A Networking Social is planned for Wednesday Sept 20th from 5:30-7pm. All members of GAC’s Business & Trade Directory are invited!
To place your professional listing in the GAC Business Directory Trades List at www.gaconline.org. send info to communications@gacemail.org. And when you need a business or trade service check the list and support your fellow members.
Tag: craic
CELEBRATE THE GAC’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY
The Gaelic American Club s 75th Anniversary Celebration will take place the weekend of October 13, 14 and 15, and will kick off with our Membership Meeting 10/13, Showcase GAC’s Clubs & Activities and Special Concert on Saturday ending with Sunday Mass and Breakfast
followed by a Céilí on the 15th.
Clan Na Gael’s Fall Play
“THE UNIVITED ” BY TIM KELLY, DIRECTED BY PEG O’LEARY
Cast: Steven Bennett, Anne Marie Donohue, Jack Frum, Jennifer Healey, Valerie Huegel, Sara Kelly, Noeleen Nelson, Eamon Speer, Marie Stehle, Byrne White and Erin Williams
This mysterious ghost story is set in 1936 and takes place in “Cliff End” an old manor house overlooking the Irish sea. The house was recently bought by the Fitzgerald’s, a sister and brother who had heard stories of disturbances but they are undaunted as they begin renovating and settling in. Their housekeeper, Lizzie Flynn, however, quickly becomes disenchanted when her cat goes missing and her strong sense of unnatural occurrences foreshadows what’s to come.
The production will be reminiscent of the time and will be presented entirely in shades of black & white. Show Dates are November 16th, 17th, 18th & 19th
For reservations please email Nancy O’Neil at playresvcng@gmail.com or call at (203) 377-1070
“Brexit & the Past and Future of Irish Unification”
31ST LECTURE IN A SERIES ON IRISH HISTORY STAIR NA HÉIREANN
“Brexit & the Past and Future of Irish Unification”
by Dr. John Tully October 1st at 2:00 pm in the Carolan Room
During the preparation for and after the United Kingdom’s official departure from the European Union (Brexit), there has been considerable discussion of Brexit’s effect on Irish unification. This talk will examine the original division of the island of Ireland, the implications of Brexit on Irish borders, and the possible future of Northern Ireland.”
Dr. Tully earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State University with a concentration in the history of American Foreign Relations in 2004 and joined the CCSU history faculty that year. He is currently Central’s Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. He has written, cowritten, or coedited three books, with the most recent being The United States and the Rise of Tyrants: Diplomatic Relations with Nationalist Dictatorships Between the World Wars. His first book, Ireland and Irish Americans, 1932-1945: The Search for Identity, grew in part out of his research as a Visiting Fellow at the Clinton Institute for American Studies at University College Dublin. He has won numerous teaching awards and has given talks in Ireland and Poland and presented conference papers at national meetings of the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, the National Council for the Social Studies, the American Conference for Irish Studies, and many others.
Register at: gaclectures@gmail.com.
Tickets $5, Students with ID $2. | Sorry no GAC Scrip or credit cards
IRISH TRAD MUSIC CONCERT
Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society and the Gaelic American Club
Presents: Rose Conway Flanagan (Fiddle), Kieran Flanagan (Piano), and Eileen Clune Goodman (Flute, Whistle) Saturday October 21st at 7:30pm | Admission $20
DON MEADE OCTOBER 6TH FROM 6 – 8PM
The First Friday Trad Music Session Features Don Meade who has been a central part of the Irish traditional music scene in New York for over forty years. After relocating from California in 1976, he encountered and spent time with many of the older players including Martin Wynne, Mike Rafferty, Tom Doherty and especially Paddy Reynolds.. Highly respected among Irish traditional musicians of all ages, he has a vast knowledge of the music tradition in New York. This, combined with his journalistic skills ensured that Don is best placed to create an account of Irish trad music history in the New York area.
Irish Trad Music Concert
Sponsored by the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society and Gaelic-American Club
Séagda Coyle ~ Button Accordion
Eugene Bender ~ Fiddle | Krista Charles ~ Piano
Saturday, September 16 @ 7:30 pm in The Carolan
Tickets: $20 donation at the door
(doors open to the public 7:00)
Visit shamrockirishmusic.org
(an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization)
New Irish Language Beginners Class
10 Week Beginners Irish Course beginning Tuesday Sept 12th 6:45 PM . Classes can be taken in person at the Gaelic-American Club in Fairfield and/or via Zoom.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The class will start with three themes:
1) 20 Minutes – Speaking Irish: Taught using the communicative method and based on the European Framework for teaching languages, with a goal of teaching some spoken Irish that can be used on a daily basis.
