Kate Kennedy Remembrance • June 3
Kate Kennedy Remembrance: A tribute to a 19th Century Champion for Women’s Rights and Workers’ Rights.
Sunday, June 3, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM, Cypress Lawn Cemetery
Sponsored by Irish Marvels Past and Present, the United Irish Cultural Center and the United Irish Societies.
More information email Jo Coffey at [email protected]
Among the host of people who down the ages have gone largely unheralded despite their significant contributions to the advancement of social justice is Kate Kennedy, an Irish 19th century San Francisco school teacher. In 1874 her test case secured the legal precedent in the United States for equal pay for women doing the same work as men. In 1886 she was the first woman in California to run for state-wide public office–State Superintendent of Schools. And in 1890 her test case ended, once for all, the political spoils system in California: no longer could civil service workers–and that included teachers–be fired except for professional “misconduct or incompetency.” read more at FoundSF
Experiences of Chinese Diplomat Luo Linquan • April 15
On Sunday, April 15th, Luo Linquan will speak about his experiences as Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Ireland and as Chinese Consul General in San Francisco, UICC, 5pm.
Experiences of Chinese Diplomat Luo Linquan in Dublin and San Francisco is co-sponsored with Crossroads Irish American Festival and the Chinese Historical Society of America. Luo Linquan will speak about his experiences as Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Ireland and as Chinese Consul General in San Francisco, as well about major contributions of Chinese workers to the construction of the first Transcontinental Railroad in the US.
Sunday, April 15th, 5pm at the United Irish Cultural Center, St. Patrick’s Room, 2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco more
Kate Kennedy Remembrance – June 3
Wrenboys • History of the Annual December 26th Celebration
Wren Day, also known as Wren’s Day, Day of the Wren, or Hunt the Wren Day (Irish: Lá an Dreoilín), is celebrated on 26 December, St. Stephen’s Day. The tradition consists of “hunting” a fake wren and putting it on top of a decorated pole. Then the crowds of mummers, or strawboys, celebrate the wren (also pronounced wran) by dressing up in masks, straw suits, and colourful motley clothing. They form music bands and parade through towns and villages.
The wren celebration may have descended from Celtic mythology. Ultimately, the origin may be a Samhain or midwinter sacrifice or celebration, as Celtic mythology considered the wren a symbol of the past year (the European wren is known for its habit of singing even in mid-winter, and its name in the Netherlands, “winter king,” reflects this); Celtic names of the wren (draouennig, drean, dreathan, dryw etc.) also suggest an association with druidic rituals.
Activities on December 26th with mummers and wrenboys survive. Pub or house, people gather and follow some in traditional dress. Experience the magic of Mummers and Wrenboys with members of Comhaltas, on December 26th in San Francisco’s Sunset more
‘The wran, the wran, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze.
His body is little but his family is great
So rise up landlady and give us a trate.
And if your trate be of the best
Your soul in heaven can find its rest.
And if your trate be of the small
It won’t plaze the boys at all.
A glass of whiskey and a bottle of beer
Merry Christmas and a glad New Year.
So up with the kettle and down with the pan
And give us a penny to bury the wran.
Historic places in the Bay Area
Be your own tour guide and discover Bay Area Irish history
Filoli’s Irish Connection
Year round events at Filoli – check calendar.
Filoli is in its 41st year as a historic property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is recognized as one of the finest remaining country estates of the early 20th century. A 654–acre property with a 36,000 square foot Georgian country house and 16–acre English Renaissance garden. But the Irish surprise at Filoli is in the ballroom which has five large murals, painted by Ernest Peixotto in 1926, depicting views of the Muckross Estate in Killarney. Read about the Bourns, Filoli House and the Irish Connection
Maud Bourn (Daughter of William Bowers Bourn II and Agnes Moody Bourn).
Irish Cowboys. Really.
Seeking stories on Irish who emigrated from Cork’s Duhallow region to Oregon between 1890 and 1955. Email [email protected] for more information.
