Irish pot pourri: A singing donkey, a disappearing beach

By Ed Forry
January 30, 2019

No matter how often you visit Ireland, you can nearly always find something fun, new, and interesting.

Last autumn, we loved hearing on the radio and reading about “UFO sightings” in Irish skies. Local radio stations were abuzz with reports that unidentified flying objects had been spotted by several commercial airline pilots.

THE BIR’S CALENDAR OF CELTIC MUSIC EVENTS

By Sean Smith, Special to BIR
January 30, 2019
Sean Smith, Special to BIR

The Galway Irish-Americana quartet We Banjo 3 returns to the Boston area this month with a show on Feb. 9 in the Somerville Theater at 8 p.m. “WB3” consists of two pairs of brothers, Enda (tenor banjo) and Fergal Scahill (fiddle, bodhran) and David (guitar, lead vocals) and Martin Howley (mandolin, tenor banjo), who are widely acknowledged as the originators of “Celtgrass,” a mix of Irish and American folk sounds that are inspired by tradition while embracing modern styles.

Celtic Woman – and ‘Ancient Land’ – New England-bound in March

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
January 30, 2019

Celtic Woman’s latest tour, featuring the ensemble’s latest recording, “Ancient Land,” is heading for New England, with stops planned in Concord (NH) at the Capitol Theatre on March 29, in Providence at the Performing Arts Center on April 2, in Hartford at the Bushnell Center on April 3, and in Worcester at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts on April 7.

Assembling the class for ‘School of Rock’

By R.J. Donovan, Special to the BIR
January 30, 2019
R.J. Donovan, Special to the BIR

What would “The King & I” have been like without Yul Brynner?  Or “Evita” without Patti LuPone?  Or “Music Man” without Robert Preston?
It’s obvious that casting is essential to theatrical success.  The casting director works closely with a show’s director, producer, writer, and creative team to help find the perfect actor for just the right role.  That includes everyone from the ensemble to the star.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Irish America’s ‘Baghdad Bob’ Is A Man Named Mick

By Peter F. Stevens, BIR Staff
January 30, 2019
Peter F. Stevens, BIR Staff

It’s over, at least for now.  As of this writing, the partial shutdown/presidential temper tantrum ignited by Donald Trump’s demand for a border wall or bust is over until Feb. 15. Still, as the president is already making noise that another shutdown or his declaration of a national emergency to strip defense spending to finance his wall is in the offing, his currently preferred mouthpiece is an Irish-American enabler who is serving as the quintessential “yes man” for his erratic boss.

Work is continuing on Famine Memorial for Deer Island site: May 25 dedication planned

By
January 30, 2019

An ad hoc Irish Great Hunger Deer Island Memorial committee last month continued to plan for the installation of a Celtic Cross to memorialize the Famine-era Irish buried in unmarked graves on the island. The memorial stone, currently being cut in a Pennsylvania quarry, is expected to be delivered to Deer Island in the early spring.

Criminal justice reform has come full circle; the ‘fixing’ never ends

By Ed Forry
January 30, 2019

By James W. Dolan
Special to the Reporter

Good public policy is all about establishing a sensible balance between often opposing views. In the attempt to achieve that balance, we too often go from one extreme to another. Criminal justice reform is an example. In the 1970s, rising crime rates prompted a reform emphasizing stiffer sentencing, including mandatory incarceration for drug dealers and repeat offenders. In so doing, policy makers were responding to complaints of community residents.

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