|
|
IN
TUNE: Lynn Trombetta and Allen Ames of the group Meadowlark
perform their Irish influenced music at the Irish Cultural
Center in Phoenix.
Ralph Freso Tribune |
 | |
| Irish culture is alive and well
year-round in the Valley |
| By Geri Koeppel, Tribune |
| For many people, Irish culture is
synonymous with St. Patrick's Day. But the Valley's Irish community
wants to get the word out that it's easy being green all year long -
and you don't even have to be from the Emerald Isle. |
|
Take a look around the Irish Cultural Center
in Phoenix, which opened on St. Patrick's Day 2002.
"One-third to one-half the people are not of Irish descent,"
said Patrick Cunningham, the center's director. "They just love the
music or the dance or the entertainment."
And the Irish -
and those who admire them - don't just come together March 17 and
then disband after a few rounds of green beer. In late January, the
Irish Cultural Center restarted its Friday night Celtic concert
series in An Halla M¢r (The Great Hall), and all week the Academy of
Irish and Celtic Studies offers classes at the center in Gaelic
music, dancing, history and language instruction.
The center
also hosted a family-friendly Irish festival in October, focusing on
history, crafts, music and dance; it's slated to be an annual event.
In addition, this weekend there will be an Irish step dancing
competition in Mesa and an Irish beauty pageant in Phoenix.
There are also numerous other ways to get involved in Irish
culture locally. The Desert Shamrock, a bimonthly newspaper
addressing Irish issues, listed 27 clubs and committees in its
December/January issue.
"People think Irish is just (about)
St. Patrick's Day, and the only song they know is 'Danny Boy,' "
said Cunningham, of Chandler, "and you can go to our concerts all
year and maybe never hear 'Danny Boy.' "
Sean Lee of
Glendale, one of the founders of Executive Resources for Irish
Networking (ERIN), said many members of his group aren't even part
Irish.
"The charter says specifically that it is open to
people who are either Irish or with a strong Irish interest," he
said. That means members could be married to someone of Irish
descent - or they could simply appreciate Irish music or dancing.
Cunningham hopes the interest in Irish culture will continue
to grow here in the Valley, and the center is branching out to make
that happen.
"We want to be the connection between Ireland
and Arizona," he said. First, they'll host a photography exhibit
called "Through Each Other's Eyes" which will be up by March 15,
Cunningham said. It will be free and open to the public. A Phoenix
Sister Cities project, it includes works by Arizona photographers
who took photos of people and places in Ennis, Ireland, and those
from Ennis who came to Arizona to take pictures.
In
addition, Cunningham said they're breaking ground in March on a
building adjacent to the center, which will be a replica of an 1800s
Irish cottage. Right now, the center itself functions as a
multipurpose venue; there are no permanent displays for the public
to view. The cottage, though, will house permanent and rotating
exhibits, antiques, books and a small museum store. It's due to open
this fall.
Cunningham said the cottage's first exhibit will
be a reproduction of the Book of Kells, which he calls "the national
treasure of Ireland." It contains the four gospels - Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John - in Gaelic along with brilliant illustrations.
The book was written about 800 A.D. and given to Trinity
College in the 17 th century.
"When they restored it, they
made a few hundred replicas that are indistinguishable from the
original," Cunningham said.
All are in museums or
universities, except for the one owned by Lee, who came to the
United States 15 years ago. He is permanently lending it to the
center.
The center is also raising funds to set up a
videoconferencing system so that people here can take language
lessons from people living in Ireland.
"Also, we'll add a
satellite connection to Irish TV so we can have Irish film nights at
the center," Cunningham said.
He added that they're planning
to have computer resources available for people who want to track
their Irish roots. Don't assume you know your heritage until you
investigate: Anyone could be a wee bit Irish. For instance, Lee said
E.R.I.N. member Chuck Valenzuela's great-grandmother was Irish.
And that's no blarney.
For more information
To contact the Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central
Ave., Phoenix, call (602) 392-7850 or visit www.azirish.com.
For a subscription to the Desert Shamrock bimonthly
newspaper, call (602) 242-3203 or write to 5205 N. Central Ave., No.
600, Phoenix, AZ 85012. Cost is $15 annually. |
|
| Contact Geri Koeppel by email, or
phone (480) 898-6574 | |
