Celtic Woman, the all-female Irish ensemble will play the Pikes Peak Center, on Thursday April 24, 7PM, 2014, performing new musical gens and fan favorites. pikespeakcenter.com

By Luke Henderson —
(Black and white front cover photo of Tracy Jones by Francisco Estevez Photography. Flower pattern background from Tracy Jones dancewear company “Tulips by Tracy”)

The Irish call those that have emigrated from the country with the affectionate term ‘wild geese’ and bird imagery has often been used within the world of ballet. With Ireland-born Colorado Ballet star Tracy Jones, the two fit perfectly together.
For Jones, who was born in Cork, dancing has been with her seemingly forever. At age five her mother, a dancer growing up herself, enrolled her in ballet classes. A love was born and soon she was ready for the next step. “It wasn’t until I was 11 and I auditioned for a spot at The Royal Ballet School that I realized I wanted to really focus on classical ballet,” Jones said.
That early investment and keen focus has earned her a spot within one of the most prestigious ballet troupes in America and while she’s enjoying her time in Colorado, she admits she wishes for a chance to be reminded of home a bit more by connecting with our Celtic community. “I would very much like to become more involved with the Irish community and meet fellow countrymen. I do always smile though when I see an Irish bumper sticker on cars around town or hear an Irish accent when I am out and about,” Jones said.
But free time for someone so dedicated is limited, especially when attempting to keep up with not only the demands of her craft, but a love for it and desire to see it respected. “I believe that dance and the arts are not only important, but a necessary part of any community. Colorado Ballet has very talented dancers from all over the world and the level of the company in my opinion is world class. In most cosmopolitan cities and especially in Europe, any great metropolis will have a great ballet company. Denver has this by being home to Colorado Ballet, but I think that we have to help our community recognize this,” Jones said.
If the Colorado Ballet keeps up its high level of professionalism, the community will have no choice but to follow. Currently it is closing out its very successful 2013-2014 season. “It has been really fantastic,” Jones said about the season, before detailing her accomplishments within it, which included performing in; a pas de deux (a tango piece choreographed by ballet mistress Lorita Travagli), Giselle, The Nutcracker, Cinderella and finally in the Ballet Director’s Choice where she will be featured in The Last Beat.
Through rigorous performance seasons, surgeries and even continental changes of location, Jones knows just what keeps her dancing. “Being on stage. Although we put in a lot more hours into being in the rehearsal studio and keeping our bodies in shape and healthy, it is all worth it when we get to the theatre. Having the opportunity to share this art form with an audience is such a privilege and for me, there is no other feeling like it,” Jones said.
As for Ireland, her love of it is a feeling unlike any other as well. “I believe that where you come from is always very important and for me, although I haven’t lived there in a long time, Ireland will always have a very special place in my heart,” Jones said.
While that place may be large, Jones makes it clear she could not be happier where she is. When asked if there has ever been a moment she just stops and thinks about her dreams coming true, she replies without hesitation. “Honestly, I tend to feel like this most of the time when I am on stage,” Jones said.
The art of ballet can be both mesmerizing and intimidating to those beholding it. But behind the hours of practice, years of study, decades of dedication and centuries of history, lay the stories of the performers that make up the pageantry of this art. Tracy Jones, born of Ireland, resident of Denver, is one of those stories and the Colorado Celtic community is fortunate to have the chance to be a small part of her story.
If you wish to follow and support Tracy Jones, she stresses her desire that everyone come and see the Colorado Ballet perform. However to follow her directly you can find her on Twitter @tracyannejones, on her website www.tracyjones.weebly.com, or follow her business of ballet skirt creation at www.tulipsbytracy.com.

As the weather warms and the ground thaws, the Gaels have plenty of events going on.
The Hurling Pub League ramps up to high gear as players shake off the last of the rust and start chasing the Cup in a big way. They’ll also ramp up our gaelic football training in preparation for the start of Football Pub League in May.
Social event s are also a big part of the Gaels, so if you are interested as a player or supporter stop by www.DenverGaels.com

By Luke Henderson —
(photos: Canaan Grigsby above; Jason Clayton below)

Two of Colorado’s fighting Irish community, Jason Clayton (7-4) and Canaan Grigsby (2-1), are set to face off in separate matches this month on the Fight to Win MMA, ‘Animals’ card. Both men are veterans of the local fighting scene and were nominees for the 2013 Celtic ‘Club’ award.

