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The Irish Newsboys

Shows

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Friday, April 26th, 6:30 PM

Chief Sullivan’s Irish Pub, San Francisco, CA. Details

The Irish Newsboys

On Friday, April 26th, from 6:30 to 9 PM, at Chief Suliivan’s Irish Bar, 622 Green St., San Francisco, the Irish Newsboys will offer their usual array of fine Celtic songs, and perhaps be joined by Irish Consul General Michael Smith for a couple tunes. Admission is free, fine food and drink are available at Chief Sullivan’s Irish Bar, 622 Green St. San Francisco.

The Newsboys also will play starting at noon Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, at the Healdsburg Plaza as part of that city’s festivities. It’s free and a good time is forecast for all.

The Irish Newsboys are: Barry ‘The Fish’ Melton, Peter ‘4 Strings’ Albin, Dick ‘Maestro’ Bright, Kevin ‘The Scribbler’ Fagan, Jay ‘The Hat’ Johnson, Steve ‘Rube’ Rubenstein, Bob ‘Pipes’ Loomis, Richard ‘Sailor’ Geiger, Josh ‘The Wizard’ Zucker, Ellen ‘Facetious Flautist’ Huet, Jean ‘The Wurlitzer’ Moshofsky and Catherine ‘The Colleen’ McSharry. Pat ‘Shooter’ Johnson photog.

Here is a video of the Newsboys doing ‘Belfast Mill‘ at Lefty O’Doul’s https://youtu.be/c_OPmnl1uOw?t=43s

More about the Irish Newsboys: http://blog.sfgate.com/opinionshop/2014/03/14/the-legend-of-the-irish-newsboys.

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Kalos!

Shows

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Friday, April 26th, 7:00 PM

Ballard Homestead,
Seattle, WA. Details

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Saturday, April 27th, 7:00 PM

Celtic Arts Foundation,
Mount Vernon, WA. Details

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Sunday, April 28th, 7:00 PM

Quimper Grange, Port Townsend, WA. Details

Kalos!

Kalos is an innovative trio of Celtic roots musicians – keepers of Celtic music traditions who also explore the very current joy and spontaneity of creative collaboration and punctuate performances with banter and good humor between artfully rendered tunes.

Kalos is:
Eric McDonald, guitar, vocals
Ryan McKasson, fiddle
Jeremiah McLane, accordion

Video Links:
Lowlands of Holland/Counterpart (Live in a barn)
Allen Water
Fare Thee Well
Fanny Vanille/The Kerry Polska

Devon Leger of Hearth Music says, ‘This trio really shows how masterful musicians listen and play off each other.’ The music they create is to share, and live performance is the forte. But their mutual attitude stretches beyond the music. They have been good friends ever since they met, and this is present in their live performances, which are full of organic banter and good humor to go along with the music. They create an environment of their own design, drawing in listeners without pretense. Despite living active musical lives thousands of miles apart these musicians have committed to working together to forge a new musical path.

There’s a certain spontenaity at work as the three musicians alternately contest and duel, combine and coalesce to bring their talents together. — Folkwords

Kalos Website
Email Kalos

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Sunday, May 5th, at 2:00 PM Meet Colm Tóibín: Bestselling Irish Author Colm Tóibín in conversation with Ethel Rohan. Hosted by Bookshop West Portal & UICC. Colm Tóibín is the author of eleven novels, including Long Island; The Magician, winner of the Rathbones Folio Prize; The Master, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Brooklyn, winner of the Costa Book Award; The Testament of Mary; and Nora Webster; as well as two story collections and several books of criticism. He is the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University and has been named as the Laureate for Irish Fiction for 2022–2024 by the Arts Council of Ireland. Three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Tóibín lives in Dublin and New York. Get Tickets!

Wednesday, May 8th, at 8:00 PM, Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman, the celebrated and pioneering virtuoso partnership of ‘the doyenne of Irish harpers’ (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY) and 2001 recipient of Irish music’s most prestigious award, Traditional Musician of the Year – Gradam Ceoil TG4 – and ‘one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists’ (fROOTS), has by now brought its special musical vision to venues large and small – from the tiniest of historic churches in England, Germany and Italy to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London’s Barbican, Sydney Town Hall and the Philharmonie in Cologne – in twenty-two countries on five continents. Their performances – described by The Irish Times as ‘music of fire and brilliance from the high-wire act in traditional music’ – are rooted but eclectic, emotional but adventurous: a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, coupled with striking new compositions and Chris’s delightfully subversive wit.

Check out their website: http://www.maireandchris.com
Check out their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MaireChrisHarpGuitarDuo

On the last Saturday of every month, there are free, Irish Traditional Music Slow Sessions in the UICC’s Members’s Room.
Email Matt Moore for details. Later that day, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM, there are free Irish Traditional Music Fast Sessions in the UICC’s Emerald Pub. Email Cormac Gannon for details.

Youth Music Classes are ongoing at UICC-SF on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 PM.

Currently, there are classes on Wednesdays for fiddle and tin whistle and bag pipe classes on Thursdays. They are gauging interest in button accordion classes, and organizing a youth ceili band.

These music classes are offered in partnership with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Cooley Keegan Branch, and scholarships are available to defray the cost of tuition.

For info., email class instructor Dan Cotter terrimaverick@yahoo.com or call him at 650-784-9347, or email organizer Liam Reidy lreidy@irishcentersf.org or call him at 415-860-1854.

Despite the pandemic, the United Irish Cultural Center has successfully operated a large event facility serving the Irish and other Cultural communities, in the Sunset District near the Zoo in San Francisco. Thanks to our hard working small staff and dozens of volunteers, the UICC Wawona Gates Outdoor Dining has operated a bustling outdoor dining space under a 1,800 square foot open-sided canopy since January 2021, and offers indoor events in their St. Francis Room as well as their spacious Saint Patrick’s Room!

UICC website
UICC Facebook Page

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This FREE To Attend NorCal Celtic Festival, in beautiful and historic downtown Woodland, will showcase Celtic music, dance, food and culture.

Kilted Pipe Bands, Solo Pipers and Drummers, Drum Majors and Scottish Highland Dancers will compete throughout the day along Main Street, culminating in the much anticipated gathering of the Massed Pipes and Drums playing ‘Scotland the Brave’.

The Festival finale features the Wicked Tinkers as they take the Heritage Stage for a lively evening of high-energy Celtic music.

Casual Ceilidh Dinner (Ticketed Event) Saturday, April 27th, 7:00 PM
The Casual Ceilidh Dinner is a buffet style dinner featuring bangers and mash, whiskey chicken, roasted veggies, roll with butter, and a green salad catered by Father Paddy’s Pub from downtown Woodland. Includes a ‘Meet and Greet’ with the Wicked Tinkers.
Get Tickets: https://visitwoodland.ticketspice.com/norcal-celtic-festival-casual-ceilidh-dinner

Check out the Schedule: https://www.norcalcelticfestival.com/tours
Check out the Website: https://www.norcalcelticfestival.com
Check out the Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/3387514164881273

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Ceili On the Lake will have something for everyone. Ceili (pronounced KAY-lee) is the Irish Gaelic word for a party of neighbors and friends with music, dancing, food, and drink!

Festival goers are invited to come ‘join the dance’ in this inaugural two-day Event. Local Irish dance studios will present a variety of traditional and modern dances performed in Irish hard or soft shoes. Newcomers and novices are also welcome to celebrate the springtime season with Irish dance, as instructors lead two open sessions of Ceili dancing each day.

Entertainers, including The Black Brothers Band, Avalon Rising, Blame the Whiskey and more from the traditional and modern Irish music scenes will be performing, while festival goers have the chance to play in the Musicians’ Snug in seisiún format, an open session in which anyone who can play Irish music is welcome! There will also be Poets, Sheep Herding and Shearing demonstrations, Maypole Dancing, and Croquet.

You don’t have to be Irish to know how to enjoy a day of dancing and celebration by the lake!

Along with traditional Irish music and dance, sheepdogs will put their wooly friends through their paces in daily sheep-herding demonstrations presented by the  Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association. Festivalgoers of all ages will also discover Celtic history, culture, and lore coming to life through readings of Irish poetry and storytelling.

