Denver University Senior and Golf Team member Sarah Faller hasn’t exactly narrowed down what she will do when she graduates – maybe attend more school, go to work in Finance, teach golf, or if she has a great next 7 months of golf she might consider turning pro. One thing is certain, she has no plans to coast through her last year at DU, she is going to finish with focused intent.
“My freshman year we finished 5th at Nationals. This year we have a very talented passionate team, I am determined to do everything I can both on and off the golf course to get back to Nationals this year. I want to leave the golf program in a strong position like I found it. I feel like Denver has given me a great opportunity and I want to give back.”

Her desire for success can be traced back to her roots in Galway, Ireland. Inspired by her “golf fanatic” dad Bill, and encouraged by mom Catherine, Sarah took up golfing at age eleven. “Mum was adamant that my sister Ruth and I would learn how to golf, play tennis and swim. I can swim not gracefully but I get by, can knock it about pretty decent at tennis, but I fell in love with golf. My dad probably plays about 5 times a week. I originally played because he loved it so much and I got to spend time with him but like most things it didn’t take me long to become competitive at it. It’s not that I want to win; it’s that I just despise losing at anything, video games, pickup games with friends, dominoes..” She chuckled and added, “It’s mostly a good thing – – Fortunately my roommates have been very easy going and laugh at me rather than take offense!”

Sarah’s achievements on the golf course helped widen her college options in Europe and the U.S.
She spent a year traveling after secondary school and decided that she wanted to continue her education in the States. “I still had itchy feet and wanted to go live somewhere else for a while. The States was an easy solution as I could continue golfing, traveling and get an education at the same time.” After analyzing her personal and family criteria she choose DU.
“My parents wanted me to attend a strong academic University and I wanted to go to a top 30 golf program. In the end DU seemed to be the best fit. I talked to the Coach Sammie (Chergo) a few times and then she came to visit me when I was golfing in Florida. I liked her straight off the bat and decided to sign on instinct without ever having visited Colorado – came on my official visit a few months later and luckily loved it.”
Coach Sammie has also expressed delight over Sarah’s decision to attend school in Denver. “In her four years at DU Sarah has been an outstanding golfer, student and leader. We have been fortunate to have her in our program and look forward to her leadership in her final spring season.”

Initially there was a bit of adjustment to make when Sarah moved from Galway to Denver.
“Coming from a small town I felt a bit out of my depth for the first few weeks. The great thing about playing on a small team is that it’s like joining a family and that certainly made it easier.” There was also the matter of her Irish brogue. “My friends had no idea what I was saying the majority of the time and I got the nickname mumbles”. Now that she has learnt to talk with a bit more of an American twang it’s the Irish that give her a hard time. “I usually go home for 3 or 4 weeks during the Summer and over Christmas. I get teased for talking American saying “trunk” instead of “boot” and calling the “bin” a “trash can.” Additionally their isn’t as much pride in your university in Ireland as there is over here, and since half my wardrobe has Denver in oversize letters on it I am considered a bit of an oddball!

Sarah refers to her older sister Ruth as “brain box” because she is a Trinity College Dublin law student graduate and is doing an MBA program at Smurfit University, but Sarah has proved to be no slouch in the classroom. She has made the Dean’s List, and has been an Academic All American for the past 3 years.
Her approach to the classroom seems to be one of curiosity more than of competitiveness. She listed her favorite classes as drawing and oil painting, astronomy, entrepreneurial finance, and philosophy but added, “I have a pretty diverse range of interests and if the teacher is interesting I get sucked in to subject. I could be described as a closet nerd.”

Majoring in Finance, Sarah has given thought to the Irish economy more than most and is confident that things will turn around for the better. “In quite a few of my classes we have discussed the Irish financial crisis. The saddest part about the situation is that the infrastructure, culture and economic framework of Ireland were very efficient. The crash seems to have occurred purely from bad financial management. I would not claim to be an expert but I feel that the banking practices need to be more transparent and they need to entirely steer clear of buying foreign debt, or hire experts from those countries to explain the risk of what they are investing in. I am optimistic that because the reasons for the problem were so isolated that Ireland will recover and start growing again in the near future.”

Time management is always a challenge for student athletes as can be seen by Sarah’s schedule. “We workout at 6am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as a team. Practice runs from 3-6ish during the week and varies on the weekends. To accommodate this I try to take classes between 8-2. The ideal schedule is class 8-12 Monday to Thursday with Friday off but that’s rarely possible. We are in season all year round which I like because it means I get to travel every 2 or 3 weeks.”

One might think that with a schedule like that there would be no room or interest in hobbies, but that is not the case with Sarah. “I grew up close to the ocean and have always loved it. I got scuba certified last Christmas and have gone diving as much as possible since then. Living in Colorado I climb and hike too. If it’s outside and adrenaline filled I am in. When I head home in a few days I am going to learn how to surf with my cousin Niamh in Lahinch.”
Her friends at DU also go out of their way to give Sarah the “authentic American experience”. “I got to cowboy last year – genuinely herding cattle on horseback, went camping in Yellowstone National Park, shot some guns at a rifle range, lion dancing, my assistant coach taught me how to cheerlead which was hilarious as well as being forced to watch The Patriot, Friday Night Lights, Rudy and Forest Gump. This was the first year I stayed for Thanksgiving, I was fortunate to spend it with a lovely family from Highlands Ranch so check Thanksgiving off my American list.”

