This site includes the postings from the Irish Aires email list. This includes a listing of Irish/Celtic events in the Houston area and other information that the Irish Aires radio program posts.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Current Events

What's New?

09/06/08 – Pete Little hosts Irish Aires

10/18/08 – Irish Society’s Founder’s Celebration at Molly’s Downtown

----

On Going events:

If you have nothing better to do, and I suspect you do, you can see our vacations

Pictures on line. Warning they are NOT from Ireland (unfortunately). We are heading

West and update the pics regularly:

ALL my pics at Flickr

Slide show for Pics from the West

Slide show for Pics from the Midwest

Slide Show for Pics from Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming

Slide Show for Pics from Beartooth Mountains, WY & MT

Slide Show for Pics from Montana

OR you can see more details about our trip at

YAHOO Trip Fall 2008

(The pictures can be seen at the Yahoo site also. Click on the pictures directly

Left of the Fall 2008 title. You will see the pics here with labels.)

----

To see our playlist as we play it, go to:

http://www.kpft.org/studio/playlist.php

Archived shows

KPFT Archived Programs Sorted By Name

----

09/05/08 - Celtic Vogage at McClellans Pub in Humble

McClellans Pub Presents

Celtic Voyage on June 13th

8-11:30PM

An unforgettable Evening of Laughter & Song

$5.00 cover charge

McClellan’s Pub

Corner of Townsen Road & North Houston Avenue

Just one exit north of Deerbrook Mall, Humble

*************************

09/06/08 – Blaggards at Molly’s Downtown – Half Way to St Patrick’s Day

10:00pm

*************************

09/15/08 - St. Paddy’s Irish Open at the Hearthstone Country Club

7615 Ameswood

Houston, TX 77095

Phone: 281.463.2001

Monday, Sept. 15th

Cost: $100 per player

Registration 10:30 AM

Enjoy a complete program of special events, 18 holes of

golf (including cart), lunch and dinner, Range balls, golf

cart and beverages on the course...

All for just $100 / player

:: Putting challenge on the practice green

:: Two longest drive contests

:: Hole-in-One Prize

:: And the $10,000 Hole-in-One Shootout

Tel: 713-365-9648

Fax: 713-666-6604

e-mail: irishmkk@aol.com

Interested in sponsoring a hole or the meal? Please

contact Sean Kearns at 832-978-4192 or Doc Dougherty 713-

446-8724.

:: $150 Hole sponsor

:: $500 Team and Hole

:: 2/ $10 Mulligans

:: World Famous 50/50 cash drawing

:: More to come…

15th Annual Irish Open Golf Tournament and Fundraiser

For this years event, we will be returning to Hearthstone

Country Club on Monday, September 15th.

Registration begins at 10:30 am with lunch and tee-off at

12 pm.

The cost for this event is only $100. This price includes

entry into all events, 18 holes of golf, riding cart,

lunch, dinner, beverages on course, gift bag and more to

come later.

There will be a few items in a silent auction during dinner

To help us properly plan for this event, please pre-

register by filling out the reverse side and fax it to 713-

661-6604. You are welcome to use a credit card, but if you

661-6605. want to pay by check when you arrive, please

661-6606. indicate on the form.

About Hearthstone Country Club…

Hearthstone has 27 holes of championship golf, offering a

varied and enjoyable challenge for both the high and low

handicapper.

Hearthstone Country Club has three Nine-Hole Golf courses:

Horsepen, Jackrabbit and Wolf Corner. A selection of two

of the three will be chosen before the day of the event.

The greens of all three courses are planted with the

TifEagle Bermuda, and the tees and fairways are 419 Tifway

Bermuda. The architect of the course was Jay Riviere.

Casual attire is acceptable on the day of the event.

*************************

09/19/08 - Celtic Vogage at McClellans Pub in Humble

McClellans Pub Presents

Celtic Voyage on June 13th

8-11:30PM

An unforgettable Evening of Laughter & Song

$5.00 cover charge

McClellan’s Pub

Corner of Townsen Road & North Houston Avenue

Just one exit north of Deerbrook Mall, Humble

*************************

09/24/08 – Photographing in Ireland: A Photographer’s Journey at U of St Thomas

Center for Irish Studies Cultural Outreach Series

James Fraher, professional photographer from Ireland

Photographing in Ireland: A Photographer’s Journey

7:30 p.m.

Cullen Hall, 4001 Mt. Vernon

Free and open to the public

Sponsors: UST Center for Irish Studies Cultural Outreach Forum &

The Irish Society

Photographer James Fraher, who lives in Skreen, Co. Sligo, Ireland, will

share his experiences of photographing in Ireland over the past 30 years.

Lecture highlights include Fraher’s account of participating in book

projects, A Day in the Life of Ireland, 1991, and Stories from a Sacred

Landscape, by Irish archaeologist Caimin O’Brien, Mercier Press, 2006.

(Caimin O’Brien spoke for our Cultural Outreach Program in March 2007.)

From peat bogs to horse fairs, rag bushes to traditional music and

grave slabs to artist interventions, all with a passion for tradition

and a sense of place, this presentation is part of one photographer’s

journey.

James Fraher is a professional photographer and photographic educator. He

holds a BA in photography and an MA in media communications. Fraher has

used the media of photography, video and audio to document unique cultural

aspects of people and places. His photographs have been exhibited in museums

and galleries in the United States, Ireland, Scotland and France. In

1996, he received the “Keeping the Blues Alive Award” presented by the

Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN. Fraher and his company Bogfire have

produced two traditional Irish music recordings of South Sligo musicians,

One’s Own Place by flute player Kevin Henry, and Farewell to Evening

Dances by singer and flute and whistle player Colm O’Donnell.

Fraher’s photographs have appeared on over 150 music recording covers and

publications, including Living Blues, Guitar Player, Downbeat, Juke Blues,

Texas Highways and in The Blues, a documentary series produced by Martin

Scorsese.

He is the author of The Blues is a Feeling: Voices and Visions of

African-American Blues Musicians, Face to Face Books, 1998. He is the

photographer of two collaborative book projects with author Roger Wood,

Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues, University of Texas Press, 2003, and

Texas Zydeco, University of Texas Press, 2006. In 1991, Fraher was one

of 82 photographers for A Day In The Life of Ireland, a book by Collins

Publishers.

The University of St. Thomas Center for Irish Studies is pleased to

announce its fall cultural outreach series. Events are first-come,

first-served. All lectures are free; minimal charge for concerts.

No RSVP; no tickets sold in advance. Parking is available for $2 in

the Moran Center at West Alabama at Graustark. For more information,

contact the Center Director, Lori Meghan Gallagher, J.D., at 713-525-3592 or irishstudies@stthom.edu.

*************************

09/25/08 - Flogging Molly at Verizon Wireless Theater

Houston, TX Thursday, 8:00PM

*************************

10/01/08 - The High Kings Tickets at Hobby Center, Houston, TX

8:00PM

Check out their website at: http://www.thehighkings.com/tourdatesUS.html.

*************************

10/05/08 - 2008 Celtic Festival & Gathering Of The Celts

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Heights, Houston, Texas

*************************

10/08/08 - Sean Tyrrell, Irish musician, singer and storyteller at U of St Thomas

Center for Irish Studies Cultural Outreach Series

Sean Tyrrell, Irish musician, singer and storyteller

Cry of the Dreamer: The Amazing Story of Irish Hero John Boyle O’Reilly

7:30 p.m.