LaborFest 2017
Irish Labor History Walk • July 9
Part of Labor Fest 2017, this tour will focus on the history of San Francisco’s famed waterfront and the role of its Irish and Irish-American workers, leaders, and martyrs. It will also include the cases of Tom Mooney and Warren Billings who faced a labor frame-up in the Preparedness Day Bombing in San Francisco in July 1916, and the successful struggle for their release.
The tour will also view the sculpture dedicated to the waterfront strikers of 1934 and other historic markers along the way. The tour will end inside Rincon Center, discussing the historic murals dedicated to the labor movement in San Francisco. more
SF Waterfront Labor History Walk • July 15
With Lawrence Shoup and Peter O’Driscoll. There are many stories about labor struggles in San Francisco. The walk will focus on the maritime industry from 1835 until the burning of the blue book in 1934. Also, labor historian Larry Shoup will discuss the history of the 1901 transportation workers strike led by the Teamsters, which the San Francisco police attempted, but failed, to smash. After an over two-month long struggle, the workers emerged victorious, and the Union Labor Party won the election of 1901, taking control of the city. This was the first large city in the United States to have a union labor party in office..
Celebrate JFK’s 100th Birthday • May 28
Join Irish democrats and community leaders at a celebration reception on the 100th birthday of John F. Kennedy.
Enjoy speakers and tributes at hosted reception that takes place from 3-5pm at the United Irish Cultural Center. Contact Eileen Kivlehan at [email protected]
Bay Area Irish Oral History • April 2
Join Irish-American Crossroads for this seventh annual event honoring the life histories of participants in the Irish Oral History Archive of the San Francisco Bay Area, a project of Irish-American Crossroads.
This year’s event features Joanne Harnett, Kathy Holly and Frank Ahern. Event takes place April 2, 1-3pm at the UICC.
About the Archive: Irish-American Crossroads is producing a comprehensive archive of the life stories of the Irish in the San Francisco Bay Area, representative of all generations of heritage. Dedicated to capturing the experience and contributions of men and women who emigrated from Ireland and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, and their Irish-American contemporaries, the archive is an important collection of recordings of life stories and personal histories. Note: The current phase of interviews is concentrating on Irish-born immigrants who arrived in the Bay Area up to the 1960s, and Irish Americans whose families emigrated to the Bay Area during earlier times.
Find out more about Irish American Crossroads’ annual festival and the Irish Oral History Archive. If you are interested in participating in this project, please email Hillary Flynn.
Celebration of the Pearse and Connolly Fife and Drum Band • Mar 12
Join Crossroads for a centenary celebration of the legendary Pearse and Connolly Fife and Drum Band. Founded in Butte, Montana in 1917, the band moved to San Francisco in the 1920s and has been an important cultural institution of the San Francisco Irish community ever since. You are requested to bring photos and memorabilia associated with the Pearse and Connolly Band to this event to showcase in a display.
Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street , San Francisco
For more information on this and other events visit www.irishamericancrossroads.org
Historic Tour of Irish Hill • Mar 17
2nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day tour of “Irish Hill” aka the Dogpatch, SF, led by San Francisco City Guides. Once called “Irish Hill”, the Dogpatch became home to thousands of working class Irish, Scottish and English immigrants during the 1860’s. Learn about the infamous neighborhood and visit historical sites during this 1.5hr walking tour. The tour will begin at Triple Voodoo Brewery, where owner Greg Kitchen will lead a tasting of two of his favorite beers and give an overview of the brewing process. Plus, get $1 off pints and $5 pilsners. more
Chinese, Irish, and the Transcontinental Railroad • Mar 25
“Chinese and Irish Workers in the Construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.” Gordon H. Chang, Professor of American History and Director of the Center for East Asian Studies at Stanford, and Barry P. McCarron, Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow of Irish Studies at New York University, will lead a discussion about the roles and treatment of Irish Workers in the construction of the first Transcontinental Railroad in the United States. For more information, visit the Irish American Crossroads festival website
Making Bridget’s Crosses • Feb 5
February 5 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm at the UICC. Join the tradition of Bridget’s Cross makers, and learn how the Irish have put this famous piece together for generations. more
O’Neill Irish Music Festival • Feb 23-25
The festival opens on Thursday, Feb 23 with a presentation by festival founder Tom O’Neill on the “Incredible Life Of Francis O’Neill – The Man Who Saved Irish Music” at Sam’s Anchor Cafe in Tiburon, with accompaniment by local Irish musicians. Two shows follow on Friday, Feb 24th and Saturday, Feb 25th at the Lodge in Tiburon, featuring Lucia Comnes, The Black Brothers, David Winter, Kyle Alden, John Caulfield, Todd Denman, Marla Fibish, and many more. See full musician lineup here
ILHS Speaker Series • Feb 26
Matt Spangler. The Irish Literary & Historical Society is planning two very special events for the months of February and March. In February they present a talk by ILHS Vice President, playwright and academic Matthew Spangler. Spangler, a Professor of Performance Studies at San Jose State University, will present a talk titled “Walking in the City: A Kurdish Asylum-Seeker’s Arrival in Dublin”.