Having lived in the States for a number of years, Sarah has gained perspective on the special relationship of Irish-Americans to Irish/Ireland. “America is a brilliant but young country. I feel that a lot of the Irish/America relationship is about establishing history and a sense of culture. It helps that both parties are very friendly and extroverted. It appears that Irish people when they go abroad quickly get involved in their communities and branch out a lot while still maintaining the spirit of home, giving a good impression of what we are about. I recently found out about the network of Irish people in Denver, it amazes me how organized and welcoming they are. I wish I had discovered it earlier!
So what does she think of our wild St. Patrick’s Day celebrations here? “My first year I ducked for cover because the celebrations were crazy. The last few years I have rolled with it – it’s a great excuse to talk up your country and celebrate Ireland. My parents and I made it to the parade (Denver) last year. It made me very proud to be Irish.”

So Sarah, you are heading home for the Holidays – other than friends and family, what do you miss most about Ireland? “I miss the heavily sarcastic sense of humor, GAA and Rugby matches and being able to say Aon Sceal (what’s the news?).

Pat McCullough/December 2011 Celtic Connection

Sarah Faller chilling with teammates

Sarah was invited to the Colorado Governor’s Residence in November to meet Ireland’s Ambassador Michael Collins, and also met some other Colorado Irish including fellow Galway native Noel Hickey (owner Celtic Tavern, Denver).

Sarah on point in the white waters

The Faller Girls

by Adam OLeary

Andrew Toole knows what it’s like to be in need. When Toole moved to Denver 17 years ago, he didn’t know a soul, have a job or know how he would support himself. “When moving to the States, my mother asked me what I was going to do without a degree from University. I told her. ‘Mom, I’m not scared to chat and I’m not afraid of hard work’”, Toole says. “That attitude has worked for me all my life.” Finding work was difficult without friends or family near, but he found odd jobs while never landing anything consistent. He struggled mightily but continued to work hard at everything he did. Eventually, he realized he was in control of his own success.

Andrew, who hails from County Meath, and a few friends caught the entrepreneurial bug and started a business, Ireland’s Finest Painting Company in 1994. As with most small businesses, they initially struggled to get Ireland’s Finest established and fought tooth and nail for every job they won. Andrew’s partners have since moved on to different endeavors, but Andrew continues to lead Ireland’s Finest and makes it the success it is today.

This fall Ireland’s Finest launched its “Hard Times, Soft Hearts” contest. The contest encourages people in the Denver area to nominate worthy candidates through the Ireland’s Finest website to win a free house painting. “We realize people that have fallen on hard times in this economy,” Andrew says. “We want to give back to the community that has been so good to us over the last 17 years.”

Nominees could be families or individuals that are low-income residents, give selflessly back to their community or have lost their jobs. “There are so many worthy people here in our neighborhoods, so picking a winner will be a really tough decision,” Andrew says.
Ireland’s Finest will provide all the labor and equipment for the job, while Benjamin Moore, who is a sponsoring partner, will provide the paint. There will be no cost whatsoever to the winning homeowner.
The contest will accept nominations through January 31st, 2012 on the Ireland’s Finest website at www.irelandsfinestinc.com/contest. The actual painting of the winner’s house will take place in the spring of 2012.

by Seamus Dunne

In 2009 President Obama initiated a program called the SAVE Award, (Securing Americans Value and Efficiency). The premise of the program was to seek ideas from frontline Federal Employees to make government more effective and efficient and to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. In just 3 weeks, OMB (Office of Management and Budget) received tens of thousands of ideas on how to make government more effective and efficient.
Over the past two years, federal employees have submitted more than 56,000 cost-cutting ideas through the SAVE Award. Dozens of the most promising ideas have been included in the President’s Budget, specifically in the Terminations, Reduction and Savings volume. Each year OMB narrows the best ideas to a “final four.” Federal employees and the American people vote online to choose the winner. The winner goes to Washington to present their idea to the President. These ideas have to be practical, show significant cost reductions and of course must be cost effective to implement.
This year former Denver Gaels Ladies footballer Eileen Hearty from Denver, daughter of Jim and Betty Hearty who hail from County Armagh, Ireland and New York, was one of the final 4 selected by the OMB out of over 20,000 ideas submitted. Eileen is a Project Manager and works for HUD (Housing and Urban Development) at their Denver Multi-family Hub. Part of the work that Eileen’s office does is to oversee and regularly inspect properties that the federal government leases from private individuals for programs such as Section Eight Housing. This work is subcontracted out from the Denver HUD office to companies which inspect properties in North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. These properties are graded as being Superior, Above Average, Satisfactory, Below Average and Unsatisfactory. Each year every such property is inspected and graded.
Eileen’s idea is to reward those properties with a consistently superior or above average rating by reducing the yearly inspections to every three years in the case of Superior properties, and every two years in the case of Above Average properties. If a property gets a lower grade it would then revert back to yearly inspections and as such the standard would be maintained. This in turn would significantly reduce costs to the Federal Government in Travel, Hotels and Man Hours related to inspections and is relatively simple and cost effective to implement. It also allows HUD to focus on those properties which regularly fall below satisfactory ratings and thus improve the overall condition of properties that are used for such programs as section eight. This would make Eileen’s department more efficient, and cost effective. How many times have you heard that about a government entity?
Eileen got to have a video conference with the Director of OMB and the 3 other finalists during which President Obama made a personal surprise visit and thanked each of them personally for their contribution. Eileen’s idea was not the overall winner but as one of the final 4 out of 20,000 submitted, it will be implemented. It now goes forward to the Federal Register and will be open for public review where anyone can view and comment on it.
This is a wonderful achievement by Eileen and she has the admiration of the Irish American community in Colorado and of course the thanks of the American Taxpayers as a whole for her cost saving idea.

