Sunday, January 25, 2009, 1:30  -  4:00 p.m.

Muskegon Harbor Holiday Inn

Conklin Ceili Band

     It is hard to believe that this is our ninth annual pub party!  And the band that started it all is returning with their special brand of Irish entertainment  -  the Conklin Ceili Band!  The band is performing all over the region, and we are fortunate that our date fits their busy schedule.  We will begin with a warm-up by our own Kevin Donovan and David McIntire, followed by the Conklin Ceili Band.

     And this year is a very special one for lovers of poetry and Scottish tradition.  The great poet Robert Burns was born on January 25, 1759, and we are meeting on the exact date of the 250th anniversary of his birth!  Since it is unlikely most of will be around to catch the 500th anniversary after the next 250 years,  we need to do this one up right.  And no one else can do this better than our native Scots, Bob and Terri Wright.  They will be preparing the legendary meat dish called the Haggis, and will recite Bobby Burn’s equally legendary poem, “Salute to the Haggis.”  If you have never tasted a Haggis, you are in for a surprise.  Let us just say it is an acquired taste, and after you try it you will clearly understand why the Scots invented their fine whiskey!

     We are returning to the Atrium area of the Muskegon Harbor Holiday Inn for our party.  Irish victuals and libations will be available.   There is no admission charge.  There is no football on television because the Super Bowl is the next weekend.  So there is no excuse to miss this great time!  See you there! 

Frank McCourt Makes Muskegon Appearance


    A diminutive man of enormous stature captured 1,000 hearts on the night of last October 26.  Frank McCourt traveled to Muskegon to do what he does best – tell stories. He performed in the striking venue of Muskegon’s historic Frauenthal Theater. His visit capped off the month-long Muskegon County Arts and Humanities Festival, known as the Ah Fest, which is held annually in October.  Recent   past   presenters  at  the  Ah  Fest  have  included   poet  laureate   Billy Collins and humorist David  Sedaris.  Our  appreciation  is  owed   to   Muskegon Community  College’s  Writer’s  Center,  where  our  fellow member Angie Maloy is a moving force,  for bringing Frank McCourt to the Port City.

      On stage for more than an hour, McCourt spun true yarns from his youth up to his life today.  Ranging from hilarity to tragicomedy, McCourt reminded the audience of the words of William Butler Yeats: The thing about being Irish is that at times of great joy you are consoled by the thought that around the corner is great tragedy. 

     In deference to the audience’s expectations formed from his now classic Angela’s Ashes, which has been published in thirty languages, McCourt told a fair share of anecdotes from his destitute developmental years in Limerick.  For example, he explained that he had put considerable effort into searching out a cross-town, hard-of-hearing, elderly priest for his obligatory confessions.  The strategy bore fruit for some time - uniform minimum penances despite varying amounts and degrees of transgressions.  But eventually the day of reckoning arrived. That day when the priest pushed open the confessional’s screen slider, young McCourt was startled to see an unfamiliar large ear that was clearly not the ear of his regular, reliable confessor.  And when McCourt haltingly confessed that he had done some “dirty things,” the priest inquired if McCourt had done these things alone, with another, or with some class of beast. McCourt had never heard of a sin involving “some class of beast,” and left the confessional with more questions than answers.

       Moving beyond his Limerick years, McCourt devoted much of his program to his thirty years of teaching English in New York’s public schools. On his first day of teaching, his students started a food fight by tossing their sack lunches around his classroom. When an especially appealing bologna sandwich landed near him, he looked it over and ate it on the spot. As he explained, if sandwiches had been flying around in Limerick, they would have been caught and consumed in mid-air.

      McCourt told the audience that he honed his story-telling skills during his teaching career, because he found that telling stories was the best way to hold his students’ attention to focus on their English class.  He said there is nothing wrong with “once upon a time.”

       McCourt supports wholeheartedly the teaching profession, which he describes as the “downstairs maid” of the professions.  He asked the audience, “Did you ever notice that in education the farther you are removed from the students, the more money you make?”  He observed, “Physicians do their job, but they don’t get up and face teenagers every day. That’s like facing Napoleon’s army.”

      In contrasting the British and the Irish approaches to the use of language, McCourt said that an Englishman would ask, “Darling, I love you, will you marry me?”  An Irishman will ask, “Mary, how would you like to be buried with my people?”

      McCourt ended his program with a question and answer session. Here are some of the topics that were covered. He lives with his wife between homes in New York and Connecticut, and enjoys reading and walking his dog.  His recently published children’s book is based upon a story that his mother Angela told the children.  He did not begin serious writing until after he retired because his teaching required all of his time and energy. When asked, “Of all the honors you have received, of all the famous people you have met and places you’ve been, what is the most gratifying thing you were able to do if all this had not happened to you?”, hiis instant response was,  “Meeting Gregory Peck!”

      After the question and answer session, McCourt then sat down in the theater annex for a book signing with a line of readers a half- block long. He graciously chatted with everyone, giving each person his full and undivided attention. His kindness and energy were unflagging.

