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UPCOMING EVENTS
IAHC HOSTS BOOK SIGNING AND READING OF BOOK ON POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY
The Irish American Heritage Center hosts a book signing and reading of End of Watch: Chicago Police Killed in the Line of Duty, 1853-2006 by Chicago Alderman Ed Burke and Chicago historian Tom O’Gorman. The event is Thursday, May 31 at 7:00pm and is free and open to the public. The book will be for sale with portions of the proceeds benefitting the IAHC Library.
End of Watch: Chicago Police Killed in the Line of Duty, 1853-2006 examines the sacrifices of 526 sworn officers of the Chicago Police Department who were killed on duty. The book, with over 600 photographs, includes detailed narratives of each officer and the circumstances involved in their deaths. End of Watch is a human story describing the great loyalty and honor emerging in the ordinary lives of extraordinary Chicagoans, and gives the reader a broad view of Chicago history for the past 150+ years.
IAHC HOSTS SALON CONCERT WITH JOHN WILLIAMS AND DENNIS CAHILL THIS SPRING
The Irish American Heritage Center is pleased to host musicians John Williams and Dennis Cahill for a salon concert on Thursday, May 31st at 8pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door. This special concert is a rare opportunity to enjoy the music of two musicians who continue to master Irish traditional music before international audiences. John Williams, who will perform on accordion, flute and concertina, is internationally regarded as one of the foremost players of Irish music today.
In 2003, Chicago Magazine selected Williams in their annual Best of Chicago issue as one of the city's finest instrumentalists. With five All-Ireland titles to his credit, John is the only American-born competitor ever to win first place in the Senior Concertina category. Forming the groundbreaking Solas in 1995, Williams received wider recognition playing to sold-out audiences internationally and earning two Grammy nominations for the ensemble's 1996 and 1997 releases Solas and Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers.
Dennis Cahill has unquestionably earned himself the highly-coveted status of being one of the top three guitarists in Irish music today. Best known from the success of the famed Hayes/Cahill duo, Cahill has never lost touch with his roots. Cahill's innovative accompaniment is widely regarded as being a breakthrough for guitar in the Irish tradition.
St. Patrick's Day Celebrations
Fri, Mar 14 - Mon, Mar 17
7:00 PM - 0:00 AM Tickets are now on sale for the Irish American Heritage’s Center’s St. Patrick’s Day events! To purchase tickets, call 773-282-7035, ext 10.
These celebrations are among some of Chicago’s largest and run for 3 days; March 14, 15 and 17! On Sunday, march 16, the building is closed.
What makes these family-oriented celebrations different than the many Chicago holds, is that the live music, dance, food and activities all take place under one roof. Those wishing to celebrate the holiday can come early and stay late, beating the bar crowds and cold weather.
On Friday, March 14, 2008, the IAHC kicks off the holiday with Irish Dance Chicago, a large-scale Irish dance concert at 7pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and children under 12 are free with a paying adult. Irish Dance Chicago showcases the talents of some of Chicago’s finest Irish children and teenaged dancers, all on one stage, including Spriorad Damhsa, the Sheila Tully Academy of Irish Dance, the The Mullane Healy O'Brien Irish Dance Academy, The O'Hare School of Irish Dance, The World Academy of Irish Dancing, and special musical guests, the Academy of Irish Music.
On Saturday, March 15, 2008, the IAHC holds its St. Patrick’s Festival following the downtown Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This large-scale, family-oriented annual event has as many as 3,000 attendees throughout the day. The festivities begin at 1pm and end at midnight and include traditional and contemporary Irish music, dance, food and children’s activities. Live entertainment includes Chicago Irish music groups as well as performers on tour from Ireland. Entertainers include The Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band, Tim O’Shea and Jonathan Roche, direct from Ireland as well as The Dooley Brothers, The Academy of Irish Music, Gan Bua and Finbarr Fagan’s Band. Tickets are $15 for adults, or $12 for advance purchase if purchased before the end of the day on March 14. Children 12 and under are free with a paying adult. LAST YEAR’S CELEBRATION WAS SOLD OUT!To purchase tickets, call 773-282-7035, ext, 10. The schedule is as follows (subject to change)
Fifth Province
1pm Tim O’Shea and Jonathan Roche
3pm Shannon Rovers
4pm The Dooley Brothers
7pm Gan Bua
9:30pm Barry Fagan’s Band
Social Center
Children’s activities from 1-5pm
2pm Academy of Irish Music
4pm Irish Heritage Singers
5:30pm David Dunne and Blackwater
8:30pm Mulligan Stew
Theatre
3pm Mulhern School of Irish Dance
4pm Spriorad Damhsa
5pm Trinity Academy of Irish Dance
6pm The Mullane Healy O'Brien Irish Dance Academy
On Sunday, March 16, the building is closed.
