ILHS Speaker Series: Irish in Australia, Mairéid Sullivan

ILHS Celebrates Irish Diaspora of Australia on March 10
with Mairéid Sullivan, author, singer/song writer and historian–
West Cork born, San Francisco raised, and Australian citizen

Irish Literary and Historical Society of San Francisco will team with Mairéid Sullivan to present the storied Irish diaspora of Australia at a luncheon event at the Hotel Marker, Bellevue Ballroom, 501 Geary Street in San Francisco on Sunday, March 10 at 1 pm.

Mairéid was born on a farm in the Bantry township, West Cork, Ireland, the first of seven children. Her father was a master horseman and a fine Irish tenor. Her mother, a health practitioner, taught her traditional Irish songs. She came to San Francisco with her family at age 12 and in 1967 was crowned San Francisco’s Miss Ireland by Supervisor Leo McCarthy. At 20, she moved to Australia. She has been singing traditional Irish songs since early childhood, and many of her original songs celebrate humanity’s heritage of joy –particularly as reflected in Irish Celtic culture.

“The late 1800s and turn-of-the century connections across Ireland, San Francisco, New York and Melbourne to Canberra changed history!” says Mairéid “Australian-Irish are passionate about every aspect of their history.”

Mairéid’s 1995 CD, Dancer catapulted her onto the USA and Canada stage as the World Music/Celtic genre took off. This led to her acclaimed book Celtic Women in Music. Maireid will tell her story in word and song.

The ILHS is a community of people in pursuit of knowledge of the best in Irish and Irish American literature and history studies. We have presented a broad range of fascinating speakers from the heights of literature and academia as well as some of the finest lay scholars in the field while supporting and celebrating Irish studies for more than 70 years in the Bay Area.

___________________________________________________________________________

WHAT: Irish Literary & Historical St Patrick’s Season Event:
“Irish in Australia with Mairéid Sullivan”

WHEN: Sunday, March 10 at 1 pm – Luncheon $65

WHERE: The Marker San Francisco, Bellevue Ballroom, 501 Geary Street (at Taylor)

MORE INFO: Maureen Barry, [email protected]; 415-572-6646