Is Anybody Out There?
Hello,
I have a briefly free evening (it is 11:30 p.m.) from preparing for the 24th Annual Cleveland’s Irish Cultural Festival, to be held next weekend, July 21-23 at the Berea Fairgrounds in Cleveland, Ohio - www.clevelandirish.org.
This will be our 24th year and it just keeps growing and growing and (knock on my wooden head) great weather will allow us to continue that streak of growing each and every year.
We have some of the coolest new displays at the fest this year, including Newgrange, a tomb like structure that predates the Pyramids by more than 1500 years, Irish American’s in Hollywood, Round Towers & Castles, profiles on dozens of bands, political, sport, business and cultural personalities and some spectacular displays on the gorgeous land and people that is - Ireland. All in all, more than 200 displays on the Irish life and culture will be presented in the Celtic Heritage Hall.
I had a really great time doing the Akron Hibernian Irish Radio Show, taped Monday nite, with host Paul Callahan, promoting both me ould bewk, and the festival.
Paul knows a lot about the songs and performers and we had great conversation about a passion we both share, the great ballad tradition - songs with a real story, that are covered in the book. You can hear the show on Thursday Nite, from 8 to 10 p.m., WAPS 91.3 FM.
After that, we stopped by the Akron Hibernian Club, for a pepsi. I had never been there but it was a great place. Hibernian President Mike McKenzie was waiting for us. We had a drink and gave a sincere toast for safe passage on his tour to young Kilroy, a Marine heading for Iraq in September, that came by for a drink with his dad. God Bless you, keep safe, walk proud, for we are so very proud of you and walk side by side with you every step of the way.
Had a great time in the Akron Hibernian Club and look forward to the chance to stop by again.