Pope Not Welcome After The Ryan Report

[NOTE: If you are not familiar with the Ryan Report about Catholic abuses in Ireland, here is an article to help you get caught up.]

Papal visit would not be welcome in wake of Ryan report

By Anne-Marie Walsh

Monday June 29 2009

POPE Benedict XVI is not entirely welcome here in the wake of the damning Ryan report, a survey found.

More than half of people surveyed do not want a second papal visit following the revelations in the report on child abuse.

An online survey by radio station Newstalk, in which 1,108 people took part, shows the scenes that greeted the late Pope John Paul II during the first papal visit 30 years ago are unlikely to be recreated.

Back in September 1979, schools and businesses shut as thousands of Catholics flocked to the Phoenix Park during the three-day tour of Ireland.

However, despite strong feeling about a papal visit, the survey showed that the Ryan report has had little impact on the public's religious practices. Just 4pc said the report had changed their Mass-going habits.

In addition, 68pc of people said religious teaching in schools should not include details of clerical abuse.

Historic

There has been speculation that the Pope might come to Ireland this year to mark the 30th anniversary of the historic 1979 visit, but 52pc of the 1,108 surveyed between June 22 and June 25 said he should stay away.

Many interviewees in the internet poll felt he should apologise before a visit could take place, while others said that saying sorry would not make any difference.

"Until he condemns what happened and pays compensation for his vile colleagues' actions, and helps this country prosecute them by handing over all documents in relation to abuse issues and the movement of priests, then he shouldn't be allowed set foot in this country," said one of the interviewees.

Another person said a visit might be an important gesture to reach out to the abused, but only if the perpetrators faced their guilt. Another said they had difficulty taking any authority from the Pope.

"I did not elect him; he is old, lives a sheltered life and does not have to worry about where his next meal is coming from," he said. "I am not sure what he can do now to ease the victims' suffering. The church is churning out 'mea culpas'. I am not sure how his sorry would be any better."

Ireland grants Civil Partnerships

Ireland grants rights to same-sex partnerships

DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland recognized the legal rights of same-sex couples for the first time Friday in a civil partnership bill that gave people in long-term relationships many of the statutory rights of married couples.

But it stopped short of recognizing civil marriage. There are strong rights conferred to marriage under the constitution of the traditionally Catholic country, which was amended to lift a ban on divorce in 1995.

"This bill provides legal protection for cohabiting couples and is an important step, particularly for same-sex couples, whose relationships have not previously been given legal recognition by the state," Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said in a statement.

The legislation provides a range of previously denied rights including maintenance obligations, protection of a shared home and succession. "Balance is achieved by maintaining material distinctions between civil partnership and marriage, in particular between the rights attaching to both, while at the same time reflecting the equality rights protected by the constitution," Ahern said.

The legalized sale of contraceptives caused controversy upon its introduction in 1979 in Ireland, where abortion still remains illegal.

"This is an historic civil rights reform that will resolve many immediate and pressing issues faced by lesbian and gay couples and the minister and the government are to be congratulated," Kieran Rose, chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network said in a statement.

Milwaukee Highland Games

This year the Milwaukee Highland Games were at a new venue, Hart Park in Wauwatosa. despite this change of scenery (and the dreich weather), I'd call it a success.

Here I am in all of my Gordon tartan.


Me demonstrating WHY somebody would wear a day plaid



There were shepherding demonstrations...



...and swordplay. Very dangerous.


Ok, this guy turned the caber without running. He just stood there and flipped it! Unreal.



All in all, I'd call it a success. I'm really looking forward to the Chicago Games next weekend and the Wisconsin Games over Labor Day weekend!

Oshkosh Irish Fest

Last weekend I went with my friend Doug to the Oshkosh Irish Fest. A few weeks ago they contacted me about giving away free tickets on my radio show. I kept two for myself and made the drive up for the first annual event. The venue was a little small. There was only one stage and some vendors behind the audience section selling Irish shirts, jewelry, and whatnot.

The music was great, though. I ran into my friends at the Shamrock Color Guard Pipes and Drums and listened to Cé, a great band out of Milwaukee. One group I really enjoyed was Tantrum, an Irish rock group out of Chicago, I had to buy their album. They sound kind of like Gaelic Storm or Leahy. For the first annual Oshkosh Irish Fest, it was pretty good. Hopefully it will grow and get better next year!

Next weekend is the Milwaukee Highland Games, one of my favorite events of the year. I'll be sure to include some photos and a full review of the Games.

Oh, and be sure to check out Kyle O`Brien's blog about his time in Northern Ireland. He is one of the ambassadors with the St. Patrick Center, the same program I did last summer. You can find his blog here.

St. Patrick's Day and the summer

Wow, I've really fallen behind. I plan on keeping this more up-to-date this summer.

St. Patrick's Day was great this year. A news crew from Rockford came to Suds O'Hanahan's in Beloit to cover the festivities. I was hired to pipe for the camera, which meant waking up at 5:30 in the morning to be there by 6:00 when the place opened. I got to see my friends Rising Gael perform that week also, which I always enjoy. They were nominated for 4(?) Madison Area Music Awards this year! I also made a bit of money performing for a luncheon at the Wisconsin Department of Administration. They had a week celebrating Celtic culture, and I played the pipes and gave a brief lecture and history on the pipes.

Since then, not much has happened. I said goodbye to Beloit Celtic Radio, my weekly radio show on WBCR. I really enjoyed sharing my Celtic music collection for the past three years. Maybe in the future I'll continue to do some broadcasting in local radio stations. Also, I applied for a travel grant from Beloit College to go back to Ireland and continue studying modern Gaelic culture. I was awarded the grant, but it was only going to cover half of my expenses, so I guess Ireland will have to wait for another time. I'm sure I'll get back there soon enough.

This summer has a lot of fun events coming up. This weekend is Fitchburg Days, a nice little celebration of the town's Irish heritage. I won't be able because I'm graduating from college(!!!), but it's worth checking out if you're in the area.

The Milwaukee Scottish Fest and Highland Games are on June 6th. New venue this year. They'll be held at the more accessible Hart Park in Wauwatosa. Great games with stellar piping, dancing, and delicious food (read: haggis).

I've made a little list of summer events in the area:
Oshkosh Irish Fest - May 29th-31st in Oshkosh
Chicago Highland Games - June 19th and 20th in Oak Brook
Irishfest La Crosse - August 7th-9th in La Crosse
Irish Fair of Minnesota - August 7th-9th in St. Paul
Irishfest - August 13th-16th in Milwaukee
Wisconsin Highland Games - Labor Day weekend (September 4-6) in Waukesha
MadCeltFest - September 12th in Madison
Celtic Fest Chicago - September 12th and 13th in Chicago

Hope to see you there!

Catch up

It's been about three months, and not a whole lot has happened since then, but I'll fill you in.

My winter break, from the middle of December to the middle of January, was mostly spent going to the Brocach with my friend Doug (we both studied abroad in Ireland). Unfortunately, the job market wasn't very college-student-back-for-winter friendly, but at least it gave me time to work on my Irish and music. Oh, and for Christmas my parents got me the Rosetta Stone Gaelic program! It's actually kind of fun, and a great way to keep up with Irish when there's nobody around to talk to.

The end January was marked by the Robert Burns Supper in Rockford. I got all dressed up for the formal occasion and enjoied their Scotch and haggis samples. It was really great, and I think the highlight was a reading of Burns' "Tam O'Shanter" by a man from Ayrshire, Rabbie's birthplace. He dressed up and recited the whole thing my memory - it was brilliant. The next week, I piped at a Scotch tasting in Madison. 15 guys, 18 bottles, and a haggis. It was phenomenal, and the guys were great. I had an amazing time, and I hope they invite me to their next one!

February saw the begin of the session in Beloit too. Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at The BOP on East Grand Avenue, starting at 9:00 pm. I've also bought tickets for the Wolfe Tones in Chicago on the 21st and Dropkick Murphys in Milwaukee on the 27th. Pretty exciting stuff!

After the month ends I get ready for St. Patrick's Day. I won't be doing as much as I did last year, but I'll still be busy. My Spring Break is the week before St. Patrick's Day, so hopefully there'll be some things to do while I'm back in Madison.

