NORHERN ARIZONA IRISH NUACHTAN
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
2003 OFFICERS
President--Pamela Saier
Vice President--Scott Law
Secretary--Sharon Barton
Treasurer--Kathleen Walters
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IRISH CULTURE 101
Irish Culture 101--An Illustrated Introduction to the History,
Arts, and Culture of Ireland compiled by Pamela Sair and the Northern
Arizona Irish Foundation, is available at $5.00 from Aradia Bookstore. It
includes the primary cultural symbols and historical landmarks of Ireland.
Here's a great reference work to all that is Irish. All proceeds from the
sale of this booklet go directly to the Northern Arizona Irish Foundation
to further its educational and cultural projects. You may order from
N.A.I.F, Post Office Box 1031, Flagstaff, AZ 86002, or from Aradia
Bookstore, 116 West Cottage, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.
IRISH TIME
A scholar working on a Spanish-Irish dictionary, could find no
Irish equivalent for manana. He called a native Irish speaker, who
explained that "there is no word in Irish that conveys quite the same level
of urgency."
Patricia Monaghan
In The Red-Haired Girl From the Bog
IRISH SHOW NOW OFF
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Irish Show, has been airing on Phoenix Radio on
Saturdays, emceed by Pat McCrossan. Those who listened for it on April 19
were disappointed, and here's why:
To the "Irish Show" listeners: Just before we went on the air on
Saturday I had a number of phone calls to make me aware of the anti-Jewish,
anti-Semitic, anti-American content...that aired just before our show.
After hearing part of [t]his racist diatribe Ireland's Own and I, Pat
McCrossan, decided we did not want our Irish Show to air on this station
(1100 AM - KFNX). I hope our advertisers and members of the Irish
community will support our effort to remove this **** before we continue on
KFNX. We are sorry for any disappointment we caused you, but we ourselves
are sorely disappointed by the station.
Pat McCrossan
LANGUAGE SKILLS
The late Derek Bell of the Chieftains used to tell of meeting a fan
after a Chieftains concert in Dublin who addressed him in Irish. Derek, of
course, was an Ulsterman and didn't "do" Irish. So, having recently come
back from a year in Budapest, gave the guy some of his best Hungarian swear
words. And then said, "Oh, but you southerners aren't familiar with our
northern dialect." The fellow answered, "Oh, you'd be surprised what we
know," in fluent Hungarian.
John Cahilll
IRISH INDIRECTION
Is there no such thing as a direct conversation in Ireland? Never
mind your desire to move on to a new place or a new subject, your need to
shoot like an arrow to some important engagement. An old joke has it that
the Irish never answer a question except with another question. "Never
answer a question with another question? Now whoever would have told you
that?" It would not be funny were it not so true, just as it is true that
in Irish there are no words for our simple "yes" or "no." Indirection is
an Irish way of life.
Patricia Monaghan
in The Red-Haired Girl From the Bog
ELEPHANT ON THE LOOSE
An elephant escaped from a circus in Mullingar and in spite of the
Garda searching the county, he ended up in the wilds of Connemara. Mrs.
Murphy went out to feed the chickens one morning and screamed, "Seamus,"
who was eating breakfast, "there's a huge beast in the garden."
"Yeah," he said, "that's Mahoney's new bull."
"'Tis not a bull."
"Well what's he doing in the garden?"
"Oh, Seamus, he's pulling heads of cabbage with his tail."
"And where he's putting them?" he hollered.
"I'm too embarrassed to tell you, Seamus, come and see for yourself."
Submitted by Jack Cleere
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Volunteers are still needed to help implement the Irish presence at
the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival on July 19. Have any ideas? Want to
help? Come to the next Foundation meeting on May 14--or call Pamela at
913-0924 or Kathleen at 779-3817.
Reprinted from Playboy May 2003
MUSIC BOOKLIST
Like Irish Music? Want to know more about it? The following are a
few of the books in stock at Aradia Bookstore, where members always receive
a 10% discount.
* * * *
Ancient Irish Airs and Dances--201 Classic Tunes Arranged for Piano by
George Petrie. Softcover--$12.95. Includes jigs, reels, laments, and other
classics of simple to moderate difficulty.
* * * *
The Ancient Music of Ireland--Arranged for Piano by Edward Bunting.
Softcover--$15.95. Traditional Irish music--collected in the early
1800s--with essays about the music and how it was played.
* * * *
The Book of Golden Irish Songs. Softcover--$12.95. 39 favorite Irish
songs--piano, voocal, chords.
* * * *
The Chieftains--The Authorized Biography by John Glatt. Hardcover--$26.95,
Softcover--$16.00. Here's the official story of this group of consummate
Irish musicians--from their humble beginnings in the 60s folk scene.
* * * *
The Complete Irish Tin Whistle Tune Book by LE. McCullough. Softcover + 4
CDs--$29.95. Music + CDS of 125 traditional session tunes.
* * * *
The Complete Irish Tin Whistle Tutor by L.E. McCullough. Softcover +
CD--$17.95. Comprehensive detailed approach to playing Irish music on the
tin whistle. Music for over 70 tunes plus CD with author playing all tunes
and exercises.
* * * *
Enya--Shepterd Moons--All the Songs from the Album. Softcover--$16.95.
Perfect for a singalong or playalong.
* * * *
Erin Go Bragh--A Travelogue in Song. Softcover--$16.95. Over 60
traditional songs--for piano, vocal, chords. With treavelogue of Ireland.
* * * *
The Heartbeat of Irish Music by Christy McNamara and Peter Woods.
Softcover--$17.95. Irish music is rooted in the Irish people--here's how
it has been passed down, collected, and how it lives on no matter what the
people are subjected to.
* * * *
The Irish Isle--New Irish Cuisine/tTraditional Irish music by Sharon
O'Connor. Softcover--$24.95. Gourmet recipes from romantic castles, manor
houses, and country hotels--with a CD of beautifully romantic Irish music.
* * * *
An Irish Whistle Tune Book by Tom McGuire. Softcover--$12.95. 42 old
Irish song-airs and some traditional Irish dance tunes also suitable for
fiddle, flute, pipes, concertina, acordian, and mandolin.
* * * *
Last Night's Fun--In and Out of Tune with Irish Music by Ciaran Carson.
Softcover--$12.00. "A sparkling celebration of music and life....an
inspired jumble of recording history, poetry, tall tales, and polemic."
* * * *
Mel Bay's Complete Irish Fiddle Player by Peter Cooper. Softcover--$19.95.
Music and instruction for Irish fiddling.
* * * *
Paint the Sky with Stars--The Best of Enya. Softcover--$17.95. The music
to 16 of Enya's favorite songs--piano/vocal/guitar.
* * * *
The Place in the Song--A Musical Grand Tour of Ireland. $3.95. A special
supplement of Ireland of the Welcomes Magazine.
* * * *
Rough Guide to Irish Music by Geoff Wallis and Sue Wilson.
Softcover--$12.95. This book covers every aspect of Irish music--from its
distant origins to today's pub sessions--including biographical entries on
over 350 musicians.