On Monday, March 17, 2008 the IAHC will hold its annual St. Patrick’s Day party in the Center’s Fifth Province Lounge. The day-long event runs from 11am until 1 am. Events include Irish dancing, traditional and modern Irish music and food. Entertainers include the Matt Stedman Band and the Chancey Brothers. The cost is $10 and tickets can be purchased at the door. For information on all upcoming St. Patrick’s Day events, call 773-282-7035.
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
March 17, 2008
Fifth Province
2pm David Dunne and Blackwater
4:30 Spriorad Damhsa
5:30pm Chancey Brothers
8:30pm Matt Stedman Band
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mark Your Calendars
various
IAHC Library Lectures
Sun, Mar 2 - Sun, Mar 9
2:00 PM The Irish Heritage Library presents its annual IAHC Library Lectures this March.
The lectures have been a staple of the Center’s cultural programming for 22 years and the 2008 lectures will be no exception.
The two-part series begins on Sunday, March 2 at 2pm with Recollections of a Dublin Playgoer, a talk by Professor Patrick J. Casey followed by writer Peter Quinn, discussing the social and economic aspirations of Irish Catholic Americans.
The second lecture on Sunday, March 9 at 2pm is Why The Irish Speak English: Printing, Literacy, and Education in Eighteenth-Century Ireland by Peter K. Fallon, followed by writer Michael Cain, discussing Irish crime connections.
Tickets for each lecture, which include admission and a reception are $10 and can be purchased at the door or by calling the IAHC office at 773-282-7035.
Friday Night Fish Fry
Fri, Feb 8 - Fri, Mar 21
6:30 PM
Fifth Province Bar The annual Friday night Fish Fry continues in the Fifth Province Pub.
The fish fry runs from Friday, February 8 through Friday, March 21 from 6:30pm-9pm.
Admission for adults is $10 and children is $7. A cash bar is available and attendees can listen to live Irish music in the Fifth Province. There is free parking and no cover charge for the music, which begins at 9pm.
Knocknashee
Fri, Apr 11 - Sun, May 4
8:00 PM
This spring, Shapeshifters Theatre is proud to present Knocknashee, by Irish playwright, Deirdre Kinahan of Navan, County Meath in Ireland. Robert Ayres directs.
The production runs Friday, April 11 through Sunday , May 4. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are $12 for IAHC members and $15 for non-members.
Knocknashee is set in a small cottage in County Meath on May Eve, 2001. May Eve is a traditional Irish pagan festival, and Knocknashee is alive with magic, mayhem, merriment and menace. Patrick, a physically disabled artist, Brigid, a single mother and Hughie, a lonely rural misfit are drawn together to celebrate by the forces of this forgotten culture. While these three extraordinary people seek friendship, the magic of May Eve’s lore and even love, the unforgiving landscape threatens to reveal a secret of its own.
The production includes returning Shapeshifters veteran, Michael Schifferdecker as Hughie, Eric Leonard as Patrick and Rachael Jenison as Brigid. The cast and crew takes the production to Rochester New York, May 15-18 as its entry in the Acting Irish International Theatre Fest.
To purhcase tickets, call 773-282-7035, ext 10.
Len Graham and Micheal O'Raghallaigh Salon Concert
Thu, Apr 10
8:00 PM
Fifth Province Bar The Irish American Heritage Center hosts a salon concert this spring at the IAHC.
Len Graham and Micheal O'Raghallaigh will perform together in the IAHC Fifth Province Thursday, April 10 at 8pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door.
A resident of Co. Meath and concertina player with the band Providence, O'Raghallaigh’s playing achieves a great balance of traditional sound and personal expression.
Singer Len Graham is one of Ireland's best known traditional singers who has gained an international reputation, not only for his inimitable singing style, but also for the breadth of his knowledge of Irish folk music. His extensive repertory of songs covers the gamut of themes and human experience as portrayed in the old ballads, local songs, lyric folksongs, music hall pieces; songs on politics, murder, love, emigration and more.
For more information on all IAHC programming, call 773-282-7035.
