June 2012 - Irish American News

CELEBRATEYOUR HERITAGEENJOY A WEEKEND OF TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC, DANCE, FOOD,CULTURAL EXHIBITS, IMPORT STORES AND CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES.TICKETS:$8 PRESALE$15 AT DOORFRIDAYSATURDAYSUNDAYJULY 13-14-15FRIDAY 6pm–12am SATURDAY 12pm–12am SUNDAY 12pm–11pmSTARRING:Dublin CityRamblersYoung DublinersThe TossersDerek Warfield &The Young Wolfe Tonesirishfestchicago.comIRISH AMERICANIRISHIrish AmericanHeritage Center4626 NORTH KNOX AVENUE, CHICAGO (773)282-7035APPROXIMATELY SEVEN MILES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN CHICAGO ALONG THEEAST SIDE OF THE JUNCTION WHERE THE EDENS EXPRESSWAY MEETS THEKENNEDY EXPRESSWAY.FESTHERITAGE FESTIVALJuly13-14-15, 2012ADDITIONAL ACTS INCLUDE:Ceili Mor with CeoltoiriChicagoCity of Chicago Pipe BandThe Chancey BrothersD.J. CalThe Dooley BrothersDyed in the WoolThe Bagpipes and Drumsof the Emerald SocietyFast Eddie McAteer andBilly O’DonoghueFinbarr FaganFionnghlasGirsaThe Great Whiskey ProjectIdentity Irish DancersIn Spite of OurselvesIrish Heritage SingersStudents of the Irish MusicSchool of ChicagoKennedy’s KitchenKevin Flynn and theAvondale RamblersThe KreellersRAIN OR SHINEThe Larkin and MoranBrothersMatt Stedman BandMcNulty Irish DancersJoe McShane and theSilverBridge BandThe Mickey FinnsMisericordia Heartbreakersand HeartzingersMulhern School ofIrish DanceNineteen PintsO’Hare School ofIrish DancePaddy Homan and FriendsPiobagusfidil with Patrickand Karen CannadyRant Maggie RantThe SandcarversShannon RoversTooromeen Schoolof Irish DanceTrinity Academy ofIrish DanceSheila Tully Academyof Irish DanceSPONSORED BY:Follow us!FREE PARKING AND SHUTTLES TO AND FROM A REMOTE LOT. JUST A SHORT WALKFROM THE CTA BLUE LINE–MONTROSE STOP OR THE LAWRENCE AVENUE BUS.

June 2012 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” 7Enjoy a “PerfectPint” atBridie’s!Housekeeper/Family Assistant(live in)Chicago family (North Shore)with two school age children isseeking a full-time, live in housekeeperto join our team (our nannyof four years and our 2-day-perweek housekeeper.) Our amazinghousekeeper of five years is retiring.Separate living quarters areavailable (a suite within the homeor a guest cottage on property).Qualified candidates need to havea calm demeanor, good judgment,be child friendly, have significantexperience working in fine homes,strong organizational skills and a“can do attitude.” Responsibilitiesinclude: the daily cleaning andstraightening of the home (we havea person who does heavy cleaningtwo days per week), organizingdrawers and closets, playingand interacting with the childrenwhen our nanny is not working,maintaining the grocery list, andanswering the phone and doors.General schedule is Friday throughTuesday. Salary range of $60,000 to$85,000 annually (depending onexperience) plus excellent benefitspackage (health insurance, paidvacation, plenty of time off). Weare happy to assist with relocationexpenses for the right person.Please email resume to: mahlerprivatestaffing@mahlerent.comor fax:(800)671-6988.The 18th Chairman of The Joint Chiefsof Staff 4 Star General Martin E.Dempsey taking a little R&R fromthe NATO Summit at Kitty O’Shea’sat the Chicago Hilton And Towers.Pictured with General Dempsey areentertainers Jim August, Peter Brady,and Eamonn Brady manager of KittyO’Shea’s. General Dempsey sang a fewsongs with Peter and Jim and had agreat time.Festivals Here Soon!Gaelic Park Irish Fest May 27- 30Irish-American HeritageCenter Irish Fest July 8- 10Cleveland's Irish CulturalFestival July 22- 242012 Dublin (Ohio) Irish FestivalAugust 3- 5Milwaukee August 16 - 19, 2012Peoria's Erin Feis August 26Fox Valley Irish Fest September 9- 11Indy Irish Festival September 17 18Join us on the Norwegian Epic7-Day Western Mediterranean, R/T BarcelonaSailing Aug. 26, 2012 - Sept. 2, 2012Starting at $1,002Book Your Norwegian Cruise Line® Cruise with708-974-1300gadabout travel@hotmail.comEURO2012GAMES HERE!Suicide Prevention FundraiserPlease join us Friday, June 15, 7 to 10 pmas we raise funds for the AmericanFoundation for Suicide Prevention. Ticketsare $45 at Bridie McKenna's Irish Pub,www.brownpapertickets.com/event/244883SESSION THURSDAYSwith Paddy Homan8 to 10pm204 N. Halsted St.312-997-3100Hours: Sun-Fri 11am-2am • Sat 10am-3amOpen for Lunch Every DayAmerican Traditional and Irish Classic CuisineOver 100 Beers, Irish & CanadianWhiskies plus Specialty DrinksWatch Sports on our flat-screen TVsMixing Old Chicago with Ole Ireland(and a Wee Touch of Canadian)www.paddyofegans.com

8 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” June 2012We found a big box of old snapshotsat our house the other day and my granddaughter Charlotte insisted I sit on thebed with her as she went through them.It was fun showing the two-year-oldphotos of her daddy and uncle whenthey were babies.We came to a shot of my late fathersitting in his chair and Charlotte said,Who’s dat?” as she pointed to the ol’ boy.That’s your great grandfather Charlotte.That’s grandpa’s daddy.She asked where he was and I toldher he was in heaven. He certainly deservedto be because he was very goodat spreading the love around.As she handed me the next photoI wondered.This was anotherpictureof my dadwhile in hislate seventiessitting witha platinumblonde woman who was much youngerthan himself.Who’s dat?”Uh oh.“Who’s dat??”Well Charlotte, that is “Sophie”, a nicelady that worked selling tokens on theCTA back when my dad was taking theRavenswood El to work and one day heslipped her a note with a hundred dollarbill in it and invited her to dinner. Theyhit it off and the next thing you know hewas squiring her all over town and heeven married her and I thought it mighthelp my show biz career having a Jewishstep-mother and he bought her a condoon Lake Shore Drive and she talkedhim into taking her to Israel where hePLASTERINGWilliam McNulty &SonsPlastering Co.InsuredAll Work GuaranteedPLASTERINGSTUCCO • DRYVIT708-386-2951sent back photos of himself sitting on acamel wearing a keffiyeh on his head andwe started calling him “Abou”, and shethen talked my old man into buying hera spread in Kentucky, and a Cadillac forher mother, and they moved there and hebought a gun and supposedly took it outone night and began firing shots in theair and she started screaming at him andhe told her, “The next one is goin’ rightthru your f#&@in’ head!” And she calledme and said, “Do you know he drinks?”And I laughed and said, “Thanks for thenews flash Sophie, are you just figuringthat out?” And he called my sister oneday from O’Hare and said, “Pick me up,the marriage is over”. And I asked him“what the hell did you marry her for?”And my pop said, “Mike, I was in love!”And that was two weeks after the prenupexpired and she took him for overa hundred grand in the divorce and hefigured it was worth it to get rid of her.That’s who that is.But instead of saying that I just tossedthe photo on the heap, “Oh just somefriend of his.”We continued down memory lane andCharlotte grabbed another one of my dad,this time with another woman posing infront of Aqueduct Park.“Who’s ‘dat?”Well Charlotte that is “Doris”, whoworked for my dad for over forty yearsand then retired and after he split from“Sophie” he was living at The BelmontHotel by himself and he started going tothe track with Doris a lot and I guess theyre-kindled something and the next thingyou know he moved into her bungalowon the Northwest Side when he was inhis eighties and they traveled a lot andwent to racetracks all over the countryand lived happily ever after until he diedwhen he was 91. God rest his lovely soul.Instead of saying that I said, “Oh,that’s Doris, a friend of his.”Charlotte was now bored with thephotos and ran out of the room to discovernew adventures. I looked at thephotos of my old man. What a guy!My folks split when I was in my earlytwenties and we all thought maybe itwas for the best since they devoted somuch time together hating each other.Dad outlived my mom by several yearsbut when he died we made sure he andmom were together again….in HolySepulchre.It’s okay though, because we put mymom’s sister Alice between them in thefamily plot, sose there wouldn’t be anymore fightin’.Happy Father Day everybody!Bridie McKenna’sSuicide PreventionMeeting June 15Bridie’s invites you to a very SpecialEvent Friday, June 15th at 7 pm to helpraise awareness and funding for SuicidePrevention.Bridie’s on Green Bay Road in Highwoodis proud to host this importantfundraiser for the American Foundationfor Suicide Prevention.Tckets are $45 Per Person to enjoy awide selection of their best appetizers, 2drink coupons for attendees, a raffle, doorprizes, and music by The Chancey Brothers.Make a difference!Go towww.brownpapertickets.com/event/244883

June 2012 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” 9usic Mad Continues at Chief’sMusic Mad, a musical dramacelebrating the life and times ofChief Francis O’Neill, continuesthis June at Chief O’Neill’s Puband Restaurant (3471 NorthElston, Chicago) in Chicago.Stefan Brun directs.The show premieres at ChiefO’Neill’s and is producedby Chicago Treasures in associationwith the Prop Thtr.he production follows thesuccess of Chicago-centricProp productions, such asBusted City and Hizzoner,a production recountingthe career of Richard J.Daley, which ran for morethan 400 performances.Prop has become a respectedincubator for innovative showsabout Chicago.Music Mad combines dramaticcontent with traditionalIrish tunes, song and dance inan exploration of Chief FrancisO’Neill’s relationship with themusic of Ireland. He servedas Chicago’s venerated ChiefSuperintendant of police from1901 to 1905. He was revered forhis bravery in the field and hisupstanding character in the office.O’Neill was also a respectedIrish historian who dedicated hislife to the preservation of traditionalIrish music. His publication,O’Neill’s Music of Irelandis considered one of the leadingreference sources on the subject.Music Mad musicians includeLaurence Nugent (Irish flute andwhistles), Jim DeWan (guitar),Kathy Cowan (vocals) FarleyMasterton (fiddle and whistle),Joe O’Regan (bodhran) and BillMort (mandolin).Actors include Brett Tewell (asChief O’Neill) who is supportedby Mike O’Brien, Kathy Cowan,John Moran, Tim O’Sullivan,Paul Brennan, Katie Mae Cochranand 15 year old DeirdreKozicki, making her debut asGracie the Step Dancer.Mary Lesch, great granddaughterof O’Neill said onopening night,"The show is amazing.I am so happy wehave tickets to see it4 more times. And Iknow we will be backin June for more performances.The dialogueis perfect, the music isa real part of the storyand your compositionsbring tears to my eyes. I love thecast and the director. What morecan I say? A perfect 10!"Music Mad runs throughJune 28, 2012. Performances areSundays at 4pm and Thursdaysat 7:30pm.Tickets are $25 and can bepurchased at www.musicmad.net or at the door.Irish Pub Bar Manager WantedMcNally’s Traditional Irish Pub, St. Charles is seekingan experienced Irish Pub Bar Manager. Must haveknowledge of Irish pub concept. Applications andresumes to mcnally@mcnallysirishpub.comLike to Runthe ChicagoMarathon?Chicago Special Olympicsannounced today that it stillhas applications for the ChicagoMarathon. The ChicagoMarathon has sold out all publicentries to the marathon that willtake place on Sunday, October7th. They expect 45,000 runners.Special Olympics is a charitypartner of the Chicago Marathonwith a limited number of Chicago Marathon, visit sochicago.orgor call Skinny Sheahanapplications remaining. If youare interested in running the at (312) 360- 1158.

10 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” June 2012Ray Harrington’sFull Irish Breakfast MeatsOur Corned Beef is the Best - Now Try the Rest!RETAIL: NORTHSIDE AND SOUTHSIDEHeritage Shamrock Shop 4626 N Knox Chgo 773-282-7035 x14Harrington’s Deli 5685 N Milwaukee Chgo 773-283-8388Jack & Pat’s 10717 Ridgeland Chgo Ridge 708-636-3437•Corned Beef •Boiling Bacon •Black Pudding•White Pudding •Bangers •Raschers•Brown Bread •Soda Bread and more!Wholesale Accounts: call Ken 773-853-0855Food FestivalsFestivals, it would seem, are apart of our landscape. Whetheryou be German, Brazilian, Spanishor American, you are sure to find afestival in a location near you.Cleveland, Ohio is no exceptionto the rule as they prepare for their30th annual Irish festival on July20th for 2 days. Scores of peoplefeverishly working away behindthe scenes co-ordinating schedules,entertainers, logistics, menus, accommodations,cultural line upsand vendors.References to festivals are widelyavailable throughout literature.In ancient Roman Times, peoplehonored their gods by celebratingwith elaborate feasts, larger thannormal meals. Indeed the word‘fest’ is a derivative of the Latinword ‘festivus’(My Secondary school Latindoes indeed come in handy!)Today, communities are stillcoming together in celebration,whether it be the beginning of aseason, end of harvest, or simplycelebrating the community theylive in. There really isn’t a festivalthat I know of to date withoutfood. For it it is this ‘feast’ thatalways brings us together. Food isa celebration of life.Although there have been quitea few food festivals in Ireland forquite some time , never has therebeen as many as there are now.It’s almost incredulous really. Anisland the size of Ireland, surroundedby water, with a temperateclimate that provides the idealconditions for grazing cattle. As aresult we have some of the finestingredients in the world.I know what you are thinking.You are thinking about the timesomeone you both knew and lovedcooked for you and served you car-Irish Seafood Chowder3 lbs assorted seafood (mussels,clams,salmon etc)5/6 large potatoes, peeled and chopped1 pt vegetable stock2 large yellow onions peeled and diced2 cups heavy cream (or half & half)2 tablespoons vegetable oil1/2 cup chopped celery1 clove crushed garlic1 cup sweet white corn1 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme1 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley1 tablespoons freshly chopped chivesSalt & Pepperrots that had been boiled until theywere devoid of color! When thatcarrot came out of the ground, itwas perfect. It was the person thatcooked it for you that was at fault!In other words we have all been anunwilling recipient terrible foodfrom a terrible cook. You cannotblame the ingredients.September 28th-30th 2012 sees the57th annual ‘Galway InternationalOyster and Seafood Festival’. It ishard to believe that this festivalstarted with fewer than 30 peopleand now boasts an attendance of10,000 people.If you will be in Ireland there aremany more food festivals plannedfor the remainder of 2012.- Dunmore East Food Festival 22-24 JuneKenmare Food Carnival 13-15 JulyValentia Island King Scallop Festival14- 15 JulyCork Food Festival 19-22 JulyCarlingford Oyster Festival 11-12AugFor a full listing of Irish Food Festivalsand places to stay, visit:http://www.discoverireland.com/us/Follow me on Twitter: @RachelgaffneyWeb Site: www.Rachelgaffneys.comFacebook: Rachel Gaffneys RealIrelandSeafood Chowder:Heat a large saucepan overmedium heat and add oil.Add onions, garlic and celery.Saute until onion is softened,about 5 minutes.Season with salt and pepper.Add potatoes, corn andstock. Bring to a boil, thenturning the heat down, allowto simmer for 15 minutes.Stir in fresh herbs, seafoodand cream. Allow to simmerfor a further 5-6 minutes.Ladle into soup bowls andgarnish with fresh herbs.Serve with a nice hearty sliceof brown soda bread.If you have aniPhone and a QuickResponse Code ReaderApp, just scan the codebelow to go directlyto the Irish AmericanNews website!

