In the Final Cleveland St Pat’s/St Jarlath’s 4-06 (18) defeated the Denver Gaels 2-04 (10)
What a fantastic Championship game against Denver as Cleveland Camogie took home their first-ever US National Championship.
Ladies Gaelic Jr C Football Final
The Gaelic Football Ladies also showed great grace and resilience, winning their first ever US National Championship too, defeating Madison 4-5 (17) to 1-3 (6).
The Journey: Beat Tacoma Rangers 8-18 to 0 Beat Dallas Fionn MacCumhaill’s (SW) 7-14 to 1-2 Beat Madison 4-5 (17) to 1-3 (6)
Hurling Final
The Hurling Pittsburgh Pucas, won their division US National Championship, defeating … Madison 4-5 (17) to 1-3 (6)
Men’s Gaelic Football Jr D Football Final
The Pittsburgh Celtics Won their Division National Championship
5th – Big Slate, 11th – Patrick & the Jazz Guys, 20th – Half Craic’d. Local 10 Union establishment. Home of the Celtic Supporter’s Club & the GAA. Book Parties & Events in our Bridgie Ned’s Irish Parlor Party Room. 17119 Lorain Road, 44111. pjmcintyres.com
Happy Hour: M-F 4-7, Sat 12-6. Open Sessiún Every Thursday 7-10, ½ Off Wings, $1 off drinks. $3 Guinness and Jamieson. 16719 Detroit Avenue, 44107 plankroadtavern.com
MEDINA
SULLY’S
5- Joe Bell and the Swing Lizards, 6- GS Harper, 10- Traditional Irish Music Session 7-9pm, 12- Loch Erie, 13- The New Barleycorn, 19- The Smug Saints, 20- The Other Brothers, 26- The Music Men (Music Trivia), 27- Crawley and Sofranko. 117 West Liberty 44256 sullysmedina.com.
6th – Annual Car Show & Cruise-In 3-6P, Judy 440-777-5595 14th – Annual Clam Bake, Kathleen Chambers 440-759-7598; 18th – General Mtg 7P; 27th – Steak Shoot, Helen 216-251-4075. 10/5 – Fall 25 Tournament 2pm. Entry fee 20.00 incl. dinner by McDonough’s Brigade. Winners ea gets a Prize. 2nd & 3rd Prizes also awarded. Bring a partner or call – we will try to find one for you! Open to non-members. Dick Lardie 216-269-3005/ rlardie@ameritech.net.
Great live music and food in The Pub every Friday. WSIA Club 8559 Jennings Rd. 44138 wsia-club.org.
CLEVELAND ST. PAT’S / ST. JARLATHS GAA
Cleveland St. Pat’s / St. Jarlath’s GAA 13th – Cleveland Saints Golf Outing @Grey Hawk Golf. Defer to the team’s WhatsApp group chat or calendar on clevelandgaa.com for updates. Home Field: West Side Irish American Club 8559 Jennings Road 44138.
New players always welcome. Defer to the team’s WhatsApp group chat or calendar on clevelandgaa.com for updates. Home Field: West Side Irish American Club 8559 Jennings Road 44138.
PAINESVILLE
CELTIC NATIONS SOCIETY OF NORTHERN OHIO (CNSONO)
Irish American Club, holds its General Mtg the 4th Monday of month, 7:00p.m. @VFW, 33641 Vine Street, Willoughby, 44094 (440) 655-7592
ROCKY RIVER
GORMLEYS
HAPPY HOUR: Monday Thru Friday 2pm – 7pm! $2 off drafts / $2 off liquor / $1 off wine19500 Center Ridge Rd, 44116 GormleysPub.com
500 Southpark Center #GI10 (Southpark Mall Main Entrance), 44136 thehooley.com
VALLEY CITY
GANDALF’S
Join us for Brunch EVERY SUNDAY. Great food, atmosphere, staff and fun. 6757 Center Road 44280 gandalfspub.com.
WILLOUGHBY
NORA’S PUBLIC HOUSE
Tuesdays: Trivia 6:30pm; 1st Wednesday of mo.: Irish Music Session 7:30pm; Thursdays Live Music 7pm-10pm; Sundays: Brunch 10am-2pm, Live Music 11am-2pm. 4054 Erie Street, 44094. Noraspublichouse.net
WILD GOOSE
Mondays: Trivia 7pm; Wednesdays: Live Music 7pm-10pm. Erie Street, 44094 wildgoosewlby.com
COED Darts – 2nd & 4th Mondays; Men’s Darts – Wednesdays; Women’s Darts – 1st & 3rd Thursdays; Coed Corn Hole – 1st & 3rd Thursdays, Quiz Nights – 2nd Fridays. The Pipes and Drums welcome new members: practice Monday evenings @Shamrock Club of Columbus at 60 West Castle Rd. Columbus, OH 43207. Don’t play but would like to meet w/ us. Lessons are free: Tim Becker at 614-832-8816. 60 W. Castle Road, 43207 theshamrockclubofcolumbus.com.
