News
“Irish Need Not Apply”- LAOH/AOH to host Ciaran Staunton in Denver March 4th: ILIR CO-Founder to address undocumented Irish immigrants and prospects for Irish emigrants to come to America.
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| | Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians and AOH will present Ciaran Staunton, co-founder and President of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR), in Denver Thursday March 4th where he will speak to Irish-Irish Americans and friends about the mission of ILIR. Staunton’s talked is designed to be educational and not political and invites all to attend who have an interest in Irish in America and future Irish immigration. His talk will take place at 7pm at Delaney’s/Celtic Tavern at 18th and Blake in downtown Denver.
According to Staunton, “We have 50,000 undocumented Irish immigrants in the United States, tens of thousands more trying to leave the mass unemployment lines in Ireland. "No Irish Need Apply" hangs at U.S immigration.”
Ciaran Staunton is a native of Westport County Mayo. He is the owner of O'Neill's Bar and Restaurant, one of the most popular hostelries in Manhattan. Ciaran was a co-founder of the Irish Immigration Reform Movement in the late 1980s which lobbied successfully for the Donnelly and Morrison visa schemes.
He played a major part in the American role in the peace process and worked closely with the Sinn Fein leadership and Irish American leaders to bring about the Adams visa and the IRA ceasefire. He lives in Queens with his wife Orlaith and son Rory and daughter Kathleen. www.IrishLobbyUSA.org
Ciaran Staunton, Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform
Thursday March 4th @ 7:00PM
RSVP to RSVP
or 303-668-8278
Delaney’s/Celtic Tavern, 18th and Blake, Downtown Denver
303-308-1795
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Mile High McNicholas Family – Building Business and Community with Honor, Respect, and Unpretentious Irish Hospitality
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Celtic Airwaves of the Rockies
Spotlight: KGNU’s Karl Kumli – King of Keltic
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| (Editors note: In the next couple of months The Celtic Connection will spotlight the bellwethers of the reels and roots music heard up and down the Rocky Mountains.
These men and women donate not only their time “on air”, but also the many hours needed to prepare each show. Perpetuating traditions of excellence through their love of music they bring to you a variety of music, from dusting off a long lost golden oldie to introducing you to new contemporary sounds.
The series begins with Karl Kumli who hosts the Seolta Gael show on KGNU out of Boulder, Colorado. By day Karl is an attorney at Dietze and Davis, P.C. His practice emphasizes primarily public utility law and water law. He currently is President-Elect of the Boulder County Bar Association and involved with way too many more groups and associations for a mere mortal. On top of it all he is a family man. We asked Karl if he preferred to by interviewed or he could submit his own words.
People who know Karl know that he does not lack the gift of the gab. He says he is not Irish – you be the judge...
Best, Pat M.)
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CELTIC AIRWAVES OF THE ROCKIES Spotlight: KWMV’s Jim Remington – The Celtic Voice of the Wet Mountain Valley
| | (from December 08 Celtic Connection newspaper)
For our 3rd installment of “Celtic Airwaves of the Rockies” we travel down to south central Colorado to the town of Westcliffe, home of KWMV 95.9 FM “Voice of the Wet Mountain Valley”, and Jim Remington, the stations host of Celtic and Beyond which airs 7-9PM every Monday.
Jim had just returned home from trout fishing on the Grape creek that runs through his ranch where he has lived with his wife Loretta for the past 12 years. As we spoke, he was watching the sunset over the Sangre De Cristos (Spanish for “Blood of Christ”) as it cast the rays of colors across the valley toward the Wet Mountains.
Our conversation was to be an interview. But I only had to ask one question.
An entertaining hour of stories later, I knew that I had just touched the surface of the wealth of knowledge of a man who has listened, played, and loved Celtic Music for the past 30 years – and had that I had enough material to fill half the paper!
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WAVE the flag of friendship from Belfast to Salida
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| (photo: Members of WAVE, Salida Circus, and Belfast based band McPeak pose at Colorado Irish Fest)
By Jennifer Dempsey
Last month, 14 members of Northern Ireland's Circus WAVE became part of the Salida Circus family in Chaffee County, Colorado.