Tartan Ball

I haven't updated in awhile because, well, not much has been going on. The Contra Club had a dance but I was out of town. But last weekend, there was a big event put on by the Tripoli Shrine out of Milwaukee. It was their annual Tartan Ball and I went with a friend from Beloit College.

It was held at the Tripoli Shrine in Milwaukee, and began with cocktails and mingling. I particularly enjoyed the open whiskey bar, but there was also an open wine bar, and open beer bar...so I'd say it was a good night. At 7:00, a tenderloin dinner was served and light dessert. There were Irish and Highland dancers as well as a pipe band entertaining throughout the night.

It was nice seeing some friends from Milwaukee, and had a really nice time. The building was beautiful, the food was good, and the whiskey was wonderful. I'll definitely have to go again next year!

Halfway to St. Patrick's Day

What a week! Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate so we decided not to go to the Chicago Highland Games. There was flooding and whatnot, so I made the executive decision to stay in Beloit and have a pot of tea. But our Halfway to St. Patrick's Day party last night went REALLY well.

I've been planning this for awhile now, and it came together without a hitch. Before the party, I went to see BeauSoleil perform on campus. Student tickets were free and they are an amazing Cajun band. During intermission, I sneaked backstage and talked to the band. We were talking about music and I invited them to our Halfway to St. Patrick's Day party downtown. Apparently, the accordion player and fiddler in the band play Irish music! They were all really nice guys, but I wasn't able to stay for the second half because I had to set up for my own performance.

At The BOP (the venue) it was quiet for awhile. Only a few people showed up, but Jake, Gus, and I had a great time playing. Suddenly at midnight it seemed like the whole school showed up! I was really happy that people came, and they encouraged us to play more. Around that same time, the fiddler and accordion player from BeauSoleil show up! They sat and listened for awhile, and I begged them to play a tune with us. Well, they weren't kidding when they said they played Irish music. These guys were flying through the sets! Absolutely amazing.

So yeah, I had a great night. The Halfway to St. Patrick's Day party was a HUGE success so hopefully the Celtic Student Union will be having more parties in the future. And the Cajun guys really made me feel great. I love being a musician. Folk music is a powerful thing, and last night it proved how great it can be.

Celtic Students Union

The activities fair went well. I printed off five sign up sheets, expecting to fill about half a sheet. Surprisingly, I filled four pages! 43 people signed up, which is pretty refreshing. I know not all of them will come to meetings (or even been seen again), but still, it's pretty nice. At the activities fair I also learned about an ambitious first-year who started a Contra Dance and Ceilidh Dance club. How awesome is that?!? I feel like we're going to be working together a lot. And the guy who started it is a fiddler too! He's coming over tonight for a session so I can see what he can do. Hopefully we can get him into the Galway Hearts (our Irish band).

Yesterday I went to the Wisconsin Highland Games, which were great. My old friend Alex and a new member of the Celtic Students Union came with, and I met up with my dad, aunt, and uncle there too. It was a great day full of bagpipes, rugby, dancing, and even a meal of haggis and Irn Bru! I'm a little sunburned now, but it was totally worth it. Now I'm trying to organize a trip to the Chicago Celtic Fest next Saturday. I've never been to this festival, but it should be a lot of fun. Some of my friends from XMarksTheScot.com are going to be there too, plus this girl Lauren who was with me in Galway last year.

Ok, back to homework and "obair bhaile na Gaeilge". I'll post more about Celtic Fest and hopefully some photos too.

Irish Fest and college

Haven't posted for over three weeks, but I've been plenty busy. Irish Fest was great and I had a great time. I met some amazing people, including the Maimin' Cajun Band form Galway. It was great seeing the whole crew from Northern Ireland again, and a bittersweet ending when the Fest came to a close. But all in all, it was wonderful, probably the best Irish Fest I've been to. Oh, and the Park East this year was pretty fun too!

I'm back at Beloit now. Classes are taking up a lot of my time (five Anthropology courses require a lot of reading!), but I'm still keeping active in the Celtic community. Tomorrow is the student activities fair, when all of the campus clubs and organizations recruit new people. The Celtic Students Union has a table reserved and will be trying to get new people to join.

Also coming up is the Wisconsin Highland Games this weekend, September 6th and 7th at the Waukesha Expo Grounds. This is the big one, and I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully a few people from campus are interested too and will come out for the day. I'll try to post photos from that. Otherwise there's not much going on. The Celtic Students Union will be hosting a Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Party on September 19th at The BOP in Beloit, which should be fun. I've been telling everybody about it and you should too!

Out Of Ireland, Into The States

Our last day in Ireland was spent in Downpatrick. We went to the St. Patrick Center, talking about what we've done, and did some exit interviews for the promotional DVD that is being made for future Young Ambassadors. At the end of the day was a send-off which included making us official Ambassadors, some presentations, and a short concert.

The next day was travel day. I woke up bright an early, finished packing, and hopped in a taxi at 7:00 am. We arrived at the bus station, where Tim met us for the last time and bought us tea (what a nice guy). We got on a bus at 8:00 and arrived at the Dublin Airport at 10:00. We checked in, got some lunch and did some duty-free shopping. Our flight left at 2:00pm and I landed in Chicago at 4:00pm (crazy!). Unfortunately, it took about 2 hours to get our bags, but we finally did. I said good-bye to the rest of the Ambassadors and hopped on a bus to Madison where my friend Kelly picked me up. Time to go home and into bed, right? Nah, Kelly and I went bar hopping and met up with friends. A great end to a great trip.

So now I'm out of Ireland. But I'm not exactly done. Last weekend I was up in Minnesota at the Irish Fair. I stayed with my friend Maggie, but she was unfortunately unable to join me at the event. The whole thing was great! I've never been to Minnesota's Irish Fair before, but I was really impressed. A great band line up that included Scythian, The Elders, Tannahill Weavers, and Flogging Molly. I was there unofficially, but still helped out at the Friends of St. Patrick table. Tim and some of the other Ambassadors were there, so it was nice to see them again. I got into the VIP tent, which included free beer and finger food. As if it wasn't already a great day, I had a great spot to watch Flogging Molly at the end of the night and they played all of their best stuff both old and new. It was a really great concert and the perfect way to end a great festival.

This next weekend is the "main event": Irish Fest. I'll be there officially with the Friends of St. Patrick, but I still hope to be piping with my old band, the Shamrock Club Color Guard Pipes and Drums. You know, I've piped with a few bands now, but none of them are as fun or musically talented as my first band the Shamrock Club. But even if they don't have a uniform for me (they never have enough to go around!) it'll be good to support them from the stands and enjoy Irish Fest as a whole. I'm so excited! I just need to find a place to crash in Milwaukee...

Since Dublin

In all honesty, Dublin is not exactly my favorite city. In fact, it might be one of my least favorite cities. Shocking, I know, but it's just so...I can't name it. Something about it just doesn't sit right with me. I guess because it is too touristy, but that's not the exact reason. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time while I was there, but I wasn't exactly upset when I had to leave. Anyway, we've done plenty of things since leaving Dublin.

The next day, on the 25th, Colleen and I went to An Droichead, an Irish language school and community center. The events coordinator, Réamonn, told us all about the school and their plans to build a large addition, cafe, and Gaeltacht apartments. Multi-million dollar additions seem to be a reoccurring thing in Gaelic communities. That afternoon, we met up with Beth, Liz, and Norah to go to the McCracken School of Music. There, we attended a Sean-Nós workshop and watched a documentary about an up-and-coming Irish poet.

The next day was a free day which I spent sleeping in, taking a walk through the Botanic Gardens at Queens University, and other errands and things I had put off. That night we went to the McCracken ceilidh. The ceilidh was great! The food was delicious, the wine was superb, and the dancing (even though it was my first time and I was half drunk) was a lot of fun.

On the 27th, we all took a a trip around Co. Down. A radio show asked it's listeners what he had to see while we were here, and there was a resounding call for us to visit the Mourne Mountains. We went to Tollymore Forest Park which was breathtaking. Really amazing scenery. I instantly understood why people would want us to visit. In the afternoon, we stopped in Rostrevor for the Fiddler's Green festival. The music was good, but the highlight was the beach. There was a low mist hovering over the water with the mountains in the distance. Absolutely gorgeous. Before going to dinner, we made a quick stop in Donaghadee to snap a few photos of the lighthouse and take in the freash sea air. That night we went to a barbeque with a group of Palestinians who were doing project similar to ours. It was really fascinating talking to them because in the US you don't usually get to hear their side of the story.