June 2012 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” 11o, Who’sesponsible?Readers of my column knowthat I occasionally ask for ideasfor future columns. A dear friendand long-time mentor of mine,Dick Cappon, Cappon Associates,oronto suggested MATURITY.His suggestion really toucheda nerve with me. There are a lotof aspects to an understandingof maturity. The one aspect thatstands out to me is accepting RE-SPONSIBILITY for one’s action.Have we allowed ourselvesto fall into the habit of blamingsomeone else? For example: Ifmy boss had recognized my truepotential, I wouldn’t have beenred from my comfortable job. Ifthe culture of the company wasmore forgiving, I would still beemployed. If my superior hadmade his/her instructions morespecific, I wouldn’t have madesome ridiculous mistakes. If thatcar ahead of me hadn’t stoppedEnergize YourStruggling Job SearchRecently, our Career columnist,James F. Fitzgerald spokeat the Tri City UnemploymentGroup in St. Charles, IL. He toldthe 45 attendees that he wasconvinced that long term unemployedpeople can find jobs ifthey recognize the need to takethe seven steps listed below:. You need a do-over. Re startour job search tomorrow.2. be honest with yourself, youhave grown stale in the process.Complacency is inevitable in along term search.3. Prepare a list of your specificgoals.. Organize your campaign. Beruthless in the use of your time.Establish an on-line presence.5. Hone a well-crafted resume,which highlights your achievements.6. Select your target companies.7. Understand that your personalcontacts can be the answer toour search.so quickly, I would not have lostcontrol of my car. Or ad infinitum,the weather, the economy, myfavorite teams, etc are all at fault.When public figures makeapologies for insensitive orthoughtless comments, theyfrequently hedge their apologyby saying something like, “if Ioffended anyone, I apologize.”They seem to ignore the fact thatthey are apologizing becauseclearly they have offended people.Even major business leadersfall into the same trap. Some ofthe auto manufacturers blamed“changing preferences of theAmerican car buyers” for theirdecline in sales. Shouldn’t theyhave demonstrated some responsibilityand asked themselveswhy didn’t they do a better jobof reading their marketing dataregarding preferences of the buyingpublic?We Americans are a very forgivingpeople. Maybe we forgivetoo much. In the face of a tragicshooting, people will give verbalcomfort to the accused, because s/he had a tough life. It is as thoughno one is responsible for theiractions; rather we are expectedto judge the predator in light ofthe person’s disadvantages. Iwonder if we would quote PatrickHenry’s “Give me liberty or giveme death” if he had said “I wouldprefer liberty or at least don’tmake my life any more difficultthan it is now”. We seem to havebecome a nation of equivocationrather than of honor and decency.At what point do we becomeresponsible for our actions. Peoplesay, if you do the crime, beprepared to do the time. Aren’tyou getting tired of pro footballplayers complaining about concussionsand the effect of same?What did they expect whensome mammoth person is fixatedon driving their heads intothe ground? Does a pro QB reallybelieve that he is paid millionsof dollars simply because hecan throw a football 40-50 yardswith accuracy? No, he is paidan extraordinary multiple of theaverage wage earner’s salary becausethe other team’s defensiveplayers are trying to destroy him.It’s a violent game; injuries areintegral to the game. A responsibleperson needs to considerthe real possibility of serious andpermanent injury.Deciding to play or not playpro football is not an everydayoccurrence, but deciding whetherwe are going to strive to be successfulin our chosen field of medicine,finance, or teaching mightbe. We need to take responsibilityand accept the consequences forour decisions. Do you find thatmany individuals blame everythingelse, rather than acceptingtheir own complicity and decisionmaking as a real part of theirtroublesome circumstances?Our society is rife with thefall out of irresponsible decisionmaking. A friend of mine told merecently that his bright son hasdecided to go to a first rate, albeitexpensive, university. The fatherseemed pleased, but I wonderedif he had shared the financialrealities of the $200,000 of debtresulting from that decision thatwill burden his son for years. That$200,000 “nut” can be reducedby outstanding performanceon ACT’s, AP classes and otherfinancial incentive programs, butwill it be sharply curtailed bythese factors? Was attendance ata quality community college forbasic courses considered? Didthe student do any real researchinto available scholarships? I amtold that many scholarships gounused year after year. Whoseresponsibility is it in this case?Should the student be expectedto do the research? Should hisparents or school advisors beresponsible?Do we as adults have a responsibilityto teach our youngstersthe “rules of the road” when oursociety ignores those same rules?Our news sources have decriedthe mess in Social Security fundingfor at least the last 50 years.Yet Congress votes to allow taxpayersto pay significantly lessthan the mandated portion of theemployee contribution for thesecond year in a row. What messagedoes that send to our youngpeople? Does it sound like “don’tdo what I do but do what I say?”The media says that the maturitylevel of a current twentysomething is more likely to bethat of a teen- ager that we knew20-30 years ago. So don’t expectthe typical 26 year old to makeresponsible decisions. In theopening episode of HBO’s newshow, The Girls, the 23 year oldcollege graduate who has beenworking an unpaid internship fortwo years complains when herparents decide to end their financialsupport. She is horrified thather parents don’t understand thatthe economy is in lousy shape andshe has a lot of bills. Can you evenimagine this discussion happening30-40 years ago?When the opportunity presentsitself in your personal orprofessional life to help a youngerperson understand that s/he isresponsible for their behavior,share your wisdom. We will all bebetter off because of it. Thanks toDick Cappon for his sage advice.Carpe Diem.James F. Fitzgerald is the presidentof James F. Fitzgerald &Associates, an Oak Brook, ILbasedsenior executive coachingand career transition firm.Email:jamesffitz37@hotmail.comWeb-site: jamesffitzgeraldassociates.com.Phone: 630-684-2204

A Chairde:We have a family movie event plannedfor Thursday June 21st at Gaelic Parkwith the movie War of the Buttons beingscreened in the Tara Room South at7pm. This Irish movie is a real family treat,humorous, full of mischief and with somelife lessons incorporated. I should warnthe more sensitive that while rated PG,there are some bare bottoms and briefmild language. The Tara Room South isadjacent to the patio and waterfall andGaelic Park will be serving food fromour new pub menu starting at 5:30pm,reservations are advisable. A familycan come, enjoy the sights and soundsof the waterfall while eating, take aromp in the adjacent playground andfinish off the evening watching a freeshowing of War of the Buttons. OscarwinningChariots of Fire screenwriter,Colin Welland, says this movie “is not anadult’s view of childhood at all, but achild’s view of adulthood”! That soundslike a great way to kick off the summerwhen you can enjoy the sights andsounds of Ireland in Gaelic Park’s backyard. The GAA season will commence inJune and all are welcome to Gaelic Parkon Sunday afternoons to watch footballand hurling and renew acquaintanceswith friends old and new. On behalfof Gaelic Park, I want to wish all IANreaders a safe and happy summer.John Devitt, PresidentTuesday Night Traveling Bean Bag LeagueThe Carraig Pub will sponsor a beanbag team to play in a Tuesday nightleague. We are looking for players!Teams can consist of a minimumof 4 and a maximum of 10 people.Depending on how many areinterested, we hope to have one ormore teams. Games begin on Tuesday,June 5 and run for 10 weeks. Thereis a small player’s fee. All fees will beEnjoy the Music & Spirit of the Irish in ourAuthentic Pub Imported Directly From Ireland.Open to the Public 7 Days Live Entertainment Every WeekendTraditional Irish Music Session on Thursdays – 7:30pmfeaturing students from the Irish Music School of ChicagoPub food available Monday - Saturday.Check out our menu items.Daily drink and food specials.“Pub Trivia” EveryTuesday Night @ 7:30pmLive Music in the PubFri Jun 1 Joe Cullen 7:30pmSat Jun 2 Sean & Charlie 8:00pmFri Jun 8 Ray Gavin 7:30pmSat Jun 9 Myles McVeigh 8:00pmWed Jun 13 Frank Rossi 6:30pmFri Jun 15 Gerard Haughey 7:30pmSat Jun 16 Mulligan Stew 8:00pmFri Jun 22 Joe McShane 7:30pmSat Jun 23 Johnny & Coax 8:00pmFri Jun 29 Bernie Glim &Country Roads 7:30pmSat Jun 30 John Dillon 8:00pmCheck Website for Full ScheduleNew expanded pub food and appetizer menu!returned as prize money.This league has beenongoing for several years,is very well run and promises to be a lotof fun for all involved. So form your ownteam or join a team today. If you areinterested in playing, please contactme as soon as possible! Yvonne Byrne,Carraig Bar Manager, 708.687.9323 oremail ybyrne@chicagogaelicpark.org.6119 W. 147th Street • Oak Forest, IL708.687.9323www.chicagogaelicpark .orgGAA League Matches Begin on June 10Chicago’s GAA will take to the fieldsat Gaelic Park for the first leaguematch in 2012 on Sunday, June 10.This summer promises to draw aneven bigger crowd on Sundays withmore Senior & Junior teams comingout to join the competition. The returnof the Cuchulainns Hurling Club andthe expansion of St. Jarlath’s Clubinto Junior C men’s football, mark thecontinuing growth of Gaelic sportsSt. Jarlath’sYouth is gettingready for anothergreat season.Anyone interested in playingGaelic Football and/or hurling,please visit our website at www.chicagostjarlaths.com. We arenow registering boys and girls,ages 5-18 as of January 1, 2012.The cost is $75 per child with afamily max of $150. Any new6/06 Monthly Musical Luncheons NOONEntertainment by Joe McShane(NO July luncheon - will resume August 1)6/14 Teen Party on the Patio 7:30pm6/21 Family Movie Night 7:00pm6/24 Clare Association Special Sunday8/20 Lady of Knock DedicationMonthly Musical Luncheons Plan an outing with friends, family, neighbors…come out and meet new people. Enjoy relaxing on our beautiful patio andtake a stroll around our grounds. Have a delicious lunch and enjoy the musicalentertainment… all for the low admission price of just $13 per person! Doorsopen at NOON and lunch (which includes soup, salad, hot entrée, dessert andtea/coffee) is served at 1pm. Reservations required! Call 708-687-9323.Monday EveningsTuesday EveningsThursday EveningsSunday AfternoonsCGP Monthly EventsSet Dancing (continues through summer)Ceili DancingPub Quiz Night (ends in May)Irish Sessions in the PubThese evenings begin at 7:30pmGAA Games (LIVE) here at Gaelic Park every Sunday 12 NoonGAA Telecast broadcast live by Setanta Sports from Ireland every Sunday.Admission to telecast is $20.00CGP Sunday Radio ProgramLive broadcast 7-8pm WCEV 1450 AMagain in Chicago. The regular seasonfor 2012 will be June 10th - August19th, and even if you can’t makeit out to Gaelic Park every Sunday,Chicagogaelicsports.com will havelive updates about the gamesincluding video clips every hour duringSunday games. For more informationon teams playing this summer or tosee game results, go to the web site owww.chicagogaelicsports.com.families that join this season willnot be charged. This is for bothsports, Gaelic Football and HurlingAll equipment is provided. GaelicFootball training is on Mondayand Wednesday, and Hurlingis held on Friday, from 6:30 to8:00pm at Chicago Gaelic Park.CLIP & POSTthis listing to your weekly calendar!phone: 708.687.9323 web: www.chicagogaelicpark.org

OW Korea: A Memoiruthored by Patrick V. Quinnn this small volume former Koreanrisoner of Waratrick V. Quinnhares his personaltories of his time inorth Korean/hinese prisonamps between951-1953. A Peeknside: “All our talkas about food orscape. We werelways evaluatingur situation. Thereas no medicalare. It was nowhe survival of theuckiest. All weould do wasope and pray weould be able to survive the halfooked beans and cracked cornbout the Author:at Quinn is well known and repectedhere at Chicago Gaelicark. He is a former Director onhe Board and has continueds a loyal volunteer at the Parkor over 20ears. He is aast Presidentf the Countyown Assoiationofhicago.at was bornn Countyown andame to theS in 1947 withis brotherohn. Anyoneoming on aermanentisa was required to register forhe draft, which he did, andot yet a citizen, found himselfn the US Army. Since Koreaas not a declared war butpolice action/conflict, aferbeing a prisoner of war forver 31 months, Pat had to gohrough the normal channels toecome a citizen of the Unitedtates. Of the 700 POWs in theirwhich seemed like it was tearingapart our intestines.We were buryingat least one andsometimes up tofour or five guysevery day. Weburied all our deadon what we calledBoot Hill. What withthe frozen androcky ground wewere lucky to digthe graves to adepth of 18 inches.With constantstrafing and rocketattacks it was aliving hell.” Thisbook is availablethrough AmazonCreateSpace.com/3795364.camp about 130 came home.The power of prayer and therosary he was able to hide as aPOW brought him home safely.There are only a few beads ofthe rosary leftbut they arealways in apouch in hispocket, allday every day.There were28 Irish menwho died inKorea but werenot citizens.Thanks to JohnLeahy fromCo. Kerry, nowresiding inFlorida, theywere finally awarded posthumouscitizenship in 2003.Pat was a union carpenter inChicago until his retirement in 1990.He and his wife Ann are parentsto Tom and Maureen (who putthis book together after muchprodding) and have six grandchildren.Pat Quinn is alwaysthere to help and never a bitterword is spoken.Gaelic Park can be found onFACEBOOK AND TWITTER!TAKE MOMENT AND "LIKE" US!Family Movie NightWar of the ButtonsDate: Thursday, June 21Time: 7pmFood & Drinks will be available for purchase on thepatio & in the Tara South beginning at 5:30m!War of the Buttons is a 1994 Irish film directed by JohnRoberts, about two rival kid groups in Ireland, theBallys (poor), and the Carricks (rich). The setting isCounty Cork, where it was filmed on location. Ratingis PG.Teen “Party on the Patio”Date: Thursday, June 14thTime: 7-10:30 pmAll teens, ages 14-20, come join the party on GaelicPark’s patio for a night under the stars with DJ musicand dancing!Admit tickets are $3.00 and will be available at thedoor.No drink, no drugs, no nonsense!! Check the Gaelic Park web site and Facebookfor more details or call the office at 708.687.9323.The County ConnectionThe Clare Association Special Sunday will be held onJune 24. To register, contact Maureen Bennett at708-301-9773. The Annual Picnic will be July 1 and theAnnual Golf Outing on August 25.Calling all CGP County Associations! Please share all your news,upcoming events and announcements! Send special dates atleast one month prior to the event to make the deadline forpublication. Email to cmfreidy5@comcast.net.Antrim Armagh Carlow Cavan Clare Cork Derry Donegal Down DublinFermanagh Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny Laois Leitrim LimerickLongford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Offaly Roscommon Sligo TipperaryTyrone Waterford Westmeath Wexford WicklowMembershipNEW ❏ RENEWAL ❏ Family $50 ❏ Individual $30 ❏Name ______________________________ __________________ _____last first initialSpouse _____________________________ __________________ _____(if joining) last first initialAddress _________________________________________ _________street Apt/Unit #________________________________ _______ _____________city state zipDonation enclosed $________ (Checks payable to Chicago Gaelic Park)Mail to: Chicago Gaelic Park Membership6119 W. 147th St, Oak Forest IL 60452phone: 708.687.9323 fax: 708.687.0120www.chicagogaelicpark.org www.facebook.com/ChicagoGaelicPark

14 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” June 2012Become Ordained andLose All Sense of MoralityI would imagine that most ofthem were actually decent enoughpeople before they joined up. Youknow, they probably genuinelyfelt that they had this mysteriouscalling that they give the namevocation’ to. Most of them probablybelieved that they were goingto take the teachings of the Christto a whole new generation. Whoknows? They may even havebelieved in God. At least the oneswho didn’t have a whole careerplan mapped out, that is. PeopleHow Chief O’Neill Saved the Soul of Irelandby Adam WhitemanA Musical Drama thatcelebrates the life and timesof Francis O'Neill“You've done abeautiful job...Bravo!"Mary Lesch,Great-Granddaughter to Francis O'Neillmusicmad.netfor info call 312-655-1000like Cardinal Sean Brady.They were probably reasonable,hopeful men (no women allowed,of course). Then they went andbecame ordained; and that wasthe end of that pipe dream. Theycame up against a hierarchy thatcannot change, that does not wantto change and which works from aposition of power that the Eldersmake sure is hermetically sealed.There’s a scene in that greatmovie “The Shawshank Redemption”where Andy Dufresne says:at Chief O'Neill's3471 N. Elston, Chicago, ILOPENS MAY 6, 2012Arrive Early, Stay Late for dinner and a drink before and/or after the show!‘You know, on the outside I was anhonest man, straight as an arrow.It took coming to jail to make meinto a crook.’Sometimes it seems to me thatit takes being ordained to makeyou lose all sense of what is wrongand what is right.Listening to all the moaningthis past month about CardinalSean Brady and his lack of gutsin doing what was the moral thingto do back in 1975, I just remainbaffled that people are surprisedwhen the Catholic Church acts ina way that is immoral and completelyagainst the way that anylaw- abiding citizen would behave.Why are Catholics surprisedthat men in dog collars gatheredin a cowardly group in order tointimidate a young boy who wasreporting child abuse? Why areCatholics surprised that they keptthe boy’s parents from attendingthat awful meeting whilst leaningon him very heavily? Why arethey surprised that the priest—Brendan Smith-- that was namedby this brave kid was simplyallowed to go on and on abusingand raping and torturing for yearsafterwards?Why are they surprised that acreature like Cardinal Sean Bradynow says that he ‘was only takingnotes’. Sure, we’ve heard thatexcuse many times throughouthistory. The Nuremberg Trialsis the obvious one that comes tomind. ‘I was only taking notes, Iwas only following orders.’He didn’t go to the cops andreport it when he knew that sexualabuse was taking place. That’s allthat I need to know about him.And this guy lectures the peasantson morality? This guy?I’m not surprised at all. I’mnot even surprised that for somereason the police aren’t getting involvedin this incident where veryserious crimes have been committed.It’s not much different to lastmonth’s comments in this column,except that dealt with politiciansand this one deals with the clergy.Good Christians here in Irelandare giving out yards about thelack of human decency that SeanBrady has shown. Certainly hehas no intention of falling on hissword. And why should he? TheUsual Suspects will complainand mumble to each other abouthow outdated and out of touchthe Church is; and then they willbe pushing their way to the frontpews of their local Church in orderto do their ‘duty’ on Sundayand make sure that the priestnotes them by their presence asusual: more brownie points whenthey arrive at the Pearly Gates,don’t you know? They’ll still droptheir hard earned euros into thecollection plates of a group ofmen who hate, despise, loath andfear 50% of the population. Well,unless they’re the ones who aredoing the menial tasks aroundthe holy presence of the males ofthe species.Didn’t Enda Kenny tear intoCardinal Brady something fierce,just the same? He pulled nopunches as he said that the Cardinalshould take some time to‘reflect’.Wow, I’ll bet that had the arrogantpopinjay shivering in hislavish gowns! After that hard lineattitude it can only be a matter oftime before we see his resignation.Reflect? Are you jesting withme?Having let these opinions beknown, it was pointed out to meby some of the ‘faithful’ that therewas a very successful grassrootsconference in Dublin in the firstweek of May organised by theAssociation of Catholic Priests.Looked at a little more closelythough I didn’t see what the bigdeal was about. Once again weheard that the Church is in ‘theprocess of a new birth’. How thehell can it be called that whenthe Vatican is just going on doingwhat it has always done andignoring the wishes of its subjects?Anyway, I’ve been hearingthat old chestnut since Vatican II.Remember? It was that series ofsensible changes that John Paul IIrode roughshod over as soon ashe had his fundamentalist handon the whip. I also winced whenthe phrase ‘Catholic Spring’ wastrotted out, especially when I’mnot all that impressed with theArab one. [I can’t stand Moslems,pure and simple. They won’t behappy until they have the wholeworld bowing to their insane versionof a God; but that’s anotherday’s work.]A word about this very importantconference, this landmarkbirth of a new Church: despitethe invitations that were sent outto senior Church officials andBishops asking them to attend,take a wild guess as to how manythought it important enoughto show up? If you said ‘Nonewhatsoever’ you win a remainderedcollection of the thoughtsof Chairman Benedict.Not a one of them attended.Maybe you wonder as to how Iget to be so angry whenever I hearthe Catholic Church mentioned.Well, it’s because my father believedin it. He had a faith that, ifit had been taken from him, I don’tthink he would have survivedso long. He believed; he reallybelieved; and so do a lot of otherdecent people.For people like my dad, theirfaith is what made it great to getup in the morning. So when I seepeople like Cardinal Brady andhis cronies, who have become sofar removed from the folks thatthey should represent, then I justfeel a burning hatred for them.They have let so many peopledown. I’m glad that the Old Manisn’t here to see what the Churchhas become…or perhaps alwayswas. It’s just yet another bigcorporation guarding with theutmost jealousy it’s own interests.People like my late Dad and thosewho have a genuine faith deservesomething a lot better than theelitist drivel that is being shoveddown their throats on a daily basis.With these people it alwayscomes down to money.Hell, I know well that thereare decent priests out there thatare on a hiding to nothing at themoment. It’s not their God that’sletting them down; it’s their mastersin that giant anachronisticcity-state, the Vatican. There isno arguing with them. And again,why should they change? They’venever pretended to be democraticin any way, so anyone trying tochange their rotten system is wastingtheir time.The latest thing to vex them isthe people who shake tins outsideof the Church grounds as peopleleave mass. Well, I can think ofone reason why they now wantto put a stop to that. If you’reholding back a few shekels forthe tin-botherers then that’s a fewshekels less for the collection plate.And we do know how muchthe Catholic Church needs moremoney, don’t we?

