history of the Claddagh ring
Read about the history of the Claddagh ring here
Wednesday, July 4, 2018 Read More →
Take survey about Irish identity and the consumption of tea
I am circulating a survey about Irish identity and the consumption of tea as part of an anthropological study. The goal of this study is to better understand how individuals who identify as Irish or Irish-American may associate tea consumption as significant to that identity. If so, we are also interested in whether that particular expression of their identity is expressed in the material items they use to make and drink tea. Since so many...
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 Read More →
2017 St. Patrick's Day Parade Winners
Here are the winners in Tucson’s 2017 St. Patrick’s Day Parade (congratulations to you all!):
Grand Marshal’s Award: McArdle Clan
Best Parade Theme: Irish American Gaelic Society
Best Musical Entry: Maguire Academy of Irish Dance
Most Humorous Entry: Sabbar Shriners
Best Commercial Entry: OhhhPhoto Booth BusSee the winners here
Friday, March 17, 2017 Read More →
Donegal-based novel becomes first to link US and Ireland on the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’
(Description from publilsher. I have ordered this and will weigh in after I’ve read it. -Aine)
With the intriguing title of ‘Pretty Ugly,’ international journalist, Sean Hillen, has emerged as the first author to pen a novel linking Ireland with the United States set exactly on the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ – and he’s chosen the rugged Donegal coastline as the setting for much of the book’s dramatic action.
Summed up by the phrase, ‘Cosmetics create beauty, but when that turns ugly, it’s lethal,’ the contemporary suspense novel is a rocky ride through the murky undercurrent of corporate and political machinations bridging the complex worlds of medicine, media and modeling, in both the US and Ireland, with a surprising touch of magic realism, Celtic-style. The plot links Donegal and Belfast with Kansas City, Boston, New York and Washington.
Grounded in cutting-edge medical science and following extensive research by Sean, who worked at the UN Media Center in New York and was a former medical correspondent for a US daily newspaper, ‘Pretty Ugly’ focuses on a key contemporary health issue – the extensive and unregulated use of nanoparticles, particularly in everyday cosmetics.
“Cosmetic companies are so rich and powerful in the US, they have prevented a succession of high-profile politicians including former Senator Edward Kennedy and national regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration from analyzing what toxic materials are in the products we see every day on our supermarket shelves, both for men and women,” said Sean. “One of the main questions my novel deals with is the physical horrors these rogue nanoparticles, a thousandth time smaller than a human cell, could create when they flood through your body in the bloodstream to key organs such as the brain and heart. The other issue in my book involves the struggle faced by traditional media including newspapers in face of the ever-widening Internet.”
Facing some terrible truths, an unlikely trio of characters – an investigative journalist, a skin specialist and a celebrity model – embark on a dangerous mission, to lift the veil of secrecy on a powerful cosmetics company intent on concealing the health hazards from toxic ingredients in one of its lucrative products. Ironically, the greatest risk is contained inside an ordinary concealer – nanoparticles so tiny they infiltrate nerve and blood cells causing untold damage. If the trio move fast enough, they can save lives. If they don’t …
Sensing a national exclusive, Colm Heaney, an impassioned emigrant Irish medical reporter, embarks on a strange quest to Donegal, in search of Patricia Roberts, a former Miss America in hiding after a bizarre accident left her severely scarred, both mentally and physically, and a close friend in a coma. Discovering the beauty queen is involved in a medical experiment using the most ancient of skin rejuvenation remedies – simple bog turf – Colm then finds himself involved in a major investigation that reveals corruption at the highest levels of American society, with high-ranking figures in the corporate and political worlds facing off, willing to risk everything to protect their exalted positions and principles. Bribery and paparazzi become key elements in the story.
“Far be it from me to say, ‘Pretty Ugly’ would make an excellent gift,” said Sean. “But think of it this way. It has a pretty cover, it’s a pretty good read and it’s a pretty size so it’s bound to look extremely pretty wrapped up with nice colorful paper or inside a seasonal red stocking. As for the ‘ugly’ bit. Keep in mind, ‘Beauty is in the mind of the beholder.’ Sean also hopes “Pretty Ugly’ can help kick-start what he terms ‘literary tourism’ in Ireland’s economically marginalized northwest, with more tourists coming to Donegal to see places they read about in his novel such as Gola and Tory Islands, Dunlewey, the Poisoned Glen, Gaoth Dobhair, Cnoc Fola (Bloody Foreland), the village of Bunbeg, local music venues such as Teac Jack, Teac Hiudái Beag’s, and many others.