Among the row of boutique shops, you’ll find a little yellow cottage on the corner of West Alamo Ave and Curtice Street that beckons you inside -and you should enter. You might think that you stepped though a time/space portal and that you’re somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, but you are actually in Kerreen O’Connor in historic Downtown Littleton, Colorado.

It has everything that you might find in an Irish gift shop, and even a bit more.
There are treasures of exceptional quality and other novelties designed to get a laugh. Bring your Christmas list because you’ll find something there for everyone.

We made a visit to Kerreen’s over Thanksgiving. Shop proprietor Lillie O’Connor Shobe and staff had just finished decorating or the Holiday season. Walking through the front door we were greeted by Lillie and a new Christmas display complete with Irish and Celtic ornaments. As we moved about we discovered fun nooks and crannies of barware, jewelry, home décor, apparel, and other themes. There was even a section of imported Irish treats. One gift idea – You can fill a basket to please any taste bud with cookies, crackers, candies, and bread – and of course don’t forget the season’s, favorite Barry’s tea.
Looking for a way to spice up your holiday party? Kerreen can outfit you in a traditional kilt eveningwear sure to turn everyone’s heads. (We were advised to tell you to call soon on Kilt rentals as holiday reservations fill up quickly).
During our impressive tour Lillie pointed out more gift ideas (or gift yourself!), from traditional favorites to new items brought in for the Christmas season.

On the traditional side, Lillie point out their fine display of Belleek China which is crafted in Ireland and hand-painted. Featured were functional pieces like tea pots, cups, flower vases as well as decorative Celtic crosses or a snowman ornament.
Various sizes of Belleek picture frames are available for displaying family memories while incorporating the Irish culture.
Along the same line of quality are the Galway Crystal Vases. These are beautiful long lasting pieces and one of the few crystal companies whose operations are still in Ireland.

This year Kerreen’s are highlighting wool textiles. “We have a range of John Hanly and Company scarves made of 100% wool and the oh so traditional Aran Knit sweater.” said Lillie, “We also carry a variety of sizes and colors of vintage flat caps for the men on your list who are so hard to shop for.”

Another popular item is the Claddagh Ring. With a rich history dating back to over 300 years, the traditional Irish Ring is often given as a token of love or worn as a wedding, but be careful, as it also can be a sign of “available’ depending of how the ring is worn. How you were the ring should be easy, picking the right on is the challenge. “As usual, we have over 6 different varieties of Claddagh rings. These are the perfect gift for almost anyone on your list,” extolled Lillie, “With styles ranging from sterling silver to 10k gold and including both men’s and women’s designs there is something for everyone – all of which are made in Ireland and hallmarked in Dublin castle.”

Although Lillie was sad to say that they could not offer the traditional Irish gift of a pint of Guinness, they did have in stock this year’s newest t-shirt styles and wall art for your favorite Guinness lover. “One of our favorite new products from Guinness this year is a gold and grey breathable rugby shirt.” Very nice!

Some of the stores new items the Lillie pointed out were two new jewelry lines. “The Keith Jack line offers unique pieces inspired by the raw beauty of the Irish and Scottish landscapes. The other line, Celtic Harmony, includes two tone pieces of sterling silver and gold as well as gemstone pieces that are designed by a father daughter team out of Dublin.”

There was also a beautiful new collection of rosaries made in Ireland including rosaries made of Connemara marble, genuine mother of pearl and glass beads. On the other end of the spectrum was a green beer drinking Santa and decorations to make your home more festive, the Irish way. Like we said, “Something for everyone!”

So what was Lillie’s favorite new addition to the store? “For the first time in many years, we have been able to get in Butler’s chocolates. These chocolates are to die for. Their slogan, “purveyors of happiness” could not be more true. Our favorite is the Irish whiskey truffle candy bar made with Jameson Whiskey, but we invite you to come try all the varieties to find your favorite.”
The Celtic Connection

Kerreen O’Connor LLC
2595 W Alamo Ave. Curtice ST
Littleton CO 80120
303.794.6388

The Celtic Connection’s Cindy Reich caught up with Christy Moore as he was taking a break in west Cork before starting a new tour in the autumn. His latest album, “Folk Tale” was released on the 28th of October.