16 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” June 2012Political expediency?Is President Obama okay withsame sex marriage because of aHollywood fund-raiser whichnetted him $15 million, at $40,000a plate? The moral majority is reeling.President Obama has alreadybeen accused of pandering to thegay and lesbian Hollywood crowd.It appears the liberal Democratswill go along with anything if itVIRTUAL BUSINESS OFFICE• Prestigious downtown address• Mail-forwarding service• Personalized answering service• Conference room or dayoffice usage• Administrative support services• No locked in contracts• Customized packages withfixed monthly invoices• Great business imageContact us today for yourPrivate Tour and IntroductionBarrett Office Suites & ServicesYour Business Our Centre135 South LaSalle Street • Suite 2100• Chicago, Illinois 60603 •312.254.8700www.barrettoffices.commeans more votes. However thisone could backfire. While courtingthe Hispanic vote with anaggressive immigration agenda,have they overlooked that theoverwhelming Catholic Hispanicswill be repulsed by this move?Attorney General Eric Holder’slawsuit against Sheriff, Joe Arpaio,in Maricopa County, Arizonabecause he has been enforcingthe immigration laws, and theyare accusing him of racial profiling.How can it be called racialprofiling when the majority of thecitizens in the state of Arizona areHispanic.Whatever trips your trigger?Sexual preference got its start inthe 60’s, but faded when AIDSsurfaced. Cardinal George hasspoken out against same sex marriage,and civil unions. Nobodyseems to care about the Churchesposition on the issue, especiallynot the Democrats. Former NewYork Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, nailedit when he said, “When PresidentObama ran for the Illinois Senate,he was for same sex marriage.When he ran for president, hewas against same sex marriage.Mayor, Richard J. Daley, is probablyrolling over in his grave.Mayor Daley attended Mass andreceived communion daily. Wait aminute . . . now some conservativeRepublicans are saying whateveryour sexual persuasion is youshould be able to get married.Now it’s a matter of civil rights, aconstitutional right, “the pursuitof happiness.”For those of you who had aCatholic education this might goagainst the grain. What wouldSigmund Freud say? If a bisexualman was a bigamist this couldmean one spouse could be a man,and the other spouse could bea woman. How will the liberalshandle that? Legalize bigamy?Absurd? Of course!Will any of this rhetoric improvethe job market? Maybe theywill have to add a couple of lanesat the drive-thru wedding chapelin Las Vegas. Just worry aboutthe fact that you are getting lessthan one percent interest on yoursavings.Illinois PoliticsThe coal tender on the gravytrain is empty, and the pensionbenefits express won’t get up ahead of steam again soon. Let’ssing another chorus of “happydays are here again.” Now thefull coverage health insuranceretirement benefit is off the tracks,derailed by the Democratic Houseof Representatives.Jesse Jr.He must not be worried aboutthe House Ethics Committee. Hehad his “ceremonial groundbreakingceremony” for the PeotoneAirport. “It’s just one runwayand five gates that we arebuilding, but one runway andfive gates means non-stop accessfrom the Southland to the globaleconomy so we can help some ofthese farmers get their productsto market.”One picket was holding a signthat said, “go home! No Senateseat for sale here!” Another signsaid, “make food, not pollution.”Let’s think about what Jessesaid. “Help some of these farmersget their product to market.”Their principle crops are corn andsoybeans, Jesse, which are usuallymoved by truck, train or bargeto the Port of Chicago’s storagefacilities on Lake Calumet whichhold 14 million bushels of grainthat gets shipped all over theworld by ship.Rockford International Airportis just as close as Peotone, andhappens to be the second largestUPS air cargo facility in the UnitedStates. And, let’s not forget Gary/Chicago International Airport iseven closer.Wade in Hot WaterThanks for the five bucks. Pleasesend another Twenty-five. Thatwill cover a taxi to O’Hare! Thoseof you who are satisfied with corruptpoliticians deserve them.Clergy Abuse TrialPerhaps the most explosiveabuse trial is shaping up in Philadelphia,where Monsignor, WilliamLynn, is charged with conspiracy,and child endangerment.A grand jury was impaneled toinvestigate the serial abuse ofminors by archdiocesan clergyand employeesThere was a grand jury in2003 that uncovered the wholesordid past of sexual abuse inthe Philadelphia archdiocese, butthe Cardinal covered it up longenough for the statute of limitationsto kick in.The grand jury reports in verygraphic detail, the abuse of Billyand Mark, two of the victims. Inthe case of Billy, he was “passedaround” to other priests and a layteacher who all sexually abusedhim.Monsignor Lynn was fullyaware of what the offendershad done. He sent one priest toa sexual offenders program runby the archdiocese, they keptit inhouse. Then he lied to theparishioners about this priestsabsence. Adding insult to injury,the priest was assigned to a parishwith a school, St. Jerome’s, wherehe raped another boy. MonsignorLynn never told the school he sentthem a child abuser. Then thearchdiocese allowed this priest toadopt six young Hmong children.There was plenty of evidencethat Cardinal Bevilacqua facilitatedthe behavior of the priestsand he would have been indictedbut for his health. He had cancer,and dementia, and died at theage of 88. Too bad. He shouldhave paid for his sins. Is this mannow sitting at the right hand ofthe Father? Thirty-seven priestswith questionable backgroundshave been kept in assignmentswhich exposed them to children.Twenty-one priests have beensuspended. Monsignor Lynnserved as Secretary for Clergyfrom 1992 to 2004. Pray that herots in jail for the rest of his life.The grand jury stated in the indictment,There is no other class ofcrimes where we expect victimsto rely on their assailants for aresolution. That was the attitudein the past in relation to domesticabuse, but the criminal justicesystem has worked to changethat mindset. The same shouldbe true in relation to clergy abuse.We think the wall of silence maybe cracking.A final word. In light of the Archdiocese’sreaction to the last grandjury report, we expect that somemay accuse us of anti-Catholicbias for speaking of these painfulmatters. We are not church-hatersMany of us are church-goers. Wedid not come looking for “scandal,”but we cannot close oureyes to the powerful evidencewe heard. We call the church totask, to fix what needs fixing.”Irish American Hall of FameThe Hall of Fame dinner onSaturday, April 28th, was a nightto remember. The stars came out.Perhaps the most memorablepoint in the evening was when thegrand-daughter of Albert Sullivan,one of the Fighting Sullivans whoperished with four of his brothersat the battle of Guadalcanal duringWorld War II, when their ship,the USS Juneau was torpedoed.The United States Navy sent anHonor Guard, and as they announcedthe names of the SullivanBrothers, a ships’ bell was rungtwo times. When Kelly SullivanLoughren accepted the award shestated how proud the Sullivanswere of their Irish heritage andwhat a great honor it was to beinducted into the Irish AmericanHall of Fame. While doing so,she shed her tears, and embraceda member of the Navy HonorGuard who had just returned fromserving on the USS Sullivan, thesecond ship in the Navy fleet to benamed for the Sullivan Brothers,which she herself had christened.Each year on Veteran’s Day, KellySullivan-Loughren show themovie, The Fighting Sullivan’s, toher third grade class.www.IrishThings.comKeep Us In Your Sites!AUTHENTIC IRISH GIFTSwww.irishamericannews.com·CRAFTS ·GLASS·POTTERY·PEAT/TURF CREATIONS·GAMES ·PHOTOGRAPHS· JEWELRY·CDS ·DVDS ·BOOKSwww.theirishbookclub.comwww.ibamchicago.comwww.iahohio.comA Gift from 708-445-0700 the Heart of Ireland

June 2012 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” 17A Summer Of DiscontentI am often asked the question;what are the chances ofgetting an immigration billpassed this year? If you takethe conventional answer tothat question, the responsewould most likely be in thenegative. I see very little hopein departing from this line ofthinking, for the followingreasons.I know that this is the sameold point that commentatorsmake in every election year.However, history supportsthe position that, it is almostimpossible to pass a comprehensiveimmigration bill inan election year.That said; there are still bitsand pieces of action takingplace in DC, which are a signthat the subject is not off thetable. One thing that we lookforward to eagerly this monthwill be the decision of theSupreme Court on Arizona’scontroversial immigrationlaw, SB 1070. The law requirespolice officers to check theimmigration status of thepeople they stop and whomthey suspect as being illegallyin the country. A federal rulingupholding the Arizonalaw would give the state theability to make warrantlessarrests of suspects whom lawenforcement personnel reasonablysuspect are removable.The legal argumentsare about federal preemptionof state law, but the state’spolitical arguments lay theblame on Congress and theObama administration. Arizona’sgovernor, Jan Brewer,complains that her state hassuffered more than mostfrom the national problem ofillegal immigration becausethe federal government hasfailed to address the problem.Senator Marco Rubio, Florida,has been testing thewaters with a new version ofthe Dream Act. His proposalswould give legal status to studentsbrought to the countryillegally by their parents. Itwould not however, grantthem an automatic path tocitizenship. The cynics maysay that this is part of theRepublican strategy to softenthe anti-immigration talkcoming from hardliners inthe party.Also in the Senate, SenatorChuck Grassley, R-Iowa, isproposing a high-tech immigrationbill that wouldtighten up the H-1B temporaryvisa program andchange the per-country numbersof employment basedgreen cards. Senator ChuckSchumer, D-N.Y., is hopingto add an E 3 visa provisionsfor Irish people and issaid working with Grassleyon the H-1B changes. Thatpartnership has the potentialto produce compromiselegislation to ease some ofthe concerns about high-techforeign workers.So as always, there is noguarantee that we will seeany real progress this summer.Our hope is that thework behind the scenes willnot be discarded and perhapsit can be fruit in the nextcongress.Elephant RopeAs a man was passingthe elephants, he suddenlystopped, confused by thefact that these huge creatureswere being held by only asmall rope tied to their frontleg. No chains, no cages.It was obvious that the elephantscould, at anytime,break away from their bondsbut for some reason, they didnot.He saw a trainer nearbyand asked why these animalsjust stood there and made noattempt to get away. “Well,”trainer said, “when they arevery young and much smallerwe use the same size ropeto tie them and, at that age,it’s enough to hold them. Asthey grow up, they are conditionedto believe they cannotbreak away. They believe therope can still hold them, sothey never try to break free.”The man was amazed.These animals could at anytime break free from theirbonds but because they believedthey couldn’t, theywere stuck right where theywere.Like the elephants, howmany of us go through lifehanging onto a belief that wecannot do something, simplybecause we failed at it oncebefore?Failure is part of learning;we should never give up thestruggle in life.Should you have any comments,questions or suggestions,please feel free tocontact me at: sliabhanoir@yahoo.com or 773-282-8445

June 2012 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” 19FINANCIAL PLANNINGCorrigan Financial Services, Inc.Money Concepts Financial Planning CentreEstablished 1980Retirement Planning SpecialistforIndividuals - Families - BusinessInvestment - Tax - Estate PlanningCallMike & Chuck Corrigan(708)482-3800Member International Association for Financial PlanningHappy June everyone! Before I get tothe new music, there are a few people I mustmention. My sincere thanks to Dr DerekKelly and Dr Kavita Singh and all the staffat Swedish Covenant Hospital who againhelped me thru a difficult time. At Swedishthey treat you like family, sometimes betterthan family, ease your fears, make youcomfortable and take care of the problem.God Bless them.On April 18th the pipe band communityin Chicago lost an icon with the death of JimEnright Sr. Jim was always a larger than lifefigure, a grand man in all ways and he willbe sorely missed.Congratulations to Mount Prospect ontheir very successful Irish festival held21 April, it was a grand party and I lookforward to being there again next year.The following week saw Hoffman Estatesfirst Celtic Festival and it too was a success,nice and dry and warm in the Sears CentreArena. A lovely spot to really hear and enjoya pipe band competition. I hope it too comesback next year.New music has been popping up in mymail box like mushrooms after a Spring rainmaking for lovely listening days in the store.Let me tell you about some of them.First off is The Fretless Band’s first recording,“Waterbound”. Had this for awhilebut kept running out of room to talk about it.The Fretless Band consists of Trent Freeman,violin & viola, Ivonne Hernandez, violin& viola, Karrnnel Sawitsky, violin & violaand Eric Wright on cello. Lots of strings butno frets, hence the name. The other thingthey have, besides breathtaking talent, isa new and different sound. People who’veheard their CD playing in the shop havegrabbed it up. You really need to give thema listen, I don’tknow anybodywho’s got asound quite likethis Canadianband but I cansay it ain’t likeany string quartetyou’ve everheard. A unique gem.Speaking of gems, Irish flute wizardKevin Crawford has created another exquisitecollection of his flute wizardry. “Carryingthe Tune” is his latest and it’s his usual,simply great. Backed by John Doyle (is therea better guitar player?) this collection ishoney poured on a quiet day to send yourthoughts to a betterplace…or just one ofthe finest collections offlute music you can find,your choice.Kevin’s wife TracyCrawford turned me onto the next CD, “GoingPlaces” by the MairtinO’Connor Band andwhat a good turn shedid for me. The bandconsists of Mairtin O’Connor blazing awayon accordion, Cathal Hayden handlingfiddle, banjo and viola expertly and SeamieO’Dowd doing his usual lovely job on vocals,guitar, keyboard and bass. I love a band thatmakes your feet hop of their own accord andthese guys can do that. Their music flowsand reminds me just why Ilove Irish music. A beautifullydone album.Coming South from Quebecis the latest from LeVent du Nord, “Tromperle temps”. I’m so happythese guys hooked up withBorealis Records becausewe get to hear their newreleases when they’re new.With instrumentation thatmany bands don’t have, likehurdy-gurdy, bombardeand such, Le Vent du Nord cooks up Frenchtunes that are beautiful and intriguing, moreso when, like me, you don’t speak French.Still great stuff to listen to and always fun.John Bottomley has added another greatpiping CD to his growing catalog. This oneis called “Welcome to the Club” and is aimedat the beginning competition bagpiper. Itcontains a bunch of good tunes for the grade5 & 4 competing pipers to use in their startingcompetitions. A lot of nice stuff playedwith John’s usual grace and flair. Pipers juststarting competition will get a lot of goodideas from this. Those of us who can’t playa note but love the pipes will enjoy it as well.Congratulations to my very own daughter,Catriona, on her graduation last monthfrom York HS. Nowit’s time to start a newchapter in your alreadyfull life!We will have a boothat the 25th Annual ScottishFestival & HighlandGames on the 17th &18th of June at HamiltonLakes in Itasca, Illinois.Hope everyone who can,will join us there to hearsome fine pipe bands and sample the othertreats lined up there. I understand that thewhiskey tasting is one of the best there is,not that I…See ya there!You can reach me at the store at 630-834-8108 or email at pipingitin@comcast.netSlainteAppearancesCutsBeautiful OceanfrontFoil HighlightsCottage in Dingle for rentColorRemodeled and furnished. 4 bedroom,4 bath with a fabulous viewPermsWaxingof the ocean at the mouth of DingleGifts/Jewelryharbor. Short walk to beach and onlytwo miles from Dingle town. SleepsCall Mary 847-825-76158-10. Call Colleen 312-399-8793 229 N Northwest Hwy, Park Ridge

June 2012 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” 21www.chiefoneillspub.com20% offfood purchasein Junewith this AD!Lunch: Fri & Sat 11am Dinner: 4pm daily Lavish Sunday Brunch BuffetReservationsrecommended773-IRE-LAND(773-583-3066)Chief O’Neill’s Pub & Restaurant has One of Chicagoland’s largest and oldest Gardens located at 3471 NorthElston Avenue. This Pub, Restaurant and Banquet facility is a rare place where the beer garden feels like the backyard of a country home. This majestic garden area has a seating capacity up to 300 people. Private Event spaces withan extensive catering menu is available. Under Chef Alan Lake, the kitchen dishes up inventive takes on tradition.

