PAUL CURRY/JIM SEERY BRANCH

of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann

An Irish Culture Organization promoting the music, song, dance, and language of Ireland

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Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Newsletter

Promoting the music, song, dance, and language of Ireland

A Chairde Gael

As we start the fall season, again I welcome your help in promoting Comhaltas. We have set up our sessions through December. We would love to get more members at these gatherings. We will try to give the musicians more time to play together, to learn new tunes, and to practice old ones. The dancers will continue to practice at their weekly gatherings.

I had the pleasure of attending Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Listowel in August. Traditional music, song, and dance is very much alive as was evident by the large numbers of musicians thronging the narrow streets of Listowel for the Fleadh. Next year's Fleadh will be held in Ballina, County Mayo, or in Kilkenny. This will be voted on later this month.

The 1996 North American Concert Tour will make a stop in the Gaelic American Club in Fairfield on November 1, 1996. We need all of the support we can muster for this concert. So mark it on your calendar to bring a friend or two. I also will be delighted if you can sell a few tickets for this event -- every little bit will help. Just give me a call for ticket info.

If you are planning on running for office at the annual general meeting in November, please give your name to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee, Mike Hogan at (203) 484-2655.

Beannacht De oraibh.

Joan Kennedy

Chairperson

Remember to teach your children your heritage; otherwise, someone else may teach them theirs.

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Comhaltas Calendar of Events

Thanks to Seamus K. of the Boston CCE, here are four other hotels available in the area:

Please contact the editor (see last page) with any upcoming events for publication in the newsletter.

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Welcome to Our New Members!

Cead Mile Failte

John A Boughton, William Cuffe, Ann Marie McNulty, Michael Gardiner, Shirley Galauskas, Marguerite Jackson, Jane Kelly, Teresa Kelly, John Madden, Thomas McInerney, Vincent O'Connor, John Shepard, Joanne M. Stange, & Pat Whelan. Welcome!

Classes and Lessons

The following message was received from our branch secretary, Andrea Hogan, upon her return from Ireland, after receiving one of the CCE - Aer Lingus Living Tradition Awards. Andrea was one of two Northeast Region members who were chosen to receive this award. She chose to study the Irish language in a small school in County Kerry.

Dear Friends,

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and Aer Lingus for affording me the opportunity of a lifetime. I have just recently returned from a two week beginner Irish lanuage course held in the heart of the West Kerry Gaeltecht in Ballyferriter, at Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne.

It was a fantastic two weeks. I was in class with eight other students. Four of us were Americans, two Irish and one each from Scotland and the Netherlands. We had a wonderful teacher in Eilin Ui Luing. She herself was an elementary school teacher and her methods were very effective. Her goal was to give us a firm basis on which to build our knowledge of the language. She used daily events and personal happenings to create stories which made it easy for us to associate the Irish conversation with the event.

As well as 9:30A to 3:30P classroom work, Monday through Saturday the school had organized activities in the evening such as archaeological tours, music sessuins, dancing and lectures. It was a most enjoyable experience for me -- one that I will never forget. I hope I can pass on some of what I learned to others through the Irish language lessons in this newsletter among other things.

Again, my most sincere thanks to Curry-Seery Branch for thinking me a worthy candidate for the Aer Lingus Living Tradition Award. I would also like to say that I would highly recommend the Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne program to future award winners.

Andrea Hogan

Members In The News

CCE MEMBER RECIPIENT OF THE 1996 DUBLIN CITY LORD MAYORS AWARD

Labhras O Murchu, Director General of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, was the recent recipient of the 1996 Dublin City Lord Mayors Award. Honored for his many achievements in cultural and social work he was presented the award by Lord Mayor Alderman Sean D. Loftus. The Tipperary born honoree is the editor of TREOIR magazine, spearheaded the establishment of Culturlann na hEireann, the Irish Cultural Institute at Belgrave Square, Monkstown, Co. Dublin and serves as its Director. Labhras is also national chairman of the Irish Family History Foundation and the Fonduireacht an Phiarsaigh. We are proud to have such a dedicated and distinguished leader in Comhaltas.

LOCAL CCE OFFICER "TEACHING OUR CHILDREN OUR HERITAGE"

FUTURE MUSICIANS

Tom Walsh, Vice Chairman of Curry Seery Branch, has volunteered to teach the tin whistle to youngsters at the Irish American Community Center in New Haven. This is a fantastic opportunity which plants the seeds of traditional Irish music in another generation.

Curry Seery will work in conjunction with the New Haven IACC to sponsor the lessons. Contact Kathleen O'Donovan at (203) 281-3563 for further information.

Students will be asked to pay a small tuition which will be set aside and used in the future to purchase instruments. All members are encouraged to get the word out and make this opportunity a success.

