by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Jul 24, 2014 | Boston, In The News, Photo Gallery
Irish Network Boston held a special screening of the new film Calvary. Founding IN Board Member Dawn Morrissey, Director of the The Boston Irish Film Festival, organized the recent screening at the Kendall Square Cinema. Guests met the film’s writer and director John Michael McDonagh and star of the film, actor Brendan Gleeson. Calvary will be In theaters August 1st.
(Photo l-r, Brendan Gleeson, IN-Boston President and IN-USA Board Member Sean Moynihan, and John Michael McDonagh)
by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Jul 8, 2014 | Cleveland, Event Information, In The News
NEWS RELEASE
FROM: John O’Brien, Jr. (216-647-1144 john@clevelandirish.org)
RE: 32nd Annual Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival
July 18, 19, 20, 2014 Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Berea, OH
Ireland is Calling You … to Cleveland. The 32nd Annual Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival takes place at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea, Ohio July 18, 19 & 20, 2014.
Over 100 singers, dancers and performers on three indoor and five outdoors stages will fill 117 acres, with entertainers from Ireland, Canada and the U.S.
The festival offers a wide range of music from traditional to Celtic rock. Headliners include Ronan Tynan, of the Irish Tenors; Black 47, on the Final Tour; Dervish, celebrating their 25th year as a band of worldwide influence; Damien Dempsey, and The StepCrew, like Riverdance, only faster! Returning favorites include The High Kings, Scythian and original Riverdance fiddler Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul.
Scythian is described as “a pair of classically trained dueling fiddlers, a rhythm guitar and the occasional funky accordion, powered with the driving rhythm of a jazz percussionist. Their high-energy, adrenaline-peddling, interactive brand of music has one goal in mind: to get people on their feet and dancing.”
All-Ireland fiddle champion Eileen Ivers brings her Immigrant Soul Band to the Festival. The New Barleycorn, Brigid’s Cross, Marys Lane, Bernadette Ruddy, Malachi Cush, James Kilbane and Lost State of Franklin will also be there.
Others on stage include Dennis Doyle, Guaranteed Irish, Dermot Henry, Fintan Stanley and The Kilroys.
Presenting the very best of Ireland doesn’t stop with the music. The festival showcases championship dancing and food, pipe bands, and award-winning drama.
New to the Festival this year is Temple Bar & Museum – Modeled after the world famous entertainment district in Dublin city centre, our Temple Bar & Museum has loads of singing, dancing, sessions and carrying on. A story, a song, a bit of the Guinness, a set dance lesson, you’ll find it all in our brand new AIR CONDITIONED Temple Bar & Museum. Paired with the internationally recognized Celtic Heritage Hall, with over 200 exhibits, workshops, step dancing lessons and instrument demonstrations.
There are fourteen breeds of dogs native to Ireland. They will all be at the fest; the popular Dogs Native to Ireland are back. Plus there are over 50 Irish vendors with everything from Aran knits to delicious Irish chocolate. Books by Irish authors are also available.
The Tir Na nOg (Land of Our Youth) children’s area features continuous activities and live performances, T-Shirt painting, inflatables and much more.
Festival proceeds benefit The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Holy Family Home and ten other local and national charities. Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival has donated more than half a million dollars to charities since its inception in 1983.
Festival hours are 5:00 to 11:00 pm Friday; 1 to 11:00 pm Saturday; and 1 to 10:00 pm Sunday. General admission is $12.00. Children under 10 are free.
For additional details see www.clevelandirish.org.
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by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Jul 1, 2014 | Seattle
Coinciding with H.E Anne Anderson, Ireland’s first female Ambassador to the U.S, visit to Seattle, the Chamber had a special WIBLI breakfast event. Presented by the Irish Network, the event drew in 146 women (and a few brave men!)
Anderson’s anecdotes, advice and words of encouragement to women in business captivated Tuesday’s crowd. In regards to keeping women leaders in the workplace throughout their careers, Anderson said, “The pipeline is great, but somewhere along the way, we spring a leak and start losing women.”
Speaking to the challenges that women face while maintaining a work-life balance, Anderson also shared personal stories of her own life. Thinking back to her own daughter, she recounted “On the tough days, make a decision and stick to it. Don’t beat yourself up about it afterwards.” She finished with words of encouragement to all mothers in the business community, “Remember that someday your daughter will thank you. Sooner than you think.”
Anderson concluded her talk by encouraging women to remember, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You owe something to your society, your country, and your time.”