Grand Junction’s Jason Clayton will be facing Cody Mumma (5-1) in the co-main event of the evening. It might be an uphill battle for the Celtic Clayton, who will be looking to rebound from two straight losses. His fight is against a very tough Mumma who has won five straight since losing in 2012.
Clayton knows the fight is a tough one, but that’s the only kind he likes.
“I want to fight the best fighters every time I step in the cage. It is about testing myself and my discipline. I truly love the competition part of this sport,” Clayton said.
He hopes The Celtic Connection readers will turn out to support him in Denver.
“I’m mainly Irish and Indian. Both very proud heritages. I just seem to identify more with the Irish side. I genuinely love fighting and it just seems to be a natural part of that heritage. People should come out and watch this fight to show support for all fighters involved. Most importantly to see two great, talented fighters test their skills,” Clayton said.

While fight fans are excited about the Clayton/Mumma match, tongues are wagging for the grudge match of the year when Canaan ‘The Super Beast’ Grigsby collides with Jeremiah Talley (1-1). A considerable amount of bad blood exists between the two men and a war of words has gone on stretching back to 2013. Grigsby, a fan favorite firebrand of a fighter, credits his toughness to his heritage.
“I’m from hardworking people. My grandparents worked their asses off to make it and give life to our family and that means something to me. My grandmother actually ‘homesteaded’ her property so yeah we are a people of this earth and whether we were born in Ireland like my great grandparents and great-great grandparents, or born right here on this Native-American land, I am honored to carry my last name,” Grigsby said.

Two more of Colorado’s Irish-American community are set to display their skills on April 18 at the National Western Complex in Denver. To support these fighters you can purchase tickets through www.fighttowinmma.com. Scheduled 12 Fight card to begin at 7PM.

Irish Network-Colorado (INCO) welcomes all the Irish-American community and everyone who loves Irish story and music to once again join them for a special afternoon. “ Last year’s event was such HUGE FUN, we just have to do it again!” enthused the INCO press release when announcing the return of “Sure the Craic was 90: An afternoon of Irish Story and Song.” The event will be anchored by Storyteller Liz Weir with special guest musicians/singers Celtic Friends and take place at The Celtic Tavern, The Celtic Tavern, 1801 Blake Street, Denver, Saturday, April 12 at 2:30p.m. Folks are invited to arrive early to have lunch and socialize. Tickets are $10 in advance via www.irishnetworkco.com

Liz Weir is a storyteller and writer from Cushendall , Northern Ireland, who has told her stories to children and adults on five continents. The first winner of the International Storybridge Award from the National Storytelling Network, which cited her “exemplary work promoting the art of storytelling within Ireland and between other countries,” Weir has once again been nominated for this year’s Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. She is in Colorado to participate in the Conference on World Affairs held April 7-11 at the CU campus in Boulder (www.colorado.edu/cwa

).

INCO hosted Film, Food, and Fun last month at Katie Mullen’s in Denver. (photo) Seamus Blaney, Eleanor Burns, and other members and friends of INCO shared many laughs as they watched the hilarious documentary “The Irish Pub” and then listened to local Irish born publicans sharing stories about doing business in Denver vs. the ‘Old Sod.’

The 2014 Conference on World Affairs (CWA) will take place April 7th through 11th at University of Colorado campus, Boulder. Originally founded in 1948 as a forum on international affairs, the conference expanded rapidly in its early years to encompass the arts, media, science, diplomacy, technology, environment, spirituality, politics, business, medicine, human rights, and so on. Roger Ebert, who participated in the CWA for four decades, always referred to the CWA as “the Conference on Everything Conceivable.”
Included among the participants from around the world are performer, storyteller, writer, Clare Muireann Murphy originally from Ireland, now based in London. Storyteller Liz Weir from Northern Ireland will be making her 14th appearance to the event! More information and schedules are at www.colorado.edu/cwa.

(Irish Pubs in America: History, Lore and Recipes —
A Colorado review from Rodger Hara)

Globaldiaspora.ie estimates that there are over 70 million people around the world who claim Irish ancestry. With that number, it is no surprise that there are also an estimated 60,000 Irish pubs around the world in many unusual and far-flung places. For example, Denver’s own Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald recently returned from a trip to Mongolia where he found a pub opened by a Limerick man called The Great Khaan Irish Pub in downtown Ulanbaatr.

Many of those 60,000 pubs are in the US and at least 42 (at last count) are in the Denver metropolitan area. And of those 42, two – Nallen’s Irish Pub and Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub – have been honored by being included in a just-published fascinating and well-written coffee-table book called “Irish Pubs in America: History, Lore and Recipes.”

