It’s festival time! Pretty much every weekend in September out where I live is filled with a festival. I like to think it’s because suburbanites are big Dylan Thomas fans, which is to say, like he said, “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Which basically… Continue Reading
Heading to the parking garage Wednesday night after seeing the musical “Come From Away” at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, I had a flashback. A few days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, I went downtown to see the original touring production of “The Full Monty” at the Shubert. The Loop was eerily… Continue Reading
Hibernian Media is in the final stages of editing their masterpiece IN SEARCH OF WEEPING JIM, the story of the late 31st Ward Chicago Alderman James Ambrose Kearns and his role as the “father of the Chicago flag.” The film is financed by the Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago and other generous donors. Kearns… Continue Reading
Green beer? With all the nonsense going on in the world right now, you can’t blame anyone for wanting to have a drink or 200. But come St. Patrick’s Day season why green beer? Yes, I get it. For some in the US, the March holiday merely provides another reason to imbibe. It’s Irish Mardi… Continue Reading
Whiskey. Whiskey. I had to say it for SEO purposes. No. I am not drinking while I write this. You mention your topic word ASAP. That’s a rule these days. Past that, come Sunday, it’s March – the lion, the lamb, the shamrock, boring basketball and the water of life You know because McDonald’s is… Continue Reading
It being the height of St. Patrick’s Day season, best fest buddy Tom and I did what we usually do this time of year. We volunteered to help out at Rosie O’Hare’s Public House in East Dundee. It’s the least we can do toward our hopes to make it into heaven. Sure, it was… Continue Reading
So Tuesday was actual Mardi Gras, the fattest of days leading up to Ash Wednesday and the season of abstinence My pre-Lenten fun was over the weekend. Best Fest Buddy Tom’s brother, Mark, is moving back up to the Fox Valley from down that way, so I tagged along to help get the last of… Continue Reading
If you head out to hear The Irish House Party Friday, March 1 at Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake, musician Declan Quinn promises one thing. “Once you are inside the theater you will experience the real warmth and fun of a traditional Irish house party. It’s the perfect antidote, I’d say, to… Continue Reading
SLANE IRISH WHISKEY TO SPONSOR AND PRESENT THE 4TH ANNUAL IRISH AMERICAN MOVIE HOOLEY When a party gets rowdy, the Irish call it a “hooley.” Mike Houlihan, Irish American Radio personality and Chairman of Hibernian Transmedia NFP, announced today that SLANE IRISH WHISKEY will be sponsoring this year’s 4th Annual Irish American Movie… Continue Reading
To which frat did St. Patrick belong? That question popped into my head a few weekends ago as I was working as a doorman at some friends’ pub, checking IDs and watching the drunks amble by as the festivities began in earnest almost a full week before the actual holiday. Nothing says Ireland like a… Continue Reading