editor’s corner:So MUCH Good News to Share​

Welcome to iIrish’s newest monthly column, Get in Lads, We’re Going on an Adventure, by Karen Barrett and Shannon Thomas-Ziemnik. These two lively adventurers share their stories and travel plans in and around Ireland. We first met them when they began learning Irish in our iIrish Speak Irish Cleveland class, co-sponsored by PJ McIntyre’s, now in its 12th year. This is also the first column in our 17-year history written by two columnists. Karen and Shannon bring humor, practicality, and useful tips, including details about enrolling in an Irish immersion class—in Ireland!

We also want to congratulate Lisa O’Rourke, who’s celebrating the 10th anniversary of her Speak Irish Akron column. Lisa’s humor and deep knowledge make her stories a monthly highlight.

More great news: Gunselman’s Tavern, a longtime iIrish advertiser, opened Gunselman’s Steak House in Olmsted Twp. on July 10th. They’ve been with iIrish for eight years now. The new venue offers a beautiful ambiance, from the stylish steakhouse upstairs to the cozy Irish pub and patio downstairs. With local farm-fresh ingredients, Gunselman’s delivers a delightful menu, and I highly recommend checking it out.

We recently attended Irish Heritage Night at The Lake County Captains’ game against the Lansing LugNuts. As always, the minor league’s quirky fun was in full swing, and the ice cream was especially noteworthy—delicious!

Irish Sports

The first week of August brings the Midwest GAA Championships for men’s and women’s Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie. Several Cleveland teams qualified, and winners will move on to the US National Championships in San Francisco. Good luck to all! In other Gaelic football news, the first-ever U.S. county team competed in Ireland, narrowly losing by just one point—a fantastic start!

Hibernian National Convention

The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) and Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH) National Conventions will take place from August 7th through 11th in Orlando. Six of our columnists, including National LAOH President Marilyn Madigan, are members. We look forward to sharing updates from the largest Catholic organization in the U.S., which has a rich history of contributions.

Lastly, remember that elections are coming up, so vote your conscience! iIrish is proudly Irish all year long and made in America.

Nuair a stapann an ceol, an damhsa déanann an amhlaidh (When the music stops, so does the dance).

—John