Scanlan Room, Jerabeck Center, 4000 Mt. Vernon

Free and open to the public

Sponsors: UST Center for Irish Studies Cultural Outreach Forum &

Irish American Cultural Institute

The Irish Society

Irish singer, musician and storyteller Seán Tyrrell will present

the story of John Boyle O’Reilly (1844-1890) through song, music,

poetry and other writings. O’Reilly was a visionary and a poet

with the heart of a rebel, the courage of a freedom fighter, the

commitment of a civil rights activist and the blood of a true

born Irishman. He was persecuted, condemned and banished from

Ireland to the Penal Colonies in Australia for his political beliefs

and activities. He was the first to escape on an American whaling

ship. His story crosses three continents and is one of imprisonment,

persecution and escape.

Tyrrell weaves O’Reilly’s story into a tapestry of traditional Irish

music and song, part spoken word and part historical rendition. The

presentation evokes a theatre in the round experience. You will be

led across a dance-floor of words so lovely, so dire and so hopeful

that there can be only one feeling when it is over: Awe. This

riveting stage presentation brings this forgotten visionary-poet to

life. Tyrrell’s passion for O’Reilly’s life, work and poetry permeates

his stunning theatrical presentation.

Tyrrell originally is from the West of Ireland. He emigrated to New

York in 1968. He joined the Greenwich Village folk music scene before

moving to San Francisco in the early 1970s, where he gained a reputation

as an exceptional Irish singer. In the late 1970s, Tyrrell returned to

Ireland. With a growing reputation, he was invited to “guest” on several

recordings, including two albums with the former Moving Hearts uileann

piper, Davy Spillane.

On the heels of his successful recordings with Davy Spillane, Tyrrell

embarked on his first solo project, Cry of A Dreamer, recorded on his

own label Longwalk Music. The album, released in April 1994, was greeted

with great critical acclaim and was voted Best Folk Album of the Year by

both Folk Roots and Hotpress magazine. Tyrrell began touring extensively

in Ireland, England, Europe and the USA, performing at major festivals and

concert halls.

In 1999, he released his much anticipated second solo effort, The Orchard.

This album also was met with critical acclaim, as Tyrrell was voted Best

Overall Folk Act and the album was voted Best Folk Album by readers of Irish

Music magazine. Recently, Tyrrell has contributed music and songs to such

projects as “A Necklace of Wren,” a film documentary on the life and poetry

of Michael Hartnett, whose poem Billy Mulvihill Tyrrell set to music on The

Orchard. Tyrrell has toured with Tommy Peoples, Kevin Glackin, Ronan Brown,

Davy Spillane, Three for the Ditch, Paddy Keenan, Little John Nee and poet Mary O’Malley.

The University of St. Thomas Center for Irish Studies is pleased to

announce its fall cultural outreach series. Events are first-come,

first-served. All lectures are free; minimal charge for concerts.

No RSVP; no tickets sold in advance. Parking is available for $2 in

the Moran Center at West Alabama at Graustark. For more information,

contact the Center Director, Lori Meghan Gallagher, J.D., at 713-525-3592 or irishstudies@stthom.edu.

*************************

10/18/08 – Irish Society’s Founder’s Celebration at Molly’s Downtown

The Founders' Celebration Luncheon will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2:00-

4:00 PM at the new Molly's Pub downtown location. This event will honor the Founding

Members of the Irish Society as well as our A.O.H. veterans. All Irish Society members

are invited. Guinness will co-host with pub owners, Eamonn Finnerty and Mike Daily. We

hope you can join us. Molly's is right on the Main Street Rail Line; take the Preston

Station exit and the pub is one and a half blocks south. There's plenty of paid parking nearby as well.

*************************

10/15/08 – Dr David Gleenson: Irish Rebels in the American South at the U of St Thomas

Center for Irish Studies Cultural Outreach Series

Dr. David Gleeson, a native of Ireland and Associate Professor of History, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina

Another Fight for Independence: Irish Rebels in the American South

7:30 p.m.

Cullen Hall, 4001 Mt. Vernon

Free and open to the public

Sponsors:

UST Center for Irish Studies Cultural Outreach Forum

The Irish Society

Irish immigrants actively participated in the Confederacy

during the Civil War. Thousands served in the Confederate

Army while others worked on the home front. The Irish

Confederate record was, however, a mixed one, leaving the

status of Irish Confederates as southerners ambiguous. Confederate

complaints about foreigners filling the Union Army and

Republican appeals to immigrants in the South exacerbated distrust

of the Irish. Ultimately, it took Irish opposition to Radical

Reconstruction and their participation in the commemoration of

the War to repair their image among white southerners. The Irish

were accustomed to failed struggles for independence, having

seen their own national aspirations disappointed on numerous

occasions. Therefore, they were to embrace the new struggle

developing around them. Throughout the region, and in various

forms, the Irish in the South remembered their Confederate

activity in a positive light and thus sealed their place as integrated members of the “New South.”

Dr. David T. Gleeson, a native of Ireland, is an associate professor

of history at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina.

He teaches southern and Irish American history. He is also a

co-director of a Carolina Low Country Program. His first book The

Irish in the South, 1815-1877, published by the University of North

Carolina Press, won the 2002 Donald Murphy Prize from the American

Conference for Irish Studies. He is currently working on his new

book The Green and the Gray: The Irish in the Confederate States of America.

The University of St. Thomas Center for Irish Studies is pleased to

announce its fall cultural outreach series. Events are first-come,

first-served. All lectures are free; minimal charge for concerts.

No RSVP; no tickets sold in advance. Parking is available for $2 in

the Moran Center at West Alabama at Graustark. For more information,

contact the Center Director, Lori Meghan Gallagher, J.D., at 713-525-3592 or irishstudies@stthom.edu.

*************************

10/18/08 – Clear Lake Celtic Festival

Clear Lake Celtic Music Festival

Landolt Pavilion at Clear Lake Park

Noon to 10PM

NASA RD 1, Houston, Texas

Posted Friday, August 22, 2008 9:08 AM

11th Annual Clear Lake Celtic Music Festival & Highland Games

So, you want to go to a real party?

Saturday, October 18th, 2008: 11th Annual Clear Lake Celtic

Music Festival & Highland Games

Real men in kilts! One of the most colorful festivals in

Houston featuring live music, dance, food and beverages at

Landolt Pavilion, Clear Lake Park, NASA Rd 1.

Open Noon to 10PM. Admission: $10, kids free.

½ Price Admission after 6PM.

½ Price Beverages after 7PM.

Maps and more at: http://www.celticmusicassociation.com/ or

call Jeannie Kearns at 713-365-9648.

Performance highlights: This year we have Lonestar Stout (Jed

Marum, Hugh Morrison, Mason Brown), Celtic Voyage (Grant

Dawson, et al), Cass Academy of Irish Dance, and two more

stage acts that will be announced soon.

The Cass Academy of Irish Dance! No one can get enough of

these kids at the festival. Erin Cass has trained the most

talented and delightful troupe of dancers you'll see

anywhere. Always colorful and incredibly skilled, they'll

steal your heart, and the show. http://cassacademy.com/start.htm

Proceeds benefit children's education through the

International Space School Foundation, KPFT public radio,

and St. Brendan's Project. Maps and more at

http://www.celticmusicassociation.com/

Visualeyes@msn.com

*************************

10/18/08 – Irish Society’s Founders Party at Molly’s Downtown

The Founders' Celebration Luncheon will be held on Saturday,

October 18, 2:00-4:00 PM at the new Molly's Pub downtown

location. This event will honor the Founding Members of the

Irish Society as well as our A.O.H. veterans. All Irish

Society members are invited. Guinness will co-host with pub

owners, Eamonn Finnerty and Mike Daily. We hope you can

join us. Molly's is right on the Main Street Rail Line;

take the Preston Station exit and the pub is one and

a half blocks south. There's plenty of paid parking

nearby as well.