Written and photographed by Robert “Bob” Meyers with Ron Wallace and published by Deeds Publishing, this book rises above the usual lists of great pubs because of the authors’ unique approach to selecting the pubs for the book.

In 2008, Bob, a 1956 graduate of the University of Colorado, former foreign service officer, staffer in the Carter White House, Director of International Affairs at Allied Signal (now Honeywell) and Vice President at Scientific Atlanta (now Cisco), began a 2 ½ year quest to photograph and write the story of the barns of the part of Georgia that had been Milton County from 1857 to 1931. In 1932, it was merged with Fulton County to save it from bankruptcy. Formerly part of the Cherokee Nation, cotton was king in Milton County and Bob produced a coffee table book, “Bygone Treasures and Timeless Beauties: Barns of Old Milton County” that presented a loving and respectful look at barns old and new there with art-house quality photographs and stories about their context and uses.

Ron, a native of Idaho, began his 38 year career with United Parcel Service as a driver there and retired in 2002 in Georgia as President of UPS International. A resident of Alpharetta, the former Seat of Milton County, he is an author of two books, “The Power of the Campaign Pyramid”, released in 2012, a book about organizing political campaigns (he has won 19 of the 22 campaigns he has managed) and “What Brown Did for Me”, a book on leadership that will be released in 2014. He has also been a professional race car driver, played semi-pro football in Europe and after retiring from UPS attended a police academy in Georgia, received his certification, worked for a sheriff’s department for two years and is now Deputy Chief of the police department in Alpharetta where he has his own patrol car and works two to three nights a week. After retirement, he was approached about investing in a pub and using the business skills and wisdom developed overseeing UPS’ operations in 200 foreign countries visited over a hundred Irish pubs, did extensive research and developed a business plan that could easily be a Harvard Business School case study (http://www.accessmilton.com/BOM-OldeBlindDog.php). That research led to the opening of The Olde Blind Dog Pub (named in honor of Ron’s English Bull Dog Peaches) in Milton, GA (a city that, incidentally, Ron helped found) five years ago and a sister pub 18 months ago.

After release of Bob’s book on the Barns of Milton County, he and Ron were visiting one day and Ron casually suggested that Bob do his next book on pubs. One thing led to another and soon the two embarked on a journey that lasted a year, saw them log 50,000 air miles and interview hundreds of people around the country in search of those pubs that have great visual appeal, an interesting story/history and are part of and contribute to their communities. In the interview for this article, he told me that the book is “…really a storybook – not just a review of some great pubs – and is a tribute to what the Irish have contributed to this country.” Echoing that thought, Ron said that the book is an expression of “…appreciation for the Irish and the stories within each pub.” They built on Ron’s research and relationships developed in the build-out of his pubs, interviewed pub owners, liquor industry staff, customers and visited pubs around the country on their quest.

In that context, it is fitting that Nallen’s, Denver’s oldest pub and Scruffy Murphy’s, one of Denver’s newest were chosen to be honored along with 50 other pubs around America.

About 18 months ago, Bob and Ron contacted John Nallen, told him about their book and asked if he would be their guide in Denver. John willingly agreed and took them on a tour of the pubs around town and wound up with them back at his establishment where they were charmed by the Mom and Pop operation similar to so many pubs in Ireland.

Nallen’s was founded in 1992 and moved to its current location on Market Street in 1996. John Nallen, from the tiny town of Belderrig near the Céide Fields Heritage Ireland site in County Mayo, was an early supporter of the Denver Gaels, played for a time and was Vice President of the club in the early days. John manages the pub with his wife Una and able assistance from son Sean, son-in-law to be Keith Lawler and niece Maggie. Bob and Ron chose Nallen’s because of its size, look comfortable feel and welcoming authenticity and the fact that a dozen couples have chosen to be married in the pub, giving it the title of “the wedding pub.” John said that having been in 10 or so of the other pubs in the book that he was “…surprised, humbled and honored to be included in such company.”

Founded in 2004 by Andrew Toole and now owned by Shannon Murray, her husband Dave “Sarge” Wisniewski and Niall “Bingo” Byrne of County Wexford, Scruffy Murphy’s on Larimer is named after an apocryphal Irish miner who may or may not have existed but whose name is known around the world. Ably managed by Steve Colligan and veteran bartender Craig Hostrop (at Scruffy’s since 2005) while Shannon tends her day job at Hinds Financial Services and Sarge his superintendent work for Saunders Construction, Scruffy Murphy’s has been included because of its “…mildly eccentric character, slightly worn and scruffy but always welcoming – like your Irish neighbors living room.” Bob and Ron also recognized Scruffy’s for the charitable work it does in the community for the Tennyson Center for Children, Hearts and Hand Center for at risk youth and the Wounded Warrior project among many others. Having left Michigan 33 years ago – where Sarge was actually a second lieutenant in the Saginaw Mounted Police (and despite his nickname and bearing was never in the military) – Shannon said that “While it may be every Irishman’s dream to own a pub in America, there are actually many Irish-Americans with the same dream.”