CR—You just finished up your new album—how do you feel about it???

CM—Grand, glad it is done. We started recording a totally different project, which we abandoned and this current project emerged from it. Both Declan (Sinnott) and I are happy with it.

CR—Any of the usual suspects in the songwriting department, like Wally Page, or John Spillane or even yourself?

CM—No, there’s a few of my own, alright, and I’ve re-visited a few songs from the back catalog. Songs that I’d recorded before and didn’t like the recordings at all and did them again with Declan.

CR—When you did them the first time, did you not like them at the time, or when you hear them now, with some time in-between, do you prefer a different sound?

CM-Well, one of them was recorded 35 years ago, and a lot of things change in 35 years. And recently, people had started to ask for the song again, so I took it out and looked at it. A couple of the other songs I get requests to do quite regularly but haven’t been doing them. I went back and listened to them and then thought, “That’s why I don’t do them, because I didn’t like the way I was doing them”. I don’t know…I suppose I did them again because I could do it. I was able to re-visit the old work and take a fresh look at it. Not everybody will be happy about that, but it doesn’t matter.

CR—At the end of the day, the only person that needs to be happy about it is you, isn’t it?

CM—Well, I think myself and Declan. Declan is a songster. Even though his primary purpose in life as he sees it is to play guitar and to make music, he is very much a lyrics man. He’s a great sidekick, because he goes into the lyric as well and gives me his honest opinion at all times. He kind of feels this is the best album we’ve done. We’ve been recording for 10 or 12 years and this is the 4th or 5th album we’ve done and this is the one he’s happiest with. That counts for something to me.

CR—You are very generous with yourself and with your fans. You are very interactive with them on your website—far more than most artists. Do you ever get tired of all the requests, though? The constant requests to come to the U.S. or Australia, or some other request?? You answer the same questions constantly, but always very gently and respectfully. Doesn’t it ever get old?

CM—Not really, no. I consider it all kind of a privilege that they are that interested. Occasionally there might be something that might get to me a bit, but never something as generous as that—someone asking me if there’s any chance I’ll come and sing where they live. I got into this thing about five or six years ago and it suddenly dawned on me that for the first time I have kind of an ongoing dialog with people who are into the work. That’s not really happened in my working life before. Even bands—take Moving Hearts or Planxty. Nobody in those bands was as interested in the songs I sing as I was. They were all into their own thing. When I go home—I have a wonderful family—but none of them are that interested in my songs. They love me, thankfully, but around the world are a limited number of people who like the songs I sing and I just consider it a privilege to hear what they have to say. Its lovely.

CR—I never looked at it that way, but you’re right. You’re the one most interested in the songs you sing and now you have a shared audience of people who also love the songs.

CM—Yeah, for someone to write to me from Australia or America or Canada or Ireland or anywhere—and to say they like the work and they talk about a specific song or tell me their five-year-old daughter loves to sing the song, or their grannie loves the song, I love all that, you know?? Two of the songs I re-recorded are as a result of interaction with listeners. They had contacted me about these particular songs and I went back to both and re-visited them, and it was on the back of that kind of sharing.

CR—Well, it’s a two-way street. As one of those people who are really into those songs—to be able to have a dialog with you through the website or with others through the 4711 ( a forum for Christy fans within the website) it’s a rare opportunity to talk with the singer or talk with the songwriter in the case of your own songs. To be able to indulge in the love of the song with the person who brought it to life.

CM—It’s something that’s come up in my life in the last five or six years that I cherish. Occasionally there’s a downside—we have been hacked and we have been attacked and we have been abused—but it doesn’t happen very often. Not everybody approves of my interest in it either, but I understand that. There would be people who think I’m a bit ga-ga for involving myself as I do, but I don’t see it that way at all.
For me, it’s like having a conversation. Particularly when I’m out on the road, and you go back to your room at night, and the adrenaline is still flowing and you can’t sleep for a while. It’s kind of nice to open the thing up and say hello to a few people. You get requests along the road as well. Someone will say, “I’m coming along next Tuesday night, and it is possible to sing such-and-such… And sometimes it is possible, but most times it is not. Its nice to hear a gig is going to be a special event for somebody for a specific reason, and maybe to be able to respond to that.

CR—Does it surprise you at all, or does it put pressure on you when someone writes to you and says, “I’m coming from Australia specifically to go to your gig, or I’m coming from America just to hear you sing”. Would you rather not hear that or does it not bother you either way?

CM—Well, I have to say—sometimes it does bother me a little bit. Recently a family—a man and his wife and their two children came from New South Wales (Australia) and the way they wrote to me about it, they were coming specifically to Ireland to the gig. In earlier times, when I read stuff like that it used to freak me out a bit. I used to say, “Don’t tell me until after the gig, please!” you know? But now, it’s just a lovely thing.

CR—It’s a testament to the songs. You talked about songs you recorded 35 years ago that people have asked you to take out and play again. You have to think of the durability of those songs. After 35 years, it’s another generation oftentimes coming into these songs and they are discovering them and want to continue to hear them.