Over the last ten years, Spangler has conducted a number of ethnographic interviews with a Kurdish asylum-seeker and now refugee living in Dublin, Ireland. A former member of the PKK – the Kurdish separatist organization, labeled a terrorist group by the U.S. and many Western European countries – he left Iran because, as he put it, he was too “old to be fighting and living in the mountains anymore.” Eventually he ended up alone and wandering the streets of Dublin, which he initially took to be Toronto. In Ireland he requested asylum and, after five years of hearings, rejections, threatened deportations, and appeals, was awarded refugee status. This presentation will focus on his first morning in Dublin, and subsequent application for refugee status. The talk will take place on Sunday, February 26 at 5pm at the United Irish Cultural Center, 45th Avenue and Sloat Blvd., San Francisco.
Annual Banquet, March 19. The ILHS presents their annual St. Patrick’s Banquet on Sunday, March 19 at the Saint Patrick’s Ballroom in the United Irish Cultural Center. This year’s event features harpist and storyteller Patrick Ball, with song and dramatic reading by Esther Mulligan, and music by fiddler, Anne Goess.
Contact Eileen Kivlehan at (415) 681-2078, or Brian Whitty at (925) 925-9015 with inquiries.
15th Annual Irish-Mexican Fiesta • September 15
Centro Latino de San Francisco, Inc. holds its 15th Annual Irish~Mex Fiesta buffet dinner in honor of First Responders from San Francisco Police, Fire & Sheriff Departments & the District Attorney Investigation Bureau at the United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco, on Thursday, September 15th, 2016, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. Featured entertainment by Mariachi Femenil Orgullo Mexicano
Read here about the San Patricios and Irish Mexican links
Thursday, September 15th, 2016, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. RSVP by September 9th or call 415-861-8790.
The Impact of Robert Emmet • Sep 10
Valerie McGrew will reflect on the impact of Robert Emmet on the leaders of the 1916 Rising and on why he continues to inspire people over 200 years after his execution. info
Robert Emmet Day Remembrance • Sep 18
“Let no man write my epitaph: for as no man who knows my motives dare now vindicate them. Let them and me repose in obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain uninscribed, until other times, and other men, can do justice to my character; when my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then, let my epitaph be written. I have done.” Excerpt from Robert Emmet’s Speech from the Dock
Each year the United Irish Societies of San Francisco (UIS) lays a wreath at the foot of Robert Emmet’s statue in Golden Gate Park commemorating his struggle for Irish independence and for the civil rights of disenfranchised Irish Catholics. The UIS remembers his heroism with Irish music, dance, and a recitation of his memorable Speech from Dock, which he delivered at his trial on the eve of his execution. The public is invited to attend this moving event.
One of four statues created by Jerome Connor in 1916, the figure of Robert Emmet stands outside the California Academy of Sciences building overlooking the Band Concourse in the Golden Gate Park. Donated to the Park by James D. Phelan, San Francisco mayor and son of Irish immigrants, the statue was unveiled by Eamon De Valera in July of 1919 while he was on a fundraising tour of the United States. Emmet served as an inspiration to the Irish republicans in the years leading up to 1916 uprising.