Our Best Wishes

Eugene Kennedy

It is with great sadness that we convey the loss of one of our friends and fellow set dancers, Eugene Kennedy. Gene was a very active member in the Curry-Seery Branch for many years. He and his wife, Mary Kennedy, were known to drive many miles from their home in Pittsfield, Mass to attend Comhaltas sessions and ceilis. His special personality and warm smile will be sorely missed by all. May we extend our sincere sympathy to Mary and the family during this most difficult time.

SOME NOTES OF THANKS

Thank you to Tom Slater for donating the canvas material for our branches new CCE banner. The banner is now being lettered by our own very talented artist member, Karen Burgess.

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Thank you to all the members of Curry Seery Branch who put together displays, created posters, and manned our CCE information table at area festivals this summer. As a result of your interest and hard work the Comhaltas message was spread. We received names of several prospective new members on our sign up sheets.

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A special thanks goes to Fred Berkman, Gina Dunlap and Joan Kennedy for judging the musical instrument, singing and Irish language contests at the Connecticut Irish Festival.

Sympathy, Prayers and Best Wishes go to:

Frank and Pat Dugan on the death of their son Frank Jr.

Mary Kennedy and family on the death her husband, our friend and longtime member of Comhaltas, Eugene Kennedy.

William Connolly on the death of his mother Margaret in Co. Galway.

SECRETARY ANDREA HOGAN CELEBRATES THE NEW YEAR!

The new year for Comhaltas occurs each November so to celebrate this New Year, Secretary Andrea Hogan wants you and your friends to join! Our Branch is growing strong and 1997 dues payments are already being accepted. Also, if your membership lapsed or if you are a newcomer and would like to join Comhaltas, now is the time!

Upon receipt of this newsletter, just use the special enclosed envelope to mail your dues to the secretary, Andrea Hogan. Remember, dues are still only $12.00 for individuals and $8.00 for each additional family member. Notice that we have included information so you can have your TREOIR magazine mailed to you if you wish.

So put this newsletter down and pay your dues now! Of course, if you have already paid your dues for 1997, don't put this newsletter down! Read it and enjoy it and go raibh maith agut.

THE NORTH AMERICAN CCE TOUR LINEUP

The 1996 Comhaltas Tour features the following:

• Brendan McGlinchey, fiddle
• Co. Armagh
• Martin Ryan, Accordion,
• Co. Tipperary
• Carmel Commins, Accordion,
• Coventry England
• Paul Harrigan, Uilleann Pipes,
• Co. Donegal
• Ronan Moloney, Flute,
• Co. Limerick
• Teresa O'Grady, Banjo,
• Luton, England
• June McCormack, Flute,
• Co. Sligo
• Tony O'Connell, Concertina,
• Co. Limerick
• Justin Toner, Fiddle,
• Co. Armagh
• Grainne Hambly, Harp,
• Co. Mayo
• Alice Fitzgerald, Singer,
• Co. Waterford
• Larry Mason, Singer,
• Co. Dublin
• Frank Roddy, Dancer,
• Co. Derry
• Lisa Moore, Dancer,
• Co. Derry
• Ivor Rice, Dancer,
• Co. Louth
• Fiona McCaffery, Dancer,
• Co. Donegal
• Anthony Sharkey, Dancer,
• Co. Clare
• Paddy Fallon, M.C. Fear a Ti,
• Co. Roscommon

Comhaltas INTERNATIONAL

This section comes from an increasing awareness of the global nature of our Irish Heritage through work with the Internet. These letters have been pulled off the Internet from different areas of the globe. From time to time we receive a wonderful reminder that traditional Irish Culture reaches into the far corners of the world. It is an inspiration to realize that the Seery-Curry Branch is a vital part of that global bond. I would like to share these letters with our branch members.

Some of the following letters have been edited for publishing purposes (hopefully without loss of character). The originals are available from me and on the Internet. Email addresses have been posted so any members with Email capabilities can correspond with any of these individuals.

The following letters were in response to requests for sessions and ceili's

JAPAN:

Tokyo:--Kashiwa Hall, 8-4-17 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku has a ceili once a month, with a beginner session from 2-5 just before.

Email to pnakagaw@asij.ac.jp (Patty) for more info...

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Seoul, Korea

Thu Aug 01 02:07:10 1996

I may be there in September. And I know it's a longshot, but... Don't Laugh! Any Celtic Music In Seoul, Korea?

John T. Bailey

setnaffa@ix.netcom.com

Mon Aug 12 15:06:01 1996

O' Kims in the Sherriton Choice Hotel, Seoul. That's the only place I know of . A lady by the name of Pegg