*************************

10/24-26 – O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat in Midlothian

We host a three-day music camp called the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat where we

teach traditional Irish music on fiddle, flute, harp, whistle, Uilleann pipes,

guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, tenor banjo, accordion, concertina, bodhran and piano.

We also have classes in singing in both Irish Gaelic and English and a large

number of music enrichment classes. Seven internationally-respected Irish players

will join the teaching staff this year as guest instructors including Matt

Cranitch and James Kelly on fiddle, Mick Moloney on tenor banjo, Mickey Dunne on

Uilleann pipes, June McCormack on flute, Pat Egan on guitar and Danny O’Flaherty

on singing ballads. The retreat will be held October 24-26, 2008 (always the last

weekend in October) in Midlothian, Texas at a comfortable, scenic camp there. For

more information, please visit our website at www.oflahertyretreat.org. The event

is organized by the Traditional Irish Music Education Society, a non-profit group

whose mission is “to assist and encourage people in their learning and playing of

traditional Irish music through educational programs and performance events.”

*************************

10/31/08 – Clandestine at the Mucky Duck

7 & ?, $15

*************************

11/02/08 – Irish Aires program at Miller theater

Details to be annonced

*************************

11/14/08 - 2008 Annual Irish Gala

6:30 p.m.: Silent Auction

Dinner and Program thereafter

Houstonian Hotel, 111 North Post Oak Lane

Honorees: Alayne Kane and Honorary Consul of Ireland John B. Kane

Chairs: Dorothy and Ray LeBlanc

Benefiting the Center for Irish Studies

Individual Tickets: $250

Tables: $2,500, $3,500, $5,000 and $7,500

For reservations or more information, contact

Abigail Schleuse at 713-525-3173 or schleua@stthom.edu

Gather with the Friends of the University of St. Thomas Center for

Irish Studies for the 2008 Annual Irish Gala celebrating honorees Alayne

and Honorary Consul of Ireland John B. Kane, who are Ambassador Members

of the University of St. Thomas Cultural Outreach Forum and Friends of

the Center for Irish Studies and the University. Honorary Consul Kane

also serves on the Center for Irish Studies Advisory Board. Gala chairs

are Dorothy and Ray LeBlanc.

Tables of 10 range from $2,500 to $7,500 and individual tickets sell for

$250. Funds raised support the UST Center for Irish Studies academic,

cultural and study abroad programs. For reservations and more information,

contact Abigail Schleuse at 713-525-3173 or schleua@stthom.edu.

*************************

11/21/08 – Blaggards at R&R Sports Bar & Grill in Houston

**************************

11/25/08 – Celtic Thunder in Concert at Reliant Arena

Celtic Thunder is a new group and concert special featuring five Celtic male

vocalists: Paul Byrom (age 28, Dublin, Ireland), George Donaldson (age 39,

Glasgow, Scotland), Keith Harkin (age 20, Derry, Northern Ireland), Ryan Kelly

(age 28, Moy in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland) and Damian McGinty (age 14,

Derry, Northern Ireland). Taped August 2007 at the Helix in Dublin , the group's

debut performance is a celebration of Celtic heritage and men-their loves,

attitudes, individuality, power and strength, throughout life's journey. From

rousing ensemble numbers to solos showcasing each members' vocal style and

personality, Celtic Thunder performs powerful ballads, popular hits, and

heartwarming songs of love and loss from across the Celtic music spectrum-Irish,

Scottish, traditional and contemporary. Celtic Thunder creator/producer Sharon

Browne teamed up with legendary Irish composer Phil Coulter (Elvis Presley's "My

Boy," Sandie Shaw's "Puppet on a String," the now-classic Irish ballad "The Town I

Loved So Well"), to audition men all over Ireland and Scotland for the group, and

craft a representative set list. The eclectic mix of music includes traditional

songs ("Mountains of Mourne," "Come by the Hills," "Love Thee Dearest"), pop

classics (Paul Anka's "Puppy Love," the Eagles' "Desperado," The Moody Blues'

"Nights in White Satin") and Coulter originals (Irish Rugby Football Union anthem

"Ireland's Call," "The Old Man," "Steal Away"), accompanied by The Celtic Concert

Orchestra, a full band, bagpipes and monks. Choreography, dramatic lighting,

visual effects, and a set resembling ancient stone steps and paths enhance the

musical production.

*************************

12/07/08 – Danny O’Flaherty’s: A Celtic Christmas

A Celtic Christmas

Celtic Balladeer Danny O’Flaherty and Others

4-6:30 p.m.

Jones Hall, 3910 Yoakum

Cost: $10 for adults

Students free

Tickets at the door

Open to the public

The cast of A Celtic Christmas will once again celebrate the

true Christmas spirit of the Celtic Nations of Ireland, Wales,

Scotland, Cornwall, Brittany, Galicia, and the Isle of Man in

a one-day only concert. The show will tell the tales of the

charming and unique yuletide customs that evolved over the centuries

in the nations of the Celts. In December of 1990, Danny O’Flaherty

teamed with Welsh harpist, Robin James Jones to present the first

Celtic Christmas show. The performance explored old Christmas

favorites and songs of the Celtic Nations. It quickly became a

holiday favorite at O’Flaherty’s Irish Channel Pub in New Orleans.

Over the years, the program has evolved through cast member changes.

In 1995, Janet Shea and Michael Cahill joined the cast. The duo worked

with Danny O’Flaherty to revamp the production into a concert presentation

of stories, dances and songs. Hurricane Katrina put A Celtic Christmas

on hold for the first time in fifteen years, but, like the city where it

was established, it will return this year to delight audiences once again.

Come join cast members Danny O’Flaherty, Janet Shea, Michael Cahill

and Misha Kachkachishvili as you slip back in time and savor the yuletide

season as it has been celebrated for centuries among the Celtic countries.

The cast of A Celtic Christmas will bring the precious ancient gifts of music,

song, dance and especially the gift of storytelling to the University of

St. Thomas.

The University of St. Thomas Center for Irish Studies is pleased to

announce its fall cultural outreach series. Events are first-come,

first-served. All lectures are free; minimal charge for concerts.

No RSVP; no tickets sold in advance. Parking is available for $2 in

the Moran Center at West Alabama at Graustark. For more information,

contact the Center Director, Lori Meghan Gallagher, J.D., at 713-525-3592 or irishstudies@stthom.edu.

*************************

01/31-02/07/09 – 18th Annual Irish Festival Cruise

January 31-February 7

More than 40 hours of traditional Irish entertainment will highlight the 18h Annual

Irish Festival Cruise aboard Celebrity Cruise Lines’ Summit departing from San Juan,

Puerto Rico. This week long cruise to tropical ports of call -- St. Maarten, Dominica,

Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba -- combines the best in Irish music, dance and culture with

luxurious Caribbean cruising.

Performers include Johnny McEvoy, Cherish the Ladies, Bogside Rogues, The Black

Brothers, balladeers Tommy Sands and Liam Tiernan. Also, Don Stiffe, raconteur John

Gleeson, seanachie Mike Mazur and world champion Irish dancers Donny Golden and Dan

Stacey. The jig will be up when the Matt Cunningham Band takes the stage. In addition

to the nightly concerts, there will be a variety of workshops on all things

Irish...from learning to dance a jig or speak the Irish language to instructions on the

tin whistle and bodhran.