Local crafters, artists, and booths representing Irish cultural organizations will also be on hand. Traditional favorites from the British Isles along with contemporary new flavors will be served from a circle of food trucks, while an Irish pub will pour draft Guinness, Harp, and other libations to wet festivalgoers’ whistles and have them ready to dance a jig! Other options include non-alcoholic Guinness, lemonade, and sodas.

Presented by Red Barn Productions, producers of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair and the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

Check out the Website: https://ceilionthelake.com

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Richard Grainger

Singer-Songwriter Richard Grainger will give a Virtual Sea Music Concert. Tickets are FREE to reserve, but donations are highly appreciated.

Embark on a musical journey with the extraordinary singer-songwriter Richard Grainger, as he masterfully weaves the tapestry of England’s maritime heritage into captivating melodies. Richard offers an immersive and unforgettable musical experience exploring the heart of Yorkshire’s coastal legacy.

England’s Yorkshire Coastline is often referred to as the Curious or Heritage Coast. It is a beautiful, yet hazardous, place with its own unique position in history. A hinterland marked by iron, alum, jet, and potash mining, complemented by a bustling coastline engaged in shipping, shipbuilding, and fishing. It also holds a special role in the history of the northern whale fishery.

Notable figures such as the legendary whaling master Capt. William Scoresby and Capt. James Cook, the ‘last of the great navigators,’ among others, feature in its rich history. It is from these elements that Richard Grainger has drawn inspiration over the years. His songs maintain a profound connection to the region where he was born, raised, and still resides.

Richard began his songwriting journey some 45 years ago, marked by the now well-known song ‘The Whitby Whaler,’ which went on to become widely recorded by many performers. Since then, he has extensively written on maritime themes, exploring the stories of Captain Cook, and the historic voyage of the Whitby-built Bark ‘Endeavour.’ His folk opera ‘Eye of the Wind,’ featuring narration by Sir David Attenborough, stands as one of his prized works. In addition, Richard has delved into various aspects of shipping, shipwrecks, fishing, and recently completed a musical play titled ‘The Silver Darlings,’ set during the days of the UK’s East Coast Herring Fishery.

Richard’s songs are inherently singable, and his powerful delivery resonates. Tune in to experience Richard singing a variety of traditional and original songs, revealing his intimate relationship with maritime traditions and the sea, particularly those centered around North Yorkshire.

Having released 14 CDs, most of which are available for purchase through his website, Richard continues to be a stalwart contributor to the musical landscape celebrating England’s maritime legacy.

Reserve your ticket and link: https://givebutter.com/richardgrainger

Check Richard’s website: www.richard-grainger.com

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Kyle Alden with Darcy Noonan

A special evening of original songs, folk songs, songs inspired by the poems of W.B. Yeats, and traditional Irish tunes played on fiddle and guitar. Noted singer/songwriter, guitarist Kyle Alden will be joined by talented young fiddler Darcy Noonan for this performance.

Kyle Alden supported Irish music legend Paul Brady on his last West coast tour, playing the Napa Opera House and Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage. Kyle has played on stage with top fiddlers Maeve Donnelly, Tommy Peoples, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Liz Carroll, and piper Paddy Keenan, among others. Golden Hour, the most recent of Kyle’s seven CDs, was released in February 2024.
www.kylealdenmusic.com

Darcy Noonan is an accomplished violinist based in the Bay Area. Following her heart, she has studied and performed a variety of musical genres including classical, ragtime, mariachi, Greek, and (closest to her heart) Irish traditional music. In fact practically the second after graduating from High School she was off to Ireland to study with her idols for a few years.

‘I began studying violin with the Suzuki method at 5 years old. As a young adult I fell in love with the community and folklore of Irish music. This obsession moved me to Ireland at age 18 to be fully steeped in the tradition. After many years of loyal devotion to Irish trad I have found my interests leading me to traditional music around the world’

Darcy has played with numberous bands and orchestras, including Jammy Dodgers, Violins of Hope, Noonan, Howard, and Straw, The Get Happy String Band, Disciples of Markos, Tipsy House and Mariachi Femenil Orgullo Mexicano. darcynoonanviolin.com

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Beltaine Bonfire

This Spring, you can enjoy a Beltane celebration offered by Celtic Music & Culture of Sacramento. Beltane on the River, will be a special event to celebrate the ‘May Day’ in Celtic style with drummers, kids’ crafts, adult crafts, performers, a Beltane ritual, a community altar, and a May pole. Bring your lunch for a picnic. Make a DIY flower crown. All paths are welcome.

According to the Celtic calendar, summer begins on May 1st and ends on July 31st. This relates specifically to the ancient Celtic Festivals of old when the first of May or Mayday began with the celebration of Bealtaine (pronounced phonetically, in modern Irish, as “Bee-yowl-tan-eh”), which officially heralded the beginning of summertime.

Directly translated, Bealtaine means ‘mouth of fire’ coming from the Irish Gaelic Béal (mouth) and tine (fire) referring to the Sun as its light and heat rise further and further towards the Summer Solstice. This celebration of fire, flowers, fertility, and rebirth, is observed by Gaels and their aficionados, including Irish people, Scottish people, Manx people, Celtic neo pagans and Wiccans.

Wear colorful flowing spring clothes or ritual/magical dress. Faerie wings are cool too. Bring picnic food, drink, blanket to sit on, a drum if you have it, a 20 foot colored ribbon for the maypole (if you don’t have one, there will be extras there), an item for the altar, and comfortable shoes for the maypole dance. Hiking on the trails and wading in the river are also available.

There is a $7,00 per car entrance/parking fee. Also, you may want to have a little cash to tip the juggler/jester, musicians, Celtic battle reenactors, etc.
The organized activities end at 3 pm but the promoters did not put an end time for your time at the park.

Check the Meetup Event

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Jim Lucas and Linn Phipps

The next Themed Shanty Sing, hosted by Linn Phipps and Jim Lucas, will feature The theme Blow, Boys, Blow, aka ‘Congo River’. All are welcome to join to sing any version or to listen.

In advance of this event, we will post the link to the Zoom meeting on our Shanty Big Sings Website: http://shantyman.dk/ShantyBigSings/. Please ask others if they would like to join us, but please do NOT share zoom links on social media!

The aim of these events is to involve our Trans-Atlantic European / American and indeed world-wide Zoom singing friends in singing as many versions of our song as possible – related song versions welcome, including those with non-English verses, or which creatively use the theme.

If you’d like to sing, please register by sending an email to Linn at linnphipps@gmail.com, so that we can create a singer roster. We will record the session for ultimate upload to YouTube. If you’d rather sing but not be recorded, please say and we will edit out your recording. You are also welcome to come and just listen.

You can find more information here:
Website: Themed Shanty Website.
YouTube Channel: Themed Shanty YouTube Channel
Additional Webpage: Linn Phipps Collaborations

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Old Blind Dogs

Since forming in the early 1990’s, Old Blind Dogs have stood on the cutting edge of Scotland’s roots revival. The band has developed its own trademark style with an energetic mix of songs and tunes.

One of the most highly touted Celtic groups of our time, OBD is the only multiple winner of the prestigious Scots Trad Music ‘Folk Band of the Year‘ Award . With 13 CDs already in the bag, you’ll have a chance to collar their 14th offering, titled Knucklehead Circus.

Official Video: Knucklehead Circus

Old Blind Dogs continues to distinguish themselves as vital, innovative ambassadors of Scots music by subtly and ingeniously expanding upon the very tradition they celebrate in harnessing the rich resonance and timeless themes of the songs and tunes of their homeland and weld them to new rhythmic frameworks, dynamic arcs and textural expanses, This produces a uniquely identifiable sound that reflects the rich heritage of their forefathers, yet comes across as resoundingly fresh and immediate. OBD’s Dynamic percussion, virile vocals, soaring fiddle and stirring pipes fuel the delicately-phrased melodies and traditional songs generate rave reviews, like this one:

‘Old Blind Dogs play with a compelling energy and intoxicating rhythm as players and audience seem to share a wild ecstasy of emotion. Come out and see what the excitement is all about!’ – The Scotsman

Click for OBD Videos
Click for OBD Website

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Sean Murphy

This next month, Irish historian Sean Murphy is presenting a pair of weekly lectures over four Thursdays beginning May 2nd. Each lecture lasts 60 minutes followed by a Q&A session. They run consecutively, beginning at 3:00 PM Pacific Time (6 PM Eastern Time) and 4:30 PM Pacific Time (7:30 PM Eastern Time), respectively. Each series of lectures carries a fee of $100 per 4 week course, with a 20% discount for new students and those who have not participated in a course in the past year.

