Winter 2007

     They performed with Tommy Makem. They’ve performed with the Chieftains. They’ve performed at concerts and festivals throughout the Midwest, including our  own.  And now they're going to perform for us at our annual January Pub Party to kick off our New Year!  Yes, none other than Kennedy’s Kitchen will be joining us to chase away those winter doldrums.  They’ll get us all warmed up with their great toe-tapping, hand-clapping Irish music, and we’ll be transported to the Emerald Isle in no time at all.  Kennedy’s Kitchen is one of those “not-to-be missed” Irish music bands.

      We are returning to the Muskegon Harbor Holiday Inn as our venue for our pub party, and this year we will be using the atrium area as our center of activity. We will have plenty of room for listening to music and for convivial conversation. Guinness will be on tap, and the hotel chef will be preparing some special Irish menu items.  Prior to Kennedy’s Kitchen taking the stage, we will be entertained by our own fellow members, the dynamic duo of Kevin Donovan and David McIntire.

      This is the weekend before the Super Bowl, so there is no football to keep us home.  No reservations are required, just yourself!  See you there!

Last Event 

     On the evening of last November 6, just over one hundred of our members and guests attended our gourmet desserts event, followed by our viewing of the Irish film, The Wind That Shakes the Barley. This was a record attendance for the five years that we have held this event!  We are grateful to Kathleen Marek, Mary Anne Gorman, Paula Hynes, and Jeanne and Jim O’Brien, for their hard work in once again providing us with those not-to-be-denied desserts, and for making this such a popular evening. 

     As the night unfolded, we took note of two birthdays: Mary Cronenwett’s and Kevin Donovan’s.  Kevin’s was a milestone, his 50th, and the club surprised him with a birthday cake. 

     The highlight of our pre-movie program occurred when our President, Kevin Donovan, presented our Irish Person of the Year Award to long-time Board Member Tom Maloy.  See the following full story on this well deserved recognition.

      Our fellow member and Chronicle movie critic Bill Iddings gave us an introduction to the movie and a history of the Director, Ken Loach.          

      No one reacted to this deeply stirring film in the same way.  Some of us were drawn into the improbable mortal conflict between the two brothers.  Others of us thought the film too graphic and violent, while still others regarded its worth as “telling it like it was” under British rule in those days.  Many of us left in silence,  reflecting upon the searing events we had just witnessed.  For all of us who saw the film, it was a very real lesson in Irish history from the time when today’s Ireland was born.  The film brought into clear relief the competing philosophical and political values that motivated the Irish in creating their form of government and the kind of society they wished to have.

Tom Maloy Named Irish Person of the Year

     This annual surprise award recognizes one of our members who has contributed to the betterment of our community in any number of ways. Our recipient this year is Tom Maloy.

      Tom was born and raised in Johnstown, PA, and his actual full name is Michael Thomas.  He graduated from the University of Pittsburg, and then earned a master’s degree in Economics from Kent State University.  He next pursued doctoral work at Cleveland’s Western Reserve University, where he also pursued and married his beautiful wife Angela, better known to us as Angie. 

      Tom then embarked upon his professional career as a college Economics professor.  He taught at Cleveland State University and the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, before accepting a position at Muskegon Community College in 1976.  Tom remained for 26 years at MCC, where he established the Honors Program and was an officer of the Faculty Association.    Angie was also an English professor at MCC.

 Kevin Donovan presenting
  award t o Tom Maloy   

The Maloy’s son Jeff and daughter Jennifer attended Muskegon Catholic Schools, and during those years Tom served as President of the Home and School Association at St. Francis school, and was an active leader on several committees in the Catholic school system.  For many years Tom has participated in the tutoring program at Nelson School in Muskegon. Tom presently sits on the boards of the Friends of the Norton Shores Library, of the Muskegon County Museum, and of our own club.  He is a dedicated member of the Muskegon History Club and AMBUCS, the service club whose mission is to help handicapped children.

        Tom’s Irish roots go back to Northern Ireland, where he still has 2nd and 3rd cousins.  He has visited Ireland twice.  In Irish the name Maloy means “noble chief.”  That is a fitting moniker, indeed, for Tom, whom we congratulate as our Irish Person of the Year 2007! 

A Visit to Temple Bar and Tradfest

     On the south bank of the Liffey River in the heart of Dublin is the district known as Temple Bar.  A bar is a shoal or walkway along a river, and a prominent family named Temple lived in that area from early times in Dublin’s history.  And so it is thought that Temple Bar is named after the Temple family.  Alternatively, some historians believe that the quarter was named after a neighborhood in London with the same name.  Temple Bar has preserved its narrow, cobblestone streets and historical architecture, and is the home to many pubs, restaurants, galleries, and Irish cultural activities.

     For lovers of nightlife and music, Temple Bar is the place to be.  On a given night visitors can hear jazz, blues, rock, bluegrass, country-western, and, of course, Irish music.  But each year in late January, the Temple Bar music venues devote a week exclusively to traditional Irish music, and create Tradfest, Temple Bar’s own Irish music festival.  The best musicians from throughout Ireland gather for this occasion.  By the way, one of the headline groups for Tradfest this year is Grada, which performed in Muskegon last September at our own festival!  So if you ever get the chance, head for Dublin for Tradfest at Temple Bar for great Irish music entertainment.

Ireland’s Finance Minister Presents 2008 Budget Speech

Editor’s note: Every December Ireland’s Finance Minister addresses the Dail (Irish Parliament) to present the government’s budget plans for the following year.  The Irish have a keen interest in this speech, which is carried on live TV.  Following is an Irish news summary of last month’s speech by the Finance Minister, Brian Cowen.

     The minister announced social welfare increases, higher thresholds for paying tax, a five-year childcare package, and a reform of tax reliefs to prevent the phenomenon of tax-free millionaires.In a speech that was longer than usual, Mr Cowen identified two major aims for his second Budget - maintaining economic growth, and improving equality and opportunity for all in society.In terms of social welfare, he announced a €1.1 billion package of increases, including an extra €14 per week for the contributory old age pension; €16 per week on the non-contributory pension; and €17 per week for all other personal social welfare rates.€150 million is to be spent on developing care for older people in their homes or communities, while a new five-year strategy for childcare will be funded by €319 million next year, rising to over €600 million a year by 2008.This programme will create an extra 50,000 childcare places, while the parents of every child under the age of six will get a new payment of €1,000 a year.Meanwhile, paid maternity leave is to be increased by four weeks next year, while unpaid leave will be increased by eight weeks over the next two years.In a tax relief package of €900 million, all those on the current minimum wage will be taken out of the tax net altogether, while all those on the average industrial wage will only pay the standard rate.Tax reliefs are to be capped for those with an income over €250,000,while tax relief for horse and greyhound stud fee incomes will end in July 2008.The main excises and VAT rates are to remain unchanged, but excise duty on home heating oil is to be halved from midnight tonight, while betting duty is being halved from 2% to 1% from 1 July next.

2008 Dues Bill

     Speaking of financial matters, enclosed with this newsletter is our 2008 dues notice.  It is a big help when we pay our dues promptly!  Please pay them at our event on January 27, or mail them in. Our dues are critical to support our club’s activities and the newsletter.  Thank you!

At the Movie Night