28 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” June 2012Why the US led the sell-out ofthe Six Counties to Britain was coveredhere last month. “The head ofthe Britain desk at the State Deptexplained: ‘Well, you know theProvisional IRA don’t have Buccaneerbombers, they don’t haveaircraft carriers, and we need tohelp sew up the British exchequerso that we can take on the next bigbattle in the world.’ And we alllooked him, and he said ‘IslamicFundamentalism.’ That was Noember,1994, and I (David Irvine,head of the terrorist UVF) was notalone, there are witnesses.” Thusas early as 1994 elements withinour gov’t were planning that war.“U.S. at war with Islam” is nowofficially denied and a Pentagonpurge of training material is underway.According to Reuters, thepurge was prompted by a soldierwho complained after completinga course at the Joint ForcesStaff College in Norfolk, Virginia.he course included an assertionthat “the United States is at warwith Islam and we ought to justrecognize that fact” according toPentagon spokesman CaptainJohn Kirby. This raises a historicquestion: the planned war againstIslamic Fundamentalism was theState Department’s reason for arrangingthe transfer of Ireland’sSix-Counties to Britain. Now thatthat war is officially denied, doesthat denial cancel the transfer ofIrish territory?A sell-out, really? You be thejudge: Adams/McGuinness nowclaim to be leading a campaignto reunite Ireland. Let them firstexplain how unification was adancedby their Good Fridaygreement that signed-over theSix-Counties to Britain. Worldmaps have been changed to reflectthe sell-out. British M.P.s onlyrecently ceased congratulatingthemselves and each other abouttheir victory over the Irish. Adamsdid, and McGuinness still does, enforceBritish rule in Ireland whileworking in Stormont under theUnion Jack. Derry is once againLondonderry” and is advertisedas “2012 U.K. City of Culture” withsome traditional Irish musiciansand dancers willing to celebratethe loss of Irish territory. Britishjailers are again torturing Irishpatriots, separation walls havedoubled, British soldiers are backon Northern streets, named Britishmurderers remain unprosecutedwhile more than ninety Irish patriotsare imprisoned, and treatedso vilely they have readopted thedirty protest not seen since the1980/1981 Hunger-Strikes. ImprisonedIrish patriots must numberabout one hundred, as my Marymailed Christmas cards (signedby dozens of Irish-Chicagoans) toeighty-nine of them. Britain’s currentabuses of Marian Price, GerryMcGeough and others, cry toheaven and to people of conscienceeverywhere. A priest in Burtonport,Donegal once explained. To myquestion as to why the 26-Countiespeople care so little about Britishcrimes against the Occupied Irishhe replied; “The people in the Republiccare only about condomsand the Lotto.” But where is Irish-America? Let us do what all peopleof conscience must do; work tostop official crime.Ireland’s government hasresponded to my www.irishholocaust.organd the annualNovember 3rd Irish HolocaustCommemoration Day. We commemoratetwo historic eventsthat occurred on that date in1845 in the Dublin office of LordHeytesbury, Britain’s Viceroy inIreland. The key event was the officialbeginning of that 1845-1850Holocaust when the Lord ignoredfrantic pleas from a 22-man delegationof Irishmen that he ceaseBritain’s at-gunpoint removal ofIreland’s abundant foods. TheLord’s sole response was to readfrom a prepared paper aboutone crop only - potatoes, thusofficially beginning the PotatoFamine Big Lie. Thus for the pasttwo decades the Irish everywheresolemnly commemorate on Nov.3, a) the 1845-1850 Holocaust,and b) the “potato famine” liepromoted to cover up thatHolocaust.Competition is underway.Ireland’s gov’t has respondedto widespread commemorationson November 3rd bysetting up a competing datein May to “commemorate” the“potato famine.” They are tryingto resurrect the “famine” lie thatwas already defeated by the truth,the truth that that Holocaust wasperpetrated by more than halfof Britain’s then-empire army.That army was comprised of 137regiments; of which 69 removedIreland’s food at gunpoint to theports for export. One might expectthat the perpetrating nation wouldkeep it covered up; but why isIreland’s gov’t doing it? Be wary ofyet another lie, that “It was the richIrish that starved the poor Irish.”The reality is that British landlords“owned” 95% of Ireland’s land; butBritain repatriated them in 1900.Irish president O’Higgins wasin Boston a few days ago promoting“potato famine.” Let us hopethere were plenty of people withintegrity there to bear true witnessagainst him and for the murderedmillions. A similar cover-up “ceremony”was held recently inDrogheda. It was fronted by Britain’smain Irish asset: OccupiedIreland Deputy First MinisterMartin McGuinness and his like.Worse; Taoiseach Enda Kenny attended.The “potato famine” liewas driven home by the following“proofs”: a potato, a soup kitchenration card, a boat ticket to Liverpooland a section of a thatchedroof. Clerics aplenty proved willingto participate in the mass falsewitnessing to genocide.What other nation coversup genocide of its people? AreIreland’s leaders uniquely depraved?Who has ever heard aJew denying the Shoah, or a NativeAmerican denying the genocidethat left so few of them? I canunderstand (without condoning)Marist Brother Enda’s tragic admissionthat he had falsified Irishhistory his entire career; when hesaid regarding the 1845-1850 Holocaust;“I had no choice. I had toteach the curriculum as providedto me by the government.” Itwould have required rare courageto tell the truth of it while bothgovernment and hierarchy werecovering it up.Check our our otherfine Irish publication,IANOhio!Distributed monthlyacross the state ofOhio!Heather A. BegleyProudly servingthe Irish communityThe Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Krollrepresents individuals and families in personal injuryand wrongful death matters including, motorvehicle collisions, construction negligence,work related injuries and medicalmalpractice.10 S. LaSalle St., Suite 3702, Chicago, Illinois 60603phone: (312)676-7222 fax: (312)849-2030heather@kroll-lawfirm.comWebsite: www.kroll-lawfirm.com Blog: www.chicagoaccidentinjurylawyer.comYoung musicians come together to play Irish Music...and have a great time too!The Academy of Irish Music students meet once a week at the Irish-AmericanHeritage Center in Chicago. Students are divided into beginner, intermediate, andsenior groups based on ability and experience. The children come from all overthe the Metropolitan area. Most of them participate in school bands andorchestras; many are Suzuki trained. These kids enjoy playing Irish music andmaking new friends.GROUP LESSONS & PRIVATE CLASSESFlute | Whistle | Bodhran |Fiddle | Viola |CelloFor more information contact: Noel Rice, Director(847) 564-1338 • nrice@interaccess.comwww.academyofirishmusic.orgat the Irish American Heritage Center |4626 North Knox Ave., Chicago,IL

June 2012 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” 29There Still Are GiantsLast year this column chronicledthe historic 1952 story oftiny Hebron High becoming thesmallest school to ever win theIllinois state basketball championship.Led by a leprechaunof a coach clad in green tie andsocks, “Duke”Ahern, it was andis a timeless story of how thebiggest of things can come fromthe smallest of places.In this case, a McHenry CountyIllinois-Wisconsin bordertown of less than a thousandwith a student body of less thana hundred, and just a handfulof boys on the court and on thebench to carry the championshipfight to every corner of the state.The e-mail reaction was swiftfrom IAN publisher and editorCliff Carlson-- “are any of themstill alive?”I soon got that answer withan e-mail that leapt out of thepast and into my computer. Itwas from Jim Bergin, the handsomesmiling guard in jersey #10standing behind Coach Ahern inthe official championship teamphoto you see when you GoogleHebron 1952 State Champs.”Sure, the trophy still shines inthe same small school buildinga couple miles southof Illinois 173 on IllinoisHighway 47. Andthose timeless cleancut boy-athletes arevisible in black andwhite in nearly everystore and business intown beneath the giantwater tower paintedlike a basketball. Myeyes bulged before thecomputer screen withthe dream of meetingone of these legendscome to life. I alwayswanted to leap into oneof the pictures and feela part of 1952. Here itwas on my desktop.Received your welcomearticle on the ‘52Hebron Green Giantsfrom an older sisterwho resides in Oak Forest, AND,from a 1st cousin, Mary BerginMoore, a northsider. As you state,the population of the Hebronarea was mostly Swedish, German,Dutch. There were however,a few Irish Catholics, who attendedchurch at St. Joseph’s inRichmond. Most of the team, butfor Bill Schulz & myself, weretown-boys.Many of the Hebronites, Ithink always thought Berginwas either Scandinavian, or, German- NOT Irish. As you probablywell know it is a very oldoriginal Irish name, meaning of“noble birth”. I must admit I hadmy doubts despite my parentsassertions, and my Mother’s insistencethat we wear the Greenon Paddy’s Day. It wasn’t untilJuly of ‘87 while seeking lodgingon our 1st nite in Eire, that I wasblown away when the sweet girlat the checkin desk, proclaimed:“That’s MY name. She was CharlotteBergin from Horse & Jockey,in Tipperary.Anyway, Coach Ahearn & Iwere the only 2 Irishmen connectedwith the team. It seemednice to have a Catholic teacher/coach, AND, an Irishman as well.For some reason it seemed to methat Coach Ahearn held me toa higher standard, perhaps soas to not elicit the criticism ofappearing to favor another IrishCatholic.So good of you to revisit thishistoric story of Illinois prepbasketball. As you probablyknow also, Paul & Phil Judsonplayed for U of I, Paul MVP &Olympian of ‘56; Bill Schulz, a1st String Center at Northwesternfor several years as I recall.Phil coached at Zion-Benton tillretirement several years ago.Thanks so much for your sobeautifully worded write-up.I’ve no doubt many enjoyed itrecounting their memories ofthose firsts you mention associatedwith that event.Sincerely, Jim Bergin, No. 10.A ‘write-up’! Even the eloquentphrases of Bergin took meback to the time.(left to right) : Jim Bergin, Bill Schulz, Paul Judson, Phil Judson, and KenSpooner together againOver the past year I’ve cometo know and meet Bergin and hisIrish American wife. As he mentionedhe and towering 6 foot10 and a half center Bill Schultzwere the only true “farm boys”of the team everyone assumedcame straight from milking cowsto sinking baskets.Bergin was a reserve playeron the championship team, nosmall role said the tower Schulzas Bergin and four remainingteam members marked the 60thanniversary a few weeks back.“Without the reserves wewould have had no one to practiceagainst!” said Schulz. Justfive starters and four or fivereserves brought the title homein the first televised state championship.“Hi, I’m “ Swish” said PhilJudson as he introduced himself,one of two twin sensations. Hisbrother imitated a hook shot forme as his younger self did thesame on a giant film screen inthe old gym, a shortened nonregulationarena where playersrisked falling into the pit wherefans sat.Later Ken Spooner, the shotmakercompanion to the runand-gunfast break twins wouldhumbly thank a crowd of hundredsthat filled the 60th anniversarycelebration in the new gym.“You don’t know how much thismeans to us, and how thankfulwe are that you remember andwant to be here today.” Oh theyremember. EspeciallySpooner sinking fiveshots in one playoff thatwould have been threepointers,had such athing existed at the time.Bergin gave me a tourof his family farm, andshowed me where hisfather would flag downthe train for Chicagoat a crossing and carrychickens in to sell afterhis commute to a city job.The entire town remembersand reveresthe Green Giants, gentlemenall as trained endlesslyby the taskmasterAhern. Practice endedwhen you took 50 shots.The Last BasketCountsEven Bergin wouldget his moment of greatness.“Just remembered something as Ilooked at that North basket—it’swhere I scored my last point.”Following the championshipyear Bergin was in the last homegame against tough St. Edward’sof Elgin. With 15 seconds left thebasketball thumped off the backboardand straight into Bergin’shands. “Had just enough timeto put it up!”It had to go in for them to win.It had to make time, eventhe slower time of 1953, standstill. The black seams and orange-brownpebbles of the ballwhirled in slow motion on reflexfrom Number 10’s hands.A game winner?“Swished wihout touching thenet as I recall.” Bergin smiledthat 50’s teen crooked smile andwalked into the corridor of theold school, stopped only by apresent-day fan requesting anautograph on a basketball.Are any of them still alive? Arethey ever!IrishRoverJim@aol.com

THE HERITAGE LINEY UR IRISH ONYOWWW.IRISH-AMERICAN.ORGat the IRISH AMERICAN HERITAFESTIVALHERITAGEAMERICAN YOUR IRISH ON at the IRISHGET YOTickets arenow on sale forthe 27 th annualIrish AmericanHeritage Festival.Irish Festis July 13, 14and 15, 2012 andshowcases thefinest in local andinternational Irish andAmerican music, danceand family activities. Itfeatures more than 100performers for 3 dayson 6 stages.The Festival is heldon the grounds of theCenter and is our biggestfundraiser.Confirmed performersinclude:the Tossers, the YoungDubliners, Dublin City Ramblers,Derek Warfield and the YoungWolfe Tones, Girsa, the Kreellers,the Mickey Finns, the GreatWhiskey Project, the DooleyBrothers, the Larkin and MoranBrothers, Kennedy’s Kitchen,the Sandcarvers, the ChanceyBrothers, Kevin Flynn and theLend a Hand at the FestWant to join us as a Festvolunteer this summer? Weseek help for all three days atthe fest, as this large festivalneeds many volunteers.We need volunteers for:•Box office and ticket sales•Raffle Sales•Helping our KitchenStaff serve meals for thevolunteer team•Our Kids’ Area•Assisting in Managingour Back stage areaThe TossersAvondale Ramblers, Paddy Homan andFriends, Bagpipes and Drums of theEmerald Society, In Spite of Ourselves,Finbarr Fagan, Irish Heritage Singers,Shannon Rovers, Fionnghlas, CeiliMor with Ceoltoiri Chicago, Piob agusfidil with Patrick and Karen Cannady,the Matt Stedman Band, Rant MaggieRant, Nineteen Pints, Dyed in the•Hanging posters and promotionalmaterials before the fest•Selling ads in our Ad BookWant to join our Irish Fest Committeeor volunteer for the weekend?Contact Volunteer Coordinator, CarmelO’Kane at cokane@irishahc.org orcall 773-282-7035, ext. 10.July 13, 14 and 15The Mickey FinnsWool, the Misericordia Heartbreakersand Heartzingers, D.J. Cal, the O’HareSchool of Irish Dance, the MulhernSchool of Irish Dance, Students ofthe Irish Music School of Chicago,Joe McShane and the SilverBridgeBand, Sheila Tully Academy of IrishDance, the City of Chicago Pipe Band,Tooromeen School of Irish Dance, FastCelebrate BloomsdayWith the CenterCelebrate the life and works ofwriter James Joyce with the Center’sannual Bloomsday Celebration,Rattlin’ of the Joists this June.Josephine Craven directs.The annual event includesperformances with readings, musicand song, presented by notablesfrom Chicago’s theatre and musiccommunity, including Brad Armacost,Brendan Gregg, Vera Kelly, BrigidDuffy Gerace, Kevin Cassidy andMark Piekarz.On June 16, 1904,writer James Joycemet his future wife,Nora Barnacle andimmortalized thedate in his monumental epic, Ulysses.Modern Joyce aficionados havedenoted June 16 “Bloomsday”; a dayset aside throughout the world to honorthe great man and his controversial andthought-provoking works.4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630 • 773-282-7035TAT GAGEddie McAteer and Billy O’Donoghueand more!Fest activities include music anddance performances, demonstrationsand lessons, children’s activities,cultural exhibits, a raffle, one-act plays,vendors selling Irish themed gifts,the Mashed Potato Eating Contestfor kids and adults, the ShamROCKAGE FESTIVAVAV LStars singingcontest forkids and theHooley Hook-Up for singles onFriday night.Children’sactivities are onSaturday and Sundayfrom Noon-6pm.Children’s activitiesfeature facepainting,sand art and a moonwalk.The Chicago F.I.R.E.Express will be on sitewith inflatable games and theirmascot. There will be a GaelicFootball demo on Sunday. Bringthe kids for arts and crafts andcarnival games. For $3, kidscan play all day.Hours are 6pm to midnight onJuly 13, noon to midnight on July14 and noon to 11pm on July 15.Tickets are $7 for seniors, $8in advance for adults (until theend of business on July 11) and$15 at the door. Children 12 andunder are free. Purchase tickets atwww.irishfestchicago.com or call773-282-7035.The Young DublinersThe 14th annual Rattlin’ ofthe Joists is Saturday, June 16 at8pm at the IAHC and is a benefitfor the IAHC. Donations areaccepted. For more information,call the Center at 773-282-7035.

