh. The Ireland Institute also appreciates in-kind donations such as event tickets etc. that we can then distribute to our participants.

For further information or questions about how you can donate, please contact us at 412-394-3900.

All articles are adapted from www.rte.ie, the Irish Emigrant, the Belfast Telegraph, the Irish Examiner, BBC, and other news sources.