For two weeks, Circus WAVE members stayed with host families and joined in a circus schedule that included stiltwalking in the July 4th parade, community potlucks dinners, a sold-out show in downtown Salida, camping, hiking, hot springs and a guest appearance at the Colorado Irish Festival in Denver.
"It was the most exhausting and exhilarating two weeks of my life," said Leslie Garrity, a Salida Circus parent and host mother to two teenage girls from Ballymoney.
Circus WAVE stems from the WAVE Trauma Centre, a bereavement and counseling service founded in 1991 that works with all persons in Northern Ireland who have been deeply affected by the Troubles (ethno-political conflict). Circus WAVE was started in 1999 as a personal development and confidence-building tool for the young people of WAVE.
"Being a youth worker for WAVE Trauma Centre, I have gotten to know some amazing kids, but kids with very low self-confidence," said Darren Gribben, a WAVE Youth leader. "When the Colorado trip came along and working with the Salida Circus and the American kids, the WAVE youth suddenly sprang to life and found confidence they never knew they had. I hope that one day this will lead to bigger challenges. All being well, we will return to Colorado to see the new best friends we have made and show off some new circus tricks."
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Irish Outreach: Consul General Staunton Visits Colorado to Connect with Diaspora
| | (from October 09 Celtic Connection)
Photo top right page 1 (photo caption: L-R Denver Lawyer Tom Burke, Maura Clare (Conference on World Affairs), Consul General Gerry Staunton, Ciaran Dwyer (Denver Gaels/CO Irish Fest), Tom Quinn (CO Irish Fest) -- photo by Pat M.
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Save the Francis McPeake School of Irish Traditional Music – Enter the Prize Draw Ballot and be in to win!
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Many of you might have seen the awesome band McPeak at the Colorado Irish Festival last summer and can give witness to some of the great Irish music that comes out of Francis McPeake School of Irish Traditional Music in Belfast.
The school is currently in crisis and as a result they are creating fundraising projects such the ‘Mosaic of Support’ (see September 09 Celtic Connection at www.CelticConnection.com).
Students are now offering a drawing were you could win a new Hyundai car
or cash prizes (If non-Northern Ireland resident wins the 1st prize, the cash equivalent will be awarded). They would appreciate your help.
Information and ballot with paypal at: http://www.francismcpeake.com/shop.php?category=tickets&&id=4
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Christmas Message from Gerry Staunton, Consul General of Ireland
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Jack and Barbara’s “Spanish Peaks” Hooley:
From Cabin Ceilidh to County-Wide Celtic Fest
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| World-Class musicians from around the U.S. and abroad will travel to Huerfano County in south central Colorado for the Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival September 25 -28. They will give concerts, offer music lessons, talk on the music traditions, and partake in impromptu music sessions along the way. The towns of Walsenburg, La Veta, Cuchara, and Gardner, all take part in the County-wide festival – and it all started in a shack and trailer that Jack and Barbara Yule called home.
Jack and Barbara moved with their four cats from Scotland to Gardner, Colorado in December of 2000 just in time for Christmas. In the previous spring they came across for a month so Jack could “knock up a shed” where they could live while he single-handedly built the two-story house he had designed for the couple to live. Luckily they had an old tiny used trailer to stay in while this job was being completed. The shed turned out to be 16’ by 20’ – divided the long way for a half to hold Jack’s work tools and the other half for them to live in – no amenities, including no electricity the first year.
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Dennis Gallagher, Irish Gentleman and Scholar and Guardian of Denver’s History and Dollars
| | by Kevin Galaba
When the Democratic National Convention takes place in Denver August 25-28, the city will be taking advantage of approximately $50 million provided by the federal government to cover security costs for the event. One man will be heading up the cause to ensure that only those federal funds will be used for convention security—not the taxes of local Denver citizens. That man is Dennis Gallagher, Auditor of the City and County of Denver.