WWW.IRISH-AMERICAN.ORGPresident’s MessageThere is so much going on… hope youagree. And it’s good for the Center and ourmembers and guests.• Our annual board nomination meetingwas held and very well attended.The financial progress wehave made was shared withall. Membership is increasing,incremental revenue streams arebeing pursued, costs are beingreviewed, justified and evaluated.A Purchase Order system hasbeen put in place. I can assureyou we are taking every steppossible to strengthen our financial presentand future.• I would like to thank the outgoing boardmembers for their service. I would alsolike to thank those who have agreed to benominated for the four positions we will fill inthe June election. Please take some time tomeet the candidates and plan on voting inthe upcoming election.• We recently held our second CommitteeChair and department leader meeting. At thatmeeting, Committee Chairs had a chanceto meet and discuss opportunities with theirfellow chairs. The meeting was extremelywell attended. We shared our financialperformance, upcoming programs and alsodiscussed the 2012 budget and MasterPlan. Everyone is on board for an exciting andsuccessful 2012.• A Master Plan, mentioned above, is now inprogress. We are developing a plan to addressthe short and longer term needsand dreams for the buildingand grounds. As a part of thisprocess, the committee chairs anddepartment leaders were askedto submit their ideas of how thebuilding can best address theneeds of their particular group. Wewant major input on this project.• We recently held another TownHall Meeting. I am committed to these meetings asa method of sharing information with all members. Ibelieve in transparency and these meetings help todisplay that commitment.• The Irish American Hall of Fame weekend wasin April and great events were held over the courseof the weekend. Many well-known and importantguests joined us. Governor Quinn even delivereda well-received and on target message at thewell-attended gala dinner. Congratulations to thecommittee, staff, members and volunteers whohelped make this event a success.• National Volunteer Week was celebrated atthe Center. Our volunteers are so important tous. Whether it be in the trades or in the office oron committees, our volunteers keep the Centergoing and going and going. A special thanks toour volunteer coordinator, Carmel O’Kane, for herefforts in continuing to place new volunteers.• The Development Committee is movingforward with plans to help create new andincremental funding for the Center.• The “Walk of Names” brick project is set tobreak ground. First, we will replace the steps atthe main entrance of the east side. Once this iscompleted, the bricks will installed. This will bePhase 1 of the brick project and all who purchaseda brick before May 18 will have their bricks placed.It has been a long time coming and thank you foryour patience.• The Heritage Singers have been hard at workvolunteering their talents and helping spread thegood will of the Center as they have performedacross the Chicagoland area. These performanceshelp the image and branding of the Center. And,they help the Center financially. Thank you. Also,please join me in welcoming the Heritage Singersnew Director Paul Matijevic.• Irish Fest is coming. The committee hasbeen meeting and the entertainment has beenbooked. Some new ideas are being pursued andenthusiasm is building. We hope to see you at acommittee meeting. All ideas are welcome.• Preliminary plans are also underway for ourpopular McToberfest event and we are starting toplan a Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day event, whichwill both take place this fall.• The Cultural Committee has been busy liningup interesting and exciting events, includingthe annual iBAM! Celebration. Check thewebsite and these pages for more news.• The first annual IAHC Genealogy Fest isin the works. Want to be part of a totally newand exciting event? Contact us.• I recently attended the Trinity Irish Dancecelebration dinner. Congratulations to all atTrinity and thank you for being a partner withthe Center.• The Kids’ Club has some new eventsplanned that include painting rain barrels anda fun day trip.• The accounting is in and St. Patrick’s Dayat the Center was a huge success and ahuge financial success. Thanks to all thevolunteers.• Finally, I would like to thank our radioshow partners who help deliver the messageand vision of the Center to so many. Theshows and their hosts are important as wecontinue to brand the Center as the home forIrish culture.Unfortunately, time and print spaceprevents me from addressing all the excitingthings going on at the Center and I apologizeto all I have missed, but rest assured you arenot forgotten. But, I am allowed one moreline…Thank you!John Gorski, President, IAHCGet Out the Vote!The election for new members of theIAHC Board of Directors is Friday, June15 at 7:30pm.Candidates will be elected to servefrom 2012-2016. The candidates areKathy Dunat, Paddy Homan, KathyKelly, Ann Murphy, Terry Sweeney,Tom Spence and Tim Taylor. If yourmembership has lapsed, call the IAHCOffice and renew your membership soyou can vote in this important election.If you are unable to attend, you canalso call us for an absentee ballot at773-282-7035, ext. 10.VISIT THE GIFT SHOPHours:Mondays through Thursdays4pm to 8pmFriday 4pm to 10pmSaturday 11am to 10pmSunday-ClosedThe IAHC Gift Shop has partnered with UptownSoda Bread Company and the GalwayBakers to bring you fresh-baked soda breadand baked goods each Friday and Saturday.Delivered direct from their ovens everyFriday morning, these breads are ready-to-eatand free samples are available.Stock up on Irish bangers, bacon, sausagerolls and puddings. We carry Diamond, Harringtonand Winston’s meats.Stop in for all your Irish import needs orcall 773-282-7035.Don’t miss theGrand Opening Open HouseJune 9, 1 to 4pmBring the Family to celebrate the IAHC GiftShop Grand Opening!Food and drink will be provided. Fun forall ages!4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630 • 773-282-7035WISH LISTIn June, we wish you would:• Attend the Election on June15 and get out the vote!• Start rounding up family andfriends to attend Irish Fest inJuly• Wish a Dad in your life aHappy Father’s Day• Visit the Gift Shop’s OpenHouse on June 9• Attend our BloomsdayCelebration

Kids Go Greenat June Earth Month EventParents, your kids can go green atthe Shamrock Kids Club Earth Monthevent this June.The Center will team up withChicago Irish Immigrant Support, theOffice of Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn,the Metropolitan Water ReclamationDistrict of Greater Chicago (MWRD)and Seedsavers.org for a fun way forkids to teach conservation. Childrenages 6-12 years old will paint rainbarrels with Celtic designs and plantseeds in the Center South Lot.The MWRD of Greater Chicagohas recently launched a greeninfrastructure initiative using raingardens, native landscaping, stormwater trees, green roofs, greenways,wetlands and porous pavement toachieve its mission to manage stormwater and reduce pollution. The MWRDdonated the rain barrels that will bepainted.Seed Savers is a program that hasbuilt a network of gardens aroundthe world that fight hunger, buildMeet Eugene O’Neill’s Women This SpringBeth Wynstra, a scholar andprofessor at Babson College willpresent a lecture on Eugene O’Neill atthe Center this spring. Eugene O’Neilland His Women features a stagedreading of Always, Gene,a one-act play, written byWynstra.Eugene O’Neill was oneof the most acclaimed playwrightsof the 20 th century.A four-time Pulitzer Prizewinner, he is also the onlyAmerican dramatist to dateto win the Nobel Prize forliterature. Three of his Pulitzerprizes came in the 1920’s, Beyondthe Horizon, Anna Christie and StrangeInterlude. His fourth was awardedposthumously in 1957, for his harrowingautobiographical masterpiece, LongDay’s Journey into Night.WWW.IRISH-AMERICAN.ORGcommunity and teach children and adultsthe virtues of homegrown food.The Shamrock Kids Club Earth Monthevent is Saturday, June 2 from 11am to1pm. The cost is $4 per child for CenterMembers and $5 for non-members.To register your children, email MaryGorski at shamrockkidsclub@irishahc.org or call 773- 282-7035.Always, Gene depicts a meeting amongfive women pivotal in Eugene O’Neill’s life.They compare notes, joke and argue with,and about one another, as they reflect upon,and defend their roles in their relationshipwith the playwright. It wasproduced at the 2002 and2009 Eugene O’Neill Festivalin Danville, California. Wynstraserves on the board of theEugene O’Neill InternationalSociety.The one-act features VeraKelly, Cathy McDonagh,Aileen O’Grady, Laurie Lister,Leslie Singel and ArtisticDirector, Joanna Trotter. All are Chicagoactors or Irish studies scholars.Eugene O’Neill and His Women isSunday, June 3 at 2pm. Tickets are $10and can be purchased at the door.Choir has New Music DirectorThe Irish Heritage Singers welcome PaulMatijevic as the new Director of the the choir. Inaddition to his new role, Matijevic continues toserve as music director at St. Thomas BecketParish in Mount Prospect and as a chorusmember with the William Ferris Chorale.Matijevic has been active in music in Chicagofor many years having served as music directorfor St. Timothy Parish in Rogers Park from 1988to 2005 and as a chorus member with ChicagoSymphony, Bella Voce and Chicago Choral Artists.He holds degrees in piano performancefrom De Paul University. He served as apiano instructor and choral accompanist at St.4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630 • 773-282-7035Culture CornerVisit theIAHC Library• for research and lending of our extensive collection, book signings,lectures and activitiesLibrary open:Mondays andWednesdays4-8pmTuesdays andThursdays10-1 pmFriday closedSaturday 9-3pmSunday openon the 2nd and last Sundayof the monthGenealogy Club• for monthly meetings on findingyour rootsGenealogy Monthly MeetingsThe last Sunday of every month at1pm (except December)Xavier Universityand as orchestralkeyboardist forthe NorthwestIndiana SymphonyOrchestra aswell as the CivicOrchestra ofChicago. Matijevic Paul Matijevicis a current memberof the American Choral DirectorsAssociation, the American Guild of MusicalArtists, Chorus America and the NationalAssociation of Pastoral Musicians.Don’t miss our culturalactivities at Irish Fest! Visitthe library, theatre, art gallery,and museum for special festexhibits and programs.Art Gallery• for lectures and art classes and special exhibits throughout the yearMuseum• for our collection and special exhibits call our office for a docent-led45 minute tour.

June 2012June 1 Francis O’Neill Ceili Dance Fifth Province 8pmJune 2 Shamrock Kids’ Club Earth Month Event Building Grounds 11amJune 3 Eugene O’Neill and his Women Sham Am Room 2pmJune 6 TIR NA NOG Seniors meeting Room 109 11amJune 7 CIIS Tara Club Event Room 304 10amJune 9 Gift Shop Open House Gift Shop 1pmSt. Patrick’s Fathers Social Erin Room 8pmJune 15 Election Meeting Room 109 7:30pmJune 16 Bloomsday Celebration Fifth Province 8pmJune 19 Celtic Women Monthly Meeting Room 304 7pmJune 21 CIIS Tara Club Event Room 304 10amJune 24 Genealogy Meeting Library 1pmRegularly Scheduled EventsTues., Thurs.,12:30pm-Fri., & Sat. Golden Diners Senior Lunches Kitchen 2pmTuesday Memoir Writing Class Sham Am Room 7pmThursday Memoir Writing Class Sham Am Room 7pmTuesdays Celtic Art Class Room 304 7pmIf you have an iPhone and the Kaywa Quick ResponseCode Reader App, scan the code to the right and betaken directly to the Irish American Heritage Centerwebsite!UPCOMING ENTERTAINMENTJune 20126/1 Ceili Mor6/2 Gerry Haughey6/8 The Boils6/9 Seamus O'Kaneand Jimmy Moore6/15 Tommy Tuesday6/16 Baal Tinne6/22 Dennis Florine Band6/23 Dooley Brothers6/29 Joe McShane6/30 Larry Nugent andBilly O’DonoghueDrop by for the very best in traditional and modern Irish music.Pub food is served from 6pm-10pm. No CoverFree ParkingWWW.IRISH-AMERICAN.ORGAll Shows StartAfter 9pmChicago boasts one of the finestIrish Centers in the world.Become a part of it.Running, maintaining, and upgradingthe Center is a big jobthat takes big commitment.Your membership helps makethe Center happen.The Heritage Line Staff4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630 • 773-282-7035BECOME A MEMBERTo join call 773-282-7035 x10,visit www.irish-american.org,or fill out the form below. Sendpayment to:The Irish AmericanHeritage CenterMembership4626 N. Knox AveChicago IL 60630Name __________________________________________Address ________________________________________City ______________________ State __ Zip __________Phone _______________________Credit Card # ____________________________________Exp ____ 3 Digit code on card’s back: ______Annual DuesIndividual Membership❏ $30/year or $50/2 yearsFamily Membership❏ $40/year or $60/2 years$250 - Harper❏ 3-year membershipno annual dues$500 - Bard❏ 5-year membershipno annual dues❏ $1,000 - Chieftain10-year membershipwithout annual dues❏ $2,500 - High King25-year membershipwithout annual dues❏ $5,000 - SaintLifetime membershipwithout annual duesOur MissionThe mission of the Irish American Heritage Center is to nurture and strengthen Irish culture andheritage through programs emphasizing Irish music, literature, drama, traditional dancing, fine arts,and the constructive contributions of the Irish and Irish-Americans to the Unites States of America.The Irish American Heritage Center supports this mission by maintaining its resources, including the• MUSEUM • IRISH SCHOOL • ARCHIVES • CHOIR •ART GALLERY • AUDITORIUM • LIBRARY • THEATRE GROUPand other related programs and partnerships, while providing a gathering place for the IrishAmerican community and those interested in Irish culture.Follow the IAHC onFacebook & TwitterFor updates on upcoming events and ticket giveawaysKathleen O’Neill, EditorContributors:Theresa Choske, John Gorski, Mary Gorski, Mary Griffin,Judith Loevy, Mary Morris, Sheila Murphy

34 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” June 2012Social ServicesBy Paul DowlingSenior groups take placeat IAHC and Gaelic Park. Seebelow for specific details ofsenior group meetings thismonth. There is no cost and refreshmentswill be served. Allare very welcome. If you needfurther information, please callthe office on 773-282-8445.Gaelic ParkWednesday, 13th June 2012Join us for our 3rd annualDay on the Lake’ where we enjoya delightful luncheon cruiseon Lake Michigan and take inthe breathtaking views of thedowntown Chicago skyline.Details will be available closerto the day.Wednesday, 27th June 2012Alas, our senior group programmingdraws to a closefor another year. We celebratethe ending of a busy and successfulseason with a specialmass with Fr. Michael Leonard.Have a safe and healthy summerand we look forward tomore great times together inthe autumn.IAHCThursday, 21st June 2012Let’s all go to the movies!his week we get a chance tocheck out some modern Irishshort films. Perhaps throughthe medium of film we can gainsome insight into the manyways that Irish society hadchanged in recent timesA healthier you–step by stepMany health organizations,including the American Heartssociation, say that walkingis a great excise for maintainingoverall health. Numerousrecent studies have shown thatwalking as few as 10,000 stepsper day leads to better health,with benefits like lower bloodpressure, weight loss and betterheart rates. Regular walkinghas also been shown toimprove memory and preventdiabetes. As walking is a gentleexercise it is ideal for olderadults that have other healthconditions and for those whomay not have been very activeover recent years. Now that thesummer is upon us we stronglyencourage the seniors in ourcommunity to get out there andstart walking. Here are somehelpful tips to get you off to agreat start.•Before beginning a newwalking exercise program, it’s agood idea to visit your primarycare physician for a check-upfor information about yourhealth and/or any problemsthat need to be addressed. Thephysical will also provide abaseline for measurement of thehealth benefits of your walkingprogram, such as heart rate,weight, blood pressure, etc.•Your physical therapist (PT)may also be an importantperson to see as part of theevaluation process. The PTwill provide a musculoskeletalevaluation and informationrelated to your strength, flexibility,range of motion andpostural alignment. If you’reexperiencing back, hip, knee,foot and/or ankle pain, thoseproblems may need to be treatedprior to the initiation of awalking program.•Pedometers count the numberof steps you take. Everytime you take a step, the pedometerwill record it and trackthe number of steps you take.Some have functions that countcalories, measure heart rateand record exercise time. Also,pedometers are fun and willprovide information that willallow you to set goals and thentrack and measure progress towardyour health and walkingtargets. Women should take approximately15,000 steps a day,and men approximately 18,000.•Bring a friend! A walkingpartner or group makes walkingmore fun and will help thetime pass more quickly.•Exercise is easiest when youcan get into a routine. Findtimes that work best for youand stick with it and you’ll bepleasantly surprised with theresults. Happy stepping!Daly InvestorBy John P. DalyLong Term Care InsuranceHere is a reprint of an interviewI did for a financial publication acouple of months ago. I thought itwould be beneficial to share sinceit is an important topic.Statistics say the majority ofpeople will need long-term care atsome point in their lives. What aresome of the basics in consideringwhether to buy it or not?Those with a net worth of atleast $3 million may be able toself-insure, or pay outright for anymedical coverage they need whenthe time arises. One advantage ofself-insuring is that if you neverneed the benefit, you haven’t spentthousands in premiums.To get an idea of how much itcould cost to self-insure, investigatethe costs and services of differentnursing homes and assistedliving residences in the area whereyou plan to retire. The facility thatcharges $50,000 a year may be farless amenable to you than the onethat charges $80,000 a year. Ofcourse, coverage in a major citywill also be more expensive. Carein Chicago will cost more thancare in Biloxi. Those who can selfinsureusually can also afford LTCIas well, and may sleep better forhaving it. Like any insurance thepremiums are lost if you don’t useit, but you don’t have to worry ifyou do.Policies will offer a certainbenefit per month -- say $4,000 to$6,000 – up to a certain maximumof about $200,000 to $400,000for perhaps three to five years.Someone in decent health at age60 might pay $300 a month inLTCI premiums. That’s a payoutof $72,000 after 20 years, whichwould cover about 15 months ofbenefits had you paid outright.Therefore any care that lasts longerthan 15 months is definitely worthyour while. Remember the averagestay in a nursing home is threeyears. Whenever you investigatebuying LTCI, it’s important tolook at costs in your area as wellas national average costs of care.When should you buy? Forthose who can’t afford to selfinsure,rates range from $200 amonth for a 40-year-old to upto $500 a month at age 70. Theyounger you are when you purchasea policy, the cheaper it willbe. But the best time to purchaseLTCI is in your 50s because theadded years of paying premiumsfor a policy purchased in your 40smay not be worth the bump-up incost for coverage in your 50s.Compare insurance companies.Make sure the company you buyyour policy from has strong financials,and based on its history, isnot likely to raise your premiums.Be aware that just because a company’spolicy is expensive doesnot mean it has the best financials.In fact, a company with a cheaperpolicy may be in better fiscalcondition.Understand the policy. Youneed to understand all the ins andouts of the various policies. Somecompanies, such as Genworthand Mutual of Omaha, offer steepdiscounts for married couples. Forexample, one healthy couple livingin Arizona with a blended age of55 (one was 59, the other 52) got adiscount of 40% each, resulting ina premium of $186 total a monthfor a benefit of $4,000 a month. Essentiallythis couple would havepaid close to $4,800 a year withoutthe discount instead will pay halfof that with the discount. Coupleswith more expensive policies maywant to consider switching to apolicy that offers this discount.Get an inflation rider. There aredozens of optional riders you canadd to most LTCI policies. Consumershave to evaluate whichones are really valuable to themand which aren’t. One rider thatis an absolute must is the cost-oflivingadjuster, which increasesyour benefit by up to 5% a year.Since health-care costs are on trackto double in the next 10 years, andare growing about 7% per year, thisfeature provides critical inflationprotection. Without it, you canhave LTCI and still wind up payinga lot out of pocket.Another rider that may be availableallows unused benefit to passover to one’s spouse. If a husbanddies before the wife without usingany of his LTCI, the coverageadded onto the wife’s four-yearbenefit, for a total of eight years’coverage.John P. Daly is a CERTIFIEDFINANCIAL PLANNER andPresident of Daly InvestmentManagement, LLC a fee onlyRegistered Investment Advisorspecializing in financial planningand wealth management.Phone: 312-239-1317 Email:john@dalyinvestment.comReaders are encouraged to callor email John with questionsregarding Investments or FinancialPlanning.Proud Irishman, Conan O’Brien, filmed the Trinity Irish DancersMay 30, at the Irish American Heritage Center for The ConanO’Brien Show’s “Chicago Week,“ airing June 11-14 on TBS.