The next day we went to the set of Seacht which is a teenage soap opera on TG4 It's kind of like The OC, but in Irish. The people were so nice, and we got to be extras! To watch the show, go HERE and find the show "Seacht". Don't worry, it's subtitled so you can follow along. That night we went to a super-corney show at the Opera House called Magic of the Dance. It's kind of like Riverdance, but incredibly over-produced. There was an abundance of pyrotechnics and the sound of the shoes against the floor was pre-recorded and put into the soundtrack. Overall, I'd give it a 1.3 out of 5. The dancers were obviously talented, but the whole thing was so stupid they couldn't save it. Kind of like the most three new Star Wars films.

The 29th had us going back to the Cultúrlann in the Falls. We were shown the theater which hosts the only Irish-language professional company in the world. Then we went to Raidio Failte (again) and Colleen recorded a few songs for them. They made her a CD of it, which I thought was really nice. We also met with some guys from Pobal which assists Irish-language programs and runs their own language PR campaign, Tá. It is working to put a positive face on the Irish language after decades of bad press.

Then today we went to the BBC to meet with the presenters of Blas, the Irish-language radio show on the BBC. Both Lynette Fay and Tomaí Ó Conghaile were incredibly nice and answered all of our questions. The rest of the day was free, so I've been packing.

It's kind of incredible how fast my time here has gone by. Tomorrow is our last day. We'll be in Downpatrick spending the day at the St. Patrick Center. There'll be some closing ceremonies and entertainment, then I climb aboard a plane on Friday and fly back to the US! Wow.

Cuil? Not so much.

So the new search engine, Cuil, started recently. I was checking out the site, and in their "About Us" section it said

Cuil is an old Irish word for knowledge. For knowledge, ask Cuil.

That didn't sound right. Later I found this in the FAQ's:

4. What does the name Cuil mean?

Tom Costello, our founder and CEO, comes from Ireland, a country with a rich mythology around the quest for wisdom. Cuil is the Gaelic word for both knowledge and hazel, and features prominently in ancient legend. One famous story tells of a salmon that ate nine hazelnuts that had fallen into the Fountain of Wisdom and thereby gained all the knowledge in the world. Whoever ate the salmon would acquire this knowledge.

A famous poet fished for many years on the River Boyne hoping to catch the Salmon of Knowledge. When he finally caught it, he gave it to his young apprentice Finn McCuil to prepare, warning him not to eat any. As Finn cooked the salmon he burnt his thumb and instinctively sucked it to ease the pain. And so it was Finn and not the poet who gained all the wisdom of the world. Finn went on to become one of the great heroes of Irish folklore. Any time he needed to know the answer to a question, he sucked his thumb.

As a child Tom poached salmon from the same spot on the Boyne where it is said the Salmon of Knowledge was caught.

First of all, the Irish name from Finn McCool is not "Finn McCuil", but Fionn mac Cumhaill. Also, the Salmon of Knowledge is called bradán feasa, which literally means "Salmon of Wisdom". I pulled out my Irish dictionary and started looking up words. Behold! The Truth:
Tom was close, but no cigar. "Coill" is the word for hazel, so he almost got it. And just FYI, the word for knowledge is "Eolas".

So yeah, just because somebody is from Ireland doesn't mean they speak Gaeilge. Always take it with a grain of salt.

Catch-up

I've been so busy, I haven't had time to post! So a week ago, on the 21st, we were bused to Stormont, the Northern Ireland parliament building. We got a tour of the place and then walked to Stormont Castle to meet the First and deputy First Minster of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, respectively. It was so great! I was able to talk to them about Northern Ireland's plans for the future and their experiences. Meeting Martin McGuinness was really great. Such a historical figure, I felt almost overwhelmed. After our meeting, we went and met Lord Mayor Tom Hartley, this being the second time, albeit this time a more formal occasion.

The next day, Norah, Colleen, Liz, Beth, and I boarded a train to Dulbin. We met with Foras na Gaeilge, were taken out to a nice lunch, then Colleen went to National Music Archives while the rest of us checked out Raidio na Life, Dublin's Irish language radio station. They're pretty cool in that they play all different types of music, but instead of presenting it in English, they do it in Irish. Kinda like Brian Mullen's show on Radio Foyle. We went back to Belfast later that night only to get on a bus the next day to go back to Dublin. Thankfully, we spent the next night at Jury's Inn.

But before we arrived in Dublin, we took a quick detour in Armagh. First we stopped by the (Catholic) St. Patrick's Cathedral, checking out the beautiful interior and learning about the building. Then, we went about 200 yards to the (Church of Ireland) St. Patrick's Cathedral. No wonder Armagh is called the ecclesiastical center of Ireland! At the latter cathedral we saw the burial site of Brian Boru and ancient Celtic carvings and statues. Our last stop in Armagh was the Public Library, the oldest in Ireland (built in 1771), which held a first edition Gulliver's Travels and some medieval illuminated manuscripts.

Once we arrived in Dublin we checked into the Jury's Inn then headed straight for the Dáil Éireann, or the House of Representatives of Ireland. We got a tour of the beautiful building, then met with Minister Éamon Ó Cuív. Not only is a prominent politician, but the grandson of Éamon de Valera . We had a great talk and snapped some photos, then went for a delicious pub meal. Later that night we all explored Dublin and went to The Porterhouse, which has an amazing lager called Temple Bräu.

The next day we got a guided tour of the National Museum of Ireland and the Easter Rising memorial then were bused to Áras an Uachtaráin, the President of Ireland's House in Pheonix Park. We were served tea and each had a chance to talk to President Mary McAleese.
It was very exicting, and the President was extremely nice and down-to-earth. Before we headed home for Belfast, we had some shopping time, which I spent in the record shop, picking up a few rare musical gems.

The beginning of Belfast

We left The Mill early Wednesday night, on the 16th. Our first stop, after checking into Queens University, was the American Consulate. Susan Elliot, the Consul General, talked to us about the Foreign Service and got a tour and a photo op, and then went out to explore the city. Some of us walked around the city center, then met up later for a pint at the Botanical Inn.

On the 17th, the group under Foras na Gaeilge (Colleen, Liz, Norah, and I) all went to the Cultúrlann in the Falls in west Belfast. There, we met with Jake MacSiacais who intorduced us to a few people, then took us on a tour of his neighborhood. We walked down Falls Road, through the bog preserve, then Miltown cemetery. At the cemetery, I saw Bobby Sands' grave. It was pretty powerful. After we returned to the Cultúrlann and had lunch, we went to Raidio Failte and did a quick interview with Eoghan O'Néill. He told us about how Raidio Failte was a pirate radio station for 20 years until 1998 when it became legal to braodcast in Irish. Yeah, before 1998, it was to broadcast in the Irish language. Then Jake completed our tour with a walk through the Falls and pointed out a lot of significant Troubles sites. It meant a lot to me to be able to be there and just walk around where so much history has taken place.

On Friday the 19th, the Foras group went to Derry (officially, Londonderry). We met with the organizers of the Gaeláras, which is basically the same thing as the Cultúrlann, but in Derry. The leaders, Kevin and Eileen, are married and talked to us about the developing Irish language in Derry and the new multi-million Pound language center that is being built down the street from their current, very cramped headquarters. We talked to them all morning about their mission and projects and had a pleasant lunch with them across the street in the Irish language cafe. In the afternoon, we met Brian Mullen at Radio Foyle. He presents a weekly Irish-language show of modern music in Derry. Apparently he didn't learn Irish until he was 26! Hah, gives me hope about my own future in the language. We finished the day with a stroll through the Bogside, which made me even more exicted for our meeting with Martin McGuinness this Monday, who was second-in-command of the IRA during Bloody Sunday.

Yesterday, on Saturday the 20th, Dr. Campbell let us relax and took us on a day trip to the Giant's Causeway and (back to) Derry. The Coastal Road from Belfast to the Giant's Causeway was amazing. It is probably one of the most beautiful drives in the world. We stopped at a few spots for photos, but the highlight was definitely the Causeway. Legend has it that Finn McCool was a giant in Ireland who was constantly fighting with the giant Benandonner in Scotland by throwing rocks at each other. Benandonner was much larger, and built the causeway to finally fight with Finn McCool once and for all. Finn knew he couldn't win, so he dressed up like a baby and laid on the beach. When Benandonner saw the baby, he thought "If the child is this big, his father must be huge!" and with that, he left, destroying the Causeway behind him. All that is left is the ends in Co. Antrim in Ireland and Iona in Scotland.