CM—Well, some of the songs are timeless, you know? Some of the songs I’ve been blessed to encounter are as old as time itself. They are songs that have endured for centuries and people will still sit and listen to them. There is something very sacred in that. They are imbued with some sense of longing or celebration or whatever, and that sensibility just sustains.
To me, if I sing “The Well Below The Valley” in 2011 to a thousand people and it stills the night, very much in the back of my mind would be that this song would have been sung over a thousand years ago—albeit in different circumstances—carrying the same effect of stilling the night.
And every time I sing that song, I’m filled with emotion. The same with “Lord Baker” or “Little Musgrave”or “Cliffs Of Dooneen”—these kind of timeless songs. There are modern songs as well, songs that have been written of late, also have that. And I know some of those songs are going to live on and on.

CR—You have some of your own songs that have stood the test of time as well. Is there any song of your own that you might put in that category? That seems to have those same qualities?

CM—Well….maybe… but time alone will tell. It’s less than 40 years since I wrote my first song and I’ve only written maybe 100 songs in 40 years. I don’t write that much. I’m just interested in songs whether you write them or I write them or they are ancient is immaterial to me. But I suppose you do get a bit of a kick out of singing your own song, alright..

CR—But your not being precious about it. There are people who are good singers, there are people who are good songwriters, there are some that are both, but a good song, regardless of who writes it, is one that has that power to evoke the emotion to create the space that you just spoke about. And I think in your catalog are some songs you have written that evoke that moment. And its not a question of quantity, its quality. You could have written one song in 40 years, but if it was a mighty song, so what? It’s the power of the song, not the number.

CM—I know instances of people who have written one great song. I think of Phillip Stewart who wrote that song, “Away You Broken Heart”.

CR—Is that maybe one of the songs that your are bringing back out on the new album?? I’ve hardly ever heard you sing that song in a live situation.

CM—No, I’ve done it maybe once or twice in the last five years. Its one of those songs that just every now and then comes out. I never examine why it comes out, but when it does come out, it means something. I certainly sang it once in the last year, and it just appeared. And it stilled the night. And it created a really powerful vibe. “Away you broken heart”… Stand me somewhere near the ocean…I will wait there wave after wave.” I got that song from a woman who delivered it to me in a real roundabout way. It was about 10 years before I actually met the writer. I never heard a song of his and I don’t know if he ever wrote another one.

CR—You listen to a wide variety of music, and you go and listen to other people. You go to singers clubs on occasion and listen to people. Your tastes are varied and I think it brings a certain fullness to what you produce because you are not stuck in one particular spot. You have a wide curiosity about different types of music that are out there.

CM—I kind of view it from the other angle. I see it as being really narrow, as the only thing I am listening for is the emotion in a song. I don’t care what genre it’s in. If the song does the business for me or makes me close my eyes and takes me away somewhere… Or if it makes me laugh or makes me sad or if it makes me want to sing it. So in a way, my tastes aren’t that varied. All I’m listening to is the song. That’s what I want.

CR—I hadn’t thought it in that way, because they come from many places, but there is a common thread in your songs that you sing and it is that emotion. And I think that is why, 30 years, 40 years down the road, people still come back—to the old songs from 30 years ago, but also to new songs from two years ago. There is some fundamental emotion in those songs that are grabbing those people at a visceral level that make them go after those songs themselves.

CM—For some reason, when you were talking there, I started thinking of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. The Woody Guthrie songs I sing are songs that can make me cry. And the same with a few Bob Dylan songs I’ve sung. Some nights they nearly make me cry. And they aren’t the famous songs or the well-known songs, which I can kind of listen to, and like. But every now and then I hear a song that just makes me cry. Or makes me laugh, or makes me happy. It’s a wonderful world, the world of songs and music, and its such a privilege to be a part of it.

CR—But isn’t that the effect they’re supposed to have? So much of modern music is manufactured in a certain way to present a certain sound to the greatest common denominator. There’s no emotion, no connection—it is what it is. But the power of the song should be what you just described. It evokes an emotion in you that takes you outside of yourself.

CM—And that’s what endures.

CR—Now there’s some you don’t sing. You talked about songs that make you cry and I remember you saying once that you can’t sing “The Boys Of Barr na Sraide” anymore, because it is just too sad.

CM—Well, with that particular song, it wasn’t that…there’s a song called “Kilkelly” that I couldn’t sing because it was too sad. I sang “Barr na Sraide” for quite a long time—what turned me against it was that kind of pagan celebration of the killing of the wren. And I just got turned off by that, you know? “..and on St. Stephens Day, went out and we killed the wren…” Even though it’s an ancient ritualistic thing, I got real uncomfortable singing about it. I don’t think I’ve spoken about that before. Its just when you mentioned it.. Originally when I learned “Barr na Sraide”, I was very caught up by some of the verses in it—by people caught up in dark exile. The heartbrokenness of dark exile. But what eventually what killed it for me was the poor little bird getting killed on St. Stephens’ Day.

CR—The bird was harmless—it hadn’t done anything.

CM—Exactly. …up with the poker, down with…

CR—Up with the kettle and down with the pan, give us a penny to bury the wren….