History of County Roscommon 3:00 – 4:30 PM Pacific
Roscommon comes from the Irish Ros meaning a wooded, gentle height and Comán, the first abbot and bishop of Roscommon who founded the first monastery there in 550 AD.

Rathcroghan (Irish: Ráth Cruachan, meaning “fort of Cruachan”) is a complex of archaeological sites near Tulsk in County Roscommon. It is one of the six Royal Sites of Ireland.

It is identified as the site of Cruachan, the traditional capital of the Connachta, a term used to describe the prehistoric and early historic rulers of the western territory.

Rathcroghan is known as the home of Queen Medb (Maeve) and was the seat of Kings of Connacht and then of the High Kings of Ireland.

Read the full Details.

Flight of the Earls in 1607 and the Plantation of Ulster 4:30 – 6:00 PM Pacific
The Flight of the Earls represented the final destruction of the Irish Gaelic society as it had existed for about 3,000 years from the arrival in Ireland of the Gaelic Celts. The ‘Flight’ was followed by the Plantation of Ulster – the forced displacement of Irish people from Ulster and the settlement of the province by settlers from Scotland, England and Wales. The Plantation of Ulster allowed England to control all of Ireland for the first time. Native people had their lands confiscated and their titles removed. This led to war, famine, and destruction. English laws were introduced to destroy the Irish language, religion, economy, and culture. The visible results of this colonization include the deaths of millions, the emigration of over seven million between 1620 and 1920, the impoverishment of countless generations of people, and the partition of Ireland in May 1921.

Read the full Details.

This year Sean is also offering Gift Vouchers for my 2024 Irish History courses. You might like to introduce your spouse, a family member, a colleague or friend to your Irish heritage by giving them a Gift Voucher for a course in Irish History. The gift vouchers are available in multiples of $50, customised to the recipient, delivered by email, can be used for any of Sean’s courses in 2024.

If you are interested in joining either or both of these lecture series, or ordering a Gift Voucher, please respond directly to Sean by email: seanmurphy630@gmail.com.

Check out Sean’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@seanmurphy6558

More Details on Sean’s website: https://www.irishhistory.online

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Leaving Dublin, Ireland where he was born and raised until the age of 22, Dave Nihill got drunk on travel and never quite hit sobriety of it. He has lived and worked in twelve countries and visited over seventy. His shows draw on his wide travels, cultural observations, attempts at language study, (occasional) international drinking session(s) and being a mildly confused immigrant.

You can watch excerpts of David’s previous comedy shows online on his YouTube channel at this link: David Nihill videos. I (Tony Becker) personally enjoyed this one: Under The Banner of Ireland: Morgan Bullock’s Story

From Dublin, Ireland, David is the winner of the prestigious annual San Francisco Comedy Competition, (previous finalists include Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and Dana Carvey) and runner up in the Moth’s largest US Grandslam storytelling competition. Also a bestselling writer, David recorded his debut special for Dry Bar Comedy in 2019 and has been featured on TED.com, Sirius XM, Just For Laughs,The Irish Independent, Inc, NPR, and the Huffington Post among others. A festival favourite, David’s videos have also gone viral many times over with over 400 million views and a social following of over 1.5 million people.

This summer, David’s Shelf Help show is going on tour worldwide, but will return to the West Coast in September. If you want to see David in person, you had better act quickly, because these West Coast shows will quickly become sold out. Check them out via the ‘TOUR’ link at David’s website here: https://davidnihill.com

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Rachel Hair and Ron Jappy

On their first visit to the West Coast of the USA, the electrifying duo (Fatea) of Rachel Hair and Ron Jappy twin Scotland’s oldest instrument, the Scottish harp, with and one of its newest instruments, the acoustic guitar. Performing an exquisite mix of Scottish traditional music, they balance virtuosity with emotion, embracing the rich cultural tradition of Scotland, whilst charming audiences as they go.

Superb instrumentalists with a shared passion for traditional tunes, Rachel and Ron perform as if sharing one mind. Both from fishing villages rich in musical tradition, they sought to expand their understanding and studied music in Glasgow, training formally during the day and attending the famed night-time sessions of the city.

Don’t expect to get a nap in during a Rachel and Ron performance. While they might lull you for the start of a set into thinking you will hear spa-ready harp music, don’t be fooled. The first clue is when you notice that Rachel stands while playing. Her hands dance on the strings while her body dances with the harp as she blasts pre-conceptions and breaks out of the box while joyfully exploring the versatility of this beautiful instrument. Passionate about sharing the history of the harp and the culture of Scotland, the duo charms audiences wherever they go. From crisp strathspeys and heartfelt airs, to virtuosic reels and driving jigs, Rachel and Ron have combined their influences to embrace the rich cultural tradition in Scotland.

Ron, originally and still a fiddle player, grew up in Findochty and was a finalist in several of the UK’s most prestigious fiddle invitational competitions – the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship and the Highlands and Islands fiddle Masters. He started playing guitar while studying music in Glasgow and has toured with Skerryvore, Scott Wood Band, Mabon, and the BBC musicians of the year Hannah Rarity and Clare Hastings.

Rachel received first class honors when she left Ullapool and went to study in Glasgow, and received a BA in Applied Music. Regularly invited to teach and perform at harp festivals around the world, Rachel is regarded as a specialist in Celtic harp, no easy task for someone so young. Rachel has released four CDs and four books of harp arrangements and original compositions. In 2012 she was in invited to perform for the Queen, what more can you say?

Workshops for Harp and Fiddle Players will take place the following afternoon, Friday May 3rd, at 4:30 in the same location. More information and registration is online here.

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KVMR Celtic Festival

On the weekend of May 3rd – 5th, the Nevada County Fairgrounds, will be transformed into a Celtic Village and concert venue, with eight stages and performance areas. Join publically supported KVMR radio for another spectacular mix of Celtic music and magic in their bucolic setting amidst 100 acres of giant ponderosa pines.

First founded in 1996, the KVMR Celtic Festival includes eleven performance areas including five musical and six demonstration stages and a weekend-long youth arts instruction that has included Celtic music, magic, dance and songwriting.

The Festival is the main fundraising event of the year for KVMR Community Radio which operates as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) entity. The festival regularly draws over 7,000 attendees for the two days and the promotional outreach extends throughout KVMR’s listening area including a worldwide live streaming broadcast over the internet through iTunes and the KVMR website.

We continue to bring international performers to Nevada County and showcase an ever-increasing cadre of regional talent including musicians, dancers, and performing artists of every type.

KVMR Celtic Festival offers a free Youth Arts program on Friday, May 3rd! Check out the workshops at kvmrcelticfestival.org. Each year, the festival provides a professional performance venue for many young student musicians and dancers to perform in front of a live audience and hone their craft. Workshops and sessions are held throughout the event to provide musicians of every age and caliber an opportunity to learn from each other in a synergistic and fun atmosphere.

This year the KVMR Celtic Festival will get a running start on Friday night with the return of our Friday Night Ceilidh (KAY lee) from 8 PM onwards. Get your separate Ceilidh ticket now an evening of Celtic music and dance featuring San Miguel Fraser and Summer McCall. The dances can accommodate most ages and abilities. No need to come with a partner – it’s a great way to socialize and meet folks. The Friday Night Ceilidh will be held at the Ponderosa Hall at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. There will be indoor space for dancing and, outdoor deck with food and beverages and beautiful garden space for relaxing and enjoying the evening.

The Friday Night Ceilidh is a separate ticket – not included in the Saturday & Sunday Festival ticket price. Tickets to the Ceilidh are available now.