In addition to beautiful photographs of the interiors and exteriors of the pubs featured in the book, there are recipes too. Niall Byrne’s wife Heather’s recipe for Maggie May’s Bread Pudding has been included along with recipes for the Dublin Mule served at Nallen’s in a copper mug and Steve Colligan’s recipe for an Irish Apple that comes in a martini glass, both made with Jameson’s.

In Denver we are blessed with access to two wonderful places where we just take them for granted. If you are interested in learning about the rest and getting a treat for your eyes and heart, copies of the book are available at both pubs, online at www.irishpubsbook.com and if you happen to be in Dublin, a copy can also be picked up from Marty at the Temple Bar merchandise shop next to the pub. And for more fun, the pilot for a reality television show based on the stories of the pubs in the book is also in production, so watch your cable listings. And for even more fun, pick up a copy of the book and take a long, slow road trip and visit all the pubs in it…

It’s March – springtime and St. Patrick’s Day are just around the corner. Soon the streets of Denver and city centers around the world will fill with folks wearing green t-shirts, hats, and buttons that celebrate their good fortune to be ‘Irish.’ The association of being “Irish” and charmed with good luck is evident in the common expression ‘luck of the Irish.’ According to Edward T. O’Donnell, author of 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History, the phrase “luck of the Irish” started in America, “During the gold and silver rush years in the second half of the 19th century, a number of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth. . . .Over time this association of the Irish with mining fortunes led to the expression ‘luck of the Irish.’”
Although definitions of luck might vary, the word often comes into play to explain something that happened beyond ones control or defying the odds. When people hear about Josh Stewart and Susan Morrice they might chalk their stories off as ‘luck if the Irish,’ as both are from Ireland and both have experienced extreme good fortune since they did the Educo seminar and learned how to imprint their goals. Both have started highly successful companies that have been receiving awards and accolades from within their industries. Josh brought his vision to a vacant piece of land in southeast Denver and turned it into the world’s finest private aviation company, XJet. Susan founded Belize Natural Energy (BNE). Undaunted by advise from big energy companies (who tried and failed) who told her that there was no oil in Belize, Susan forged ahead with her vision and holistic business model and struck oil on the first hole drilled! BNE has now become the largest employer in Belize, all the while surpassing industry standards for working in nature.
How much of Josh and Susan’s success came from planning and hard work, and how much was just being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time? You can hear Josh and Susan’s story in more detail on Saturday March 15th, 9am-12pm at XJet. They will tell you about their experiences of designing a holistic business model, and give insights on how they direct those intangible variables that we all have to create success – or ‘luck’ as some would say. The 3 hour informational session is free, plan to attend now – Whether you are looking for success in business, relationships, or personal well-being, you just might be on the way to finding your lucky four leaf clover from within!
Reserve your seat now, contact: [email protected]
(If you are unable to attend March 15, contact Tina at above email and ask to contacted in regards to future meetings)

Seamus O’Hara, Brewmaster and Founder of O’Hara’s Irish Craft Brews and the Carlow
Brewing Company in Ireland is on his way to Denver to Kick-off St. Patrick’s Weekend.
You can share a pint with Seamus Friday, March 14th 6p-8p at Brendan’s Pub,
404 Broadway, Denver. Contact the pub through www.Brendans404.com or call 720-627-5374.
Above, Tom McGuire, O’Harra’s Mountain Region Manager (303-799-6644), Lisa of Brendan’s,
and owner Kevin Geragty inspect the O’Hara tap for the big occasion. No cover charge!

Craft beer connoisseur Seamus O’Hara and his brother Eamonn founded Carlow Brewing Company in 1996, in County Carlow, Ireland. Determined to revive the long lost art of Irish craft beer brewing, the O’Hara brothers made a promise to produce a range of premium, full flavored beers using only the finest pure natural ingredients in the traditional way – and they have delivered! O’Hara’s award winning beers are now recognized as the number one craft beer in Ireland and are earning accolades internationally.
Coloradoans will be able to enjoy the genuine Irish beer, brewed in Ireland, and have a pint of O’Hara’s with brewmaster and founder Seamus O’Hara when he visits Colorado in March. Seamus will be happy to meet you Friday March 14 between 6-8PM at Brendan’s Pub, 404 Broadway, Denver and share the O’Hara’s craft beer experience.
Seamus recently took time to chat with The Celtic Connection in advance of his trip to the States and gave some insights into the business of beer.