Robert Emmet Remembrance ~ 12:30pm @ Band Concourse, Golden Gate Park
Ireland 2016 • Programs in Ireland
The ambition of Ireland 2016 is that people everywhere, in Ireland and overseas, will discover more about 1916 and that period in our history, will participate in events that are being held all around the country and abroad, and will gain access to newly available online historical and cultural material about 1916, as well as material about the centenary programme. visit website
Reflections on Ireland 2016
Ireland 2016 released “Mise Éire” a short film of Irish citizens reflecting on what the Rising means now, on the events of the past 100 years and what it means to be Irish.
The Bloody Irish – on PBS in 2016
The Bloody Irish, a new musical drama is US-bound in 2016. For a sneak preview, the show was filmed by PBS and aired in October. The musical drama, based on the events of the 1916 Rising, is directed by Michael Barker Caven, written by Barry Devlin and produced by Ned O’Hanlon. The show stars Michael Power and Karl Quinn.
May events
David Brundage, ILHS Speaker • May 22
In this important work of deep learning and insight, David Brundage gives us the first full-scale history of Irish nationalists in the United States. Beginning with the brief exile of Theobald Wolfe Tone, founder of Irish republican nationalism, in Philadelphia on the eve of the bloody 1798 Irish rebellion, and concluding with the role of Bill Clinton’s White House in the historic 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, Brundage tells a story of more than two hundred years of Irish American (and American) activism in the cause of Ireland. UICC 5pm. purchase book
For more, see The Easter Rising 100 years on: how the Irish revolution fired up American politics
The Celts: Culture, History, Legend • May 6,7
A two-day symposium featuring history, art, music and literature about Celtic history beginning with pre-Roman Europe and including such topics as the Celtic language and culture, medieval Celtic storytelling, and contemporary Irish literature. more
April events
Walking the Rebellion, Mission District SF • May 1
Sunday, May 1, 12 noon. Meet up at 518 Valencia Street @ 16th Street, San Francisco
On Sunday, April 24th, 1916, seven Irishmen declared Ireland to be an independent state, free from centuries of British rule. The “Easter Uprising” is a hallowed event in Irish-American history, revered as a moment when the Irish diaspora played its part in ridding Ireland of colonial rule. In San Francisco’s Mission District, Irish and Irish-Americans met in houses, meeting halls, churches and places of business, in order to envision and fund the rebellion. Join San Francisco writer, Elizabeth Creely, on a walking tour of the Mission District’s revolutionary Irish past. Tour distance is about 2 miles. It will conclude at St. Peter’s Church, 1200 Florida Street, San Francisco. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Easter 1916 Rising and its Legacy, Berkeley • April 29
(event has passed) Reflecting on the Rising: The 1916 Centenary. This event, co-sponsored by the Celtic Studies Program, the Irish Studies Program, and the English Department, will include a roundtable discussion on the 1916 Rising and its legacy, featuring: Catherine Flynn, Assistant Professor of English, U.C. Berkeley; Bob Tracy, Professor Emeritus of English, U.C. Berkeley; Tom Walsh, Lecturer, Celtic Studies Program, U.C. Berkeley and Philip Grant, Irish Consul General, San Francisco
It will also feature a presentation by Kathryn Klar, Lecturer Emeritus, Celtic Studies Program, U.C. Berkeley, on the life and legacy of Ella Young, who participated in the events in Dublin in April 1916 and later emigrated to the U.S., where she became the James D. Phelan Lecturer in Irish History and Mythology at U.C. Berkeley details
San Francisco 1916 Commemoration • April 24
United Irish Cultural Center. Join the San Francisco Irish community in commemorating the heroes and heroines of the 1916 Easter Rising and remembering the contributions of the Irish in San Francisco. From 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm, you will have an opportunity to participate in a variety of activities including viewing exhibits relating to the women of the Rising and exhibits relating to the contributions of the San Francisco Irish. The main program starts at 5:30 pm with a narration read by Grania Flanagan followed by the keynote speaker, Professor Christine Kinealy, highly regarded historian and author from Quinnipiac University. All welcome – suggested donation $10
Ireland’s Poet Patriots, Grace Cathedral • April 22
In partnership with San Francisco’s Consulate General of Ireland and Grace Cathedral, commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the historic “Proclamation of the Irish Republic” with the World-Premiere of Ireland’s Poet-Patriots, A Musical Tribute. Benefiting the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center.