CM—The wren , the wren, the king of all birds, on St Stephens’ Day was caught in the furze. Up with the poker and down with the pan, give me a sixpence to bury the wren..
You have it, fair play to you, you have it.

CR—Not bad for a Yank. I want to only bring this up because it created such a stir, and it cracked me up.

CM—What was that?

CR—When you played with Coldplay at the Oxegen Festival this summer. I thought it was absolutely brilliant!!! If someone had told me that Coldplay had been performing “Ride On”, with or without Christy Moore I would have laughed my head off.

CM—When Will (Champion) the drummer, was 12, his mother took him to a gig of mine in Southampton. And at 12, he came to that gig and he always remembered it. He loved that a guy came out on a stage with an acoustic guitar came out and made a big racket. He started coming to my gigs, and he’s come along on and off ever since. And I think it was through Will that the band invited me to share their stage and it was a lovely experience and it was great fun!

CR—I’ll bet it was, and you just introduced to a new legion of listeners—whether they come along or not, its something new they were exposed to. But there are several things I really appreciate about you that make you stand out. One, is your ability to convey the emotion you that you feel in the songs. I think that is one of the things that make you such a powerful singer and why they get affected at your gigs when you sing. And when I say emotion, it can be sad or it can be raucous and fun. The other is your social conscience and the way you use your ability to speak for people that have no voice, and thirdly, that you can translate through generations. So at a Christy Moore gig there will be grannies with white hair and five-year-olds sitting on their daddy’s lap, singing the songs. There will be 16 year olds, and 25 year olds and 70 year olds…. That is quite rare. You don’t see that at a lot of gigs.

CM—I love that aspect of it. I love to have three generations of a family come to a gig just to hear songs. An amazing thing happened…a couple of weeks ago I was playing in my hometown of Newbridge, and afterwards, this woman was there with her two sons and they were 9 and 11 and they asked me why didn’t I sing “Burning Times” and why didn’t I sing “Whacker Humphries” and why didn’t I sing “Green Island” and I thought that was amazing that young kids of that age would know about and want to hear those
songs. It blew me away.

CR—And those are not simple songs!

CM—That’s the thing about it! They’re quite complex and difficult songs.

CR—It’s a gift to be able to connect with a five-year-old and a 55 year old with the same songs. And we’re blessed to have you share that gift.

CM—All gifts are given. Everything is given and some of us are blessed to have been able to accept them and hand them back again.

CR—Which you do. You give back in spades. But lets talk about your social conscience. You have a deep social conscience and you use your voice for those who have no voice—whether it be travelers rights or pedophilia, for example. That you are able to take what are often difficult or sensitive subjects, given the country you live in, the demographics or whatever, and you are keeping these subjects in the public eye. Is that innate in you, or did you pick it up from singers such as Woody or Bob Dylan or did you just feel that you needed to speak out for social injustice?

CM—I never analyzed it to tell you the truth. I became aware of a certain kind of song when I was quite young. I heard songs of struggle as a small boy, but at the time I didn’t know they were songs of struggle. When I heard Woody Guthrie and I heard Ewan McColl and I heard some of the songs Luke Kelly sang, something was awakened in me—the fact that struggles were still going on. It was o.k. to sing about historical struggles, but wouldn’t it be really, really good to be singing about the world we live in now? About 1965, 1966 I realized that. And it kind of brought me around in that direction a bit, but the beginnings were there from the time I was a boy. It’s a bit like that song about Victor Jara. “..his hands were gentle, and his hands were strong..” and it describes how he grew up listening to his mother singing. There would be a bit of that in my story as well.

They’re back! By popular demand, Gaelic Storm blows back into Colorado Friday November 11 and Saturday November 12 for two raucous, crowd-pleasing performances at the Stargazers Theatre in Colorado Springs, and the following night in Denver at the Gothic Theatre. Don’t miss this opportunity to sing along with one of the hottest Celtic bands firing up the stage in performance venues across the country!

Gaelic Storm’s popularity skyrocketed after they appeared in James Cameron’s epic film, Titanic as the Irish party band in the ship’s steerage. Since then, the band has amassed a large, loyal and ever-growing following. The band has flourished in an extreme DIY fashion by not only launching their own label, Lost Again Records, and releasing their albums themselves (several albums on Top-5 of the Billboard World charts) but also by designing all their own album art, posters and advertisements.
While Gaelic Storm plays Celtic music that hearkens back to the traditional music of Ireland, they are hardly traditionalists, adding modern sounds and drawing influences from American rock and pop as well as music styles from around the world. The band has made countless television and radio appearances, and there are official videos and heaps of fan-posted live YouTube clips (often with the crowd singing as loud as the band).