Irish Festival Cruise accommodations, for January 31st through February 7th start in

price from $1,199.00 per person (based on double occupancy, USD). The price includes

all shipboard accommodations, meals and entertainment. The package can only be booked

through Irish Festival Cruises, Ltd.

*************************

01/17/09 – Ronan Tynan at the 1894 Grand Opera House in Galveston

*************************

01/31-02/07/09 – 18th Annual Irish Festival Cruise

More than 40 hours of traditional Irish entertainment will highlight the 18h Annual

Irish Festival Cruise aboard Celebrity Cruise Lines’ Summit departing from San Juan,

Puerto Rico. This week long cruise to tropical ports of call -- St. Maarten, Dominica,

Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba -- combines the best in Irish music, dance and culture with

luxurious Caribbean cruising.

Performers include Johnny McEvoy, Cherish the Ladies, Bogside Rogues, The Black

Brothers, balladeers Tommy Sands and Liam Tiernan. Also, Don Stiffe, raconteur John

Gleeson, seanachie Mike Mazur and world champion Irish dancers Donny Golden and Dan

Stacey. The jig will be up when the Matt Cunningham Band takes the stage. In addition

to the nightly concerts, there will be a variety of workshops on all things

Irish...from learning to dance a jig or speak the Irish language to instructions on the

tin whistle and bodhran.

Irish Festival Cruise accommodations, for January 31st through February 7th start

in price from $1,199.00 per person (based on double occupancy, USD). The price includes

all shipboard accommodations, meals and entertainment. The package can only be booked

through Irish Festival Cruises, Ltd.

**************************

02/25/09 - The Chieftains at Jones Hall

Jones Hall

615 Louisiana

Houston TX 77002

Phone: (713) 224-7575

Come hear these six-time Grammy Award winners. The Chieftains have collaborated

and performed with some of the biggest names in rock, pop, and traditional music

in Ireland and around the world, including the Rolling Stones and Van Morrison.

Ireland's premier musical ambassadors will appear with your Houston Symphony.

************************

03/04/09 – James Galway at Jones Hall

Sir James Galway, flute

Christopher O’Riley, piano

Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 8 p.m.

Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana, downtown Houston

**********************************************

ON GOING Events:

Note: Irish Aires can now be HEARD of DOWNLOADED from the Internet. ALSO,

there is a new link to hear KPFT Live

Internet listening (live) is available through our MP3 streams.

If you have Winamp, Media Player or iTunes installed on your

computer, you can connect HERE or

http://stream.kpft.org/streamkpft.m3u

Free Player Downloads:

Winamp

Windows Media Player

iTunes

----

Irish Aires is also podcast at:

http://archive.kpft.org/xml/eire.xml

Internet listening (live) is available through our MP3 streams.

If you have Winamp, Media Player or iTunes installed on your computer, you

can connect HERE or

http://stream.kpft.org/streamkpft.m3u

Free Player Downloads: Winamp

Windows Media Player

iTunes

----

Ireland 2007 Pictures

Part 1 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JayDooling/Ireland2007

Part 2 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JayDooling/Ireland2007Part2

Part 3 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JayDooling/Ireland2007Part3

Part 4 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JayDooling/Ireland2007Part4

Part 5 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JayDooling/Ireland2007Part5

Part 6 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JayDooling/Ireland2007Part6

Part 7 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JayDooling/Ireland2007Part7

Part 8 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JayDooling/Ireland2007Part8ProbablyFinalUpload

New – A Compilation of All my 2007 Irish Pics with music & videos.

See instructions on how to see at Irish Aires Blog.

*********************

Paisley Close Press Release

Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 20:28:16 -0600

Over the past few years, I have been asked time and again

"Why Paisley Close"? Like every tale you must start at the

beginning to get to the end. On November 24th 1861, at a

spot along High Street in Edinburgh 's Royal Mile, two

overcrowded and decrepit tenements collapsed. According to

legend, workers were clearing the debris away when they

heard a voice shout out "Heave awa' lads, I'm no deid yet!"

As a memorial, Paisley Close (the cul-de-sac) was built in

place of the collapsed buildings. Paisley Close (the

band) was built by resurrecting former bands-mates.

Paisley Close (the band) felt that the young man's luck,

tenacity and symbolism was a fitting name.

Now with a heavy heart I must announce the passing of this

great band. Paisley Close is going through a major

transitional period and collectively they have decided to

put the band on an indefinite hiatus. The members of

Paisley Close remain friends but personal commitments have

forced them to make this difficult decision. Through the

last three years they have had the opportunity to play on

some amazing stages at some of the best festival in the

county and for this they are extremely grateful. Even

more outstanding has been the people they have met and the

friendships forged. That is the biggest aspect that I will

personally miss the most. As the bands booking agent I

have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing

directors, coordinator and volunteers; who without you, the

show would literally not go on. Thank you for allowing us

the opportunity to grace your stages and share a pint or

two!

I speak for the entire band (Cidnie MacNamee, Bernard

Schreiber, Amy Price and Rabbit Boyett) in saying that it

has been an honor and a privilege!

Although this chapter may be over we raise our glasses to

everyone "were not dead yet!"

We wish you peace and joy and hopefully will see you all

sometime down the road.

Sláinte - Cheers,

Hopie Lopez-Boyett

Booking Agent

----

*************************

The Center for Irish Studies Welcomes Irish Language

Professor Aoife Ní Ghloinn

The Center for Irish Studies is pleased to announce the arrival

of its new Irish language professor, Aoife Ní Ghloinn (pronounced

E-fa Nee Glynn). Thanks to a grant from the Irish Government,

Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the University

of St. Thomas has employed Professor Ní Ghloinn as a Visiting

Scholar to teach the Irish language, culture and music. Prof. Ní

Ghloinn hails from Carlow, about an hour south of Dublin. She

comes from a bilingual family; both of her parents are Irish speakers.

Her father is from Tipperary and her mother is from Donegal.

In 2005, she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Irish language

and music from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, graduating

top of both of her classes and receiving academic awards for her

scholarly achievements. This academic success led to a scholarship

from the Northern Ireland Department of Education and Learning to

pursue her studies at Queen’s University Belfast, where she received

a Master’s degree, with distinction, in Irish and Celtic Studies.

Prof. Ní Ghloinn is also an accomplished musician. She plays the

piano, fiddle and guitar, and loves to sing.

Prof. Ní Ghloinn has spent the last number of years teaching both

English and Irish as second languages, at all levels from elementary

school to third level institutions. She is very excited to join us

and is looking forward to sharing her love for the Irish language,

music and culture with students, young and old, at UST.

Fall 2008 Irish Studies Courses

Our fall courses start on August 25th! These courses are open for audit.

Irish Language Courses

Irish I, Mondays, Wednesdays, 3:10 to 4:25 p.m.

Irish II, Tuesdays, Thursdays, 3:35 to 4:50 p.m.

Intermediate Irish, Tuesday, 5:30 to 8:15 p.m.

Professor Aoife Ní Ghloinn; Malloy Hall 023 on the UST Campus

Modern Irish Literature

Mondays, Wednesdays, 5:30 to 6:45 p.m.

Dr. Janet Lowery; Room: Strake 204

Celtic Spirituality

Mondays, Wednesdays, 1:40 to 2:55 p.m.