The Banshee of Crokey Hill
Fri, Apr 4 - Sun, Apr 6
8:00 PM
Auditorium The Center is pleased to host The Midwest Irish Radio Theatre Group from Ballyhaunis in Co. Mayo, Ireland for three performances of The Banshee of Crokey Hill this spring.
The IAHC is committed to hosting productions from visiting Irish theatre groups and this play will be the third the Center has hosted.
What started out as a once-off charity show in July 2007 has ignited into one of the most successful stage plays in the West of Ireland. To date, the show has played to more than 4000 people in Mayo and Sligo, selling out practically every performance.
The Banshee of Crokey Hill was written by Tommy Marren who hails from Tourlestrane, County Sligo and is a well-known broadcaster on Midwest Irish Radio and the Good Morning Ireland program in Chicago each Saturday.
The play centers on Mickey McMahon’s return home from Manchester after 13 years to visit his parents, who live in a small cottage in the west of Ireland. During this visit, a black secret kept from him by his parents unfolds.
The arrival of the local gossip unearths a dark story associated with the house where the McMahons live and a legend that a Banshee has put a spell on the house. The storyline keeps the audience guessing right until the last minute and nobody will predict the dramatic finale. The play is steeped in hilarious one-liners and a lively "hooley" takes place in the kitchen that includes a spell-binding exhibition of brush-dancing that has audiences enthralled.
The Banshee of Crokey Hill runs for three performances on Friday, April 4 at 8pm, Saturday, April 5 at 8pm and Sunday, April 6 at 3pm. Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the door. To purchase tickets, call 773-282-7035 ext. 10.
Book of Kells Monthly Discussions
Tue, Jan 8 Free discussions take place in the IAHC Museum the last Sunday of each month at 1pm. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE HELD BY CALLING FRANK CROWLEY AT 773-612-6584. THERE IS A 15 PERSON LIMIT FOR EACH SESSION.
Come and learn more about the Book, its importance in history and see what makes it the most elaborate manuscript of its kind to survive from the middle ages. A facsimile of the book was made with the latest technological advances and the IAHC has one of the few copies of this book. It replicates each page down to the smallest detail.
For more information, call the IAHC office at 773-282-7035.
Intersections Lecture Series
Sun, Apr 6 - Sun, May 4
2:00 PM
Shamrock American Room The IAHC and the DePaul University’s Irish Studies Program present an ongoing lecture series by scholars, artists, journalists and public figures.
Intersections: Present, Past and Future in Irish Culture addresses issues relating to the fast-changing culture, economy and historical sense of both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
The lectures are the first Sunday of each month at 2pm at the Irish American Heritage Center at 4626 North Knox Avenue, Chicago and are free.
The April lecture, on April 6 at 2pm, is St. Patrick's Day, Celebrated in the USA and Ireland by Euan Hague, Ph.D.,Assistant Professor of Geography at DePaul University.
This presentation discusses how St. Patrick's Day has been practiced differently at various times in the United States since the 19th Century. In Ireland itself, St. Patrick's Day parades are a relatively new phenomenon, developing in the late 20th Century to meet tourist demands for a celebration rather than religious observance. As a result, the presentation proposes that Irish culture and St. Patrick's Day parades are continuously changing across time and space and that not all Irish people "be Irish" and celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the same way.
The second lecture, on Sunday, May 4 is Should We Conserve Ireland's Cultural Landscapes? with Liam Heneghan, Professor of Environmental Science and Co-Director, Institute for Nature and Culture, DePaul University.
The support for nature conservation in Ireland is emphatic and its national parks are held in great esteem. The support derives from a perception that these wild landscapes are pure nature; landscapes held apart from people and easily distinguished from the cultural landscapes of city and farm. Heneghan questions the distinction between nature and people, suggests that most Irish landscapes are an ambiguous mix of nature and culture and discusses strategies for determining the value of landscapes along a gradient from city to wilderness.
For more information, call the IAHC at 773-282-7035, ext 10.
Irish School
Sat, Sep 29 The first Irish School in the Chicago area resumes classes at the Irish American Heritage Center this fall.
The school, Scoil Na Bpaisti: Children’s Center for Cultural Studies, meets on Saturday mornings from 8:45am-Noon and children from ages 6-16 can participate in lessons on Irish heritage, culture, customs, language, art and music, through drama, storytelling, crafts and games.
The fall session is:
Fall September 29-December 1
Fees for the Saturday classes are $45 per class for IAHC members and $60 for non-members. Students who enroll in the Saturday classes, excluding the summer program and take any three classes; one per term, pay $100 for members and $150 for non-members. Discounts for families apply.
