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How We Can Save Irish Radio

At the Irish Festival on Penns Landing, radio host Vince Gallagher, flanked by Carmel and Barney Boyce, collected donations.

At the Irish Festival on Penns Landing, radio host Vince Gallagher, flanked by Carmel and Barney Boyce, collected donations.

There have been Irish radio shows in Philadelphia since there’s been radio. Today, there are at least five reaching to all parts of the Delaware Valley. But two of the oldest shows have been experiencing financial trouble in recent years. Along with hosting their shows—choosing the songs, inviting the guests, reading the announcements—WTMR hosts Vince Gallagher (The Vince Gallagher Irish Music Hour, Sunday at 11 AM) and Marianne MacDonald (Come West Along the Road, Sunday at noon) have had to sell their own ads to pay for the studio time.

“In the two years that I’ve had the show, I’ve spend thousands of dollars of my own money to keep it on the air. Vince is in the same boat,” says MacDonald. “We have advertisers that don’t pay, we have too few ads to meet the costs, and we are both shelling out money at an alarming rate to keep the shows going. The previous hosts (Tommy Moffit and Mary O’Kane) went through the exact same thing. We have both spoken of giving the shows up, but we don’t want to.”

And they’re hoping that their many fans don’t want that either. Starting on Sunday, June 29, and running through August 17, between your favorite songs, you’ll hear the hosts and their special guests asking for pledges a la PBS. This Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day Parade Director Michael Bradley (whom we like to think of as “he who must be obeyed”) will appear on both shows to encourage listeners to contribute. Members of the Shantys, a local Irish band, will be taking phone pledges. On July 6, members of the Philadelphia Donegal Association will man the phones. On July 13, local musician Tommy Moffit will be back at the mike with members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians from around the city collecting donations.

In August, a number of local musicians will be holding a benefit to raise money for the shows. “We’ve had promises from people like John Boyce (of Blackthorn), John McGillian (of Five Quid and Pat the Budgie), Round Tower and lots of trad musicians to play at the benefit,” says MacDonald.

If you want to make a donation, you can send a check made out to “WTMR Radio,” with “Sunday Irish Radio Shows” in the memo line and a note inside the envelope indicating that you’re making a donation to the shows. Send it to:

WTMR Radio
C/o Vince Gallagher and Marianne MacDonald
2775 Mt. Ephraim Ave.
Camden, NJ 08104

We’ll be keeping you updated on the progress of this campaign. And we encourage you to contribute—supporting your peeps is one of the best ways we know of to be Irish in Philadelphia.

June 27, 2008 by
People

A Remarkable Year for the 2007 Rose of Tralee

Colleen Gallagher and her Irish souvenir, Derek Reilly.

Colleen Gallagher and her Irish souvenir, Derek Reilly.

It’s been an amazing 12 months for Colleen Gallagher.

It started with a tragedy—the loss of her best friend in a drowning accident. And for this 23-year actor and singer—and the 2007 Rose of Tralee—it’s ironically coming to a close with many new beginnings.

“This year has been life-altering,” says Colleen, the eldest of seven girls, who turned over her crown on July 20 to another Colleen, Colleen Tully of Downingtown. “So many doors have opened for me.”

I sat down with Colleen Gallagher at the Rose event at the Hyatt Regency on Friday night and she talked about the year she’ll never forget.

She entered the Rose of Tralee competition last June still deep in mourning for her friend, Alex, who died on May 6. “We were best friends since we were six,” she says. “His death left me in a really tough place. My Dad always said that Alex and I were soulmates. Not in a boyfriend-girlfriend way, but meant to be best friends. I missed him so much. But I knew he was with me all the way.”

When she arrived in Ireland last August for the International Rose of Tralee Festival, it was storming and one of their hosts assured her that it was “just a gentle breeze.” Colleen’s heart did a flip.

“That was how his mother described Alex—he was a breath of fresh air, a gentle breeze,” she says, smiling. “That’s how I knew he was there with me.”

And then there was that nice young man who started chatting with her as she got off the bus at Bunratty Castle. Derek Reilly, a Remax realtor from County Mayo, was one of the escorts who traditionally accompany the Roses during the weeklong festival. “They were pairing up with each girl as she got off the bus. I was sitting in the wrong seat so I wound up with Derek,” recalls Colleen. “He found out I was an actor from Philadelphia and he started talking about the Vince Papale movie (“Invincible”). And we just kept talking.”