A musical commemoration of and reflection upon Ireland’s struggle for independence as told through the stirring poems, lyrics and writings of ten of Ireland’s great poet-patriots – from Robert Emmet to W. B. Yeats, James Connolly, Maud Gonne, Padraic Pearse and more – Ireland’s Poet-Patriots brings to life 113 years of Irish history that led directly to the Easter Rising of 1916. Composer Richard B. Evans marries Irish traditional music with the expressive power of original classical crossover to pay tribute to the enduring spirit of Ireland’s people, music, history and literature. more…
Women’s Roles in the 1916 Rising • March 31, April 2
Sinéad McCoole has published No Ordinary Women: Activists in the Revolutionary Years 1900-1923 and Hazel: a Life of Lady Lavery, as well as Easter Widows: 7 Women who Lived in the Shadow of the Easter Rising. She is currently director of the Jackie Clarke collection.
As a curator, she has originated and collaborated on a number of important exhibitions on Irish history and Irish art both in Ireland and the US. Her areas of expertise include The Rising, the War of Independence, and Civil War, with an emphasis on the role of women. Sinéad is currently the Curatorial Advisor to Ireland’s 2016 Centenary Programme.
On March 31st, Irish-American Crossroads presents Women’s Roles in the 1916 Easter Rising and After: A Reading and Conversation with Sinéad McCoole at Mechanics’ Institute. Sinéad McCoole is an Irish historian, author, broadcaster, scriptwriter, and exhibition curator. As a curator, she has originated and collaborated on a number of important exhibitions on Irish history and Irish art both in Ireland and the US. Her areas of expertise include The Rising, the War of Independence, and Civil War, with an emphasis on the role of women. www.milibrary.org.
On April 2, during the 1916 Easter Rising Centennial Commemoration Event Series at the Poet and Patriot in Santa Cruz, author Sinéad McCoole will read and discuss Easter Widows.
Poet and Patriot Irish Pub, Saturday, April 2, 2016. 1:30 PM- 3PM
Oral Histories of SF Irish • April 3
Honoring the life histories of participants of the Irish Oral History Archive of the San Francisco Bay Area, this Irish-American Crossroads event is an afternoon gathering to highlight individual stories with a specific focus on the 1916 Easter Rising. more…
Irish Marvels – 1916 presentation • April 9
April 9 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm at the United Irish Cultural Center. Participants will present on specific participants in the Rising and the role of SF Irish community in supporting it.
The Irish Rebellion • April 8
The three-part documentary series will screen on public television stations throughout the United States in March 2016.
An initiative of the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame, this documentary tells the story of the 1916 Easter Rising in a comprehensive way and, for the first time, places these events in their proper historical, political and cultural context as the precursor to an independent Irish state and the disintegration of colonial empires worldwide. Narrated by Liam Neeson, this landmark documentary tells the dramatic story of the events that took place in Dublin during Easter Week 1916, when a small group of Irish rebels took on the might of the British Empire. The documentary – featuring a combination of rarely seen archival footage, new segments filmed on location worldwide, and interviews with leading international experts – also uncovers the untold story of the central role Irish Americans played in the lead-up to the rebellion. Although defeated militarily, the men and women of the Easter Rising would wring a moral victory from the jaws of defeat and inspire countless freedom struggles throughout the world – from Ireland to India. more
Mark Calendars for San Francisco Irish Film Festival Screening, April 8 more
March events
Walking the Rebellion • March 19
Learn about Irish-Americans and the Easter Uprising in the San Francisco Mission District with historian Elizabeth Creely. Meet at 518 Valencia Street at noon. Part of Irish-American Crossroads Festival 2016. Visit Crossroads website
Reflections on The Rising • March 20
Irish Community Leaders Discuss the Legacy of the Easter Rising 1916. United Irish Cultural Center, San Francisco. 2-4 pm. Part of Irish-American Crossroads Festival 2016. Visit Crossroads website for more.