Sr. Madeleine Grace; Room: Strake 106

Irish American Experience

Tuesdays, Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Lori Meghan Gallagher, J.D.; Room: Tiller Hall 116

2008 Cultural Outreach Forum

Ambassador

Alayne and Honorary Consul General of Ireland John B. Kane

Colleen and George McCullough

ExxonMobil Foundation

Moran Resources Company, LP

Sally and William T. Slick

Consul

Freebird Partners L.P.

Donor

Laurie and Dr. Patrick Cook

Delia and Chris Cowles/The Shell Oil Foundation

Dr. Lida Dahm and Karl Dahm

Michael Devine

Dr. Charlene Dykman and Dr. Charles Davis

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Fox

Ann and Tom Hoar

Eileen Miggins Hohlt and John Hohlt

Jeani and Tom Horan

Olivia Howlett

Dr. Nancy Jircik

Mary Louise Keegan

Colin Kennedy

Betty and Mike Long

Gayle and Robert Longmire

Mary Lynch

Norma and Dr. Joseph McFadden

Michele Malloy

Mary and Nugent Myrick

Claire Navarre

Kathy and Joe Ridley

Rev. Ben H. Shawhan

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Slot

The Shell Oil Company Foundation

Dr. Pauline Ward and Britt Crist

Anita and Charles Weiner

Sponsor (Governmental and Nonprofit Organizations)

Irish Government Department of Foreign Affairs

----

Four UST Students Study Free In Ireland

This summer, through the generosity of the Innisfree

International College & Conference Centre and its benefactors,

our UST students studied for two weeks on all-expense paid

scholarships in Lough Gill, Sligo, Ireland. The IIC&CC covered

the tuition, accommodation, food and local transportation.

The Center for Irish Studies awarded each student a $1,000

Bishop McCarthy Scholarship for Study Abroad in Ireland to

cover their airfare. The students were Matilde DeLeon, Jessica

Langridge, Stephanie Rivera and Susana Svojsik. All of these

students responded that these scholarships answered a prayer of

a lifetime: to study abroad.

This program provided the students with a wide range of cultural

and social activities that allowed the students to experience

contemporary Irish life and view some of Ireland’s most beautiful

scenery. The students took courses in Early History of Ireland,

the Archaeological Heritage of Ireland, Irish History—Act of Union

to Modern Ireland, Irish Literature and Irish Culture and Traditions.

They will receive credit for these courses through UST and the

National University of Ireland at Galway.

The students stated that one of the most interesting aspects of

the program was that they learned about Irish historical and

archaeological sites one day and visited those sites the next day.

They visited Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, one of the largest

such tombs in Ireland, the Carrowkeel hill top passage tomb and

Knocknarea, believed locally to be the burial place of the legendary

Queen Maeve of Connaught. They also retraced the footsteps of Irish

poet and playwright, W.B. Yeats, as they visited Parke’s Castle, a

17th century fortified manor house, the Lower Rosses, an area close

to Yeats’ heart, and the enchanting Glencar Lake and Waterfall,

which inspired Yeats to write his poem “The Stolen Child”.

The students came home full of enthusiasm for Ireland and their study abroad experience. They described the experience as “wonderful,” “life-changing” and “once-in-a life time”. Matilde DeLeon added: “What made the experience special was the people. We were treated with such hospitality and kindness. The scenery was spectacular, but the culture and its people are what made Ireland so awe-inspiring.”

The Center for Irish Studies and the students wish to thank Bishop McCarthy

and others who have donated to the Bishop McCarthy Scholarship and who made

this experience possible. We also would especially like to thank Jeremiah

Lynch, the IIC&CC professors, staff and everyone involved for making this

summer abroad experience such a success.

Call for Study Abroad Scholarship Assistance

In summer 2009, the Center for Irish Studies intends to lead another study

abroad trip to Ireland. We plan to take 20 students and two faculty members.

Each year, through the Bishop McCarthy Scholarships for Study Abroad in

Ireland, the Center for Irish Studies offers scholarships to each of the students who study in Ireland.

With $40,000 as a target for 2009, we request your assistance in raising

these scholarships to help our students defray the cost of their airfare

and other expenses.

Several years ago, the Center created a scholarship fund in honor of

Bishop McCarthy, who is a member of the Center for Irish Studies Advisory

Board, a UST alumni and a beloved member of our Irish community. Please

help us reach our goals and honor Bishop McCarthy!

----

Wednesday Nights at 8ish PM. The Mucky Duck continues a

twenty-five year tradition, hosting Houston's Irish

Session. The Mucky Duck incarnation of the Session, if for

no other reason than the frequent participation of younger

musicians, gives a very real sense of tradition passed on

and history handed down. The most visible Celtic-influenced

traditional bands around Houston -- make participating in

the Session a regular, energy-charging part of their

regular routine.

What is celebrated is the whole of Celtic culture, and a

musical tradition that, over the centuries, has become as

much American roots music as bottleneck guitar. The drums

of western Africa are what gave American music its rhythm;

more often than not, though, the melody is Celtic. The

popularity of Celtic folk music is either a testament to

the timeless appeal of these sometimes haunting, sometimes

hilarious, sometimes jig-inspiring tunes, or perhaps an

argument in favor of the nebulous theory of racial memory.

Celtic blood-ties real, suspected and imagined have given

many the impetus to learn the folk-arts of the ancient

tribes; that's just one reason why the Wednesday night

Session at the ` is as much a school and tribal

gathering as a musical event. This is a great way to

explore Irish music and tradition.

Music starts at 8pm, and there is no cover charge.2425

Norfolk Houston, TX 77098 713.528.5999 Phone

Be sure to check our calendar in case we have booked a

special show that might preempt our regular Irish Session

----

Ar mhaith leat Gaeilge a labhairt?

Would you like to speak Irish?

Beginning Irish Conversation

Jason’s Deli

Westheimer & Shepherd

2611 S Shepherd Dr Houston, TX 77098-1561

If you are interested in learning a little Irish then come

join us at Jason’s Deli on Wednesday evenings at 7:00

P.M.

This Irish class is tailored to the beginning student who

has had no prior exposure to Irish. You will learn basic

conversational greetings, helpful phrases, informative tips

for traveling through the Gaeltacht such as common signage,

asking directions and most important of all how to

pronounce those mystical Irish words.

Pocket phrase books do the tourist no good unless they know

how to pronounce what they are reading! This course

provides the beginning student with phonetically spelled

out Irish words, something most beginning tape and book

courses fail to offer.

If you have any questions please contact Tim Theisen

(tyson) at Jeaniebotl@aol.com or phone me at (713) 263-9691

If you are interested please come join us on Wednesday

evenings at 7:00 P.M.

There is a $5.00 donation to cover cost of the handouts.

Labhraímis Gaeilge is linne í !

Speaking Irish is cool!

----

Learn Irish Gaelic! (Katy Class)

SATURDAY - Beginning Conversational Irish (and every

Saturday for the next few months) Katy, TX 10 AM - Noon

Self-Study Group

Using Interactive CDs, Books, Tapes, and other materials

for spoken and written Irish.

Class moderated by an advanced American student of the

language.

$7 per class to cover costs.

$5 for Irish American Heritage Association members.

Call Pat McMahon at 713-271-0784 for location and

directions, or e-mail patpmcmahon@aol.com location: The

Carriage Inn, 1400 Katy- Flewellen Road in the Computer

Room

----

Wednesdays, 7-10 pm

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING AND MORE

http://home.att.net/~diannashipman/SCDM.htm

New Dancers Welcome - Families Welcome

(children must be accompanied by parent / guardian).