After our time at the Causeway, we went to Derry, where we met Gregory Campbell, the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland. Afterwards we got a tour of the Derry walls. Although the tour was biased towards the Unionists, it was very informative and I learned a lot.

This past day was a free day, which I spent walking through the Botanical Gardens, going on a Black Taxi tour of Shankill and the Falls, and taking the Ulster Scots tour of Carrickfergus.

Downpatrick

We arrived safely in Dublin right on time, despite our flight being delayed. Even though I didn't sleep a wink on the plane, I was still eager to begin our busy day. We were bused up to Scarva to see the Scarva Sham Fight. It was intense, to say the least. The sham fight was a symbolic reenactment of the Battle of the Boyne. That's what I was told. What I didn't know was that it inculded a 60,000 person Orangemen parade. The place was decked out with British flags and Rangers jerseys. Unfortunately, I was wear a green jacket that said "MILWAUKEE IRISH FEST" on the front. I got more than one sour look... After the Protestant love-in, we got to check out our hotel.

We went up to The Mill in Ballydugan. The owner took it from ruins to a wonderful hotel and restaurant. After were all situated and unpacked, we changed into our spiffy polo shirts and went into Downpatrick for a welcoming dinner. There had a piper there to greet us, and a trad band played during dinner! It was great. Were were all so tired after that, we went to bed immediately.

The next day, we had a proper (and delicious!) Irish breakfast at The Mill, then went back to the St. Patrick Center in Downpatrick. Tim (Dr. Tim Campbell, the director) gave us a tour of the facitilites, then were piled into the bus for a tour of "St. Patrick's County". We began with lunch at Noreen's (a friend of Tim) house, which turned into a spontaneous session. After lunch, we hiked to the top of the tallest hill to visit the tallest statue of St. Patrick in the world and enjoy the view. The day was so clear, we could actually see Scotland! Afterward, we went to Saul Church, Ireland's oldest church, where St. Patrick preached and died. Next, we drove to the cathedral to see St. Patrick's, St. Brigid's, and St. Columba's burial place. After a tour of the old gaol, we went to Inch Abbey where the legend of St. Patrick expelling the snakes was reputedly written. That night we went to the Celtic Fusion music festival in Castlewellan. We got to see Vallely Brothers with Karan Casey. They were fantastic! It was the perfect ending to our time in Co. Down.

The Star of County Down

I landed safely in Ireland yesterday and have been really busy since. Internet is pretty spotty here, so I'm going to make this brief until I get to Belfast. Right now, I'm staying outside of Downpatrick in a mill-turned-hotel. It is a wonderful place, and the other 11 ambassadors are great as well. So far, I've attended an Orange parade (which will probably warrant it's own post), seen the oldest church in Ireland, the burial place of St. Patrick, Brigid, and Colmcille, launched a peace garden, and toured the beautiful County Down.

I'll post more when I can.

Today is the day!

I fly out of O'Hare Intl. at 6:50 today and land in Dublin at 8:15 on Monday. No time for jet-lag, though. My adventure starts immediately with a trip to see the Scarva Sham fight and then a big reception in Ballydugan. I hope I can sleep on the plane!

Preparations for Belfast

The past month has been uneventful, except the Chicago Highland Games, which were wonderful. I met a lot of friends from X Marks the Scot.com and my friend Kelly came with me.

But more recently, I've been getting ready for my trip to Belfast through the Friends of St. Patrick. I was in Milwaukee last night for our last meeting before I head off on Sunday. We were hosted by the Irish Fest Center which gave us a great send off and lost of cool stuff! I love the jacket they gave me, and I'll definitely be wearing it around Northern Ireland (60 °F and raining, right now).

I got my itinerary. Tea with President McAleese, meeting with the First and Deputy Ministers at Stormont Castle, opening a Peace Garden, and a Gaelic documentary. Pretty standard, hah! I am SO EXCITED, and cannot wait to get over there. I wish I could stay more than three weeks, but I have stuff to do back here in the US after I get back. They're having us do panel discussions at the Irish Fest summer school and at Irish Fest itself. I'm also planning on going to the Minneapolis Irish Fest too. So now I have to get packing. I'll try to update this as often as possible.

Milwaukee Highland Games

Saturday was the Milwaukee Scottish Fest (formerly the Milwaukee Highland Games). I had a great time! My dad came with, but unfortunately didn't wear a kilt. I'm starting to think the only way to get him in one is to require it at my wedding... Anyway, here is what I looked like in my kilt.

Pretty good, if I do say so myself. Brown shoes (brand new!), green hose with red flashes, Cumming hunting kilt (courtesy of the Zor Shiners) with custom tooled harp sporran made by my friend John Hay, a utility belt from Home Depot, green shirt, and crail jacket conversion that my mom and I did last winter.

Here I am in with a fellow clansman in front of the Gordon tent.


The Shamrock Club performed, I piped in the parade with my clan, there was bagpipe competitions, falconry demonstrations, heavy athletics, dance competitions, haggis, Scotch tasting, and good friends. What more could you ask for?!? Unfortunately, there were some things that embarrassed me. As I mentioned in a previous post, some people like to take the Romanticism a bit too far. Ladies and gentlemen, Exhibit A:
Man, what's with that? The comical (almost Anime-esque) hammer, the Renaissance Faire clothes, the drinking horn. I could go on and on. It's like Brigadoon meets Braveheart. Speaking of Braveheart, I saw this DVD for sale also. "William Wallace: the True Story". And on the cover, men in kilts. Wrong, wrong, WRONG!. Ok, a DVD, I can let slide. They're supposed to be entertaining, although using "The True Story" is pretty low when it's not even true. Another think that really rubbed me the wrong way was the "How to fold a kilt" demonstration. This was both a "How to wear the great kilt" demonstration and a kilt history lesson. Sadly, only one was accurate. The presenter shared his "knowledge" with the attentive crowd, which included such gems as:

-Kilts have been worn for thousands of years by the Celtic ethnicity
-The kilt was banned in the 16th century, only to be repealed 150 years later
-Prima Noctis was used to "breed out" the Celts (he actually referenced Braveheart on this one!!!)
-The Romans built Hadrian's Wall because of the Celts fearsome fighting, where they would remove their kilt and fight naked

Ugh. Let me address these one-by-one.

1) "Kilts have been worn for thousands of years by the Celtic ethnicity"

False. Kilts, especially great kilts, are a uniquely SCOTTISH HIGHLAND garment that has only been recorded for about 500 years (1578, to be exact). Source: http://albanach.org/kilt.html

2) "The kilt was banned in the 16th century, only to be repealed 150 years later"

False. The Act of Proscription (effectively banning all Highland culture and gun owning) was signed in 1747 and repealed in 1782. Source: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/other/proscription_1747.htm

3) "Primae Noctis was used to "breed out" the Celts." (he actually referenced Braveheart on this one!!!)

False. Jus primae noctis certainly did not exist in either England or Scotland during this period. It could never have been implemented by any 13th century monarch. The Church would have had a fit. Primae Noctis went out with the Romans around the 4th century. Source: http://www.baronage.co.uk/bphtm-01/wallace3.html

4) "The Romans built Hadrian's Wall because of the Celts fearsome fighting, where they would remove their kilt and fight naked."

False. First of all, the people living in Scotland during the Roman era were Picts, not Celts. Secondly, as mentioned before, kilts were not around yet. They probably wore a leine. And the wall was built to keep out raiding parties, not because of a naked Scotsman. Source: http://www.hadrians-wall.org/

So yeah, it was a bit upsetting, but all in all, I had a great time at the Highland Games--er, Scottish Fest, despite the tornado-strength wind and 9 inches of rain that cut it short. Next up: the Chicago Highland Games!