ILHS Annual Banquet • Mar 13
Guest speaker Professor Bob Tracy will talk about The Proclamation of the Irish Republic as both a work of literature written by poets, and a political document modeled on the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and emphasizing civil rights, women suffrage, and of course independence from foreign rule.
Don’t miss this “Poetry and Politics: The 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic” with presentation by Professor Tracy, and performances by special music guests Kyle Alden singer and guitarist, and Catherine John, fiddler and vocalist. more
Author Timothy Egan • March 2
Part of the 1916 Easter Rising Centennial Commemoration Event Series at Mechanics’ Institute, co-sponsored with the Irish-American Crossroads Festival, Irish Literary and Historical Society, Humanities West.
The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero
Timothy Egan tells the Irish American story through the life of Thomas Francis Meagher. A dashing young orator during the Great Famine of the 1840s, Thomas Francis Meagher led a failed uprising against British rule, for which he was banished to a prison colony. He escaped and six months later was heralded in the streets of New York — the revolutionary hero back from the dead, at the dawn of the great Irish immigration to America.
Timothy Egan is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter, a New York Times columnist, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in nonfiction, and the author of seven books, most recently Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher. His previous books include The Worst Hard Time, which won a National Book Award, and the national bestseller The Big Burn. more
February Events
History & Music in Tiburon • Feb 26, 27
Francis O’Neill, 1848 – 1936, is considered by Irish scholars, Irish musicians and by the Irish government as “The Man Who Saved Irish Music”. He is widely recognized by all who play Irish traditional music as the authentic source for Irish music through his collecting, preserving and publishing books of the largest selection of Irish music still in use today.
Growing up during the Potato Famine in a small hamlet called Tralibane, near Bantry in Southwest Ireland, Francis excelled in school and by age 16 passed the Irish national standards test to become a school teacher. Disenchanted that, while qualified and certified to teach, he was too young to actually get a teaching job in Ireland he decided on a different course of action. Due to some unpleasant circumstances at home, he left Ireland at age 16 in 1864 and embarked on a remarkable life of adventure, accomplishment and international fame.
Read more history of O’Neill here
See Tiburon festival details here
January Events
Songs of Freedom • Several Jan Dates
The James Connolly Easter Rising Tour 2016 – January 10th to 30th, 2016.
Using James Connolly’s own songs along with others made famous in Ireland’s fight for independence, Mat Callahan and Yvonne Moore perform a spirited tribute to the rebels of Easter Week and the leadership of James Connolly. From the publication of Songs of Freedom in 1907 to the declaration of the Irish Republic on the steps of the General Post Office in Dublin 1916, Connolly’s vision was a beacon in the struggle for liberation.
See calendar listing for Bay Area dates and venues
ILHS Speaker Series • January 31, 2016
Tony Bucher will speak about “Old Saint Mary’s – San Francisco’s Irish Monument”
The deep and varied story of the Irish in San Francisco is intrinsic to the history, character, and physical structure of the City, yet the Irish barely register in popular conceptions of San Francisco’s general history. In this sense the story of Irish San Francisco is a hidden story, kept alive in the memory of succeeding generations, and represented in a few very visible monuments with deep historical and personal resonance.
One such monument is Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Chinatown. The structure was the largest building in the City when it was completed in 1854 in the raucous Barbary Coast era, at the very beginnings of American San Francisco. Standing at the head of the first block of the steep rise of California Street on Nob Hill, it rests prominently positioned above the forest of buildings that steadily grew into an orderly and sober downtown in succeeding years.Old Saint Mary’s served as a key seat of institutional power in the early development of the City and the greater West, and as an important focus of community for a significant portion of the population for generations.
