March coming in like a lion for Hibernian Media
Hibernian Media, the tiny public charity dedicated to Irish and Irish American culture, has a great lineup of entertainment planned for St. Patrick’s Day and beyond.
“We tell stories to enlighten future generations while honoring our ancestors.”, says Hibernian Chairman Mike “Houli” Houlihan. “And we are roaring back in 2021 as we continue to celebrate our pride and ancestry as Irishmen and women.” Hibernian Media produces a pair of weekly Irish radio programs, (Hibernian Radio Hour and The Houli’s Hooley, both broadcast on Saturday nights on WSBC 1240AM and podcast globally at hibernianradio.org), an annual film festival, an annual trip to Ireland, and a variety of Irish themed films, TV, and live events.
The big news for Hibernian Media this March is WTTW re-broadcasting their critically acclaimed TV series OUR IRISH PUB, featuring Irish fiddler Katie Grennan and some of Chicago’s most celebrated and talented Irish musicians on Sat. March 13th at noon and 12:30PM and on Wed. March 17th at 10PM. The show features scenes shot at The Cork & Kerry Irish Pub as well as two other pubs on the Irish music circuit.
Hibernian Radio will also soon be joining Global Irish Radio, streaming their twin shows worldwide to the Irish Diaspora wherever they roam, thanks to our old friend and GIR founder Sean Ginnelly, who hosted Good Morning Ireland for years here in Chicago. More info at www.globalirishradio.com
Hibernian Media continues editing their independent documentary film, IN SEARCH OF WEEPING JIM, the story of the late Alderman James Kearns, who emigrated from Mayo in 1884, went on to a great career in politics, and is now known as “the father of the Chicago flag”. The film incorporates eight years of footage from their annual pilgrimages to Ireland with music from The Saw Doctors, Gaelic Storm, Jimmy Cloonan & Friends, Liam Durkin, and The Wolfe Tones. More info at https://weepingjim.org
And in the works is a new documentary film, IRISH COPS OF CHICAGO, compiled from over a hundred interviews with police on Hibernian Radio as they told their compelling and sometimes very funny stories to Houli on the radio.
Hibernian Radio will celebrate all of this on Paddy’s Day, Wednesday March 17th, with a ‘hooley” of their own, starting with the Hibernian Radio broadcast recording at 7PM featuring former DEA agent and “history detective”, Rick Barrett as he tells the story
of the first Chicago police officer to die in the line of duty, Constable James Quinn, an Irishman. After the radio show we’ll have music from “The Great Whiskey Project”, Irish dancer Tadgh Spillane as well as surprise guests Jimmy Cloonan & Friends, Jimmy Conway and other musicians dropping by for the craic until ten pm when the focus will shift to TV screens for the WTTW re-broadcast of OUR IRISH PUB. All of this takes place at The Cork & Kerry Irish Pub, 10614 South Western Ave, in Chicago on St. Patrick’s Day, Wed. March 17, 2021. All Covid safety precautions will be in place with social distancing and masks etc., but the joy, laughter, and pride of the Irish will be celebrated mightily!
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