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Wood You Like to Be a ‘Smile Maker’?
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| by Pat McCullough
From Belfast to Bagdad the folks at “Toys for God’s Kids” have been putting smiles on children’s faces.
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CIF VOLUNTEER EXTRODINAIRE TOM RADCLIFFE
| | By Joe Talty
For about one-half of the 15 Annual Colorado Irish Festivals, Tom Radcliffe has been involved. Each year as voids appeared and needs became apparent Tom stepped up to take on more responsibility. His ability to take on added challenges led him to the position of festival chairman.
It’s not that he set out to be the chairman of the festival. Long before he met his lovely wife Tina, he met and dated a charming lady that was involved in the festival. While their relationship lasted only weeks she hooked him on being involved in the festival. Tom saw the annual Irish extravaganza as an opportunity to get back into festivals, something that he enjoyed so much in his hometown of Seattle.
Tom’s CIF adventure started as a go-fer in the general services area—putting up fencing, building stages, and the glamour part- arranging the portable toilets. He moved on to designing the festival layout, analyzing the power needs and negotiating with contractors. He eventually became the head of General Services. Having conquered General Services, he will coordinate the food and merchandise vendors at the upcoming festival at Clement Park in Littleton, July 10-12.
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True Irish Legend
Ronnie Drew Remembered
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| by Richie Taylor
Irish folk legend Ronnie Drew - the former frontman of ballad group The Dubliners - has been given an old-fashioned Irish wake by his family. The gravel-voiced singer, who passed away on 16th August, was waked in his Greystones, Co Wicklow home, by hundreds of fans, friends, family members and neighbours before his funeral in the nearby Church of the Holy Rosary.
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Celtic Airwaves of the Rockies Spotlight:
KRFC’s Cindy Reich – The Queen
| by Pat McCullough
(Editors note: Last month The Celtic Connection began a series to spotlight the bellwethers of the reels and roots music heard up and down the Rocky Mountains. These men and women donate not only their time “on air”, but also the many hours needed to prepare each show. Perpetuating traditions of excellence through their love of music they bring to you a variety of music, from dusting off a long lost golden oldie to introducing you to new contemporary sounds.)
In October, we introduced many of our readers to Karl Kumli who hosts the Seolta Gael show on KGNU out of Boulder, Colorado. This month we are spotlighting Cindy Reich who you can hear hosting the Long Acre show on KRFC 88.9 FM in Fort Collins or online at www.krffmc.org every Monday 1-3pm. She’s on Critter Patter on Thursdays and often on the Live at Lunch show.
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IDLE IRISH -- Got Time? Got Talent?
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| Take a “craic” at winning $1,000.00 and Ticket to Celtic Women at Red Rocks!
Idle Irish is searching for the next up-and-coming talent! Can you sing an Irish song? Would you like to win cash, prizes and a chance to perform before thousands at the Colorado Irish Festival in July?
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Lisa Rogers goes Green from the “Grounds” Up
| | (photo caption: Lisa Rogers (holding water can) gave an Urban Farm demonstration last month at a potential site at 33rd and Holly. To Lisa’s left is an unidentified boy; Terrence Roberts, Community Organizer with Prodigals Sons; Denver City Councilwoman Carla Madison; Denver Mayor, John Hickenlooper.)
It’s no coincidence that the Common Grounds coffee house logo is similar to the Irish Claddagh ring. The logo was developed by Lisa Rogers and family who opened the first Common Grounds (in Highlands neighborhood), in 1992, as a non-smoking alternative to the Denver bar scene. In tune with her Irish heritage, she incorporated the symbolic
‘hands of friendship’ element of the ring with a welcoming cup of coffee.
In the middle of her java inspired entrepreneurial pursuits, Lisa worked to get her MBA from University of Denver, Daniels College of Business, and still found the time to stay connected with her ‘inner green’ through Irish set dancing, volunteer for Celtic Events, and squeaked in a side trip to the “Emerald Isle” that lasted four years.