Book Resource: ”Gaeilge Gan Stró! Beginners Level”, by Éamonn Ó Dónaill. A multimedia Irish language course for adults that costs approximately $60. Be cautious when buying the book, that the correct currency is being shown before you commit the order, or that you have done a currency conversion. Same for any other books. However, the first chapter I can send you for free and it will cover you for the first few weeks, especially, as I will be emphasizing how to pronounce Irish initially and moving at a slower pace through materials.
https://www.amazon.com/Gaeilge
https://www.siopa.ie/en/i-67-g
2) 20 Minutes – Additional Fun Stuff: Various traditional and pop songs, Irish National Anthem, rhymes, tongue twisters, proverbs, idioms, poems, short stories, etc. in Irish, with the goal of providing material that you can use the rest of your life, even if you don’t seek out the
opportunity to regular speak Irish. In this section, I will point out available (mostly free) Irish learning resources.
3) 10 to 15 mins – Formal Grammar: For those who want it, will be taught at the end of each class. This is something that should be considered ”optional”, as I always point out to new students, there isn’t a child who learnt to speak a language at a young age that did so by learning
“formal grammar.” Still, a small portion of adults swear they can’t learn a language without learning the grammar, this is for you. However, I have found that many who start-out enthusiastic for “formal grammar” often steer away from it within a short time, so this portion of the class could be dropped over time. The book we will use here is ”Irish Grammar You Really Need to Know”, by Éamonn Ó Dónaill. Approx $20 for book or 99 cents for Kindle edition. Again, you don’t need to run out and buy this initially, I will give out some handouts to start you off.
https://www.amazon.com/Irish-G
https://www.siopaleabhar.com/e
As I said the class will start with these three themes but may be modified by majority decision overtime, to give one or the other themes more emphasis.
Contact Information – Deasúin Ó Nualáin, DesNolan@Optimum.Net.
If people desire it, I can do an intro/review of the class a couple of weeks ahead of its start. Just reach out and let me know. In fact, reach out ahead of time and tell me why you are interested in learning the language and anything you might know already.
A word of caution, in the past, new classes have started out big and rapidly shrunk, because people don’t realize there is work and time involved in learning a language and making progress with it. But for those with some time and commitment to learn, I’ve rarely failed to bring them along.
This time around, I am trying to blend in some ”additional” fun stuff (section 2) to keep people engaged. Things people will have the opportunity to go back to, the rest of the lives and enjoy.
However, I do encourage you to give serious thought to whether you have the interest and time (10 to 20 mins per day – 1.5 to 2 hours per week) to learn Irish, as personally I find it a little sad to start off with a large class of individuals and end up with a very small one, because
people didn’t factor in the time and effort commitment.
LÁ GAEILGE
LÁ GAEILGE: THE ANNUAL DAY OF
IRISH LANGUAGE & CULTURE EVENT
Saturday, October 7 FROM 8:30AM – 4:30PM
One-day Irish language immersion course for all levels of speakers, presented by the GAC Irish Language group and Féile, Inc. The day features classes taught by Fulbright Scholars, cultural workshops, door prizes, “coffee & tea” all day, lunch by Chef Joe; so bring a friend and join us for the most fun you’ve had since the last Lá Gaeilge! Cost is $50/pp, all inclusive; students with ID-$25.
For more information or questions:
Róibín Griskus, 203-233-4979, rdgriskus@aol.com
Cáit Thopsey, 203-459-9686, kthopsey01@gmail.com
Half-Way to St. Patrick’s Day Party
Come on out to the Half-Way to St. Patrick’s Day Party with hors d’oeuvres by The Castle Blackrock, Music by Keltic Kick Featuring Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band and the Lenihan School of Irish Dance and Celebrate with Jimmy Feeney the 2024 Grand Marshal of the Greater Bridgeport St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, September 17th at the Gaelic American Club from 4-7PM. } Tickets are $30.
Irish Lite Language Series
June 1, 8, 15 & 22 7:30-8pm
Now is your chance to learn a cúpla focail in the new Irish language series presented by the GAC Language Group via Zoom. This short and fun series will get you started, so mark your calendars now for June 1, 8, 15, & 22 from 7:30-8 pm. More details coming. Bigi linn…be with us!