SOUTH BEND
FIDDLER’S HEARTH
Mon: Open Irish Music Session 7ish; Tue: Open Old Timey Music Session 7ish; Wed: Open Mic – 7:30pm – 9:30pm, sign-up 6:30pm. 127 North Main Street South Bend 44601. FiddlersHearth.com
PITTSBURGH
PICT CLASSIC THEATRE
Season Subscriptions & Single tickets on sale: PICTTheatre.org 412.561.6000 x207; PO Box 8168, 15217
Tuesdays 7 to 9 pm: Set dancing lessons, St. Clarence Church 44070; Tuesdays 8-10 pm: Lessons @7:15. Sessiún Musicians, Dance Caller w/ Pittsburgh Ceili Club. Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle Pittsburgh, 15222 pittsburghceiliclub@gmail.com; Wednesdays: 7-9 pm Set dancing lessons: Irish American Club East Side 44123; Thursdays 7:00 – 9:00 (except Mtg nights) Ceili Dancing. West Side Irish American Club, 44138 CeiliClubCleveland@gmail.com
iIrish BOOK CLUB
9/10 – Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir by John Banville
In this “quasi-memoir” Banville serves as tour guide to some of the city’s most memorable sites and people while reflecting on the impact Dublin had on him as a young man.
Join us on Saturday, August 30 for a conversation with Glenn Bradley. Glenn is a business man of more than 30 years, the former Chair of the Northern Ireland Business and Human Rights Forum, a leader in ethical transparency in global supply chains, a former British soldier, and Ulster Unionist party officer.
He will share his own personal story from growing up in a Unionist community to his involvement in the negotiations of the Good Friday Agreement, and his hopes for the future around the need for true reconciliation and to address Unionist fears. He is among a growing number of unionists who are now receptive to the idea of constitutional change. Click the image below to join the webinar:
Next Month: September 20th, 12 Noon (click image to register)
Join us on Saturday, September 20 at 12:00 noon ET for the second in our Irish Unity Educational Webinar Series. We will be joined by special guest Professor Colin Harvey, a professor of Human Rights Law in the Queen’s University Belfast School of Law, a Fellow of the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Irish Studies and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is a Commissioner on the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and a member of the Scientific Committee of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency.
Professor Harvey served two terms as a Commissioner on the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, has been involved in an extensive range of advisory roles, and has provided expert evidence to parliamentary committees in Ireland and the UK, including the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for the Executive Office.
Many thousands of people attend the National Hunger Strike commemoration in Belfast where Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald gave an inspiring and powerful speech:
Last week Ciarán answered a few questions from readers regarding Irish identity and Irish Unity. We received great feedback – if you missed it, you can read it here.
This week I’d like to share some thoughts on another popular question we received from many readers who want to get involved and play a part – “What can I do?”
This is a historic moment in the history of Ireland, and the path to a new and united Ireland has never been clearer.
In Ireland, The Commission on the Future of Ireland is hosting People’s Assemblies all over the island, while organizations like Ireland’s Future and ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South) are conducting research and releasing reports on the constitutional, economic, and legal perspectives. Work is being done in universities, labor unions, and by many political parties.
For supporters of Irish Unity in North America, there have never been more ways or opportunities to get involved.
Here are some ways to play a role:
1 – Irish Unity People’s Assembly for the Diaspora: Over the next couple of months, we’ll be hosting People’s Assemblies in San Francisco, CA, Hartford, CT, Boston, MA, and Philadelphia, PA. If you are able to attend one of these events, you’ll not only receive an update on the latest developments from John Finucane MP or Mairéis Farrell TD, but you’ll work in small groups with other activists in attendance to help shape the conversation. Reports from these events are shared with the Commission on the Future of Ireland so that the perspectives and questions from the Irish diaspora and Irish living in North America making these events a key channel in the work of preparing for Irish unity.
2 – Irish Unity Education Webinar Series: starting Saturday, August 30, we’ll be hosting a monthly webinar focused on a different aspect of the work being done to achieve a new and united Ireland. These are free events, and open to everyone, and they provide an opportunity to learn directly from scholars, activists, and leaders who are leading the way. You can register for these events below.
3 – Get your organization involved: Are you a member of the AOH/LAOH or the IAUC? Do you belong to a union? Are you a member of your city’s Irish Network or club? This is a great place to start. Some of these organizations have national statements about unity and have structures in place to help you organize a working group or committee. Others do not yet have such a structure, which could be a great place to start. Find out what your fellow members know and think about Irish Unity and consider starting a study group, letter writing committee, or activist body to advocate with local and regional leaders.
