Out & About

Did you see the cover of The Irish Examiner newspaper last week? Well, if you have not, the great Donie Carroll  was on the front cover and by all accounts the distributers have told us they were sold out in minutes... Elvis is still alive, just kidding.

I couldn't make down to Lillie's Irish Victorian Bar and Restaurant (17th Street, between Broadway and 5th Avenues) on Saturday afternoon but I was told that you couldn't get a seat in the house as the great Donie Carroll  and array of traditional musicians turn up for one of the greatest sessions held in New York. If this keeps up, which it will, I can see Tommy and Frank will be extending the place into next door. Good on you boys.

'Failte 32 - Job Opportunities NYC' is a new organization that is having a meeting at O'Casey's Restaurant and Irish Pub and would like to cordially invite you to join with Irish-American business and civic leaders for a important press conference on Monday, May 3rd at 11:30am.

They will be launching a new initiative to assist young Irish immigrants, both college students and graduates, who are having a hard time finding work here in the United States after arriving from Ireland.

Many of them who came in search of the American dream, have instead found it difficult to establish themselves during these tough economic times.

The press conference is scheduled to take place at O'Caseys Restaurant Board Room located at 22 East  41st Street in Manhattan, between  Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue. 

Local and national television, newspapers and radio stations are expected to cover this event. You are welcome to attend this meeting to find out more about the initiative and how it might be able to assist you in your job hunting efforts.

I will be at and so should you. As I said before, we all got a little help when we arrived and we have got to get jobs for the latest arrivals since they will be the future in Ireland when they return.

I was asked to give this gig a big plug so here I am: On Thursday, April 29th at 7pm they're holding an Airneál at Glucksman Ireland House NYU. Airneál is another Irish word for ceilidh, referring specifically to a house gathering of neighbors and friends to sing, recite, dance, and converse.

Bealtaine, the Gaelic word for the month of May, marked the beginning of the summer season in Gaelic culture when the herds of cattle and sheep were moved to summer pasturage.

Join Padraig Ó Cearúill, members of NYU's Irish Language Folk Group, and the Washington Square Harp & Shamrock Orchestra to celebrate the onset of the summer season.

The Washington Square Harp & Shamrock Orchestra will include Donie Carroll (vocals, guitar), Brendan Dolan (piano), Lisa Farber (flute), Linda Hood (flute, vocals), Tony Horswill (fiddle), Liz Kennedy (fiddle), Don Meade (fiddle, harmonica), and more. 

You can check it out at wshso.wordpress.com. It's free admission to members of Glucksman Ireland House and to all students/faculty with a valid NYU ID card. For non-members there's a $10 donation at the door for the general event series. In order to ensure a seat, please RSVP to (212) 998-3950 (option 3) or email ireland.house@nyu.edu.

Yes it's this time of the year again and you know what that means: the 19th Annual Kruise for Kids, the Hudson River Dinner Dance and Concert Cruise in aid of Project Children that is sponsored by the AOH Division 7 NYC. You can't miss this since it's the most fun you will ever have and is a great way to meet old friends as everybody goes, even me. The date for the cruise is Wednesday June 9th and there's a full open bar... yum, I like it! There's also a hot and cold buffet dinner (and yes, desserts too) all for only $100. Now where else would you get a deal like that!

The entertainment will feature Celtic Cross, The Cunningham Brothers, Shay Mac, Tom Casey & Friends and more. I wonder, will the great Donie Carroll make an appearance? You never know.

The ship leaves from Pier 52 (on West 23rd Street and 12th Avenue) and boarding begins at 6pm with the boat sailing at 6.45pm and returning at 10pm. For more information visit murphguide.com or call (212) 717-9955.

The Irish Arts Center and 1407 Productions LLC have announced a world premier concert performance of Transport, a new musical by Thomas Keneally and Larry Kirwan, directed by Tony Walton, as part of the Irish Arts Center New Plays Partnership Series. Transport will be presented as a concert reading from Friday, April 30 - Sunday, May 2.

There are performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $38 ($32 for IAC Members).

Transport takes place at the Irish Arts Center (553 West 51st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues). Tickets can be purchased by calling SmartTix at (212) 868-4444 or at smarttix.com.

For more information, visit irishartscenter.org.

The Irish Volunteers for the Homeless 20th Anniversary Mass and Celebration is calling all former and current volunteers. Please join them as they celebrate a great milestone. Mass will be offered at the Aisling Center on Friday, April 30th at 7pm, followed by light refreshments to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Irish Volunteers for the Homeless. More details at aislingcenter.org

See you all next week!