The Irish Fest – when Milwaukee is more Irish than Ireland

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
July 30, 2015

By Judy Enright

It’s not exactly Ireland, but Milwaukee’s Henry W. Maier Festival Park will be more Irish than Ireland over the third weekend in August when the 35th annual “Irish Fest” comes to town.

The mission of Milwaukee’s annual Irish Fest is “to promote and celebrate all aspects of Irish, Irish American and Celtic cultures and to instill in current and future generations an appreciation of their heritage.” The Fest runs from Aug. 13-16 this year and features Irish and Celtic artists from around the globe and much more. The mission of Milwaukee’s annual Irish Fest is “to promote and celebrate all aspects of Irish, Irish American and Celtic cultures and to instill in current and future generations an appreciation of their heritage.” The Fest runs from Aug. 13-16 this year and features Irish and Celtic artists from around the globe and much more. Organizers claim that, “Milwaukee Irish Fest is the world’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture.” The four-day festival (August 13-16 this year) features more than 100 entertainment acts on 17 stages, as well as sports events and more in the 75-acre park that stretches along Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan waterfront. The event includes a dog show in the Celtic Canines’ area where you can see all nine native Irish dog breeds, including setters, spaniels and wolfhounds.

I’ve been to “Irish Fest” several times over the years and the organizers are not exaggerating one bit. This event is enormous and attracts more than 120,000 visitors annually. Spokesmen are there to represent every kind of Irish tour group and organization ranging from Tourism Ireland and Aer Lingus to car rental firms, hotel groups, different counties, and tourist attractions.

SHOPPING

And, don’t forget about the great shopping! Organizers say there is no place better to shop for Irish goods than “Irish Fest” where there is “the largest gathering of Irish vendors and products outside Ireland. More than 90 vendors sell everything from soccer jerseys to fine art, jewelry, clothing, music and more.” Many musicians and artisans travel to Milwaukee for this annual fun event and the fairgrounds are buzzing with activity. “Irish Fest” has children’s activities, too, as well as booths selling all sorts of food and drink. It’s a perfect event for singles, couples and families.

‘Backroom’ series offers a winning trifecta

By Sean Smith
July 30, 2015
Sean Smith

Not that the Burren “Backroom” series hasn’t had plenty of wow-inducing shows during its nearly four years of existence, but this month’s line-up is something of a marvel: three acts that collectively represent nearly five decades – and some of the most prodigious talent – of the modern Irish folk music revival.

Montana-bred, and Berklee-trained, Lindsay Straw tells lovers’ stories in song (and escorts newlyweds to the dance floor)

By Sean Smith
July 30, 2015
Sean Smith

It all seems to fit together: Lindsay Straw, who has a pretty lucrative business as a wedding entertainer – when she’s not asserting herself as one of the better singers and guitar/bouzouki players in the Boston Irish music scene, that is – releases a solo CD of traditional songs that are all about love and relationships.

Coincidence? Actually, says Straw, it is.

He relishes chance to share Shakespeare on the Common

By R.J. Donovan
July 30, 2015
R.J. Donovan

Common Shakespeare: All the world’s a stage as “King Lear” marks the 20th anniversary of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company presenting Shakespeare on the Common. Performances are free and run through August 9. Ryan Maxwell photoCommon Shakespeare: All the world’s a stage as “King Lear” marks the 20th anniversary of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company presenting Shakespeare on the Common. Performances are free and run through August 9. Ryan Maxwell photo
The first thing you should know about Fred Sullivan, Jr. is that the actor-director loves Shakespeare.   “As much as breathing” he said.   Which puts him in good stead for his current Shakespeare on the Common gig playing the powerful, generationally challenged Earl of Gloucester in “King Lear.”  

Presented by Commonwealth Shakespeare Company in celebration of its 20th season, performances are free and run through Aug. Founding Artistic Director Steve Maler directs.

KEEPING KIDS ON THE RIGHT TRACK: Seeking best practices to help at-risk youth in Massachusetts, Ireland, Northern Ireland

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
July 30, 2015

Jay McManus is Director of the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts in Lynn, a legal aid program for low-income and disabled children. Recently, the agency was among a dozen that served as host sites for a group of Irish (from both the Republic and Northern Ireland) barristers, child advocates, and police who all arrived in Boston last spring for the “Rule of Law Program,” which was sponsored by Boston College and the US State Department.

A TALE OF TWO HEROES: Hypocrisy reigns supreme when it comes to US Sen. McCain and Secretary of State Kerry

By Peter F. Stevens
July 30, 2015
Peter F. Stevens

John Kerry’s name has often appeared in this newspaper – not always accompanied by plaudits. Kerry came to this writer’s mind in recent days during the deserved outcry against Donald Trump’s outrageous comments about US Sen. John McCain’s service and heroism. From all corners of the media, condemnation of The Donald’s churlish remarks came fast and furious. From Republican presidential candidates who were either mute or tepid in response to Trump’s vile Nativist comments about Mexicans, the rush to excoriate Trump was thunderous.

Evolution is doing its thing. Let’s deal with it

By By James W. Dolan
July 30, 2015
By James W. Dolan

The application of strict principles in an evolving society presents many problems, both temporal and spiritual. Supreme Court justices are split between those who see the constitution as fixed and immutable and those who see it as a set of fundamental principles that are adaptable, capable, that is, of being interpreted and applied in an evolving society to problems never envisioned by the authors. They see the essence of the document preserved by a broader analysis of its application.

Visits to schools in Belfast, Dublin show that much good work is going on there

By Joe Leary
July 30, 2015
Joe Leary

As part of our careful search to determine the best use of the funds we raise on behalf of Ireland, the Irish American Partnership constantly reviews its decisions regarding grants to specific programs and Irish schools. A formal grants committee consisting of Irish and American directors meets in Ireland to regularly provide advice to the full board of directors.

Getting to Ireland: Good deals abound

Ed Forry
By Ed Forry
July 30, 2015

Ireland has launched a program of events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. “The Centenary Programme” is described as ”a call to action for the people of Ireland, our Diaspora and friends of Ireland all around the world - to remember 1916 and that pivotal period in our history, to reflect on the past 100 years, and to re-imagine our future.”

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