4 – Help spread the word: Friends of Sinn Féin is not a membership organization, but we do provide a great deal of information, news, updates, analysis, and organize events from coast to coast. Be sure you are following us on all of our social media channels, and share and comment on our posts. Forward this email to 5 friends and encourage them to sign up for themselves. If you have friends or family in cities where we will be hosting events, let them know and tell them they should bring a group.
These are just a few ideas for ways to be a part of this historic moment. Support from Irish America is a vital piece of the puzzle, and we all have a role to play.
I hope to see you at an event or on a call soon!
Mise le mas,
Greg O’Loughlin
Greg O’Loughlin is the Executive Director of Friends of Sinn Féin
Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America
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 Tim 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.
Last week, I answered some common questions on the Good Friday Agreement, Irish Unity, and Unity Referendums. The feedback has been very positive. A number of readers raised the issue of the future of those with the British Unionist tradition in a united Ireland.
It should be noted that the founders of modern Irish Republicanism came from a Protestant Anglo-Irish background. The Society of United Irishmen pledged to “unite Protestant, Catholic, and Dissenter” and to break the link with Britain.
The Proclamation of the Irish Republic of 1916 promises, “The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien Government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.
To be an Irish Republican is to be anti-sectarian.
Irish Republicans know the impact of discrimination and repression. Our language was banned, economic and political discrimination was rife, our schools were underfunded, our culture was disrespected even the Irish Tricolour was effectively banned as it was likely in the eyes of the unionist police force to cause a breach of the peace. We were Irish Citizens in a state that did not want us.
In discussions with people from a unionist tradition, there is a fear that they will be treated in a united Ireland the way we were treated under the old Unionist regime.
That can never be the case. Our vision is of an Ireland that is a home for all the people of the Island.
There are only two provisions of the Good Friday Agreement that explicitly apply in a united Ireland. The first:
(v)…., the power of the sovereign government with jurisdiction there shall be exercised with rigorous impartiality on behalf of all the people in the diversity of their identities and traditions and shall be founded on the principles of full respect for, and equality of, civil, political, social and cultural rights, of freedom from discrimination for all citizens, and of parity of esteem and just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos, and aspirations of both communities;
The safeguards of equality and respect in a united Ireland are already agreed.
The second provision relates to the right to be Irish, British, or both:
(vi) recognise the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments…
As a Sinn Féin President once reminded an audience of Unionists, “You can be British in a divided Ireland, you can be British in a United Ireland.” One issue outstanding is the detail of how the British Government will honor this commitment on Citizenship rights for its citizens in a united Ireland.
Much of the commentary around the issue of identity in a united Ireland has centered around flags and symbols, etc. In all my discussions, I have heard a single unionist commit to a united Ireland if the tricolour was changed or the anthem dropped. The issues are always on the economy, public services, and political representation in a United Ireland. By the same token, I have never heard Irish Republicans calling for a ban on Union flags flying in Unionist areas in a united Ireland.
The demand to censor or ban identities has no place in a United Ireland and is counter to the commitments of the Good Friday Agreement. Unionism tried that for fifty years and failed. It is not beyond us to find ways to share a united Ireland.
I hope that helps.
Have a great weekend,
Is mise,
Ciarán
Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America
An old cowboy goes into a barber and asks for a haircut. He tells the barber he can’t get all his whiskers off because of the wrinkles and old age.
The barber gets a little wooden ball from a cup on the shelf and tells the old cowboy to put it inside his cheek to spread out the skin.
When he’s finished, the old cowboy tells the barber that was the cleanest shave he’s had in years.
But he wanted to know what would have happened if he had swallowed that little ball.
The barber replied, “Just bring it back in a couple of days like everyone else does.”
Good Ol’ Dad
When I was a kid, my dad worked for ODOT, but he got caught stealing and got fired. I refused to believe that he could do such a thing, but when I got home, the signs were all there.
Be Brief
I was asked to say a few words at my friend’s funeral. Standing there, tears welling up, all I could manage to choke out was, ‘Plethora.’ His wife looked at me, nodded, and said, ‘Thank you, that means a lot.'”
“Then the next guy got up, clearly inspired, and just said, ‘Earth.’ The widow’s eyes widened, a tear rolled down her cheek, and she whispered, ‘Oh, thank you. That… that means the world!'”
“A third friend approached the podium, took a deep breath, and solemnly declared, ‘Waterhole.’ The widow, looking a little confused but still gracious, simply replied, ‘I know you meant well.'”
“Just as the service seemed to conclude, another friend stood up, paused dramatically, and announced, ‘Totality.’ The widow’s face softened, and with a heartfelt nod, she thanked him, adding, ‘That means everything.'”
“Then, from the back of the room, a woman slowly stood up. With a quiet, intense voice, she uttered, ‘Underestimate.’ The widow’s eyes met hers, and a knowing, solemn look passed between them as she responded, ‘Thank you. That means more than you know.'”