June 2012 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” 35It StartsWith A SongBy Joe McShaneand Margo O’DonnellMargo -Hi everybody, since I last putpen to paper, I can’t believe amonth has passed. I’ve been onholiday to Florida and had a wonderfultime, so with my batteriesrecharged its nice to be able to fillou in on what’s been happeningover here. On the 6th of May, I wasinvited as a special guest to Ardarain Co Donegal, for a night calledRaking The Ashes”. The event washosted by a local lady, who callsherself “Breezy Willow”. It tookus back to the days in Ireland longago, when people would gather insome ones home, having fun, tellingstories and singing songs, andbelieve me, we had a wonderfulevening.My brother Daniel opened uphis visitors centre in Dungloe, CoDonegal. It hosts a history of hislife in music and a little of his lifein general. WhileI looked throughthe songwriterssection, who waslooking back at mebut Joe McShane,I thought there’sno getting awayfrom this guy Ha!Ha! Joe wrote asong called “MySide Of The Road”which was on Daniel’sfirst album, called “The BoyFrom Donegal” and of course heco wrote “Erin Tennessee” withForrest Lee Jr and Daniel. As Iam writing this, Joe is putting thefinishing touches to my new C.D.hich was recorded last October/November, when I visited Chicago.I am looking forward to releasingit, and we will have it on my nextconcert in the Irish American HeritageCenter in October.A wee joke -Did you ever hear the one aboutAn old elderly gentleman wasdozing in his chair one afternoon,when he was awakened by a knockon the door. He shuffled to thedoor to find a gorgeous young ladystanding there. “I’m sorry” shesaid, “I’m at the wrong house” Hesaid “sweetheart you’re at the righthouse, but you’re 35 years late”Until the next time - God Blessyou all. Love always, MargoJoe -Thank you Margo. Well lotsgoing on in Chicago, we even hada real Spring here this year. Congratulationsto a lovely young lady,Margaret Rose Keating, who isChicago’s Rose Of Tralee this year.Margaret works at the Curragh,Edison Park, where I have beenperforming every Sunday eveningfor the last 3 and a half years, soSean Ginnelly told me last week.I’ve known Margaret's parentsEileen and Jim Bob for a long timeand I’ve visited Co Offaly, whereJim Bob comes from. Which leadsme to this months song, about apub in a place called Ballyboy, CoOffaly, not far from the Keatingshome. I was lucky enough to havespent some very happy hoursin this pub, it's called Dan andMolly’s. I was telling Margo andJim Thacker, (our co writing buddyfrom Nashville) about the bar, sowe sat down and wrote the song“Dan and Molly’s” There’s a bit ofhistory with the bar, you can findit on the web. Its the only thatchedpub in the whole county. No TVjust good craic and a singalong. Itwas almost burned to the grounda year or so back, but its up andlooking as good as ever again now.You take our best wishes with youMargaret Rose Keating !!!We’ve written a couple of songswith Gerry Carney, a very talentedsongwriter and performer fromCo Mayo. Gerry wrote that greatsong titled -P.A.D.D.Y. Dedicatedto his uncle, who was killed whileworking in England many yearsago. It was a big hit for him onthe radio stations all over Ireland.He is coming to visit Chicago thismonth and will be performing also,so look out for him. I listened to PioMcCann’s show on Highland radio,a few weeks ago, I knew Margowas going on for an interview, soI set my alarm for 6:00 AM on aSaturday morning. She came onthe air and spoke about a tape shehad recieved from 3 young peoplein Scotland. On the tape was a songthat the 3 young ones had recordedand it was a song that their fatherhad written when he left his homein Carndonagh, Co Donegal, togo to work in Scotland, where hestayed and raised his family. Theytold Margo how they would loveif she would listen to the song and,of course, she didn’t do like a lot ofpeople unfortunately do in the musicbusiness, by throwing it away.She listened to it and read the noteinside, about their father being terminallyill. So she got in touch withthem and said she would record itbut in the mean time, if they didn’tmind, she would go on the radioand play the tape. She spoke onthe radio about how loving thesekids were with there Dad. Whileback in Scotland, around a sickbed, father and children listenedto the interview. That man diedlast week and he died a very proudFather. He already had the love ofhis children, he also experiencedthe love and friendship of anotherdear friend Margo O’Donnell. Thesong is titled “Fly Me West” andit really is a beautiful song aboutleaving home. The man didn’t livelong enough to hear Margo sing itbut he lived long enough to hearhis children sing it on the radio andto know that Margo will be singingit. I didn’t tell Margo I was goingto write this. Some stories just needto be told. Be good to one anotherTill next time God BlessJoe McShaneDan And Molly’sWritten By Joe McShane, Margo O’Donnell and James ThackerWell have you ever been down to Dan and Molly’sSingin’ and dancin’ and the night so jollyYou’ll never forget such a wonderful night of joyOh! cead mile failte from the folks around hereCeol agus craic and a creamy bearIn that wonderful magical village of BallyboyIts a place you‘ll never find a frownA smile is served up with every roundIf your hearts been broke, this place will help it mendEveryone here makes you feel at homeThere’s no one left sittin’ on their ownThere’s no one left sittin’ on their ownIts the pride of Co OffalyWith the rattle of the spoons upon me kneeFun and laughter ringing round the wallsBeside the mountains of Slieve BloomIts there you’ll hear the sweetest tuneIn Dan and Molly’s, down in BallyboysIts been there since the sound of the horses hoofstands on the corner with an old thatch roofA million lovely airs were sung insideWhat a dear old couple hearts of goldThough the years pass by and we all grow oldDan and Molly’s is forever in my mindBeautiful PeopleA film celebrating New York City’s longestrunning traditional Irish seisiúnat Dempsey’s Pub

36 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” June 2012A big one thousand welcomesis what you receivewhen you walk in the door atPaddy O’ Fegan’s. The Irishpride is evident by the familypictures from the “OldCountry” covering the wall,the white brick fireplace andtraditional Irish music beingplayed by Paddy Homan andhis band. Cathy and Patrick O’Fegan are quickly approachingtheir one year anniversary ofthe opening of their restaurant.Chef Jack who has been therefrom the beginning has puttogether delicious fare. Someof the neighborhood favoritesstart with Ye Ole Sea HagsSeafood Salad where the fisharrives fresh, daily from therlingtoneights Irish Festuly 27 - 28Folk music duo of JacquieManning and Rich Prezioso areSmall Potatoes, performing onFriday, July 27 at 6:00 p.m.The Kreellers is a five piecepowerhouse of a band of unstoppablehigh energy music steepedin traditional Irish sound, with amix of rock, funk and even punkelements, performing, Friday,July 27 at 8:30 p.m.The Dooleys have been entertainingChicagoland for over 30ears with their delightful banterand wide musical repertoireincluding Irish, swing, jazz andcalypso. Performing Saturday,July 28, at 4:30 p.m.Bella Cain is a newly formed,oung, high-energy 6-Piece Top0 Country Group that deliversa non-stop and explosiveperformance for every show!ith a "Big" guitar sound, theyalso bring 5 part harmonies,fiddle, steel guitar, piano, banjo,a solid rhythm section and bothmale/female vocals to the stagedelivering a full and dramaticsound unmatched regionally.Performing Saturday, July 28,at 8:30 p.m.A Slice of IrelandBy Cathy Cooney-Millarlocal fish market. The TallGrass Beef Burger is toppedwith Kerry Gold aged cheddar,smoked mushrooms, Canadianbacon, romaine lettuce and tomato.The beef comes directlyfrom Tall Grass Beef Companywhich is owned by Chicago’sBill Kurtis. The menu offersthe delicious Banger’s andMash which is Irish sausagesgrilled, served with a heapingof mashed potatoes. One of thehouse favorites is The CottagePie which consists of groundbeef sautéed with carrots, peas,onions and herbs, simmeredin brown gravy. This is toppedwith mashed potatoes andcheese browned to perfection.Their Wed night specialWelcometo a new, more affordable way to refreshyour home... and your personal style!Decades of experience in fine homefurnishings and interior design convergein a unique service offering the bestresources for your home...now below furniture store prices.Whether you’re searching for that perfectpiece or want to create a fabulous room,we will make it easy, enjoyable, andsave you money.• FURNITURE all styles and major brands• WINDOW TREATMENTS• CARPETING AND RUGS• DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES• LIGHTINGplus...• EXPERT INTERIOR DESIGN DESIGN• SHOP-AT-HOME-CONVENIENCESHOP-HOME-CONVENIENCEis Corned Beef and CabbageDinner with amazingly tendercorned beef. Anytime on theweekends, come in and savorthe flavors of the TraditionalIrish fry!You can catch all the Gaelicsports on one of their big TVsor listen to live music everyThursday night! Check outCharlie’s Corner, the table bythe fireplace which is dedicatedto Local 134 and all the uniontrades who helped build therestaurant.Patrick is proud to supportUSA Cares for families withfinancial and advocacy supportin their time of need. Assistanceis provided to all branches ofservice, all components, allranks while protecting theprivacy and dignity of thosemilitary families and veteranswho request help. www.usacares.orgKeep a look out fora summer event supportingUSA Care.Stop by our new North Shore Office in Art Post Galleryat Willow Festival, across from Whole Foods.847-710-7775 • plunkettinteriorsdirect.comPatrick and Cathy O’Fegan are ready to celebrate beingopen for one year!Paddy O’ Fegan’s is filledwith warmth and a homeyatmosphere. When you seePatrick, don’t forget to ask himto share one of his many jokes!The May beer of the month isGoose Island and Green Limejohnplunkett__________________________I N T E R I O R S • D I R E C TRefreshPale Ale for only $5.00. Avg.prices range $8.00 - $12.00 I’mlooking forward to seeing yoursmiling face at 204 North HalstedSt (corner of Lake & Halsted)Chicago, IL 60661 312-997-3100info@paddyofegans.com

June 2012 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” 37We Get LettersRelease Marian PriceTalk of the much-heraldedPeace Process” in Ireland beliesthe fact that today, gravely ill 58-year old female activist MarianPrice has spent one year imprisonedin solitary confinement inthe North of Ireland, under conditionsof extreme physical andemotional neglect. Chronically illwhen she was arrested, Marian’scondition has progressively worsenedto the point that she cannotopen her hands, cannot walk toand from family visits; and is tooweak to attend court hearings.Prison doctors have stated thatshe is too ill to remain in prisonand should be transferred immediatelyto hospital or home care.Arrested in London in 1973,Marian Price and her sister Doloreswere charged with bombingthe Old Bailey courthouse. SinnFein’s Gerry Kelly, a frequentguest of the White House, wasalso charged. In 1980 Marian andher sister were granted compassionaterelease when they wereboth officially pardoned, neardeath after barely surviving over200 days’ force-feeding in BrixtonPrison, England. The documentcontaining this official pardonhas now inexplicably gone missingfrom London archives-- hencethe North of Ireland Secretary ofState Owen Patterson maintainsthat Marian is to resume her 1973life sentence, as there is no proofshe was ever pardoned.Several attempts have beenmade to link Marian to paramilitaryoperations against Britishtroops in Ireland, yet no evidenceof any of this has ever been demonstrated.On May 10th 2012, thecharge for which she was arrestedone year ago was thrown out ofcourt. Yet today Marian Priceremains cruelly isolated andimprisoned seemingly on thesole wishes of one man; North ofIreland Secretary of State OwenPatterson.Marian Price is a victim ofselective internment, torture,and gross inhumanity. We callon Owen Patterson and the Britishgovernment to release thisinnocent woman now, beforethe world watches as anothersenseless tragedy takes place in aBritish prison.Deirdre FennessyThe Irish Freedom CommitteeChicago, ILGalenaRentalsExperience the scenic beautyof Ireland in Galena, ILfor a vacation in ResortHomes without Resort Priceswww.GalenaRentals.comIrish owned & operated773-631-5253Toll free866-GalenaRentalse-mailGalenaRentals@ameritech.netYou’ll LoveOur FloralDispaysgarlandflowers@yahoo.comVilla Ave. Opens Again! Road Back to Normal!Mention this Ad for 10% OFFyour non-jewelry purchaseKing of the CourseDooley CarRentals takesyou there.For nearly half acentury, travelers havetrusted us to maketheir journeys inIreland memorable.When you’re ready to see the wonders of Ireland, let Dooley take you there.E-Mail: dooley@monmouth.comWeb: www.dandooley.comCall your local travel agen orphone: 1-800-331-9301We Know the Roads