CÉILI IN THE CAROLAN ROOM
LETS DANCE! CÉILÍ
SUNDAY JULY 23RD FROM 4-7PM IN THE CAROLAN ROOM
Whether you come and kick up your heels or just tap to feet to the music of Jeanne Freeman (Fiddle) and John Whelan (Button Accordion) The Céilí sessions at the GAC are always great craic.
Admission is $20 at the Door
Light refreshments will be served
For information contact Noreen Forde 203-273-0483 ☘ $20 admission ☘
St. Patrick’s Gaelic Football & Hurling Club
Registration is open for Spring Season U7 – U17
Season runs from April – June with weekly games and/or practice. All
players must be registered to play in any games and/or tournaments.
Gaelic Sports Summer Camp -Cul Camp
June 26 – June 30th from 9am-3pm at Notre Dame High School $300
For more information contact training@stpatricksgaa.us or visit the
club’s website stpatricksgfc.org
GAC Membership Meeting
Membership Meeting are on summer hiatus so the next meeting is scheduled for Friday September 8th @ 8pm
25 Card Game
Card players will be off for the month of May.
How 25 is played:
The game of 25 can be played with any number of players, preferably from 5 to 10, not to exceed 10 players. The object of the game is to see who gets 25 first. Each trick is considered 5 points. To begin the game, any player can deal out the cards. The first player to receive an ace is the player who actually gets the first deal. Each player receives five cards. When the dealer is finished dealing the cards, he turns up the next card. This card is called the head trump. Then each player looks at his hand to see how many trump cards he has. The more trump cards a player has, the better his chances are of reaching 25.
The leadoff man to start the game is to the player’s left. If he leads off with a trump, then all players have to play a trump if they have one. Otherwise, they can play any card. If a player has trump, and does not play it, he is guilty of reneging A simple thought to remember is, “the more of the red, and the less of the black.” Another thought is to watch who is getting close to 25. This is called keeping the game “IN.” It is okay to play a trump card anytime a player wishes. The Ace of Hearts is always a trump regardless of what is played. The 5 card is the best card when trumps are up, followed by the Jack of Trumps, followed by the Ace of Hearts.
A complete description of the game would take several pages. The game of 25 is best explained by sitting down and playing an actual game with people who have been playing the game for years. In short, hopefully in some way, this has helped to bring the basics of the game to you.
The late Tom McInerney, a long-standing member of the club, donated this article.
Clan na Gael’s 2023 Season
Clan na Gael’s Spring Production
“The Poets Rebellion”, by Jason Downes and Martin Butler. The play is directed by Eamon Speer and Produced by Peg O’Leary.
Performances are Thursday 04/13, Friday 04/14 & Saturday 04/15 at 8pm
and Sunday 04/16 Matinee at 2:30pm
Featuring: Patrick Baldwin, Steven Bennett, Eileen Fickes, Alison Flannery, Joyce Fox,
Peter Haines, Bob Liftig, Marie Stehle and Byrne White.
The Poets Rebellion takes you to Dublin where a couple, tourists from America stop into the local pub, excited and enthusiastic about their day exploring the city. The bartender adds his thoughts, to theirs, on the events of the 1916 Uprising. Another patron, joins in, wanting his opposing views to be heard. The two men begin one-upping each other. Others coming into the pub dismiss the argument as “more of the same”. It becomes apparent that only those who were involved in the Uprising could speak to facts. Or could they?
Admission for the Poet’s Rebellion is $15.00.
For reservations please email Nancy O’Neil at playresvcng@gmail.com
or call at (203) 377-1070
Then in March the Clan na Gael One Act Playwright Contest Winning entries will be read Sunday, March 26, 2023, 2:30pm – Admission is Free!
- 1st Place “The Head of Shamus Delaney” by Ben Scranton
- 2nd Place “The Turquois Sheep” by Alison Flannery
- 3rd Place “Leaving” by Brian Whelan
CnG is planning an Evening of Merriment for those involved in prior CnG productions. And all interested in learning more about us as we celebrate 36 years of presenting plays by or about the Irish. No Experience Necessary! But always welcome! Watch for more information.
Trivia Night
September 1st @ 8pm – the color this month is WHTE
Trivia Night takes place on the first Friday of the month – and hands down one of the highlights of the GAC’s monthly activities so don’t miss out – you could win some cool stuff!
