|
A
business manager and consultant, poet and writer by trade,
the author has twenty-three years experience as Assistant
Director of Cleveland’s Irish Cultural Festival. A first
generation Irish-American whose father is Founder and Director
of the festival and hails from County Roscommon, Ireland;
John continues his father’s legacy, love of the Irish
heritage and vision for the festival, an annual civic event
that draws over 35,000 attendees and celebrated its 23rd Anniversary
in 2005. With nine stages, twenty-eight bands and extensive
other attractions, the festival is recognized as on of the
very best in the United States.
John has written articles, profiles and reviews for travel,
heritage and special interest publications such as Irish American
Post, Travel Home and Trailer Magazine, and poetry centered
around the themes of love, loss and glory. He has extensive
experience in dealing with health issues related to Rheumatoid
and Psoriatic arthritis, hearing loss and back pain. He is
a graduate of the University of Dayton and the Long Ridge
Writers Group. Founder and Chairman of Eire Og (Young Ireland)
John was Editor and sole-writer for the monthly special interest
publication for the group, which has over 4,500 members, for
more than two years. The publication features profiles, book
and event reviews, historical items of interest and local
and national special events.
Active in the Irish community in Cleveland and with the Festival
Organizers Convention, where he is a featured speaker in 2005,
John has been interviewed on numerous radio, television programs
and newspapers and designed, wrote and produced “The
Legacy Project,” a twenty-six minute video for the United
States Library of Congress, highlighting Cleveland’s
Irish Cultural Festival as “an event of cultural significance.”
He has taught extensively in the areas of Leadership, Coaching,
Behavior Based Interviewing and Microsoft Word and Excel.
John enjoys reading, traveling, attending cultural events
and festivals and spending time with his seventeen nieces
and nephews.
Copyright © 2006, songsandstories.net or its affiliates, All Rights Reserved |
Freedom’s Sons are singing;
singing sad songs,
to their love, songs.
Pretty Maggie O’, Sally O’,
Pretty Saro and Rosie.
for some,
a Song For The Children.
In The Time Of Scented Roses,
let they be not black,
The Long Woman’s Grave.
Rather Sing Me The Old Songs;
of Rambling Rivers
in The Rambles of Spring,
Clear Blue Hills
or Grey October Clouds,
among Long Winter Nights.
If I should return,
If You Should Ask Me,
I’m Going Home To Mary,
Smiling Mary
I can see her, as she holds
our Gentle Annie in her arms,
listening to
The Listowel Blackbird sing;
Music In The Twilight,
In Newry Town
I will return again.
~
John O'Brien, Jr.
|
14615 Triskett Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44111-3123 