$5 for those 14 and over; $2.50 those under 14

($15 maximum per family) - fourth consecutive Wednesday

free.

1st Wednesdays: FREE at

Churchill Room, Black Labrador Pub

4100 Montrose Blvd. Map

(Montrose near Richmond)

2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Wednesday

Location: Oddfellows Hall, 115 E. 14th St. (Heights),

Houston, Texas (3rd building on left traveling east from

Heights Blvd. - 2 story red brick - entrance recessed about

15 feet from street - dancing upstairs).

LINKS ON WEBSITE with map & photo (Map)

http://home.att.net/~diannashipman/MapOddfellows.gif

PHOTO OF HALL:

http://home.att.net/~diannashipman/OddfellowsHall.jpg

----

The Irish American Heritage Association of Katy, Texas. We

meet the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm at the

Municipal Utility District Building on Cimmaron Pkwy at

Hidden Canyon Rd (just west of S Mason Rd) in Katy, Texas

to enjoy speakers, performances, and presentations on

Ireland and the Irish. We also publish a monthly

newsletter,

The Irish Heritage News.

For more information or directions, please call:

Bridget Connelly . . 281-492-8780

Mike Long . . . . . . 281-395-3038

Dennis Donlan . . . 281-392-0894

OR

www.texirish.org

E-mail us at:

info@texirish.org

----

Thurs Night Irish Session @ Coffee Oasis on NASA Rd One

Session starts about 7:30PM every Thurs night

4650 NASA Road 1

Seabrook, TX 77586

281.532.1439

You are likely to see Laura (of Echoes of Ireland) or Tom

(of http://www.texasbagpipes.com/)

http://www.texasbagpipes.com/

http://www.bayoucitypipesanddrums.com/

----

CELTIC CHORUS OF HOUSTON

Do you like to hum or sing along with the music played on

Irish Aires or The Three Irish Tenors? Then join us every

Thursday night at Black Labrador Pub, 4100 Montrose Blvd.

(Montrose near Richmond)

NEW TIME: 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.

We will join together in a sing-a-long session and then

later those who wish to learn four part music may stay and

learn choral music of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. If you

need more information contact Richard McGinty 713-943-9600

or e-mail r.e.hourich@excite.com

The mission statement reads in part: "to provide a

community meeting place for those interested in the Celtic

heritages." The first half of the evening focuses on

singalong songs and the second half on choral arrangements.

The singalong songs: Will You Go Lassie Go The Minstrel Boy

Sally Gardens Molly Malone (In Dublin's Fair City)

Finnegan's Wake The Foggy Dew Black Velvet Band Mcnamara's

Band Danny Boy When Irish Eyes Are Smiling The Unicorn Song

I'm Lookin' Over A Four Leaf Clover Whiskey In The

Jar The Wild Rover The Bard Of Armagh Choral Arrangements:

Danny Boy The Minstrel Boy An Irish Blessing My Wild Irish

Rose

----

New Galveston Session Starting: Poor Michael's Pub in Galveston (2007 Strand)

wants to start a regular session at their establishment. All levels of musical

expertise (including those who just like to listen) will be welcome! Contact

Michael at galvston@yahoo.com or call him at 409-762-1967 to get more details.

Also, Poor Michael's has some employment opportunity for bartenders.

----

"One hundred thousand welcomes!" This age-old Gaelic

greeting is a timeless _expression of Scottish hospitality

and goodwill. We can't think of a better way to welcome you

than to invite you to Houston's Heather and Thistle Society

(H&T). The Heather and Thistle Society was founded in 1953

by Scots living in Houston who wished to "cultivate an

interest in and fond recollections of Scotland, its history

and traditions, its literature and ideals, its minstrelsy

and song, its customs and amusements; and to provide

opportunities for good fellowship and social contact

through typically Scottish functions, so that the blessing

of our Scottish culture may never die in our new homeland".

The Heather and Thistle Society meets 10 times a year,

September through June. Programs include "ceilidhs",

lively lectures, slide shows and movies about Scotland. We

are an organization that promotes our Scottish heritage in

various ways.

Membership in the Heather and Thistle Society is open to

all with an interest in Scottish Heritage and Culture.

Annual Dues are $10.00 for an individual and $15.00 for a

family.

H&T meets the fourth (4th) Monday of each month, September

thru June, at 7:30 P.M. Current meeting location:

Auditorium of St.Thomas Episcopal School, 4900 Jackwood,

Houston, TX 77096 http://www.stes.org/contact.htm

----

Royal Scottish Country Dance Society Dancing

General Class Mondays - 7:30-9:30 p.m In progress Classical

Arts Dance Studio, 530 N Illinois, League City - Contact

Moon Weiss, 713-465-9650, mland121@aol.com

Basic Class Tuesdays - 7:30-9:30 p.m. In progress DewAnn

Cotton Dance Studio, 9423 Glenfield Court (By S.

Braeswood/Hillcroft) South West Houston For info: Carol

Palmer, 713-776-8531, carolhpalmer@hotmail.com

General Class Thursdays - 7:30-9:30 p.m In progress DewAnn

Cotton Dance Studio, 9423 Glenfield Court (By S.

Braeswood/Hillcroft), South West Houston Teacher: Bill

Zobel, For info: Carol Palmer, 713-776-8531,

carolhpalmer@hotmail.com

----

Stepdancing & Ceili classes

O'Maoileidigh School of Irish Dance

Houston, TX

Sundays starting at 9:30 AM

For more information contact newmembers@omaoileidigh.com

http://www.omaoileidigh.com/

----

Step Dancing Lessons

Stepdancing Lessons

McTeggart Irish Dancers

The Woodlands, Texas

More info@

http://www.irishdancehouston.com/

936-321-6583

*With over 60 dancers and 21 Championship dancers McTeggart

Irish Dancers of South Texas have a lot to be proud of.

*Last year they had 6 dancers travel to Killarney Ireland

for the World's Championship in Irish Dancing. These

dancers faced up to 150 of the world's top dancers in their

age groups. Two of the dancers did very well: Zane

Glotzbach placed 24th and was 5th out of all the U.S.

competitors and Annelise Rubbo placed 33rd overall.

*Last year they had 21 dancers travel to Norfolk, Virginia

for the Southern Region Championships, also known as

"Oireachtas". Most of these dancers placed high in their

age groups, with 3 receiving first place: Annelise Rubbo,

Zane Glotzbach and Shannon Powell.

From this competition a dancer qualifies for the World's

Championship and Annelise Rubbo, Jaclyn Rubbo and Zane

Glotzbach achieved this accomplishment.

*Another well-known International competition is the All-

Irelands. Later in January 2004, Annelise Rubbo and Jenna

Pace will be traveling to Ennis, Ireland to compete.

*Also in 2004 several dancers are heading to Philadelphia

for the North American Nationals Competition, held each

July. In addition, McTeggart Irish Dancers of South Texas

hopes to have over 25 dancers travel to North Carolina for

the next Southern Region Championship.

*A new beginner class started Sunday, Jan. 11.For

information on classes or performances, go to

http://www.irishdancehouston.com/

or call 936-321-6583

----

"The Maguire Academy of Irish Dance"

Come join us at our first weekly class for our new school starting this Sunday

(12/16/07) Classes will be every Sunday from 4PM To 5:30PM at

Amy Blakes Academy Of Dance Located At The Intersection Of Thor St And Bay Area

Blvd. On January 13, 2008, there will be a Master Class from 1PM to 4PM (The

workshop cost is $40 for a 4 hour masterclass).