Classes include:
Irish Language Classes
Teen Theatre Workshop
Celtic Mythology and Art
To register children for classes, call 773-282-7035, ext. 10.
Visit the Fifth Province
MUSIC
Fri, Apr 1 - Sat, Apr 30
9:00 PM - 0:00 AM
Fifth Province Bar Music starts at 9:00 pm every Friday and Saturday night. No cover.
Great Irish American Books and Authors Discussion
Sun, Mar 9
2:00 PM
Library The Center continues its book discussion group this fall, called Great Irish American Books and Authors.
It runs from September 2007-May 2008 in the IAHC Library on the second Sunday of the month at 2pm. The discussion is free and open to the public.
The discussion is led by moderator, Virginia Gibbons, a teacher at Oakton Community College. Gibbons has taught at Oakton Community College since 1989, as a writing and ESL teacher. She has also taught Modern Irish Literature and Chicago literature. Gibbons is a member of the Geneva Writers’ Group and holds a B.A. from Loyola University and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from Northeastern Illinois University.
March 9 Ironweed William Kennedy
April 13 Looking for Jimmy Peter Quinn
May 4 Irish Fairy and Folktales W.B. Yeats, ed.
For more information on the Great Irish American Books and Authors discussion group, call the IAHC at 773-282-7035, ext. 19.
IAHC Gift Cards Now Available! It's never to early to start thinking about your golf game.
Consider a sporty IAHC Golf shirt for $30 or Callaway Golf Balls with the IAHC logo for $10 per sleeve! Also, for picnics & football games, an IAHC fleece blanket with waterproof backing $30 will keep you warm and dry. Show your current IAHC Membership Card and receive a 20% discount.
Is there an item you would enjoy seeing the IAHC logo on? Drop a note to the office, Attn: Gift Store or send an e-mail to info@irishamhc.com for consideration.
The Center now offers gift cards! You can now purchase a gift card for any dollar amount over $20 and it can be used for any IAHC-sponsored event, inclusing purchases at the Gift Shop. Some restrictions may apply.
IAHC Library Writing Workshop
Sat, Apr 19
9:00 PM - 5:00 PM
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kathy O’Neill
773-282-7035, ext. 13
Cell: 773-401-0714
IAHC HOSTS WRITING WORKSHOP IN HONOR OF
NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK
In celebration of National Library Week in April, the Irish American Heritage Center Library is proud to host the International Women’s Writing Guild for a day-long writing workshop. This workshop, Writing Our Stories: From Journal to Essay to Memoir, will be taught by Susan M. Tiberghien.
Tiberghien, an American writer living in Switzerland, has published four books along with narrative essays in journals and anthologies in the United States and in Europe. She teaches graduate programs at C.G. Jung Centers, at writers' conferences and at the monthly Geneva Writers' workshops. She has been a workshop director for the International Women’s Writing Guild since 1990. A member of International PEN, and of the International Writers’ Residence at the Château de Lavigny, she directs the Geneva Writers’ group and the biennial Geneva Writers’ Conferences.
The writing workshop is Saturday, April 19 from 9am-5pm. The cost is $80 for International Women’s Writing Guild members and $95 for the general public. A deposit and reservation are required by calling 212-737-7536. For additional information, contact the IAHC at 773-282-7035.
Programming at the Irish American Heritage Center is supported, in part, by generous grants from The Illinois Arts Council, CityArts grants, from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Illinois Humanities Council.
The Irish American Heritage Center, which occupies an 86,000 square foot building on the City's northwest side, near Wilson Avenue and the Edens Expressway, at 4626 North Knox, fosters the practice, study, and celebration of Irish, Celtic, and Irish-American cultural traditions. Membership in the Center is open to anyone with an interest in these traditions. The IAHC houses a 650-seat theatre/concert hall, auditorium, a library, an authentic Irish pub, a Social Center, a museum, dance/music studios and meeting rooms. For more information, call 773-282-7035, or visit www.irishamhc.com.
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IAHC MONTHLY GENEALOGY MEETING
Sun, Feb 24 - Sun, Feb 24
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Library Are you interesting in trying to track down information about your ancestors? Wondering just where and how to begin the search? Not sure what resources are available or how to locate them? The IAHC offers a session on genealogy the last Sunday of every month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the library. This is free and open to members.