It was there, that her affinity for her favorite color began to move in a different direction –Vertical!
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Andrew Toole: Coloring Colorado with Paints and Pints
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| Adding color to Coloradoans lives has been Andrew Toole’s job for almost 15 years.
After arriving in America he made his way to Colorado, “I had heard that it was a good environment to live and start a business...At that time, in pre-‘Celtic Tiger’ Ireland a lot of business prospects were poor.”
With a strong work ethic acquired growing up on his families’ farm in County Meath, along with a variety of skills that included painting, he founded Denver based painting company, Ireland’s Finest, Inc. in 1995. In time the company became a member of The Painting & Decorating Contractors of America, and earned a Gold Star as member of the Better Business Bureau. “Our reputation has been built on high quality performance and customer satisfaction... we pride ourselves on competitive rates, but at the end of the day it’s all about doing the best job.”
A few years back, Andrew came across another business opportunity and in March of 2005 he and business partner Donnie Danesh opened Scruffy Murphy’s (2030 Larimer St) in the Ballpark Neighborhood in Downtown Denver. “It was just another business- it was why not give it a whirl,” explaining his new adventure, “Besides, it’s
every Irishmen’s dream to open an Irish Pub in America ,” he added with
a wink and a smile.
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The Francis McPeake School of Music Asks for Your Help: Celebrities and Music Lovers join in campaign to save Legendary Irish Music School in Belfast
| | (from September 09 Celtic Connection)
The McPeake Family started playing music, in Ireland, in 1904. The family were at the forefront of the revival of Irish and folk music throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. Francis McPeake I penned the folk anthem ‘Will Ye Go Lassie Go’ aka ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ in the early 1950’s. With such a pedigree, the McPeakes were approached in 1977 to host tin whistle lessons for six weeks, to give the youth of Belfast a cultural alternative to the civil unrest that was a part of everyone’s life in Northern Ireland at that time. An amazing music school grew out of those lessons and thirty-two years later, the McPeakes are still teaching traditional music in Belfast.
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Events & Entertainment
Spend the Weekend with GREAT BIG SEA! Friday and Saturday March 12 and 13 2010 at Boulder Theater
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| | Tickets on Sale now at Boulder Theater Box Office, 2032 14th St. Boulder, CO or call 303-786-7030 or Boulder Theater
Information call Celtic Events at 303-777-0502
Tickets are $30 & $35 plus applicable box office charges.
ALL SEATS RESERVED ALL AGES SHOW
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Moya Brennan,The Voice of Clannad, Returns to Denver
| | Celtic Events, Swallow Hill, & Kolacny Music Presents
Grammy Award Winning Artist April 3rd
That’s Moya – MOYA! Like her sister Enya, Moya Brennan decided to phonetically spell her Gaelic name. Moya is known worldwide as the voice of Clannad, her Grammy-award winning family band who pioneered the popular Celtic sounds for films, TV shows and commercials. With their fresh, vibrant, and progressive sound, Clannad sent tremors through the world of traditional music. With their Theme From Harry's Game, they took the Irish language and its melodies to places that it had never been before - Top of the Pops, major record contracts and world tours. The accolades followed -Ivor Novello (England’s Grammy) and BAFTA awards plus, after several nominations, a Grammy award in 1999.
Moya and her talented backing band will be at Swallow Hill Saturday April 3rd, 7:30-pm to give an awe inspiring concert which will include many traditional arrangements, a number of her recent solo songs and timeless Clannad compositions.
Tickets and info call Celtic Events 303-777-0502 or Swallow Hill 303-777-1003 or
Moya tikcets
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Cindy Reich chat's with Seamus Egan of SOLAS
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| (from Cindy's monthly column "Around the House"in November 09 Celtic Connection)
Seamus called into Cindy Reich’s “The Long Acre” radio show to talk about the new Solas album, Seamus’ ongoing solo project, baseball and “balloon boy”!
CR You’re calling from Scotland and I know you’re supposed to be in studio working on a new recording, so are you recording in Scotland?