“Lastly, a man rose from his seat near the front. With a confident smile, he stated, ‘Bargain.’ The woman, now looking directly at him, thanked him warmly and said, ‘Oh, yes. That means a great deal.'”
Dating Isn’t Easy
I finally got the nerve to ask the new girl in the office out. Our first nine dates were mostly going out to dinner, then finally we went to see a movie. It went like this: dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner… BATMAN!
Perspective My Son
A fellow went to the doctor, who told him that he had a bad illness and only a year to live. So, he decided to talk to his pastor. After the man explained his situation, he asked his Pastor if there was anything he could do.
“What you should do is go out and buy a late ’70s or early ’80s model Dodge pickup,” said the Pastor. “Then go get married to the ugliest woman you can find, and buy yourselves an old trailer house in the panhandle of Oklahoma.”
The fellow asked, “Will this help me live longer?”
“No,” said the pastor, “but it will make what time you do have seem like forever.”
It’s the Little Things
A yuppie opened the door of his new BMW. Suddenly a car came along and hit the door, ripping it off completely. When the police arrived at the scene, the yuppie was complaining bitterly about the damage to his precious BMW.
“Officer, looked what they’ve done to my Beemer,” he whined.
“You yuppies are so materialistic, you make me sick!” said the officer. “You’re so worried about your stupid car, that you didn’t even notice your left arm was ripped off!”
“Oh, my gaaawd,” screamed the yuppie, finally noticing the bloody shoulder where his arm once was. “Where’s my Rolex?”
Help Me Too
A bum asks a man for two dollars.
The man asked, “Will you buy booze?”
The bum said, “No.”
The man asked, “Will you gamble it away?”
The bum said, “No.”
Then the man asked, “Will you come home with me so my wife can see what happens to a man who doesn’t drink or gamble?”
Tech Savy
Jesus and Satan were having an ongoing argument about who was better on his computer.
They had been going at it for days, and God was tired of hearing all of the bickering.
Finally, God said, “Cool it. I am going to set up a test that will run two hours, and I will judge who does the better job.”
Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.
They moused.
They did spreadsheets.
They wrote reports.
They sent faxes.
They sent e-mail.
They sent e-mail with attachments.
They downloaded files.
They did some genealogy reports.
They created labels and cards.
They did every known job.
Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency, and Satan was faster than hell.
But ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and-of course-the electricity went off.
Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the Underworld.
Jesus just sighed.
The electricity finally came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming “It’s gone! It’s all GONE! I lost everything when the power went out!”
Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours.
Satan observed this and became irate. “Wait! He cheated! How did he do it?”
Swap steaks for spinach and you might watch the scale plummet. In a 16-week crossover study, overweight adults who ditched animal products for a low-fat vegan menu saw their bodies become less acidic and dropped an average of 13 pounds. Researchers link the shift to lower “dietary acid load,” a hidden inflammation trigger driven by meat, eggs, and cheese.
Dietary acid load decreased significantly on a low-fat vegan diet and was associated with weight loss, according to a randomized cross-over trial conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
Eating acid-producing foods like meat, eggs, and dairy can increase the dietary acid load, or the number of acids consumed, causing inflammation linked to weight gain. Replacing animal products with plant-based foods like leafy greens, berries, and legumes can help promote weight loss and create a healthy gut microbiome.
This new research included 62 overweight adults who were randomized to a traditional acidic diet or a low-fat vegan diet for 16 weeks, separated by a four-week cleansing period, followed by an additional 16 weeks on the alternate diet.
Participants’ dietary records were used to calculate dietary acid load, which is commonly estimated by two scores: Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) and Net Endogenous Acid Production (NEAP). A higher score indicates a higher dietary acid load.
Animal products including meat, fish, eggs, and cheese cause the body to produce more acid, increasing dietary acid load, which is linked to chronic inflammation that disrupts metabolism and can lead to increased body weight. Plant-based diets, which are more alkaline, are associated with weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and lower blood pressure.
In the new analysis, both PRAL and NEAP scores decreased significantly on the vegan diet, with no significant change on the traditional diet. The reduction in dietary acid load was associated with weight loss, and this association remained significant even after adjustment for changes in energy intake. Body weight was reduced by 13.2 pounds on the vegan diet, compared with no change on the standard diet.
The authors say that a vegan diet’s alkalizing effect, which increases the body’s pH level to make it less acidic, may also help promote weight loss. Top alkalizing foods include vegetables, particularly leafy greens, broccoli, beets, asparagus, garlic, carrots, and cabbage; fruits, such as berries, apples, cherries, apricots, or cantaloupe; legumes, for example lentils, chickpeas, peas, beans or soy; and grains, such as quinoa or millet.