Even though he was eventually assigned to the Rose from Dubai, Derek and Colleen grabbed every chance to talk. “After the Tuesday night crowning, we went back to the hotel and talked for six hours straight,” Colleen recalls. Since then, the two have traveled back and forth several times. She’s met his family; Derek has spent Thanksgiving with hers. He was with her at Friday night’s event. “He’s around talking to people—he says he’s networking,” she laughs, looking around for Derek, who, at 28, is the youngest Chamber of Commerce president in Ireland. Not a prince, per se, though Colleen says her friends all kid her that she “met him at a castle.”

When she returned from Ireland, she took an acting role in the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, traveling with a troupe that performed the Scottish play (“Macbeth”) at schools around the state, many of them in the inner city. “Here we were telling these children that the play had some dark elements, murder, betrayal, and so on, and many of them lived with these same things,” she says. That got her thinking. “I love acting, I love being on stage,” she says. “But that’s a very self-serving thing: Look at me up here. I became interested in dramatherapy, which is a way to use what I’ve learned (she has a degree in acting and directing from DeSales University) to help someone else.”

Dramatherapy combines theater techniques with elements of psychotherapy to help people in crisis learn to work through their problems and live happier lives. She’s about to pursue her master’s degree. “I’ve been shortlisted for a spot at the National College of Ireland in Maynooth,” says Colleen. “I have a guaranteed spot in 2010. I’ve looked at NYU and UCLA and a school in England, but they’re all very heavily feared toward psychology, whole school in Maynooth is more focused on drama with psychology courses added.”

Though she had to hand over her crown this week, Colleen didn’t see it as a loss. “Over this past year I’ve gained so much self-confidence. I’ve learned not to take no for an answer. I’ve learned that life will take you where it wants you to go,” she said. “I’m never going to lose when I learned about myself. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

June 27, 2008 by
News, People

2008 Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Crowned

How DID the judges choose? That's Colleen Tully, their choice, at the far right. Colleen Gallagher, the 2007 Rose, is in the center.

How DID the judges choose? That's Colleen Tully, their choice, at the far right. Colleen Gallagher, the 2007 Rose, is in the center.

A 25-year-old Loyola University business grad and commodities trader is the 2008 Philadelphia Rose of Tralee. Colleen Frances Tully of Downingtown was crowned on Friday, June 20, at the event, sponsored by the Philadelphia Immigration and Pastoral Center, held at the Hyatt Regency on Columbus Boulevard in the city. This year there were six contestants, ranging in age from 18 to 25.

Tully has studied ballet since the age of four and is an accomplished ballerina who is also a student of Irish dance. She will go to Ireland in August to compete in the international Rose of Tralee Festival in Tralee, County Kerry. The 2007 International Rose is Lisa Murtagh of New York. Typically, there are more than 30 Rose contestants from around the world—even from as far away as Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Rose selection—in its 49th year—is televised in Ireland.

June 27, 2008 by
People

Five Questions for Caitlin Finley

Caitlin Finley, at last year's St. Malachy fund-raiser with Mick Moloney.

Caitlin Finley, at last year's St. Malachy fund-raiser with Mick Moloney.

Caitlin Finley is getting set for another trip to the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann—otherwise known as the world championships of Irish music—in Tullamore, County Offaly, in late August.

Those who have heard Caitlin play usually are surprised at the level of skill in one so young. What’s more surprising, aside from her musical virtuosity, is her level of maturity. She’s a junior in high school, but, like so many of the kids who play in local traditional Irish music session, she seems more comfortable than most in the company of adults. 

Part of that is just Caitlin. But let’s also give credit to session musicians. Adult session musicians are generally welcoming to anyone with talent and interest, but they seem especially nurturing when it comes to kids. After all, it’s not a tradition if it isn’t handed down, and they seem to know that.

We recently posed five questions for Caitlin, who did exceptionally well for herself at the Mid-Atlantic Fleadh Cheoil in Pearl River, N.Y. Here’s what she had to say.

