Tuesday, May 15, 2007
House of Chan, 5:30 pm Social, 6:15 pm Dinner  

Aedin Clements

Librarian of Irish Studies, U of Notre Dame

Dinner Music by Britta and Roy Portenga

     Once again for our annual educational meeting we have an outstanding speaker to deepen our knowledge and appreciation of Irish culture. Aedin Clements is a native of Dublin, where she attended an Irish language high school, and later majored in Irish and Folklore at University College, and where she also completed her librarian qualifications.  After serving as a librarian with the Dublin Public Libraries, she worked for an Irish government agency as the librarian of the Management Development Institute of the Gambia in Africa.  In 1990 she married her American husband Paul Clements, and in recent years has been the Irish Studies Librarian at Notre Dame. She is about to receive her PhD, with the emphasis on Irish literature and poetry.  She is an expert in many scholarly areas and a sought-after lecturer.  Don’t miss this great learning event! As a special treat, Britta and Roy Portenga will entertain us with their special blend of celtic fiddle and guitar music.  Bring a friend for this special program. See you there!

Last Events

     The first quarter of 2007 has been a busy time for Irish connected events in our area.

     On Thursday, January 18, several of our members joined the audience at the Muskegon Museum of Art to view the movie My Left Foot, which tells the story of Irish artist and writer Christy Brown.  If you have not seen this film, it is a “must” to rent.

     Sunday afternoon, January 28, saw about 100 of us gather at the Harbor Holiday Inn for our club’s annual kick-off pub party.  The new venue met everyone’s approval, and the pub staff was very accommodating.  We enjoyed performances by Barb Kleaveland and Theresa Hegedus, Pat O’Neill and Ryan Mullally, Kevin Donovan and David McIntire, Jim Keating, Clare Keating, and Terri Wright.  All our thanks for their hard work in preparing for this popular happening for our club!

     On Saturday, March 3, over 900 Muskegonites attended the Tony Kenny Show at the Frauenthal Theater. The performances of Tony and the entire cast were terrific!  This was a fundraiser sponsored by Bob and Merle Scolnik to benefit the Red Cross.  An inside secret – the concert would have cleared $5,000, but a couple in attendance enjoyed the event so much that they were moved to donate anonymously $5,000, so the Red Cross received $10,000! Tony very much enjoyed returning to Muskegon for the fourth time, and we were all impressed with the singing talent of his teenage daughter, Victoria. We also were pleased to meet Tony’s professional choreographer wife, Joan, who puts it all together.  If you are visiting Dublin this summer, Tony’s show has a new permanent venue in a centrally located theater. Here in the USA, he returns to Branson for a long-term engagement this fall.  His website is www.tonykenny.com.

     On the evening of Friday, March 16, we gathered at the new main intersection’s traffic circle in downtown Muskegon for our 35^th consecutive annual Irish flag raising!  Doing the primary honors of unfurling the Irish tricolor was charter member Denny Delaney, who has been present at every one of these events.  We heard fine music selections by Kevin Donovan and David McIntire, and we also had a most impressive fiddle playing debut by Mona Shores High School student Bridgette Walsh. Tom Walsh (Bridgette’s brother) researched and recited an informative explanation of the origins of the design of the Irish flag.  All the while we were watched over by our patron St. Patrick, who was a special guest this year.  He didn’t say much, but his mere presence added a lot to our ceremony.  At the conclusion we then paraded with the great Saint across the street for the first night of the St. Patrick’s Fest.  Many thanks to our members who organized this milestone in our club’s history.

     The St. Patrick’s Fest sponsored by our own Michigan Irish Music Festival was another hit this year.  Entertainment by Kennedy’s Kitchen and the Heinzman School of Irish Dance, along with the food by McGovern Catering – all combined for a perfect weekend of St. Patrick’s Day festivities.  Our appreciation to many of our members and music festival volunteers who made it all happen.  A great celebration! 

      On Saturday, April14, a number of us attended the Fonn Mor Irish band concert at the Howmet Theater in Whitehall. The theater is now under the direction of Tom Harryman. Check out the theater’s new schedule and look for more great events there!

Upcoming Club Event

A JOURNEY HOME – J.F.K. AND IRELAND

Earlier this year, the Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, MA, launched A Journey Home – John F. Kennedy and Ireland, a special exhibit which explores President Kennedy’s relationship to his ancestral homeland. A Journey Home features a large selection of never-before-seen materials from the Museum Collection, including presentation gifts from the people of Ireland as well as other artifacts, documents, photographs and film footage relating to President Kennedy’s Irish heritage and his state visit to Ireland in June, 1963. President Kennedy, America’s first Irish-American president, relished his Irish heritage, and his journey to his ancestral homeland of Ireland, was a homecoming which he later described as “one of the most moving experiences” of his life. The President’s eight great-grandparents all migrated to Boston, Massachusetts during the devastating Potato Famine of the late 1840s, seeking a better life in America. By the end of the century, both of President Kennedy’s grandfathers’ had become successful Boston politicians.

Spring Events