New band and new language

Monday was Memorial Day, and my first parade with the Zor Shriners. It was fun, and the uniforms are really sharp, but I kind of stumbled on some of the tunes. To be fair, I only got them last Thursday, but I wish I played them better. No worries, though. We sounded good, and there's another parade on Sunday. I love being in a pipe band. There's no feeling in the world than being in the middle of 8 pipers, blasting "Scotland the Brave" with the whole crowd on their feet cheering. My heart swells every parade I march in. I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything.

Today I began my Irish language lessons with Dineen Grow. Dineen is a librarian at the UW Madison and was the one who got me the spot at Fitchburg Days. She's really great and is an amazing teacher. I think I'll be learning a lot form her, and hope that my Irish education can continue beyond this summer. The reason I'm taking Irish lessons is not purely for fun, although that is a factor. I just learned that my project for the Young Ambassador Program will be studying Irish music at the Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann, or Irish Traditional Music Archive. This is directly sponsored by Foras na Gaeilge, the Irish language advocacy group. Therefore, I (and the program) would like my Irish to be a bit more polished by the time I get over there. Of course, I won't be fluent (or anywhere near fluency), but at least I'll have a basic understand and grasp on the language that I am there to study.

The next big thing on my Celtic calendar is the Milwaukee Highland Games on June 7th. Highland Games are always fun, and I'm really looking forward to it...I just have to get off work first!

Fitchburg Days

On Saturday I gave a talk at Fitchburg Days. It was a short presentation on prehistoric Irish archaeology, and I think I did very well. Unfortunately the turnout was weak, but that didn't get me down. At least I still got paid! But altogether it was a good day. I saw Rising Gael play and spoke to their singer, Erin. We've run into each other before at different events but have never really introduced ourselves.

What was really great about Fitchburg Days was that Doug came along. You may remember Doug as my friend from Galway. He's a student at UW Madison, and we've been hanging out a lot since school ended.

A bit of sad news: I turned in my pipe band uniform for the summer. What with my job at Target and going to Ireland for three weeks, I just can't dedicate the time I'd like to. As an alternative, I think I'm going to be rehearsing with the Zor Shriners here in Madison. I marched with them back on St. Patrick's Day, and they invited me to practice with them, so I'll step in with them so I don't become rusty.

Next thing to look forward to is the Milwaukee Highland Games. They're June 7th at Old Heidleburg Park in Glendale. Should be really fun!

The Friends of St. Patrick

Last night, I had my orientation for the Young Ambassador Program. It was great, I drove to Milwaukee and met with Dr. Tim Campbell, the Director of the Friends of St. Patrick in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. He's an amazing guy and genuinely caring. Anyway, I met the three other people being sent from Milwaukee (there's four more from Minneapolis, two from Pennsylvania, and two from Arizona) and we all had a meeting. What was really amazing was that Norman Houston, Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau, and Martin Rouine, the Irish Consul General, were both there at the meeting!

During the meeting, we went over what we wanted to do. Originally, I wanted to study music and politics, but the only problem is that they're encouraging us to have our topics relate to the sponsors, The Ulster Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge. So I think I'm either going to study music and the Irish language, or politics and the Ulster identity, but I'm really not sure yet.

Later in the meeting, they went over the itenerary and gave us our plane tickets. We leave on July 13th and arrive in Dublin. We'll each have mentors and be shown around. Apparently we're staying at Queen's University in Belfast, which is supposed to be in a really nice part of town. What I'm really looking forward to is tea. But not just any tea. High tea. And not just any High Tea. High Tea with the President. President Mary McAleese. Of Ireland. I can't believe it! We're going to Áras an Uachtaráin and having High Tea with the President! They mentioned something about meeting the First Minister and the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, but I'm not quite clear on that. If we are, I'm not too thrilled to meet Ian Paisley, but I'm pretty sure he'll be out of office by then, so who knows.

After our meeting, there was a light dinner and the inagural meeting of the Friends of St. Patrick Milwuakee Chapter. They called us on stage and wished us well and presented us with a gift of monogrammed towels. Wow. This gig keeps getting better and better. It was a great night, and I can't believe that in less than two months I'll be over there doing all of this. I feel very honored and I am still trying to absorb all of it.

Student Ambassador Program

Dear Greg

I am delighted to tell you that the Friends of Saint Patrick Interview Committee and our Selection Panel in Northern Ireland have chosen you to become a Young Ambassador for the Friends of Saint Patrick. Congratulations!

Very best wishes,

Dr Tim Campbell

I'm going back to Ireland! Ok, Northern Ireland, but I'm still pretty excited. I was one of twelve people between 18-25, out of about 850 applicants, by the Friends of St. Patrick to participate in their Student Ambassador Program. Three weeks and airfare, room, and board is all paid for. I'm going to be studying the music in Northern Ireland and how it impacts the politics, conflict, and peace process going on. This is so great! I can't wait to get back over there! I'll only be there for three weeks, but it should still be a pretty great time.

I'll keep you informed on new developments.

Sharing the Culture

This morning I gave a presentation on Irish music to SLU. SLU is short for "Society for Learning Unlimited" which is a senior citizen's learning program that hosts speakers and professors for weekly "classes" on various subjects. Last year, before I left for Galway, they gave me a generous travel grant to go to Ireland. Well, today I got to repay them for their generosity by giving a short presentation. I went through the different types of music, the insturments played in Irish music, and wrapped it up with a short concert by Jake (the fiddler in my band, The Galway Hearts) and I.

It was really refreashing to play to people tha genuinely wanted to listen to us. Since the weather has been nice, we've been practicing outside on the quad, but we're not always accepted warmly by the campus. Don't get me wrong, there hasn't been any confrontations or anything like that, but Irish music just isn't everybody favorite. But today, playing for people that came there just to hear me speak about what I love most, to play the music that I obsess over was a wonderful feeling. It's just nice to be appreciated once in awhile. It's nice to feel like people are interesed in what you have to say.

Tomorrow, I travel up to Oregon, WI to give a talk about Irish archaeology to the Rock County Chamrock Club. I'm looking forward to that one too. It won't be as structured as this one. This morning I had a PowerPoint presentation and I was very organized. Tomorrow will be more like a chat. I mean, it's set at a pub. Score.

The Fiction of Being Celtic

I want to touch again upon Tartan Day. The ceremony was wonderful and there were lots of great people there, but there's one thing in the Scottish (and Irish, for that matter) community that has always...annoyed me a bit.

Fantasy.

People are Romanticizing the Celtic culture a lot. It can be fun, in the right setting, but it has been spreading all aspects of our Celtic identity and it has become very kitschy. For example, at the Tartan Day ceremony, members of the St. Andrews Society acted as an honor guard. This meant that they all wore feileadh mhor (or the great kilt) with all their metals and awards and bonnets and large plumes. But the worst part was the 5-foot claymores they carried around. There were six (maybe eight?) of them, and they tried to march in formation and look stately. To me, they looked silly. Flat out silly! Why were they doing this? I didn't understand. They weren't even good claymores. Even from the back, where I was sitting, I could tell they were the cheap, mass-produced swords.

And then, one guy read off the Declaration of Arbroath. Now, I think that's a good idea, being the basis of Tartan Day, but this guy dressed up as a 14th century knight and read it in a horrible Scottish accent. In my head, I couldn't concentrate on what he was saying because he sounded so redicilious. Didn't he realize there were people from Scotland in the audience? I wonder what they were thinking throughout the whole thing.

But it's not just at Tartan Day. Even at the Highland Games there are people who dress up like it is a Renn Faire. I think reenactors are awesome (as long as they know their stuff) and I'm ok with a feileadh mhor being worn at the Highland Games, but some people come decked out with more weapons than Badger Armory! Other common items include: wood or pewter tankards, large feathers in their hats, knee-high leather boots, and a fondness for facepaint. Come on! The Highland Games are supposed to be a reflection of true Scottish traditions. He looks like an extra from "Highlander" or something.

But sometimes it is not even this blatant. Like paganism, for example. Now, I'm gonna let people believe whatever they want, but I know more than one person that has become a witch to "tap into their Celtic ancestors". Bullshit. Everything we know about Celtic paganism is from what the Romans have told us about it...which basically means they tried to make it exactly like Roman paganism. Be a pagan, I don't care. But don't try to make it be all Irish or Stonehenge-worshipping. That is all fantasy and what you practice as "paganism" today is a FAR cry from what they practiced 2,000 years ago. All of these "Celtic weddings" with come crazy "druid" spreading flower petals everywhere and fairies decorating everything...