First Friday Trad Musician 6-8pm
JERRY O’SULLIVAN – FRIDAY JUNE 2ND FROM 6-8PM
Jerry O’Sullivan is June’s first Friday Trad Musician and has been widely hailed as America’s premier uilleann piper. His reputation for technical and melodic mastery of the instrument, an Irish bagpipe known for its subtlety and expression, is unsurpassed in the United States, and is demanding considerable attention overseas. Jerry is also widely recorded on the tin whistle, the low whistle, the Highland Pipes and the Scottish small pipes.
BRENDAN DOLAN FRODAY – MA Y 5TH FROM 6-8PM
Brendan Dolan is a multi-instrumentalist, excelling in the piano, Irish flute and tin whistle. He has worked with accordionist John Whelan, singer/songwriter Cathie Ryan, Andy Statman and Itzhak Perlman, and can be heard on the latest recordings of Billy McComiskey, Brian Conway and The Green Fields of America. Dolan is a teacher at the annual Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins West Virginia, and the Irish Arts Week in East Durham, New York. He maintains a vibrant school of Irish music for children in the New York City area.
LORETTA EGAN MURPHY FRIDAY MARCH 3RD FROM 6-8PM
This month’s Special Guest is Loretta Egan Murphy. Loretta plays the button accordion and the concertina. She is the winner of numerous national awards and has taught Irish music to hundreds of students in New York and Connecticut. Her CD, Beyond the Watery Lane, received critical acclaim in both the U.S. and Ireland. When she was younger, she and her sister Monica played the once bustling Catskills circuit. Loretta is also a GAC member and a key member of The Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society and a fixture at our weekly Trad Music Sessions Wednesday nights from 7-9pm in the Carolan Room.
Linsey Céitinn is February’s first Friday Musician Feb 3rd 6-8pm
This award-winning fiddler and teacher will play the February’s First Friday Trad Music Session on February 3rd from 6-8pm. An accomplished musician, she’s president of The PV O’Donnell Branch of Comhaltas and a student of Brian Conway.
Traditional Irish Music Session with Kira Jewett Friday January 6th @ 6pm
Kira Jewett our Frist Friday Trad Musician started playing classically when she was just three years old but fell in love with the music of Ireland in her 20s and studied extensively with the virtuoso fiddler Brian Conway. She is the 2003 All-Ireland fiddle Slow Airs Champion. She is also a member of New Leaf and the band will play that night from 8-11PM!
Irish History Lecture
30TH LECTURE IN A SERIES ON IRISH HISTORY (STAIR NA HÉIREANN)
“MARK TWAIN, T.S. ELIOT, AND IRISH AMERICA”
On May 7, 2023, at 2:00 pm in the Carolan Room, Christopher Dowd will be our lecturer
Dr. Dowd is Associate Professor and Chair of the English Department at the University of New Haven. His focus is on Irish-American literature and culture. In addition, he is the author of The Construction of Irish Identity in American Literature, and The Irish and the Origins of American Popular Culture.
Two of the most notable American writers of the 19th century helped shape popular perceptions about Irish-American identity. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain created one of the most beloved characters in all of American literature—Huck Finn—and describes him as an Irish boy. Yet, Huck’s Irishness has largely been ignored or erased over the past century. Similarly, T.S. Eliot’s character Sweeney appears in many plays and poems, including “The Wasteland.” Yet, the significance of his Irishness is also overlooked. This talk will consider the importance of Irish ethnicity to these foundational Irish texts by non-Irish writers and how it helped shape popular understandings of what it means to be Irish in America.
Tickets – $5.00 (Students with ID $2.00)
Sorry we cannot accept GAC script or credit cards
Help us plan seating and refreshments by registering in advance. Register online at: gaclectures@gmail.com Subject: Irish History. Please provide name, address, phone and email.
Mother’s Day Celebration May 14th
CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY WITH THE ANDY COONEY BAND
Sunday May 14 | 2 Seatings
12pm-1:30pm or 2pm-3:30pm
Buffet style meal & a complimentary glass of Prosecco for Mom!
$35/person, $15/children 12 & under Reservations Required
Email tommyflaherty62@gmail.com
In your email please specify what seating time and how many in your party – limit 8 to a table. Include #adults, #kids, and a phone number. Space is Limited RSVP ASAP to ensure your desired seating time. Note: the GAC accepts credit cards, along with scrip cards and cash.