38 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” June 2012This month we have anotherfive gems for you. Are you keepingup?1 Freewheel is just out, ink onthe CD cover is still wet. It featuresthe ubiquitous and musically peripateticyouth, Fergal Scahill onguitar, fiddle, and bodhran, joinedby The Full Set’s Sean McCarthyon uillean pipes and low whistlesand David Howley bringing alongsome lovely vocals to join his guitarand banjo work. Except for thesong, Dublin Blues, this is deeplytraditional stuff. Ranging fromclassics like The Corner House toMicho Russell’s, the group hitsa lot of treasures, most notablyour favorite, Mayor Harrison’sFedora, as the second in a set ofthree reels on the closing cut ofthe album. You can also be lookingfor David Howley as a partof Enda Scahill’s new group, WeBanjo Three. This album is highly,highly recommended. With allthree of these young musiciansas busy as they are, we can all bepleased that they found the timeto record this tasty treat. A winner,front to back.2. Outside Track has just thisery second released their winnerof a new album, Flash Company.ou know Outside Track featuresthis year’s winner of Female Vocalistof the Year, Norah Rendell, andtheir last album won Vocal/InstrumentalAlbum of the Year. We findOutside Track totally modern anddeeply traditional at the same time.hat is real artistry. We have hadthem on our Chicago radio programtwice, live in-studio. They areas sensational in live performanceas they are in-studio. We have alot of favorites from the 11 cuts ofFlash Company. Perhaps, the biggieis Mountain Road. It turns outthat they have cut this and broughtit out separately through all thedigital download sites as a fundraiserfor two important charities.Harpist Ailie Robertson is leadingthe support for Scottish MountainRescue. The other charity beingsupported is an Irish-based groupfighting child abuse. Find the cut,Mountain Road on all the widelyknown digital download sites suchas iTunes, but better yet, just visitthe group’s website and make yourpurchase there. It is only 99 centson its own. Every penny is goingto the charities. You and the charitiescan bank on it. This is anothertop album from one of the music’selite and top groups, Outside Track.3. Next up is Rachel Hair withthe Rachel Hair Trio and their album,No More Wings. The albumincludes Rachel herself on harp,Jenn Butterworth on guitar andvocals, joined by Euan Burton ondouble bass. Keeping it simple,they are joined by some guestmusicians on a few tracks, playingtenor saxophone, percussionand accordion. While this fills outthe style and sound nicely, it is notfulfilling for the real trad fan. A bitavant-garde. But on the traditionaltunes, and trad stylings on the album,the results are wonderful andmark both Rachel and this groupas ones to watch in the future.There will probably be as manywho like the modern stuff evenmore than the trad, but we suspectnot. It is a lovely album, nevertheless,and definitely recommended.It is always fab to see great newtalent arriving on the scene.4. Speaking of that, here’s DanGurney, a lovely button box playerwith a new album, self-titled. He isjoined by pianist Brian McGrath.Dan was born in upstate NewYork and is 23 years old. He hashad incredible teachers like FatherCharlie Coen, Mick Conneely, Sr.,and Joe Derrane. This has led tohis musicianship exceeding theconfines of this album. The albumitself is a must-have for those ofyou who like to keep up with newand important musicians enteringthe scene. Here comes Dan Gurney.The album is a bit repetitive withan identical instrumentation andambience on each of the 15 selections.It all begins to blend a bit toomuch. Nevertheless, he is a musicianof real promise and depth forone so young. Get up, ya’boyo!5. Finally, and perhaps best of all,(tied with Flash Company) is Fool’sDream featuring Pat Crowley andJohnny McCarthy. This album isnot new. We are unbelievably lateto it, embarrassedly so. Nevertheless,our mission is to let you knowabout fantastic stuff we have notdiscussed before. This album isone of those. It features Pat onpiano and Johnny on fiddle. ThenJohnny plays piano, and Pat playsaccordion. You get the drift. Theychange off instruments here andare masters of each. Produced bySteve Cooney, this stuff is magic.Johnny is father of one of our localpiano heroes, Cormack McCarthy.This shows that Daddy has manytricks up his sleeve and even thismany years later, Cormack canstill pick up a move or two. The 12cuts on this album showed thesetwo musicians at the top of theirform and enshrined them foreverin a cocoon of musical perfection.Master work.Do you know that our Chicagoradio show producer, ImeldaBhroga and I have a weekly radioprogram on each week at noon onSundays for LiveIreland? That’sright. It is all directed out of Dublin,Ireland--live to the world. The liveprogram on Sundays is repeatedthree or four times each week andwe are told that the audience israpidly approaching 40,000 eachweek. This makes it one of thenetwork’s most popular shows.Why? Because we play all trad, allthe time. Imelda’s outrageous chatin the show’s live chat room withlisteners from around the worlddoes not hurt, either. Be it Sergioin Italy or Paz in Israel, joined byGrant in Indianapolis and Johnin Holland, it is ALL GOOD. TheHumble King and Magic Mancheck in each week also. You can,too. Just go to LiveIreland.com andyou will hear great music and greatcraic, every Sunday at noon!(l to r): Desmond Crawford (c) with Daniel O’Donnell, andDanny Dignan.Desmond Crawford PassesThe popular Desmond Crawforddied at the age of 76, April22nd at the Rainbow Hospice inPark Ridge, IL after a long illness.Desmond was a native ofDublin, Ireland and the husbandof Maire Kenny. He wasa popular Irish musician whoplayed the accordion. He organizedthe choir for the GaelicMass at St Walter's in Roselle,and was a member of the AccordianaClub in Elmhurst, IL.He was a painter at the BismarkHotel and was one oftwo people used to restore thelegendary Walnut Room to itsoriginal grandeur. He volunteeredat Mather Senior Centerand was a member of locaal#147 Painters Union. He wasan initial member and volunteerpainter at the Irish AmericanHeritage Center.His siblings include, Joanand Phyllis. His children includeAnn Farrington, SandraCrawford, Mark Crawford, andhis grandchildren are Orna,Richard Callahan, DDSOrthodontistFiona, Leanne, Alan, Sorcha,Meghan, Julianne, Michael,Andrew, Matthew, Sean andCaroline. Orna was selected theDubai Rose of Tralee the nightbefore he passed.Burial at Maryhill Cemetery.Memorials to: Rainbow Hospice,1550 Bishop Ct., Mt. Prospect,IL 60056.Desmond Crawford’s granddaughter,Orna Theboul.Don’t rely on luck for the best orthodontic care!Dr. Richard Callahan has been providingbeautiful smiles for more than 25 years.Mention this ad for a complimentary visit.Payment plans, credit cards and insurance assignments accepted.Call today (630) 964.98825133 Washington St., Downers Grove, Illinoiscallahanortho@comcast.net

40 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” June 2012THEGALWAYARMS2442 NORTHNCLARKSTREETSelected as one ofChicago's Top 100 Bars by Chicago MagazineOfficial Chicago Fire BarChicago's Premier Manchester United BarMON Any Draft & Shepherds Pie $11.95, $3 Miller Lites BottlesTUES 1/2 Slab Ribs $9.95, Stone Brewery $4.50WED Trivia @ 8pm with CASH PRZE! Lamb Stew $9.95,3 Floyds Bottles $4.50, 1/2 Priced Bottles of House WinesTHU 1/2 lb. Burger & Fries or Home Made Veggie Burger & Fries $5.00,Great Lakes Bottles $4.50FRI All You Can Eat Beer Battered Fish N' Chips $9.95, or Tilapia with MixedVegetables & Wild Rice in a Lemon Butter Sauce $10.95, Hot Drinks $5SAT Catch the EPL, Seria A and La Liga Games Live or Tape Delay,Brunch Till 2pm with $6 Zing Zang Bloody Marys & $6 Mimosas,Guinness Beef Stew - $11.95, Lagunitas Bottles $4.50SUN Catch the EPL, Seria A and La Liga Games Live or Tape DelayBrunch Till 2pm w/$6 Zing Zang Bloody Marys & $6 Mimosas, SundayRoast, Prime Roast Beef w/Roast Potatoes, Mashed Carrots & Parsnipsw/Homemade Yorkshire Pudding w/Gravy $13.95, Two Brothers Bottles $4.50Live Irish Music w/Paddy Homan & Jimmy Keane & Friends at 8pmFind Galway Arms on FacebookVoted Best Irish Bar 2007 & 2008 By AOL City-SearchDiscounted parking is available from the Children's Memorial outpatient facility at 2515 N. Clark Street.SOULOF IRELAND, , HEARTHOF CHICAGO773-472-5555 - galwayarms@gmail.com8 N. Vail AvenueArlington Heights, IL 60004Tel. 847-577-7733 Fax. 847-577-3886Good food. Good friends.Just a great time. See you at Peggy’s!HoursM-Th 11am-1amFri & Sat: 11am-2amSun: 10am-1amwww.peggykinnanes.comSo some of you may know that I recently started to performa play called Music Mad and it has been one of the bestexperiences of my life! I always liked to act but I never got todo anything this serious until now. It has been a blast so farfrom my first table read to the practices to opening night, ithas been so enjoyable. I play the Irish dancer Gracie whichis very fun because I get to dance and act which are two ofmy favorite things. I have seen the show a few times and itis actually very good. In fact, it’s great. My favorite part ofthe whole play is when I do my encore at the end becausethe mood in the room is very energetic. The whole roomis clapping while the musicians are playing a very upbeatreel and I get to do one of my favorite dances, the treble reel.Everyone in the audience has a smile on their face which isthe best part. My fellow cast mates and I entertained peoplethat evening and everyone enjoyed it. I hope to do moretheater shows in high school because I love the rush youget. I think the coolest part about this whole experience isgetting to see what goes on backstage. I know what goes onstage but I don’t know much about the behind the scenespart. I thought it would be more hectic honestly but onceyou get your costume on and you’re all settled, you just sitand wait until you are told to take your places. It really isa learning experience. The show runs until the end of Juneso make sure to grab some tickets at musicmad.net.Well it finally happened. After 8 years of dancing, Ifinally got my first dance injury. It was nothing serious but itkept me off the dance floor for a few days. I was dancing atpractice just like any normal Wednesday. I was in the middleof my reel when I did a 180-spin. I had landed on my anklefunny which I do now and then but this time was different.I had heard a huge crack. I think the sound scared me morethan the pain and I immediately sat down. Mydance teacher put some ice and I sat down forwhile. I was more nervous that I had brokenmy ankle and I would never be able to danceagain or some other crazy thought. The nextday when I woke up, I found it was slightlyswollen. It hurt but it wasn’t completely awful.(I was limping for a few days.) Each day it would getslightly better, though. I returned to dance in a few days.I hated every minute of it. I hated the feeling of not beingable to dance and it was only for a few days. I would hateto actually break my ankle! I hope this was my last danceinjury (Probably not though). I could still say the lines inthe play but my sister Maeve had to dance for me. She dida great job. Now I am back in action.I hope all dads had a great Father’s Day and I am lookingforward to graduation. I will tell you all about it next month.The Six Penny Bit5800 West Montrose773-545-2033Every Friday Night... Fast EddieIrish SessiúnsThursdays 8-10pm starting Jan. 12thAlso Check Our Daily SpecialsWinter Special- ALL DAYAll Domestic Beers (Btl) $2.50All Imported Beers $3.50Kathleen Keane Jimmy Moore Jackie Moran

June 2012 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” 41By MauriceFitzpatrickThe Church, the State, the Super-stateThe Irish Catholic church hasbeen receiving a lot of criticismover the past month. This remindedme of an article entitledErin Go Bonkers ‘printed on July29th last year in the NationalReview in which George Weigelargued that the Irish Catholicchurch needs its hierarchy tobe replaced by clergymen whohave not been besmirched bychurch scandals; in short, thata Californian clergy should beparachuted into clean house.he daft suggestion shows quitehow removed from the realityin Ireland Weigel is because heinadvertently instanced one ofthe most radical members of theIrish Catholic church today—onewho definitely should not bereplaced, by a Californian oranyone else. His name is DiarmuidMartin, the Archbishopof Dublin.What prompted Weigel’s irewas a speech by Edna Kennydenouncing the Vatican for coveringup the sexual abuse of children.The subtext of the speechstrongly implied the secularisationof the Irish constitution. Irelandis going through a processof disentanglement between theChurch and State, the joining ofwhich has done such damage toboth entities. Searing films suchas Song for a Raggy Boy and TheMagdalene Sisters now get madein Ireland and they are welcomeforms of expression for victimswho long since needed it.Since Kenny’s speech the governmenthas closed its embassyto the Vatican City. Kenny andhis colleagues did not envisagethat this populist ruling wouldresult in a heave of public opinionagainst them. When thingsgot heavy, the government’ssleight of hand in reclassifyingthe closure as an ‘economicconsideration’ was squirmy towatch.So where does Archbishop DiarmuidMartin fit in with all this?n erstwhile Vatican diplomat,Martin has seen how the Catholicchurch in Ireland has beencrippled—both through its ownwrongdoing and through criminalgroups using it as a cover fortheir pernicious activities. It issometimes said: ‘a diplomat issomeone who thinks twice beforesaying nothing’. This doesnot apply to Martin. He is a trulyindependent voice who seeks agenuine audit of the church’s affairswhile also putting forwardjustified defences of the Catholicchurch’s work in Ireland. The50th International EucharisticCongress takes place in Irelandin June and Martin will be a keyparticipant. Undoubtedly thereis much to talk about at suchmeetings but I hope that Martingoes public about an issue thathas dismayed many in Irelandin recent weeks.A priest named BrianD’Arcy—who runs a columnin the Sunday World—has beenbrought to heel by his superiorsfor displaying liberal attitudesin what he writes. What theseattitudes were and are is a tadunclear. It seems that Fr. D’Arcymouthed off once too oftenabout contraception, and hemay have piped up about thehandling of sexual abuse scandalsas well.Both the state and the churchare floundering. The state is unsureof the role that Irish peoplewant the church to inhabit. Thechurch thinks that it can rein ina priest, who has been tryingto reach people, over imaginedoffences to Catholicism andsomehow come out the betterfor it. The relationship betweenchurch and state in Ireland hasbeen long and complex. Bothhouses have been fumbling toformulate good policy, acceptablein Ireland today. It will takepeople like Diarmuid Martin,skilled in diplomacy and full ofcompassion, to oversee the restorationof proper relations—hedeserves a fair hearing.Expertise is also much calledfor yet glaringly absent amongthe plutocrats who run the eurozone.For four years now swingeingcuts have rained down uponus, deflating national economies.While banks were guaranteedand repaid above even theirown grandiose expectations,hospitals have closed and privateentreprises have gone bust.The result of these psychopathicpolicies is that countries likeSpain and Greece have over50% unemployment in the 15-25 year old bracket. Ireland’srate is not much better. So whenwill governments wake up andchange policy? As from earlyMay, governments’ conservatismmay not matter so much as itdid: the people have used theirdeadliest weapon, the vote, to tiltthe sacred cow of austerity.The electorates of France andGreece, strange bedfellows untila few weeks ago, have emergedas leaders in repulsing austerityin Europe. France has returnedFrancois Holland, who hasvowed to tackle the markets’ gripon France, as president. Greecehas, at time of writing, failed toform a coalition that will satisfythe European mandarins whohold her purse strings.All around Europe people arebreathing easier. All because ofan exercise in straightforwardpolitics. The tactics were these.Come out in force at election timeto elect to office someone whospeaks sense about growth ratherthan cuts—as Gene Kerrigan succinctlyput it, ‘when you hit an icepatch, don’t slam on the brakes’.Make it clear that the existenceof the euro is neither here northere compared with the prosperityof the people it putativelyserves. Force the euro bullies whothought that the forthcoming referendums(May 31st in Ireland)were a shoo-in to ditch austerityin favour of growth.But it could be all too late forthe currency, especially whenwe remember who is in charge.In January of this year, Europe’sCommissioner for Economic andMonetary Affairs, Olli Rehn, wasasked by the BBC if, come nextyear, there would still be seventeennations in the eurozone. Hisreply was yes—because therewould be no new entrants. Andhe right. It would hard to pushSomalia to join the euro ranksnow. We can take solace from thethought that the dear old Commissionercan get a chuckle outof all this.www.mauricefitzpatrick.orgMaurice Fitzpatrick is an Irishwriter and film producer. Hisfilm, The Boys of St. Columb’s,tells the story of the firstgeneration of Derry children toreceive free secondary educationas a result of the groundbreaking1947 Education Act inNorthern Ireland. This film tellsthe story of how the politicaland historical conditions ofNorthern Ireland altered as aresult of the mass education ofits population, culminating inthe Civil Rights Movement ofthe late 1960s which drew itsinspiration from the USA.

42 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” June 2012ilwaukee Irish Fest to Host Music at the MarinaLAKEFRONT EVENT TO HELPPRESERVE IRISH MUSICKIVLEHANINSURANCE AGENCYHome/Auto/Business/Life/Health708-671-9010Condo and Apartment BuildingsOne of our Specialties Since 1990Health Insurance CompaniesInclude Blue Cross Blue ShieldIndividual & Small Groups11519 S. Harlem Ave.Worth, IL 60482John’s Cell 708-369-6639Milwaukee Irish Fest will host the first-ever Music atthe Marina, a benefit for the Ward Irish Music Archives.The event takes place Friday, July 20th from 5 to 8 p.m.at McKinley Marina’s Overlook Pavilion, located at 1600N. Lincoln Memorial Drive on Milwaukee’s lakefront.“We can’t think of a better way to spend a summerevening while helping out with a good cause,” said BarryStapleton, director of the Archives. “Guests will enjoy agroup of Milwaukee Irish musicians while overlookingLake Michigan.”The event not only provides an exclusive opportunityto enjoy Irish music in an intimate setting, butproceeds will support the Milwaukee-based Ward IrishMusic Archives – home to the largest public collectionof Irish and IrishAmerican musicin America.In addition tolive music, guestswill enjoy lightfood, beveragesand a silent auction.Tickets are$40 ($15 is tax deductible).Spaceis limited to thefirst 40 guests andreservations arerequired. RSVP by calling (414) 476-3378.About Milwaukee Irish FestMilwaukee Irish Fest is North America’s largestcelebration of Irish music and culture. The four-dayfestival showcases more than 100 entertainment actson 16-stages at Henry W. Maier Festival Park on Milwaukee’slakefront. The annual festival occurs everythird weekend in August. The 2012 festival takes placeAugust 16 to 19.More than just a festival, the Milwaukee Irish Fest organizationis passionately committed to igniting a love ofIrish culture in all people. Milwaukee Irish Fest teachesIreland’s music, dance, drama, sports, culture, children’sactivities and genealogy through year-round programming.For more information, visit www.irishfest.com.For Booking: www.celticratpack.comRoving Irish MusicianTakes Group Back In TimeThe craic was mighty in Romeoville, Illinois, whenpeople "went back in time" and gathered to hear a travelingCork man share his music. Mairtin de Cogain was bookedto entertain at Gaelic Park's Irish Fest Sunday and Mondayof Memorial Day Weekend. Then he had a creative brainstorm,and floated an idea to anyone who wanted to hostan "Irish Music House Concert" Saturday night, May 26.Carolyn Jonasen (CJ), a Lake Park High School teacher,accepted the challenge. That meant in addition to givingand grading final exams, processing report cards andwrapping up her school year, she prepared her house forone of its biggest gatherings ever, and spread the word toinvite people to the area's first House Concert.It came to be that Mairtin, who has re-located to Rochester,Minnesota, drove up to CJ's house just in time fora hearty pot luck. He introduced his wife Mitra, who seta huge red bucket of chocolate goodies on the table. DianneReddington ofArlington Heights,IL, said, "Mitra ischarming, has adorabledimples andunderstands theneed for chocolate.Indeed she is a RenaissanceWoman."After the meal,Mairtin de Cogainall were invited togather on the backdeck. It was a diversegroup of 16 that included 8-year-old twins Kyrie andRose O'Mahoney, Sister Julie Stapleton from Loretto Convent,and a visitor from Washington state, Sheila Herron.As the sun began to set, Mairtin sang, told stories ofcharm, laughter, Irish history, movies or economy, andsome stories covered all of these topics and more. Heplayed the bodhran and described the map of Ireland asa teddy bear lying on its side. After that, he explained thebirthplace of each song as coming from "..just behind thebear's calf." or "… from the top of the bear's right paw.".The weather was perfection, and as the sun slipped outof sight, a silver sliver of a baby moon rose. String lightsstarted to sparkle and candles appeared giving CJ's decka look of fairy folk visiting.At our table, before the music started we discussed thaton an Irish Festival Cruise, Paddy Reilly was overheardraving about Mairtin and predicting "That kid is going tothe top in the Irish music world. Just you watch." As theevening rolled on, we all agreed that years from now, wewill remember this night and that "We knew him when…While the light dimmed, Kathleen Bremer from CarolStream brought out her flute and played a few numbers includinga fast jig as Mairtin brought a roar from the crowdwhen he jumped into the wickedly wild Broom Dance.When the evening wound to a close, Mary Evers, ofOrland Park, said, "A few years ago the last of the seanchaisI knew in Dingle passed away. Never did I dreamthe evenings my friends and I spent with him would berecreated. Then I met Mairtin." Everyone agreed it was anextraordinary night.. And the general feeling was that noone will ever forget this glorious evening of going back intime when Mairtin de Cogain brought his music to Illinoisand the craic was mighty in Romeoville.