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THE POGUES scheduled for Denver with original line-up October 23
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15th Annual Colorado Irish Festival July 10-12!
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| GAELIC STORM · LEAHY · BROTHER · THE ELDERS
EILEEN IVERS & IMMIGRANT SOUL · DAVID KINCAID ·
McPEAK · THE SCREAMING MacSWEENYS · WAKE THE DEAD
Angus Mohr · Potcheen · Gob’s O’Phun · Juice O’ the Barley Ceol Ceili · Dana Lusk · Mark Brissenden Irish Dance · Pipe Band Competition · Irish Sports Cultural Village & Pub · Short Plays, Storytelling, Reenactments · Celtic Marketplace · Kids Area · and a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains!
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Spanish Peaks Reduce Prices forCeltic Connection Readers
| | Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival
September 25 -27 Huerfano County Colorado
American Indian tribes called them "Wahatoya", Huajatolla" or Guajatoyah", roughly interpreted as "breasts of the earth". Some Indian tribes believed that they were the site were mankind first emerged onto earth. The "Double Mountains" were easily recognizable reference points to European explorers and pioneers. One pioneer to the area, Colonel John M. Francisco looked down upon it’s valley which would become the future site of La Veta and declared, "This is paradise enough for me.”
Today the Spanish Peaks are recognized by more and more by friends and supporters of traditional Celtic music and dance as the landmark for a wonderful and unique weekend at the Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival.
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Celtic Events, Swallow Hill, and Twist & Shout presents Celtic super-group SOLAS w/ Americana/bluegrass sensation Bearfoot November 6th, at L2 Arts & Cultural Center, Denver
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| Friday, November 06, 2009, 8:00 pm MST at L2 Arts & Culture Center, Denver CO ALL AGES SHOW
Subscribers get tickets now and save money at:
SOLAS-BEARFOOT
http://.
"Simply one of the best Celtic bands around." – PEOPLE MAGAZINE
"Solas is one of my favorite groups. Lovely music from lovely people. They're the best." - EMMA LOU HARRIS
“It’s not often that Irish music sounds like this much fun.” - HOT PRESS, Ireland
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SLIDE Announces Colorado Debut – Friday, February 19th Tickets on sale now -w/Guggenheim Grotto
| | “Slide... the future of Irish Music” Radio 1, Ireland
“They can sing , they can write, they can dance across fingerboards and piano keys,
buttons and bows, and by crikey can they play.” Irish Music Magazine
SLIDE – energetic, creative Irish music - named after the liveliest and most exciting of the tune rhythms from the South of Ireland. Consisting of the youngest acclaimed artists from bands that have stretched across a few generations, Dé Danann, Stocktons Wing, Liam Clancy's Band through to Damien Dempsey Band and Danú, Slide collectively have honed an electrifying fresh sound building on their deep roots and teaching expertise in Irish Traditional Music and are “...taking Irish music to a new place”, said celebrated Irish musician-producer Dónal Lunny, who added, “Their music will touch people far beyond the realm of traditional music”
SLIDE will be at the Soiled Dove Underground in Denver
Friday, February 19th
Tickets $15-$20 All Seats Reserved/All Ages Show/Free Parking.
Call Celtic Events at 303-777-0502 or SLIDE at Soiled Dove
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A Conversation with Phil Coulter
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| by Cindy Reich
Phil Coulter is no slouch. He wrote songs for Elvis, wrote the mega-hit “Saturday Night” for the Bay City Rollers and produced three albums for “Planxty” (for the traditional music lovers in the audience). It’s impossible to pin him down and put him in a box. Pop songs that he’s written have gone to number one many times and sold tens of
millions of albums. Some of his most powerful songs are ballads such as “The Town I Loved So Well”. “Scorn Not His Simplicity”. “The Old Man”. “Steal Away”. Just to name a few.
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Stones In His Pockets
| a review
by Cindy Reich
I was smitten before ever seeing the play upon entering the Denver Victorian Playhouse. A lovely house in a residential neighborhood, built in 1911 with a small theater built in the basement.