Can’t make it? Click here to make a donation.

More information check The KVMR Celtic Festival website or email celtfest@kvmr.org or call 530-265-9073.

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Lisa Lynne and Aryeh Frankfurter

Lisa Lynne & Aryeh Frankfurter perform with two Celtic harps, the rare Swedish Nyckelharpa, Ukrainian Bandura, Cittern and more. The audience will hear music hailing from Celtic and Nordic Traditions as well as heartwarming original compositions. The multi-instrumental duo will present a unique blend of music and tales from their adventures as modern day troubadours.

Here is a video of some excerpts from their recent live shows: https://youtu.be/NvJdFA0ktsw

Lisa Lynne is a multi-instrumentalist and performer who has gained worldwide recognition for her original music featuring her Celtic Harp. She is widely acclaimed for composing memorable and heartwarming melodies on the Windham Hill/Sony music labels that have repeatedly placed in the Top 10 & Top 20 on the Billboard New age music charts. Lisa tours year round performing at large US festivals and performing art centers. Her work in Therapeutic music has gained recognition from NBC, CNN, Fox News Atlanta and numerous newspaper and magazine articles including Wall Street Journal. Lisa’s music is heard throughout the award winning PBS special ‘Alone in the Wilderness,’ amongst many other soundtracks for commercial television and independent films. She performs regularly as a solo artist, with Aryeh Frankfurter, Patrick Ball and the Windham Hill tours. She was recently named one of the 50 most inspiring women by Los Angeles Magazine. http://www.LisaLynne.com

Aryeh Frankfurter is a renowned Celtic harper and multi- instrumentalist who went from virtuosic progressive rock violin to intricate Swedish folk and Celtic Music. He began with Classical violin at the age of three, and studied music throughout his life. He has 17 albums to his credit, works on film and television scores as composer and arranger, and continues to teach himself to play a variety of instruments most recently the rarely seen Swedish Nyckelharpa. He earned his masters in philosophy as he was becoming one of the most successful street performers in the US. He is a full time musician and producer whose uncommon approach to the Celtic harp and folk harp repertoire, his critically acclaimed albums have earned him high regard as an artist of extraordinary talents and abilities. www.Lionharp.com

Check out Lisa’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LisaLynne
Check their calendar at: https://lionharp.com/calendar
For more information, please contact: Lisa Lynne 541-972-3068 Lisa@LisaLynne.com.

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Directed by acclaimed Scots fiddler Alasdair Fraser, the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers fill the stage with tunes, song and dance rooted in Celtic tradition!

Come celebrate with us on Saturday, May 4th for an open-air, donations-only performance at Salesforce Park, San Francisco, led by National Scottish Fiddle Champion Caroline McCaskey.

Suitable for all ages, this is a musical experience unlike any other! Get a taste here: Click for Video

This 20 member band will lead you on a magical journey through Celtic music’s many lands and flavors. Join us for traditional and contemporary tunes and songs that will make you clap your hands, stomp your feet, and likely pull you up from your seats to send you dancing in the aisles or on the beautiful green lawn of the Salesforce Amphitheatre.

Next, just in time for World Fiddle Day, the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers will dust off their fiddles, mandolins, flutes, guitars, harps, and drums to revive a tradition of many decades: their annual spring concerts, May 17th through 19th.

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Celtic Moon

Please join Lynda and Verlene as they continue to enchant you on their new musical duo band, Celtic Moon in Downtown Willow Glen in San Jose on Sunday, April 14th from 4:30-7:30 PM.

You can expect to be enchanted, by all the vocal melodies, and harmonies, inspired, by the original songs and unique folk instrumentation, mesmerized, by the double harp tunes, energized, by the blend of traditional tunes and genres like jazz, blues, country, movie themes, and world folk music, and entertained, by the multi-instrumental skills, sing-a-longs, and special guest artist appearances.

Celtic Moon is:
Lynda MacNeil: keyboard, harp, guitar, vocals
Verlene Schermer: fiddle, nyckelharpa, mandolin, concertina, harp, vocals

Verlene and Lynda hope that you can join us indoors as we explore Celtic music through the lens of many genres. This Sunday’s playlist will include John Coltrane, Taylor Swift, Emmy Lou Harris, Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, Dr. Who, Verlene Schermer, Zelda, and Lynda MacNeil. We will play double harps, guitar, nickelharpa, melodica, fiddle, keys, and tenor banjo, and we will sing melodies and harmonies, recite poetry, and limericks.

Great Pizza! Beer and Cider on Tap!

To watch the Celtic Moon videos, Click Here.

Check out:
The Celtic Moon Website
The Wheelhouse website

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Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman

Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman, the celebrated and pioneering virtuoso partnership of ‘the doyenne of Irish harpers’ (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY) and 2001 recipient of Irish music’s most prestigious award, Traditional Musician of the Year – Gradam Ceoil TG4 – and ‘one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists’ (fROOTS), has by now brought its special musical vision to venues large and small – from the tiniest of historic churches in England, Germany and Italy to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London’s Barbican, Sydney Town Hall and the Philharmonie in Cologne – in twenty-two countries on five continents. Their performances – described by The Irish Times as ‘music of fire and brilliance from the high-wire act in traditional music’ – are rooted but eclectic, emotional but adventurous: a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, coupled with striking new compositions and Chris’s delightfully subversive wit.

Máire Ní Chathasaigh is ‘the great innovator of modern Irish harping, a player of outstanding technique and imagination’ (The Rough Guide to Irish Music) and one of Ireland’s most important and influential traditional musicians. As a teenager in the 1970s she invented a whole new ‘traditional Irish’ style of harping that quickly became the norm amongst both her contemporaries and the younger generation of Irish players, thereby spearheading the re-introduction of the harp into the mainstream of the living tradition. She was described by the late Derek Bell as ‘the most interesting and original player of the Irish harp today.’ She was the 2001 recipient of Irish music’s most prestigious award, Traditional Musician of the Year – Gradam Ceoil TG4 – a national recognition of her pioneering work.

Chris Newman is ‘one of the UK’s greatest musicians’ (BBC Radio 2) and ‘one of the top guitarists of his ilk in the world’ (The Living Tradition). He has toured and recorded with many luminaries of the folk and jazz worlds, among them Boys of the Lough, Aly Bain and Stéphane Grappelli and brings this experience to his collaboration with Máire.

Watch a video Chris Newman & Máire Ní Chathasaigh – Wild Goose Chase: https://tinyurl.com/Maire-Chris

Check out their website: http://www.maireandchris.com
Check out their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MaireChrisHarpGuitarDuo

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Led by acclaimed Scots fiddler Alasdair Fraser, the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers fill the stage with tunes, song and dance rooted in Celtic tradition!

The highlight of the Fiddlers’ year comes each spring when, under Alasdair Fraser’s direction, the group rehearses for and presents a three-concert series in the greater Bay Area.

Suitable for all ages, this is a musical experience unlike any other! Get a taste here: Click for Video

The San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers formed in 1986 around a nucleus of musicians passionate to learn the joyous and moving traditional music of Scotland, and now has a membership numbering more than 200. It is a decisively inclusive group with members who play not only fiddle but cello, bass, guitar, percussion and piano–and the occasional flute, harmonica and, in one case, the musical saw.

Alasdair Fraser says, “It’s not an orchestra, but an unruly, rabble-rousing, anarchistic bunch.”

A core group of members has remained from the beginning, while new players, often in their teens or younger, join every year. The ‘fiddle club,’ as longtime members call it, offers instrumentalists of all levels and every age to play with and learn from each other. A significant number of young players have gone on to study at Juilliard, Berklee and other renowned music conservatories, and have established themselves in professional careers. But they always consider the Fiddlers to be their musical family.

The San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers meet monthly to play favorite tunes and learn new ones. Their repertoire over the years has expanded to include the music of Brittany, Galicia, Scandinavia and America, while remaining firmly anchored in the Scottish fiddle forms of dance, pipe tunes, and song.

More information, as well as tickets and donations can be found at sffiddles.org

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The Sons & Daughters of Erin will hold the Northern Nevada Celtic Ceilidh in the Reno Brewery District of Downtown Reno. The event is free.