Beyond the story of the church itself and its features and biographical details, Old Saint Mary’s has broader significance as a metaphor for a history nearly unknown in the City the Irish helped build, with the remains of Kathleen Sullivan, the Irish benefactor, interred in the basement of her Irish church, hidden in plain sight. UICC 5pm
December Events
Irish Marvels Past and Present • December 5
December 5th Irish Marvels at the United Irish Cultural Center features Jo Coffey speaking on ‘Women before and during the Easter Rising’. December 5, 2-4pm at the United Irish Cultural Center. See calendar listing for more information, or call 415-585-6506
October Events
Shamrock Isle: the Irish at the PPIE •
(event has passed, October 21) A lecture with public historian Elizabeth Creely at the Mechanics’ Institute San Francisco. Join Elizabeth as she explores the phenomena of Irish Villages at World Fairs, beginning with the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and ending at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915. In Chicago, the “Irish Industrial Village” presented an image of Ireland rehabilitating itself under British supervision. In San Francisco, twenty two years later, the last Irish village at a World’s fair was the Shamrock Isle.
Ireland was in turmoil and on the cusp of eventual independence 100 years ago, yet the Shamrock Isle showed an Ireland inhabited by a people untouched by change and frozen in time. Creely will discuss the tensions between the changing political and cultural landscape of Ireland and San Francisco in 1915 and the limits of nostalgia. see calendar
“Shalom Ireland” Screenings • October 11, 20
ICCC Patrick J. Dowling Library located at the United Irish Cultural Center and Congregation Beth Israel Judea are teaming up to host an exciting cross cultural event: two screenings of “Shalom Ireland” (October 11th at Beth Israel Judea and October 20th at UICC) Screenings will be followed by a panel discussion with the director, Valerie Lapin Ganley, and representatives from both the Irish and Jewish communities. “Shalom Ireland” is a documentary film about Ireland’s remarkable, yet little known Jewish community. The film chronicles the history of Irish Jewry while celebrating the unique culture created by blending Irish and Jewish traditions. From gun running for the Irish Republican Army during Ireland’s War of Independence to smuggling fellow Jews escaping from the Holocaust into Palestine, “Shalom Ireland” tells the untold story of how Irish Jews participated in the creation of both Ireland and Israel. See October calendar for details
September Events
SF Irish Mexican Association Fundraiser • Sep 10
During the Mexican-American War, the San Patricio Battalion fought for justice, freedom, and self-determination. Though the American Army was better equipped with superior canon, at the Battle of Buena Vista, the skill of the San Patricios proved decisive. In the Battle of Churubusco, the San Patricios were even more valiant. [General Santa Anna made sure to place the San Patricio Battalion at the forefront of his troops. Given the position of honor and command of the 16-pound guns, the Patricios unfurled their green silk banner with the golden harp of Ireland, the silver Celtic Cross, and the image of Saint Patrick.]
They fought until overrun, and numerous times they pulled down surrender flags hoisted by Mexican soldiers. [Once captured, they were dragged by horse-rope.] After made to watch the American flag raised over Chapultepec, the center of power in Mexico, the remaining warriors who fought for their convictions that a northern industrial power (like England) invading a southern agrarian neighbor (like Ireland) should not bully nor should it conquer the indomitable spirit of goodness of people bound by family, tribal bonds, culture, and hospitality, were branded with a D for deserter and hanged.
Let us today remember their spirit of justice and celebrate the familial values and social bonds Mexican, Irish and others cherish. To the spirit of the San Patricios, who fought to the death for justice and self-determination, and to preserve the values of families and of culture in Mexico, their adopted country and a home for their spirit! – David Vela
read more on Irish and Mexican Links, by filmmaker John Copeland
For more event information see calendar September 10
Irish Marvels Series – The Easter Rising • Sep 12
The Easter Rising of 1916 was a pivotal happening in the struggle for an Irish Free State and made way for the establishment of the Republic of Ireland. This topic will be explored on Saturday, September 12 at the United Irish Cultural Center’s presentation and discussion led by Delia McGrath. See calendar September 12
August Events
Robert Emmet Day • August 23
“Let no man write my epitaph: for as no man who knows my motives dare now vindicate them. Let them and me repose in obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain uninscribed, until other times, and other men, can do justice to my character; when my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then, let my epitaph be written. I have done.” Excerpt from Robert Emmet’s Speech from the Dock
Each year the United Irish Societies of San Francisco (UIS) lays a wreath at the foot of Robert Emmet’s statue in Golden Gate Park commemorating his struggle for Irish independence and for the civil rights of disenfranchised Irish Catholics. The UIS remembers his heroism with Irish music, dance, and a recitation of his memorable Speech from Dock, which he delivered at his trial on the eve of his execution. The public is invited to attend this moving event at the Music Concourse at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.