There'll be Romantization of any culutre, and I like a good Sir Walter Scott novel as much as the next Scot, but there is a time and place for fantasy and a time for the real world. I'd just like to be able to say "I'm into Celtic culture" without people assuming I'm obsessed with Lord of the Rings and D&D.

Hurling

The weather was so great today, I decided to go out and do some hurling. No, I didn't drink too much. Hurling is the national sport of Ireland. It's kinda like Lacrosse and field hockey put together.

Known as the world's oldest and oldest field sport, hurling is a Gaelic game played with two teams, each team comprised of 15 people. They use large wooden spoon or axe-shaped sticks called hurleys or hurls. The ball, called a sliotar, is roughly the size of a baseball, though a little lighter. Each end of the field there are goals guarded by goalkeepers. The teams use their hurleys to hit the sliotar either over the goal for one point or into the goal for three points.

Now, I didn't actually play a game, but I have two hurleys and a sliotar I brought back from Ireland. So I knocked on my friend Sam's door and we went outside to practice a bit. It was fun, but kinda frusterating to teach Sam how to hit. Unlike Lacrosse, which uses nets, hurleys are all wood, so you must either balance or dribble the sliotar off the hurley. Also in hurling, you can't pick the sliotar up off the ground directly. You either flick or scoop it up with your hurley or foot...but I didn't make Sam do that. But just hitting the sliotar back and forth was fun and it was really great to be able to enjoy the nice weather again. To be fair, he wasn't that bad. It is kinda tricky to get the hang of, and I was really surprised how good I was considering how long it had been since I last played.

There are a few teams in Madison, maybe I'll check them out this summer. Interesting fact, the Milwaukee Hurling League is the largest Hurling league in North America. So let's see, Milwaukee has the largest Irish festival in the world (the aptly named Irish Fest), is the only American city with two Higland Games, and also has the largest Hurling league in North America. Awesome.

I'm back/Tartan Day

Ok, so doing the blog in Ireland didn't exactly work out the way I wanted to, but I've come back from my unplanned hiatus. I'm taking this blog a new direction. What once started out as a travel blog will now become a general blog about whatever I feel like writing about. And what I feel like writing about is Tartan Day.

Tartan Day is a holiday celebrating Scots, the Scottish Diaspora, and the common links they share. It has been passed by both House and Senate and was just signed in by President Bush on April 4th to become an official National Holiday like Flag Day or Presidents Day. Tartan Day marked the anniversary (688th, to be exact) of the Declaration of Arbroath, also known as the Scottish declaration of independence.

"Every line of strength in American history is one colored with Scottish blood."
-President Woodrow Wilson

In the 2000 Census, 4.8 million Americans reported Scottish ancestry, 1.7% of the total US population. Scottish Americans have contributed significantly to United States history. Some notable Scottish Americans include:
-David Dunbar Buick, founder of the Buick Motor Company
-Elvis Presley, singer
-Andrew Carnegie, founder of Carnegie Steel
-Jackson Pollock, artist
-Allan Pinkerton, detective and director of a security business
-Jim Morrison, singer/poet
-Donald Trump, billionaire businessman
-Lucille Ball, actress and comedienne
-John Hancock, first signer of the United States Declaration of Independence
-Johnny Cash, singer
-Thomas Edison, inventor
-James Dean, actor
-Neil Armstrong, astronaut
-Davy Crockett, Frontiersman, U.S. Congressman, and a defender of the Alamo
-Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone
-John Muir, naturalist
-Edgar Allan Poe, author

9 of the original 13 colony governors were Scottish and over half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Scottish-Americans. Presidents include:
-Chester A. Arthur
-James Buchanan
-Ulysses S. Grant
-William McKinley
-James K. Polk
-Ronald Reagan
-George Washington
-Woodrow Wilson

"We can boast no Battle Honours for our part in the American War of Independence, because it was rightly decreed that Battle Honours should not be granted for a war with our own 'kith and kin'."
-The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland

I was in Milwaukee for Tartan Day. There was "Kirkin o' the Tartan" which was a church service for the Scottish community. Celtic Nations Pipes and Drums performed a beautiful rendition of "Highland Cathedral" with the pipe organ, and all of the tartans were blessed by the minister. It was a good service and made me really look forward to the Highland Games.

Scotland!

So I was in Scotland last weekend. Here's the rundown:

So the three of us (my friends Ted and Doug came with) took off from Shannon airport on Friday afternoon. At the airport, there were dozens of US Marines everywhere, and while we were at the bar having a drink before our flight, we got to talk to a few of them. A lot of them liked my kilt (I wore my kilt the entire weekend) and had some really interesting stories. So eventually, we get on our plane. We flew with RyanAir, and let me tell you, if you've never flown with RyanAir, do yourself a favor. It is so much fun! It's not an airline so much as it is a flying pub. Everybody is kinda drunk and loud, and even though our flight was a whopping 45 minutes, the attendants managed to bring by the drink cart twice! Anyway, we landed in Glasgow and were greeted by my friend Arlen, who is a native of Glasgow. We took the train into town which went through the beautiful countryside.

The train station in Glasgow is a gorgeous Victorian steel and glass structure that looks like it belongs in Paris. And once we got outside, we were greeted by beautiful Victorian sandstone buildings, all carved and decorated with statues and whatnot. So far, I was really enjoying Scotland. After booking into our hostel, we went to an Irish pub called Fáilte to watch the Irish rugby match. Unfortunately, Ireland played a terrible game, and the one French guy in the entire pub was given the eye by everybody there. After the game, there was a band and the bartender sent us free drinks because Arlen and I were in our kilts! How awesome is that?!?

The next day, we woke up bright and early for a full Scottish breakfast at Bradford's. Classy place with some delicious food. On our way to sightseeing, we walked down Sauchiehall and Buchanan Streets for some touristy shopping. We wound up going to The Provost's House, which is the oldest house in Glasgow, and then to the Glasgow Cathedral. Very impressive, with lots of history. Since the weather was uncharacteristicly nice and sunny, we walk to the necropolis and take in the view from the top of the hill. Since there was plenty of time until our dinner reservations, we head back down the hill to the St. Mungo Museum of Religion. It was a little small, but still extremely fascinating. Wasting more time, we visit another tourist shop and Doug and Ted try on kilts (unfortunately, neither of them bought one) and later in the night, we were treated to some traditional Scottish fare at the Piper's Tryst, located at the National Museum of Piping. I got Doug and Ted to try haggis! They liked it, although I don't think they'll admit it... Doug, Ted, and I finished the night with a stop to O'Neill's pub and the Islay Inn for a little local flavor.

The next day, we went to Pollok Park, which is home to the Burrell Museum. It is a gorgeous museum with lots of amazing artifacts. On our way out, we visited the Highland cows that graze in the park. After a bit of a goose chase, we manage to find a pub that was showing the Scotland vs. New Zealand rugby match. It seemed like everybody else was more interested int eh Manchester vs. Chelsea soccer game! People need to get their priotiries in line. We feasted on haggis and ale before ending the night at a local pub playing Trivial Pursuit. I won.

Our last day in Scotland began with a trip to Crookston Castle. It was closed that day, but because Arlen is awesome, he pulled some strings and the caretaker opened it up for us. You know, standing at the top of the castle, staring at the foot of the highlands in the distance, kilt waving in the breeze...it's a feeling I'll never forget. I just wish I brought my pipes with me. Ah well, looks like I'll have to just go back! After the castle, we went back into town for a trip through the museum at the National Piping Center and the Kelvingrove Musuem. The Kelvingrove is the secondmost visited museum in Britain and houses the famous Christ of Saint John of the Cross painting by Salvador Dalí. It was a great musuem, but it closed before we could get though it all. We spent the rest of the day wandering in and out of kilt shops before saying goodbye to Arlen and getting back on the train to the airport.

It was quite a trip, and I'm already planning to return to Scotland in November. I love that place, and next time I'll be sure to bring my bagpipes!

How exciting!

I signed up for clubs today! I'm now in Sinn Féin, Archaeology Club, International Students, and Trad Music (Irish traditional music). I also signed up for my Gaelic class, so that is going to start next Thursday.