Irish Heritage Singers Our latest CD, Tir Na Ceol/Land of Song, is now available on CDBaby (www.cdbaby.com)! CDBaby is a website devoted to selling the music of independent artists. You can find our CD by title, artist name, or under Celtic, Folk or World Music. You can also order a copy by calling our mailbox at the Center and leaving a message with your order: 773-282-7035 ext. 34.
The Irish Heritage Singers are currently seeking 6 to 8 new tenors to fill out our choral ranks. Please contact the director at 773-282-7035, etx. 34 for more information, or come to one of our rehearsals. We rehearse every Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in Room 308.
Jamie O'Reilly Concert: My Life is a Song
Sun, Mar 30
7:00 PM J. O’Reilly Productions and The Irish American Heritage Center present My Life Is A Song, a concert featuring Jamie O’Reilly and the Jamie O’Reilly Trio, with musicians, Michael Smith, Bob Weber and special guests.
In this Women’s History Month program, vocalist Jamie O’Reilly performs material spanning more than three decades of an adventurous career as a concert, recording and theater artist and arts activist. O’Reilly will perform musical theater pieces, art songs, Celtic and European ballads, folk-anthems and fiery cabaret numbers.
O’Reilly is one of Chicago's premiere song stylists, known for her distinctive vocal style, the lilting cry in her voice, and powerful interpretations of ballads and songs for the stage. She is a first-rate ballad singer and entertainer with a broad vocal range and vibrant connection to both her repertoire and audience.
This concert is one of Chicago’s contributions to the festivities surrounding the first annual SWAN Day on March 29, 2008. SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now) is a new international holiday scheduled on the last Saturday of every March.
My Life is a Song is Sunday, March 30 at 7pm at the IAHC (4626 North Knox Avenue, Chicago) and tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.
Quiz Night
Fri, Feb 15 - Fri, May 16
8:00 PM Test your trivia knowledge at the monthly Quiz Night. The cost is $30 per team, with a limit of six players per team. There are prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and food and drinks are available from the Fifth Province. Upcoming Quiz Nights are:
March 28
April 18
May 16
Summer Children's Art Program
Mon, Jul 7 - Thu, Aug 7
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM The Children's Center for Cultural Studies at the Irish American Heritage Center is pleased to announce a new summer art program in summer 2008.
Reservations are now being taken for Urban Journaling, a five-week art program designed for children ages 8-13 from July 8 to Aug 7, 2008. Classes are three days per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm.
In this fun-filled program, children learn new artistic skills, self-expression and a whole new way of seeing the world around them. They learn simple techniques of sketching and photography and to keep a journal of the urban landscape. The class offers a new way to experience nature in the city.
Tuition is $275 per child with discounts for families and includes art materials, four field trips and daily snacks.
The Tradition Continues Art Exhibit
Sun, Mar 9 - Sun, Apr 6
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
The Center will host its annual March group art exhibit this spring.
The Tradition Continues is a group show featuring three generations of artists, including professional artists, IAHC Celtic art class students and IAHC Irish School children, presenting traditional Celtic Art in a mixed media show.
The exhibit runs from March 9 through April 6. Exhibit hours are Saturday and Sundays from 1-4pm and during the week by appointment. There will be a free opening reception on March 9 from 1-4pm, where guests can meet the artists.
Some of the artists include:
Ed Cox, who is a Park Ridge artist and artist-in-residence at the IAHC. His exquisite zoomorphic designs are seen throughout the IAHC building. Zoomorphic design is the art of interlacing animals and humans and is the youngest form of Celtic art. He has spent the past eighteen years working on the intricate designs at the IAHC.
Addison, Illinois artist, Michael Carroll, has been a artist and calligrapher, who has worked exclusively in the early Christian Celtic style for the past 14 years. Using many of the same construction methods and tools used in the eighth century monasteries, Carroll continues in the monks' footsteps, creating richly illuminated vellum pages which look as if they were lost folios from the Book of Kells.
For more information on The Tradition Continues, call the IAHC at 773-282-7035.
Volunteers Needed Mid-week and help on Saturdays is needed on a number of projects, especially during the summer months. Experience is not required for most tasks; just a few minutes of training to learn how it gets
Can you steer a slow-moving go-cart? If so, help is needed with one of two riding lawn-mowers to maintain the lawn around the Center and the block. >
Do you like sorting and organizing Grandma's attic? The archives room would love to have your help. Publications, pictures, paintings, displays and history records await your touch!
It's more than just construction and kitchen crews. If you would like to be part of these important projects, please call Ellen Folan in the IAHC office at 773-282-7035 ext. 10.
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