44 Irish American News “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREEN!” June 2012Safe Homeummer Safetyby Heather BegleyPut the summer of 2012 on the map asone to remember, for the right reasons.Plan a trip. Plant a garden. Head to thebeach. Gather family and friends for abarbeque fête. Take a long walk. Shut offthe smart phone and iPad and reconnectwith your loved ones. You don’t have tospend a ton of money to make some wonderfulmemories.In addition to planning wonderful activities,take steps to ensure your summeris safe and healthy. You know the basicsof staying hydrated, wearing waterproofsunscreen and wearing your seatbelt. Onelesson learned by my family last year wasto always wear shoes outside! My barefootdaughter stepped on a bee and was stungat a neighbor’s lake house. Fortunately, shewas on the mend in no time.There are other hazards to considerduring the summer. I recently learned thatdrowning does not look like drowning. Ipictured the act of drowning to look likea person flailing their arms around, shoutingand thrashing in the water. Instead, itis an instinctiveresponse thatlooks more likethe person is inan upright position,with theirheads underwater, arms upand their palmson the surface of the water. The responseis noiseless and it may not appear that theperson is actually in distress. By this point,the person is not capable of asking for help.Keep in mind that a well-fitting life jacketwill assist in preventing drowning.A few other issues to consider to keepyou and your loved ones safe include: (1)Never dive in shallow water; (2) Followfood safety guidelines at picnics; (3) Neverleave a child alone in the car; (4) Make sureyour child knows what to do if he or shegets lost in a crowd; (5) Be vigilant withchildren at the pool or beach; (6) Make surethe gate to the pool is locked and that anypool chemicals are stored out of children’sreach; (7) Make sure that the slide at theplayground is not too hot for your littleones; (8) Remember that a screen will notprotect your child from falling out of a windowso remove any furniture that wouldallow the children access to leaning on thewindow; (9) Always wear a helmet whenriding a bike, scooter or rollerblading and(10) Consider taking a CPR class. Have agreat summer!Blake-LambFuneral HomesGolf for A Cause or Just for FunCIIS GOLF OUTINGGolf season is upon us, which meansit’s time to participate in the ChicagoIrish Immigrant Support’s Annual GolfOuting! This year promises to be a greatday out with friends and supporters ofChicago Irish Immigrant Support.CIIS Annual Golf OutingSunday, June 10th, 2012Shot Gun Start at NoonSt. Andrews Golf Course2241 N Neltnor Blvd West Chicago,IL 60185,Call Paul at 773-282-8445 to reserveyour spot.2012 Concern Worldwide Golf OutingConcern Worldwide U.S. will holdits 10th Annual Chicago Golf Outing,presented by Collins Engineers and TheMcShane Companies, on Wednesday,June 27, 2012 at Harborside InternationalGolf Center in Chicago. The programformat is a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m.and includes lunch, dinner and anawards program. Robert M. Fitzgerald isthis year’s Honorary Chairman. Fundsgenerated from the event will benefitConcern’s emergency relief and longtermdevelopment programs in the areasof nutrition, health, livelihoods and HIVand AIDS. To register for the golf outingand learn about sponsorship opportunities,please contact Lisa Jacobus at lisa.jacobus@concern.net / 312.431.8400 orvisit www.concernusa.org.HANLY BROTHERSSaturday, June 23, 2012 a golf outingwill be held at Gleneagles Country Clubto raise money for the Hanly Brothers,and to fight Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy.In February 2011, 15-year old MichaelHanly and his 12-year old brother James,the sons of Rita McInerney Hanly andLuke Hanly of Manhattan, Illinois werediagnosed with Becker Muscular Dystrophy.Becker MD is a genetic disorder forwhich there is no cure.Shotgun start at 12:30 pm. $125 pergolfer. For more go to www.helpinghandsforthehanlybrothers.orgor call Tomat 708-878-9054, Mike at 630-669-6110, orEnda at 708-732-5087.CHICAGO STREET PUBwill be holding their 7th annual outingat Inwood Golf Course, Saturday, August25th 2012. The reservations for foursomeswill be first come first serve. Once the outingis filled, the spots will only be savedwith cash deposits. Get ahold ofTriz andKathy as early as possible at miketrizna@yahoo.com to reserve a spot in the outing.Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental,international humanitarian organizationcommitted to the relief, assistanceand advancement of the most vulnerablepeople in the least developed countriesin the world. Founded in Ireland in 1968,Concern has more than 3,200 peopleworking in 25 countries around the world,including Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.Did You Realize?A Quarter Page AdCosts Less Than2 cents per copy!Let’s Do It!!708-445-07004727 W. 103rd StreetOak Lawn IL 60453All phones: 708-636-1193Owned by SCI Illinois Services, Inc.

June 2012 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” 45onsul General Aidan Cronin interviews with the Irish American NewsBy Katie HamiltonAidan Cronin arrived in Chicago last August.Nine months later, the newest ConsulGeneral is hard at work at the new office inthe heart of the Loop.“The welcome from the Irish communityhas been extraordinary,” said Aidan, citingthe Irish American Heritage Center, IrishImmigrant Support, Gaelic Park, Gaelicthletic Association, and the Ireland Networkamong the organizations which haveformed an “open, cohesive community.”A graduate of University College Cork,Aidan is a lawyer by trade. His prestigiouscareer has taken him across the world, fromDublin to Australia, Iran, China, and now,the United States. “No two postings areever the same,” said Aidan. “But Chicagois undoubtedly the best so far.”Irish Consulates operate out of NewYork, Boston, Atlanta, and San Francisco.Based in Chicago, Aidan serves as the officialrepresentative of Ireland to 15 U.S. states– 14 across the Midwest plus Texas - andreports to the Irish Embassy in WashingtonD.C. “We’re very busy,” he said.His office processes passports, visas, andapplications for citizenship, and providesgeneral support and assistance for the Irishcommunity.Aidan spends much of his time promotingIreland and the Irish economy todifferent stakeholders. He is constantlynetworking with local newspapers, chambersof commerce, economic developmentoffices, and various civic leaders, deliveringthe message that “Ireland is a good place todo business, invest, and visit.”The nature of the Consul General’s focuschanges according to Ireland’s nationalpriorities. “20 years ago, we were talkingContinued to next pageOut and About ChicagolandJohn Griffin, Maedhbhand Aidan Cronin, ToniPreckwinkle, and BillyLawless at the CIISAnnual Gala.Below: Paul Dowling,Catherine Brady, Rev. MichaelLeonard, Sinead Gallagher, Lt.Thomas Maloney, CaroleannGallagher, Paul Treacy,Breandán Magee, Cyril Regan,Therese O’SullivanChicago IrishImmigrant SupportChicago Irish Immigrant Supporthosted its Annual Gala Awards Dinner atGaelic Park on Saturday, March 31. Thisyear's Honoree was Lt. Thomas Maloneyof the Chicago Fire Department, a 9/11first responder and local hero. Lt. Maloneyrushed to Ground Zero the day afterthe attacks and assisted with the rescueefforts. He also established an annualmotorcycle ride from Chicago to New YorkCity, now in its tenth year with the AmericanFirefighters Motorcycle Club. He hasraised thousands of dollars for the victims'families and kept the memory of those whodied alive.Cook County Board President ToniPreckwinkle and Congressman Jesse JacksonJr. joined the event and echoed ConsulGeneral Aidan Cronin's remarks honoringthe contribution of Irish immigrants to Chicago.An award was also given to NancyKenny, the wife of the late Mike Kenny ofCo. Kerry. Kenny was a renowned communityorganizer in Chicago who raised alot of money for worthy causes.The Irish American Labor Council honored James Sweeney and Bill Gaineron May 9, 2012 during their 18th annual James Connolly Dinner. Jim and Billwill also be honored when their names are inscribed on the James ConnollyStatue in Union Square. (l to r) James and Marilyn Sweeney, and Gerry andBill Gainer.Maureen O’Looney, Mary Gorski and Vincent Casey enjoying the evening atthe Irish American Heritage Center, commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising.

46 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” June 2012South Side TupeloIt rained, it rained, both nightand day. My poor parents wereworried; had nothing to keep thewater away. Before Deep Tunnelsafely drained excess runoff intoits cavernous depths, the waterhad nowhere else to go but intothe 1930s-era sewer beneath ourcurb. Dripping wet, I sat out in thegarage doorway, hunkering downso as to get a better view of thelightning while avoiding a possiblestrike on my person.“Michael! Get back in here, thisinstant! You’re going to get yourselfkilled!”“But I can’t see anything fromthere!”“Get back. in here...NOW,” shehissed past gritted teeth.Whenever our mother used herslow-burn voice, we all knew we’dcome close to death, so I reluctantlysplashed my way to the back door.“Run down and see if we haveany water coming up in the basement,”my mother ordered as Istood shaking rainwater out ofmy hair. I hiked downstairs andpeered over the railing. Hmmm.Nothing yet…no water on theoor or leaks around the windows.o be sure, our sump pump waslaboring to hold back the deluge,and had been running almostcontinuously all day. The sewergrate could not be seen under themound of grimy kids’ clothes, so Imade a more thorough inspection.Kicking aside the laundry, to myhorror I smelled …That Smell.“MOM!!!” I yelled upstairs. “It’scoming up out of the sewer, fast!”“Not again!” My mother rusheddown the stairs and gasped, fromboth the aroma and sight of theever-widening pool of nastiness.“Quick, Michael, start movingeverything up higher!”Having heard our shouts, mybrothers and sisters now arrived,standing safely atop the bottomstep and peering through the slatsof the banister.“P., U.,” exclaimed my youngestbrother Jimmy.“Are those my clothes, allyucky?” moaned my little sister.“Don’t worry about those, MaryEllen, just grab the clean ones andbring them upstairs! Hurry, it’scoming up fast!” She scooped uparmfuls of clothes and dumpedthem into a basket. By now theblack water had slithered halfwayacross the tiles and lapped upagainst the washing machine. Thedryer and furnace would be next.“Michael, open the fridge andmove all the food up to the topshelf. Packy, grab your father’stools on the floor and move themup, too. Denise, take this last loadof laundry upstairs…hurry up, orwe’ll lose everything! No, Jimmy,not one more step! I don’t wantyou getting sick from all this sewerwater. Here, you can take this boxupstairs for me.”My youngest brother, six,stopped in his tracks with onefoot poised in the air over the bottomstep. He looked chagrined fora moment; then shrugged, grinnedand tramped back upstairs, strugglingwith the heavy cardboardbox. What a great adventure, thisflood business. My brother Patrick,in rubber boots, sloshed his way tothe deepest end to save what hecould from Dad’s toolbox. Hearinga loud gurgling, he waded back toinvestigate.“Aaaagh! MOM! It’s coming upout of the toilet now!” He retreatedfrom the vile onslaught, closing thebathroom door to keep anythingfrom floating our way.“Why does this always haveto happen when your father’s atwork?” Mom sighed, regardingthe black waves lapping at her feet.“He’s just lucky that way,”quipped Packy. “I wish I was.”“He won’t think he’s lucky whenhe gets home and sees this, and nodinner ready,” said Mom. “Denise!Quick, grab those shirts hangingthere and take them upstairs,before they all smell. Mary Ellen,move those baskets over by thestairs for Jimmy to take up.”It was getting hard to breathe.That Smell had become That Stench.At this point, even Ed Norton ofthe Honeymooners would havestrapped on his oxygen mask. Oursump pump had been completelyoverwhelmed, so I unplugged itbefore the water reached its wiring.Forming a fireman’s chain,we passed boxes and possessionsfrom hand to hand. With the sumppump off, the black water surgedanother foot higher, forcing Jimmyup to the fourth step. My mother’sboots had been topped, now filledto overflowing. She stood in themiddle of the stygian pool, tookone last look and called her troopsto beat a hasty retreat.“All right everybody, that’s it.Let’s go! Every one of you, upstairs.Now.”“But Mom, we still have to getall these boxes up higher…what ifit fills the whole basement, up tothe ceiling!” I shouted, grabbinganother armful of books.“Michael, that’s it. We can’t staydown here another minute. We’llall get asphyxiated by the fumes!Upstairs, all of you!” She beganto herd us through the thick blacksoup towards the stairway. Weleft our muddy boots there, andshut the upstairs door behind usso as to keep That Smell confinedto the nether regions. Not longafter, we heard Dad burst throughthe back door, sopping wet andfumbling with his briefcase, keys,and half-folded travel umbrella.Two seconds later came a loudbump and then a stream of curseswith which I shall not despoil thereader’s delicate ear. Eventually,he found words of more than onesyllable and sputtered,“Mary! Who left all theseboots here, right up against the@#%-damned door?” Then, hesmelled That Smell.“Oh, no…No, no, no, NO!!!” Hebent low at the waist, shook hishead back and forth and stampedhis foot, making the floorboardsshake. “Jesus H. Collemial Q.Christ…! Not again!” Then Dadsighed, put down his briefcase,and peeling off his overcoat andrubber galoshes, took charge ofthe situation. He rolled up hisshirtsleeves and tramped down tosurvey the disaster area, but had tostop short, only three steps belowthe back door landing. The floodwatershad filled the basement towithin inches of the electrical outlets,which my dad had installedIrish Consul General Aidan Croninfive feet up the walls against occasionssuch as this.Crowded behind him on thelast few stairs left above water,we all bent down to peer overthe banister at the surface of thestill, black pool before us. Nothingcould be seen upon the darkwaters but a pale reflection of thesingle yellow light bulb burningonly a few feet above. Backin the corner, we could hear thegurgling of fresh sewage. Thewasher and dryer and old 1950sWestinghouse icebox where Dadkept his Strohs beer and we kidsour cheap Canfield’s pop…allwere now submerged beneath theooze or poking their heads up likeforlorn icebergs. But real icebergshad it better, that’s for sure.Continued from previous pageabout Northern Ireland,” saidAidan. “Today, we’re talking abouttrade and the economy.”“Ireland’s been through a difficulttime, but we are on the roadto recovery,” he said. Even so, hereferred to the 14 percent – andrising - unemployment rate in theRepublic. “It’s a hardship for a lotof people. But our challenge asthe administration is to get peopleback to work. We need to growthe economy, attract foreign directinvestment, continue to invest ineducation, continue to invest inresearch, and re-skill people.”Aidan noted that the governmentis only a year old – somethingthe Irish should keep in mind. “It’srefreshing – Chicagoans have areally positive attitude towardsIreland, more than the Irish themselves.”Indeed, the Irish community inChicago is strong as ever. Aidanhosted Taoiseach Enda Kenny’svisit to Chicago in March. “TheTaoiseach and Mayer Rahm Emanuelreally struck it off,” he said.“They had a good conversationabout government and business.The Taoiseach was very impressedwith his ideas, energy, and internationalknowledge of Ireland.”Aidan was especially pleasedwith the Mayer’s presence overthe St. Patrick’s Day weekend,particular his attendance at Old St.Patrick’s Church and the paradewith his family. “It was a real nodfrom the Mayor to the Irish communityin Chicago,” said Aidan.He added that Mayor Emanuel hasplans to cycle around Ireland withthe Taoiseach.The Consulate recently movedfrom its longtime home in theWrigley Building to 1 East WackerDrive. The new office is moremodern and spacious and offers aspace to host functions. But comethis fall, the Consulate will beemptier - Vice Consul Tim Reillyreturns to Dublin for Ireland’s turnof the European Union presidencyin 2013. As a result, Aidan will bewithout his right hand man. “Thetransition from Ireland to Chicagowas much easier for me. I am luckyto have Tim.”Consul General Aidan CroninNevertheless, Aidan is lookingforward to the rest of his tenurehere. He currently resides inLakeview with his wife Maedhbhand two children, Caoimhe, 7, andCadhla, 5. “We’ve very happyhere,” he said. “Chicago is a greatIrish city. And it’s a great city to bethe Irish Consul General in.”Like to hold a function at theIrish Consulate? Call 312-337-1868.“Well,” Dad said, clapping histwo hands together as he stoodup, “there’s nothing more we cando tonight. We’ll just have to waitfor the water to go down. If it does,cleanup duty begins tomorrowmorning at 0:900 hours.” We allgroaned, having been there anddone that. Many, many timesbefore.“Mary, we have no dinner, andit’s fit for man nor beast out there.I say, let’s order pizza.”“Yaaay, for the flood!” we kidscheered.These stories are excerptedfrom Celtic artist Michael Carroll’sbooks “Meehall” and “The TroubleWith Meehall,” available at www.lulu.com. Michael’s artwork maybe viewed at www.mccelti

49 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” June 2012