Attracted to home brewing in his late teens, Seamus honed in on his passion when he went to college and studied bio tech and brewing.
After college he took a job in Manchester, England and was struck by the abundance of craft beer available to consumers. “I came from a country that had the same two or three beers in every pub, and nothing much else out there. While in England, I was introduced to local breweries, regional and imported craft beers. When I moved back to Ireland a couple of years later I got a shock to my system to find the same two or three beers. It was then that I started to look around at the whole idea of opening a brewery and introducing a new beer in Ireland.”

Seamus’s research tuned him into the rich past of craft brewing in Ireland. He learned that the country’s beer industry was not always dominated by a small number of big macro breweries. In fact, at the beginning of the nineteenth century there were over 200 microbreweries in Ireland, more than 50 in Dublin alone. “The area I come from has a lot of history tied into the brewing industry, particularly in the producing of hops and malts,” said Seamus referring to the
historical malt-growing “Barrow Valley” region in southeast Ireland. “In our local town of Bagenalstown, a water powered brewery functioned until the late 1700’s before being turned into a malting facility, and up the road in Carlow town there were no fewer than 8 breweries.”
A trip to the U.S. in the 1990’s and seeing people get together and brew their own beers commercially was the final impetus needed for the O’Hara brothers to take their microbrewery dream to fruition. “That was the final bit of inspiration for me and my brother to get together and get our own company in 1996, and then in 1998 when we brought our beer onto the market.”
Initially, the big challenge was not only that the market was over dominated by the big macro companies, but ‘over regulation’ kept the smaller micro craft beers out of the on premise (Pubs) markets. As frustrating as the big beer business blockade was to the O’Hara brothers, they saw a silver lining; it nudged the O’Hara’s to export their beers. “That’s why we became an export business in an early stage of our business, as well as selling our beers domestically at off premise stores,” explained Seamus who added, “The U.S. is the biggest export market along with Italy, France and Croatia.” Currently there are four O’Hara’s beers available in the States – Irish Stout, Irish Red, Irish Pale Ale, and ‘Lean Folláin’ (wholesome stout in Gaelic), a full-bodied extra Irish stout. This year there are plans for more O’Hara products to be introduced to the U.S. market.

Things have been changing in Ireland’s beer business according to O’Hara and the microbreweries have been making inroads. “The last 3 to 4 years, craft beers have really taken off in Ireland, so if you travel over here now and go into most pubs in Dublin you can see a diversity of local craft and import beer, so we’re no longer stuck in the time warp with just Guinness, Smithwick’s, and Harp.”
O’Hara said that the big macro breweries in Ireland have been declining in sales over the last 10 years, where on the micro side, craft beers have been booming,
rising at a rate of about 50% a year recently.”
Changes in Ireland’s social norms have affected the beer business. “When we started about 75% of the beer consumed in Ireland was on premise, now it is 50 -50.” O’Hara went on to attribute this change in social behavior to a number of things including the decline in the Irish economy after the big boom in the 1990’s,
the 2004 smoking ban in public places, and the clamp down on drink driving that has especially hurt the rural areas. “Drinking and driving is no longer socially acceptable in Ireland. This has had a big impact on the country pubs which requires people to people have to drive. The city center pubs are still full but the country pubs are suffering.”

None of these changes in the beer business and consumer habits in Ireland have adversely affected O’Hara’s. Their independent, family owned brewery expanded 4 years ago and they are in the process of expanding again. O’Hara’s have played a big role in the revival of Ireland’s microbreweries and continue to move forward with the highly successful craft beer evolution.

If you’re planning a trip to Ireland, stop by O’Hara Brewing Corner that opened this past year in Kilkenny. The craft beer bar showcases all of O’Hara’s stouts and ales, wheat beers, lagers, and specialty beers, as well as the best of local and international craft beers.
Meanwhile mark your calendar for March 14 and plan to have a laugh and a pint with Seamus O’Hara at Brendan’s Pub in Denver.

O’Hara’s is distributed in the U.S. through Paulaner HPUSA. If you have questions about the products contact the Mountain Region Manager, Tom McGuire at 303-799-6644.