For more WIBLI resources, click here.
by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Jun 21, 2014 | Austin, Houston, In The News, Press Releases, Uncategorized
Gavin Glynn is a 4-year-old boy from Greystones, Co.Wicklow, Ireland who needs urgent life saving cancer treatment in Houston, Texas. He was diagnosed with cancer at just 17 months and has battled the illness for almost three years. Little Gavin suffers from Rhabdomyosarcoma, which is a rare cancerous tumour of the pelvic muscles. Tragically, after undergoing numerous treatments and surgery in Dublin’s Our Lady’s Hospital, Gavin’s tumour continues to spread and he has now been given just months to live. Gavin’s last hope is to travel to Texas for the pioneering surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The ground-breaking procedure called HIPEC, which is only available in Texas, is a procedure that involves open surgery to remove any tumors in Gavin’s pelvis. Medics will then insert chemotherapy drugs, heated to 42 degrees, into Gavin’s abdominal region to kill any microscopic cancer cells present. His family are trying desperately to raise the $450,000 that the treatment will cost.John said that “luckily Gavin likes airplanes and can’t wait to take off in a jumbo jet. We need your help to get there, we need your help to save my boy”.
For any further questions or assistance please call 214 535 9465.
For more information or to donate, click here.
by Deirdre Woodbyrne | Jun 16, 2014 | Buffalo
Assemblyman Michael Kearns said it was an honor to have Peter Ryan, Deputy Consul General of Ireland, in his office on Monday to discuss sister city relations with Ireland and Western New York.
“We have to get Upstate New York, Western New York, and Buffalo better known to Ireland. We have a lot to offer, we have a lot that we can partner in and I think any type of relationship begins with a handshake and friendship and that’s what we are looking to do through sister cities,” said Kearns.
Kearns and Louise Simon Schoene, NYS Coordinator of Sister Cities International, greeted Ryan with Buffalonian gifts to remind him of Western New York.
Among the gifts he received was a book about Buffalo, a sister cities pin, a Buffalo statue, and more. Ryan was elated with his welcome and promised to spread the good word of Buffalo to those in Ireland.
“The warm welcome here reminds me very much of being back home,” said Ryan. “It’s more important than ever that we reach out to our wonderful Irish American community to try to understand them a little bit better and listen to them a little bit more. And as well as having these ties of heritage and culture with our Irish dancing and our parades and sports, let’s see if we can do business together because who better to tell us how to do business in the United States than Irish Americans?”
Ryan’s mission with the Consulate General of Ireland was to create an Irish network called Irish Network Buffalo (IN-Buffalo). The goal of the network, which launched Wednesday, is to make connections with Irish and Irish American professionals and let people know that there is a commonality.
“Buffalo is a very unique place because of the links with Ireland historically, which includes the invasion of another country. Every Irish child learns about
Buffalo because it is part of our history,” said Ryan.
The meeting also emphasized the importance of educating those in Ireland about Western New York. New York State is ranked number two for international students and having Ireland students come to Buffalo for internships and studies abroad is essential for international relations, tourism, and economic development.
“It helps so many people here and abroad,” said Schoene. “It’s good for the state. It’s good for the community. It’s good for the country and it’s good for the world.”
“Our goal is to attract businesses here and develop some bilateral relationships,” said Kevin Kearns, Vice President for Engagement and Economic Development at SUNY Fredonia. “We want to take advantage of our natural resources and our strategic opportunities to bring in businesses and create jobs. And from a university perspective, we want to try and keep our graduates here contributing to business, to starting new businesses and basically to revitalize the area with the universities anchoring that effort.”
Ryan is hopeful that IN-Buffalo will bring entrepreneurs, successful business people, teachers and community leaders from Ireland to be champions of Buffalo.
http://www.westsenecasun.com/news/Deputy_Consulate_General_of_Ireland_visits_West_Seneca_to_discuss_sister_cities.html
by Steve Lenox | Jun 5, 2014 | Blog, Chicago, In The News, News
Invited by University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy to deliver the 2014 King Abdullah II Annual Leadership Lecture on May 12, President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins laid out a holistic approach to addressing complex global challenges, emphasizing specifically the interconnectivity of economics, ethics, immigration and the environment.
“Ireland Network Chicago was proud to participate as a Sponsor Partner for this highlight event of the President’s visit to the Midwest” said Seamus Byrne, past President of Ireland Network Chicago and a board member of Irish Network USA. The lecture was hosted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs at The Drake, an historic hotel in downtown Chicago. At a later reception hosted by Consul General Aidan Cronin and attended by over 800 guests from the Chicago Irish community, the President spoke optimistically on the future of Ireland, the momentum of the economic recovery underway, and the critical role played by the Diaspora in that future.
Also attending the reception hosted by the Consulate was Mary McFarland Brooks, IN Minnesota representative to the INUSA Board. “Becoming part of the INUSA Network has offered our members the opportunity to more fully exercise their support for business, cultural and sport initiatives that tie us back to Ireland in a tangible way,” said Brooks. “I was honored to represent IN Minnesota at this special event and look forward to continuing to build valuable relationships with INUSA chapters and members across the country.”
“Irish Network USA is honored to be able to be a part of these events that do so much to keep the Diaspora engaged with Ireland in a meaningful way,” state Steve Lenox, Co-President of Irish Network USA. “President Higgins offered inspiring words during his time in Chicago and is certainly always welcome to come back and visit with members of any one of our 19 chapters!”