     Believe it or not, it has been twelve years since Angela’s Ashes was published, and Frank McCourt is now 78 years old.  He is a national treasure and we should assure that our youth read his works.  Already we have a new generation who have no clue about who he is and what he wrote.  Frank McCourt resurrected the memoir genre in modern literature, and brought our Irish heritage to life around the world. Our youth need to know these stories to pass on to still our next generations. As Frank McCourt says, “There is nothing wrong with ‘once upon a time.’”

Last November 6th nearly 100 members and guests enjoyed our annual Irish movie night at the Muskegon Museum of Art.  We first enjoyed fine desserts, punch, and coffee prepared by Jeanne and Jim O’Brien, and Mary Anne Gorman.  Barb and John McFadden also brought a selection of items from our Green Elephant Sale for purchase.  Next our President, Kevin Donovan,  presented our club’s Person of the Year Award to Bob and Terri Wright.  We then heard our fellow member and Chronicle movie critic Bill Iddings give an introduction to the film The Nephew.  Everyone universally praised this movie, and the entire evening was a great experience.  Many thanks to all who made this night possible, including the museum staff.

Bob and Terri Wright Named 2008 Persons of the Year

      Bob and Terri Wright have been recognized as the 2008 Persons of the Year by by our club. This honor is announced every year in November when we meet for our  Irish film night . The award  was  presented by  our president, Kevin Donovan.  Bob and Terri’s story  is one of  immigration and perseverance that is an inspiration to all who know them.  This is the first time the award has been made to a couple.

      Bob and Terri were both born and raised in Scotland, Bob in Dumfries and Terri in Kirkudbright. After graduating from a technical school in Dumfries, Bob joined the Royal  Marines in 1956 for nine   years, serving   in Aden, Cyprus, and  North Africa.  While in the marines, Bob  excelled in  motorcycle racing  and was a member of the Motorcycle Demonstration Synchronized Team. He was also trained as a diesel mechanic.

       In 1964  Bob  and  Terri  were  married  and Bob  left the  marines the next year. Soon  they  had  two  children to  support. Due to  a lack of good job opportunities in Scotland, in 1969 Bob and Terri successfully immigrated to Chicago, where Bob had been recruited  as a  diesel mechanic  with a  large trucking company.  However, big city  life  did not fit  them well, and in 1974  they moved to the small town of Brighton, Michigan.  They were close to Detroit and Terri’s brother, who had immigrated to Windsor, Canada, when she was eight years old.  In Brighton Bob opened and successfully operated his own diesel service garage for twelve years. Bob and Terri also had their third child by then. However, during one of Michigan’s perennial recessions, he closed his business and the family moved to Muskegon in 1986.  They chose Muskegon for its grand boating and fishing opportunities. In Muskegon Bob returned to college and received accreditation as a computer technician.  Bob then operated his own business as a computer consultant until his recent retirement.

        Bob and Terri devoted their early family years to their children, especially in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, with both Bob and Terri serving as adult leaders.  Bob also was president of the local amateur radio club and received many awards in that field.  Both Bob and Terri have long been active with the Power Squadron, which promotes boating safety among the public. However, it is in promoting Celtic culture where Bob and Terri have been especially devoted since coming to Muskegon.

        Bob has been responsible for the web pages for the Conklin Ceilidh Band, Switchback in the UK, Clan McIntyre, the Muskegon Irish American Society, and the Grand Rapids Scottish Society. They taught Ceilidh Dancing in Grand Rapids and Muskegon for over 15 years. Their Ceilidh dance workshops have taken them far and wide throughout Michigan, and to Montreal, Glengarry, Sarnia and other Canadian locations, not to mention Philadelphia, and Ohio. They both served on the boards for the Kalamazoo Scottish Festival and the Rockford (Mich) Celtic Festival. They are in charge of dance instruction at the Michigan Irish Music Festival, and are the first to volunteer in whatever other areas need help.  In addition, Bob is a valued board member of the Muskegon Irish American Society.  On top of all that, Bob is very knowledgeable in Scottish History, especially the Robert Burns era, and has been involved in the programming and presentation of many Burns Suppers.  And Terri is a renowned preparer of the haggis, that Scottish meat concoction that is definitely an acquired taste.  We thank Bob and Terri for their enthusiastic dedication to our club, and look forward to their involvement  for many years to come!

        Congratulations to Bob and Terri Wright as the Muskegon Irish American Society’s 2008 Persons of the Year!

R.I.P.

        Last December 2nd our club lost one of our charter members and original officers, Jack Crowe, at age 77. Jack was the retired president of Ameribank (now 5th Third Bank), and resided in Grand Haven with his wife Shirley, who survives him. Jack was a dedicated husband and father of six children and grandfather of sixteen grandchildren. He was an active leader of St. Patrick’s Parish, and in recent years attended as many of our club activities as his heath allowed. We send our deep sympathy to Shirley and Jack’s family. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam (May his soul be a God’s right hand side).

Dues Notice

         With this newsletter you will find your 2009 dues notice.  Our board has once again held the line by keeping our dues at only $15.00 per year per family or per individual, the best deal around!  Your dues are CRITICAL for our club, so please pay them promptly.  A convenient method is to pay them when you come to our pub party on Sunday, January 25.

Save the Date

      Our annual educational program and dinner event has been scheduled at the House of Chan on Tuesday, May 12.