Be There when the “ever feisty” (Phila. Daily News) GAELIC STORM, will serve up a “whirlwind ruckus” (Village Voice) at the Stargazers Theatre on Friday November 11th and again Saturday November 12 at the Gothic Theatre.
Both shows are “An Evening With” with Gaelic Storm doing two sets. Showtime is 7:30PM with Doors at 6:30PM
ALL AGES SHOWS (Gothic Theatre Under 16 must be accompanied by parent or guardian)

Gaelic Storm is: Patrick Murphy (Cork City, Ireland) Vocals, Accordion, Harmonica; Steve Twigger (Coventry, England), Vocals, Guitar, Bouzouki; Ryan Lacey on drums and world percussion; Jessie Burns on fiddle (Suffolk, England – lives in Colorado) and Pete Purvis ( Merrickville, Ontario) Uillean pipes, tin whistle, daeger pipes and highland pipes (a Grade 1 piper who toured with award winning pipe bands).
TICKETS: Friday Nov 11 Stargazers Theatre CO Spgs
www.stargazerstheatre.com or by phone 719-476-2200 (subject to service and handling fees).
Advance Tickets available without service fees at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub, 21 South Tejon St., Colorado Springs CO
TICKETS: Saturday November 12 Gothic Theatre Denver/Englewood www.GothicTheatre.com or
Info/Tickets call Celtic Events 303-777-0505
“Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celtic.rockies

by Cindy Reich

If you ever wanted to be music mogul, now’s your chance! Solas are embarking on a new multi-media project and are inviting anyone and everyone to get involved. Through the “Kickstarter” website, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1490987662/shamrock-city , they are hoping to raise the money needed to fund this project.

The beauty of Kickstarter is that there is a finite period of time to raise the money and if the full amount isn’t committed, no one pays. You only pay if the money has been raised by the deadline. You can contribute any amount from one dollar on up, and there are special premiums you will receive, based on your donation. For as little as $10, you will get a pre-release digital download of the new album. And it goes up from there, all the way to a Solas house concert ($10,000). In between are signed copies of the album, tickets to upcoming gigs, meet and greet at gigs, t-shirts, a custom-made bodhran and more.

The project is called “Shamrock City” and is based on a story from Seamus Egan’s own family history. The title comes from the name once used to describe Butte, Montana. “I remember my father telling us about a relative that came over from Ireland to Philadelphia, but then went on to Butte, Montana”, says Seamus. “The story was that he was a bare knuckle fighter and that he fought his way across the country and ended up in Butte—and died in Butte, Montana. He had been murdered, because he was supposed to throw a fight and he didn’t. So the person who had bet on the other fighter—and lost, had my relative killed. So this was all in our family lore.”

“A few years ago, we had the chance to play at the Irish festival in Butte, Seamus continued, “and it got the ball rolling. I started doing a lot more research on my family history there and through that began to learn more about Butte itself. Butte has a remarkable history and it seemed the more I looked into it, the more intriguing it became.” (Note—at one time, due to the mining in Butte, in the 1800’s there were more Irish per capita than any other town in the USA including New York, Boston, etc.—cr)

“When the copper mining kicked off in Butte, one of the mines was run by an Irish fellow, Marcus Daly, and it was well known that if you could make it to Butte, you would be guaranteed a job in his mine if you were Irish”, Seamus said. “I saw a great quote in my research from a letter that an Irishman working in Butte had written to his brothers back in Ireland. He said, “Come directly to Butte—don’t even stop in America!”

This project will have a wealth of new material that is being written for the project and the biggest problem, according to Seamus is how to limit the material, as there is so much of a story to tell. They will also be doing filming in Butte, so it promises to be both a musical feast as well as a visual telling of the tale. “We aren’t doing the History Channel, Seamus says, laughing. We are trying to weave a story together that weaves a personal family story along with a larger story of a place and a time and what that meant in American history. It isn’t just about the Irish. People from all over the world ended up in Butte.”

Check out the “Shamrock City” project and the Kickstarter campaign on the Solas website: www.solasmusic.com

When Dublin traditional singer and set dancer Jerry O’Reilly learned that he would meet some Colorado folks as he travels through the Mile High City he got excited,
“That’s brilliant! I’ll be looking forward to it. How about me teaching the Sliabh Luachra polka set or the Clare Lancers reel set. These are two sets that I particularly like… Pick one that you think your dancers would enjoy and that we can have some fun learning.”

So the party is set for October 27 at Eron Johnson’s Antique Warehouse 389 South Lipan, Denver. The Event is free; Doors will open at 6:30P for a little social hour and then at 7:30P we’ll see if we can create a few tidy sets across the room. Bring a song, tune, or your dancing shows. We do request a RSVP by October 25th so contact us now at numbers below.

Jerry is a founding member of the Brooks Academy Dancing School established in Dublin in 1982 and is still actively involved teaching a weekly dance class. He is in demand as a teacher/caller all over Ireland, the U.K., Europe, The United States and Canada.
Jerry has taught dancing in Paris to the Association Irlandaise annually since 1988, at the Willie Clancy Summer School since 1984, at Wadebridge in 1998, at Sidmouth in 1999 and at Whitby Folk Week every year since 2000.
He also gave instructions for sets at the North American Convention of Comhaltas Ceolttoir-Eireann in Washington D.C in 2000, and paid a return visit there in December 2001. He was also called upon to teach dancing at ‘Feile Cois Chuain’ in 2004, The North Atlantic Fiddle Convention in Aberdeen in 2006, and has recently returned from teaching at the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention and the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival in St. Johns, Newfoundland.