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Prolific Phil Coulter Returns to the Rockies with Celtic Thunder
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| Cindy Reich Interviews Phil on eve of Celtic Thunder gig...
Phil Coulter will be joining the wildly successful show, Celtic Thunder, when it arrives in Denver on December 12th at the Wells Fargo Theater. His accomplishments in the music world over the last 40 years are legend. Phil took time out of rehearsing at his home in Ireland to talk with Cindy Reich and the Celtic Connection about giving back, Celtic Thunder and his upcoming visit to Denver.
CR: Phil, how in the heck are you?
PC: Never better. For an aging rocker, I think I’m hanging together not so bad!
CR: Tell me about Africa—what were you doing there?
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Rocky Mountain Spotlight: Ben Kelley – From Gigs with Jigs to Moos, Hooves, and Horseshoes
| | Denver’s historic Union Station (17th and Wazee) will be the starting point for the city’s
Stock Show tradition on Tuesday, January 13th. At high-noon rodeo and farm livestock followed by celebrities, marching bands, floats, horseback riders and performing cowgirls and cowboys, will walk down the streets of the Mile High City over the hour lunch-break, symbolically kicking off the yearly Stock Show celebrations that run from January 10 through the 25th.
Orchestrating the event will be Denver native Ben Kelley, who began as a volunteer for the Parade 15 years ago, and for the past 10 years has been the Parade Coordinator. As Coordinator he takes care of all the logistics with responsibilities that include securing permits, coordinate with police, send out applications to parade participants, contact parade route businesses, and all the other details that must be done far in advance to help ensure a successful event.
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Ireland's Brewmaster Comes to Colorado
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| (from February 09 Celtic Connection newspaper)
Guinness Brewmaster Fergal Murray Reveals Denver Mission:
The Pour - The Toast - The Proposition - The Bar Tab Bailout Plan
(Editor’s note: In advance of his Denver visit this month, Guinness Master Brewer Fergal Murray sent this letter to our readers.
On Feb 11 his Denver schedule was added to end of this article posted on www.CelticConnection.com)
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Julie Fowlis & Band in Concert
| | Saturday February 28, 6pm doors, 7pm show at the Oriental Theater, 4335 West 44th Avenue Denver, Colorado 80212
Box office 303-455-2124.
AWARDS and NOMINATIONS
BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards 2008 Winner - Folk Singer Of The Year
Scots Trad Music Awards 2008 Winner - Album Of The Year (Cuilidh)
Scots Trad Music Awards 2008 Winner - Gaelic Singer Of The Year
BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year 2007 Nomination
Best Folk Band (Dòchas) Scots Trad Music Awards 2006
BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award 2006 Winner
Gaelic Singer of the Year Scots Trad Music Awards 2005
Best Up & Coming Artist (Dòchas) Scots Trad Music Awards 2004 Winners
Gaelic Singer of the Year Scots Trad Music Awards 2004
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LUKA BLOOM - “11”new songs and 1 new U.S. Tour!
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CELTIC WOMAN AT RED ROCKS JULY 1 & 2 2009 -NEW SHOW!
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Celtic Woman – Isle of Hope Tour (New Show) at RED ROCKS!
Live Nation proudly presents CELTIC WOMAN at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Wednesday July 1 and Thursday July 2. Showtime is 8:00 PM. Gates open at 6:30 PM.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW at The Fillmore Auditorium Box Office, online at www.livenation.com or call 877 – 598 – 6659.
Single tickets are $110.00, $63.00 and $43.00 RES plus applicable service charges
Visit My Site
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Congratulations Celtic Woman Ticket Winners!
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| CELTIC CONNECTION/CELTIC EVENTS/GIGS LIST DRAWING:
Sara Gabriel ("My daughter was born at Swedish Hospital on December 26, 2006. I had the Celtic Woman playing in the delivery room! Love 'em!!")
IDLE IRISH CONTEST PROMO:
Susan Smallwood Harold
Patrick McElhany
Sherree Sabelle
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