| Cultural Village 2011
| | An important part of the Colorado Irish Festival is the Cultural Village, designed to entertain and enlighten attendees with the magic of Irish culture. In Ireland, the pub and the church are the two mainstays of culture, and the Colorado Irish Festival follows suit.
The Irish Network Colorado (IN-Colorado) will be participating in the Cultural Village. Irish Network Colorado is a business network that connects Irish expatriates, Irish-Americans and friends of Ireland. Their mission is to provide a forum for social, business, and professional networking for our members and to strengthen economic, social, and cultural ties between Irish and American businesses in Colorado and more broadly between the U.S. and Ireland. By harnessing the energy and synergies of its diverse membership, IN-Colorado hopes to strengthen the economic, social, and cultural ties between Irish and American businesses in Colorado and between the U.S. and Ireland. Check them out!
Every year, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and its auxiliary, the Ladies AOH, both organizations which preserve and promote Irish Catholic culture, are prominent. There is also a Eucharistic Liturgy on Sunday morning, for those who want to attend the festival but not miss church, which also gives participants some spiritual refreshment and fellowship with their Irish compatriots.
The Emerald Society also has a presence. This fraternal organization of police, firefighters, and public safety personnel, promotes Irish culture and traditions among those valued professionals. The Denver St. Patrick's Day Committee is represented, dispensing information about one of the most prestigious St. Patrick's Day parades west of the Mississippi.
And of course, no discussion of Irish culture would be complete without the mention of distinctively Irish sports, such as Gaelic football and hurling. Gaelic football predates the modern sport of soccer, and resembles that sport as well as rugby, but with some unique Irish twists. Hurling looks a bit like field hockey, but is played by much the same rules as Gaelic football. Colorado is the proud home of the Denver Gaels , one of the top members of the Gaelic Athletic Association in North America, and they will also have a booth in the Cultural Village.
The ever-popular Irish Wolfhounds will make a return visit, and this year, we feature a special display of Viking craft skills and handiworks,by Iðavellr Vikings . Vikings came to Ireland many times, in bands small and large, and made significant contributions to Irish culture. Iðavellr Vikings is both a Crafter's Guild and Living History group, situated in Colorado. Iðavellr is old Norse for the place where the Norse gods rest after battle; a place where crafting and camaraderie ensues. The Iðavellr village will represent how Norse people lived during the Viking Age, traditionally circa 700 C.E. to 1066 C.E. Its members portray Norse people from various countries sometime during that period. Nearly everything they have is hand-made, from clothes and shoes to kettle and knives. During the festival, they will display things they've made that Norse people would have had, and work on Viking-Age crafts, such as shoe making, nålbinding, tablet weaving, spindle spinning, and so on.
But what about the pub? Indeed, the pub has been a key part of Irish culture for many years. The pub is not just a place to drink; in Irish culture, it's a center of social life, where the community gathers, old friends meet up, and new friends are made. Irish pubs are famous for their music and craic (pronounced "crack," an Irish word for good times and friendship), and you will find plenty of both in the Cultural Village at the 2011 Colorado Irish Festival. Local acoustic Irish traditional music will be provided by Skean Dubh, Mythica, Colcannon, Gobs O'Phun, Lougheed and Mondragon. There are also traditional music sessions Friday and Saturday evenings, featuring musicians who gather to play just for the joy of it, much like what happens in most local pubs in Ireland.
The Cultural Village will also feature educational programs for those who want to learn more about Irish culture. Here are some highlights of the presentations: | Shay Dunne ~ Denver Gaels | | Shay Dunne, long time member of the Denver Gaels, will explain the importance of traditional sports in Irish culture. This will be followed by some demonstrations of these quintessential Celtic games. | Mick Bolger | | Have you ever wondered why that delightful Irish brogue sounds so musical, even in English? Join Ireland native Mick Bolger for insight and instruction in "The Broken Tradition." Not just a "tea towel" approach to a few tourist phrases, this workshop will give you a new understanding and appreciation of the Irish language and how it influences the culture, even among those who no longer speak it.