A noteworthy Irish traditional singer, Jerry was exposed to the music at an early as by his family. “I’ve been listening to songs and singing all of my life. My first memories of singing were in my paternal grandparents’ house in Pembroke Cottages in Donnybrook.
I have memories of crawling around on the floor as a toddler during Hoolies there – listening to the singing and, I’m told, emptying all of the bottles. My grandmother Annie Bissett was a magnificent singer with a ‘big’ voice. I can still hear her in my mind singing Teddy O’Neill. My grandfather ‘Jacko’ O’Reilly was also an excellent singer who had joined the British Navy during the First World War and whose favorite song was Bold Robert Emmet.”

If Jerry shows up October 27th wearing blue he has a good reason.
Another one of his passions is Gaelic Football and Hurling, and particularly the Dublin Gaelic Football and Hurling teams. The sounds of the song “Boys in Blue” still ring in his ears from the celebration September 18th in Croke Park after Stephen Cluxton scored the winning point for Dublin as they beat Kerry to the All-Ireland to capture the Sam Maguire Cup. Jerry gushed after the victory, “I’ve the mother and father of a hangover, but what a day. And to snatch it at the last minute like that was magic!”
Well, we’ll have to tell him about our Denver Gaels!

No charge for this event but donations will be accepted for the instructor.
Eron Johnson Architectural Antiques Warehouse is at 389 South Lipan, Denver, CO
Thursday October 27, 6:30P Doors.
Directions call 303-722-2014 ‎ (Note: Not the other store on S. Broadway)
Please RSVP by Oct 25 to [email protected] or 303-777-0502

New York University’s Professor of Music and Irish Studies, Mick Moloney is the pre-eminent scholar of Irish-American music from the past two centuries. Born in Ireland, the musician and singer has recorded over forty albums and hosted several American Public Television series. In 1999, he was awarded the National Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest official honor a traditional artist can receive in the U.S.

Moloney’s recent brought together an all-star Irish band and brass band to record, “If it wasn’t for the Irish and the Jews.” The project is a nostalgic look at the early days of Tin Pan Alley, when Irish and Jewish immigrants worked together to produce the songs that became the foundation of Broadway musical theater. From 1880 to 1920, Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley flourished with the musical contributions of Jewish and Irish songwriters.
The Irish/Jewish collaborations of Tin Pan Alley were attended by all sorts of interesting identity ambiguities. There was the famous Norah Bayes who had a huge hit with the Ziegfeld Follies with the song “Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?”. Bayes was actually born Norah Goldberg but changed her name, one assumes, partly to appeal to the huge Irish-American urban audience of the day in variety theater and vaudeville. One of her five husbands was Jack Norworth who wrote “Shine on Harvest Moon” with Norah and also the huge hit “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Norworth himself also wrote and sang scores of Irish songs. The noted “Jewish” star of the New York stage, Eddie Foy, was actually Edwin Fitzgerald!
Though there were doubtless tensions and competitiveness and the usual business break ups and make ups, the Irish/Jewish Tin Pan Alley collaborations represent essentially a charming story of decades of good natured ethnic flux, competition and cooperation which left a lasting imprint on the history of American popular music.

“If it wasn’t for the Irish and the Jews” met acclaim from music critics including Earle Hitchner of the Irish Echo: “No one has succeeded more in taking this once vital part of Irish American culture out of musty archives and moldering dissertations and placing it afresh on CD and concert stage than Mick Moloney.”

The Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society & Beck Archives
Center for Judaic Studies and Penrose Library, University of Denver
invites all interested parties to join the RMJHS Annual Meeting Sunday October 30, 11:00a.m at BMH Synagogue Social Hall, 560 S. Monaco Pkwy, when Dr. Moloney illustrates his presentation of the musical origins of Tin Pan Alley with live musical performances.

Tickets for this entertaining and insightful examination of cultural cross-pollination in a bygone era in U.S. cultural history are $10 and must be reserved by October 20th
For Information please call Professor Jeanne Abrams at 303-871-3016.

Eamonn De Valera. Mary McAleese. And now: Michael Collins.

The Irish Network Colorado (INCO) is bringing His Excellency, Ambassador Michael Collins to Colorado who is following in the footsteps of Ireland’s first President as well as the current one. As an emerging force in the Colorado business scene, INCO resumes its mission to provide beneficial programs and events to the Irish and Irish American community here in the Rocky Mountain region.

The Ambassador’s visit is tentatively taking place November 3rd – 4th, 2011. Although this visit will have its political component, INCO also is incorporating goals of reaching out to the local Irish and Irish-American community, enhancing educational links between Colorado based institutions & Ireland and increasing economic exchange between Ireland & Colorado.

Several events are in planning which include both private and public engagements with local business, higher education, and Irish Community leaders.
INCO encourages the entire Colorado Irish community to come show your support. Although not all events will be open to the public, there will be opportunities for everyone to get involved. Check IrishNetworkCO.com for updates and schedules as they become available. Email us at [email protected] for more information and for volunteer opportunities.