Q. You took third in fiddle and first in banjo. You’re in a trio that also took first place, and the Pearl River Ceili Band, which you’re also in, won the 15-18 competition. Tell me a bit about competing in so many categories. It doesn’t seem to have hurt you any, although I suppose that the third in fiddle means you wouldn’t be eligible to compete on that instrument at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Tullamore in August.

Does competing in so many categories make you an overall sharper competitor, do you think, and maybe increase your competitive edge in all instruments? Or do you think there’s the possibility that maybe you consciously or unconsciously focus on one instrument over another?

A. Well, competing in so many competitions was certainly a challenge, especially because we had to arrange practices for the ceili band and trio, and the other kids all live in New York. I didn’t have much time to prepare because I’m a junior in high school, and AP Physics has taken over my life.

I think that because you have to concentrate on solely three tunes in preparation for the fleadh, competing on more than one instrument and in more than one category gives you a break sometimes.  For example, if I was practicing banjo and got tired of practicing my solo tunes, I’d just move on to the ceili band or trio tunes to play something different. And even though I wasn’t practicing my solo tunes, it was still preparing me for the solo competition just because I was constantly playing. 

At the same time, I had twelve tunes to really work up instead of only three.

As for switching back and forth between fiddle and banjo, I don’t know if it either benefited or hurt me. Although the technique for each instrument is completely different, I think that they complement each other. I don’t know if I focus on one more than the other.

I know that the fiddle is really my primary instrument and my favorite to play, but I still probably focused on each equally because when you’re tired and don’t feel like practicing, it’s possible to play the banjo on the sofa without much movement, whereas the fiddle’s a little more physically demanding. Oh, and for fiddle, even though I got 3rd, there’s a pretty good chance that I’ll still get to compete in Tullamore because the 2nd placer probably can’t make it, in which case I’ll be able to take his place.
 
Q. What tunes did you play in your competitions? And did you pick them yourself this time, or did you have a bit of help?

A. For the fiddle competition, I played the slip jig Gusty’s Frolics, a hornpipe called the Lass on the Strand, and a reel that I call Tom Steele’s (it’s also known as Hand Me Down the Tackle).  On banjo, I played a jig that I don’t know the name of, but I got from a recording of traditional Donegal style fiddling.  I also played a version of the Blackbird that actually doesn’t sound very much like the more common version that everyone knows, and a reel called Andy Davy’s, which is currently my favorite banjo tune.  I had some help from my fiddle teacher, Brian Conway, in deciding on the tunes for the fiddle competition, but he actually doesn’t play the jig or the hornpipe, which probably made it a little harder for him to help me out with variations.

For banjo, I picked the tunes myself, although I learned the hornpipe and the reel from my banjo teacher, Eamon O’Leary, and I had some help the night before the competition from my friend Dylan Foley with picking them out.

Q. I take it you’re planning to compete at the Fleadh Cheoil. You’ve done that before, so you know that this is not a trip to the beach. There are expenses and some crazy planning to do. How are you and your fellow musicians from the trio (Blaithin Loughran and Dylan Foley, it looks like) and the ceili band planning to get there? I know it’s early days yet, but are you thinking about fund-raising?

A. We actually are in the beginnings of starting to plan fundraisers. There’s going to be a big one up at Rory Dolan’s in Yonkers sometime during the summer, which is an annual fundraiser.  All the students of Rose Flanagan, Margie Mulvihill, Patty Furlong, and others who are competing at the Fleadh Cheoil will perform, as well as the teachers. Other folks from all over will donate their time to help us raise some money (last year Eileen Ivers and Jerry O’Sullivan performed).  Rory Dolan’s provides food and drinks and lets us keep the gate.  Also, each of the kids make a basket to be raffled off.

This year we’re also going to try a fundraiser in Philadelphia.  My parents and I will be organizing this. Currently it is scheduled for June 20th.  We’re going to try to bring down as many members of the ceili band as we can to play a ceili at the Irish Center and some of the parents, like Rose Flanagan and Margie Mulvihill, will play as well. It should be a lot of fun. I’ll keep everyone updated on both fundraisers.

Q. You’re in the 15-18 age group, which means that, by the standards of a lot of our local musicians, you have not been playing all that long. When did you start, and why? What inspired you? Why fiddle and banjo?

