Turn the Page
We Irish are a little bit known for and impacted by legacy; nostalgia for and of people, places and moments that came before us, and perhaps, still to come. Former President Joe Biden famously said, “We Irish are the only people in the world who are nostalgic for the future.”
We do often wear our hearts on our sleeves. Inside we talk about that in different ways, from marking and preserving music, books, authors, language, sports, stories, dance, traditions, anniversaries … to having to turn the page, willingly or not.
iIrish embraces that in distinguishing those moments now, and to come. Bob Carney celebrates his 10th anniversary writing Cleveland Comhrá (conversation), Dr. Jeanne Colleran celebrates her 2nd anniversary writing Irish Lit, and grant writers Bryan Reichert and Mitchell Baxter celebrate their 1-year anniversary trying to help us secure funding to grow and evolve iIrish in this ever-changing world. We are grateful each of them has taken on these challenges.
Many of those moments are joyful for a race that has risen above the thuggery of the past and present. But still, we lose people, and it hurts. We stand in sorrow and solace with Chris Connell, Columbus Irish columnist, who lost his father last month. I didn’t know his dad, but Chris’ stories and character tell me he was a good man. May he rest in peace, and may Chris and his family rest in the arms of our community.
Summer, we hardly knew ye. Yet, it was a great summer, and we’ve got a month or so to go! The Pittsburgh Irish Festival is September 5 thru 7, Cleveland Guardians ½ Way to St. Pat’s Party is the 9th, St. Pat’s GAA Golf Outing/Fundraiser is the 13th, Michigan Irish Music Fest is the 12 thru 14, Marys Lane Booze Cruise is the 18th … no rest for the wicked, or perhaps it is those who simply let their actions do the talking – showing up in support speaks volumes, no matter the rest tank left in the body.
The Artist Among Us
Our cover is the Irishtown Bend painting by Cleveland artist Timothy Callahan. Check out the story behind it all, in this month’s Cleveland Irish column. Tom Kaschalk’s fantastic new book, Cleveland’s Neighborhood Taverns, and Brian Conway’s Wallace Avenue new CD are reviewed inside as well. Dog Day Lessons, the failure of the Legacy Act, Speaking Irish, and Talking Bees share the Irish language and the Irish language at the University of Galway, Commodore John Barry, a fundraiser or two, a food recipe or two and of course, a wonderful list of What’s the Craic? events this month that can use your support are stories within worth reading – there you go, turn the page … so you can share in them too.