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| Marylee Hagen | | Marylee Hagen, a member of W.I.S.E. (Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England Family History Society (which will also have a booth in the Village), has been doing genealogy for 16 years. She is a teacher by profession, and has given adult and student programs on genealogy and Ireland. Marylee will give a presentation on "Tracing Your Ancestor's Footsteps" at the 2011 Colorado Irish Festival. She found her family roots in southern Ireland by tracing her ancestor's footsteps backwards to their homelands in County Kerry. She will start with first researching in the United States and then go abroad. Strategies, tips and resources will be shared and exampled displayed. |
| Sherman Bucheger | |  Colorado historian Sherman Bucheger will do presentations this year. The first "The Irish Famine in America" will discuss details of the 1845-46 potato blight in Ireland, the resulting famine, and the emigration of millions of Irish, mainly to North America. This vast migration had widespread effects in both countries, which continue to change the face of American culture to this day.
"The Irish in the American Civil War; The Union Irish Brigade" will briefly discuss the role of Irish and first generation Irish-Americans in the American Civil War of 1861-1865. The discussion will focus mainly on the involvement of the Irish in the Union Irish Brigade under the command on Thomas Francis Meagher from the battle of Sharpsburg in 1862 through the unit's involvement in the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Topics to be discussed will include why the Irish fought for both the Northern and Southern causes during the war, the use of Irish troops by both the Union and the Confederacy during the early combats of the war, and a possible reason why current day knowledge of the Irish during the war Civil War is so limited. |
| Lisa Clark | | If you've ever wanted to make Irish music yourself, here's your chance. Lisa Clark of the Colorado Harp Society, will lead a "hands on" harp workshop, sponsored by Kolacny Music, which will supply the harps for the learners. | Eric Olson | | Another presentation where audience participation is encouraged will be "Kitchen Music" by Uilleann Piper Eric Olson. In traditional Irish culture, friends and neighbors gather in the kitchen for informal sessions, playing tunes and sharing songs they've grown up with. Join us as Eric recreates that informal music in his own inimitable style. | Michael Thompson | | Local Celtic musician and storyteller Michael Thompson will give an updated version of his presentation on The History of Ireland in Story and Song. It's not easy to encapsulate ten thousand years of Irish history in an hour, but if you've ever wondered about the origins of the Irish people, this is your chance. |
| The "American-Irish Seanachi" | | The "American-Irish Seanachi" keeps the oral tradition alive, with stories to delight audiences from the wee to the ancient. Denis Michael John Gorman McCarthy Gessing, born in Colorado to third generation Irish parents, gives life to Irish Folk Tales, his own stories and those of Frank Delaney. The American/ Irish Seanachi reminds you that while the ancestors had to leave Eire, Eire never leaves you … so long as there's the Seanachi. |
| Cultural Village Pavilion Schedule
| Saturday, July 9, 2011 |
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| 10:00 am
11:00 am
1:00 pm
2:45 pm
4:30 pm
|  | Tracing Your Irish Ancestor's Roots ~ Marylee Hagen
History of Ireland in Story & Song ~ Michael Thompson
Irish Famine in America ~ Sherman Bucheger
Kitchen Music ~ Eric Olson
American Irish Stories ~ Denis Gessing
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| | 9:30 am
10:30 am
12:30 pm
2:15 pm
4:00 pm
| | Irish Language & The Broken Tradition ~ Mick Bolger
History of Ireland in Story & Song ~ Michael Thompson
The Irish Famine in America ~ Sherman Bucheger
Gaelic Sports in Irish Culture ~ Shay Dunne
Hands on the Celtic Harp ~ Lisa Clark |
| | | There's much to experience at the Colorado Irish Festival, including many gems at the Cultural Village. Check the schedule regularly for updates and additions. Hope to see you there! |
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