One of four statues created by Jerome Connor in 1916, the figure of Robert Emmet stands outside the California Academy of Sciences building overlooking the Band Concourse in the Golden Gate Park. Donated to the Park by James D. Phelan, San Francisco mayor and son of Irish immigrants, the statue was unveiled by Eamon De Valera in July of 1919 while he was on a fundraising tour of the United States. Emmet served as an inspiration to the Irish republicans in the years leading up to 1916 uprising.
Irish Marvels Past & Present: Fr. Peter Yorke • August 1
Valerie McGrew will present reflections on the impact of the Galway born priest, Peter Yorke, on the life and times of San Francisco in the late 1800s and early 1900s as a labor leader, Irish nationalist, educator, newspaper editor and parish priest. At the monthly meeting of the Irish Marvels Past and Present Study Group at the UICC. see calendar
July Events
Irish Labor History Walk • July 19
With IBEW electrician Peter O’Driscoll and labor writer and UAW NWU member Larry Shoup. This tour will focus on the history of San Francisco’s famed waterfront and the role of its Irish and Irish-American workers, leaders, and martyrs. It will also include the cases of Tom Mooney and Warren Billings who faced a labor frame-up in the Preparedness Day Bombing in San Francisco in July 1916, and the successful struggle for their release. The tour will also view the sculpture dedicated to the waterfront strikers of 1934 and other historic markers along the way. The tour will end inside Rincon Center, discussing the historic murals dedicated to the labor movement in San Francisco.
Free event. 12pm meet at 240 Second St. Front of the Marine Firemen’s Hall near Howard. Visit Labor Fest website
Irish Hill – Potrero’s Lost Neighborhood
The Irish Literary and Historical Society welcomes local historian Steven Fidel Herraiz who will discuss Irish Hill, a 1860-1918 Irish neighborhood near San Francisco’s shipyards. This neighborhood was known for its infamous saloons, bare-knuckle boxing matches, and boarding houses. Steven brings it all to life with his research, archived news clippings and photographs. St. Francis Room, United Irish Cultural Center. ILHS members free; visitors $5.
The Shamrock Isle: Images of Ireland at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915
Tuesday, March 17th – California Historical Society, SF
Crossroads and the California Historic Society present this event and exhibit, part of a city-wide celebration heralding the 100 year anniversary of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, also known as The World’s Fair of 1915. Presentation by Elizabeth Creely. more
Family Stories Workshop
Creating Narratives from Family Records – United Irish Cultural Center, March 22nd, 1pm
Author and educator, Margaret Cooley, teaches this popular facilitated workshop on the research and composition of family histories. Margaret will explain how, with no records, stories or photographs, she found enough information to recreate a family story and write her book, The McQueeneys: From Ireland to America. more
Inspiring Ireland US Launch
In March 2014, Minister Deenihan, then Minister of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and the National Cultural Institutions, presented an information session at Stanford promoting Inspiring Ireland – initiated by Minister Deenihan’s desire to see Ireland’s cultural heritage shared freely with an international audience. Ireland’s top national cultural institutions have produced an evocative, diverse, and appealing set of exhibitions that speak to deeply ingrained motifs in Irish history: A Sense of Freedom, A Sense of Identity, and A Sense of Place. The ambitious project shares high quality images of Ireland’s treasured cultural assets in a single curated, interactive website. Partnering with the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) whose program emerged from a national recognition of the need and responsibility to preserve the fragile digital record of Irish culture and society. There is now a cross-disciplinary team of researchers and scholars, software engineers and system administrators, and digital archivists and librarians, working together to deliver digital preservation for Ireland.
The website is a first step towards an ongoing national Inspiring Ireland program to digitize and share cultural heritage, to tell Irish stories and preserve the unique Irish culture, now and for future generations. Check it out