Book can be purchased on Amazon. in print and as an e-book and you can find out more about Sean on his websiteWednesday, January 4, 2017 Read More →
Support "Her Exiled Children," three documentaries about the Irish of America
Friends of Irish Studies in the West has a new documentary film project to record and share a history of the Irish in Montana. It will focus nationwide attention on the rich Irish culture of the state, the unique Irish Studies program they have, and, help to attract out-of-state students from the greater Irish American community.
A request is made that the Irish community nationwide support a project that focuses on the achievements of the Irish of America. The 150th anniversary of the death of Thomas Meagher takes place next year so it’s appropriate to feature his life with a special emphasis on his time in Montana; a film on Marcus Daly, nationalist and industrialist, is long overdue; and O Sullivan represents an cultural movement that originated in America and began the revolution, as Padraig Pearse said, that would achieve independence.
Once these documentaries are made, they will be broadcast on PBS and on Irish national television. A copy of each will be placed in every high school in Montana, and will offer scholarships to students to study Irish culture at UM for essays, poems and short stories inspired by the films. Please consider contributing to this project and getting more information at Friends of irish Studies. The Friends of Irish Studies is a non-profit community based organization established to unite those of Irish heritage and those with a love of Ireland by fostering Irish culture at the local, national, and international levels.
Saturday, December 10, 2016 Read More →
Tir Conaill Academy of Irish Dance Merges with Celtic Steps
The Tir Conaill Academy of Irish Dance has merged with Celtic Steps in Colorado and will now also be called Celtic Steps at its schools in Arizona and New Mexico. Celtic Steps is now the biggest Irish dance school in the western United States, offering classes in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and South Dakota. The website is currently in transition.
Sunday, September 11, 2016 Read More →
Why do Guinness bubbles go down instead of up?
Why do Guinness bubbles go down instead of up?
Science has finally figured out just why Guinness is so different. They found that the bubbles rose rapidly at the center of the glass, pulling the surrounding liquid with them and setting up a circulating current while the outlying bubbles moved downwards.Unlike other brews, the bubbles in Guinness go down rather than up.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 Read More →
Bloom film just released on demand
Never got around to reading Ulysses? Watch the film. “‘Bloom” is an award-winning Irish film adaptation of James Joyce’s novel “Ulysses”, starring Academy Award® Nominee Stephen Rea, Angeline Ball, Hugh O’Conor and Patrick Bergin. Today, “Bloom” has been launched on VOD (Video On Demand), making it available, for the first time, on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon Instant Video.
“Bloom” has been hailed as “Quite Brilliant” by the Sunday Independent, “Bawdy, Irreverent, Lyrical” by The Sunday Tribune and “Vigorous, Musical and Modern” by The Sunday Times. Angeline Ball, in particular, earned wide acclaim, winning a Best Actress IFTA for her remarkable portrayal of Molly Bloom, probably the most controversial and complex female character in modern literature.
So, if you’re one of the millions who are curious about Ulysses but never got around to reading the book, “Bloom” is a great place to start unlocking the drama, the humour and the humanity inside James Joyce’s masterpiece. (And you will be more prepared for next year’s Bloomsday events, which were inspired by the book. Find out more here.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015 Read More →
Congratulations to the 2015 Parade Winners
Grand Marshal’s Award- McArdle Clan Shenanigans
Best Parade Theme- Irish Gaelic Society
Best Musical Entry- Tucson Fire Pipe and Drum Band
Most Humorous Entry- Society of Perpetual Indulgment
Best Commercial Entry- Tucson JeepsMonday, March 16, 2015 Read More →
New Resource to Learn to Play an Instrument and Traditional Irish Music Online
Learn to play an instrument and traditional Irish music with a professional musician online. Register today for 3 FREE Video Tutorials at www.3lmusic.com.
Friday, December 5, 2014 Read More →
Congratulations to the 2014 St. Patrick's Day Parade Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2014 St. Patrick’s Day Parade:
Grand Marshal’s Award: McArdle Clan Shenanigans
Best Parade Theme: Irish American Gaelic Society
Best Musical entry: Tucson & District Pipe Band
Most Humerous: Mashed Potato Queens
Tucson Award for the Best Commercial Entry: Fini’s Landing
Best Dance Group: Tir Conaill Academy of Irish DanceSaturday, March 15, 2014 Read More →
Flanagan's Celtic Corner in a New Location
Flanagan’s Celtic Corner, Tucson’s only Celtic store, has moved to its new location at 2719 E. Broadway, between Tucson Blvd. and Country Club on the north side of the road.