A. I’ve been playing for somewhere around eight and a half years.  I started playing the fiddle when I was eight.  I don’t really remember asking to learn the fiddle or my first lessons, but I’ve been told that I really wanted to play because I was an Irish dancer and saw a lot of fiddlers at feisanna.  There’s also the fact that all of us (my siblings and I) have to play some musical instrument, at least in a school program, until we graduate from high school.  I don’t think I’ll be quitting after high school, though.  I also went to every one of the Mick Moloney concerts at the IHouse at UPenn from the time I was born, my parents played old records of Irish music around the house, and I danced constantly, so I had music in my head. I originally started out playing classical but then moved to Irish almost immediately, both with my first fiddle teacher, Chris Brennan Hagy. 

I got my first banjo about two and a half years ago.  My fiddle teacher at the time, Brendan Callahan, encouraged me to get one because he said it would help with some of the technique involved with playing the fiddle, mainly being able to press down the strings all the way with my left hand.  Brendan actually gave me my first banjo lesson.  I’ve never stopped playing it since; it’s a pretty addicting instrument, actually.

I always enjoyed playing music, but practicing was like a chore and I didn’t like going to sessions. I remember the time, though, that I finally fell in love with the music. The summer before I went into 9th grade, my parents and I spent three weeks in Ireland.

We visited family and traveled around, and then we went to Willie Clancy Week in Miltown Malbay, County Clare (where local musician Fintan Malone is from).

I took fiddle classes for a week with Jesse Smith, who is one of my favorite fiddle players, and I met a bunch of kids from all over who played Irish music as well, including two from Italy, one of whom, almost three years later, is still my best friend. It was complete immersion in the music for a straight week.  After I came home, I went to as many sessions as I could. I’ve never slowed down and I love it more than ever.

Q. I imagine there are not all that many students in your school who would know one end of the Irish fiddle from the other. How does this interest of yours go over? Is it something you talk about? What’s the reception?

A. Irish musicians are definitely a rarity at my school.  My school’s probably around 70 percent Jewish, so most of my friends have never heard Irish music or, if they have, it’s only because they’ve seen Riverdance or Celtic Woman or something along those lines.  At school, I’m the Irish girl. 

Being Irish is so much a part of my identity, that I end up talking about it a lot, everything from history to music. At this point, most kids know I play Irish music; it’s a subject that comes up every time I’m asked what I did over the weekend. 

I think that in 9th grade, a lot of my friends thought it was really weird and just tolerated it, but at this point, most kids think it’s really cool.  I have kids asking me to burn them CDs of Irish music, my closer friends all know what a session and a fleadh are, and have seen numerous Comhaltas Live videos, and earlier this year in English class, when my teacher announced that we would be reading “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift, everyone turned around and looked at me. Just last week, I brought in my banjo to English class to play, to celebrate both a unit we had just finished on cultural identity, and one of my teachers favorite lines from The Great Gatsby: “the stiff, tinny drip of the banjos.” 

I’m glad that at this point in school people look at the fact that I play Irish music as something that makes me unique, but doesn’t change my personality.  It’s just a part of who I am and everyone seems to recognize and understand that.

Other local Pearl River winners include:

Harp

Jacqueline Hartley from Egg Harbor Township
1st
Under 15

Kathy DeAngelo student Reanna Barakat
3rd
15-18 age group.

Katherine Highet, another DeAngelo student
1st
Senior

Men’s Singing

Karl Jones
1st
Senior men’s singing in Irish as well as first in English

Josh Ely
1st
English singing ages 15-18 

Josh’s dad Jim Ely
3rd
Singing in English

Josh’s uncle Mike McElligott
2nd
Singing in English

June 6, 2008 by
People

Help the AOH Make a Stand for Children With Autism

As many of you are aware, several members of the Hibernian and Irish American community have been at the forefront of the cause to find a cure for autism. Speaker of the House Representative Dennis OBrien has been solidly leading the fight, and the folks at Autism Speaks donate time, funding and resources unselfishly time and time again.

They now need our help. We have done it before, we will do it again. Contact your local Senator and let him or her know of this bill and your support of it.

We all know we need more veterans programs, we all know we need a process for the undocumented Irish, and we all know we need to support these children. Please take a moment to drop your Senator an email or phone call and remind them that the Irish community stand united for veterans, for the undocumented Irish and for children with Autism.