We are opening up in the Clear Lake area and would love to have all interested

in learning Irish dance, come and join our school.

About us:

Darren Maguire is a former lead male dancer in Riverdance the Show, world

champion level dancer, and fully accredited TCRG/ADCRG with the Irish dance

commission in Dublin, Ireland.

Richard Tew is a national, and regional champion level dancer, and regional

senior men's champion in 2003. Richard is also a TCRG candidate having already

taken and passed most of his requirements.

Amy Blake's Academy of Dance" located at:

2150 Bay Area Blvd.

Houston, TX 77058

Our weekly classes are being planned right now, and will be at the same location

as the workshops.

Please either email: rttew@yahoo.com or call 281-989-3575

Thanks,

Richard Tew

******************************************

Community Annoucements:

Wedding Announcement

Bill Galbraith & Emily Standish Have Announced Their MARRIAGE!

Bill and Emily play Celtic music as CONSTANT BILLY.

----

Support The Pat Finucane Centre Today!

(Poster's Note: This organization really needs the support

of all Irish & Irish Americans. The family has suffered so

much and the PFC has done so MUCH for MANY Irish causes.

TODAY, please write a check OR even better, go to their web

site: http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/

You can make a donation with PayPal online & it will only

take a minute. We should all try to make AT LEAST a $20

contribution (a $100 would be better. Jay)

******************************************

SUPPORT THE PAT FINUCANE CENTRE

From: "Pat Finucane Centre" info@patfinucanecentre.org

Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 15:36:49 +0100

Subject: Urgent Appeal To Friends & Supporters.

An Urgent Appeal To All Friends And Supporters Of The Pat

Finucane Centre.

Dear Friend of the PFC,

This is an urgent appeal for donations! We are in the red!

The Pat Finucane Centre, though Derry based, has had an

impact far beyond the north west of Ireland. Earlier this

year a reception was held at the Guildhall in Derry to

honour the work of the Centre. Families and individuals

travelled from 11 of the 32 counties in Ireland, and from

Scotland and England, in itself ample testament to the

respect felt in the wider community.

The work of the centre over the last year has included;

-organising public meetings with the Mayor of London on the

End Impunity Campaign,

- research on collusion that has resulted in a number of

cases currently being heard before the European Court of

Human Rights at Strasbourg,

-participating in the Advisory Group on the Sean Brown

murder investigation,

-logging all sectarian /racist incidents from June 2005 to

September 2005 (the log will be available soon)

-giving evidence to Committees of both the Irish and

British parliaments,

-initiating a number of investigations into conflict

related deaths by the Police Ombudsman's office,

-reenacting closed meetings of the Policing Board as street

theatre and

--applying to the Guinness Book of Records to have

Rosemount PSNI barracks logged as the least used police

station in the world!

The ongoing day-to-day advocacy on behalf of families is

largely confidential and hidden from view but the Centre

works with over 120 families who have lost relatives in the

conflict. In addition individuals approach the Centre with

complaints and are referred to solicitors and/or to the

Police Ombudsman.

Against this background it will come as no surprise to

realise that the centre deliberately steers away from

official funding that is linked to the NIO. Stubbornly

independent as it is the Centre is largely dependent on

individual donors. The Pat Finucane Centre website carries

the following quote from Geraldine Finucane,

'If you believe in shaping stronger human rights protection

then invest in the Pat Finucane Centre and those who find

themselves in the frontline in their work to defend human

rights. '

The Centre urgently requires donations in order to continue

that work.

There is no money in the bank! Please respond this week!

Note. Donations can be made by cheque or online (today!)

through the secure Paypal system at

http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/

Postal address:

The Pat Finucane Centre,

1 West End Park,

Derry,

BT48 9JF

Ireland (North).

Telephone: +44 28 71 268846

Fax: +44 28 71 266453

Email: info@patfinucanecentre.org

******************************************

Ireland Photos

Pictures from Ireland in 2006

To See Irish pics, click the following:

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/rdooling@swbell.net/album/1152921504621152084

----

:: Irish Aires Has A Brand New Blog!! (actually we have

two!)

http://irishairescurrentevents.blogspot.com/2005/01/irish-aires-has-brand-new-blog.html

Below are links to hear broadcasts & playlists. If you have

RealAudio, a soundcard & speakers on your computer, you

should have no problem listening to the shows, EXCEPT that

if too many people are trying to access the stations audio

files at once, you might get an error. Try back later.

----

:: Rory Oliver Miggins, RIP

http://www.legacy.com/houstonchronicle/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=99249818

Rory Oliver Miggins

RORY OLIVER MIGGINS, 52, entered into life everlasting on

December 7, 2007, in his parental home in the shadow of St.

Anne's Church, after a valiant 3-month battle with

melanoma.

Rory was born in Houston, Texas on September 11, 1955, the

first-born of 12 children of Kathleen and Larry Miggins,

who survive him.

Rory was a natural competitor. He had a distinguished

athletic career at St. Thomas High School in basketball,

baseball, and, particularly, football, garnering All-

District, All-State, and All-American honors as running

back. Rory graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1974.

He graduated from the University of Houston in 1979 with a

BBA in Finance.

He was a lifelong athlete, playing baseball for 16 years

with the Houston Men's Senior Baseball League, most recently

with the Colt 45's during the spring of 2007.

During his 29-year career as a marine manager with ILA

Local 1351, Rory rose to Class A rank and served on its

Executive Board.

It was through his work at the Port of Houston that Rory

developed a love of the waterfront, prompting him to form

the Waterfront Association that sponsored the Waterfront

Fishing Festival for many years dedicated to cleaning and

beautification of the environment.

Rory's love of music, fostered by his Irish heritage,

inspired him to create an East End legend, Local Charm, a

venue for regional blues, rockabilly, country, and zydeco

bands where he lived by the motto "You are a stranger here

but once." His eclectic music bar launched many new talents

in the 80's and 90's.

He was recognized for these efforts and was appointed the

2008 Honorary Chair of the Musician's Benevolent Society

that he co-founded in the 80's. An example of Rory's

originality and creativity is the first ever St. Patrick's

Day Snake Races held at Local Charm.

Always interested in Texas history, Rory joined the Texas

Army and achieved the rank of Colonel. He was also

recognized as a Knight of Texas for his work in connection

with the annual Greening of the Bayou for St. Patrick's

Day.

In addition to his parents, Rory is survived by his 11

grieving siblings, their spouses, and his 15 nieces and 16

nephews to whom he was a terrific uncle: Eileen Hohlt

(John), Mary, John, and Annie Hohlt; John (Debbie),

Christine, Julia, and Matthew Miggins; Larry (Sherl),

Thomas and Laura Miggins; Maureen Swanson (Pat), Fiona,

Patrick, Brian and Kenneth Swanson; Noreen Gottschalk

(Stephen), Robert and Daniel Gottschalk; Matthew

(Penelope), Gabriella, John, and Maria Miggins; Kathleen

Hibbler (Jim), Elizabeth, Conor, Bridie, and Rory; Neil

(Serena), Charlie, Jack, and Adelaide Miggins; Robert

(Julie), Lily, Carlo, and Patrick Miggins; Patrick (Nancy)

and James Miggins; and Michael (Abby), Molly, Cate and Lucy

Miggins. Rory's surviving aunts and uncles include John and

Helen Miggins of Tunxis Village, CT; Rita Miggins of Boca

Raton, FL; Eileen (Rory's godmother) and Jake Hoppenthal of

Artesia Springs, CA; Thomas and Margaret McMahon of

Chicago, IL; Andy and Ann McMahon of Melbourne, Australia;

and Bridie and Jimmy Morrissey of London, England. He has

countless cousins, world-wide, who survive him, many of

whom supported him with visits and phone calls during his

illness.