Archaeology and International club will allow me to go on trips (most of them free!), the trad group will get me into really good sessions (and hopefully find me an uillean pipe teacher), and Sinn Féin...well, that's really for my own education. I also think it go along well with my Intro to Northern Irish Politics class. And an Irish class! I was worried I wouldn't be able to get into one (my Irish isn't exactly, how do I say it, existant), but I managed to sign up for an Introduction to the Irish Language Course. It cost €30, but I think that is definitely worth it.

Tonight I'm going to a free showing of Michael Moore's Sicko, and then to a big party at The Skeff ( a pub off of Eyre Square). Should be fun. Oh! And then, this Friday I leave for Scotland!!! Yeah, it's a good week.

Now that you mention it...

...there is one, small thing I don't like about Ireland.



So I was walking to class this morning. Blue skies, as usual (forget the the stereotype), and as I was thinking "Man, what a beautiful day!" the cloud above me pours down about 4,535,045,840 gallons of water. Then, approximately 7 minutes later, the rain stops. I have to sit in class for the next 4 hours, soaking wet on a nice day! Man, I like it here, but sometimes...

Irish slang

Acting the maggot: Playing around
Ages: Long time
Any use?: Any good?
Arseways: Complete mess
Babby: little child
Bad dose: Bad illness
Bags: Bad, messy job (hames)
Banjaxed: Broken, useless, tired
Bird: girl or girlfriend
Black stuff: Guinness
Bloody: Used mostly for strengthening an adjective
Bollocks: Stupid, Somebody one doesn't like
Bolloxed: Very drunk
Brutal: Terrible
Chinwag: a chat
Class: Great
Cop on! Don't be so stupid!
Cod: to joke
Culchie: A city dweller's name for a country person
Cute hoor: Untrustworthy, Sly person
Deadly: Cool/great
Diabolical: Terrible
Divil: Devil
Dry shite: Boring person
Eat the head off: Attack verbally
Fair play!: Well done!
Fine thing: Attractive/Good looking person
Gaff: House
Gas: Funny
Get off with: To make out
Gone in the head: Mad, crazy
Gobshite: Idiot
Goozer: Kiss
Knackered: Very tired
Manky: Very dirty
Murder: Difficult
Nip: Nude
Pissed off: Angry, Annoyed
Queer hawk: Peculiar person
Savage: Really good
Scab: A person who constantly borrows, tight with money
Shenanagans: Different things going on
Snog, Shift: To make out, kiss
Sound: Really nice
Stop the lights!: Really?!
Tackle: To make out
Thick: Stupid
Wear: To kiss hard

The Kilt

I did it.

I wore my kilt last night. I'm not going to lie, I was really nervous beforehand, but I soon discovered how great it was! The first stop was to a birthday party, where I had my photo taken numerous times. The Irish would keep asking "You Scottish?" Of course, I had to reply, "No, American," but then they would fill in the blanks with, "Oh, so your family's from there." Yeah, close enough.

But then we went out on the town, and between the coquettish looks from the ladies and the free rounds by the guys, it was one helluva night. There's this one pub call The Quays, which has a sunken bar area in the middle of it, and as I was walking up the stairs, this Aussie at the top of the stairs said to me "I bet you only do that because you know all of the girls are checking out the kilt!" Not quite, but he was a great guy...then he bought shots. Like I said, great night. Later in the night, after I danced with some friends to the amazing band (sorry, I forgot the name), a Scot comes up to me and says, "Is guid tae ha'e yae here!" He said next time he'll be sure have him and all of his 'mates' kilted. He said Ireland is pretty accepting of the kilt, and when there's a pack of kilties together it is probably the most fun one could have.

I believe it.

Irish Networking

So last night I was at The Spanish Arch (one of my favorite pubs) downtown. There was a great band Irish/Spanish Trad band there, Alalé, and I had purchased their CD when I saw them perform last week. After the show, I approached their flautist/gaida (Spanish bagpipe) player, Gabriel. I told him how much I enjoyed their CD and the show tonight. We began talking about bagpipes, and I told him I played Scottish bagpipes. That really got his attention! Apparently, he wants to learn Scottish pipes, but there was nobody in Galway that is able to teach him. He invited me to a session at The Crane (probably the best traditional music pub in Galway) tomorrow night, and asked that I show him the smallpipes.

I'm really excited, but at the same time, really nervous. These guys are good. REALLY good. I'm gonna show up, but who knows exactly how much I'll actually be playing.

Language barrier?

Before I left for Ireland, I would joke to my friends about the language barrier. But I have noticed that there are more differences than I previously thought. Don’t get me wrong, Ireland is an English-speaking country, and only a few signs are only in Irish (most are bilingual), but I didn’t anticipate all of the different languages here! For example: I was at a pub last night and this German guy comes over to me and says “Amerikaner?” I reply (with my limited German) “Ja.” He starts the conversation with “Wie mögen Sie Irland?” to which I reply, “Ich spreche Deutsch nicht.” Unphased, this guy just keeps going, carrying on as if I understood. Luckily, his friend came back from the seomra (Irish for bathroom) and was able to translate the whole thing.
Another problem is the thick accents here. Sometimes the people are a bit difficult to understand, and they talk really fast! They’d put a 16-year-old valley girl to shame. The other day, my friend mistook a Scotsman for an Irishman and he got a bit of a lecture on the difference between the accents. I hope he never makes that mistake again.

Random observations about Ireland

1) Track pants are extremely popular and few people wear jeans
2) The dogs here are extremely well behaved. They're never on a leach, don't bark, and look both ways before crossing streets.
3) They seem to like body spray a lot. I haven't been able to find stick deodorant here.
4) Cans of beer can only be bought in pint cans, and usually only 4-packs.
5) They don’t serve cocktails in pubs. Only whiskey and beer…sometimes vodka.
6) All the shops close strictly at 6:00; 8:00 on Thursdays.
7) Irish (Gaelic) is the official language of Ireland, but only about 10% of the speaks it fluently.
8) Everything costs what it would in the US, but in Euros instead of Dollars. For example: if a burger and fries in the US costs $6.00, it would cost €6.00 in Ireland.
9) Soccer is really big here. Scratch that. Soccer is HUGE here. Last night I was wearing my red Wisconsin sweat shirt and was yelled at for wearing ‘the wrong colors’. Apparently, there was a soccer match that night—one of the teams colors were red.
10) You never tip here. It’s awesome! Nobody tips bartenders or waiters or anybody. Apparently, they see it as demeaning. I’m not gonna argue…

I'm here!

So after a two nights hanging out in Beloit, a bus ride to Chicago, a 6-hour flight to Shannon, a 2-hour bus ride to Galway, a 15-minute taxi ride to our B&B, and a half-hour walk to downtown, I finally made it to my first pint of Guinness in Ireland!

Amanda has been really great to travel with. It’s been nice to have somebody there to help figure things out. Also, the people here are really nice! Sure, there are a few grumpy old men, but in general, the Irish are very receptive to tourists.

The B&B we stayed at, Corrib Haven, was owned by this man named Tom and his wife (whose name eludes me), but Tom was a really fantastic time. Check out from there was at 11:00, but we couldn’t get into our apartments until 4:00, so Tom let us keep our luggage there while we explored the city. That allowed us to walk to the downtown area. Amanda and I walked through the Spanish Arches, so named because they were a testament to the massive trading between the Irish and Spanish years ago, and we explored the wharf, which used to be the fishing village of Claddagh. The famous claddagh rings come from this area, and there were more than enough shops in the area willing to sell you a ring or necklace with the hand/heart/crown emblem.

After walking along the bay, we went to a pub called “The Spanish Arch” where I got a delicious mutton stew with a hearty beer. YUM. The main difference I noticed between pubs in Ireland and American-Irish pubs (besides the accent) is that the staff over here know how to pour a good Guinness. See, in the states, people pour it quickly and patrons will drink it while it’s still brown, but here, if you’re sitting at a bar and order a Guinness, it’ll take a good three minutes to pour, and once you get it, you need to let it sit until it settles to that nice, classic black. But I digress. Basically, pubs and pub food here are really, really good. I’ve found that deep-fried mushrooms are the perfect compliment to a pint of Harp’s (an indulgence neither my body nor wallet can afford too often).