HB 1150, which will end autism insurance discrimination by providing the children in the state of Pennsylvania with access to the medically necessary, evidence based treatments and therapies that they need, is once again in need of your attention. Following an extremely successful hearing in April, we hit a little road block and need your help to push through that!

Senator White still isn’t convinced that this issue should go to a vote. He needs some help. He needs to hear from YOU through YOUR Senator that this is an issue that is important to you. Please do not call him directly unless you live in his district! We are sending Don White’s constituents a separate alert.

The nation has its eyes on Pennsylvania to provide the community here with the most comprehensive autism insurance reform to date. As you know, other states such as Arizona and Florida passed similar legislation earlier this spring.

HB 1150 HAS BEEN HELD HOSTAGE IN DON WHITE’S COMMITTEE FOR NEARLY ONE YEAR! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE for OUR COMMUNITY!

It is time for the Keystone State of Pennsylvania…to become the cornerstone and PASS THIS BILL!

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

1. CALL YOUR OWN SENATOR! Ask your Senator to speak to Senator Don White and ask him to allow HB 1150 go to a vote in his committee. For information on how you can find out who your senator is, visit www.autismvotes.org and view the resources section.

2. CALL SENATE LEADERSHIP! Ask these Senators to speak to Senator Don White and ask him to allow HB 1150 to go to a vote in his committee. NOTE: If you are their constituents, please be sure to let them know how much you are counting on them to make this happen!

Senator Dominic Pileggi

717-787-4712 (Harrisburg Office) OR 610-565-9100 (For Constituents!)

Senator Joe Scarnatti

717-787-7084 (Harrisburg Office) or 814-726-7201 (For Constituents)

3. It is time for the state of Pennsylvania to make some noise! We are challenging everyone to involve family members, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, friends, co-workers, therapists, physicians and anyone who lives in the state of Pennsylvania – that would take FIVE minutes to make these phone calls to THEIR Senator and the Senate leaders in # 2 above to end insurance discrimination and get your child(ren) the coverage they deserve.

Six other states have accomplished this! Pennsylvania can be next in line if we FOCUS!

June 2, 2008 by
People

Michelle Mack Crowned 2008 Mary from Dungloe

Meagan McGough, left, turned over her crown to Michelle Mack.

Meagan McGough, left, turned over her crown to Michelle Mack.

On Sunday, May 18, Michelle Mack was crowned the 2008 Mary from Dungloe at ceremonies sponsored by the Philadelphia Donegal Association at the Irish Center in Mt. Airy.

She takes over for the 2007 Mary, Meagan McGough, a pre-med and marketing student at Fordham, who is a competitive Irish step dancer.

Michelle, also an Irish dancer, is assistant director of residence life at Holy Family University. She will travel to Dungloe, County Donegal, Ireland, in August to compete in the international contest.

May 22, 2008 by
People

Miltown Malbay’s Unofficial Mayor Tom Malone Dies at 92

The late Tom Malone flanked by his daugher Marian and his son, Fintan.

The late Tom Malone flanked by his daugher Marian and his son, Fintan.

By all accounts, if you knew Tom Malone you were probably a sportsman. Or a piper. Or a trad musician. Or a lover of a good pint. Or a dog-racing aficiando. Or a Republican, in the Irish sense.

When he died on April 1 at the age of 92 in the town of Miltown Malbay in County Clare, Ireland, the local paper stressed his influence on local sports—it was he who set up the local GAA club in 1936, brought hurling and ladies football to the county, and launched a cycling race a la the Tour de France. But his son, Fintan Malone, now of Cheltenham, prefers to think of him as “a man of many hats.”

That’s an understatement.

“Firstly, he sold insurance starting out on a bike,” recalls Fintan, a musician who performs locally as part of the duo Blarney and at many sessions. His father also operated a bar in the Malone home on the main street. “But it was run mostly by my mother. He could never pull a proper pint, God love him. He ran horse races for a time. Next he bought a farm and we being townies, I found it hard to adjust.” It wasn’t so easy adjusting to Tom Malone’s next venture either. Terrier racing. “It’s like greyhound racing,” explains Fintan. “My job was to hook the artificial hare and take it back to the gate for the next race.”

When Tom Malone bought the Fair Green, he booked traveling circuses to come to town. “We never paid an admission into a single show.,” says Fintan. “We also traveled the countryside with amusements such as bingo, shooting gallery, and slot machines.”