Regular business hours are 10-6, Tuesday through Saturday. The phone number is 520 623-9922. Please be sure to stop by and see all the new inventory of Irish, Scottish and Welsh items and support this local business.
Sunday, October 13, 2013 Read More →
Death of TIC web designer
Katherine Huck Fernie Howard, the talented artist and web designer who designed this web site and served as its technical web master died suddenly on March 11, 2013, at the age of 41. She will be dearly missed.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Read More →
Ireland Reaching Out to You -- Unlock your past in Ireland!
We have been contacted by a new Irish Government-sponsored programme called Ireland Reaching Out seeking to connect people of Irish heritage abroad with their place of origin in Ireland and know this will be of interest to you.
By joining any of the 2,500+ parish communities online, direct genealogical assistance is available from local people in the area who also volunteer to meet any of you who make a return visit. This is a free service run by local parish volunteers and Ireland XO is a not-for-profit charity.
Above all, Ireland XO builds on the paper trail of the records that may only get people so far, by providing that final link of local knowledge. Ireland XO link directly to people from the communities of their ancestors and use their knowledge to perhaps finally discover that elusive headstone, or the spot where the ancestral home once stood, or to even seek out some long-lost cousins.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 Read More →
TIC is now on Twitter
Tucson Irish Community is now on Twitter. Follow us at @IrishCommunity. We will post our new events and news on our Twitter feed.
Saturday, April 7, 2012 Read More →
Website up and running
The tecchnical problems that caused the web site articles and photos to be unavailable have now been fixed. All of the parade and festival photos are now viewable and downloadable for noncommercial purposes.
Sunday, March 18, 2012 Read More →
2012 St. Patrick's Day Parade Winners
Here are the winners from the 2012 St. Patrick’s Day Parade:
Grand Marshal’s Choice: Family of Mike Haggerty
Best Musical: Tir Conaill Academy of Irish Dance
Best Parade Theme: McArdle Clan Shenanigans
Most Humorous: Mashed Potato Queens
Best Commercial Float: Truly Nolen
Saturday, March 17, 2012 Read More →
The Launch of the Ireland Reaching Out Diaspora Project by An Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny, TD
The Ireland XO project is based on a simple idea; instead of waiting for Irish-Americans and their global counterparts to come to Ireland to trace their roots, we go the other way. Working through voluntary effort at a townland, village and parish level, we identify who left, and trace them and their descendants worldwide, proactively engaging with them and inviting them to become part of an extended “virtual” community with their place of origin.
In this way, the entire Irish Diaspora of 70 million can be systematically reunified online and invited back to engage with their ancestral parish for the benefit of all. The project held an inaugural “Week of Welcomes” in June 2011, inviting back members of the Irish Diaspora from the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand to their parishes of origin in South-East Galway, mobilising over 500 community volunteers in the process.
The initiative has been praised for its innovative use of technology, community volunteerism, and professional organisation, and received substantial coverage in national and international press including RTE, BBC and the New York Times. The project now has over 200 parishes involved nationwide. The Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO) project won the special award at the national for “Pride of Place” Awards in Nov 2011 and in February 2012, was voted the “Best Community” initiative nationally by the Local Authorities Members Awards (LAMA).
If you require any any additional information, please contact info@irelandxo.com or pkennedy@irelandxo.com. Tel 091 842 013
Thursday, March 15, 2012 Read More →
Online Academy of Irish Music
The Online Academy of Irish Music is officially set to launch on Friday, April the 29th. The launch will be broadcast live over the Internet from Gus O’Connor’s pub in Doolin, Co. Clare from 10pm and can be viewed on the website www.LiveTrad.com. It will feature a traditional Irish music session hosted by some of OAIM’s tutors as well as local musicians Eoin O’Neill and Yvonne Casey. Enthusiasts of traditional Irish music from around the world are invited to tune in, tune up and join the session online from the comfort of their own homes.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Read More →
2011 St. Patrick's Day Parade Winners
See the pictures of this year’s parade winners.
Grand Marshals’s Choice:
1st place: Staff of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
2nd place: United States Submarine Veterans- Tucson Base
3rd place: Tucson Fire Pipe and DrumsMost Humorous:
1st place: McArdle Clan
2nd place: Mashed Potato Queens
3rd place: Fighting Irish with the Mc ZsaZsa’sBest Parade Theme:
1st place: Tucson Fire Department
2nd place: Southwest Ambulance
3rd place: Tucson Police DepartmentBest Commercial Float:
1st place: ...Saturday, March 12, 2011 Read More →