After further exploration of Quay (pronounced “key”) Street, we walked back to the B&B, grabbed our luggage, and headed to our apartment. On our way out, Tom told us, “Now, you know where I am. If you two ever need anything, don’t hesitate to get me!” What a great guy. But anyway, we checked into our apartment, Corrib Village, and settled in. I’m rooming with another student from Beloit, Justin. The apartment buildings are two stories tall, and each floor is separated into two halves. Each half has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (one with a shower), and a lounge/kitchen area. The people living in my part of the building are nice. Connor and Ted are from University of Richmond, Jamie is from Cornell Universtiy, and Justin and I are from Beloit College. After a shopping trip to stock our kitchen with groceries, I made the group some pasta, and then we all took a brief siesta.

After we awoke from our jet-lag comas, we decided it was pub time. On a quest for Guinness and Trad (or traditional Irish music), we grabbed Amanda and her roommate (Rachel, who is also from Beloit College) and the 7 of us walked through the University to Quay Street. The first pub we stopped at was great! There was an old ballad-style band performing that played lots of classics, including “The Wild Rover” and “Finnegan’s Wake”. After a few pints, we decided to keep moving, and we wandered into another pub that had a really amazing session band. The played some fantastic trad, and all four band members were multi-instrumentalists. The flautist played the uilleann bagpipes and the whistle-player also played the Galacian gaida (Spanish bagpipe). It was so amazing. WAY better than Irish Fest.

But eventually the night had to end, and we all trudged home to Corrib Village. Today we get a tour of the University, and tomorrow is orientation. Last night was incredible, but definitely too expensive to do every night, or even every week. But as a first night in Ireland, it was definitely a great way to kick off the semester.

I think I’m gonna like it here.

Let's Do This

So after a week of packing, tying up loose ends, and a particularly difficult good-bye today, I think I'm finally ready to leave. I'm confidant that I can do this, and I'm really excited to get over there.

Next post will be from Ireland!

Done with Irish Fest

So Irish Fest is over. I had a great time, despite the rain, and met a lot of cool people. While I was at the hurling booth, I started talking to this woman who told me she is a professor at NUI! I told her that I am studying there this semester. I told her about my anthro major and how I'd like to study uilleann piping while I'm there also. She just said to send her an e-mail once I arrive and she'll introduce me to some people in the music department! How exciting. Networking is great, isn't it? Hopefully this is the first step to a long and successful uilleann career.

But Irish Fest was awesome, as always. Lots of beer, music, dancing, and good craic. I ran into a few friends I hadn't seen for awhile, and hanging out with my pipe band is always fun. Also at Irish Fest, I bought 4 CD's (Cé, Líadan, Rising Gael, and Leahy), a soccer jersey, and a shirt from NORAID that says "Saol Erie". I know it's a lot, but I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff.

In other news, I leave for Shannon THIS SUNDAY. That's only 5 days away. Holy cow, I'm starting to freak out. I better get some things done now.

Two Weeks

Two weeks from now, I will be on a plane to Shannon, Ireland. Crazy.

But what this post is really about is a list that I have been making in my head. I feel like I should write it down to a) keep it organized and b) to share with you guys. So here it is:

Things That I Want To Do In Ireland That I Know Are Painfully Touristy But I Still Want To Do Them Anyways:
1) Pint of Guinness and stew in a pub (this will probably happen a lot)
2) Kiss the Blarney Stone
3) Get a shillelagh
4) Eat a homemade haggis with a single malt (this will have to be done in Scotland)

That's all I got so far, but this list will be periodically updated.

p.s. - Irish Fest starts on Thursday!

18 Days 'til Ireland...8 Days 'til Irish Fest!

So yeah, there's 18 days until I leave for Ireland, but more pressing is the fact that Milwaukee's Irish Fest begins in 8 days! For those of you who don't know, Milwaukee's Irish Fest is the largest celebration of Irish music and culture in the world. Can you imagine? Four days of singing, dancing, storytelling, drinking all in celebration of the Irish! I look forward to Irish Fest more than anything else. I've established a nice tradition with my friend Becca. The deal is, I get to stay at her house in Milwaukee (saves me from driving to and from Madison every day), and in return, I serve up chub to her family and be generally Irish the entire weekend. It works out well, and her family is so wonderful to be around!

Last year I performed with The Shinigans at Irish Fest as well as the Shamrock Club. This year, however, I will only be playing with my pipe band. The Shinigans are still performing, and I highly recommend seeing them. They will be at the Harp Stage on Saturday at 6:30, the Castle Garden Stage on Sunday at 2:00, and again on Sunday at the Harp Stage at 5:30. Seriously, these guys are an amazing collection of musicians and put on a great show.

The Shamrock Club Pipes will be in the parade every day, but our stage performance is on Sunday at 11:30 at the Crossroads. The parades are on Friday at 6:45, Saturday at 4:30, and Sunday at 4:00. The parade stretches across the entire park and you can't miss it.

Some other groups I recommend are Baal Tine, Ce, Cherish the Ladies, Leahy (this one for sure!), Rising Gael, Scythian, and Tossers. Also, Gaelic Storm will be performing (as they always do). Seeing as how everybody in the entire park is there for GS's show, I don't feel the need to mention going to see them. But I do feel the need to suggest that inbetween Gaelic Storm's sets, you turn towards the Hibernian's pub (the big balcony in the back, righthand corner of the area). I'm not going to promise drunken bagpiping by yours truely, but there will be drunken bagpiping by yours truely.

Anyways, I hope you can make it to Irish Fest. It is by far the greatest time of the year and...dare I say it?...probably better than St. Patrick's Day!

20 days to go!

So I have 20 days until I leave for the island. And yet, I still don't think the whole weight of it all has hit me yet. Don't get me wrong, I'm freaking out big time, but it's hard to wrap my mind around it. Four months in a foreign country, away from my family and friends, basically on my own. Actaully, scratch that last part. I have my friend Amanda coming with me. Thank God, too. I'm counting on her to keep me sane, and luckily we're both on the same plane, so we can get lost together.

But still, this is definitely a defining moment in my life. I hear people talk about their study abroad experience and how it was the best thing they've ever done, and I don't doubt it, but I'm still nervous. I know I will love it, but I am scared out of my skull. I supposed that's only normal, though.

Oh, another thing. Right now my biggest fear is money. The other day, I received a letter from NUI saying that we can expect about €700 per month living expenses. That's almost $1000! How crazy is that?!? I don't have that much money. Either I need to be as frugal as a Scotsman this fall, or work illegally in Ireland. That latter wouldn't be so bad, actually... maybe I could work in a charming local pub, or perform on the streets for beer money. Ah well, we'll see how it all works out. Either way, it is going to be one helluva trip.

Religion?

So I'm filling out an essay for a scholarship provided by the Presbyterian church I go to. One thing you must know: I am not religious. In fact, I am a pretty devout atheist. But I really like this church. Just like my grandfather (grand-da, to the Irish) before me, I go to church for the traditions and the fellowship. It is such a strong, closely-knit community...and they love it when I wear my kilt and play the bagpipes (the Presbyterian chruch, aslo known as the Kirk, is the Church of Scotland). So to me, my individual church is a big part of me, but church, or religion in general, is not.

Which brings me to my point: will religion be a big factor in Ireland? I know that Ireland is incredibly Catholic, and there has most definitely been sectarian violence in N. Ireland (some of which spilled into the Republic), but will it really have an impact on me, as a protestant? My prediction is as long as I do not bother others with religion, or shout out in a pub "Hey, look at the prod!", there won't be much of a problem, if any.

Ah well, no realy need to worry about that now. I've got a scholarship to win. This $400 could be very useful for somebody with a tight budget...aka, me.

Welcome to Wisconsin Irish!

I've decided to create a blog for my trip to Ireland this Fall. I haven't left yet (departure date is August 26th), but it's probably best that I set this up now before everything starts to become really hectic. There is already so much to do as far as paperwork and planning and all of that red-tape stuff, but I've had a lot of help.

Money is my biggest concern. This summer I'm working at Uno's Pizza in Madison. The pay sucks, but at least the hours are terrible. Luckily, I've earned a little extra money by bagpiping for funerals and whatnot, random oddjobs and chores, and a generous grant from Senior Learning Unlimited in Beloit. They gave me $1,500 to study Irish culture in return for a lecture series when I come back to Beloit College! That really took a load off my mind, but there is still so much to do. Speaking of which, I need to mail in my insurance forms!

Slán!