Along with introducing hurling and ladies football to Miltown, Tom Malone was also the first to sell bottled milk and cooking gas cylinders. There were so many firsts,” says Fintan, “that I can’t remember them all.”

Though not a musician himself, Tom Malone loved music. “My mother was very much into both dance and music which is where I got my interest from.,” says Fintan. “I believe my father, when the house dances ceased, could see bigger and better things ahead and started to book traveling bands on their way from the North down to Kerry. Our house doubled as a boarding house and these musicians would stay with us and he, of course, would have clinched some deal to have them play across at the hall as part of their payment. I got a chance to see the singing tinker, Maggie Barry, along with the great Michael Gorman, Bridie Gallagher, Joe Heaney, and the hypnotist Edwin Heath who had the local bank manager under hypnosis, frantically looking for leprechauns up and down the Main Street.”

A number of ceili bands were booked into Malone’s venue, including the famed Kilfenora and Tulla bands. “I believe it was when he first saw the Tulla Pipe Band that he decided it was time for Miltown to have their own pipe band. “says Fintan. So he founded one—the Clonbony Pipe Band. “The first pipes that were brought into Miltown went to Willie Clancy and Martin Talty,” says Fintan. “Willie played the war pipes before he played the uileann pipes. My father told many great stories about cycling around the countryside to raise money for this endeavour as money was tight then.”

Uilleann virtuoso Willie Clancy was houseguest for several years. Born in Miltown Malbay, Clancy was such an iconic figure in traditional music that a trad festival held every July in the town was named in his honor. And Tom Malone’s pub has traditionally been a hub for festival goers, just the way his home was an inn for itinerants. Clancy was by far not the only houseguest, says Fintan. Some were even more. . .interesting.

“There were Ruari O’Bradaigh and Daithi O’Connell who escaped from the Curragh Concentration Camp; Van Morrison; Andy Irvine; Joe Cahill, chief of staff of the IRA at the time; Joe Cooley; Robbie MacMahon; the Liverpool Ceili Band; Tommy Peoples; even an elephant from Fossett’s Circus (with a drunken handler) and other numerous people on the run.”

Tom Malone’s political leanings—he was a 32-county Republican—also made him a controversial figure, says Joe O’ Muircheartaigh, reporter for The Clare People newspaper, who wrote a lengthy profile of Malone after his death. “He was very Republican at a time when it wasn’t popular to be a Republican. And he never made any apologies for this fact.”

It wasn’t easy being the son of a man like Tom Malone, says Fintan. “He answered to no one and marched to his own drummer. But I’d like to think he has made me the man I am today. He was among many things, a wheeler dealer and as an early teenager when I caught a religious bug, I went through a period when I feared for his mortal soul. I remember vividly going up to the local church to pray for his soul. But in his latter years he had made up for this as every time I would call my sister to check on him I could hear him in the background reciting the rosary. He always tried to cover all of his bases.”

Marianne MacDonald contributed to this story.

May 1, 2008 by
News, People

Celebrate the New Mary

Michelle Mack, center, with Britney Lough, right, the 2006 Mary from Dungloe.

Michelle Mack, center, with Britney Lough, right, the 2006 Mary from Dungloe.

On Sunday, May 18, Michelle Mack will be crowned the 2008 Mary from Dungloe by the Philadelphia Donegal Society. She succeeds Meghan McGough, the 2007 Mary. The ceremony will take place at the Commodore Barry Club (The Irish Center), Carpenter and Emlen Streets, in Philadelphia. This event, which starts at 5 PM, is open to the public and dinner will be available for purchase.

Michelle has an undergraduate degree from Arcadia University in Sociology. She will be enrolled in the Masters of General Education Program at Holy Family University in the fall of 2008. Michelle is currently working at Holy Family University as Assistant Director of Residence Life.

Michelle will travel to Dungloe, Ireland in August to compete in an
international contest with other young women between the ages of 18 and 25 who are of Irish decent.

Michelle is an avid Irish dancer and enjoys Irish music and culture. She’s also a big fan of Blackthorn, and has been a member of the Donegal Association and active with the Mary from Dungloe competition for several years.

Anyone interested in participating in the 2009 Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe contest can get more information at www.philadonegal.com.

April 25, 2008 by