SADOE has booked headliners Tempest and Golden Bough and will feature local Celtic entertainers including the Sierra Highlanders Pipe Band, the Northern Nevada Scottish Highland Dancers, Maggie Ryan (Irish Dancer) Reeling Banshees, Last Night’s Folly, Rough Edges, Plastic Paddy, Roger Scime and the Silver Dollar Chorus.

We are pleased to have the following clans and organizations at our festival:

Clans: Boyd, Cian, Donald, Hunter, McLachlan, Munro and Turnbull

Organizations: Sons & Daughters of Erin (Host), Empire Chivalry & Steel, Great Basin Geeks, Nevada Society of Scottish Clans, Scottish American Military Society, TMCC Genealogy and United Cerebral Palsy of Nevada.

The event will also feature Celtic Vendors: Irish Castle (San Francisco, CA), Thistle & Stitch (Magalia, CA) and Everything Resin (Fernley. NV)

We will also be including local food trucks to be announced soon.

The festival will be held inside of and in the shared parking lot of Black Rabbit Meadery, Lead Dog Brewing and Nevada Sunset Winery (401-415 E Fourth Street, Reno, NV 89512). Each of the venues, join SADOE in presenting the event.

In 2022, the Northern Nevada Celtic Celebration held a “Farewell Ceilidh” in the shared parking lot of those businesses on incorporating many elements of the three-decade long festival known as the Celtic Celebration, which had to be cancelled due to skyrocketing pandemic-related overhead costs.

Last year, the SADOE Board agreed to inherit the festival as a special event under the new name of “Northern Nevada Celtic Ceilidh” as the governing board of the previous festival dissolved. SADOE is pleased to continue the legacy of the Celtic Celebration and aims to keep its elements and attractions in its event.

More Details on the Facebook Event and Event Website.
Check out the Sons and Daughters of Erin Website

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Charmas Band

Bay Area Celtic band Charmas, performs a lively mixture of Celtic pub songs, ballads, ceili music, sea chanteys, and Celtic rock, with a little bagpiping thrown into the mix. Get ready for a night filled with exceptional live music, sing-alongs, vibrant storytelling as well as a traditional music jam and Potluck dinner.

Watch Charmas Video: Charmas Sea Music Medley with KPIG Interview

Charmas has recorded two albums – one of sea music and one of original/traditional Celtic music. As a ‘working’ Irish band, they perform mostly for private events, playing the popular songs people want to hear for wakes, weddings, birthday parties etc, for most, this is a rare opportunity to hear them.

Charmas features Aaron Clegg on lead vocals/flute, Elise MacGregor Ferrell on fiddle/bagpipes, and Phil Johnston on lead vocals/guitar, Dave Clarke on drums and Mick O’Broain on bass/vocals.

Charmas Trio features Aaron Clegg on lead vocals/flute, Elise MacGregor Ferrell on fiddle/bagpipes, and Phil Johnston on lead vocals/guitar.

Charmas Duo features Aaron Clegg on lead vocals/flute and Phil Johnston on lead vocals/guitar.

Charmas 2018 11-track album, Stark Raving Celtic, is still available, featuring original Celtic music and performances by 20 past and present members of Charmas as well as notable guest performers!

Full Details at https://charmasband.com, or email Elise MacGregor Ferrell at eliseelise@aol.com.

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Niall Murphy Karen Sethuraman

On Thursday, May 23rd, 7:00 PM, at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco, the Knights of the Red Branch and The Irish Herald will host a discussion on reconciliation and the prospect of constitutional change on the island of Ireland. Ireland’s Future needs your participation & support to make this a success, as Irish America has a very important part to play.

Representing Ireland’s Future, are keynote speakers Niall Murphy, a Civil Rights Attorney, and the Reverend Karen Sethuraman, the only female Baptist Minister in Ireland. Both are from Belfast.

Ireland’s Future is an All-Ireland civic group that enjoys engagement from across the political spectrum, including from unionism. Our belief is that the best way to secure a fair and prosperous society for everyone living in Ireland, regardless of their faith tradition, cultural background or ethnicity, is to reunify the country.

The discussion will focus on how to advance constitutional change, with a focus on reconciliation. All are welcome, please forward to family, friends or colleagues who may be interested.

Learn More:
Together We Can Wrap Video: https://youtu.be/2w1cwExZYNQ

Fro more about the topic & the speakers, please visit the websites, Website, or
Facebook Page

RSVP to editor@irish-herald.com 

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Lori Cassells

The ILHS is very pleased to present a talk by Irish American Writers and Artists Board Member Lori Cassels on her new work-in-progress, a play about a night in a Greenwich Village bar featuring Eugene O’Neill and Dorothy Day.

Lori Cassels, a native New Yorker now living Alameda, is a playwright, songwriter, and poet. Her CD Tear of the Cloud is a compilation of original songs and poems that are full of love and family. The song Tear of the Clouds, which is the source of the Hudson River has been covered by other Hudson Valley musicians. Board member of Irish American Writers & Artists.

Lori is currently a Travis Bogard Day Use Writer fellow at the Eugene O’Neill’s Tao House in Danville, California, working on a series of Eugene O’Neill themed plays.

Her stories and poems have been published in Irish America, Irish of the Welcomes, Alameda Sun, Bay Station Eagle, and Platform Review.

Lori will be sharing her research on one night Eugene O’Neill and Dorothy Day at the infamous Greenwich Village bar, the Hell Hole. She will speak about the Irish American Writers and Artists organization.

This meeting will be held on Zoom on Sunday April 28, 2024 at 5pm, Please see the link below.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85159286601

Meeting ID: 851 5928 6601

Please support the ILHS by becoming a member or donating today. Visit our website http://ilhssf.org/home/membership to renew via PayPal today or send a check for $30 for individuals and couples to Treasurer PJ O’Donnell at 1725 Shattuck Ave., #203, Berkeley, CA 94709.

If you have suggestions or future speakers or presentations, please do not hesitate to suggest them by emailing secretary@ILHSsf.org

The Irish Literary and Historical Society of the San Francisco Bay Area is a community of scholars and lovers of knowledge in appreciation of the best in Irish and Irish American history and literature. We present a broad range of fascinating speakers from the heights of contemporary literature and academia as well as some of the finest lay scholars in the field. We have supported and celebrated Irish studies for more than 70 years in the great City of San Francisco.

For more information in the Irish Literary and Historical Society, check the website: http://ilhssf.org or email to: tonybucher@gmail.com, or phone: 415-350-6025.

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World Music and Dance Day

Tickets are on sale for our June 1st World Music and Dance Day in beautiful Occidental, California (a little west of Santa Rosa). This one-day event is inspired by Lark Camp, and aimed at growing the Lark Camp community as well as helping to publicize the Mendocino camp coming up on July 26th.

20+ workshops with different tracks like Celtic or Balkan, along with “everyone welcome” dances and jams, time to chat with instructors and presenters, to have dinner with friends at a concert, to try new instruments and maybe even to check an instrument out from the Musical Instrument Lending Library. Food available on site from local truck and/or pop-up too, plus baked goods special for the event, plus on-site music supplies and repairs.

A full day of workshops, talks, and concerts by musicians from around the world. Including Celtic Harp with Shawna Selline, Scottish fiddle with Lisa Doyle, Expand Your Irish Song Repertoire with Shay Black, an Introduction to Irish tunes by Michael Hubbert, and Cape Breton dance taught by Ron Wallace.

