Discussion on Ireland’s Future at the UICC – May 23
The Knights of the Red Branch and The Irish Herald will host a discussion on reconciliation and the prospect of constitutional change on the island of Ireland.
Keynote speakers representing Ireland’s Future are Niall Murphy, a Civil Rights Attorney, and the Reverend Karen Sethuraman, the only female Baptist Minister in Ireland. Both are from Belfast.
Ireland’s Future is a civic nationalist group that draws support from across the political spectrum in Ireland, including unionism, with the belief is the best way to secure a fair and prosperous society for everyone living in Ireland, regardless of their faith tradition, cultural background or ethnicity, is best served inside a reunified country.
The discussion will focus on how to advance constitutional change, with a focus on reconciliation.
Please visit irelandsfuture.com to find out more about the topic & speakers.
Thursday, May 23rd at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco at 7pm
Word for Word on Kevin Barry – June 26 – July 21, 2024
Word for Word—known for bringing short fiction to life on the stage—present the work of Irish author and short story master Kevin Barry for their first full production this year, which runs from June 26 through July 21.
The three works include Who’s-Dead McCarthy, a tale featuring a self-appointed messenger of death in a small Irish city who cannot stop himself from gleefully chronicling and gossiping about the details of the deaths of others to everyone he meets. A tale perfect for those who like their humor a wee bit dark.
In The Wintersongs two strangers meet on a train in Ireland. One, a world-weary old busybody, cautions a younger woman whose life journey has just begun as they both hurtle through the countryside under “the arc of a weak sun” heading toward Dublin. If this story were wine, its descriptor might read, “includes notes of humor, regret, anticipation and Flannery O’Connor.”
The Coast of Leitrim tells the story of a solitary Irish man who falls in love with a Polish woman after meeting her in a café. Finding himself smitten upon leaving the café, he falls down a Google-fueled rabbit hole while trying to translate her social media posts. The result is a European union of sorts between the two that grows more intense and complicated as it deepens, because well, we are our histories, both real and imagined.
“Barry’s stories are at once playful, serious, and beautifully crafted, and provide a needed balm for us in these turbulent times,” says JoAnne Winter, Word for Word Artistic Director
What: Word for Word Presents Who’s-Dead McCarthy: Stories by Kevin Barry
When: June 26 through July 21 (previews June 26, 27, 28; press opening Saturday, June 29), 20 performances total
Where: Z Below, 470 Florida Street, San Francisco
Tickets: $40 – $65 (previews are sliding scale); Tickets at zspace.org/barry
Note: The Sunday June 30 and Thursday July 18 shows will be masked performances