Editor’s Corner: You’ll Never Beat the Irish …

Do you feel the wind beneath our wings? Things are coming back, not just to normal, but to even better. From the Irish American Arts & Culture Awards to the inaugural flight of the new Cleveland to Dublin direct flight, to the fantastic Cleveland Saints Annual 7-a-Side Memorial Gaelic Football Tournament, the pulse of the Irish is felt everywhere once again.

Men’s and Women’s Irish Football

Men’s and women’s team from the Buffalo Fenians, Chicago McBride’s, Chicago Erin Rovers, Chicago James Joyce’s, Cincinnati GAA, Cleveland Saints, Detroit Wolfetones, Milwaukee GAA, Pittsburgh Banshees and Pittsburgh Celtics, squared off on two fields and in 28 games that started rain soaked, but became sun soaked by 11 a.m. After all that, on the ladies’ side, there was a three-way tie between Chicago Erin Rover’s, Cleveland Saints and Pittsburgh Banshees – the ladies champion tie breaker was head to head record – which was also a 3-way tie. 

The next tiebreaker was total goals scored. The Chicago ladies ran away with the cup on that tiebreaker.

Fierce competition and contact in the men’s series resulted in many fantastic games too. The Pittsburgh Celtics took home the Danny Doherty Memorial Tournament Men’s Cup. Click or copy to read that wonderful story, and www.iirish.us or our Facebook page to see loads of pics from throughput the tournament.

Aer Lingus Inaugural Direct Flight,

Cleveland to Dublin

The evening before the 7-a-Side, and after much anticipation, Aer Lingus launched their new Cleveland to Dublin direct flight on May 19^th, 2023. It did not disappoint. From speeches, kudos and a few great story swaps, dancers from the Leneghan Academy of Irish Dance, Harpist Tiffany Schaeffer, then the arrival of the inaugural flight from Dublin, and meeting the new crew taking her and the full house of 182 back to Dublin, the anticipation and hope we have all felt for the widespread effects of this initiative just begun, have been exceeded.

I cannot overstate the impact this has on so many, many people, businesses, and opportunities here in the U.S. and in Ireland.  Huge doors have been opened for business, opened to Europe, and for Europe, opened to Cleveland and beyond. There might be a few family reunions too.

A video of the actual arrival is below:

The momentous occasion brought Consul General of New York Helena Nolan to Cleveland for the first time. She left full of good vibes about Cleveland, and the Cleveland Irish community. You can read more about that and the accompanying pictures at www.iirish.us or our Facebook page.

I learned last month that we at iIrish newsmagazine had won an Irish American Arts and Culture Ambassador Award, presented by the Irish Echo in Buffalo on April 28.   The timing was fantastic as well, as Buffalo is next city targeted for iIrish expansion.

A tour of The James Joyce Collection at the University of Buffalo, the awards, The Banshee, The U.S.S. The Sullivan’s and other ships, and many war monuments to those who fought in and gave the ultimate sacrifice, capped by spending some time at The Western New York Irish Famine Memorial, of our people who also sacrificed and were sacrificed, for survival. (We Ought to Remember Better than We Do)

See the What’s the Craic?, Taking the Fields of Glory, and the Annual Festival Focus pages within for all craic, and the details too. There is so much more inside, and so much more to come. Time to take wing.

iIrish is made in America. We have always been green and are proudly Irish, all year long.

…

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

John

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*John is a Founder and the Publisher and Editor of iIrish, an archivist, spokesman, emcee, Spoken Word presenter and author of five books, so far. He can be reached at [email protected]