Instructors and their offerings, (Subject to some change, of course):
• Central Asian Dance / Natalie Nayun
• Balkan Singing / Darina Drapkin & Elin Powers
• Belly Dance / Janessa Lynna
• Irish tunes / Michael Hubbert
• Spanish language songs / Leslie Hubbert
• Celtic Harp and Celtic Harp Petting zoo / Shawna Selline
• Scottish Fiddle / Lisa Doyle
• Highland Fling and open Scottish Dance set / Ron Wallace
• Bluegrass & folk guitar accompaniment / David Pascoe
• Bluegrass & Old Time mandolin / David Pascoe
• Appalachian Dulcimer demonstration / Holly Tannen & Mark Sellin
• Autoharp demonstration / Carey Dubbart
• Alpenhorn demonstration / Bobby Edwards
• Ukulele – Trad. Hawaiian / Gary Sugiyama
• W. African drumming / Ben Isaacs
• W. African dance / Tyehimba Kokayi
• Greek rebetiko / Greg Masaki Jenkins
• Klezmer / Dan Cantrell
• Balkan Drumming / Sean Tergis
• Open Balkan Dance set / Sue Williard
• Musical Instrument Lending Library / Jason Cool
• On site music repairs and supplies / People’s Music of Sebastopol, CA
• Expand your Irish song repertoire / Shay Black
• Salsa Dancing / Carrie Souza

Click Here for our schedule for Occidental World Music and Dance day, June 3! Bring your dancing shoes, your singing voice, your fiddle, guitar, uke or mando, your drum, darbuka or djembe and help us introduce new friends to the Lark Camp community.

More information:
Email: info@occidentalcenterforthearts.org or Mark Sellin: msellin@yahoo.com
Check the website: https://www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org
Check the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/785496523104879

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Sixpenny

New Celtic band Sixpenny is a fiddle-forward band playing reels, jigs and all manner of traditional Celtic music.

Members include Jean Olds (fiddle), Ken Passeri (fiddle, guitar), Nancy McGhee (acoustic bass, cello), Larry Milder (guitar, mandolin), and Lauren Nourse (flute, penny whistle).

We’ll be playing outdoors when the city shuts down Main Street to traffic. Fabulous time to hear Irish music and enjoy a pint.

For more information, check their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sixpennyirishband, or email sixpenny@larrymilder.com or call Ken Passeri at 650-224-4653.

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Pub Scouts

The Pub Scouts, an Irish band, plays every Friday (30+ years) at Duffy’s Tavern, Chico, from 5pm-8pm.

A Chico Tradition for over 30 years – Great Tunes – Good Friends – Cocktails and Pints

pubscouts@mac.com

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SF Virtual Chantey Sing on Zoom

The San Francisco Chantey Sing is a beloved Bay Area musical tradition. Chanteys are the work songs of seafaring, dock labor, fishing and rowing, are one of the most compelling ways to celebrate our maritime heritage. International and multi-cultural in scope, they tell stories of life in long-ago History, but resonate today with tales of bravery, fear, international port of call, and of longing for a better life.

Now in its 41st year, Park volunteer and retired Park Ranger Peter Kasin continues as emcee for 2 monthly sings taking the role of chantey Empresario, introducing singers and setting up the songs, and you can join either in person or from your own home via online connections, to help bring joy, calm the nerves, and help us get through these trying times!

Peter Kasin says,
Ahoy –
In-person chantey sings have returned to the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park every first Saturday, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, in the Maritime Museum, 900 Beach Street, foot of Polk.

RESERVATIONS: To reserve, please email me here peterkasin5@gmail.com. Your last name with the number in your party will be on the reservation list held inside the museum entrance by a volunteer.

We will also continue the monthly virtual chantey sing online. Virtual Singing participants, who have signed up for performing slots in advance, will share their favorite songs, either accompanying themselves on traditional instruments, or a cappella.

If not leading a song, no registration necessary. givebutter.com/ChanteySing activates at 11:00 AM on 3rd Saturdays, where lead singers will be in the “Hollywood squares” (gallery view) and you can sing along from home!

Visit https://maritime.org/events-home/chantey-sing for complete details, including links to an online signup sheet, instructions for lead singers, and some suggested virtual backgrounds (just in case your bunk isn’t completely ship-shape). You’ll need a good internet connection, and should be prepared to have fun!

Donations to the Association will be accepted during the event, which will be used to buy virtual technologies to broadcast more events from the Park.

For more details, check this Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoMaritimeNHP

The San Francisco Chantey Sings became a park program in 1981, led by it’s founding Park Ranger Dave Nettell from 1981 to 1989 aboard the Schooner C.A. Thayer and the square-rigged ship Balclutha. Over the years, the sings popularity, led by Park Rangers, required them to be held in a larger venue, and, up until Covid, were held aboard the historic ferry Eureka, garnering 100 to 200 people monthly. 

If you’d like to learn more about this fascinating folk music tradition, the Park Maritime Research Center’s Chantey Pathfinder has links to books, music and scholarly journal articles at https://go.nps.gov/chanteyinfo. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park includes a fleet of historic ships, Visitor Center, Maritime Museum, Maritime Research Center, and the Aquatic Park Historic District. Visit the Park online at http://www.nps.gov/safr

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Lets Learn Irish is an online Irish community, providing daily classes, conversation sessions and workshops for learners throughout the world. First established by Dr. Ronan Connolly in Washington DC in 2009, and the Let’s Learn Irish story of ‘the online Gaeltacht’ has resonated with a global online audience. Let’s Learn Irish is now the largest provider of online Irish courses and comhrá sessions for learners.

Check out their Free Workshop on the first Sunday of every month. This one hour online session is suitable for those who are new to Irish, as well as for those who are currently studying the language! Click Here to get register for the Zoom Link. After the Free Workshop, Attendees are welcome to stay on afterwards to ask questions and learn about the online Irish language community.

Registration closes one hour before the workshop begins early on Sunday mornings, so do it now to be ready for the next first Sunday.

They also offer a free three video self-directed phrase course, https://letslearnirish.com/courses/freeclass, you can take at a time convenient to you.

The Let’s Learn Irish online community was developed at University of Galway, Ireland to support Irish learners throughout the world.

They provide daily online classes, comhrá sessions and community workshops, and weekly courses for all levels. Learners from all over the USA and further afield attend these classes, and since all sessions are video recorded, many more learners follow along in their own time and/or timezone each week. If you want to attend one of our Cúrsaí, but are unable to attend the live sessions, then you can still join us by following our video recordings! Use coupon ‘VideoOnly’ at the checkout for a 25% discount.

The upsurge in interest in the language, and the success of the Oscar-nominated ‘An Cailín Ciúin‘, marks a watershed moment. On their website, there are links to learner profiles, articles and news from their community. Their Press page provides further insights into their story and online activities.

Links:
YouTube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/letslearnirish
Courses: LetsLearnIrish.com/cursai
Press: LetsLearnIrish.com/press/
Articles: LetsLearnIrish.com/ailt/
Learner Profiles: LetsLearnIrish.com/member-profiles/
About: LetsLearnIrish.com/about
Contact Info: LetsLearnIrish.com/contact/
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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Irish Set Dancers

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go partner dancing in Ireland? Well, set dance events have been happening in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 30 years, and more recently, Irish Dance – San Francisco Bay Area has been continuing that tradition.

Set dancing is the social form of folk dancing. It is NOT the performance style dancing you may have seen on ‘Riverdance’, rather, set dancing is very beginner friendly, but engaging enough to appeal to experienced dancers. So whether you are an experienced dancer looking to try something new, or an absolute beginner who wants to give dancing a try, set dancing may be for you.

If you would like to see what set dancing looks like, here are a few example videos:
• Dance: Polca an Ri – Clare Lancers

• Dance: Clare Meserks – Sona Sól

Set dancing may look complicated if you have never done it before, but it is fun and the moves and patterns become easy to do with a bit of instruction. Irish Dance – San Francisco Bay Area offers set dancing lessons on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Ireland’s 32 pub in San Francisco. Lessons are taught by Michael Murphy and Michael Riemer and are typically attended by 10-20 other dancers.

No prior dance experience of any kind is necessary. You don’t need to bring a partner – there will always be one available – but feel free to take one (or more!) along. You can wear any clothes and shoes that you’re comfortable dancing and sweating in, as dancing can be quite a workout. Removable layers are suggested, and flat shoes are recommended over heels.

Admission is only $10 per person.

If you are not yet a set dancer but are curious, their ‘Meetup’ group is the easiest way to get started: https://www.meetup.com/irishdance. If you are already a dancer, you too should join the Meetup group to get updates on upcoming events and stay in touch with other dancers.

Thank you for supporting over three decades of Irish dancing in the Bay Area!