In addition to his activities noted above, Rory was a

member of many other families including St. Anne's parish,

the Houstonian Club, Art Car Parade Commission (founding

member), the Orange Show Commission, the Waterfront

Association, the Texas Army, Slippery Rock Booster Club,

Idylwood Civic Club, St. Patrick's Parade Commission,

Houston Blues Society (founding member), Dick Dowling Irish

Heritage Society (founding member), The Irish Society, The

Seaman's Center, and St. Thomas High School Alumni

Association.

Never was Rory's loyal and diverse network of friends more

evident than during his illness when they kept his spirits

high and ministered to his spiritual needs. Rory wanted to

express his appreciation to the doctors and nurses at MD

Anderson who did their best to arrest his cancer. Showing

his indomitable spirit, just last Monday, Rory said "I'm

your man" if a clinical trial became available.

Neither the Miggins family nor Rory could have faced the

challenge of this vicious disease without the loving

expertise of Rory's brother-in-law and Noreen's husband,

Dr. Stephen Gottschalk, who tirelessly trouble-shot on

Rory's behalf.

The family will receive friends at St. Anne's Catholic

Church, 2140 Westheimer (at Shepherd) on Monday, December

10 from 5 8 pm, with the rosary recitation at 7 o'clock.

The Funeral Mass will begin at 10:00 am on Tuesday,

December 11, with a light luncheon to follow in the parish

hall. Following the luncheon, Rory's remains will return to

his beloved East End for interment at Forest Park Lawndale.

Rory's pallbearers are his seven surviving brothers.

For those desiring, memorial contributions may be made in

Rory Miggins' name to:

· The Hole in the Wall Gang (a fund for crippled children)

c/o ILA 1351, 7524 Ave. N, Houston, TX 77012;

· St. Thomas High School, Rory Miggins Memorial Scholarship,

4500 Memorial, Houston, TX 77007;

· St. Anne School Foundation, 2120 Westheimer, Houston, Texas 77019;

· The St. Brendan Society, c/o Jeannie Kearns, 10220

Memorial Drive #131, Houston, TX 77024. "

Fare thee well, my child, forever. In this world we have

lost our joy. But in the next we will never sever. There

we'll find our darlin' boy."

Sign guest book at:

http://www.legacy.com/houstonchronicle/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=99249818

:: George F. Little, RIP (Pete Little’s Father)

September 2, 2006, of Depew, NY, husband of the late Muriel

C. Little; father of Mary Catherine (James) Spilman,

Michael (Ann), David (Elisabeth Alvarsdotter), John

(Barbara), Margaret (Kevin) Craig, Anne Militello, Stephen

(Maureen), Jeanne (Paul) Konetzny, Peter, Teresa, Maureen;

brother of Eleanor Rigdon, Catherine Little; grandfather of

20; great grandfather of 18. Memorial Mass to be announced.

Memorial contributions may be made to Rapid Response Home

Care Program at Millard Fillmore Hospital, Gates Circle.

Published in the Buffalo News on 9/7/2006.

----

Nina Simon passed away. She was the mother Ciaran Simon's

(of Mr C's Pub in Houston) and the wife of Harry Simon of

Cleveland. The following obit was posted online at:

http://obits.cleveland.com/Cleveland/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=115892758

You can go there and leave a message for Ciaran.

Eileen "Nina" (Cooke) Simon

EILEEN "NINA" SIMON (nee Cooke), age 85, died Sunday, Aug.

17, 2008. Beloved wife of Harry; loving mother of Frances, Declan,

Melanie and Ciaran; grandmother to Daniel, Moira and Aislinn

(deceased); sister, aunt or cousin to the Cookes, the Foleys, Hills,

Synnotts and O'Sullivans. Nina was an avid gardener and loved

fashion and the theater. She had a special affinity for The Bard. She

was a member of St. Clement parish for 50 years and served as a

Eucharistic Minister and Lector. She volunteered many hours to

numerous charitable causes. She loved to sew and bake. A

Memorial Mass will be officiated by her dear friend Fr. Alfred

Winters at St. Clement, 2022 Lincoln Ave. on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at

10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a charitable donation may be made to the

Multiple Myaloma Foundation or to "Genesis Medical Education and

Research Institute" (MERI) in Memphis, TN. Special thanks to the

staff at Harborside Nursing Home and Cleveland Clinic Hospice for

their loving care. www.cleveland.com/obits

----

:: AL CAMPBELL (Houston Highlanders Bagpiper )(1931- 2006)

It is with great sadness that we inform our membership that

our friend and piper, Al Campbell, passed away last

evening. Over the years, we could always count on Al to

support H&T with all our piping requests. He gave

generously of his time, and was a very special contributor

to our Society. In addition to his dignified performances,

Al had great humor which he occasionally added for fun and

laughter. We shall miss him.

Our special condolences to his wife, Betsy, his family and

close friends.

----

:: PHILLIP JAMES CONNELLY, of Katy, passed away on

Thursday, August 11, 2005 in a Houston hospital at the age

of 74 years.

Phillip James Connelly was born on September 14, 1930 in

Tulsa, Oklahoma to Paul and Peggy Connelly. He graduated

from Holy Family High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the

University of Oklahoma. He served his country during the

Korean War as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army based out of

Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

On April 4, 1964, he married his beloved wife, Bridget

Imelda Corr. He retired from General Electric's Lighting

Division after 30 years of service.

Phil was a founding member and former president of the

Irish American Heritage Association of Katy and a member of

the Irish Society in Houston, Texas. He was a member of the

Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, in Katy, and a member

of the Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree, Assembly 2721. He

was also a friend of Bill Wilson.

He was a life long Democrat. Phil was an active participant

in the Forever Young Group in Epiphany, as well as many

other organizations.

He is survived by his wife, Bridget Imelda Connelly of

Katy; his sons, Mike Connelly of Keller, Texas, and Tim

Connelly and his wife Sylvia of Ardmore, Pennsylvania; and

his grandson, Sebastian Connelly. He was preceded in death

by his parents, Paul and Peggy Connelly; and by his

brother, Jack Connelly.

Those wishing to make memorial gifts may do so to the

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 5005 Mitchelldale, Suite 115,

Houston, Texas 77092-7230 or to your favorite charity.

----

Other Irish Celtic Calendars & Sources:

Scottish Country Dancing & More:

http://home.att.net/~diannashipman/Calendar.htm

Houston Irish Development Assoc:

http://www.houstonirish.org/calendar/calendar.shtml

Texas Celtic Music Network Calendar

http://texcelt.org/Calendar.html

Southwest Celtic Music Association

http://www.scmatx.org/main.htm

Texas Scottish Heritage Society

http://www.txscot.com/

Houston Chronicle Search for World Music Local bands

http://www.chron.com/COMS/BandsPub/pub.mpl?actionfiltered=searchbands&nextview=bandsearch&submit1=&submit2=2&band_name=&genre=World

Houston Press World Music Listing

http://listings.houstonpress.com/gyrobase/Music/Results?genre=13765&keyword=&date=

Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?