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One Eyed Reilly

One Eyed Reilly is a genre-bending Celtic/Americana rock band from Sacramento that blends dynamic originals with Celtic rock, Americana, and energetic, innovative versions of Irish and Scottish trad. One Eyed Reilly’s original songs draw on musical influences from Irish folk to Celtic punk with occasional unexpected nuggets ranging from the likes of Bob Dylan, John Prine, Tom Waits, Wilco or the Old Crow Medicine Show. This musical mash-up forms the perfect beer-and-whiskey drenched milieu for a good time night out at the Pub.

For a One Eyed Reilly sample video, Tipperary Blood, Click Here.

More on One Eyed Reilly on their website.

One Eyed Reilly is:
• Rick Meagher, lead vocals/acoustic guitar
• Geith St John Fraser, fiddle; harmony vocals
• Aaron Hendel, bass & electric guitars
• Tim Kurteff-Schatz, drums/percussion

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Maria Hawthorne

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The Cross Keys

The Cross Keys are a Folk Explosion, with Cormac Gannon, Stacy Samuels, Neil O’Neill.

Cormac says:
Looking forward to playing with my comrades!

Here is a sample video featuring Stacy Samuels: https://youtu.be/8wKMcbIzKzs

Located in beautiful Fairfax, in the heart of Marin County, the Way Station has risen from the site of a former gas station into a family-friendly beer garden and smokehouse. The Way Station team prides itself on super friendly customer-focused service.

Check waystationmarin.com or The Facebook Page or call (415) 300-3099.

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Join Alexandra Annen as she leads a free community class in Irish traditional instrumental music. No experience is required to join us on the last Sunday of each month. Bring an Irish instrument.

Website: https://www.saylamusicacademy.com

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Three Times Through

Three Times Through is Gale Peach, Jeff Peach, Greg Mirken and Margie Mirken. We are a colorful funky kinda Celtic string quartet. We re-imagine and blend traditional and modern tunes and songs with hammered dulcimer, bodhran, concertina, mandolin, bouzouki, banjo, fiddle and guitar. The emphasis is on eclectic Celtic music; spirited instrumentals, engaging vocals and haunting melodies.

People stop, stare, and ask us, ‘What is that instrument?’ Whether you’re a devoted fan of Celtic music or simply curious to experience its enchanting allure, Three Times Through invites you to join them for an unforgettable musical experience.

People often don’t realize they love Celtic music until they hear it, and the mashups are only adding to the popularity. Our a cappella vocals transport you to the North Sea, the Caribbean, or to a remote village pub in County Clare

Watch a video of the Band here: https://youtu.be/ZUq7MxtpUfM

For more on the band, check their website, www.threetimesthrough.com, Three Times Through Facebook page, Three Times Through YouTube Channel or email Jeff Peach at jwpeach@gmail.com

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The Mermaid’s Tavern

The Mermaid’s Tavern is the moniker Lynn Noel gave the online folk sings she began when the COVID pandemic began and as of October, 2023, Lynn still hosts a monthly Ballad sing on the first Sunday of each month, online via Zoom.

The time slot for these sessions is a bit inconvenient for those in South Asia, (11:30 PM – 1:30 AM in New Delhi), and in Australasia, (4 – 6 AM Monday morning in Sydney), but for participants in the rest of the English speaking parts of the world it is daytime or evening on Sunday: 11 AM – 1 PM in the Pacific Time Zone / 2 PM – 4 PM Eastern / 7 PM – 9 PM in Ireland and the UK.

David Kidman is a regular participant from Yorkshire, UK. David says,

The sessions are well steered, with no idle chat – and yet there’s always time for a cordial welcome. The host’s respect for the participants goes hand-in-voice with the sense of mutual trust that this engenders. Singers therefore experience a feeling of being valued, not least for adding value to the shared experience.

Lynn has undertaken a significantly larger role in the ‘new online music community’. Lynn Noel says,

We connect and coach participatory audiences, session leaders, and performers pivoting to digital to create and cultivate online community.

For details and links, check out The Mermaid’s Tavern website, and then check out the rosters to see who joins us and what we sing, and join the mailing list for links to more online sessions.

Tips and patrons keep us on the air and releasing new music on Bandcamp, so thanks for your donations toward studio services.

More details on Lynn Noel’s personal website

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The Moosehead Session

Welcome to the ONLINE ZOOM Moosehead Traditional Irish Music Session! Hosted by Mark Wallis & Alix Sandra Huntley-Speirs.

All are welcome to attend to play, and/or listen and enjoy! This is a traditional Irish tune instrument session only, Read More …

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89155330559?pwd=NHF4aTU0TSsxd01aUVdNbXhoODRGQT09
Meeting ID: 891 5533 0559
Passcode: tunes

Please also join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/trad.irish.music.session

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Established in 2009, Phoenix Folk exists to promote performance and participation in folk music, song and dance. We offer regular folk sessions, events and ensemble opportunities, both in the North East of England and online. Additionally, we provide a range of resources aimed at helping people to engage with folk music as both participant and listener. We put participation at the centre of all that we do, and aim to provide a comfortable space where musicians of all levels of ability can experience the joy of making music with others, extend their repertoire, challenge themselves and be inspired.

On Mondays, Maurice & Marina host a Play Along tune session leading mostly Irish Traditional Music tunes at a steady pace.

On Tuesdays, Maurice & Marina host a ‘Folk Singaround’, featuring mostly (but not exclusively) folk and traditional tunes and songs from the British Isles and North America. This regularly includes acappella and self accompanied songs, tunes, poems and readings from many attendees.

On Thursdays, Maurice & Marina host another ‘Play Along’ tune session, leading lots of Celtic tunes at full speed. They have a particular interest in Northumbrian music and see their online presence as a great opportunity to share local tunes with musicians from outside the region/outside the UK.

Phoenix Folk Website: https://phoenixfolk.co.uk

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Welcome to the Ag Teacht Le Chéile Irish Session! Hosted by native Irish singer Maureen McNally, this Traditional Irish Tune and Song Session meets every Monday at 11 PM Ireland/UK | 6 PM Eastern | 3 PM Pacific, online via Zoom.

All are welcome to attend to play, sing, and/or listen and enjoy!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://link.americeltic.net/atlc

Long time participant Cornelius (Connie) McEleney passed on in early 2023, but we still have his playlist, with lyrics and recordings of Connie singing 33 of his Irish songs to learn ourselves. Cornelius McEleney Collection.

Please email questions to: maureenmcnally6@gmail.com

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Every Monday night the Celtic Arts Center offers a free introductory Irish language workshop online via Zoom for complete beginners that starts at 7PM. Check out the full details on their website here: Online Beginners Irish Language Class Mondays, 7–8PM. This beginners level emphasises on pronunciation, lower level grammar and basic conversation practice. Classes are FREE for first-timers and Celtic Arts Center members. The current term began on Monday, February. 5th, 2024, but they are still accepting new students. Email James Murphy at language@celticartscenter.com with any questions.

In addition, CAC hosts many in-person events at the Mayflower Club, 11110 Victory Blvd., in North Hollywood, CA. These include a half-dozen annual Festivals, starting with Saint Patrick’s Day, and continuing through the Celtic Year. Check out the venue website here: https://mayflowerclub.com

Weekly, on Mondays, they host several social events, beginning at 7PM with an in-person Irish Traditional Music Learners session where musicians can learn and practice traditional Celtic tunes. At 8PM there is a free Irish céilí dance workshop for both beginner and intermediate level students. All that is followed by the Center’s famous traditional music seisiún where singers and musicians from all across the L.A. area gather to play and share their love for the music of the Celts. There is no admission fee for performers or audience members and everyone is welcome to participate or just listen and watch. You may also hear the recitation of a Celtic-themed poem or even a joke told in Irish! The Center has seen many of its young members, traditional Celtic musicians and performers grow into accomplished performers who successfully tour and compete both in the U.S. and internationally.

Check out the Celtic Arts Center Website

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Andronicos San Francisco Jam

This gathering on Zoom is hosted every Tuesday from 7:00-8:30 PM Pacific Time, by Dinah and Noah Stroe, with a mix of old time music, some Irish, some Québécois and more.

Dinah says:
We’ve been at it since 2020 with a good system: lead tunes, you mute and play along, and every three tunes we do a friendly, eclectic round robin, where anybody who wants to lead a tune or two. If we like it — we play it!

In addition to the great tunes, there are sometimes a few ‘sketchers’ creating drawings of the participants (with permission)

It’s sprinkled with jokes, books and TV recommendations and we conclude with our sketchers showing their pictures in the big reveal.

Spread the word, please and join the fun!

More info here: Old Time Open Jams Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/390588871395459

Contact Dinah Stroe dinahbeatrice@gmail.com

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The Trans-Atlantic Session on Zoom

Tony Becker of San Jose, California hosts this Trans-Atlantic Session for all interested parties on Wednesdays, at 8:00 PM Ireland and UK time, 3:00 PM Eastern or 12:00 PM Pacific in the USA.

Later that same evening, from 11:00 PM Eastern or 7:00 PM Pacific Time, Tony hosts the Pacific Evening Session, timed to for participants on the West Coast of the US and across the Pacific Ocean.

Both are a participatory online music events via Zoom.

Click here to Join the Zoom Meeting!

Each of these two sessions is open for a couple of hours to all who play or sing traditional music and with the obvious limitations of Zoom in that only one musician can play at a time but we go round the ‘room’ and take it in turns – no pressure though and the baton can be passed if you just want to listen.

On a good day we have a variety of tunes with instruments from pipes to melodeon, banjo to fiddle and an equal number of songs, with some from other cultures and languages like Irish or Scottish Gaelic! The participants are very friendly and we welcome everyone – it can be a good way to pick up any of the above! The only criterion is we try to have some of the offerings in Celtic traditional genre(s).

Please come along if you can!

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John Whelan

Seven-time All-Ireland Button Accordion Champion John Whelan is one of the world’s best living Irish button accordion players. John was raised in the vibrant London Irish music scene of the 1970s, and learned his craft from such legends as Lucy Farr, Roger Sherlock, Paddy Taylor, Mick O Connor and his teacher Brendan Mulkaire. Along with his All-Ireland Championships, he was twice awarded musician of the year from the Irish Music Association. He has over 15 CDs and has performed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. John’s music has been featured on such TV shows as ‘Sex in the City,’ ‘History’s Mysteries’ and ‘History Detective.’ John performs with the John Whelan Band and has also teamed up with his old pal Brian Conway forming the group Gailfean, which also features Máirtin De Cógáin and Don Penzien have released their first new CD. For over a decade, John has performed ‘Monday’s with John’ every Monday evening on his Facebook Profile.

Every Wednesday, live on Zoom, John hosts two free, play along style events: a ‘Tune Learning’ workshop, and after a break a ‘Taking Time’ slow session, both of which regularly draw attendees from around the world (see box for times).

This is also a great opportunity for learning new tunes, as everybody but the session leader (John) will be muted while they play. Unlike an in-person session you can noodle along to your heart’s content, and nobody will ever know unless you tell them.

Check them out here: http://johnwhelanmusic.com/slow-session. We send out a tune list and Zoom link for them on the same mornings. Email John at whelanbx1@me.com to get on the list or for more details.

Get more details on John’s John’s Facebook Page or John’s Website

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The Philo-Celtic Society

The Philo-Celtic Society offers many Online Irish Language Zoom classes, and the in-person classes are available at The Gerry Tobin Irish Language School.

With so many different classes running at once, the school is organized using the Group membership method. There is a separate Group.io webpage for each particular Class. Join the particular Group.io ‘Group’, then ‘sign in’ to that particular webpage, and you are registered to attend that class.

Like a physical classes, the use of a separate Groups.io webpage for administration functions avoids having the teachers directly collect and email reminders to every student. To attend class, students simply point a browser at the Class webpage, and then open the Zoom link posted there. Since the meetings are video recorded, they remain accessible on Groups.io along with class materials, if one misses a class, one can always review them and ‘catch up’.

Here is a document that will guide you, step-by-step, through the registration process on Groups.io: Getting Started Guide (PDF)

The ‘Starting to Learn’ class for Absolute Beginners in the Irish language happens on Friday evenings, beginning February 2nd, and runs through to June 21st, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time / 5:00 PM Pacific Time ‘Starting to Learn’ is suitable for Absolute Beginners — This is where you start. https://groups.io/g/philo-startingtolearn.

This is Bi-lingual class for beginners in the Sean-Nós (Old-Style) of singing Irish songs in the Irish language. These Wednesday classes begin on February 7th at 1:00 PM Eastern time 10:00 AM Pacific Time, and the teachers are Bréanann Ó Catháin assisted by Sandra Ní Chinnéide. Go to https://groups.io/g/philo-Irish-memes for the Zoom link and other updates.

This class will devote an hour towards studying a variety of songs, one at a time, in Irish from our great song tradition, for pronunciation, definitions, and grammar aspects. No singing requirements are needed. The class is best suited for those who have attended the beginner Irish Song Study Group and beginner/intermediate level Irish language classes. However, all are welcome to join in for a fun way to practice pronunciation and vocabulary skills in this song only class. The first class begins Saturday February 24th at 4:00 PM Eastern time 1:00 PM Pacific Time, and the teachers are Donna Charielle and Gwen de Buitléir. Go to https://groups.io/g/philo-songbeginners for the Zoom link and other updates.

There are many more Irish language classes currently available on their Groups.io Messages webpage here: https://groups.io/g/philo-celtic-society/messages. Follow the links and sign into your class(es), and spread the word !!!

The Philo-Celtic Society Main Groups.io webpage: https://groups.io/g/philo-celtic-society
Website: https://www.philo-celtic.com

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Autumn Rhodes

Autumn Rhodes was raised in a rural Indiana household full of Irish music. At the age of 12, Autumn got a tin whistle for a birthday present and a year later was performing professionally

Shortly after, Autumn progressed to the flute and concertina and learned from master players such as Laurence Nugent, Kevin Henry, and John Williams. Autumn is equally renowned as a singer in the Sean-nós style of Irish tradition.

Autumn plays wooden flute, tin whistle, uilleann pipes, and concertina in several bands, including Buncrana, Soltre, Bardic Apostles, Slaggy Maggie, Meitheal, Mira, Na Cailini, and a few others, in styles including traditional Irish, jazz, classical, Breton, folk, and Bulgarian/Romanian music.

Autumn says:
Join us for a weekly drop-in Irish tune learning class for all instruments. The only requirements are for you to have an instrument that can play in D, a little bit of experience playing Irish music, and an internet connection.

I have more than 20 years of experience teaching students of all levels. Join my class for all instruments and learn classic session tunes along with technique, ornamentation, and phrasing. We will be mostly learning by ear, but I’ll provide sheet music and recordings.

On my website, https://sites.google.com/view/irishtuneclass,
I’ll be posting tunes, sheet music, recordings, history, and other resources. It’s a work in progress at the moment, but you can e-mail me with questions: autumn@cei.li (yes, it’s a real email address). Stay tuned (pun 100% intended).

$15-20 suggested donation (but nobody turned away) via PayPal, paypal.me/concertinachick or @Autumn-Rhodes on Venmo, or CashApp $ConcertinaChick, Apple Pay, or other.

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/irishtuneclass
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/irishtuneclass
Email Autumn: autumn@cei.li

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The Ould Sod Virtual Irish Traditional Session on Zoom

When COVID restrictions began in March, 2020, many weekly gatherings shifted to meeting online via the Zoom platform. With restrictions in California easing a bit, some are reducing or ending their Zoom musical meetings, but Michael Eskin says his, and since he has hosted over a hundred of these accessible performances so far, I believe him!

Michael Eskin says:
With other Zoom sessions either closing down or changing to once-a-month format, and a few in person sessions restarting, I wanted to remind everyone that I’ll continue to host The Ould Sod Virtual Session on Zoom every Thursday evening for as long as there are enough players each time, and we’ve generally been between 20 and 30 players on the past few Thursdays.

Players: Please join us and let other players know about our weekly Zoom event!
Punters: You are welcome to attend and listen, but please also and let others know about our weekly event!

More information at: http://michaeleskin.com/session

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